The New York herald., 1874-11-30
A STARTLING DOCTRINE.

The Progressive Spirttualists and Their
Latest Theological DeveloPment-Mrs.
DR.. HallOck's Theory OF the Immacu-
late Conception-spiritual Maternity.
At the corner Of Forty second street and Sixth
avenue, and directly fronting on Reservoir square,
there Is a hallway and porch and a stairway in
the upper vista leading to large apartment,
which is known as the Harvard Room. In this
room, which Is large airy, well lighted,
and very clean, chosen band OF the
strangest people that was ever known to
man or woman assemble every Sunday az.
ternoon to hold what is called py them
conference" but which Is In no sense confer
ence for the reason that when it Is over the dsa-
greement Is greater than when the conference
opened These people, who are supposed to be
Spiritualsts, were formerly in the habit OF meet
ing at Robinson Hail. in sixteenth street, which
Is now devoted to the cancan. They have mi
grated to the upper location, and there they
meet on Sunday afternoons rain or shine. There
Is a sort or semfOrganiZation connected with this
weekly assemblage known as the Progressive
Lyceum, the head and front OF which is tall bru-
nette gentleman named FarnswOrth, who
Is constant attendant Another constant
attendant Is certain DR.. Hallock, who
talks very we'll when occasion calls for
it, and the Chairman Is another doctor,
whether medical or divine, is not known, named
Atwood. The Chairman is grave and slow
spoken person, who strictly enforces the ten MN
ute rule on all orators, whether male or female,
unless the audience should show disposition
10 listen Iurther, and then permission is given to
continue. There is the utmost freedom of discus
sion as regards the principles avowed by each
speaker, uniess the speaker should see fit to
ifrer from the majority. when he or she is summa-
rily squelched. Now and then individuals in the
body OF the hall will ask conundrums which can
not be answered OF the person who holds the plat
form temporarily, and the majority will tell him
instantly to shut up.
TEN CENTS TO GET IN.
young man sits inside OF the doorway upstairs,
wearing blue scarf and q rather Jovial coun-
tenance, who demands from each person the sum
OF ten cents and, II paid in currency, the stamp Is
Immediately placed on top Of o stack Of stamps
that are lying exposed upon table. The audi
ence numbered quite lot OF men who Will per-
sist In wearing their hair long means OF show
ing their genius and to indicate the fact that they
have "vews'' on all subjects; ana here and there
was sprinkling Of women, who looked good
deal like their male comparriots The best OF or.
der generally prevails in the assemblage, and the
monotony Is only disturbed when something dis
tasteful is said.
man with very decided Caledonian accent
and rough hair took the platform ana gave his
views on splrituasm and spirit mediums. more
particularly referring to those who tie themselves
up in public entertainments He said that he mad
found Spritualists who believed that the Daven-
port brothers and man named Warren had
the power OF tying themselves in q box and
loosing their bonds without any other agency to
help them. This he thought to be absurd on the
face OF it, and wanted to know II Spiritualists be-
neved in sucn things.
The Chairman called the speaker to order, ane
hoA r,<vAk
the audience with such irrelevant remarks.
CALEDONIA AROUSED.
The Scotch gentleman took hts seat, and asked
why he should not be allowed to investigate the
matter, and wanted to know what they came
there Tor.
young man. most stylishly dressed, whispered
to friend at the back of the hall that he believed
that they came there for the purpose OF paying
ten cents to the doorkeeper.
DR.. Atwood. the Chairman, stated that he be.
lieved that every person had right to investigate
but no one had the right to speak foreign to the
subject before the audience. II they had any
doubts to solve they should take them home with
them (applause) and not annoy those VINO came
for practical discussion.
The next speaker was portly and solid-looking
gentleman with gray hair and a pair OF blue Cog
giles. He was announced as Professor Hume, and
was warmly received. He SAID that SprItualism
was making tremendous progress all over the
world some Of the most influential newspapers
in the country at Chicago. Washington, Spring
field and In tnis city-were iurtneriDg the course
OF Spirtaaiism and Its investigation. There were
but few real Christians, as Christianity ls under
stood, and sham christianity was all-pervadng.
Science, through such men as Huxley ana Tyndan.
was acnleving wonders, and Spiritualism well
coined science with open arms.
IS THE BIBLE HUGE LIE?
The history IN the Bible represented but specK
OF time, and there was not any Bible OF any ac-
hn q nf Ihrr9-
tianlty existed IN all other religious systems. and
y was nonsense and shame to talk OF Christ as a
divinity. He was the same kind OF medium to The
Jews that socrates was to the Greeks, Conlucius
to the Chinese and Mohammed to the Turks. In
many things the M0hammedan faith was an I'M
provement on Christianity. and, Tor one reason,
that u was a later deveopment-60O years later.
a bull, Apis and Isis The Greeks, succeedins shen
pictured goa in the shape OF q man, Jupiter
ana pa,aias wrought for them host Q! gods and
and others, and the Christian mythology was only
q COPY Of these systems. Spirltuaism is the only
peace together. Look at the tremendous struggle
that tnat Is nov now going on ia Europe between Glad
at Protestant and Catholic pitted against each
other as most deadly ioes. II Is true that Roman
Catholicism had raised the white banner q spirit
our spirtual,sm pnnl,s contained everything to
psgsc' Ese wopd mnnknd being ppSe Ts
old and denounce Darwin because he said that
man came rom the monkey. Why, geoiogisss can
earth that man came from cell or globule v.
ing In the molinsS, and the world OF the Bible
was but page OF the immeasurable space OF
time In all religious systems there was conflict
but in Spritualism. The Shiite and Sunite among
the Monammedans were In interminable con-
nict and there were two bitterly opposing parties
in the Greek Church;N but in Spirsualism there
was breadth and freedom and charity found In
no other system. tApplause.)
4 sPIRITUALIsT ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.
Mrs. DR.. HalIock, tall, pale faced and intellect
ual looking lady, was the next speaker. She said
that she was opposed to all kinds of dogmatisms
and intolerance. and ehurchanity, II the word
cOuld De used. Mrs. Halock said that there would
be perfect freedom in all discussion on her spirit
usl platform. she nad received testimony, as a
medium, In regard to the immaculate conception,
and sne could not say that tho ductrtne was false
or tnst 1t was true. Yet the Inspiration she had
received from the other world was in Iayor OF the
immaculate conception. but not as Protestants
believed the doctrine TO DO taught Some