this whole horde of conscienceless parasites. To trade thus on the most sacred affections and hopes of the great army of the afflicted is the basest of crimes.

(2) The next fact for us to notice is that, in spite of all this, it continues to live and grow, having among its adherents some of the wisest and best men and women of the age. The story goes that, many years ago, a man went on a visit to Rome. He was amazed and disgusted at the corruption he found there; and yet he returned a convert. When asked to explain the apparent contradiction, he said, "I became convinced that nothing short of a divine religion could carry such a load of evil and live." Perhaps, in such a reflection, some of the better Spiritualists may find some consolation.

For better ones there are by the thousand. And they repudiate and fight against the frauds and delusions as vigorously as anybody. And it is a noteworthy fact, well known to historical students, that almost all the charges made to-day against the common run of Spiritualists were equally made against the common run of the early believers in Christianity. Indeed, the parallel here is very striking.

Hundreds of true and honest men, like Col. John C. Bundy, of the Religio-Philosophical Journal of Chicago, are ready to say, as he has said to me, "I know all the frauds s; but I also know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, and as the result of prolonged and private investigation under all sorts. of test conditions, that the dead do continue to live, and can under certain circumstances communicate with us." To establish this claim, there is a body of evidence that would be regarded as conclusive proof of any other proposition whatsoever. Yet I find no fault with this incredulity, so long as it is honest and sincere. For, if it is true, doubt will not destroy it; and we can all much better afford to wait than we can afford to be deluded.

(3) It is worth while, next, to consider as to just what might be regarded as adequate proof. Physical manifestations, however startling, are not enough. The phenomena

of hypnotism, of mind-reading, of clairvoyance, of magnetic healing, all these, however well established, would fall far short of proving Spiritualism true. And yet, by the unthinking, they are frequently all classed indiscriminately together. One fact, and one alone, can establish it. And that is undoubted proof of the presence and activity of an intelligence that is not that of any of the embodied persons present. I can conceive of evidence that might be regarded as satisfactory. And, if such evidence were forthcoming, I see no reason why either Religion or Science should hesitate to accept it. As to Religion, it would only be proof positive of her every-day assumptions. As to Science, I see no right that she has to turn her back on any fact. And, since she is all the time dealing with invisible forces, the nature of which she cannot explain, it could be only arrogance that could lead her to disregard one of these because it seemed to be intelligent.

(4) To go back now, for a moment, to the early Christian claim with which we started. It is worthy of remark that, if the modern world shall ever demonstrate the fact of spirit return, it will make it perfectly reasonable for us to believe that Jesus actually did return, and that his disciples saw and talked with him. In that case, however, it would be no miracle; and it would not necessarily be any evidence in favor of the special dogmas of Christian theology. It would also be a rational explanation of a thousand other claimed facts of human history.

Here, then, the matter stands. I have no quarrel with those who cling longingly and lovingly to the hope, even if they can give for it no sufficient reason. Neither have I any quarrel with those who claim that they have found adequate proof as the result of modern investigation. Only, for their own sakes and for the sake of others, I would have them thoroughly "prove all things, and hold fast" only "what is good." Neither can I have any quarrel with those who tell me they think this life is enough. Such a state of mind is little affected by argument. But, as for me, though I find

this life very sweet, I do want another. And, though I cannot go so far as to say, "This one is not worth having, if there be no other," I do say that dust and ashes seem a somewhat poor and impotent conclusion for such a magnificent, grand, terrible life-drama as that we are playing here on this old earth.

"So strange, so deep, so wondrous life appears,
I have no words, but only happy tears.

"I cannot think it all shall end in naught,
That the abyss shall be the grave of thought,

"That e'er oblivion's shoreless sea shall roll

O'er love and wonder and the lifeless soul."

No, friends, I expect to keep on. I have no fear of death, and I do not regard the grave as my final home. Rather do I look upon it as a low-arched gateway, through which I hope to pass into the brighter sunshine of another life.

Meantime, whether we feel assured or not, the best thing we can do is to build ourselves after the plan of a large and noble life, so that, if death does fulfil our hopes, and lead us across the threshold of a higher existence, we may be ready to enter it with all the advantage of the best life-training here.

Learners are we all at school,—

Eager youth and weary age,-
Governed by the self same rule,

Poring o'er the self-same page.

Life the lesson that we learn,
As the days and years go by.
Wondrous are the leaves we turn,
On the earth and in the sky.

Oft our sight with tears is blurred,
While we strive in vain to tell
What may mean some harder word
Than our wisdom yet can spell.

But we read enough to trust

That our grand hopes are not lies,
That our hearts are more than dust,

And our homes are in the skies.

The preface by Mr. Savage gives the reasons, clearly and concisely, why a book like this is needed. It answers a great demand, and it will supply a serious deficiency. Having had the privilege of reading the contents very thoroughly, I gladly record my satisfaction in the character of the work, my hope of its wide acceptance and use, my appreciation of the author's motives in preparing it. The questions and answers allow of supplementing, of individual handling, of personal direction. It is not a hard-andfast production. There is a large liberty of detail, explanation, and unfolding. The doctrinal positions are in accord with rational religion and liberal Christianity, the criti. cal judgments are based on modern scholarship, and the great aim throughout is to assist an inquirer or pupil to a positive, permanent faith. If any one finds comments and criticisms which at first sight seem needless, let it be remembered that a Unitarian catechism must give reasons, point out errors, and trace causes: it cannot simply dogmatize. I am sure that in the true use of this book great gains will come to our Sundayschools, to searchers after truth, to our cause.

EDWARD A. HORTON.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

This little Catechism has grown out of the needs of my own work. Fathers and mothers have said to me, "Our children are constantly asking us questions that we cannot answer." Perfectly natural! Their reading and study have not been such as to make them familiar with the results of critical scholarship. The great modern revolu tion of thought is bewildering This is an attempt to make the path of ascertained truth a little plainer.

This is the call for help in the home. Besides this, a similar call has come from the Sunday-school. Multitudes of teachers have little time to ransack libraries and study large works. This is an attempt, then, to help them, by putting in their hands, in brief compass, the principal things believed by Unitarians concerning the greatest subject.

The list of reference books that follows the questions and answers will enable those who wish to do so to go more deeply into the topics suggested.

It is believed that this Catechism will be found adapted to any grade of scholars above the infant class, provided the teacher has some skill in the matter of interpretation.

GEO. H. ELLIS, Publisher, 141 Franklin St, Boston, Mass.

Four Great Questions

BY

MINOT J. SAVAGE.

Believing that it is possible to supply the demand for literature for rapid reading in the cars and elsewhere with something more substantial than the usual novel, the publisher of Mr. Savage's sermons has put in large type and paper covers, under the above title, the four sermons preached during the last season on

CAN WE THINK GOD?

CAN WE TRUST GOD?
MAY WE PRAY TO GOD?

MAY WE WORSHIP GOD?

They make a nice pamphlet of about 90 pages, which will be sold in the railway stations and on the news-stands, at 25 cents per copy.

An effort will be made to give them a large circulation; and we bespeak the co-operation of Unity Pulpit readers for this purpose.

GEO. H. ELLIS, Publisher,

141 Franklin Street, Boston.