LECTURE on SPIRITUALISM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2941, 4 July 1888, Page 2

LECTURE on SPIRITUALISM.

The Picsbyterian Cliuich was fairly \ ivell filled' last- evening in lesponse to' "M mi announcement that tlio Bey Mr,Cful would lecture on the subject* of t} ? "Spiutnulism" After the usual pre- f lnmnuries die Rev D. Fulton formally.v-Ktf, introduced the speaker,: and ramarkedv.fy;'isl tbiit although the mdtence t ,J i over huge, owing to winter weather/ p those present would no doubt slioV " j\ theif appreciationcby • giving: Btrioi'fejsi attention V' < 'flic lecturei, in prefacing apologised foi any . ground lm.uiigh, ,-. y . traverse over,-with piesent nnght bo alieady familiar. Hs would deal with the subject from e Christian standpoint,-and-asked'-for ■ indulgence of Ins audienco while introe dueing personal ■ experiences..': extract from a. lecture'delivered by'y:i-V Gerald Mabsey on " Spiritualism" was ' then rc id, which lefeucd to tho atti ,tudo'assumed'.by on this question. Modern vmktyma owed its birth to the mgs in 1847 winch originate] family of one John Cox who tlio state; of - New York. Great.; ' oxcitement was created, and the >;« : whole district/becamo enthusiastio ■ on tlio subject. "Wo are all your- - friends and relatives" v was .' thev.r-.iis: hint message received from the 'spirits... Tlio first public meeting on " Spirit 1 unlism" was delivered ■in Rocheste- r>s-j

Hall, on November/14th, j ' 1848, to ate :v audience of four hundreds people An the close of tbe lectwro a Committct wiib formed to; investigate into tbe whole question, and 'after •> severo '

sci'iitiiiy, the moinbers of it. reported ' ' that "lappings" lmd been -heard, but: >« they could give no satisfactory loison for tho phenomena, .The people weie dissatisfied-with this' verdict; and - -■> third: committees were formed, but with precisely the saiiic result Tho < press then took up tiio matter, and great enthusiasm prevailed.tteighout the country. The lecturer Mil gavo the; opinions of several well-known v writers on the subject. Whatever Bpirilualism" may be, it was not mere , conjuriii", It was by overwhelming evidence that chaujnnd tables had been mysteriously' fljtd, "•v.".?. pianos had been played by invisible i means, slates had been legibly written 'I upon when turned over on the top of a I pencil. Inferring to "spiritualistic art" *"* lio reliifeu v that an uneduMted lad in England had, byi the assistance, ofV'pij the "spirits" painted a very weird S picture of the habitants of other worlds. Not only so, but he, (the lecturer) had 'K lmd intercourse with a departed friend. The experiences of one " Fraser" and.''himself were then quoted at some > " lenetii. An 1 amusing incident regar- - < ding llie" spirits" os music students was also given. The lecturer, 111 con- ' elusion, expressed a very poor opinion v of the character and abilitiegbf dis- w-jK embodied spirits. : He, fatMpo see why they should he better acquainted 1 1 with things pertaining to thefutuie than'mortal beings,- i'romthe investigations he had made person ally, he ■ had determined to have nothing mote ' to do with spiritualism. It was a , dangerous speculation, and inteicourse with spirits impaired the nervoti? system. After referring to ]ect Irom a Scriptural point ol tha lecturer concluded by advising his : henreis to havo nothing whatever to " do with " unknown spirile." The Kev. Mr Fulton, after • a few ' ' remarks, passed a vote of thopks to ■ the leo'tiror, which was earned by ccluiim'ion. . .^i'