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A HITHERTO NEGLECTED CHAPTER IN CHURCH HISTORY.

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which is granted for the end that the love of God may be restored to the soul; and just so far as it effects this, is the pardon of any value. Here, again, is an approach to the New Church, amounting, indeed, we may say, to identity. Faith, hope, and charity appear once more united. Love Divine, immutable and universal, manifested in the free gift of eternal life, is the testimony of the Gospel; the belief of this gives immediate hope and peace, at the same time implanting charity, the true health and harmony of the soul.

As might be expected, these views excited much opposition; they gained likewise some worthy adherents. To the thoughtful and inquiring, views which professed to combine the absolute necessity of charity and good works with the most unconditional mercy of God, possessed, at least, the charm of novelty. But the champions of the old creeds were soon up in arms. Erskine's book was assailed on al sides; and it must be confessed that, notwithstanding its great merits on the whole, some of its reasoning is feeble and inconclusive. Nor was he happy in his first defence, wherein he endeavoured to uphold his doctrine by new theories, which he subsequently abandoned. But in his magnum opus, "The Brazen Serpent," he takes broader ground, from which he enunciates general principles which contain a virtual refutation of all objections. This work, remarkable for its plain and simple style, presents a striking contrast in this respect to "The Freeness of the Gospel," which, in point of literary merit, may justly claim a place among the first writings in the English language. "The Brazen Serpent" may, in some sense, be regarded as a commentary on the discourse of our Lord with Nicodemus. (John iii.) The author commences by observing that everything in nature presents itself under three aspects: First, as it strikes our senses; secondly, as entering into the system of things which our reason apprehends; and thirdly, in relation to the kingdom of God, "the third and chief element in everything." This kingdom being essentially a kingdom of life, and man being spritually dead, it is necessary that the life of this kingdom should be communicated to man before he can enter it. Hence the necessity of Regeneration, or "Birth from above," which is just the communication of the life of the kingdom, effected by the belief of the love of God in Christ, symbolised by the brazen serpent. (Ver. 14—17.) This wondrous emblem of Divine love was the appointed medium of * Dr. Chalmers's views of the Atonement were considerably influenced by Erskine's writings; and the writer has seen a letter from that distinguished author, in which he assents to the belief that Christ has done all that could be done for the whole human race; and if any man perishes, he does so by finally receding from the sphere of Redeeming Love.

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FROM THE OLD CHURCH TO THE NEW:

communicating new and healthful life to the dying Israelites, in place of their old life, vitiated by the bite of the "flying fiery serpent." The provision of such a remedy was doubtless an assurance of love and pardon; and its elevation, so as that the whole camp might "behold it and live," was an immediate personal assurance to every man in the camp of pardon and forgiveness of the crime which caused the infliction for which it was a remedy. So that, although any man who refused to look deprived himself of its healing efficacy, and died, he was nevertheless pardoned, the pardon being virtually and manifestly implied in the universality of the remedy. And so the love of God, manifested in the gift of His Son, is the universal remedy for restoring his life, which is one with His love in the soul; and its universality, being for the whole world, (ver. 16, 17, and 1 John ii. 2.) warrants every man in the world, like the dying Israelites, to regard his pardon as included in it, which is just simply inferring the particular from the universal. His belief of the testimony just enables him to ascertain his portion in the everlasting and unalienable love and forgiveness of God-always the same, whether he believes it or not-and so gives him eternal life by implanting that love in his heart. The doctrines of substitution and vicarious punishment (from which the first work is not altogether free) are rejected, and Christ is regarded as the Head of the human race, who entered the prison where they had been held captive by Satan,— fought and subdued the adversary, and opened a way out of the prison "into the glorious liberty of the children of God." This is pardon, forgiveness, remission, freedom from captivity (apeσis). (See Mark iii. 27, 28; Luke iv. 18.) And having assumed the fallen and infirm humanity, He exempted that portion of it which He assumed from all sin, purified it from all infirmity, and filled it with a new life, perfect and Divine, which, by the indissoluble bond and medium of His humanity, is introduced into and united with all humanity, so that each individual and member thereof can freely take his portion of that life, which is greater or less according to his faith and use. This first union of Christ with all men, by the bond of the flesh, is what Paul preached and taught every man-" Christ in you the hope of glory." (Col. i. 27, 28.) And according as men recognise this, and receive of the Divine life or spirit thus introduced into their common humanity, the second union is formed by the bond of the spirit. The first bond

* He also illustrates this from the custom of putting criminals to death, in Athens, by causing them to drink hemlock. If, during the interval of its slow operation, an infallible antidote was sent from Government to the condemned, this would be evidently a pardon; and if any refused to take it, they would die, of but they would die pardoned.

course,

A HITHERTO NEGLECTED CHAPTER IN CHURCH HISTORY. 327

is formed solely by Christ, altogether independent of man, and is incapable of increase or diminution. The second bond arises out of the belief and recognition of the first, and is dependent on man's diligence in faith, charity, and good works for its being increased and strengthened. Now is the time to acquire life brought to us freely by the first bond. The object of judgment hereafter is to ascertain whether we have acquired this life; if found to possess it (of which our works are the test), we are recognised by the Lord as belonging to His kingdom, which is a kingdom of life; if not, we necessarily take our place in the kingdom of darkness and death. These two bonds consti

tute the whole scheme of Christianity.

Thus far have we traced the unfolding of the leaf through the wintery days of the eighteenth century, until in the more genial nineteenth century we can perceive the budding of the flower. First, there is dissatisfaction with the old systems, which afford no hope or comfort till after a long course of obedience, whether that obedience be conditional or evidential, and various expedients to derive hope and comfort direct from the Gospel, all gradually approximating closer and closer to the teaching of the New Church. Men saw that there could be no perfect obedience without love, which casteth out fear, and that love can be acquired only by a prior perception of God's love to us; (1 John iv. 18, 19.) and hence originated the successive theories of appropriation, the immediate ground of hope, the universality of the ground of hope, and finally the universality and immutability of the Divine love and forgiveness, at once rising out of and comprehending all the foregoing theories their complement and continent. And it need scarcely be added that the final theory thus evolved, and described briefly in this paper, was anticipated nearly eighty years before by that far-seeing teacher who, from still higher ground, and in principles still more universal, announced to the world "glad tidings,"-whose cordial reception must ever and invariably produce enlightened faith, immediate hope, and operative charity.

NOTE. The letter from Dr. Chalmers alluded to, was written to the Rev. Henry Woodward, the late excellent and talented rector of Fethard, in the diocese of Cashel, who was also an ardent admirer of Erskine, and whose views of the eternal world were identical with those of Swedeneorg. The celebrated Irving, whatever may have been his errors in other respects, changed his stern hereditary creed for the views embodied in the brazen serpent. Of course we are concerned with that work only in reference to the Atonement, as the last of a series of works exhibiting the transition from Sandemanianism to the New Church, by logically carrying out the principles of the school.

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STUDENTS AND MINISTERS' AID FUND, &c.

To the Editor.

WILL you allow me a small space in the Magazine to express my pleasure and satisfaction at the results, so far as they are manifest, of the efforts made by the Church to provide an efficient ministry for carrying on her present and future spiritual labours.

I feel assured that I express the feelings of the majority of the friends when I say that the Ministers' Aid Fund or Society, the New Church College, and other means of educating and training young men for the ministry, have already shown some excellent effects, in the good, pious diction, orderly-arranged matter, and lucid explanations found in some of the sermons, lectures, and addresses of the young men who have had, or are now receiving, the benefits of these institutions. This must be very satisfactory to the Church at large, and especially to the older members thereof. The want of institutions of this kind has been felt from the first establishment of the New Church as a distinct body of Christians.

Some forty years since, the writer of these remarks, in company with others some of whom were the late Mr. John Isaac Hawkins, and Mr. Charles Hall-attempted to commence a plan or system to prepare young men for the pulpit; but we failed from the want of means, funds, system, time, and support. Thanks, however, to the Divine Providence, the Church has, by the beneficence of some of its late members, accompanied by the zeal and activity of its present friends, now become possessed of the power and means, and these will doubtless increase as the sphere of the Church becomes enlarged. In future, there will be no need of persons taking to the ministry who have not the education, time, or talents for the work. All honour, however, to those worthy persons who have worked under such difficulties, and done much good under very straitened circumstances. Ashford, Kent.

PROPOSED MONUMENT TO DR. TAFEL.

To the Editor.

J. B.

MY DEAR SIR,-In a letter lately received from Miss Couring, of Zurich (the lady who was with Dr. Tafel in his last earthly moments), is a suggestion to erect a Monument over his remains in Germany; and as I believe almost every New Church friend will gladly give a trifle towards such an object, I have taken upon myself the office of receiver, and shall be happy to take charge of such contributions as friends may please to

PROPOSED MONUMENT TO DR TAFEL.

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forward. I have written to Mr. Warren, asking for his coöperation, so that America and England may join in this mark of respect for one who has done so much for the advancement of the New Jerusalem.-Yours as ever, very sincerely, THOMAS WATSON,

19, Highbury-crescent, London, N.

Post-office Orders to be made payable as above, at Highbury, near the church.

Mr., Mrs., and Miss Watson.....

.....

£5 0 0

1 1 0

Mr. Thomas G. Watson We recommend this appeal to the liberality, or rather gratitude, of the church, and hope it will meet with a suitable response.

GENERAL CONFERENCE.

THE ensuing General Conference will be held, by appointment, in the church, Henry-street, Bath, and will commence on the 8th of August next. Societies having information to convey should take an early opportunity of communicating with the Secretary. The Secretaries of the various Committees appointed by the last Conference, and which have to report to the next Conference, are requested to forward their Reports, at an early date, to the Secretary of Conference,

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The first prize has been awarded to the Rev. E. D. Rendell, and the second to Mr. Tonks, Birmingham.

MISCELLANEOUS.

INQUIRIES, WITH ANSWERS.-A correspondent, in a letter from Cape Town, South Africa, asks in what light the New Church regards the Virgin Mary. As he may not have access to the writings, instead of a reference we answer his question by a quotation from True Christian Religion, No. 102:"It was once granted me to speak with the Mother Mary. As she passed by appeared in the heaven immediately over my head, clothed in white raiment, as of silk; when, stooping a while, she said that she had been the Mother of the Lord, for He was born of her, but that when He was made God He put off all the humanity which He had from

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her, and that, therefore, she worships Him as her God, and is not willing that any one should acknowledge Him as her son, because in Him all is Divine." To his inquiry, What is the opinion of the Church as to the use of the cross in ecclesiastical decoration, we can only say that we believe there is only one, or at most two instances in which the cross crowns our ecclesiastical edifices; so that, so far as practice is an indication of principle, the general opinion of the Church is not favourable to its use in that way. As a subordinate ornament and sign, we presume no one would object to it.

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