Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-12
Methodist Divine Retreats None
of His Pulpit Criticism of
spiritualism
DOES NOT AGREE TO DEBATE
spirituaIists' Challenge In Newspaper
Arouses a Formal Statement of His
Remarks From Pastor of Methodist
church-says In Effect That Spirit
Mediums Are Fakes sefeonfessed.

Readers of the T.-R. who have not
been sufficiently interested in Spirit
ualism to attend n seance at the usual
price of admission may have their
bumps OF curiosity aroused since Rev.
Nathaniel Pye is not disposed to re-
tract any of his criticisms or even con-
fine his remarks to the four walls OF
his church. He replies to the Spiritual
lists complaint with n communication
couched In no uncertain language. He
does not accept the challenge for a
joint debate nor u duel. and probably
will not, but the T.-R. cala already see
ahead of it grave International compli-
cations and the editor has, already APP
pealed to Secretary Hay for the modus
operandi in defining the neutral zone.
Rev. Pye's letter follows:
Editor Times Republican,: / have d
stated residence in Marshalltown,
where can be found when wanted. 1t
does not SAVIOR of business or courtesy
for individuals to rush into u newspa-
per office when they have proposition
to submit to another whose residence
is known. The Times Republican says
that ii was the ridicule l used and the
sarcastic remarks l employed which
have stirred the ire of the Spiritualists.
II is passing strange that 1t took three
days for them 10 find out that 1t was
my ridicule and satire which they OBJ
iected to. 1 wonder how Christian men
felt when a few weeks ago 1t was am
nounced in the T.-R. that Moses Hull
would attack the character of the
sainted Wesley. as pastor of sister
church said to the writer, they hit you
Methodists between the eyes
1T liz q reflection upon the intelli-
gence of the Spirltualists and absurd
beyond measure to think that the slight
ridicule or sarcasm employed should so
arouse them. l might say. in passing.
that IL had allowed the full force of
my condemnation TO fall upon the aw-
full facts disclosed last Sunday night
1t would have excoriated indeed. 1t
was not that which troubled them, but
AZ was the awful teachings and prac-
ices which proved by their own wit
nesses which brings to them dismay.
me IciitS PAONSA 26oAussN ASPAAshoAA-
ism were these:
II referred to the fact that the Fox
sisters. Margaret and Kate, who gave
10 the United States its first spirit rap
pings, publicly in Carnegie Hall, New
York. showed that 1t was a deception.
That the one now living had repudiated
Spiritualism and was now a member OF
the NJ. f. church. proved from their
hot 10 Js-&t
that it did not believe in the scriptures,
that it mathematical marriage, that 1t
worshipped the devil, that 1t taught
that every act of man was necessi-
tated, that sin was impossible, that
Judas and Christ We're equally true to
their mission, that in Herod was no de.
merit or in Fenelon merit, that human.
ity in brothels and on scalfolds We're
on their way to eternal life. and that
vice was virtue in the making.
II proved from Hudson In his great
work on Psychic Phenomena that
Sptritualism had never answered
question where the answer was not
known to some present.
Il proved by him that the wonders "
were not the replies Of
spirits. but the giving up Of knowledge
stored away In the recesses OF the SUBJ
jective mind.
Il also quoted him when he says I
have never seen anything genuine IN
the line of materiaIization.'
Il quoted from lectures to mediums
written by Spiritualist where the au-
thor admitted that all the phenomena
of Spiritualism could be accounted 10,
by the action of the mind of the me-
dunn.
Il proved from Bottom Facts In,
Spiritualism." the author OF which.
John w. Truesdale, claims to have
been a successful medium for twenty
FIVE years. how the tests and materials
cations of Spiritualism were produced.
Il also showed from his pages that
mediums planted towns by going into
them, as statesmen. ami finding
out from the postnrastar WHO
took splritualistic literature, and
from abe grave yard these
wNo had recently died; all of such facts
being carefully indexed, and used to
the surprise OF Spiritualists when
months afterwards they again came to
those towns as mediums.
Herein is strange tfhing: Spiritual
ism teaches that all acts are necessi-
tated. and no evil can be avoided. and
yet they try to bluff thu community
by a challenge to discussion.
THE challenge business like that OF
duelling is fifty years too late.
II understand that the Spiritualists
had reporters present last Sunday night
and all have to say Is this, IL they can
ifnpeach their own witnesses and there
by Obtain "A clean bill from the terrible
record I revealed. i should be glad In
deed
''The Spiritualists say that they have
graduated from the church. They
mistake their position and illustrate
their Ignorance OF the church. Men only
graduate from the church when they
enter the Fellowship of the church tri-
unsphanr which is without fault before
the throne of God. They may have
been dismissed from the church and If
fonorably so they bear the badge of
such dismissal in godly life and holy
conversation.
II am told by the Spiritualsts that
they consider am biasphemer. VIVA.
is blaspheny? The International die
tionary says 1t is an indignity offered
to God in words. writing or signs i'm
y.iously written words or signs address
ssed 10 or used in reference to God.
No living man can charge me with
that and tell the truth. l admit read
blaspharny, but It was not niilie but THAT
of the Spiritualists There Us a second