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his letter, but "will try to repeat it to the world in a manner more generally intelligible and unequivocal than that which mediums usually employ." We fancy Mr. Tyndall found Mr. Home's letter to him sufficiently intelligible and unequivocal; but the impudence of these people is really beyond our comprehension.

The Professors have not been fortunate in their wild attacks on Spiritualism. Professors Faraday and Brewster both fell short of what might have been expected from them. Brewster, after seeing Mr. Home with Lord Brougham and Mr. Cox, could only say afterwards, that "the table appeared to rise,' which was rather taking a rise out of the philosopher. Faraday said at the beginning, that the phenomena were due to involuntary muscular action, and he was never strong enough to get out of that absurdity; and now poor Mr. Tyndall has "been and done it" in the same fashion. And these are the high priests of investigation, whose report is to settle the question of Spiritualism! We would do all in our power to prevent such bigotted and prejudiced persons from assuming the ermine.

But let the matter as to examination and investigation be put on its right ground, namely, that scientific and literary men have the same opportunities of examination of the question as any one else, and that these opportunities are so open, easy, and common that many millions of people have already examined and satisfied themselves, many of them men of the highest science, learning, and ability. It would be stepping out of the way now to ask any scientific man in. The door is as open to him as to any one else. We protest against conceited, and on this question, profoundly ignorant men, treating it as some novelty just discovered in a corner, because they wilfully keep themselves uninformed of it. Spiritualism is a great fact, as much past the mere day of testing and proving as even the law of gravitation. When as many people have accepted it as would people the kingdom of Scotland several times over, it is surely ridiculous for such as Professor Tyndall and Mr. Lewes to ask for some scientific nob to settle the point for them. If he wishes, let the nob do it on his own account, or stand out of the way.

But there is another view which these gentlemen should bear in mind. Their province is physics. Scientific men are not the best persons to decide on psychological facts. This is not their province, and they have no tools or crucibles in which they specially can examine it more than anyone else, but per contra they have fierce and obstinate prejudices to contend with, which cause them to be illogical and unreasonable. Of this, Mr. Tyndall. has made himself a signal example.

DIVINERS.

A GOOD deal of attention was paid by the newspapers to certain alleged achievements of two diviners, or dowsers, about twenty years ago. They were West of England men named Adams and Mapstone. A farmer, near Wedmore, in Somerset, wishing for a supply of water on his farm, applied to Mapstone. Mapstone used a hazel rod in the usual way, and when he came over a particular spot, declared that water would be found 15 or 20 feet beneath the surface. Digging was, therefore, commenced at that spot, and water appeared at a depth of 19 feet. The other expert, Adams, who claimed to have been instrumental in the discovery of nearly a hundred springs in the West of England, went, one day, by invitation, to the house of Mr. Phippen a surgeon, at Wedmore, to dowse for water. He walked about in the garden behind Mr. Phippen's house, until the stick became so agitated that he could not keep it steady; it bent down at a spot which, he asserted, must have water underneath it. Mr. Phippen caused a digging to be made, and water was really found at the spot indicated. As a means of testing Adams's powers in relation to metals, three hats were placed in a row in the kitchen, and three silver spoons under one of the hats. Adams walked among the hats, and his rod told him which of them covered the treasure. Then three kinds of valuables-gold, silver, and jewels-were placed under three hats, one kind under each, and he found out which was which. On another occasion he dowsed for water in the grounds of the Rev. Mr. Foster, of Sedbury, in Gloucestershire. Using the same method as before, he announced the presence of water at a particular spot, 20 feet beneath the surface. A pamphlet, published by Mr. Phippen, concerning these curious facts, attracted the attention of Mr. Marshall, partner in the great flax factory, at Leeds. Water was wanted at the mill, and the owners were willing to see whether dowsing could effect anything in the matter. Mr. Marshall invited Adams to come down and search for springs. On one occasion, when blindfolded, Adams failed, but hit the mark pretty nearly in the second attempt, excusing himself for the first failure, on the ground that "he was not used to be blindfolded." Of the main experiments, Mr. Marshall afterwards said, in a letter to the newspapers, "I tested Adams by taking him over some deep borings at our manufactory, where he could have no possible guide from anything he could see; and he certainly pointed out nearly the position of the springs, as shown by the produce of the bore holes, some being much more productive

than others. The same was the result at another factory, where Adams could have had no guide from what he saw, and could not have got information otherwise."-" Stick (not Table) Turning," in All the Year Round.

OCCASIONAL NOTES.

POPULAR DEFINITION OF SPIRITUALISM.

On this subject Dr. R. T. Hallock, of New York, has the following sensible observations:

"The popular use of the word, at best, is always in its smallest sense, but most commonly with no sense at all. That is to say, the word Spiritualism or Spiritualist conjures up before the popular imagination a variety of phenomena which are at once ascribed to common jugglery or automatic action of the brain, (or to other wise words having no relation whatever to the real facts they are used to explain,) and that is all. Spiritualism and Spiritualists, by this easy, popular conclusion, are thus easily swept out of the popular regard. Our American Dictionary indicates a broader meaning. According to Noah Webster, Spiritualism is the doctrine in opposition to the Materialists. That is it. The popular imagination has simply mistaken the proof of Spiritualism for Spiritualism itself. The facts are not the doctrine; they are simply the proof, and the only and all-sufficient tangible proof that there is a doctrine utterly opposed to that materialistic one, styled Rationalism, which that it may be rational is obliged to close its understanding against the Spiritualism of the past, and its senses against the daily evidence of its existence in the present."

MAX MULLER ON THE CONTINUITY AND GROWTH OF

RELIGION.

In his "Essays on the Science of Religion" this learned professor writes:

"There is to my mind no subject more absorbing than tracing the origin and first growth of human thought,-not theoretically, or in accordance with the Hegelian laws of thought or the Comtian, but historically, and like an Indian trapper, spying for every footprint, every layer, every broken blade that might tell and testify of the former presence of man in his early wanderings and searchings after light and truth. In the languages of mankind, in which everything new is old, and

everything old is new, an inexhaustible mine has been discovered for researches of this kind. Language still bears the impress of the earliest thoughts of man, obliterated, it may be buried under new thoughts, yet here and there still recoverable in their sharp original outline. The growth of language is continuous, and by continuing our researching backward from the most modern to the most ancient strata, the very elements and roots of human speech have been reached, and, with them, the elements and roots of human thought.

"But more surprising than the continuity in the growth of language, is the continuity in the growth of religion. Of religion, too, as of language, it may be said that in it everything new is old, and everything old is new, and that there has been no entirely new religion since the beginning of the world. The elements and roots of religion were there as far back as we can trace the history of man; and the history of religion, like the history of language, shows us throughout a succession of new combinations of the same radical elements. An intuition of God, a sense of human weakness and dependence, a belief in a Divine government of the world, a distinction of good and evil, and a hope of a better life, these are some of the radical elements of all religions."

THE DAVENPORTS.

The numerous charlatans who attacked these mediums, and said "they knew how the Davenport tricks were done," have not taken advantage of their re-appearance in London to expose them. A Mr. Thomas Joseph Lee was so far deluded by the misrepresentations of "the fraternity," that he recently sent the Davenports a challenge in the following terms:-He, Mr. Lee, agreed to pay the Davenports their usual fee, provided he might furnish his own cabinet, ropes, and musical instruments; to select his own time and place for an exhibition, and invite his own friends only, who were to be chiefly members of press.

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The Davenports at once accepted Mr. Lee's challenge, and found him out. He was only playing at "Brag," and though he lost the game, we are told he did not pay the stakes; and thus he leaves the Davenports to add this to the numerous instances they will have to report to their countrymen of an Englishman's notion of "fair play."

THE SPIRITUAL CHURCH.

The following Address was presented to Mrs. Emma Hardinge, on Sunday, May 10th, at the Polygraphic Hall,

King William Street, Strand, at the conclusion of the series of Sunday Evening Services at the above place :—

To Mrs. Emma Hardinge,-We, the members of the Spiritual Church, and others who have been privileged to attend the services at the Polygraphic Hall, cannot let these services close, though it be, as we hope and trust, for a brief period only, without expressing to you our deep sense and grateful appreciation of your most valuable labours.

We feel how much we owe you-not only as the able public representative— the eloquent exponent and advocate of our deeply-cherished and muchmisunderstood faith, but also for the instruction we have ourselves received from your Discourses; for the light you have shed upon our difficulties, and the healthful stimulus you have given to our higher and better natures.

We gladly recognize the free, reverent, catholic spirit, and the generous sympathies which have distinguished your ministrations; and we would cherish in ourselves, and promote in others, a like disposition and kindred feelings. The Spiritual Church-the Church of the future-the Church you have laboured to build up-must be no narrow communion; must rest on no shifting sands of human opinion; but on principles firm as the Earth, eternal as the Heavens, wide as Humanity. With loving heart acknowledging God as our Father, and all men as our brothers, and immortal life-with all its glorious opportunities of knowledge and of progress-as the destiny for all, we would be in fellowship with all true, earnest, devout souls of every clime and creed.

May the noble inspirations with which you are so greatly gifted, and by which we have so largely benefitted, be to you an ever-present strength, joy and consolation.

In conclusion, we beg you to accept this assurance of our hearts' best wishes and most affectionate respect.

Signed, on behalf of the members and friends of the Spiritual Church.

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At Staunton, Suffolk, in the early part of this century, several leaden coffins, with wooden cases, that had been fixed on biers, were found to have been displaced. The coffins were again placed as before, and properly closed, when another of the family dying, they were a second time found to be displaced. Two years after, the biers were viewed, when one coffin, heavy enough for eight men to be required to carry it, was found displaced, and on the fourth step that leads into the vault. No satisfactory reason appeared for this displacement of coffins.

A PRESENTIMENT.

Ebenezer Elliott, in a note to his Rhymed Rambles, published in 1840, says: "About five years ago a young lady came from London on a visit to Bolton Abbey, and with a presentiment that she would be drowned in the Strid, of mournful memory. For some time she refused to see it; but at last, overcome by the persuasion and ridicule of her friends, consented to do so.

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