238 Notices of Books. [April, 
presented by plants, animals, or man. He treats this question 
seriously and dispassionately, as the great question of the age ; 
which he may well do, since he claims that it furnishes an expe- 
rimental proof of immortality. He writes with the earnestness 
suited to such a theme, and with the sense of responsibility of 
one who, by long and patient study, has arrived at important 
truths of the highest value to his fellow men. Rationalism, he 
tells us, cannot object to this belief, that it contravenes the doc- 
trine of law; for its phenomena occur strictly under law: nor 
yet that it assumes the existence, in spiritual matters, of that 
direct agency of God which the naturalist finds nowhere in the 
physical universe; for its revealings come to man mediately 
only: nor yet that it is dogmatic, exclusive, or intolerant, as 
Infallibility is; for its adherents adduce experimental evidence, 
open to all men, and gleaned after the inductive method, for the 
faith that is in them. He shows us how important it was for the 
welfare of man that the belief in such phenomena should die out 
when it did, and leave us free to develope the doctrine of law, 
and to overthrow the very idea of infallible or absolute truth in 
matters of religion. All the horrors of witchcraft, and all the 
persecutions of priests, arose from the dogma of infallibility ; 
for if that dogma had been true, persecution would not have been 
a crime, but a duty. The world could not reach the fundamental 
truths of these phenomena, or understand their real import, as 
long as they believed in the devil and in their own infallibility. 
Now, they are able to investigate the phenomena calmly, and 
reason upon them logically; and it is a suggestive fact that a 
large proportion of investigators are persons untrammelled by 
dogmatic creeds, and fully imbued with the teachings of modern 
science and philosophy. Mr. Owen thinks that the belief in 
modern spiritualism is spreading as fast as can be wished, and 
even faster than can be expected, considering that almost every 
educated man is prejudiced against the very attempt to investi- 
gate it. He well remarks, that the growth of any new-born 
hypothesis so startling in character, resembles that of a human 
being. During its infancy its suggestions carry small weight. 
It is listened to with a smile, and set aside with little ceremony. 
Throughout its years of nonage it may be said to have no rights 
of property, no privilege of appropriation. Proofs in its favour 
may present themselves from time to time, but they are not 
deemed entitled to a judgment, by the rules of evidence; they 
are listened to as fresh and amusing, but they have no legal 
virtue; they obtain no official record; they are not placed to the 
credit of the minor. An adolescent hypothesis is held to be 
outside the limits of human justice. 
One of the best features of the book, as a literary work, is the 
distinctness with which each piece of evidence is presented, and 
the fulness and logical force with which its teachings are dis- 
cussed. This is so different from what is usual when ghost 
