HACKER'S PLEASURE BOAT. w. Bound to no party, to no sect confined, tUc World our Church, our brethren all mankind.^ YOL. XYIL BERLIN, CAMDEN CO., N. J., AUGUST, 1867. NO. 2. HUMS. which Balaam himself was too blind doctrine of necessity, and attempted to see. I must attend to him. to prove it by a Tlie Pleasure Boat will be published medium in a court, monthly at $1.25 for 26 numbers, or in the The first week we were here in who said she was sometimescontrol- same proportion for a shorter term. 5 copies Berlin, as we met this priest while ed to do things contrary to her will. for $6.00. passing to and from our work, he He said Spiritualism was all humbug, Letters and money must be addressedto bowed very politely, but no words and to prove it, brought the juggler JEREMIAH HACKER, passed between us, and all was quiet. Blitz into the pulpit with all his gim- Berlin, I came hither among strangers with cracks, ridiculous allusions and comic CamdenCo. NewJersey. the determination while here, to attitudes "ailed all the Spiritualists speak no word, to perform no act freelovers, and tried to prove it by that I would wish to recall in the an extract from the book of one HALL. SPIRITUALISTS' hour of death—no word nor act that Harris, which book, he said, spirit- any reasonable person would have ualists had adopted, and said Harris A Tree Platform. just cause to reprove or censure, had renounced Spiritualism and re- We do not like pulpits. Tliey and hence had no conversation with turned to the Church. He said that have become cowards' castles. -The an)' one except what business made Spiritualism was older than Christi- coward who has a creed that will necessary. But by some means the anity, and was the demonisnvof the not bear examination, ensconces evil spirits that usually surround the New Testament. himself in his castle, the pulpit, and priests of this order, gave this man Now, in dealing with this poor be- pours out his spleen, his anathemas, the knowledge that I believed in the nighted, weak-brained and weaker- and sometimes the dregs of his. sel- Truth, and not in creeds, forms, and mmded Balaamitish brother, we ad- fishness, lust, and bigotry on his worthless ceremonies that produce mit, as many others have stated to neighbors, who differ from him in nothing good ; and very likely these us, that his ignorance, his greenness, sentiment, and then refuses them evil spirits thought that while here his talsehoods, misrepresentations, thediberty to reply; and if they do alone, among strangers, and shut out bigotry, impudence, insolence and reply in the church, they are some- from the world by deafness, they other vices so prominent in his dis- times dragged into Court and fined or couid use this modern Balaam to de- graceful harangue, place him far imprisoned under the false pretense stroy or silence me, and thus accom- beneath all consideration or notice, of having disturbed divine worship ! plish a work that they had vainly except on the score of Christian And as pulpits have become cow- labored more than forty years to ac- pity, discipline and love; but on ards' castles, and must pass away complish on their old hunting ground this scorc we can notice him, can re- with the creeds that invented them, where I was known, and had many prove, rebuke, chasten even with rid- and as we believe Truth and Error friends. icule it' his case demands it, and thus should have an open field to grap- "When Sunday came and I was not labor to save him from his errors and ple, an equal chance and fair play, at church, tlie Reverend bows ceased vices, whether he will hear or for- we have got up a Free Platform entirely, and on that day he gave bear, and while laboring with him, in the Boat, where our opponents notice that he would preach the next we have also tlie opportunity to shed may have an equal chance With us, Sunday on Spiritualism. Accord- some light on the minds of his honest and our motto is, " Let Truth and ingly when the day came he got off dupes, if there are any simple Error grapple." Truth never hides, a harangue, which one of his most in- enough to be duped and misled by never dodges nor skulks—never tries telligent and candid hearers says his harangue, and we shall at the to silence its opponent by compul- was " a ridiculous mess of falsehood, same time refute tlie same asper- sion, never fires upon him and then misrepresentation, slander, low ridi- sions against spiritualism, from the skulks behind a pulpit, but stands cule and mischievous admonitions." same class of priests in hundreds of out openly and boldly, in the might He classed all who profess to be other places between Nova Scotia and of conscious innocence and right, to Spiritualists in one body, accused California where the Boat circulates, conquer or to die by fair means. A them all of the errors and sins of so our labor will not be lost. Free Platform, on which we each, said they denied the Bible, First, then, the word Spiritualist shall lecture and preach, reprove, were infidels, ignored the marriage includes all people who believe that advise and exhort, as the spirit may covenant; that the mediums were all the spirits of the deceased are here move, and then permit others to re- outcasts from the Christian churches; with, or around about us on earth, ply if they choose in all freedom, if that the Spiritualists here in Berlin and that they can, and do, under cer- they behave civilly and decently. were smart would-be ghost-lmnters tain conditions, communicate in va- But here comes S. Ii. Johnson, a from the land-of Wooden Nutmegs; rious ways with those now living in priest after the order of Balaam, who and advised hfs bearers to go not tlie body. A thousand or million of ran when God had not sent' him, to near them for hell was not far from people may agree in this one belief, curse a people whom God had not where they held their circles; that and in all other tilings in belief and cursed, and abused the beast on he had a chicken die last night and practice, 110 two of them may agree. which he rode because he saw, and they might consult its spirit if they And to charge the errors and crimes stopped before a Spirit in the way, wanted to. Said Spiritualism was a of each and all upon each and every believer in Spiritualismis just as un- theso errors in the Bible, and reject jority of women marry from necessity, just as it would be to charge upon them, and have a sure, unerring test not those whom they love, and with this priest, all the errors and sins of by which they determine which pas- whom they might be happy, but the whole universe who profess to sages are true and good, and which such as offer themselves; and in believe in the same Bible that he are not, and this test I will give at consequence of the above prostitu- does, or to charge upon all the some future time. Spiritualists re- tion of the marriage covenant, the Apostles of Christ, the sin of Judas. ject the errors and falsehoods of the majority of married couples live in The Spiritualists have no Church Bible and receive the true and good. strife, and the majority of the chil- organization, no adopted creed, nor But thou who condemnest others for dren now born, are like those spolcen articles of faith, and therefore if one not believing all the Bible, dost thou of in scripture, that were conceived of them holds an error or commits a believe and obey it? "Thou slialt in sin, brought forth, in iniquity, and sin, it does not affect anj' other be- not kindle a fire in thy house on the as prone to evil as the sparks are to liever in Spiritualism. Sabbath day," says the Bible. Do fly upward ; having no natural af- In charging upon all, the errors or you obey that? "Six days shalt fection because there is no love, but sins of the few, this priest is guilty thou labor." Do you obey that? selfishness, strife and contention be- either of ignorance unpardonable in "Thou shalt not bear false witness tween the parents, who cannot im- the ministry, or else a spirit of injus- against thy neighbor." Here you part to their children affection and tice too malignantto be expressed. are dreadfully guilty. " Thon shalt other good qualities of which them- With regard to denying the Bible. not round the corners of thy hair selves are destitute. Furthermore, True Spiritualists, and 1 speak only nor mar thy beard." Look in the children begotten in these prostitu- for such, receive truth wherever they glass, brother. See how nicely the ted discordant marriages, are more find it, whether in the Bible, an al- hair is rounded, how smoothlya part or less physically and mentally dis- manac, or anything else, and reject of your beard is shaven, even the eased, and each generation more error and falsehood, whether it be in poor striving goatee on your chin effeminate and shorter lived than the Bible or any other.book ; and so mangled and mutilated a goat the last. Intelligent Spiritualists see that there are errors and falsehoods would hardly own yon for a brother.