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have their seasons of infirmity, when somewhat of the baser portion of the mixture seems undetected and to have gained the predominance. Then comes the trial of faith in character, to the friend who suffers through his friend's eclipse. Then is the season for the man who judges from good by truth, to shew his enduring mercy; while he who judges from truth alone, will exhibit hasty and unqualified condemnation.

CXXXII.

In a ready and excessive condemnation of others, there lurks, beyond doubt, the self-complacency of self-adulation. It is self-praise under a disguise. It is the Pharisee inwardly saying, "I thank God I am not as other men, or even as this publican." Hence, also, foolish persons fancy they can raise themselves on the prostrate arguments or reputations of others, whom their infatuating pride persuades them are proper (!) objects of merciless attack.

CXXXIII.

He who asks a question without desiring and intending to receive instruction, is not likely to comprehend or appreciate any answer which may be given to him, however much learning or capacity he may possess. (See E. U. 63.)

CXXXIV.

"Affectations of elegance and erudition are as shades to the substance of a discourse, for they hide real things, and, instead thereof, present mere expressions, which are only material forms of things; the speaker, in such case, keeps the attention fixed on his language, being desirous that his expressions should command more regard than the meaning of them; and thus the ears are affected more than the minds of the audi(E. U. 23.) How just a portrait is this of popular preaching at the present day, amongst all denominations of Christians! May it never find imitators in the New Church!

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CXXXV.

'Open rebuke (says Solomon) is better than secret love." Few there are, however, who do not prefer the latter to the former, even while outwardly professing to agree with "the wise man." Some receive rebuke with apparent meekness, but with real indifference; being restrained from openly rejecting it only by a fear, lest their character for humility and candour should suffer. Others, in accepting it as they believe with sincerity, are, unknown to themselves, in reality swayed by considerations

of present policy; or by a selfish fear of consequences; or by a present personal regard to him who administers it; but when a change of circumstances renders such extrinsic considerations inoperative, and sets the heretofore charmed will at liberty, the friendly rebuke, once received with expressions of thankfulness, comes to be regarded with impatience, or rejected with indignation. Few there are who "know what manner of spirit they are of."

CXXXVI.

The harmony of heaven, and the discord of hell, are owing to this fact, that good affections unite with like affections in others; while evil affections meet their like with bitter antagonism. Hence the truth of that line of Cowper, " The proud are always most provoked by pride." Hence, also, those amongst the well-disposed who are naturally severe and intolerant, (until they are "perfected in love,") are liable to be most displeased with the same qualities in others. Indeed, there appears reason to believe, that we are most liable to be excited by those ill qualities in others to which we are most prone ourselves; while the exhibition of those to which we are least inclined, occasions only a cool feeling of contempt, or a calm sentiment of pity. Undoubtedly, men judge differently; and it does seem that the honest by nature must needs be most warmly affected by the view of dishonesty. This, however, may be only an appearance. On the principle assumed, it seems to follow, that the kindling of severe indignation even to excess, may have this good effect upon the subject of it; it may not only suggest the necessity of future consistency with his moral manifestations against others, but it may also awaken in him the internal faculty of acquiring the good opposed to the evil condemned; and granting, that either in a latent or active state, there is a strong propensity in him to that same evil, the faculty of acquiring the opposite good must be of equal strength, according to the law of equilibrium; hence, although strong moral indignation is not a sure sign of the actual possession of the opposite good, natural or acquired, it may be the sign of a capability of acquiring that good by overcoming the opposite evil in temptation.

CXXXVII.

Whether phrenology be a true science or not, certain it is, that in different men are found different forms of natural good. One will be naturally inclined to the sentiment of veneration, or meek submissiveness to authority; another, to humane and benevolent feeling; another, to firmness and fortitude; another, to industrious acquisition; another, to

conscientiousness and integrity; and although these sentiments, being merely natural, are not saving virtues, they are, in the hands of Providence, the means of keeping up the outward forms and patterns of virtue in the world, and of suggesting the intellectual sentiments which describe them; and this in a degree independently of, although concurrent with, the teaching of revelation, in countries which possess it.

CXXXVIII.

A state of truth or faith alone, is a state void of innocence, and, therefore, represented by "filthy rags" (Isai. lxiv. 6); but so far as truth is joined with good, innocence is present, and such truth is represented by "beautiful garments;" but, nevertheless, "garments" always denote truths capable of being separately contemplated by their possessor, although grounded in good: in the highest heaven, the angels are naked, because with them truth has so become good, that they cannot contemplate truth as anything distinct from good, (as garments are comparatively distinct from the body); and because good and truth are thus completely alone, innocence exists in full perfection, and therefore their nakedness is without shame.

CXXXIX.

"Professors of religion"—the religion of faith alone,-boast of the number of their conversions; but of what do they consist? First, of conscientious moral men, who remain as estimable as they were before, unless outwardly become less amiable, through a tinge of solifidian bigotry. Secondly, they consist of disorderly lovers of pleasure, who, viewing them outwardly, are converted to an orderly exterior; but viewing them inwardly, are very generally converted into "lovers of the uppermost seat in the synagogue, and of greetings in the market," that is, into lovers of influence, and lovers of money; so that they remain lovers of self as much or more than before, although in another, and, as regards themselves, apart from their example, not in an improved form. Only the genuine doctrine of charity can smite down and destroy the loves of self and the world. The doctrine of faith alone can only make clean the outside of the cup and platter; but if those who profess this doctrine are in the good of life from the Word, they may then attain to genuine charity, by crucifying the desires opposed to it.

CXL.

How truly the scribes of established churches, and the Pharisees of

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unestablished churches, are described in the following pithy lines of Cowper:

"Learning itself, received into a mind

By nature weak, or viciously inclined,

Serves but to lead philosophers astray,

Where children would with ease discern the way.

And of all arts sagacious dupes invent,

To cheat themselves, and gain the world's assent,

The worst is-Scripture warped from its intent."

(Compare "gospel sermons" with the intent of Scripture, as described in 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.)

(To be continued.)

UNITARIANS.

IT is a remarkable fact, that the New Church is at issue with Unitarians, more than with any other body of professing Christians, concerning the fundamental doctrinal of faith,-the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ,-while, at the same time, she is more in agreement with that body than with any other, concerning the fundamental doctrinal of life, that all religion has relation to life, or, that religion consists principally in the attainment by man of God's moral likeness. If then, we ask the question, to which body of all the bodies of professing Christians, should the New Church feel most attracted? I answer, that the New Churchman, if he be a mere Creed-professor, will promptly reply, "Israelite "Certainly, to the Unitarians least of all;" but if he be an indeed," he will answer, "Certainly, I must feel most attracted to that body which agrees with me in placing goodness (I trust the supreme object of my desire) in its proper place,-that body which alone agrees with me in estimating a man's worth, not according to his belief in a distorted view of the Apostolic doctrine of atonement, but according to his conduct and disposition as a man.”

And does not this view of the Unitarians, as practically, and therefore peculiarly, akin to the New Church, receive countenance from the beautiful declarations of Swedenborg, that if all religious denominations held the principle, " that love and charity are the essentials of all doctrine, and the essentials of all worship," every one would say of another, in whatsoever doctrine, or in whatsoever external worship he might be principled, this is my brother?'" (A. C. 2385.)

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It is a sad truth, that the Unitarians alone, of all the Christian denominations, have treated the New Church with justice and kindness; of course, they have not treated our doctrine with that degree of justice

which we necessarily think it deserves, for to do this would imply the actual reception of it; but they have generally treated it, and its professors, with as much justice as conscientious non-recipients of the doctrine; could reasonably be expected to exhibit. The respectful demeanour of Unitarians towards the New Church, has been less openly or less frequently manifested in this country, than in America. In that country, notices of Swedenborg and his writings have appeared in eminent literary works, of a kindly and respectful character; and the reason has been, that, to a considerable extent, the literature of America has been and is conducted under the influence and superintendence of Unitarians!

It is a doctrine not more beautiful than useful, that there are degrees of charity or good; that the lowest is called civil good, which is the indispensable basis of every other degree, for, unless religious good has this basis, it is good only in name. The due regard to this good, obliges every one to respect all mankind as his fellow-citizens, so long as they discharge their duties to others with good-will; or with that moral principle and polite behaviour, which is required by the "common law" of civilized society. No member of the New Church can possibly lose sight of his obligation to approach every one, of every creed, from a principle of civil good. And wherever he discerns unworthiness, then Christian charity comes into operation, to pity, and, if possible, to heal. In this spirit, the liberal member of the New Church approaches the Unitarians; and his general experience has been, that they meet his approaches with the kind aspect of fellow-citizens and fellow-Christians; and why? Because they are not solifidians, but identify true religion with goodness and charity. But when, in a like spirit, the member of the New Church meets the Trinitarian Sects, how marked is the contrast! He there finds no congenial response, because they are mere solifidians,-virtual despisers of charity; and inwardly, and sometimes outwardly, pronounce him, because he is an unbeliever in justification by faith alone, abhorred of God, and a child of hell.* Thus strikingly has our experience verified the above-cited declaration of Swedenborg, that an acknowledgment of the pre-eminence of charity

* If any one entertain a doubt of the accuracy of this statement, he has only to read the false and wicked publications put forth against the New Church at Accrington, by the Methodists, Independents, and Baptists during their late unhallowed combination, and treacherous conspiracy, against the cause of genuine Truth, which appears to be hateful to them, chiefly because, with the Apostle Paul, the New Church makes charity greater than faith! This controversy, it may be remarked, has now terminated, by the discontinuance of our "Christian Standard," in October, the "Banner" of our opponents having been lowered two months previously.

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