262 Miscellaneous. "THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT OF THE FALL full of statements contrary to fact, and OF MAN: HOW IS IT TO BE INTERPRETED?" is the title of a very remark able sermon by the Rev. R. A. Bertram, preached in Cross Street Chapel, Barnstaple, on Sunday the 10th March 1872, and published by request. The sermon appears to be one of a course on the early portion of the Book of Genesis, and to owe its publication to the expression of strong dissent on the part of some of the congregation. From a paragraph on page 4, we learn that the author regards the account of the creation contained in the first chapter as "the record of a series of visions." His views respecting the second and third chapters we will give in his own words. After a striking, but somewhat fanciful introduction, in which the preacher asserts that the Bible is a cathedral of truth, and compares its History and Prophecy, its Psalms and Gospels, its Epistles and Apocalypse, to the prominent portions of a gorgeous cathedral, he makes a number of inquiries respecting the second and third chapters-inquiries "concerning which for many centuries theologians have disputed with great learning, with unflagging zeal, and often with intensest bitterness.' that, nevertheless, are true, and have their foundation in fact. They are the truest and most life-like statements of great spiritual facts that human genius ever devised. You would be equally mistaken if you were to put the Pilgrini's Progress on the same shelf as Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, or on the same shelf as the works of Fielding, and Thackeray, and Dickens. It is not a history, and it is not a fiction. It is an allegory, and it is not one whit the less true for being an allegory. In like manner, I am not sure that there ever was such a place as the gar den of Eden; and I do not believe that there ever were such trees as the tree of knowledge and the tree of life, or that the serpent ever could converse with human beings. I regard these as allegorical statements. But I am not the less sure that our first parents originally were perfectly innocent and perfectly happy; that they were tempted to distrust and disobey God; that they yielded to the temptation, and thereby brought upon themselves and us sorrow, sickness, and death. Of these facts, and many more, these chapters make me absolutely confident. In comparing these two chapters to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, I do not intend to convey the impression that they constitute an allegory of the same kind as that is. They differ from it in two important particulars. First, they are the story of two real persons, Adam and Eve, the parents of all mankind; while the Pilgrim's Progress is the story, not of any individual christian, but is a picture of the Christian in general, which all Christians more or less resemble. And, secondly, they are divinely inspired -inspired in the same sense as the prophecies of Ezekiel, the prophecies of Daniel, and the Book of Revelation; while the Pilgrim's Progress is the product only of sanctified human genius." "My own conviction," says the preacher in continuation, "is, that in these chapters we have an allegorical representation of facts. These chapters are just as true as any others in the Bible, but in them certain facts are narrated, not literally, but allegorically. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is not untrue, because it is an allegory. There never was on earth a city called Destruction; sin is not a burden on any man's back; no sinner in his wanderings ever came upon the cross, and met with angels there; there never lived any men named Obstinate, Pliable, Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Mr. Pickthank, Sir Having Greedy, or my Lord Carnal Delight there never were such places as the Slough of Despond, the House Beautiful, The Castle of Giant Despair; Mount Sinai is not a volcano; you will search all the geographies in vain for any reference to the Delectable Mountains; there is no place in the world from whence you can hear the groans of "If any one demands that, because I the lost and the yells of their fiendish believe the account of the Fall to be a tormentors. Bunyan's great work is divinely inspired allegory, I should in From this the writer proceeds to offer reasons for thus regarding the narrative of the Fall, and to answer objections. He then observes: terpret it, and tell him what I understand by the two trees of knowledge and of life, and specify the crime of which our first parents were guilty, I decline to do so. I may have formed conjectures concerning these points, and some others, but I will not put them forward as truths; and I am not ashamed to own that there is much in the narrative that I do not comprehend, and that I question whether anyone comprehends. "If any one rejects all the reasons I have assigned for believing that in these chapters we have a divinely inspired allegory, and maintains that they constitute what we ordinarily mean by a 'history.' and are to be literally interpreted, I shall not feel aggrieved. I will not even debate the question with him. Instead of doing anything so profitless, I will ask him to tell me what, as he understands the narrative, were the great moral and spiritual truths which the Holy Spirit designed by means of it to impress upon our miuds? are we to stop? Where are we to draw the line? And how are we to know where history begins?' I answer, stop where common sense tells you to stop, at the end of the third chapter. None but a lunatic would suppose the fourth chapter to be allegorical." This hasty expression is one which will probably in the future be quoted against its author. Close attention to the fourth and succeeding chapters will necessitate an allegorical interpretation, and abundantly demonstrate that true history begins, as Swedenborg asserts, with the family of Abraham. The wife of Cain, the city of Enoch, the long ages of the antediluvians, the universal deluge, and other particulars in the fourth and succeeding chapters, are as clearly a divine allegory as anything contained in the second and third chapters. Our readers will not be suprised to learn that the teaching of this sermon was too strong meat for many members of the congregation to whom it was addressed, some of whom expressed so strong a dissent from its teaching as to induce the preacher to tender his resig nation as pastor of the church. This resignation disclosed the fact however that a considerable majority were in harmony with the minister, and in compliance with a resolution passed at a public meeting of the church, the resig nation was withdrawn, and Mr. Bertram thus continues to exercise his office as an enlightened Christian minister and teacher. The event shows that the minds of Christian people are rapidly preparing to appreciate a wiser exposition of the Word than has obtained in By the history of the past. "It is for the discovery of such truths that we are to study the Word of God. It cannot be too often repeated, that the Holy Scriptures were given, not to make us wise historically, not to make us wise biographically, not to make us wise scientifically, but to make us wise unto salvation.' Holy men of old were inspired to write for our learning, that the character and will of God might be made known to us, that the principles of His moral government might be disclosed, and that we might have an authoritative guide in our performance of duty. No portion of Scripture was given for the reason that the editor of a newspaper not seldom inserts paragraphs in his paper-merely to fill up space. every portion the Holy Spirit designed to teach at least one important truth; and, therefore, when we read the Scriptures, it should not be for the gratification of our critical curiosity, but for our spiritual enlightenment." MORAL INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY. It is a teaching of Swedenborg that "all religion has relation to life, and that the life of religion is to do good." The perception of this truth, so long delayed It will thus be seen that the writer by the prevalence of the doctrine that a has been led, apparently by quite inde- man is justified and saved by faith only, pendent inquiry, to the New Church is now slowly dawning upon the minds view of the allegorical character of this of Christian teachers, and being received portion of the Word. That he does not adopt the teaching of Swedenborg in regard to the extent of this Divine allegory is clear from page 4, where he says:-"Should any one object further, 'If we say that the second and third chapters of Genesis are allegorical, where by individual members of all Christian communities. Thoughtful persons are opening their eyes to the fact that religion is life-or, as an eminent modern preacher has expressed it, "spiritual morality," and that apart, therefore, from upright and righteous conduct, the profession of religion is the merest pretence and delusion. And with the discernment of this truth arises the painful discovery of the want of Christian principle among professedly Christian people "No man," says a recent writer in the English Independent, "who is honestly and earnestly Christian, can be indifferent to the question how far the influence of religion acts upon the various parts and members of that wonderfully complicated machine-if we should not rather call it a living thing-society. This influence tells in a direct and vital manner only through individual Christianity. Associations have a part, and an important part, to play; but that part must, at best, be comparatively remote and mechanical; and the degree in which society is pervaded by the Christian religion will ultimately depend on the power possessed by individual Christians to make religion felt among the forces of the times. What now is the power of this individual Christian influence? "So subtle and self-deceiving," says this writer, "is human nature, that the zeal with which a man exerts himself on a missionary committee will serve to acquit his conscience, although he forgets the high maxims of Christian honour in acting as the director of a joint-stock company; and for twenty who are fervent in manifesting their devoutness at a prayer-meeting, you will hardly find two who, in the market, in the workshop, in general society, in political meetings, vividly remember that they are Christians, bound at all times and in all places to act, speak, sell, vote as Christians. Hence the comparatively slight influence which religion can be seen to exert upon our mightiest modern institutions, the daily press, the political platform, parliamentary debate, and the multitudinous activities of commerce. The piety of England is to a great extent a thing in the background, which fails to make its influence tell with approximately adequate effect upon the life of the people, and any suggestion tending to increase this influence deserves earnest consideration." The suggestion of this writer for the correction of this state of things is an increase of moral courage, by which he means, a firm, frank, unfaltering, adherence to conviction." But it is this which has led to the laxity of morals which the writer deplores. The conviction which the most careful, the most systematic, the most zealous religious teaching has worked into the mind of the individual Christian, is that religion is an affair between God and the soul, in the settlement of which the duties of the world have no concern whatever. And now that the light of a brighter day has so far risen upon the world as to make manifest the consequences of this mistaken teaching, the teachers themselves become alarmed, and seek to remedy the defects of their instructions by certain modifications and additions to the doctrine. The great work of elevating Christian people to the exercise of thoroughly Christian principle will not be accomplished, however, without the utter rejection of every dogma of the fallen Church which has tended to alienate religious faith from the upright discharge of the ordinary duties of life. It is not sufficient to adhere firmly to conviction; the mind must be enlightened by truth, and guided by it to goodness. There must be combined, on the part of every man, honesty of purpose with docility of mind-" a resolute and patient determination that he will not admit among the convictions of his own mind any which has not been vigorously sifted and satisfactorily proved," united with a willingness to receive instruction from every opening channel of communication between the Father of mercies and the objects of His providential kindness and care. In worldly matters men subject everything to thorough investigation. "Take a religious merchant. He acts in his capacity as a merchant with intense energy and decision, upon the maxim of going to the roots of things. He searches out the cheapest market to buy in and the dearest to sell in. He never acts on second-hand rumours or unverified impressions. He laughs to scorn the idea of walking, step for step, in the path beaten for him by his father. With his own eyes he scans the article in which he deals; he invites, he demands, the closest scrutiny of it by every one qualified to test it; he takes nothing upon trust, and the instant he hears that any rule or method, or supposed fact which he has accepted in carrying on his business has been called in question, he subjects it to a sifting examination. Does he, we ask, proceed in the same manner in matters connected with reli gion? Does he not-we do not say that the case is universal, but is it not frequent-hedge himself round with caution whenever a doubt is suggested or a demand for evidence made? Does he not, Protestant as he calls himself, shrink from a bold exercise of freedom of judgment, and take refuge in precisely those maxims which, in his worldly business, he discards?" Of the consequences resulting from this practice in relation to religious inquiry the author gives some striking examples, while his paper offers another to the many and multiplying evidences of growing dissatisfaction with orthodox teaching and the want of Christian culture and practice. SWEDENBORG THE SEER.-The Warrington Advertiser of March 23 contains the following report, which we have slightly abridged, of a lecture on this subject. The lecturer explains his relation to the New Church, and while we demur to the sectarian character which is so often given us, may yet very cordially adopt the assurance of the Saviour," they that are not against us are for us." On Monday evening a lecture was delivered on the above subject by the Rev. J. N. Porter, in St. John's Schoolroom, under the auspices of the St. John's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. The Rev. J. B. Johnstone occupied the chair. The lecturer said he was content at one time, like a great many others, to believe that Swedenborg was a visionary, a dreamer, a madman-that a man of practical, common sense had something better to do than to listen to the vagaries of a dreamer, an enthusiast. But some curious things befell him in the course of his life, and he passed through some strange experiences, which he need not detail, but which led him to examine Swedenborg's books. He found the very things there, which he had before found out by his own practical experience. He found them laid out calm, clear, and precise, and that Swedenborg had gone deeper into these things than he had. At this time of his life he was but a Swedenborgian so far as that he thought he was the most reliable expounder of Scripture he had met with. He did not put him on an equality with St. Paul, St. Peter, or any one of the inspired to writers, but he considered him the best expounder of the inspired writings-the the best and most reliable " seer. At that time he was receiving a number of spiritualistic publications from various quarters, and, although there was something in them, he found them vain and bombastic. But when he came Swedenborg, hs found him clear, precise, and consistent with the Word of God. Thus far he was a believer in Swedenborg, but he was not a sectarian Swedenborgian. He used him as ministers used Dwight's Theology, or any commentary on the Scriptures. He had to speak about an extraordinary man, and as he was only addressing ordinary people, he should have to say things they might consider preposterous and absurd. He had to speak of Swedenborg as a 66 Seer." The word seer meant one who had a sight of the other world, that they and he did not see. There was such another world, Scripture told them of it. There was another world that answered to, and yet was different from that they now lived in. To catch a glimpse through the veil that hid the spiritual from the natural was to have this faculty of sight. Those who would make them natural, material, earthly men, called a belief in that other world superstition and fanaticism. But there was that unreal world as they called it. It was the only real world, and that they now lived in, was nothing but the counterpart and shadow of it. The Scotch superstitions as to second sight, and similar superstitions in various parts of the globe, were an evidence to him that in the heart of man there was a lurking idea engrafted that there was another world besides this. They believed in angels. They read that God would send His angel to keep company with them, and if so there were angels in that room. They could not see them, but if it was given to him, as it was given to Swedenborg that he should see spirits then he should be in the second sight-a Seer. He pointed out the difference in Scripture between prophecy and vision, and gave illustrations from Scripture of the power of seeing spirits, pointing out that "discerning of spirits" was one of the gifts spoken of by St. Paul. In the body of man we only saw the clay in which the real man dwelt, and which he used as an instrument for working in the world. It was the soul that was the real man. To see the soul would be vision. To see the inward thoughtthe heart and feeling of the man-that would be vision. If he had that faculty of vision, supposing they were to fall down a corpse, he should be able to see their souls then by the same faculty of vision as that by which Elisha saw Elijah when he was ascending up to heaven. All things were double, and he who was the true spiritual Seer had the faculty of seeing the real thing and not the outward shell. Swedenborg professed to be able to see real spiritual things which were not seen by the eye of flesh, and he spoke in his works with the clear, calm, precise, description of a man who had seen what he talked about. He talked about heaven, its occupations and society, and about the different characters in hell in the same calm, unhesitating, manner in which he would talk to them about the Giant's Causeway. It needed a man to know that there was this faculty of seeing spiritual things, and then he would appreciate the quiet simple way in which Swedenborg told what he saw and did in heaven and hell. The lecturer concluded by reading from his works instances of Swedenborg's power of "spiritual vision,' which were well-attested by independent witnesses. A vote of thanks to the lecturer closed the proceedings. INTERESTING NEWS FROM COPENHAGEN AND THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS. Forwarded by the Rev. Dr. Bayley, Dear Sir, I have just received twelve copies of the new translation of Divine Love and Wisdom, into the Dano-Norwegian language, issued by our indefatigable brother, the Rev. Adolph Boyesen. This important work will, we doubt not, find minds prepared for its reception. It is clearly printed in the pocket form, and our friend has acted most wisely, both in the selection and in the size and style of its introduction to the Scandinavian people. He has the True Christian Religion ready translated, but waits for funds to defray the expense of printing-£150 would print 1000 copies. I have received also a very interesting letter from Edmond de Chazal, Esq., from the Island of Mauritius, which I have no doubt will be gratifying to your readers. I subjoin the translation of the French original. "St. Antoine, Ile Maurice, 7th March 1872.-My very dear brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,-For several years, I may say of sufferings and misfortunes, the relations of our small religious body in this distant possession of England with the New Church in England has been interrupted. It has not been so because that our convictions are less vivid or our desire for goodness weakened, but from causes beyond our control, and above our comprehension; hindrances have impeded our progressive advancement among the upturnings and storms of Christian civilization, which will continue until the New Jerusalem has established itself in this world as in the other, and we may repeat as they do in heaven We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art and who wast, that Thou hast taken unto Thee Thy great power and hast reigned.' The Word teaches us that the sound of the trumpets would cause a great earthquake. so that the tenth part of the city should fall, before they would give glory to God, (Rev. xi. 13). The ark of the Covenant would be seen in His temple (v. 19). The advent of the Lord is always accompanied by troubles and sorrows. For it is necessary that our perverse thoughts and evil affections should be purified by judgments. This can only be effected by combats and temptations in ourselves. Wars and conflicts between peoples and nations are inevitable consequences of these movements, In these times of trouble, we have no reason to despair, but much to hope, we especially who know that the Lord has entered into his kingdom, for he informs us emphatically that, 'I shall always be with you even unto the end of the age' (Matt. xxviii. ). 'I have overcome the world.' 'Fear not, I am the First and the Last' (John i.). But it is not less true that we should fall down as dead before these glorious thoughts, that He may raise us up, and set us upon our feet. Truly this is our present condition. In these latter days, in Mauritius, we have not been able to do anything, but continue our meetings for worship. Our Society seemed almost to have died out, incap able of doing anything. We had felt that we could not continue our connec tions with our friends beyond the sea. But lately a ray of light has penetrated the clouds which have hung over us. We have received by the last mail from |