have had to combat with the same unreasonable adversary, prejudice. Prejudice too hath had the boldness to oppose the conclusions of a sound philosophy as well as of a sound theology, and you need not be informed, that, had the voice of prejudice prevailed, the brighest discoveries of the most able Philosopher that ever contemplated the works of the God of nature, had still lain buried in obscurity.*

But it was always deemed a characteristic of true wisdom to overcome prejudice. The lover of truth is taught to believe this, and to be persuaded that truth is not less truth because it is vilified and opposed; neither is error less error because it hath numbers on its side, and is exalted to honor and pre-eminence: Your candor will keep this observation ever in view, and feeling the force of it, you will not be deterred from endeavoring to discover and develope the fair and heavenly form of wisdom, even though disguised by the mantle with which an unreasonable aversion may have veiled it. You will be bold to strip off this mantle, not intimidated by equivocal apellations, such as mystic, visionary, enthusiast, gnostic, sabellian,† and the like, which you may find written upon it by ignorant or ill-designing men, who seek thus to depreciate the useful labors of an enlightened teacher, and then for your reward you may hope to recognize and embrace as your own, this simple but beautiful body of everlasting truth and order.

I wish only to observe on the subject, that it is impossible for you to read many pages of the writings in question, seriously and in a christian spirit, without discovering some things of importance, which must needs affect every well disposed mind. You will see, for example, the Divinity of the Christian Redeemer and his one-ness with the Father, principally

*It is well known how the philosophical principles of Sir Isaac Newton were opposed and controverted, in his own country, at their first publication; nor was the prejudice against them removed until they had received the sanction of approbation from the learned in other parts of Europe, and were sent back again into England embellished and enforced by the annotations of the French

commentators.

Mystic, visionary and enthusiast, are names importing at this day, that a writer on spiritual subjects sees somewhat deeper than the generality of his readers. In regard to the appellations of Gnostic and Sabellian, which have been bestowed occasionally on our author, it is hard to say in what they have originated unless in this, that every theologian, who makes any pretensions to philosophical knowledge, is to be called a Gnostic; and every writer, who maintains the union of the Father and Son in the person of Jesus Christ, is to be called a Sabellian;--for it is well known to those who are deeply read in Church history, that there is a radical and essential difference between the opinions of the New Church, and the views of the Gnostics and Sabellians, on those important points of doctrine in which it is supposed by many they agree.

insisted upon, and demonstrated with such a power of new and solid proof, deduced from the sacred scriptures in general, ás will supply the most effectual antidote against the seductive and poisonous tenets of modern Arianism and Socinianism. You will see also the sacred doctrine of the Holy Trinity explained and elucidated, in a manner so simple and yet sublime, so agreeable to the word of God, and at the same time so consonant to sound reason, so satisfactory to the understanding, and so edifying to the life, that you will wonder how so much darkness could ever prevail in the christian world, respecting so bright and clear a truth, but will wonder still more, that now the truth is discovered again in its brightness, all mankind do not immediately assent to and rejoice in it. You will see likewise the sanctity of the Holy Scriptures taught and explained, and the hidden wisdom thereof opened and brought to light by the doctrine of correspondences,* with such a fullness of conviction, as will at the same time both greatly astonish and edify you, while it supplies an internal evidence of the divinity of the sacred word, and particularly of the Historick and Apocalyptick+ parts of it, infinitely surpassing, yet not overturning, but confirming all its external evidence, and at the same time virtually and fully answering and refuting all the seducing and specious criticisms and principles of Voltaire, Hume and other modern Deists, in a way and manner altogether new and irresistible.

You will sce further the purest, plainest, and most consistent doctrine of life presented to your view, and contrasted

*The doctrine of Correspondence between things spiritual and natural, according to our author's testimony, is the only key by which the genuine internal sense of the Holy Scriptures can be opened and discovered; and this circumstance is remarkable in favor of his testimony, that by the help of this key he was enabled, not only to open the prophecies generally, but particularly the books of Genesis, Exodus and the Revelations. Grotius, Mede, More and others, who have labored to explain this latter book, all saw the necessity of some such key to effect their purpose; and More's treatise on Iconisms, is nothing but an imperfect sketch of the doctrine of Correspondence. interpretation of these expositors, for want of this key, fall short of our auHow far the thor's, both in point of clearness and fullness, must appear manifest to every intelligent and attentive reader.

It is well known, that for some centuries, in the earlier ages of the Church,” the authenticity of the Revelations of St. John was by many christians doubted and disputed. It will be the happiness of succeeding christians, who receive the testimony of our author, to be convinced of the divine origin of this extraordinary book, by such unequivocal characters of authenticity, arising from its internal sense, now opened and explained, as will leave in the believing mind, no longer room for doubt or disputation; but will, on the contrary, excite the most devout thanksgiving to the Father of mercies, for having been graciously pleased to preserve in the Church, a code of prohecies, the remarkable accomplishment whereof, if duly attended to, will be found to supply an evidence in favor of Divine Revelation, equal at least, if not superior, to the most signal and best attested miraculous interposition.

with those impure, dark and inconsistent tenets, which are at this day so frequently taught and circulated under the venerAnd here you will be surable name of christian precepts. prised to find, every evil of life, and every error of doctrine, detected and described, which in these latter times threaten the very existence of religion itself, and cause so much serious alarm in the minds of many christians, who look further than the mere skin and complexion of the church, to form a You will also judgment of the soundness of its constitution. see pointed out the root whence such anti-christian evils and. errors have sprung, how they have all originated in mistaken ideas of the Divine being, his nature and mode of existence and operation, and in the consequent separation of the three essentials of christian life and salvation, viz: Charity, Faith and Good works. And whilst you lament the unhappy causes and consequences of such an unscriptural and irrational theology, which you will in these writings see figuratively de. picted under the significative images of Dragon, Beast, false Prophet, and the great Whore, mentioned in the Revelations, you will not fail to rejoice in the prospect of an order of pure truth and doctrine about to be manifested from heaven to mankind, signified and represented by the Holy City the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, whereby all false perverted principles of faith and life will be dissipated in such pure minds as are meet for its full reception; and the understanding being enlightened, the will purified, and the life restored to the order of heaven, a near and blessed conjunction will again take place between the creator and his creatures, predicted and described in these words;- The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them their God."

How far the author's interprétation of the Apocalyptick and Evangelick Prophecies, relating to the present corruptions of Christendom, and the expectation of a blessed revival of the pure law and order of Heaven amongst men, is agreeable to experience and fact, as manifested in the circumstances of the times, and in the external state of the christian world at this day, I leave to the determination of your own private and unprejudiced judgment?-But surely the great overflowings of iniquity amongst all ranks of men; the general disregard shewn to things of a serious and eternal nature; the small remains left of the fear of God, and a reverence for his laws in the minds of mankind generally; the various and violent disputings among different sects and parties respecting truth, "nation thus rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;" the growing denial of that most important and essential article of Christian faith, the Divin

ity of the Christian Redeemer, whose very name it is become an offence to mention in most of our genteel circles; the difficulty of discovering where and what truth is, and the greater difficulty of holding fast to it, when it is discovered; the accumulated pressure of human miseries in their different forms and degrees, and especially the inward troubles and exercises which good men experience; not to mention the general apprehension prevailing in the minds of many serious persons, that some extraordinary operation of Divine Providence is now in agitation;—all these, with divers other circumstances of a similar kind which might be adduced, are certainly strong collateral testimony in favor of his interpretation, and must needs have proportionable weight with candid and unprejudiced minds to incline them to believe it.*

But after all it is not the testimony of fact and experience uniting its evidence with that of our author's interpretation of prophecy; neither is it the brightness and power of Divine truth discoverable in such interpretation; nor yet the consistency, the harmony, the clearness, the edifying tendency of every page of his theological writings, which will of themselves lead to conviction, destroy prejudice, and beget a full persuasion of the author's faithful testimony in your minds, or in the minds of others: To produce this happy effect, it is necessary that the reader's understanding be previously prepared by a meet disposition for the reception of truth, without which preparation, the truth itself, let it be ever so much confirmed, must needs appear untrue, and the more so, in proportion to the unprepared state of the mind and temper, agreeable to the declaration of Truth itself,-"He who doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."

If this consideration is permitted to have its due influence. it will doubtless lead you and every reader of the writings in question, to attend well to the spirit and disposition in which you read, from a prudent and profitable suspicion, that something may be wrong in the state of the person's mind who reads, as well as in the matter of the book which is read; and that it is not always the fault of the author that his works are not generally received and approved. You will therefore begin like pure lovers of the truth, before you read, to remove from your hearts all those unreasonable prejudices and partialities, which might tend to blind your eyes, and pervert your judgment. You will recollect your Lord's words

The first draft of this Address was written during the French Revolution; the awful effects of which was severely felt throughout all christendom, and must have been produced by some corresponding causes originating in the Spiritual world. (See Note M. M.)-Editor.

where he saith, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;"-and with these words in your remembrance, you will see the expediency of putting away from you all that merely worldly wis dom and prejudice which they condemn, as tending to hide the things of God, and the equal necessity of cherishing that child-like and simple temper of mind, to which alone the things of God ever have been, and ever will be made manifest. You will be taught also by the same Divine words, in your examination of truth, not to place an ill-grounded dependence on any attainments of mere human science, or on any natural talents, or intellectual abilities, you may possess, knowing that such advantages, unless under the guidance of an humble and teachable spirit, have in all ages of the church excited the bitterest persecution against the truth of God, insomuch that when this truth appeared on earth in person, the cry of "crucify him," "crucify him," was principally at the instigation of learned critics, deep-read scholars, admired orators, inquisitive philosophers, and especially of what were deemed at the time, able expositors of the Divine oracles. You will be further cautioned by the above words, in your examination of truth, against that servile attachment to great names, and the influence of human authorities, which is ever suggesting the old question, "Have any of the rulers believed on him?" and remembering that rulers may be deceived, and have been deceived, as well as other people; yea, and are frequently more exposed to deception, as being more exposed to the temptations arising from an overweening conceit of their own wisdom and prudence, you will assert the freedom of thinking and judging for yourselves in that which so essentially concerns yourselves, and will be bold, in the pursuit of truth, not only to oppose all motives of worldly interest and honor, but even the most respectable powers and authorities amongst men, when soever they stand in competition with the higher power and authority of THAT WISDOM

WHICH IS FROM ABOVE.

Commending you to the guidance of this wisdom in all things, and sincerely wishing you in possession of all its comforts, I remain, with all possible veneration for your sacred office and character,

Your affectionate friend and brother, in the Truth—

J. C.