Spiritualists challenge for debate
By Editor
BRO. Cornell has just given in this place, two interesting and powerful discourses against Spiritualism; the first, Sunday evening, April 23, the second, last evening the 30th. Our house of worship has never before been so filled with people. On both occasions hundreds were obliged to retire, not being able to find even standing room in the body of the house, the hall or the gallery. Spiritualists challenge for debate.
Debate was proper when the system was new, and its claims and character little understood. But now we are to treat it according to its present state of development; and it has shown itself to be a system so iniquitous and corrupting, that it has placed itself beyond the pale of honorable controversy. An article, for which we have not room in this number, will appear next week, showing why we cannot enter into personal joint debate with Spiritualists. They challenge us to cast out the devil; just as their father, the devil himself, challenged Christ to transform the stones into bread to appease his hunger, and to cast himself from the pinnacle of the temple to show that he was the Son of God; and he backed up his challenge with scripture just as appropriate to that case, namely, that God would give his angels charge over him, to bear him up, lest he should dash his foot against a stone, as the one which the Spiritualists now quote about these signs, following those that believe. God does not propose to work miracles for strife or debate, or to put his power on exhibition for the amusement of the beholder or to gratify curiosity. Our Lord himself did not cast out a demon from any one who did not wish him cast out. Such a challenge is a piece of ridiculous effrontery. Bro. Cornell showed from their own writings,- That Spiritualists deny and blaspheme God.
- That they ridicule and blackguard our Lord Jesus Christ.
- That they deny the inspiration and credibility of the sacred Scriptures.
- That they break down all distinction between right and wrong, proposing to give full scope to every evil and lustful desire of the carnal heart.
- That they war against the marriage institution which is the foundation of society itself, and against all moral and legal restraint, which is the foundation of all order and civil government.
And all these damnable features of their system, they admit, and in them make their boast, being as the Scriptures declare, “past feeling” and “glorying in their shame.” In regard to such a system our only duty is, not to come down upon a level with it, to discuss these points which outrage all common sense and decency, but to expose it and warn the people against it, as we shall endeavor faithfully to do.