book, "from intelligencies in the form and out of it, from souls embodied and disembodied," during his "union and intercourse with the Adepts of many lands and the Ďervishes and Lamas of the East;" and he claims that he is led to lay it before the public in answer to "numerous calls from the two worlds." He finds it difficult, he says, to write so as to be understood by those who use the English language. His themes are; Astrology, sin, soul-seeds, astral photospheres, white, red and black magic, obsession, materialization, hermetic science, reincarnation, angels and archangels, soul-development, mind-cure, etc. etc. and it must be confessed that the language employed by him is far above human understanding, and is such as is commonly designated nonsense. He is an ardent believer in the materialization of spirit, and holds that "Where, in honestly conducted seances, the form has been seized and the medium has been discovered in the captor's arms, it has been transfiguration and not materialization, and mediums or their friends make a great mistake in not explaining this different phase to those who attend their circles." He informs us that: "A physical or materializing medium is a person in whom the unconscious Will may be relaxed to a certain extent, liberating the life and the magnetic forces with which Spirits come in sympathetic unison, producing a balance or equipoise of elementary forces on our plain of being, and resulting in a material, tangible human form, separate from the medium. It must always be remembered, however, that this human form is made up of the life.forces of the medium, and belongs of right to him or her, and the unconscious Will, but partially relaxed, is continu. ally calling back its own. For this reason Spirits hold this form only by an effort and, when advancing far from the medium, are apparently drawn back again by irresistable attraction. Demoralization occurs when the Spirit releases its hold upon the form; the next force which asserts itself being gravity, the form drops and disappears. The clothing these forms wear is actual material substance for the time being, procured in various ways, generally focalized from the clothing of the medium or surrounding objects, and held on a physical plane on the same principle of a poise of forces. If focalized from inanimate objects, it may remain in our physical plane permanently and portions may be carried away from the seance. These are a few of the simple principles brought into play in Spiritual materialization." If instructions are faithfully followed, spirits can be materialized, but "To invoke planetary spirits requires most silent concentration ere they respond. They should be invoked only by Adepts and Hierophants, who understand thoroughly the careful conditions neccessary for perfect prparation to receive the communications, and open a channel through which they will guard and guide their favored ones. In order to exalt the true Soul up to the prophetic standard, we must purify the element of Fire which is in us, then concentrate the Fire of Soul in mirrors, crystals or globes. When the mind is fully attuned and surrendered to purer fire, it is then a pure glass, and to it come visions of the great world of Souls, the original world of Spirit." The above quotations are fair specimens of the absurdities with which the volume abounds. It has no value except as a curiosity in literature. BOOK NOTES. Rev. A. N. Alcott, of Elgin Illinois, has written a timely pamphlet entitled: "The Problem of Fellowship in Religion. A Study of the Present Unitarian Situation. Its Lessons for all Religious Denominations." Its aim is to show that the recent attitude of the so-called Ethical Unitarians to build up a religion without a God, is contrary to reason, and that by no possibility can such a Union as is sought by these radicals with consistent Theists be accomplished. The Latest Studies on Indian Reservations. By J. B. Harrison, Philadelphia. Published by the Indian Rights Association. This is an exceedingly interesting narrative of a tour among the Indian Reservations, with a view to studying the character of the Indian agents, who are found to be neither all good nor all bad; and to obtain such information of the progress or otherwise, of the Indians in Civilization, as may furnish intelligent data for the solution of the Indian problem. Mr. Harrison found schools, missionary stations, improved farms, and many other things denoting improvement. Some had well improved these opportunities, some seemed to have no appreciation of, and no interest in them. Of the Indian in general, he says: "No Indian that I have seen has any idea of civilization, or of the responsibilities and perils which it involves. It is not likely that any training or preparation that we shall be able to give them will ever enable many of the Indians to endure successfully direct and unshielded contact with the civilization of the present time. Our modern life is too intense and complex for them; its competition and selfishness are far too fierce, and too thoroughly organized and trained, for a nature so simple and sincere as the Indian's. His natural character, so far as I have had opportunity of observing it, has too much of the moral element in it for him to be able long to maintain his ground in the state of war which in so great degree constitutes the substance and current practical experience of our civilization." But afterwards he bears this testimony to the characteristics and qualifications of the Klamath and Modoc tribes: “In moral qualities they are the peers of white men anywhere; brave, honorable and public spirited. They do not need pity. They are worthy of respect and a fair chance to start in life. If they can have that, they can take care of themselves without troubling anybody. They are too honest and conscientious, and have too high a moral endowment and development, for a prosperous life in the environment thajawaits them in contact with our civilization." If this is true, the general assertion was too sweeping. Doubtless the Indians are a race of men characterized by all the variations in individuality to be met with in other races; and hasty and imperfect generalizations are therefore pretty sure to be unjust. The Rand Avery Company have issued two supplemental numbers to the series known as the "Boston Monday Lectures." The first contains a Symposium on Current Religious Perils; the writers being Prof. Edward A. Park, Dr. John Hall, Miss Frances E. Willard, Prof. Herrick Johnson, Dr. Josiah Strong, Rev. Dr. Huntingdon, B. P. Paddock, B. P. Nicholson, and seventeen others, who give utterance to their opinions on the perils to Religion arising from The New Theology, Agnosticism, Intemperance, Materialism, Worldliness, the denial of the fixedness of Character by Death, etc., etc. The second contains three interesting papers: "High Caste Hindu Widows," by the Pundita Ramabai of Bombay; "Woman in New Japan," by Rev. C. S. Ely of Tokio; and "Prohibition in Canada," by J. McDonald Oxley of Ottawa. The subscription price is one dollar for twelve Numbers, or twenty cents per single number. The Interstate Publishing Company, Chicago and Boston, issue Three Monthy Magazines, designed for Supplementary Reading in the Grades of Schools indicated in their titles. The first is called the Primary Monthly, edited by Kate L. Brown; the second, the Intermediate Monthly, Sarah L. Arnold, editor; and the third, the Grammar School Monthly, edited by Miss May Mackintosh. The first and second are 16mos. in form and each number contains 32 pp. They are each furnished at thirty cents per year. The third is a large 4to, each number containing 48 pages, price $1.00 per year. The Magazines are beautifully illustrated, and in every way well adapted to secure their purpose, that of interesting children in good reading. They are useful and entertaining in the home as well as profitable for use in Schools. The Cooperative Index to Periodicals. Edited by W. J. Fletcher, with the Coöperation of Members of the Library Association, continues to be issued with great promptness in January, April, July and October, from its place of publication, 31 and 32 Park Row, New York. It is edited with great care, and is an invaluable help to those who would know where to look for the best treatment of themes which engage the attention of contributors to American and Foreign Periodicals. The Mission of Moses and its Results. By Alexander S. Arnold. 8pp. 15 cents per dozen. A very clever picture of Moses, giving in brief a view of his great work and its results as the Leader of Israel, and a statement of the doctrines taught by him by Divine Command. All publications noticed under the heads of "Contemporary Literature" and "Book Notes," will be found on sale at our Publishing Houss. PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSALIST PUBLISHING HOUSE. THREE LESSONS IN I. BIBLE UNIVERSALISM. PREPARED BY JAMES M. PULLMAN, D.D. It consists of eight pages, divided in three parts, as follows: Part III. THE FINAL RESTORATION. It consists of questions and answers. . Each answer is fortified by rcferences to the new Revision of the Bible. Price, less than a hundred, one cent each; one hundred and over, at the rate of 75 cents per hundred. Postage paid in both cases. II. A STATEMENT OF THE BELIEF OF Prepared under the Direction of and Approved by the Missionary It consists of the Winchester Profession of Belief, together with an explanation of the twelve principal points contained in it, each point being sustained by numerous Scripture References. It is sold at the very low rate of 25 cents per hundred copies. These two Leaflets are admirably adapted for distribution in our Sunday Schools, as they contain information in relation to the Doctrines of our Church nowhere else to be obtained in so compact and cheap a form. They are also adapted for general distribution. Address UNIVERSALIST PUBLISHING HOUSE, BOSTON, MASS. or Western Branch, 69 Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill. |