The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-17

H. Hepwortn win preach this morning on .The
Mysteries OF Prayer" ana In the evening SER
mon to young men.
Thoughts Tor Troublous Timesu will be uttered
by the Rev. J. NJ Pullman this morning. who will
also present "The Moral and Regeneratve Powers
of Universalism'' this evening in the Church Of
Our saviour.
BIBLE MIRAcI.Es-ANoTHER PHASE OF MODERN
sPmITUALIsM
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Now that the exposure OF the Katie King ana
other ''Spirtual' humbugs has shown that Mod
ern Spirltualism'' Is nothing more than mesmer-
ism, clairvOyance and tricKery, 1t Is o good time
to demonstrate TO the popular relgioniss that the
ancient thaumaturRy upOn which they base their
faith has no better foundation, and must be
handed over to the admiration Of such ignorant.
stupid ana credulous people az are determined to
gulp down these fish stories at all hazards. In
this letter, then, will go in q rambling, hasty
way over all the principal Manifestations OF the
Bible that are analogous to those now
occurring and show that they can all
be explained away, with the help of our
modern knowledge OF the human body and it's sur
roundings / can do this more readily because
twenty years ago I read the famous Book all
through and marked and classified all its esprit
ual phenomena" under such heads as are fur
nished by the nomenclature OF the mesmerists,
biologists, &c. l do not propose to follow in the
lines OF criticism adopted by the Voltaires Humes
and Panes, Strausses, Remains, &C.. who manly con-
cluded that the strange events narrated never
occurred. We know from seeing similar things
happening now, that many Of these stories were
founded on facts and were in accordance with
laws OF nature then unknown.
VOL hnOi Ind
ideas in the Old TIES arenJ to the personality of
the manifesting 'spirit." Whoever appeared was
called "the Lord" Take Abraham's case-..And
the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre
as he sat in the tent door In the heat OF the day
and he lifted up mis- eyes, and lol three men I'm
buckram y stood before hm.n This was a strong
case of materializatlon the three "did eatn the
veal outlets and j0hnnycake which Sarah made
ready. and then lin different verses called s'he,
and "they" and "the Lord'D made wonderful
prophecies. You see our orthodox friends find
themselves in an eddy as soon as they begin to
read with their eyes open.
Genesis, xxXii.-Jacob wrestles, "coar and ell.
bow" all night with materialzed spirit, who gets
hold and puts the patr1arch's thigh out of JOINT
This Ike many OF the others, ought to be counted
out any now, as 1t was asdark S61nce and there
no witnesses. This spirit was "nOWheren as soon
as the light was turned on,
pqss b amons tine
divining cup Divine, aOtG 0ene that all these an
cient wonder.workers only claimed to Ego one
better" Ia the same lines as the ordinary magi-
clans.
All through '.the plaques of Egypt" we find that
when Moses changed rods to serpents, turned
rivers TO blood, brought up droves OF frogs, &C..
't1e magiclans did so with their enchautments.n
He "stnmped" them first on the plague of lice.
Then they gave up beat. But ne gave them q
fair chance and did not scorn the competition.
The reason OF this Is that they were the orthodox
Twin of hof tiYOn 0nh hA had en- show
baud or ego hang"
Exodus, xxxl-In the Sinai manifestation there
got angry and broke the lrst Stone tables, and he
was forty days behind the cloudy curtain" before
he produced the second SET
Numbers xvii.-Aar0p's rod buds. ANY cunning
magician can make plants grow ''miraculously."
1t Will be found thai most OF the wonderful
things spoken OF as seen and heard by the old
prophets were encountered by them when in the
condition described by Baiaam, Numbers. XIV
'Which saw the vision OF the Almighty falling into
the dreams and solitary frances and commonplace
clairvoyance and the "miracles'' become very few.
In Joshua, Viz Is recorded the greatest "tpptng''
manifestation In history. 1t took the Jews seven
days to prepare the magnetic conditions" tor
pie formed circle ali around the city on seven
successive days. They concentrated their will,
power ana magnetic io a upon tne wall as one
footed on the rams horns. Instead Of singing q
dismal song IKE modern spirit circle the whole
fell III 1T ever did,, though no mention Is made Of
sappers and miners.
judges, xv.-we and Samson at the rope and
cabinet trick. He had himself tied SUCCESSFULLY
with new cords, green wlthes and new ropes:
but every time the committed" approached the
medium 10 examine the knots, the stupid fellow,
instead OF shipping the ropes OF. broke them by
main strength and awkwardness. At his last
smashed the cabinet and the affair broke up In q
row, with many sore heads.
Kings, xvilL-Elilah called down from heaven
nre that consumed sacrifice, stone altar and
the water In q trench Wen, they say that an old
woman up az the Eddy's made fire burn by
story sooner than the news "Do gray hairs make
ii. Kings, w.-There is commotion in the Syrian
Court, because elisha the prophet that IS in Is.
rae, ;and many miles away teeth the King OF
Israel the words that thog Syrian King, speakest
Some OF the seventh sons" who advertise in the
HERALD can equal IL.
thinking that he "the SHADOW brought ten
degrees BACK IN the dial OF Anaz,'
!. Chronicies.-David produces plans and specia.
cations Tor temple, and says, like many mod.
ern writing and drawing medium. Gan this the
Lord made me understand, IN writing by his hand
Daniel, we find lsraeI's great prophet,
Daniel Tin accordance with previous statement),
gratefully receiving the position OF "master OF
the magicians, astroiogers. Chaldeans and sooth-
savers" and ever ready to beat them ut their own
games. =
the hand" that wrote on the wall; but no expert,
like 0lcott, handled that hand finding no arm
OehlnQ the WrlSt," or looked 10r mole IN the
plaster. Can we trust the old test more safely
than the thousand new materializati0ns?
Turning to the New Testament and coming over
the stories there, so variously rehearsed by the
different apostles, the story OF the miraculous
feeding OF 5000 persons Is seen to stand out most
prominently. II the statement is to De credited
at all modern science shows us that the most
likely explanation Is that the 5000 were magnet
tied into belief that they were being fed. Ii the
modern materializlng Of all sorts OF things by
spirit power were credible we might suppose this
fOod concentrated from the atmosphere; but, as
that Is out OF the question, and as we hnd such
men as Mr.. Beecher able TO convince even an
audience OF 5000 OF anything, the first theory
seems the right one.
The .Transnguration" scene, and others where
mccarthy lights appeared, seem capable OF
natural explanation after reading the writings OF
that great anti-Spirttuast, Baron Rechenbach.
who showed tnat light called by him "odyle."
emanates from magnets and from the magnetic
poles OF the human body. A Rreat accumulation
OF this by will-power might be visible in the day.
time.
Tue stories about the healing Of the sick are
nearly par alleed IN our day, without making mucA
impression ON the general public A few years
ago the wonderful healing power OF the ZOuave
Jacob Of Paris brought such crowds around him