Like an extinguished taper; nor conceive In future ages to new uses ;- but Learn from my truthful and instructed lips And deem not falsely that this stablished earth, Would He thus show forth his Infinity Of Love and Wisdom; for His glorious Heaven Is, like Him, Infinite; nor might its confines With the poor pittance of humanity So briefly nourished; nor can ever be But, in thy speculating eyes I see, A fresh inquiry of MAN'S destiny In this material dwelling-nor may I Deny thy wish. Hear then my testament : For with prophetic vision I behold New Heavens, and a new earth, whereon doth dwell Righteousness in divinest fellowship With Truth and Peace; and on its purified Regenerated face see I mankind Victorious over evil, conquering sin; And dwelling with their Maker, who shall be Their God, and they His people. Who shall wipe All tears from off their faces. And there shall Be no more sorrow, no more sighs, nor pain Shall then have passed away. And He that sits apon the Throne hath said, These are the words of a Seraph to a Seer. 158 Miscellaneous. MODERN THOUGHTS RESPECTING THE DOCTRINES OF THE PURITANS. A WRITER in the English Independent, apparently the newly appointed editor, in an article on Modern Religious Ideas," thus speaks of the relation of the Congregationalists to the doctrines of the Puritans:-"There are times when we cannot resist the thought that, though Congregationalists do not subscribe creeds, yet the spell of creeds rests, to some considerable extent, upon them. They have not formally pledged themselves to the monstrous proposition that the confessions of the seventeenth century embodied all theological truth, and did not embody any mere human invention; but they are under partial bondage to some such notion. The truth is that a groundwork of metaphysical dogma underlies the entire theological structure of the creeds of the seventeenth century. Who can deny that it was essentially with a view to finding a logical basis for the entire superstructure of the Calvinistic creeds that the abstract principle of the condemnation of man, not on account of any sin committed, not on account of any sin inherited, but solely on account of the sin of Adam, credited to every human being before his birth was devised? And who can deny that, as an abstract and dogmatic character was thus given to theology, an abstract and impractical character was imparted to inorals? Sin, as it is treated by the Apostles and by the Divine Master of the Apostles, is an eminently practical affair; instantly recognizable in its malignity by every man, woman, and child. To love the God who created us, and who has hung around us this marvellous universe to illustrate His power and benignity, and to do good, generously and unselfishly, to our fellow men, -to speak the truth, to covet no man's goods, to abstain from all uncharitableness, this is the moral teaching of Christ and the Apostles, and the eternal rightness of this, the eternal wrongness of the reverse of this, are recognisable by every human soul which is not in a state of moral insanity. But that the human race, in past, present, and future generations, was smitten spiritually as dead as a stone,-utterly incapable of a motion towards goodness and God,worthy of eternal damnation, and destined thereto, because the sin of an ancestor was charged against it, this is moral teaching which does not convince, but merely bewilders ingenious minds." And what was the effect of this mental obliquity and moral perversity on the characters of the people. Let this writer tell us :-"It was only in a few minds in the seventeenth century-such as those of Milton and Baxter-that the principle of toleration really found place. To say of a man, in the Puritan time, that he favoured toleration, was at least as damaging to his theological reputation as it is now to say of a man that he is a Latitudinarian or a Rationalist. A strange bluntness of sensibility-a conspicuous absence of the feeling that cruelty was unchristian-distinguished our fathers down to very recent times. Even in the last century the children of respectable persons were taken to executions as to exhilarating and instructive shows, and it seems to have been generally recognised that cruelty was a legitimate ingredient in sport. The religion of the time was hard as iron. If any one doubts it, let him read the famous sermon of Jonathan Edwards on 'Eternal Punishment,' and the 'comfortable' musings of some of the earliest missionaries on the damnation of the wicked." It is our belief that the heart of man was subjected for many generations to a hardening influence by perhaps the ghastliest conception ever formed by the human mind-the mediæval hell. What that was let those who have read the great poem of Dante, or have seen mediaval pictures of hell in Continental galleries, realize. Persons who had familiarized themselves with the notions of demons ingeniously tormenting in hell-fire, through countless ages, persons who had been damned because of the sin of an ancestor who had lived six thousand years before they were born, were not likely to be tenderhearted. It is to us the most lamentable of the defects of the Reformation that it carried over into the Protestant creeds that hideous and blasphemous mediaeval hell which a corrupt priesthood, bent upon strengthening its yoke on the neck of mankind, had constructed out of the sublime and awful metaphors of revelation. As men grew kind and just, they looked more carefully, if less slavishly into the Bible than they had formerly done, and found that the hard and ignorant fear with which theologians had regarded God caused them to make Him altogether such an one as themselves.' The idea of the DIVINE FATHER had been almost merged in that of the severe governor and inexorable judge. So far then the popular "doctrine of devils" has lost its hold upon the minds of the popular religious teachers. They can no longer tolerate the outrageous caricatures of medieval and Puritan writers. Better the utter rejection of all recognition of hell than to believe these fearful descriptions in which men of strong passions and hardened feelings have so unsparingly indulged. The Bible is more carefully studied. Its descriptions of hell are discovered to be metaphorical. But what is the meaning of the metaphors? What is the future condition of the wicked? Here this writer is silent. But here the question cannot rest. Either a rational exposition must be given of the varied descriptions of the Word or all faith in either its existence or its continuance will perish. MAHOMETANISM. In the "Continuation respecting the Spiritual World," appended to the "Last Judgment," Swedenborg, speaking of the Mahometans, says :-" "As regards their religion, it was permitted in its present form because of its agreement with the genius of the Orientals, and because at the same time, it made the precepts of the Decalogue a matter of religion, and contained some particulars of the Word, and especially because it acknowledged the Lord as the Son of God, and the wisest of all. And, besides, it superseded the idolatries of many nations." This statement of the ground of the providential permission of Mahometanism is expanded in the T. C. R. (828-834), and the author there dwells more fully on the rise and tendency of these idolatries, and their overthrow by Mahomet and his followers. Narrow-minded and bigoted opponents of the New Church have eagerly fastened upon this teaching as one of the most vulnerable points in the writings of our great author. The teaching of Swedenborg is now adopted, however, by leading authorities in orthodox Christian communities. An example of this is given in a review of "A Series of Essays on the life of Mahomet and subjects sudsidiary thereto, by Seyd Ahmed Khan Bahador C.S.1." in the British Quarterly of October last. In this review the writer enters into an examination of the character of Mahomet and his relation to Judaism and Christianity. The result of this examination forms a remarkable contrast to the denunciations of many Christian writers; while the position for which Swedenborg is reproached by his opponents is more than vindicated, as the fellowing extract will show:"We may dismiss without examination the exploded theory which once looked on Mahomet as a conscious imposter from the beginning of his career to the end. Of Mahomet's thorough sincerity, of his honest faith in the truth of his own mission, at all events during the early stage of his career, there can, we think, be no reasonable doubt; indeed the opposite view seems no longer to have any adherents of whom much heed need be taken." And in regard to the effects of his teaching That the early teaching of Mahomet, in the days of his first teaching at Mecca, was directly for the good of the men of that time and place there can be no doubt at all. His religious and moral teaching seems to us sadly imperfect; but it was a teaching which was a mea. sureless advance on anything which his hearers had heard before. Whatever Mahomet may have been to the world at large, to the men of Mecca of his own time he was one who spake of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, one who taught in the midst of a debasing idolatry, that there is one God and that there is none other but he. Every man who at this stage accepted the teaching of Mahomet was at once raised to a higher rank in the scale of religious and moral beings. The fiercest revilers of the Prophet cannot deny that his first disciples, if not brought to the perfect knowledge of the truth, were at least brought far nearer to it than they were before. The stirring of his heart which led Mahomet, in the face of scorn and persecution, to preach to an idolatrous city the truth of the unity of God, could says: in the government of our Indian Empire. To this fact public attention is now painfully awakened by the assassination of the Governor-General of India. This may not have arisen from the smoulder. ing dislike on the part of the Mahometan population to British rule, but it cannot fail to attract attention to the feelings and sentiments of the Mahometan population in this important part of the Empire. never have arisen from any low personal motive; it may not be going too far to say that it could only have been a movement from God himself." These sentiments are cited and endorsed by, the editor of the English Independent, who in an article on 66 Congregationalism and the Age," after citing the last sentence, "Such a statement is, we believe, the expression of a far more Christian sentiment-a sentiment far nearer the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount-than belonged to the Puritan WANTED-A RELIGION FOR THE age. It is by entering into such expres- HINDUS.-A writer in Fraser's Magazine sions that we are enabled to feel for December, in an outspoken article that Christianity is indeed the reli- on Missions to the Hindus, suggests gion of mankind, destined to draw increased attention to the Aryan races, into its mighty focus all light which who being unable to "leap from man has been shed by God upon the mind of man." Another feature of Mahometanism is expounded by W. Gifford Palgrave in Fraser's Magazine. Mr. Palgrave dwells upon the revival of the religion of the Prophet which has for some time been proceeding in the East. Mahometanism a hundred years ago was in a state of decay. The people were utterly corrupt, the colleges and mosques deserted. "An eclipse, total it seemed, had overspread the crescent, of which a dim and darkening outline alone remained visible, foreboding disaster and extinction." The revival which has since taken place extends to all classes, and is distinguished by immense fervour and devotion. Learning is confined to Mahometan instruction, temperance is universal, religious festivals are observed with strictness, churches and schools are everywhere erected; church lands are considered with a view to better management, Europeans are excluded from official employment, Christian missions are fruitless, Christians and whole tribes of Africaus converted to Mahometanism. "To sum up, Mahometan fervour has just been thoroughly rekindled within the limits which its half-extinguished ashes covered a hundred years ago; and next, the increased heat has, by a natural law, extended over whatever lies nearest to, but beyond the former, circumference." This feature of Mahometanism is inseparable from an intense antagonism to the Christian faith, and to the profess d disciples of the Saviour; and forms one of the most serious difficulties to God," need a manifested form, "an inferior deity," on which to fix their attention, and by which to be aided on their way to a pure theisın. Remark. ing on this proposal a writer in the English Independent of January 18th, asks-"But is there such a being? Where shall we look for him—or it?" This question leads the writer to a statement on the relation of the Father and the Son, which is a manifest effort to surmount the perplexing difficulties of tripersonalism, and presents a near approach to the truth. "Is not," says this writer, "the thought of the thinking spirit in a sense the Son and very image of it? The eternal and unchangeable One-without-a-second, Jehovah, the living God, must have, in ever present consciousness the thought, the perfect image of His own being in all the Pleroma of His glory; and that the image of the invisible God, is an eternal reality, as much as being itself is real. As the Father is not without the Son, so neither is the Son without the Father. The Logos was in the beginning, was with God, was God. This is the fulness of the Godhead, eternal as His being; and yet necessarily, in our conception of it, begotten. In preaching Christ, therefore, we do not preach either an 'inferior deity,' or the absolute, unrelated One-without-a-second; but the One living and true God, manifested, revealed--even as a true and perfect word is the form of a manifested thought. Our Lord's manhood is not in itself the Godhead, but it is the form under which the eternal fulness of the Godhead, the outspoken divinity, is presented to us; not in any sense an inferior or other God. 'In Him dwelt all the fulness of Unitarianism on the one hand or the the Godhead bodily."" THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. New Church on the other." CENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF The commotion which has agitated religious society and the changes which A correspondent calls our attention to have taken place in religious opinion have the circumstance of the departure of powerfully affected this usually quiet Swedenborg from the present life on the religious community. In Manchester 29th of March 1772. The return of it has led to the separation of several of this date will complete the century their recognized members, who have since his departure, and our correscommenced a separate meeting in the pondent is of opinion that some advanMemorial Hall, a building erected by tage might be taken of this circumstance the Unitarians, and used by them for to publish some account of the progress public meetings of their community, of the doctrines during the century, or The separated members may be described by advertisements, public lectures, or as belonging to the Broad Church. other means, to give increased publicity They have issued a monthly publication and call public attention more fully to under the title of the 66 Manchester to the subject. We give the suggestion Friend," which is conducted with ability. of our correspondent for the guidance Of the sentiments advocated the follow- of those of our friends who are inclined ing is a not unfavourable specimen. It to take advantage of this centenary is selected from an article in the second anniversary to promote any of the uses number, contributed by Miss Cobbe :- he suggests, or others that may be sug"No doubt Christ," says this writer, gested to their own minds. It is too "when He uttered those marvellous near the time of commemoration to sayings about the beatitude of loving secure any united action of the several our enemies, blessing those who curse societies and members of the New us, and praying for those who despite- Church, but it may be worthy of confully use us and persecute us, had sideration whether societies or ministers attained this exalted stage [of loving might not avail themselves of the season and pitying the erring and the unlovely]. to dwell upon the providential uses of He felt the Divine Fatherhood as no the wonderful life of our great author, man before Him, that we know of, had and the progress made since his defelt it, because He had in His own heart parture in the dissemination of the ima power of pitying the sinful, and portant truths communicated to the pardoning the offending, such as few, world through his instrumentality. if any, had known before. Even He These truths have for their object the however, if we may trust the records, restoration of the Church, and the andid not feel the hideous anomaly in- nouncement of the Second Coming of volved in His own words, when He the Lord. They are connected, therefore, represented that same Divine Father as with the highest interests of the Church not pardoning all those who despitefully of God, and are destined to promote the used Him, but casting them into outer truest well-being of the family of man. darkness for ever. The reflected light To promote their diffusion is at once a of His own pure love hardly seems to privilege and a duty on the part of every have illumined, even for Christ (as in one who has, in the Lord's good provid logic it ought to have done), all the ence, become acquainted with them. gloom of the unseen world. But it re- The death of Swedenborg occurred on mains clear for us that in this direction the Sabbath, the centenary of his demust surely lie the path of progress in parture will fall on Good Friday. This moral feeling which is to lead us at last is one of the days devoted by most to the joy of real sympathy with God." Christian communities to solemn reIt is doubtless true, as intimated by ligious services, and is made a public a correspondent who has called our holiday by act of Parliament. attention to the subject, "that the season would be in some respects not doctrine of the Lord will come more unsuitable. It is one when all have the and more prominent among the sects opportunity of assembling together, and and Churches of Christendom, and the if a morning service were held in our issue will be a gravitating either to churches to commemorate the fearful M The |