Christ to reprobate them, as gangrenous excrescences, corrupting the fair form of genuine Christianity." I would, therefore, advise the party against whose errors the Oxford Tracts are chiefly directed, to reason rather than rail-to weigh the arguments of their brethren, who are no less sincere than themselves, in the scales of their unbiassed judgment, to seek the truth in godly simplicity of purpose, to examine candidly in the spirit of that just principle, "si judicas, cognosce," "if thou judgest, make thyself master of the subject," and, above all, to place themselves under the direction of Him who is Truth Itself. A course such as this, however mortifying to human pride, may lead to the discovery, in their own minds, of more deadly errors than the lighting of candles, or the apostolical succession. The detection of one error naturally leads to the discovery of another. Accordingly, the men of Oxford have perceived that there is something fundamentally wrong about the way in which the doctrine of the atonement is treated by what they justly denominate "the low church party.” These having defrauded charity and good works of their share in the justification of man, are but consistent in substituting an unsubstantial phantasy in their room. This phantasy mainly consists in a blind reliance upon the all-sufficient efficacy of the blood of Christ (meaning thereby his material blood!) in the sight of a wrathful God; and yet not daring to fly in the face of the Word so far as to entirely reject good works, they represent them, not as proceeding from man as a tree bearing good fruit, but as the necessary mechanical result of the spurious faith above alluded to. The obvious tendency of such preaching is to depreciate most grievously, if not to destroy, in the minds of their hearers, the value of practical religion, and to lead them to regard the edifying doctrine of the atonement (rightly understood) not as a pattern for our imitation in the at-one-ment of the natural and spiritual man, but as serving to make up for defective duty, or a screen behind which hypocrisy may shelter itself. This deplorable abuse of a life-giving doctrine was, I believe, first noticed in a tract, on Reserve in the Communication of Religious Knowledge. It is therein truly affirmed, that the way in which the doctrine is brought forward at this day is not that in which the apostles bring it forward in their writings. Great was the alarm, and loud the reproaches, of those whose intellectual advantages should have put them on their guard against such uncharitable precipitation, on this bold announceWith their usual logic, they accused the writer of denying the doctrine because he had the honesty to reprobate an erroneous and mischievous view of it, though sanctioned alike by prescription and

ment.

authority. Feeling himself, however, on sure ground, Dr. Pusey, in his letter, returns to the charge. He tells the primate, that whatever was advanced in the tract above mentioned, was directed “not [against] the preaching of the atonement, but a sadly irreverent way of preaching it, as the means of conversion, which has been too common," and in p. 78, alludes to "the hard dry way in which the blessed doctrine of the atonement has been illustrated or vindicated, until one knows not which was most rationalistic, the defence or the attack." Such are the features of Dr. Pusey's letter most calculated to arrest the attention of the New Churchman, whose creed most peculiarly disposes him to watch the "signs of these times." Few, I am persuaded, will deny, that these extraordinary men, in spite of the many errors mixed up in strange contrast with the truths they have proclaimed, have effected, and are destined to effect, great and permanent good. These errors, the inevitable result of their previous education and habits of thought, I am as far from approving or softening down as from severely condemning or exaggerating. Wholesome truth has unjustly suffered from being found in such uncongenial company-but we have this consolation, that there never can be wanting some, let us hope not a few, who, ready to make those large allowances which charity must suggest to every good and sensible man, can separate the wheat from the chaff, the gold from the baser metal, with which it is unhappily alloyed. I need scarcely remark, that this will be the course taken by the New Church,-ever ready to hail with delight the appearance of truth, from whatever quarter she advances. In documents like that which forms the subject of this paper, what does the eye of the New Churchman discern but a new proof of the reality of the Lord's second advent; just as it sees one of a different kind, but scarcely less convincing, in the fearful turbulence of the roaring sea of false and evil principles which foams on all sides around us? But a day already dawns, which shall know no night! Hail! blessed beams, however few as yet, of a rising Sun, never more to be "darkened!" Welcome thou gentle "Moon" reflecting the heavenly light! Welcome ye "stars" about to be restored to your native eminence, never again to fall! Sea! thy waves rage idly against the Rock of Truth. Those who find themselves overtaken unawares, in the midst of the dark tempest that agitates thy restless bosom, may well be seized with "distress and perplexity;" but the forewarned and faithful watchers for their Master's coming, can hear "a still small voice” whispering to them, through the storm, "It is I,-be not afraid!" I remain, Gentlemen, yours, &c.,

CLERICUS.

CORRESPONDENCE,

IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, IS WITH ITS INHABITANTS LOCALLY AND PERSONALLY; BUT IN THE NATURAL WORLD, WITH MANKIND IN THE AGGREGATE, OR ABSTRACT, AND NOT LOCALLY OR PERSONALLY.

I HAVE no hesitation in returning an answer to the Editor's question, as the result of my reading of the Writings of E. S., by saying, that the objects, events, and phenomena of the natural world are not in the same relation to man as an inhabitant of the natural world, as the objects, events, and phenomena of the spiritual world are to an inhabitant of that world.

But truly an attempt to prove a proposition, so self-evident to those who are acquainted with the laws of correspondence in the spiritual world, as set forth in the work on Heaven and Hell by E. S.; and who are not altogether blind to what is before their eyes in this world; -to attempt to prove such a proposition, to such persons, must be a work of supererogation. It is possible that some there may be who are disposed to set themselves to work to endeavour to persuade us to mistrust our eye-sight, and the judgment resulting from it, in order to bring things so different in the two worlds into apparent unison. Reasoning with such persons would be an unpromising occupation. Permit me to lay before you a few general ideas that I have gathered concerning the correspondence of nature with man.

We are told by E. S., that the spirits of the inhabitants of the natural world are, although they are not aware of it, actually present in the world of spirits; and that, according to a law prevailing there, like are attracted into secret proximity to like, however distant their bodily presence may be from each other. From all these spirits there must proceed one general or aggregate sphere; and this sphere stands in the same relation to the natural world, as the souls from which it emanes do to their bodies,—that is, they are united by correspondences. Hence it may happen, that an inhabitant of Europe and of Africa, may be akin to each other, as to the spirit, and therefore near to each other in the world of spirits, whose quality is such as to find suitable correspondences to express it only in Asia. The law that determines influx into the natural from the spiritual world is the existence in the former of corresponding recipients of influx from the latter. Whereever there are noxious beasts and reptiles, and plants, and scorched deserts, and unwholesome marshes, there are the suitable recipients of the evil spiritual components in the sphere of the world of spirits.

corresponding with them. Thus the crocodile qualities may be in Europe, while the animals corresponding to them, are in Africa or Asia. Heaven flows into the world together with the components in the sphere of the world of spirits which are in order; and hell with those that are in disorder: and thus the natural world becomes the basis of the whole spiritual world.

If this view be accurate, it is easy to see, that there must be a tendency towards the establishment of a correspondence between the spirits of all the inhabitants of the natural world in the aggregate, and the existences in that world in the aggregate. If there were to cease in the world the particular quality represented by the crocodile, for instance, there would then be no animating principle flowing in from the world of spirits, corresponding with that animal, and thus suitable to nourish and sustain its existence; consequently it would probably die and cease, as a body ceases to be as such, when its soul is withdrawn. I say probably cease; for I am unable to determine, whether if an actual evil were wholly to cease, the hereditary evil, which is the ground of it, might not require, and be able to perpetuate, its corresponding natural form. And here I may observe, that I see reason to conclude, that however, in the course of ages, hereditary evil may become tempered by hereditary good, and a continued state favourable to its subjugation, it, itself, is indestructible, and will be converted, by being the materiel for purifying temptations, into the perpetual means of preserving the church from ever falling away.

But supposing that natural objects are not correspondences of the hereditary propensities, but only of the actual qualities with man, we may then expect, whenever the state of man corresponds to such a result, that the lion, for instance, (which has both a good and bad correspondence now,) will literally "eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 11 and 65); having only in such case a good correspondence, and having lost all those features which gave him a bad one; while the leopard, which has a bad correspondence only, will go out of existence. A similar discrimination would apply to other animals, which have either a double correspondence, or only a bad one.

Our author distinctly says, (D. L. W. 336-338, and Ap. Ex. 1201,) that animals and other things which have an exclusively bad correspondence, came into existence since the fall. Hereon a difficulty has been suggested in regard to some fossil remains, which have apparently a bad correspondence, and which it is believed existed before man; a similar difficulty attends the consideration of various poisonous mineral substances, which it is also presumed were created before

man.

To obviate this difficulty, it is suggested, that these existences had not an evil aspect or meaning, while man remained in order, but acquired it when he fell; for it is from a thing having originally a good correspondence, and acquiring a bad one through the fall, that double correspondences have originated. Before the fall, the lion (since the Lord is called the lion of the tribe of Judah,) was a noble and harmless animal, receptive of the sphere of innocence; but when that sphere passed away to such a degree that he was no longer affected by it; or, in other words, when the principle in the natural mind denoted by the lion, became perverted, the lion himself acquired a corresponding character. The natural principle is gentle, while it is led by the spiritual; but becomes ferocious when it breaks

away.

It is certain, that substances poisonous to some animals, are not so to others; why is this? I would suggest, that it is because the animal that is not hurt by them, has nothing perverted in its correpondence, and therefore nature, to which the substance, in other cases a poison, can obtain an opposite relation, and that hence, no injury ensues from it. For the same reason, I conclude, that before certain mineral substances acquired that opposite correspondence by virtue of which they have become poisons, that is, before the fall, if men then drank any (now) deadly thing, it (usually) did not hurt them. When the natural mind became poisoned by sin, through breaking from its allegiance to the spiritual mind, then the substances which corresponded with it acquired, by influx from it, a poisonous nature or power.

But these considerations are presented with the utmost deference, and as subject to correction by those who are better informed.

W. M.

THE FATHER OF A FAMILY AND HIS DUTIES.

IN a former paper, I endeavoured to exhibit the important uses of private and of family prayer. I shewed that the spirit of prayer is the greatest safeguard against the suggestions and insinuations of evil spirits, who plot and contrive the destruction of our souls. It is a shield to the soul, which protects it against the fiery darts of hell, and renders it strong and mighty in every temptation. It soothes the soul with a calmness and peace, which render it capable of fulfilling its duties with vigour, promptitude, confidence, and delight. N. S. No. 30.-VOL. 3.

EE