Earth's Earliest Ages and their Connection with Modern Spiritualism and Theosophy

PREFACE IN 1876 the author of the present volume published a smaller book, entitled "Earth's Earliest Ages and Their Lessons for Us," in which his object was twofold. He first attempted to remove some of the Geological and other difficulties usually associated with the commencing chapters of Genesis; and then endeavoured to show that the characteristic features of the Days of Noah were reappearing in Christendom, and, therefore, that the Days of the Son of Man could not be far distant.

For guidance in his efforts after the first of these aims, he adopted the following obvious principles-which, if they be admitted, render the interpretation easy and precise, and anticipate every possible Geological objection.

I. That the first chapter of Genesis, equally with those which follow it, is, in its primary meaning, neither vision nor allegory, but plain history, and must, therefore, be accepted as a literal statement of facts.

II. That care must, however, be taken to elicit the exact sense of the Hebrew text, which the English Authorised Version often fails to express. III. That, to those who really believe in a Supreme Being, the occurrence of supernatural interference, causing physical convulsions and changes, presents no difficulty, especially in connection with a world the moral condition of which was evidently out of course ages before the creation of our race.

In the latter half of the volume, it became necessary to investigate Spiritualism, because that strange movement was deemed to be an incipient revival of the last and greatest cause of corruption in the days of Noah. And possibly it may have been owing to this investigation, and its admission of the supernatural character of phenomena then generally ascribed to illusion or imposture, that the book lay for a while in comparative neglect. When, how ever, its surmises began to be verified by the spread and forcible intrusion upon public notice of Spiritualism, the speedy sale of the remaining copies, and the letters received by the author, testified to an awakening interest, and determined the reissue, in some form, of the work. It was, however, apparent that a mere reprint would be very inadequate, since, apart from the author's increased familiarity with the subject, Spiritualism itself had greatly developed, and two other waves of kindred thought, Theosophy and Buddhism, had followed it.

**Contents and Sample Pages**