, 1874-01-11

PRAYER
rRooBLE N THE FTEE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY
The question OF the souls lmRortalltv IS as
old as the hills, From Abe1's death to this hour
men have given it most serious heed. Of neces-
ai.y it mnsr adjust itself as one OF the most es-
sential principles in any and erery system OF re-
lision: for. If man is not immortal, there u but
little. if any, foundation On which to build sub
htautiAlly any system Of philosophy. It is not
SURPRISING therefore, to find ''Truth-Seeker,"
whose letter Oh this topic is given below, rus1l-
ing lurriedly to the defense In fact, the spirit
OF inquiry is just now at hlgh-tlde u Chicago,
and yast deal is now said on nll sides, "hlca
is Ill very we'll if done in the proper spirit; and
should he encouraged Truth fearu nothing,
aud must at last prevail. It must be admitted
the iuterrocationE put to Gen. Stiles BY the
writer are pointed and sufficiently categorical to
claim his attention. As lawyer, the writer. in
this instance rests his case on 'Spiritualtsn,"
which as ''the supernatural :" has always been
one Of the strong arguments in favor of the i'm
mortality of the soul. 1t has been understood
that some Of the members Of the Free Religious
Society were trying to turn that body into q
Spiritualist organization, aad thi@ letter tends to
confirm this rumor. Tho communication is as
follows:
TO the Edisor Of m. Chicago Tribune ...
DEAR SIR: wish to ask Geu: sttlea few qnes-
uous, III tins public way, to which prompted ;,y
lis lecture before tle Free Religious Society Of this
city published il THE TRIBUNE tf the oh, aud hope
ho viii have the kudntss to auswer in that same
set and rcutlc spritn tint seems always control
him in saving what lie has to say.
Ftrxt-Haye you any other reasons for holding that
the doctrine Of immortality should he discarded" by
tie Free Rviigou.sts Of Chicago than the single one
assigned in your letter before that Society last Sunday
evening? 1he reason you e1 u rs ssnsd 4 loT hos ~,
tn these very remarkable words remarkable because
Of the author Of them, know many, esen Of thcss
hosymyathize with you in your doubts OF
c1Iested Of you stronger evidence Of anuAilatior.
Speaking Of those good ad tnany pore-nlhued anu
intelligent men anu women" who have received esi-
withheld from me- though have given the subject
more or less attention for taan twenty years."
your att.ntion-aud which as lawyer you will fully
appreciate, is this: II tho evidence had rot hsen
wtthncd from you, Icrton1l'y I'll that followed IN
your lecture @ud touching the atsrra stories OF or
Concerning p,.to Simon M,gcs. Albcrtus Magnus,
Thomas Aquinas, 2IJhar,et Pore Innoccns the VIII,
Luther n So on oa al pntf 1e5 ,e &
ii SO. only to hare said " All this Is absurd non
sense but as for me, know that mGn 'cs after the
And YOU to convey the idea that tecarss you have
mt lad :Ais oyidence-though "many pnrc-'nirded
aud intelligent men and woncn have as you con
fess-tEerefo1c the doctrine Of Immortality should be
discarded by the Free Religious Society Of Chi
cago. Now General, allow me to rag, II Ill Kindness
that looks Ittle too r1esumptuous for great aaa
" All other men, in all past time have been dece1yed
duped, hunbasged. ilnl o:ed nlon,-brt !, IT had
could hayc detected it. could nave shown Up the
trick, tie inposture. she hutnbug.'
!second-Did you not, .oaee ul2n tine. 3ttenu
and on th1t OCCASION did you not declare that ccr-
tain army officer, whom you knew to be dead, IN COM
mon parjance appeared to your natural vtsion7 And
did you not address him by his familiar name and
title? And did he not, to your satisfaction as you
then declared show fist his face so that you Iccog-
nized him aud then agaiu. 1T your request, did le
not show the 'sstump" OF tue arn 1ost defcnce CT
his country and Ills h,g7 and again, at your request
tie fu band and arm as he is in spirit Iife.Y An1
that wonderful phenomenon? These nre "ie.dln3
quest1ous to be sure, hut then your inserrogator
knows that your answers will not be affected by the
IH,rd-suproee you and should meet at Tho BAR
On given caee-which is no: improbable-lke this,
for example: is ar7aiet-ed for murder. an
his counse1-yon the prosecuting attorney. Yon cell
one lone witness, t'czejiole and competent" who
prisoner ut tho bar take revolver from his pocket
that lie and heard him cock it. and place tho m1z-
ze ut the lead Of the and fire, and that tho man
fell dead in his tracks. Now, to 7eout that testimony,
bring ten men, good aud true, all OF whom sHcar
hlt they ip tho neghborhooa Of the
melee, but did not sea tne prisoner 1t tue br shoot
tie unfortunate nan. What would you, and tho
Court the jury, and everybody else think Of me
IS lawyer If should stand up and urge the testi-
o. at tfh he aqote par id not XII the man IN
tion2 Whatcye. the parties might think Of me- 1t is
very plain to what the Court and jury would think
Of tie one lone witness a, to what he did would
oyerlalnnce the testimony Of the ten as to what they
did not sce So it seems to me, you stood before
si1nuy testified to Whit YOU do not know, wh,le thez.
nrc ''many purc-mindcd md Intelligent men antl
liyiaE-wso are ready to testify, and fc testify,
tuodest,y and thnnkfully, every day, that they
no" thai ''thonsh man de- e: shnu he ye again
cepblc OF proof ay question Of fact il civil crm
inul jursp-udeneac Ii you think 1t is, or Is not sup
pose you aud t2te turn at i. 1t would be very H.
uad Instructive entertainment, and haso
doubt the h:li OF the Fee Religious Society could DO
had for thu: purpose, sud would Is crowded every
e.eu.ag durlng the trial. and We Will pu On the etlnd
witnesses living ind dead." IEc1H-sEEEER-
aEv1yALs AND AcCEssioSs.
Nineteen mem Cers wcrc added to tho Union
Park Congregational Church last Sunday.
Plymouth Church {CongregationaD received
twenty three additional members last Sabbath.
There we're large ruu,hcr of additions to the
New Eaglaud Congregational Church last SUIT
day.
Twenty additional members wero received into
Tue First Congregational Church last Sunday
morning.
The Lcavitt Street Congregational Church re-
cciycd somc twenty-five additional members lust
Sunday.
-Four persons united with tho Twenty-dith
Street Baptist Church last Sunday. aud eight tia
previous Sabbath.
There is just now considerable religious inter
est in tho Coventry Street Eaptlst Church. j
Preaching services have been held every after
noon aud evening tlt's week
The pastor Of the Union Park Baptist Church.
the Rev. Florence Mccarthy, gave tho right hand
If fellowship 10 thirty-six new members last |
Sunday. Tho revival in this society continues
xilu increasing interest.
Interesting religious services we're held every
afternoon aud evening this week in tile Second |
Baptist Church. In addition to thu regular pas |
;o g. tho Rcv. H. {. Mabie. Of Oak Park : L. G. |
chapcl, OF Evanston j. II. Whitehead. of the |
North Star and john Gordon, Of the Western |
Avenue Baptist Church, assisted. Thursday
evening about thirty persons arose for prayer.
Seventeen members we're added to the Eighth !
Presby tolian Church last Sunday (cleven ~ let |
cr and siz bv profession), eleven OF whom were |
.eads Of families.
New baptist enterprises have been opened
recently at Hcdo Park, Sou.h Enslewoad, aid
N the North Side. |
Tho ladies' Of tho Evanston churches haTo
,een holding union meetings in the CongrrGa-
ional Church during tho week; with much in
crest.
at E recent Sunday-school festival in tie /
second Baptist Church, 110 children repeated, /