an army of Priests stood ready to meet atonement for sin, washing in the blood of the Lamb for regeneration; while they claim, that Jesus had such a superabundance of righteousness, that he could furnish an outfit for the whole human family. the people, hear their confessions and receive the immense herd of beasts driven from all parts of the kingdom, without blemish, to be sacrificed without price, as food for Priest and people. The spirit which ran through the host At 3. P. M. we were dismissed, with at that period, brought down the aristoc- a request that all members attend promptracy upon a level with the poorest. ly to other meetings; while outsiders These very sacrifices coming from all present were invited still to attend, and quarters, published to beholders, where to bring other friends with them and all had come short, softened all hearts, to take part in the worship. awakened contrition and brought down We now retired for dinner. We were all exalted feelings. Every habitation pleased to observe that their dining throughout the kingdom, was, for the rooms, tables and other fixtures were time being, turned into a house of enter-built with particular reference to these tainment, as they passed to and from the altars of the temple, which leveled all ranks into the beautiful spirit of conse cration. gatherings, and in simplicity, quite similar to Believers. Their bill of fare was ample. Dinner over, we passed into the sitting rooms. The one we had entered for rest was well filled; among the number, was one of their most talkative ministers. He directly entered into conversation with us, and suddenly put these questions fairly :—“ Please allow me to ask, how you look upon the standing of Jesus? How is he connected with the Godhead? What was his mission to our race?" We were now fairly in for some of the most radical questions he could ask. 66 Having secured our earthly resting place, we all repaired to a plain, neat meeting house, which was well filled. J. and the writer were invited to be seated with the more prominent members in front. The Elders occupied a place in front of the congregation, which numbered eleven brethren and thirteen sisters. A board partition unpainted, divided the assembly in time of public service; the women occupied the left, the men the right. In private meetings, another partition is run up, which completely separates the sexes. About one hour was taken up by Elders, Eldresses and people, in exhortation and prayer. At length a preacher from the East arose and delivered a sermon, which stands second to none we ever listened to in eloquence and beauty. He dealt largely in the scriptures, and his pictorial illustrations were so life-like, he could make the hearers almost see what he talked sidered Jesus as a man, a preacher with about. Their theology embraces the higher light. This broke the bands. It must be remembered, that J. is a Quaker. We came on his invitation. There were many interested listeners, but we answered as best we could under the circumstances. My friend, we came among you determined, neither to introduce our theology nor interfere with yours. He now stated, that he once met two of our brethren in the cars, while traveling in the west, who informed him that the Shakers con We found he had an honest motive in his questions, and we replied. We consider Jesus" as the faithful and true witness;" but a man born of a woman, with an organization capable of receiving and teaching all that was required for the salvation of the race. If you claim that he had a miraculous birth, we shall have no controversy on it. He then introduced God as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We indorsed this, and asked if the Quakers did not believe that these were three males, which they did not deny, we answered;-A father always supposes a mother, a son certainly does, and if the Scriptures are correct, there certainly is a mother. When God was ready, He said to some one connected with Him, "Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have dominion over all the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them, and called their name, Adam." (TO BE CONTINUED.) The everlasting gospel The passengers united VOYAGE TO CANAAN. A PEOPLE called Christians, Thousands have been impatient Truth, vs. Speculation, vs. Transition. GILES B. AVERY. THE forms of material things pass away; in like manner many speculations of theorists often prove transient; and, some teachings, that, in one age of human life pass for philosophy in an advanced age are proved to be but sophistry; but, Truth remains! The sources of truth's manifestations or discoveries are two fold-revelation, through inspired media, and the researches of human reason. In all ages of human history, there have been, soul, and with all thy might; and thy through these sources, discoveries of neighbor as thyself."-A law of Love measures of truth, both in relation to to right doing, is a basis of life characphilosophies applicable to science and art, also to God, and the affinitive relations of man to his Creator, and his fellow beings, spiritually, affectionally, and sympathetically. And, though, in every age there has been, and still is, a vast amount of idealism which is simply speculative, therefore, destined to pass away, yet there have been measures of solid truth revealed and discovered which is, as unchangeable as the orbits of the heavenly bodies; or as the institutions of day and night. errors, ter necessary to human happiness that is securely and sacredly stored in the archives of the tabernacle of God; unchangeable as the Eternal Throne! And the myriad collateral ramifications. of the principle of love to humanity and to God that have been evolved from this fountain, and disbursed to humanity in theological requisitions, many of which are interwoven into the fabrics of human creeds of theology, are measures of truth that are unchangeable, though, as a whole, these creeds may be quite untenable. Inspired media,-ascetics and recluses, have existed in all ages; as Noah, Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, Jesus, and a nameless host; these, prompted by the inspirations and illuminations of truth to them vouchsafed, as a fruit of their separation from the herd of humanity, and honest devotional seeking to God; for truth and wisdom, have Passing away is impressed on all mutable, material things; and, as human progress discovers errors in speculative and ideal philosophies, properly termed sophistries, the excitable temperament of the human mind is such, that, with some constitutions, there is a tendency, under the influence of discovered to doubt the existence of truth in any supposed and generally accepted reve-been, in varied degrees, shining lights and conservators of truth and wisdom, lation, or discovery of philosophic truth; and dispensers of the same to the human and, under a very ardent stimulus for change, some people are ready to confamily; and the truths they enunciated have been blessings to our race, and demn all degrees of conservatism, seeming to conceive the notion that mankind they are as eternal as God is true. new discoveries of truth theologically or have no substantial basis of truth on No which to rely, either in religion or phi- scientifically obtained, can obliterate the losophy; while the fact remains, that manifestations and principles of truth all truth stands firmly amid the ravages previously revealed. A class of phiof time, the demoralizations of dissipa-losophers and scientists have been raised tion, and the wreck of worlds, or the up from time to time, as Archimedes, new discoveries of science. The fundamental principles of the Law of God revealed to, through, and by Moses, and recognized by Jesus."Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy Copernicus, Newton, and others, too numerous to mention, of both more ancient and modern date, who have discovered principles of philosophic and scientific truth, that no progress of humanity can ever justly gainsay, or eradicate. hath borne witness of me." John, v., 37. "One is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Matt. xxiii., 8, 10. Spirits of superior dignity, and minds of the largest ability and capacity to search for, perceive, and acquire truth and wisdom, have been, and ever will This same government of God through be, oracles to the masses, unto whom, mediation of the Christ Spirit was also as teachers of truth, the multitudes of beautifully taught as a theocracy by the the human family ever will, and must, Ministers of the testimony of Christ's necessarily seek, as teachers, and at- Second Appearing, Ann and William tach themselves as scholars and depen- Lee, as manifest on the following occadents, Noah. Abraham, Moses, John sion. One Col. Smith came to see the the Baptist, Jesus, and successors, Elders at David Meacham's, in Enfield, many have been teachers of righteous- Ct. He asked, "Is there not a woman ness whose enunciations of truth, in here that is the head of the Church?" measures adapted to the day and times Mother Ann replied, "Nay, Christ is in which they lived, and links in the the head of the Church." Elder Wilvast chain of truth's revelations that liam Lee also said. "We do not allow shall embelt the world; and their reve-man nor woman to be the head of the lations of truth can never be ignored, Church." "But" (said Smith,) "there justly, because they are steps in the march of human progress. is a woman here that teaches, is there not?" Elder William replied, "We must not suffer man nor woman to teach, except they have the spirit of Christ in them, and then either man or woman may teach. " But, while Christ's Church is in the state and capacity of the Church militant, that is, of the Kingdom of Heaven Order "like a net cast into the sea, that gathers of every kind, which, when it is drawn ashore, men gather the good into vessels, but cast the bad away," there will be in it some who do not have the Spirit of Christ in them; and, of course, could not, with propriety, be authorized to teach, nor exercise government in a democratic sense. The Noachian dispensation of righteousness was a school for the masses of that dispensation; in like manner were the dispensations of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The Christian dispensation is a school, and of its scholars some are constitutionally organized with capacities as teachers; others as scholars and learners of them, while, in turn, they are also learners of teachers in advance of them; thus, on in gradations, up to the Eternal Throne. The Christ Spirit and baptism is the Master in the Christian School! This Jesus beautifully taught as a government of God, through a vicegerency,-A Theocracy. Thus, "I came not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me." John, vi., 38. "I can of mine own self do nothing; as I hear I judge, and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent me." John, v., 30. "And the Father, himself, which hath sent me, will be a full and complete government And, when all the members of the Church of Christ are fully redeemed from all that is not of the Christ spirit, the baptism of the Father and Mother,God, they will then be in the Father and the Father in them; and not be "many masters" but their united ministrations of God, as the Church triumphant over Mt. Lebanon, N. Y. "GO AND SIN NO MORE." ALEXANDER Y. COCHRAN. gen In the affairs of daily life, the occupations of the hour, each has his respective duties, and we look with earnest expecation for every person to act faithfully in the part to him assigned. In the spiritual work each one should occupy, as faithfully, a place of equal responsibility. "Seek first the Kingdom of God." How many of us on rising in the morning and planning our business for the day, make equally as essential the spiritual labors that shall It is our privilege to accept this cover the same time? It should be tle monition. Those who will make the Hands at work and heart to God." necessary sacrifices, can, agreeably, to the inspired voice, live without incurring the penalty of actual transgression. Whatever may have been our trials or temptations on the journey of life, we have the privilege to turn from that which is evil, and in the spirit of the Savior, "Go and sin no more." From this comes an inspiration to work for a spiritual interest, to work for our salvation. It needs to be a system into which Believers should bring their whole lives. It should be in prayer, in love and in earnest working for the protection and prosperity of all who are ready to give their lives to God. The spiritual should have as much care, if not more than the temporal. The children of this world are the children of the temporal kingdom, and Jesus has told us that they were wiser in their generation, than are the children of light. They make more sacrifice and work with more zeal to secure the treasures of this life, than professing Christians do to secure the treasures of the Kingdom of God. Had this been made as imperative as the duties of the day we might have been made doubly satisfied by receiving the blessings of the temporal and spiritual interests at the same time. Even our abundantly fruitful in good gifts. seasons for worship would have been Our lives also should be so unfolded to the light that we could willingly and confidently present the record of them to our Brethren and Sisters and this record should be that of honest, faithful souls, those who are called to live in the light. This should be a distinguishing feature by which our Church could be clearly recognized. Jesus in speaking of his disciples has said, "Ye are the light of the world." "No man hideth his light under a bushel." With this gift all are made ministers of the word of God, ministers of truth, ministers of light and salvation. Let us wait on our ministry whereunto we are called, and devote our might, mind and strength to the service of the Lord. Canterbury, N. II. ONE of the greatest of all mental pleasures is to have our thoughts often defined; even entered into with sympathy. |