6

bestridden broomstick. A small subscription from table-turners would accomplish that desirable object, provided the lay agent' would sell it.

Secondly, the new ideas of what constitutes eloquence and oratory are worthy of being hailed as modern discoveries and improvements. If a table can be pathetic and emphatic, why not the dullest preacher that ever mounted a pulpit? We certainly did not expect to see the day when a wooden table at Leeds should teach to the clergy the art of moving an audience. But Mr. Godfrey it seems is less fortunate than a certain German professor, whose table became so plastic and expressive that the ladies complained that it was painful to see the torture inflicted on that poor cherry-tree table; on asking if it were in pain it answered in the affirmative.' Mr. Godfrey says 'the table was more sagacious than a dog, more obedient than a child;' and 'we feel that there was almost human pathos in the movements of the table.' p. 43.

Thirdly, there is a mysterious and yet undiscovered law which regulated the negations and affirmations of this lone wanderer from a lost world to the place of its former probation. It readily confesses that it is one of those seducing spirits mentioned by St. Paul, and yet is silent when asked whether it was one of legion, or had entered into the swine. How can this be accounted for? We suggest as a probable solution of the enigma, that being a fallen spirit its infirmities had not been washed away (though some of them had, according to Mr. Godfrey), and its pride was touched by these questions. To be a seducing spirit has a Miltonic air about it, and Beelzebub himself would probably at once say Yes, when asked if he possessed that character; but to be the tormentor of a poor lunatic, or an inhabitant of a hog, is infra dig.

Fourthly, the table never moved except when a motive power, the hands of the operators, was on it. We venture to affirm that it never will, and as long as human beings are necessary to set it going, so long we shall adopt the very natural conclusion that they move it, however they may deny it, or even believe in their excitement that they exert no influence. But in the above extract it is curious to notice how ingeniously this refusal of the table is attributed not to its own vis inertiæ, but to the devil, who will only allow it to be oratorical when touched by human hands--thus depriving himself and his coadjutors (for such, wince as they may, are the operators, on the confession of Mr. Godfrey) of the only valid proof that table-turning is super

natural.

Fifthly, the difficulty in the way of Scripture interpretation in relation to dæmoniacal possession is set at rest for ever-if the table is to be believed; and, in that case, the future treatment of epilepsy and madness will be by exorcism, not by medicine and moral influence.

Sixthly, that mere matter remains stationary is not owing to the will of God as expressed in a natural law, but to the volition of Satan, for he prevented the table moving in a particular instance, and again took off the veto when it pleased him. That our houses do not fall on our heads is thus, by a natural inference, owing not to the providence of God, but to the forbearance of the devil, for to make a table move without the application of external force, is certainly as difficult a task

VOL. V.-NO. IX.

as to move a mountain. (Corollary, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are now no mystery, as 'literal fire and brimstone are the punishment of hell,' p. 54.)

But we must hasten to conclude these observations, which we have extended far enough to enable any judicious reader to see how fatally opposed are these gross delusions to anything like Biblical science, or enlightened exegesis. That these things should occur among those destitute of education is bad enough, but we were not prepared to find such superstition in a clerical circle at Leeds. But the acme of morbid hallucination is not attained till the close of the book, when the evoked spirit bears testimony to the exorcising power of a clergyman :

'Can you resist the power that compels you?-No.
'Can you tell us why you are compelled?-Yes.
'Is it because I am a minister of the Gospel? Yes!'

a

This forms a fit accompaniment to the grave opinion thus delivered:'My impression is that the placing the hands on the table is a sort of incantation. By it the sitters signify their wish to be brought into communication with the spirit-world. They sit until they are observed by some one of the wandering spirits, who thereupon enters the table, making it crack at the moment of its entering in. The reason why it will not obey any commands, unless hands are placed on, has suggested an idea, which, if it be true, is a very solemn one. It occurred to me, while writing, that the table "moved simply by the laying on of hands." L.H. (before referred to) says, 'This moral nothing' (the table) 'on the imposition of your hands begins to live!' Can it be that this is the beginning of Satan's last struggle, that on the imposition of hands the table is endued with power from the devil, as the Lord's servants, on the imposition of hands, were, in the Apostles' days, endued with power from on high? I merely ask, Can it be?' we merely ask, Can it be that there is no power in the Church of England to lay hands on and restrain the utterance of such revolting perversion of all theology as this? Are things more easy to be explained than many sleights of hand by wandering showmen, to be allowed to overturn all our delightful faith in the persistance of natural laws, and leave us a mere physical prey to Satan and his angels? We also merely ask how, on his own hypothesis of incantation, Mr. Godfrey dared to publish this book?

And

We must do what we can, although that may be little, to prevent our own countrymen from becoming as irreverent of Divine Revelation as this delusion has made many in America. In a work published in that country, spirit-rapping is asserted to be a phenomenon of the same character as the hand-writing on the wall seen by Belshazzar, and the

a Extremes meet. From a hymn-book used by a congregation of fanatics in Northamptonshire we ourselves heard the following verse given out and sung, from which it appears Satan has now changed his tactics;-then he cracked as a sign of defeat, now as a token of power:—

'When Gospel grace comes in a place,
Hell's gates wide open fly;

And devils black give such a crack
Like thunder in the sky!'

voice of the angel speaking to Hagar, Balaam, and Elijah. The author concludes his almost blasphemous comparisons by saying- Saul being on his journey to Damascus, to prosecute the believers in spiritualism, was suddenly arrested by spiritual agency, and he heard a voice saying unto him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" May God preserve our own countrymen from being thus given over to strong delusion to believe a lie! b

,

Lectures on the History of Joseph. By the Rev. T. GIBSON, Senior Curate and Afternoon Lecturer of St. Matthew's Church, Bethnal Green. London: Heylin.

ALTHOUGH these lectures have been printed some time, they have only recently been published. Their perusal has given us a gratifying idea of the solid and useful pulpit ministrations of their author, in the densely populated district of London which is the scene of his labours. There is a warmth and life in the style of address which are always

b We refer our readers with pleasure to an able article on this subject in the first number of the London Quarterly Review,' from which we will quote a few passages, as precisely expressing our own views of the whole subject.

66

There have been many popular delusions, but none more monstrous, nor more widely spread than the delusion which is now agitating the minds of men in America, Germany, France, and England, of pretended" spiritual manifestations." There are many points of peculiarity about this mania, one of the most remarkable being the nature of the minds which give it implicit credence; for the believers are not merely idle, gaping, curious, wondering fashionables, susceptible women, and enthusiastic visionaries, but also grave men, authors, judges, clergymen, men of science, and most surprising of all !-professed "infidels." Men who believe in nothing else believe in this. And side by side with these men stand the religious, who hail this new "manifestation" as the advent of a new 'spiritual era;" who regard it in the light of corroborative proof of Holy Writ, and do not see the monstrous incompatibility between the teachings of Scripture and the suppositions involved in spirit-rapping. The rapidity with which this delusion has spread is as remarkable as anything else about it. No sooner does it make its appearance in any circle than it is received with shouts of laughter. The laughers, however, are persuaded to give it a trial; it succeeds (as indeed, being a trick, and a very simple trick, it is on the cards that it should succeed); and then the laughing sceptic is turned into a devout convert-his incredulity is replaced by a credulity as rash; and if you attempt to explain to him the trick upon which it depends, he regards you with something of the angry bitterness which he would feel towards you if you were disturbing his most deeply rooted and cherished convictions !'— P. 110.

6

Although we cannot help regarding this as an ignoble imposture, and must needs view its spread amongst our intelligent circles with a feeling of sadness at the implied irreverence and the explicit credulity which accompany it, we see in it, as in all other delusions, abundant matter for philosophic instruction. It will teach the inquirer something. If it do not admit him within the arcana of the spirit-world, it will carry him into the mazes of human folly.'-P. 111.

The following passage we recommend to Mr. Godfrey, who would designate those who think him the victim of a superstitious credulity as 'mockers.'

'We are weary of this Galileo-cry. Because Galileo proclaimed a truth, and met with the fate of all great teachers, every noodle who conceives a new extravagance, every inventor who constructs even a new coffee-pot, instantly ranks himself beside Galileo, if his extravagance or his coffee-pot be not instantly adopted by a "persecuting world." It is one thing to stifle inquiry and persecute the inquirer; another thing to confront new schemes with the light of reason, or—if need be ridicule.'-P. 112.

wanted to make the substance of a discourse acceptable to an audience, and, at the same time, there is substance worthy of being presented in an energetic manner. The following extracts will show how useful information, pleasing description, and faithful teaching are combined in these lectures.

'Joseph having given way to a burst of sorrow over the lifeless clay of his honoured father, sets about the speedy execution of his solemn trust, in the discharge of the oath which he had taken : accordingly, he gives commandment to have the body embalmed, after the manner of the Egyptians, which was as follows: Having washed the body (after the extraction of the viscera), they anointed it with oil of cedar and other things for about thirty days, and afterwards with myrrh, cinnamon, and other such matters; which have not only power to preserve it a long time, but also give it a sweet smell; after which it remained whole and entire, and no part of it changed; but the beauty and shape of the face seemed just as they were before, and the person might be known, even the eyebrows and eyelids remaining as they were at first. By this means many of the Egyptians, keeping the dead bodies of their ancestors in magnificent houses, so perfectly saw the true visage and countenance of those who had died many ages before they themselves were born, that, on viewing the proportions of them, and the lineaments of their faces, they took as much delight as if they had been living among them. It was a custom likewise among them to pawn the dead bodies of their parents to their creditors; but then those who did not redeem them fell under the greatest disgrace imaginable, and, when they died, were refused burial themselves (Diodorus Siculus, Biblioth. lib. 1, cap. 91-93, Edit. Bipont.).'-P. 263.

See the venerable old man waiting at the door of his tent for the return of his beloved boy. He says to himself, "Several hours have elapsed since he departed: he might have returned long ere now: the shadows of the evening are falling fast: he will be bewildered in his path: why is he so long in coming? Surely he is safe!" Now he walks a little way from the door of his tent to meet him, and his eyes-far more active than his feet-cast many a wistful anxious look towards Shechem. At length a company is seen in the distance; his eager gaze impatiently examines them. "Yes," he exclaims with exultation, "they are my sons!" and his heart leaps for joy. As they approach, all his fears and anxieties return with tenfold weight upon him. In vain he runs over the whole company with his eye in search of the object of his affection: Joseph is not with them, and they draw near to confirm, too sadly confirm, his worst apprehensions. The blood-stained robe met the distracted sight of the wretched parent. Most probably hypocrisy shrouded the countenances of these unnatural sons with the borrowed mantle of seeming sorrow. Their tale of falsehood is told: the witness of their story appears in their hand, and the silence of grief gives way at length to the frenzy of despair. "It is my son's coat!" he exclaims; "an evil beast hath devoured him. Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." And he refused to be comforted, and said, "I will go down to the grave to my son mourning!"-P. 24.

6 Have you in any way injured another? It is not enough to say, and to say with grief, "I do remember my faults;" you are in duty bound to repair the injury as much and as speedily as possible. Have you defrauded another of his property? You are bound to restore it, and with interest too. Have you injured another in his character by falsehood, by defamation, by slander? He is your neighbour, your brother man, and you are bound to explain, and to vindicate his character in the most explicit terms. Have you corrupted the heart of your brother by loose talk and infidel principles? You are bound to use every effort to counteract the influence of such deadly evil, and to furnish him with the knowledge of Scriptural truth. Have you injured the health of your friend-his peace of mind-his family comfort? You are bound by every tie of humanity and justice, by every bond of reason and religion, to repair the mischief you have done, and to benefit your friend by every possible means, Repentance is nothing without reformation; and reformation, in many instances, is a mere name without restitution.' -P. 97.

We must mention, as what we consider a defect, the way in which the composition is profusely dashed with italics, emphasis gratiâ.

The Interpretation of the Apocalypse, and the chief prophetical Scriptures connected with it. By WILLIAM HENRY SCOTT, M.A., late Fellow of Brazenose College, Oxford. London: Longman, 1853. ANOTHER, and no mean contribution to Apocalyptic literature. Mr. Scott writes clearly, seriously, and scripturally, as far, at least, as the latter term expresses a constant reference for proofs and illustrations to the Word of God. We feel bound to introduce such laborious and pious productions to our readers, although we confess it is with regret that so much energy should be expended in endeavouring to do what thousands have attempted, and failed. But this is not the place to enter on so large a subject as the propriety and desirableness of endeavouring to add a new theory to the many which have preceded, on the interpretation of the Book of Revelation, and we will allow Mr. Scott himself to introduce the scope of his work to our readers:—

It may be well at the outset to put the reader in possession of the main points which the author has undertaken to establish in the following pages. They are these:-That the principal subject of the Apocalypse is the Roman empire, and Rome the capital of that empire; that a minute prophecy of events, times, and persons, connected either with the one or with the other of these, is there given; that, in particular, the abolition of the empire is represented, and that the date of this occurrence is assumed to be the year 476, when the emperors of Rome ceased. Further, that the millennial period following the fall of Rome corresponds to those ten centuries of the reign of the Church known as the Middle Ages; that an interval of forty years is represented as separating the fall of the Roman from the beginning of the Church empire; that the latter, therefore, definitively began in the year 516, and ended with the year 1516; that its overthrow was in fact the immediate result of the Reformation of 1517; that the imperial power of the Church was taken away at the Reformation in punishment for the sins of the Church during the thousand years; that our position from the year 1517 to the present day is analogous to the captivity of Israel in Babylon during the seventy years; finally, that this captivity is not to be perpetual, but that a complete restoration of the Church to her former supremacy is now to be expected; and that this is to be brought about in the midst, and by the agency, of judgments upon the temporal kingdoms of the modern world, analogous to those which overwhelmed the empire of Rome in the fifth century, and so opened the way for the Church empire of the Middle Ages.'

Such is the theory, illustrated in an octavo volume of near five hundred pages. Can we wonder that infidelity should abound, when it is seen that men of learning can, in their own opinions, make the Bible mean almost anything? We are sure the readers of the Journal of Sacred Literature will need no comment of ours on a hypothesis which, if true, condemns as false all their most dearly cherished opinions as Protestant Christians.

Narrative of a Journey round the Dead Sea, and in the Bible Lands, in 1850, 1851. By F. DE SAULCY, Member of the French Institute. Edited, with Notes, by the Count EDWARD DE WARREN. In Two Volumes. London: Bentley. 1853.

IN the seventeenth and the early part of the eighteenth centuries, the works on Palestine in the French language were by far the best in existence, being for the most part written by men well acquainted with the country, and who had often long resided in it. Some of these