This book is, of course, written in the interests of so-called Spiritualism, but is written in a candid and earnest spirit, with intelligence, and an evidently honest purpose. The argument is substantially this: Christ and his apostles wrought certain wonderful works, which, it is claimed, were miracles. The Catholic Church claims, on equally good evidence, that similar works have been wrought by saintly persons in its own communion in all ages since. If Christ's works were really miracles, then, by the same rule of evidence, those of the Catholic Church are. If this be denied, then we are forced to the conclusion that all these works were and are wrought under certain laws regulating spiritual forces; and if so, then those laws are in operation to-day; as it would be contrary to reason and science to suppose that God makes laws to last a hundred years, and then to be repealed. The author then proceeds at great length in his illustrative narrative of spiritualistic phenomena to demonstrate, as he thinks, the last named theory; and to show that works of the same character with those of the first century are wrought to-day by persons endowed with spiritual powers and gifts. These narratives are simply a repetition of the wondrous stories current for the last twenty years respecting rappings, table-tippings, spirit-writing, apparitions, revelations from the spirit world, &c. That some of these statements are true, that the alleged phenomena actually occurred, cannot be reasonally denied; but that they are indisputably the work of departed spirits, is altogether another question.

And the conclusion does not logically follow that they are such, because we cannot give a satisfactory explanation of them on any other theory, because we cannot detect the cause nor expound the law of their occurrence. We cannot explain the wonders of the Aurora Borealis, but it would be neither logical nor scientific to argue that therefore we are bound to admit that they are caused by a torchlight procession of spirits up the northern skies. We confess that many of these phenomena, as reported by men whose veracity and intelligence are beyond question, are wonderful and inexplicable upon any acknowledged theory of mind or matter -- and this is as far as we can go at present. -- The Universalist Quarterly and General Review , Volume 29.