"Philosophy of the plan of Salvation," in itself an unpretending little book, but from its extensive sale in America, and from its recent publication in the monthly series of the Religious Tract Society, it must possess some weight, and cannot be, I am happy in believing, without influence in leading to the New Jerusalem Truths themselves. A slight sketch of the plan of the work will, I trust, not be unacceptable to those who watch for the dawning of light upon the dark barren hills of Babylon the Great.

The object of the writer is rather to enforce Christianity than any particular doctrine, and is addressed more to the sceptic than to any sect opposed to the writer's own views; but as it is impossible to teach or unfold a science without stating the facts on which it is based-so in arguing for religion, its principles and doctrines must be stated and defended-and it is to the statements and defence of the American citizen, I conceive, especial notice should be given. Starting with the axiom that man will worship something, he proceeds to prove that man becomes assimilated in character to the object of adoration, and that having fallen into the worship of unholy beings, he has no power to recover himself and return to the love of a pure and perfect God, either by immediate or progressive efforts. He then shows, or attempts to show, if man is to be redeemed, the absolute necessity of a people being raised up, and by a successive course of training, led through a habit of obedience, motives of deep gratitude, and even the influence of fear and wonder, to receive the idea of a spotless and holy God. That for this end the Jews were chosen, their captivity in Egypt permitted, their miraculous deliverance effected, and heavy judgments on the disobedient inflicted; and while these stirring events were fresh in their minds, the moral law was given amid the terrors of Sinai. Thus by external acts, an idea of God's power and goodness was conveyed to the Jewish mind; means must also be used to teach them His holiness, and for this the sacrifices were appointed with all the ceremonial law, as proving that nothing but what was pure and innocent could be acceptable to Him. Thus it was through the senses that every spiritual idea was first implanted in the mind, and afterwards became ingrafted into the language; and this having been accomplished, then the machinery may be abolished, and the New Dispensation introduced. But this perfect system of truth must be conveyed by a man, because our race is formed physically and intellectually to be instructed by one of our own species; and in the plan of raising humanity from its degradation, that one must be a perfect model for us in all that relates to our nature. Jesus Christ is that perfect model, and proof is offered to show that

'By land and by sea, in all places and under all circumstances, wherever any of earth's children are called to act, JESUS-the model Man-is seen living and moving before them; and his voice falls upon their ear with the mingled cadence of authority and encouragement-Follow me!" (P. 77.)

Evidences of history are then offered in favour of Christ, and ingenious proofs given that the Messiah of prophecy could have acted in no other way than as Jesus did, to restore man to happiness, because—

"Man is so constituted that as a matter of fact his true happiness depends upon righteousness of life and benevolence of heart. When his will accords with his knowledge of duty, or when he acts as he knows is right towards God and his fellow men, there is peace and even complacency of conscience." (P. 90.)

"Now the whole power of Christ's instruction was directed to this point, and distinguished in this respect from all other instruction ever given to mankind. The principles which are fundamental in his teaching being those which alone can produce the happiness of the soul, in accordance with its own moral nature, and in accordance with the moral character of God."

On the subject of Faith, he commences by arguing [from appearances that it governs the affections; nevertheless he contends, very justly, for the importance of a correct faith, for instance, p. 99:

-

"It must be obvious to every one, that if the heathen believed in one holy and benevolent God, their abominable and cruel rites would cease. It follows, therefore, that it is the belief of falsehood that causes their ignorance and corruption."

And now we arrive at an important part of the argument. Chap. IV. opens by stating that

"As man's mental and moral constitution was the same under the New as under the Old Testament dispensation, the same methods adapted to move man's nature under the one, would be adapted to do so under the other. The one being temporal and imperfect, love might be produced by making men feel temporal want, and by God granting temporal benefits; while under a spiritual and universal system, men must likewise feel the want and receive the benefit in order to love; but the want felt and the benefit conferred must be of a spiritual character. Under all dispensations an essential requisite would be such manifestations of God to men as would produce love for the object of worship and obedience. Love the Lord thy God with all The moral law is the same for ever

thy heart,' is the first great law of the universe.

in its application to all intelligent beings, and the means, manifestations, and influences under the different dispensations, are expedients of mercy designed and adapted to bring men to act in conformity with its requirements." (P. 102.)

How, then, could the spiritual affections of the soul be awakened by faith and fixed upon God, their proper object?

"Not by temporal bondage or suffering, and subsequent deliverance, but by producing a conviction in the soul itself of its evil condition, its danger, and inability unaided to satisfy the requirements of a spiritual law, and then by God Himself suffering and making self-denials for its good, and by His own interposition opening a

way for the soul to recover from its lost and condemned condition; and then every one of the human family who had been led to see and feel his guilty condition before God, and who believed in God thus manifesting Himself to rescue his soul from spiritual death, would, from the necessities of his nature, be led to love God his Saviour."(P. 114.)

Here we can discover a great deal of important truth, and stated with clearness, but it is especially to the writer's description of the nature of the Saviour, as being God, the God of heaven and earth, to which this remark is applicable. Hear, then, his arguments for that grand doctrine on which we may assert the New Church itself is founded. An analogy is first made between the moral and physical laws of the universe, and the law of attraction of matter used as a step to the higher one of Spirit.

"If a planet had broken away from its orbit, it would have a tendency to fly off for ever, and it never could be restored unless the sun, the great centre of attraction, could in some way follow it in its wanderings, and thus attach it to himself, and draw it back to its original orbit. So with the human spirit; its affections were alienated from God, the centre of spiritual attraction, and they could never have been restored unless God had approached, and, by the increased power of this mercy as manifested in Christ, united man again to Himself by the power of affection, that He might thus draw him up from his misery and sin, to revolve around Himself in harmony and love for ever." (P. 122.)

Again :

"Now suppose that Jesus Christ was not God, nor a true manifestation of the Godhead in human nature, then he has devised and executed a plan by which the supreme affections of the human heart are drawn to Himself, and alienated from God, the proper object of love and worship; and God having authorised this plan, He has devised means to make man love Christ, the creature, more than the Creator, who is God over all, blessed for evermore."

"But it is said that Christ having taught by the will of God, we are to love God for what Christ has done for us. It is answered, that this is impossible. We cannot love one being for what another does or suffers on our behalf.—It is the kindness and mercy exhibited in the self-denial that moves the affections, and the affections can move to no being but the one that makes the self-denials.

"It follows, therefore, incontrovertibly, that if Christ was a creature, and not God, and if God approved of his work in saving sinners, He approved of treason against His own government; because in that case, the work of Christ was adapted to draw, and did necessarily draw, the affections of the human soul to himself as its spiritual Saviour, and thus alienate them from God, their rightful object." (P. 131-2.)

It would be absurd to suppose that remarks could not be extracted here and there in accordance with the Theology of the present day. I have sought, however, to show the general tenor of the work, and in so doing humbly hope to have added one more to the many proofs that

every day occur of the increasing light which is pervading the minds of all sincere professors,—one more evidence of the rapid increase of the New Jerusalem, if not in name, at least in spirit and doctrinal tendency, throughout the Christian world.

November 9th, 1847.

F. R.

ELUCIDATION OF A PASSAGE IN THE LAST JUDGMENT RESPECTING LOUIS XIV.

SIR,

To the Editor of the INTELLECTUAL REPOSITORY.

THERE is a passage in the "Last Judgment" concerning Louis XIV., which has, no doubt, somewhat surprised many, even of New Churchmen, and would be certain of ridicule from superficial readers. In that passage it is said that Louis XIV. "enjoys great dignity in the spiritual world, and governs the best society of the French nation;" and M. L'Abbé Gregoire, in his "Histoire des Sectes Religieuses," when treating of our author, has thought fit to indulge in some sarcastic remarks on that assertion.

Now, although it is not the business of New Churchmen to enter into any casuistical defence of Louis XIV., they may feel some interest in any thing which tends to shew that all must not be taken for granted which is alleged against him, and that it is very probable that the acts of the king were not necessarily always those of the man. I, therefore, send you the following extract from Mr. D'Israeli's "Curiosities of Literature" (Vol. 4, of Suppressors and Dilapidators of MSS.):

"His (Louis XIV.) character appears, like (that of) some other historical personages, equally disguised by adulation and calumny. That monarch was not the Nero which his revocation of the Edict of Nantz made him seem to the French Protestants. He was far from approving of the violent measures of his Catholic Clergy. This opinion of that sovereign was, however, carefully suppressed when his 'Instruetions to the Dauphin' were first published. It is now ascertained that Louis XIV. was for many years equally zealous and industrious; and among other useful attempts, composed an elaborate Discours' for the Dauphin, for his future conduct. The king gave his MS. to Pelisson to revise, but after the revision, the royal writer frequently inserted additional paragraphs. The work first appeared in an anonymous 'Recueil d'Opuscules Litteraires, Amsterdam, 1767,' which Babier, in his 'Anonymes,' tells us was 'redigé par Pelisson; le tout publiê par l'Abbé Olivet.' When at length the printed work was collated with the MS. original, several suppres

* Vol. 5, p. 96.

sions of the royal sentiments appeared; and the Editors, too Catholic, had, with more particular caution, thrown aside what clearly shewed Louis XIV. was far from approving of the violence used against the Protestants. The following passage was entirely omitted:-'It seems to me, my son, that those who employ extreme and violent remedies, do not know the nature of the evil, occasioned in part by heated minds, which, left to themselves, would insensibly be extinguished, rather than rekindle them afresh by the force of contradiction; above all, when the corruption is not confined to a small number, but diffused through all parts of the state,―besides, the Reformers said many true things! The best method to have reduced the Huguenots of my kingdom, was not to have pursued them by any direct severity pointed at them.'

66

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Thus far Mr. D'Israeli. The following remark of Goethe's is, I would submit, somewhat curious in its relation to our author's statement:When a family has long existed, it may happen that nature ends by producing an individual who unites within himself all the most remarkable qualities of his ancestors." It is the same with a nation, all whose merits may for once be found united in a single man. Thus Louis XIV. was a French king, in the most complete acceptation of the word.-(Goëthe's Rameau's Neffe, 1 vol. Leipsic, 1805.)

ALFRED ROFFE.

REVIEW.

[Continued from vol. viii. page 394.]

EMANUELIS SWEDENBORGII Economia Regni Animalis in Transactiones divisa, quarum hæc Tertia de Fibra, De Tunica Arachnoidea, et De Morbis Fibrarum agit, anatomice, physice, et philosophice perlustrata. Ex Autographo ejus in Bibliotheca Academiæ Regiæ Holmiensis asservato nunc primum edidit JAC. JOH. GARTH WILKINSON, Regii Collegii Chirurg. Londin. Memb. 8vo., p.p. xii. and 262. Londini, W. NEWBERY, 1847.

HAVING in some measure, in our former notice of this most important addition to our literature, and, we will add, to the world's literature, given a glimpse of the author's scope and intention in devoting an entire Treatise to the Fibre of which the Human System is composed, we think it will be well to fill up the remaining space which can be devoted to the subject, not with our own remarks, but with extracts from the book itself. Let us, then, without further comment, solicit the reader's thoughtful attention to a few passages from Section III., in which Swedenborg speaks of the diseases of the Fibres.