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Night-Side of Nature, in a critico-historical tone, rather than in either a dogmatic or a skeptical spirit.
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The Salem Witchcraft,
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The Cock-Lane Ghost,
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The Rochester Knockings,
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The Stratford Mysteries, are some of the weird topics on which it discourses, if not lucidly, yet genially and quaintly. The author has evidently felt a
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to gather all the facts that have yet come to light on these odd hallucinations, and he sets them forth with a certain grave naïveté and mock Carlylese eloquence, which give a readable character to his volume, in spite of the repulsiveness of its themes. Of his discreet non-committalism we have a good specimen in the close of the chapter on the
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The Stratford Mysteries, of which the Rev. Dr. Phelps is the chief hierophant.
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Here the case must rest; we would not willingly charge upon any one deliberate exaggeration or falsehood, nor would any fair-minded person decide that what seems novel and surprising is therefore false. Every sane person will appeal to the great laws of God ever present in history and in his own consciousness, and by these he will try the spirits, whether they be of God or of man. The great jury of the public opinion will decide this thing also; we have much of the evidence before us. The burden of proof, however, rests with Dr. Phelps himself. Fortunately he is a man of character, property, and position, and he chooses to stand where he does; no man will hinder him if none heed him. Many believe, but may be thankful for any help to their unbelief. Many more will be strongly disposed to exclaim when they shall have read through this mass of evidence--'It began with nothing, it has ended with nothing.' _Ex nihil, nihil fit!_