The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-04 00:00:00

LITERA TITRE.

The History of the Supernatural, By William
Hewitt. Two Vols. Longman.
The peculiar views of Mr. Hewitt on the subject
of spiritualism have been indicated in some cf his
previous works, and the present volumes are en-
tirely devoted to their advocacy. In them some
truth is mixed with much error, and it is with
regret that we see a name well known and honoured
in English literature appended to a work which
upholds the wildest theories of mesmerists and me-
diums. Argument is useless in such a controversy
—it is met by the assertion of incredible facts, and
the accusation of scepticism. Ridicule is powerless
against those who believe themselves in direct com-
munication with the unseen world. Mr. Howitt
is profuse in his censures of the incredulity and
hardness of belief in the present day, but, in truth,
his pages only prove the age to be too credulous.
Some of the passages and citations in his opening
chapters o❑ Faith are true and beautiful, but the
faith we need for our guidance and comfort is not
the faith that sees tables whirling to the ceiling, or
hears departed spirits knocking on the table. The
communication with departed friends has always
appeared to us one of the most extraordinary of the
boasted advantages of the spiritualist. Where is
the comfort of believing the weary can he recalled
from their rest, by the summons of a paid medium,
to the undignified task of knocking tables and
swinging about chairs? It is an outrage on the
sanctity which should enfold our memories of the
departed—a desecration of that holy and peaceful
shrine in which we should consecrate them in our
affections. The statistics given by Mr. Howitt are
somewhat startling. He says that the Rev. W.
Hayden, writing in 1855, observed that, eight years
before, not a single individual in the United States
was known as a spiritualist; whereas, at the date
he wrote, 2,500,000 might be numbered as such.
" In two more years," says Mr. Hewitt, " we find.
it stated in the spirit journals of America that the
number of convert spiritualists were upwards of
three millions—a number equal to the united mem-
bers of all the thirty thousand American churches."
We should hope this estimate was considerably ex-
aggerated ; but, in truth, the ready credulity of so
many in our sceptical age only adds another proof
to the many already extant which show that in-
fidelity and superstition are close allies, and that
the age which plumes itself on discovering verbal
discrepancies in the sacred writers, does not find it
hard to believe that spirits guide the pen of writers
in our day for no particular purpose; and while
many are found to cast sceptic doubts on the pro-
mise of the resurrection, there are plenty of be-
lievers in the clasping of unseen hands and the
whispers of voices long silent in the grave. In
the list of American spiritualists there is one item
omitted by Mr. Howitt. He tells us that states-
men, judges, ambassadors, and professors are
among the converts —he neglects to supply us
with the number of lunatics who are expiat-
ing in American asylums the mingled credulity
and presumption which led them to tamper with
things beyond their ken. We can hardly fear
that Mr. Howitt's work will make many converts.
There is, happily, in spite of his animadversions, a
basis of sound common sense and earnest piety in
the English mind that is very unfavourable to the
workings of so-called mediums. But we reiterate
our regret that intelligent and cultivated men
should be found to lend the weight of their influence
to the attempts made to impose on the ignorant
and superstitious. The spiritual sense we need is
not the listening to knocks, and faith in pieces of
twine sent from the " spiritualist" to the afflicted;
the support which is to sustain us under the trials
of life is assuredly not drawn from such sources.
Superstition is the most subtle and dangerous foe
to true and earnest faith, even as it is the state of
mind most opposed to that calm and self controlled
decision which best qualifies a man for the duties
of life. There are many passages and anecdotes
scattered through these volumes which are curious
and recondite ; indeed, the whole work is not
without interest from its able defence of the pecu-
liar theories of its author, although it is scarcely
likely to afford much satisfaction to the reader who
is uninfluenced by mesmeric agencies.