The New York herald., 1872-08-11
PROGRAMME OF SERVICES TO-DAY.
Herald Religious COrre
spOndence.
Are There Two Kinds OF
SpirituaIism?
RAHBIN1CAL EDUCATION.
Movements Of the Clergy of All
Denominations.

Services To-day.
Professor B. N. Hume viii lecture this morning at
Apollo Hall ON ''The Present Age Of Reason and the
Rule OF Science"
Rev. Dr. Fagg will preach at both services at the
Church OF the resurrection.
Rev. W. s. Saline breaches morning and evening
at the Church OF the Atonement
Rev. Dr. Dixon, Of Georgia, discourses at the
Church Of the Strangers ut both services.
Rev. Dr. Staunton breaches this morning at the
Porty-second street Presbyterian church.
Rev. @. H. Ham will preach in the Ffty-third
street Baptist church in the morning and again In
the evening.
Arc Thore Two Kinds Of Spiritualtsm
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
"Bibe Spiritualist," In your issue OF last Sunday,
while admitting the phenomena OF Spiritualism,
takes the ground that there are two kinds OF
Spirftuaism- by divine permission, protection
and guidance, and the other prohibited by the Lord
In the Old Testament He also states that the
nuits Of the first form when permitted by the Lord
He His angels manifesting themselves to men and
revealing important truths and permitting men to
see the inhabitants Of the spirit world as was the
case with the prophets and disciples. We are en-
sirely willing to accept these tests to the charac
ter ofthe spirit who maniests and every intelligent
welltnformed Spiritualist in the land knows
that 1t is very common thing for spirits who COM
municate thrOug h media to utter and reveal i'm
portant truths 1t is also permitted for men to see
the Inhabitants OF the spirit world was the case
with the prophets and disciples and men daily look
uponinhabitanrs Of the spirit world at Morava, and
the writer of this has at least thirty there
among them six ofhis near relatives, who were to
be seen as plainly and perfectly as ever they were
In this life. The inhabitants OF the spirit world
have also been seen by hundreds Of persons at Dr.
Slade's, in this city. So these two qualifications
which characterize the ''angels Of the Lord-vlz.,
that they reveal important truths, and permission
for men to see them-characterize the spirits which
are now seen daily and reach the standard set up
by "Bibe Spiritualist." So we claim that they are
the "angels OF the Lord"
AS to disorderly and evil-dsposed spirits, even to
such as entered the herd OF swine, We admit their
exiBtence-in fact, as men are not changed in the
least spiritually or morally by death, we will go
farther and admit that some spirits are as full Of
malignity and all evil as some men are who walk
this earth in mortal life, and there he differ
ence Of opinion that communication with the
spirits OF such would be not only undesirable but
wholly productive of evil. Fortunately for poor
mortas, Deity has provided for this as lie has for
everything else and We find that al admirable law
governs intercourse with spirits-viz., that the
himself. This Is the law, and the violations OF it
are rare, so that we are generally protected from
the presence or, at least, from the power OF
vicious spirits, unless we are vicious ourselves
"Btble Spritualist" quotes all the texts OF Scrip
ture Exclusively from the Old TESTAMENT which
have been doing service against spirit cOmmunica-
ti0ns for the past twenty-our years. Now, we do
not worship the Old Testament to the extent that
will absolutely shut our eyes and take at random
the first command we read after opening 1t, and
literally obey It, asking no questions. The sooner
evangelical CHRISTIANS come TO the conclusion to
interpretation
and to let the progressive spirit OF the age govern
that Interpretation the sooner will hey reach that
point which they are steadily approaching, where
they will admit that reason alone must be the light
in which the Scriptures can be interpreted. And
the spirit then prevailing will not set at naught the
many truths contained In the sacred volume-but
on the contrary they will be cherished. quoted and
to which the religious world heretofore has been
and now, to q large extent, is stranger.
With these views OF the Old Testament we insist
quoted by him sweeping and general application
against all ancient and modern spiritual manifesto
tons, then we in turn claim the same validity and
force for other commands given ''n the name of
the Lord" We can quote ten for his one, but We
will content ourselves with two or three.
II "Bible Spirtuaist" will refer to chapter twenty
two OF Deuteronomy, being the third chapter
succeeding the one from which his most emphatic
verse to read thus :--.whcn thou buildest new
house then thou shalt make a battlement for thy
any man fail from thence Should not this
mand also be obeyed The eleventh verse reads,
Thou shall not wear garment OF divers Sorts as
We hope "Bible Spiritualist' will at once have
his clothing submitted to proper Judgment and
obey the command. Both these commands were
given through the mouth OF the same prophet and
at the same time that the command against en-
chanters and witches was given. II one command
was from God, the others inevitably were from
him. But we contend that neither were from him.
There Is nothing about the character OF either Of
them which required particular instructions from
God, so we believe it is far more reasonable and re-
spectfnl to God to believe that all this emanated
from the prophets own mind, and, like a very
large proportion Of matter in the Old Testament,
we think it should be received and judged upon its
own merits
In the same chapter (thc eighteenth) from which
"Bibe Spiritualist" quotes you will ind the third
and fourth verses to read as follows:-''And this
shall be the priests due from the people, from
them that oner sacrifice, whether it be OK
sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the
shoulder and the Two cheeks and the nav" 1.-The ..ine
first fruit also OF thy corn, OF thy wine and OF thine
OIL, and the FIRST Of the fleece OF thy sheep, shalt
thortty which prohibits the existence In the land
OF witches and enchanters. .Biblc Spirtualist'
accepts all that suits him and rejects
privilege. He accepts all the commands
against witches, and we assume that he re-
jects all the commands as to the mode of building
his house, selecting his garments and paying tthes
70 the priest OF all he possesses. On onr part we
all which divides him as being direct from God and
we DO 30 upon the grounds that the necessity OF
prohibiting these people from exercising their arts
as then practised and understood was apparent to
all who had sufficient nowedge to appreciate the
evils, but too ignorant TO regulate the practices and
turn thcm TO good account. Therefore no COM
mand direct from God was requisite, and we con-
tend that II God ever does especially interfere in
our Affairs 1t Is never without necessity, and here
no necessity existed.
The class OF persons who then held themselves
out as witches, enchanters, &C., were, a. u class
imposters and when any among them did really
possess any medium'stic power they were utterly
ignorant or its character and proper use, and from
being ignorant and often deprayed themselves they
Attracted only ignorant and depraved spirits
around them. How could 1t have been otherwise
when we consider that the Jewish nation was In a
sembarbarous condition. That the lower classes
were totally uneducated, and even the middle
and higher classes were more ignorant than our
lower classes tO-day-thc only persons with any
education being the priesthood and a very few IN
dividuals outside their order. Many or the
spirits consulted had been but little while before