18. Prof. ELLIOTT COUES, M.D., Ph. D., Scientist and Theosophist.

I think that science is bound to answer

Every question that comes to hand, sir.

Then why do some scientists fail to acknowledge
Discoveries made outside of their college?
There's a reason for all things that come to pass,
And no man likes to be proved an ass;

And hence they refuse to agree with St. Paul,
The spiritual body is all in all.

19. HERBERT SPENCER, British Philosopher, as reported by Rev. M. J. Savage.

"Tis all in a muddle we cannot make out,
Nor does evolution diminish the doubt;
The facts that we get prove very refractory,

And I cannot find anything quite satisfactory.

20. Prof. Charles S. Pierce, A. M., of Johns Hopkins University, (a voluminous reply).

I've looked this question through and through,
But for future life the prospect's blue.
Psychic Researchers have gathered up much,
But it crumbles to dust beneath my touch.

"Tis nothing but rubbish that Society brings,

For the ghosts they have found are the stupidest things,

Poor "starveling" idiots, all of that ilk,

Who are coming back here to cry over "spilled milk."

Serenely we smile at "the lamp of Aladdin,"

And stories of ghosts about this world gadding.

Yet after all, I don't believe in Spencer,

In Kant or in Comte, or in any of them, sir;

Nor in Christendom's sacred and reverend creed,

Though weaklings adopt it because they have need;

But I believe in this world's events,

And a life regulated by common sense.

21. DANIEL COIT GILMAN, LL.D., President of Johns Hopkins University.

Man hath soul-freedom here on earth,
And from Almighty God hath birth;
Therefore, should stand in faith sublime,

And fear no science of our time.

22. F. A. P. BARNARD, President of Columbia College, New York.

Your question stands outside of science,

Of any science that is mine,

The only doctrine worth reliance,

Comes from the old Bible - Still Divine.

23. Prof. T. HUXLEY, British Philosopher, etc.

If a soul works with brains, can it work without?
Would seem to be a matter somewhat in doubt.

If you know that it can, pray tell me why?

If

you know that it can't, you know more than I. You may answer such questions if you know how, But I'll not wait a moment to hear you now!

The Burning Question in Education.

IF our left hand had been mangled, and continued to be an inflamed, ulcerating mass, though carried in a sling and treated by all the surgeons of repute around us,- never through a long life giving any promise of restoration or even relief,- would not its restoration be the most prominent question in our minds?

Society has a crushed, ulcerous, and painful hand upon which the doctors of the college and church have expended such skill as they have in their occasional perfunctory visits, and the hand grows no better, but rather worse, during the whole existence of the American Republic.

The existence of an increasing mass of crime, pauperism, and insanity is the crushed and diseased hand of civilized society, to which and to its obvious, natural method of healing I have vainly endeavored, in the "New Education," to call the attention of our clergy and our teachers. It is true that three editions of that book have been disposed of to the delight of progressive thinkers, but it has made little impression on those who control public institutions and public opinion. Why is this?

There are sounds in nature too finely delicate to be heard by the average ear, and rays beyond the violet too fine for the average human eye, though visible to those of superior nervous endowments. So in the world of thought there are ethical conceptions too high and pure for the multitude, -conceptions so far away from their habitual life that they cannot appreciate or sympathize with them. Such conceptions constitute the ethical system of education, which is competent to banish crime, and to introduce a higher social condition, as has been amply proved by its imperfect introduction in the Lancaster, Ohio, and other reformatory schools.

Why is not this made the prominent theme in every religious society, as prominent as temperance? as temperance? True, intemperance supplies us the majority of criminals, but when the criminal is prepared in the hot-bed of alcohol, society transplants him into a richer soil, impregnated with a greater amount of filth than the saloon, and cultivates him into the full-blown, hardened villain, for whom there is nothing but a career of crime, very costly indeed to society.

Why is this insane course pursued? Because society has not the Christianity which it professes, and the pulpit has not learned how to instil the Divine law of love, while the college cares nothing

about it.

Society itself is criminally indifferent, and barbarously cruel. Its only thought in reference to its debased members is not their lost condition, and how to redeem them, but how to punish them revengefully for their evil deeds, in imitation of the Divine Demon whom orthodox theology recognizes as its model. Until society has enough of benevolence or enough of practical sagacity to get rid of this common impulse of brute life, we shall continue to have an energetic,

skilful, and formidable army of criminals, spread all over the land, levying an immense tax upon respectable citizens, and requiring an increasing army of police to restrain them.

Mr.

The best discourse that has yet been preached in a Boston pulpit was once delivered in Trinity Church by the assistant minister, Mr. Allen, a few weeks since, which was made the basis of an admirable article on "our prisoners" in the Banner of Light of April 2. Allen treated this subject in the spirit of the "New Education," showing that our penal system, instead of reforming criminals, educates and perfects them in crime, under which system crime is continually and alarmingly increasing, the statistics which he gives being of the same terrible character as those presented in the "New Education," showing that our demoralization is progressing beyond that of any other country. His statistics, which I have not examined in detail, show that there were more than eight times as many prisoners in this country in 1880 as there were in 1850. In Massachusetts, and especially in Boston, the proportion of criminal population was still greater.

England, having adopted a reformatory system, has kept the criminal population in check,- brought it down to one in 18,000, while we have one to every 837, because our prisons are colleges of crime instead of houses of reformation. A criminal population of 5,000 in Massachusetts is kept under this debasing system, excepting about 700 in the reformatory at Concord and the women's prison at Sherburne. Our criminals are held for punishment amid evil influences, and turned out only qualified to prey upon society again, since they have the brand of shame upon them.

The only proper and wholesome view of this subject, the only view compatible with ethical or religious principles, is that our unfortunate criminal brethren need our loving care instead of vindictive hate. They should never be sent to prison for any definite term of confinement, as a punishment, but, like lunatics and pauper patients, should be placed under care and control until they are cured. Every criminal who will not obey the law in freedom should be sent to prison for life, under a kind and humane system, there to earn his own support and in some cases to repay the damage he has done, and in all cases to remain there until he has, beyond all doubt, become so thoroughly reformed that he may be safely entrusted with freedom. To encourage in the work of reformation, he should be from time to time rewarded by enlargement of his privileges and enjoyments, just in proportion as he proves himself worthy; and after enjoying partial freedom for years, with faithful and exemplary deportment, he should be granted full liberty, on the sole condition of reporting himself at certain regular periods, that a supervision may be retained over his conduct, and confinement renewed if ever he should prove unworthy of entire freedom.

This system has been tried with entire success, and travellers speak of seeing prisoners in Ireland half emancipated, working in the fields, whom they should not have distinguished from the common laborers. That courageous philanthropist, the late Burn

ham Wardwell, adopted a system of moral government in the Virginia penitentiary, under which punishment was almost abolished; and he was able to send out convicts in the city, under paroles, without any doubt that they would faithfully return. Under a similar system at Lancaster, Ohio, walls and locks were made unnecessary, and the youthful convicts went out freely, when permitted to mingle with the neighboring youth. When their reformation was completed, which did not require over three years, they went forth to lead an honest life; and subsequent reports showed that they walked in the path of respectability and honor.

The mother's love never abandons the idiot and criminal; but, alas! society is neither mother nor father nor brother to its unfortunate members, and hence society suffers, as we ever suffer from violation of the Divine law.

Miscellaneous Intelligence.

BIGOTRY AND LIBERALITY, THEOLOGY AND RELIGION. - Upon these subjects it is customary to find a mingling of contradictions. Leading New England literati, who inherit all the narrowness and selfsufficiency of British conservatism, are frequently impelled to utter expressions which would lead the reader to think them persons of liberal and progressive minds. Such expressions we find in the writings of Dr. Holmes, a thorough medical bigot and sceptic; R. W. Emerson, who closed his eyes against modern spiritual science, and adored the ignorance of Greece; Col. Higginson, the most intolerant and scornful opponent of psychic science; Dr. F. H. Hedge and President Elliot, who represent the status of Harvard College. This was recently brought to mind by seeing the admirable expressions of Dr. Hedge at the 150th anniversary of West Church, Boston, now under the ministry of Rev. C. A. Bartol. For this church Dr. Hedge claims an unsectarian character.

Dr. Hedge says, "Let there be schools of dogmatic theology, as many as you please, but the church should not be a school of dogmatic theology. It should be a school of practical Christianity, inspired, expounded, and enforced by the pulpit. I can conceive of a church which should be so undogmatic, so unpolemic, as to command the respect, engage the interest, and secure the co-operation of all who care less for the prevalence of their specialty than they do for the maintenance of public worship." There is one Boston pulpit at present conducted in this spirit, but it is very feebly sustained. There was another, and it was occupied with brilliant ability, but Boston would not sustain it. It is vacant now. Boston prefers theology to religion, but it is growing slowly, and there are pulpits that are slowly approaching the unsectarian position - very slowly; while the Rev. Mr. J. Savage displays a refreshing freedom of thought, and has been more successful than any other clergyman in carrying a large congregation with him, a solitary specimen of a successful though unsectarian teacher in Boston.

RELIGIOUS NEWS. "During the past few months, the Chinese authorities in various parts of the empire have issued proclamations to the people, calling on them to live at peace with Christian missionaries and converts, and explaining that the Christian religion teaches men to do right, and should therefore be respected. These documents have been published in so many parts of China that it is probable that every viceroy in the eighteen provinces has received instructions on the subject, and that there is a concerted movement throughout the empire to bring all classes of the population to a knowledge of the dangers of persecuting missionaries and native Christians, and to remove popular delusions respecting the objects and teachings of Christian missionaries."

"The Jesuits appear to meet with little toleration anywhere but in Great Britain. The sultan has now issued a decree enacting that henceforth they are not to open any new schools in the Ottoman empire, that they are not to teach except in schools placed under the authority of the Porte, and that all the schools now conducted by them are placed under the supervision of the State, and must be subjected to a rigorous supervision."

"Divine worship is a somewhat costly affair in Great Britain, says the World. The one hour's service in Westminster Abbey on the 21st of June, when the great personages of the realm are to assemble for the purpose of prayer, is to cost the moderate sum of $100,000. Commoners and ordinary people will not be admitted within the portals of the sacred edifice, yet it is their pockets which will be taxed for the purpose of enabling the princes and lords to pray in due state for the preservation of the Queen."

"The monument to the memory of Giordano Bruno in Rome, is completed, but permission to erect it has been refused by the Municipal Council of that holy city. This denial is easily explained when it is learned that a majority of the council are clergymen, or under their influence."

Governor Marmaduke has signed the bill recently passed by the Missouri legislature, making Sunday virtually a Puritanical Sabbath. A powerful protest was presented to the Governor, respectfully requesting him not to sign the obnoxious bill, but it seems he yielded, says the Jewish Times, to the wishes of a few fanatics, backed by scheming politicians.

ABOLISHING SLAVERY. It is pleasant to learn that the movement in favor of abolishing slavery in Brazil is making excellent progress, despite some discouragements. Long ago the Legislature fixed the date by which every slave in the empire must be freed; but the chamber of deputies, acting in opposition to the senate, has lately put a strange interpretation upon certain of the clauses of the most recent law upon the subject, which will have the effect of delaying the latest day of enfranchisement a further 18 months. The Brazilian public has expressed great indignation at this ill-advised action; and, by way of protest, the recent progress of the emperor throughout the province of San Paulo was made the occasion of lib