The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-10
LIBERAL CLUB LECTURE.
DIR. Frederic n. Marvin ON Epidemic
Decisions, Mormonism and Spiritual
fsm-A Vigorous Expose.

DR.. Frederic n. Marvin ON Epidemic
DelusiOns, Mormonism and Spiritual
tsm-A Vigorous Expose.
DIR. Frederic r. Marvin lectured last evening be-
fore the Liberal Club at Plimpton Han, on "Epi-
denic Delus0ns.n He said 1T seems TO have
been the peculiar mission Of modern science 10
demonstrate the permanency and universally OF
law, 70 drive from the universe the very thought Of
caprice and to introduce inviolabe harmony
where was the widest discord, rudest fancy
and merest fiction. To modern science moth
ing is more impossible than miracle, nothing
more absurd than accident. The rational phi
losopher recognizes no causes but such as are re-
ducibe to law, and all causes are natural and i'm
mutable. He discovers the play OF law not only in
the motion OF planet and the falling OF an apple,
but In the prevalence OF crime and the rise OF .
religion. All things have causes-all are in their
turn causes and governed by perfect and consist
ent law. The thoughts we think, the emotions we
feel and the acts we perform are links in a chain
no effort can break, and that will endure when we
shall have crumbled into dust, and In our graves
we shall still be governed by law we obeyed
before the cradle OF infancy received u.s. There Is
no escape, no truce, no delay. Science has torn
the mask OF fable from the face OF Nature and re-
veaed the marvellous features that no skill may In
terpret
Or all decisions that have spread themselves
over the earth, making and destroying the philoss
ply Of the world, none are so thoroughly disinte-
grating as that OF
MORAL AGENCY.
The philosopher now detects the working OF nat
urai law as much in the rise OF religion or the
growth or O crime as in the revolution OF the sea-
sons and the flowing OF the tides. The modern his.
the murder Of prince. The the0Ogian finds In ci-
matte causes The secret OF religion and in the
The ps a sees IN the tides Of crime that
rise ana fall century after century-now overflow
ing the banks OF civilization and now recedng al
most from view-the working Of natural laws that
cannot be circumvented nor successfully resisted.
A word or two as to what is meant b. the terms
CRIMINAL EPIpEMIcs.
Crime means violation OF civil law. 1t may or may
not be sinful but 1t Is always illegal. Crime IS one
law for its existence, and If there were no law
there could be no crime, since crime Is violation
OF law, and nOn-existent laws cannot be spoken or
as violated The Greek word epidemic" means
common to many people--selzing on many people
at the same time Morality apprehend to consist
in obedience to natural law, q VOCATION Of which
may or may not be sinial. moral epidemic, then,
signifies wee sezng on many people a. e same same
seizng on many people at the same time. In the
one case we have crime and IN the other vice as
The subject OF moral and criminal epidemics Is
one Of immediate and vital interest to the age in
which we live. All around u.s. ut home and abroad,
for good and evil, the subtle laws are at work. and
their invisible fingers forever weave the wondrOus
web OF events; and 1t Is your duty as students Of
science, to understand those laws and guard
against their abuse.
We need not go back single century for illus
tratiOn Of the subject.
LOOK AT MORMONIsM,
with its thousands OF saints assembled IN the val
ley Of Salt Lake. If ever q religion was estab.
iished and people gathered on q basis utterly
shallow and fictitious, that religion was Mormon
ism and that people the Latter Day Saints and yet
never was there creed more enthusiastically
embraced or bravey defended. Look for mo-
nent at the origin of the faith. Joseph Smith, q
man OF prodigous personal magnetism, but an
audacious liar. bankrupt and murderer
a man whose character Montesquieu nafvely
describes as "not possessing precisely the
innocence OF virgin"-this man sud
denly, and with no reformation OF character,
becomes an interpreter OF Gods Will to man-the
inspired discoverer and translator oil book he had
the audacity to call divine. ON the word Of this
utterly abandoned and pronigate man, and with
guarantee whatever for his sincerity, thousands
deliberately forsook their religion, turned their
backs on their native land and followed the for
tunes Of the Dretender to new and Western
world.
The age in which we live is not free from epidem-
les OF moral and criminal nature might in
stance religious enthusiasm, political excitements
and social frenzy. might speak OF
THE RISE OF SPIRIruALISM,
the revival OF Materalism and the new impulse
given to Socialism.
How will you assist In the production of such o
public sentiment as shall make moral and criminal
epidemics imposslbleP You will all assist In your
several capacities; but in general may say that
such movements either result from or contribute
to superstition. Preserve calm, intelligent and
unwavering allegiance to rational science, and In
whatever way opportunity may indicate, whether
on the public PLATFORM in the printed page by the
bed of sickness or in the secluslon OF private life,
always teach. both by precept and example, quiet
frame OF mind seli-control and an unwaverng
faith in science.