The New York herald., 1870-05-01
RELIGIOUS FANATlCisM AND ITS FATAL
sFFECrS.


The Central Avenue Horror In BALTIMORE
The Murder Of the Marsh ChiIdren-subsc-
quent Suicide of Ihomus Henry HOpps-
Both Tragedies Traced TO Erroneous Reli.
giOrs Teaching as TO tho State and Des.
tiny of the Dead.
BALTIMORE, April 28, 1870.
The shock experienced by tns community in the
wholesale murder OF her innocent children by Mrs.
Marsh has been naturally intensified by the subse-
quont suioido OF the lad Henry Hopps
employ Of Messrs. Seavers & Anderson, OF this city
This occurred after visit by Thomas to the scene
OF the Marsh tragedy, witnessing the funeral and
hearing the burial address OF Rev. Father McDevitt
In these words, as reported In the GGzette:--'My
friends have no sermon TO preach on this SAD Oc-
casion, indeed it would be out OF place; have only
to you in the of faith that the souls OF
these innOcents are now In heaven, and 1t
Is enough" 1t will be remembered that the
unhappy Mrs. Marsh, gave as a reason for the deed
she committed that her children chad gone to
heaven" and were thus SO much better of. Having
thus before the confession of the teacher and the
taught, can we be in error as to the cause of the
tragic results Mrs. Marsh killed her children and
Thomas Hops committed suicide because they be-
lieved, what they had been taught as an article of
fath that as the breath Of life has expired
'.the souls OF these innocents are in heaven =,
Is this statement Of the preacher trues Surely
such fearful wholesale murders and the continued
liability OF their recurrence give US right and title
and make it our duty to inquire AS the clergy both
Catholic and Protestant, almost universally credit
this dogma, 1t is not to be expected that they viii
canvass its truth 1t remains, therefore, for lay
man to institute the inquiry, even at the hazard
Of being charged with presumption. Better that
certainly, than to remain silent, suning every senti-
ment OF humanity, and sancloning by acqulescence,
n oio
It's consequences to such fearful results true we
can hardly withhold our admiration OF the stern faith
and heroic love of the poor mother, vino, at the
sacrifice OF all her maternal instincts by killing her
children, rescues them from present pam and want
and secures them ms ant admission 10 he OF
bliss. Nor can we blame the unfortunate lad Thomas
Hoops who, IN his simple innoce zee believed tnat
by suicide he would secure his salvation and become
one OF tnose happy ''souls in heaven"
But II the doctrine annOuO ed by Father McDevttt.
anu, alas! generally bsie' ed by The 'Ortho loA',
OF modern creeds. be false. is 1t not shame, q
folly ana crime 10 cont nue. 70 eaca it, and en- re-
BY produce, with weak-m nded mothers and simple
children, the dreadful evils we seer
What, then, Is death and what the state or the
deauY Can there be lie In deathY Are the dead
cOnsclousS Must we discard common sene and
reJect the teachings OF all our observation and ex
perence IN order to preserve our theological OrthO
doxy9 Ii we consult our experience and observe
facts famlllary known to us they contradict fatly
tie current theory. In cases Of suspended ANNA.
tiJn-ln swoonin5, In drowning, IN cataepsy and
Other conyusions-life has departed, aud the 0eah
state Is actually en- cred upon. Without ar iAcial
means OF recovery This death state would continue
and become permanent Now, what becomes Of "Lhe
sout'' in such Intervals II alive CONSCIOUS IN
heaven" why Is IL that we lave no revelations OF
pea INC Visions &c, from those who return TO life
and cOnsciousn ss2 "
But surely there is one true source OF knowledge
on this SUD- ect, and that is the BlDic Surely book
written by our Maker 10 reveal to our origin con-
stitution and destiny Is worthy 10 be credited
aken as our aHe wa aaa is oan its Gs
Opening Its pages we cannot deny as the first re-
suit OF It's lessons thai the whole man, whatever may
be hrs constituent parts. suffers privaon OF life in
what we call DEATH Genesis H.. 7:-"God
formed man Of the dust OF the ground breathed into
his nostls the breath Of life and man became Nv
ing sO1.' TO this living soul God said, after hts
transgresson, "Out OF the ground vast thou taken;
ior dust thou art ana unto dust shalt thou RETURN"
Job, speaking OF his death, says-"Now shall sleep
In the DUST" ISAIAH says, chapter XVI, speaking
OF the resurrection or revival OF the dead:-.Awake
and sing ye that dwell in Dust" In Daniel, chapter
XII, the angel says TO the prophet:-"Many OF them
that sleep III the dust OF the earth shall awake &c.
David sal tn to God, Psalms, cill.-l4Thou knoweln
our frame; Thou iememberest we are DUST" job,
chapter NV. declares:"Man leth downn lin death)
- tn the heavens be no more; they shall nos
awake, nor be raised Ous OF thel Seepn These cita-
tons show that the Patrarchs aid prophets hed tnat
the whole man involved In the death penalty sinks
into dust al death. ~>~~
Our saviour and the apostles taught the same
truth. The Great Teacher declared T6e hour is col-
ing in which all that IN their graves mot in
heaven, or hell, or purgatory or paradise snail hear
scribes the righteous dead as sleeping in Jesus"
Again. the death stage OF all classes and ages Is de-
scrbed throughOut Scripture as OF proiOund un-
consciousness. as sleep, state oil iorgeuulness. A
know that they must die, but the dead know not any
timing. Their love and their hatred and their envy
nol 10 ulevice nor knowledge nor wisdom in tie gravs
whittier tho goest.n 'ln death there Is no remen-
branc OF thee. OH, Lord In the grave WHO q all
40. a md IN