corner-stone of all true interpretation. Removing this, you blot out the Sun of day, and overwhelm the soul in blacker than Cimmerian darkness. What else could have originated the hydra-headed systems of frigid sectarianism, fostering so largely the old Jewish denunciating dogma, that "he who worshippeth not on this our mountain, can never be received into heaven"? Having sealed their eyes against the grand truth which shines so brightly on the first page of Revelation, that man was made an image and likeness of God, both as to unity and the essential constituents of his nature, consequently, that God is a Divine Man, they have foreclosed the only avenue of approach to the true love and worship of "God in Christ." 66 It must follow, that if the unity of God be even tacitly denied, or be considered as a mystery," that denial and mystery will reappear in every doctrine founded on such a faith. Thus the creation, although ascribed in the third commandment to the One God, yet this "law" is made to yield its veracity to a supposition that three distinct persons or deities divided that work amongst them. The doctrines of redemption and atonement, as commonly entertained, are never discussed without the potent, silencing appeal to mystery. And when some daring champion, with the genius of Milton, for instance, scruples not to speak 66 Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme," alas! for the cause of secrecy, the truth will out,—and we see him exposing the deformities of tripersonalism, substitution, and election, in their native colours. Surely when we find such a system dividing the indivisible, changing the immutable, punishing innocence for guilt, investing the unsullied majesty of the King of kings in the robes of tyranny, attributing to the God of mercy the attributes of Mars, and converting the angelic messengers of "peace, good-will to man" into warriors, and heaven into a battle-plain,—then we may reasonably inquire whether such a Deity or Deities are preferable to the gods of the Pantheon,-whether such a heaven excels the realms of Pluto or a Pandemonium, or whether its oracles are to be more revered than the mysteries of Eleusis. Can we not here appreciate the exclamation of Mary at the sepulchre-“They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him!"? The doctrine of repentance is made the business of a few seconds. Its efficacy being said to depend upon the unknown and unexplained influence of a momentary faith. The virtue and savor of the doctrine no longer being ascribed to the shunning of evils as sins against the Lord,-but the language of the Saviour exhorting to forsake sin and lead a new life, is regarded as secondary to the teachings of that priest who will find some readier prescription for the sin-sick soul. The Holy Supper has long since been perverted by the notion of a mysterious "transubstantiation"--and the act of administration is even at this day involved in superstition by the ambiguous instruction of interested expositors, who suffer many to retain the delusion that in the solemn hour and article of death, they can administer the saving unction to the soul of the recipient. The rite of baptism has agitated whole communities while discussing its saving power. So blinding has been the mysterious infatuation, that unoffending infancy, and the souls of the unbaptised, have alike been publicly consigned, at least in terms, to the pit of bottomless perdition; while their bodies have been denied the rites of Christian sepulture. The doctrine as to the second coming, the judgment-day, and the resurrection, has also claimed its place beneath the wide-spread robes of the mother of abominations. From the time of the apostles this event had been expected, and false prophets have plentifully speculated in all ages in rumours of its vicinity. While enlightened reason has stumbled and corrected itself upon the incongruities of the sacred letter, infidelity has revelled in obscene criticism, not merely upon the “talking serpents of Eden," the physical impossibilities of an ark tenanted with creatures of every kind, the sun standing still over the valley of Ajalon-but on this point also, of the huge surrounding stars falling upon this our smaller world, and of the assembly of so many millions of millions of human beings congregated within the narrow limits of Jerusalem, to dwell with the Lord in person. And how are such objectors ever refuted but by the exclamation, "All things are possible with God," or, to speak their meaning plainly, “God can do impossibilities.” The nature of heaven and hell are problems, which, we are informed, never can be solved on this side of the grave. Both these worlds are said to be the subjects of time and space, and though not located upon the summit of Olympus, or in the caverns of Etna, yet they are with equal inconsistency placed "somewhere beyond the stars," where no telescopic power may penetrate the sacred mysteries. Ask, again, a definite question as to the modes of angelic life, as to the joys of heaven or the miseries of hell, and your reproof is marked by the finger placed upon the lips, and the language "It is profane to look into these things; our priests tell us that it is but the endeavour to eat of the forbidden tree."" Thus we may trace that the leading dogma of the Christian world is the reiteration of one statement—“ All is mystery." If this can be verified, and all their doctrines share the same fate, we may truly be assured that a new dispensation awaits us, that" the morning cometh," and that "the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun as the light of seven days." All, then, who desire truth for the sake of God, will discover, in the unclouded radiance of this spiritual sun, that every ray of its all-glorious emanations bears written upon it, and it writes upon the assenting spirit, a lucid answer to every inquiry of the truth-desiring soul. Thus is fulfilled the language of Jesus, "What ye know not now. ye shall know hereafter.” Hulme. H. THE PARENTAL OFFICE NOT TRANSFERABLE. IN confirmation of the remarks of W. M. on the importance to the child that his parents should themselves discharge faithfully their own proper duty, not trusting it to schoolmasters or mistresses, I beg the favour of your inserting the following remarks, extracted (and somewhat abridged, in order to suit your pages) from Mr. Muzzey's work, published by Mr. Hodson, and noticed favourably in our review. "We [in America] have week day schools in which the youth of both sexes, a multitude we can scarce number, are every where engaged. Nor is this all; when the toils and assiduities of the week are over, we open the door of the Sunday school. And now what more, it may be asked, can be done for them? Is not this a blessed age for the young? And will they not soon be perfect in knowledge, and wisdom, and all manner of excellence? If it depend exclusively on a vast array of public means and of social arrangements, and liberal expenditures, to make them so, no doubt they will be perfect. "But does it depend entirely on one or all of these things? May we, having provided the best possible week-day schools, and teachers of accomplishments, and Sunday schools also, sit down content and rest in the assurance that our task is complete? I fear this is the prevalent disposition. But if we heed the counsels of Scripture, of history, or of daily experience, we shall ascertain our error. We shall find that it is possible that our youth, in the very midst of this mighty system of educational advantages, may sink lower and lower in the prime qualities of a reverent piety, and a disinterested energetic virtue. Multiply as we may other instructors, they cannot supply the place of those natural teachers-the father and mother. If there be neglect here, then it is as if every thing were neglected. The attempt to substitute any teacher, guardian, or friend for the parent,—to put public in the place of private and domestic education, ever has been, and ever will be, disastrous to the young. It is only as assistants in the great seminary over which the father and mother are principals, that schools can be safely employed and trusted. Put them at the head, and you reverse the order of God and nature,—you make that first which should be last, and that last which should be first. "No influence is so deep and decisive as that of the mother. Napoleon was once asked what could be done for France? His reply was, "We need good mothers." In our country, what gave us a Washington? The fidelity of his mother! 66 The mother Are sufficient efforts made to enlighten and to impress the parents in this community? I am sure it is ignorance alone that can explain the fearful prevalence of errors in domestic education. The father loves his son; but he does not know,-he does not know the best means and methods of making him what his heart desires to see him. would not for worlds do any harm to her daughter. No; she is full of affection and full of devotedness to her; but alas! her love is blind. She does not perceive that, instead of preparing her for mental excellence, self-dependence, self-sacrifice, real piety, and unblemished worth, she is leading her every day in an opposite direction. A mother who is so absorbed in society and in domestic avocations as to forego all mental and cultivated intercourse with her daughters, commits a fatal error. father who spends his whole time and strength in laying up property for his sons, to the neglect of their higher nature—who is so weary that he cannot read a book or talk to his children on any mental or elevated subject,-may yet rue his course. What will it profit him to acquire wealth for them if he fail to leave them the richer bequest of wellcultivated intellects, a taste for profitable reading, a love of home enjoyments, habits of order and quietness, a sensibility to all that is noble in character, and a love of that Heavenly Father who gave us these precious powers for the glorious work of doing good? A "There is no place like home.' Around the fireside it is that our earliest and tenderest affections cluster. Amid the names and forms that re-visit the mind, the dearest and fairest of all are associated with those two beings, the father and mother. The words they addressed to us-their lives and their deeds-these tower above every thing else; and they have gone deepest into our souls, and done most to make us what we are. Such is the appointment of God. There is no love to be compared with that of a mother. And why is she endowed with this love? Partly, that she may preserve the lives and health of her offspring. But that is not all. She was intended also to preserve their spiritual life and their moral health. Say we not then truly, that no parent can delegate his office and his responsibilities to any other human being? There are those who desire to do this. It is not vicious and unfaithful parents alone who desire to free themselves of parental responsibility and labour. Many good persons have moments in which they would fain transfer their children to some other care. son demeans himself well, is gentle, obedient, and kind, they enjoy their charge. But let him grow disobedient, stubborn, selfish, and untractable, they desire then to part from him. If the daughter be domestic, helpful, self-sacrificing, then is she the delight of her mother. It is only needful that she become indolent, passionate, or unmanageable, and straightway the parent would send her from home, or consign When the her to another's care. She imagines, perhaps, that the good of the child will be consulted by this arrangement. Seldom, I believe, is this the case. It is never more true than here, as a general rule, that "whom God hath joined together, man may not put asunder." He hath established the bond between this father and this son; and He it is who stationed this mother to be the guardian of her child. Let them be slow, very slow, to call in teacher, governess, nurse, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, or inmate or helper. "The present age is marked by the want among children of a spirit of reverence, subordination, and docility. Let parents do their whole duty, and awaken a regard for their own position and authority. A gentle, steady, firm hand, is all that is wanted. There is no child who may not be controlled and made respectful by a patient and uniform discipline." That these sentiments are worthy of attention, the judgment of every parent must admit; but whether they will meet with the attention they merit, will depend upon the degree of conscientiousness to apply them. * ** THE PROPRIETY OF READING TO SOCIETIES TO THE EDITOR, SIR,-The accompanying paper is sent for insertion in the Intellectual Repository, not from any idea of its own value, but simply as suggestive of a practice, the carrying out of which appears to the writer likely to prove beneficial to the Church in general. He is not aware that the practice recommended in it is wholly unobserved; he can only say, that he knows not of its being acted upon in any society with which he is acquainted. Feeling assured that it would be likely to effect much good, the practice is, in this manner, recommended to the consideration of ministers and leaders of New Church societies in general, by one of their brethren in the Lord, THE LEADER OF A SMALL SOCIETY. Address to a New Church Society, &c. It is, brethren, as is perhaps known to most of you, the custom of the General Conference of the New Church to address, annually, the members of the Church, throughout the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This Annual Address is published in the Minutes of the Conference, and, in this form, comes before a small portion of the Church. The number of those, however, who do not see it, is probably very much 1 * This recommendation is also given by the General Conference. It is also annually published in this Periodical; see February, p. 41. |