An Essay on the Scriptural Doctrine of Immortality. By the
Rev. James Challis. (Rivingtons.)—We must confess that, having given not a little careful attention to Professor Challis's treatise, we have not had the success in understanding it that we should have wished. It seems to us that his method of argument is clearer in appearance than in fact. In any case, a good summary and sketch of the reason- ing would have been very welcome. But we see so much of his drift as to be able to express our sympathy with his views and aims. Professor Challis thinks "that the passages of Scripture which un- equivocally declare the salvation of all men are comparatively un- attended to, whilst belief is generally expressed in those supposed to be of opposite import." His object is to show that the latter may be interpreted in such a way as to make them harmonise with the former, while in his argument he has endeavoured to keep closely to "the rules of induction which have conducted to such signal dis- coveries in natural philosophy, and to refrain from accepting any influence which the Scriptural data did not justify." We can only regret that this teaching has not been put into a shape which will generally commend it to average readers.
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