inconsistency, and the acceptance of the most revolting rites and ceremonies.

Hence the past is only beneficial to us for the truths it contains, and the ability it confers upon us to eliminate truth from error. But when we trace the historic page, whether sacred or profane, we find:

"More proselytes and converts t' accrue
To false persuasions than the right and true,
For error and mistakes are infinite,

While truth has but one way to be i' the right." A prime cause for the perpetuity of error, lies in the morbid inclination of the masses to leave investigation to the few, and to accept deductions without

When the avenues of knowledge are whose superstitious fears urged them to free to all, as water, air, and sunshine, the commission of almost any and every it will be a positive sin of omission to remain ignorant. It is not only a great wrong to one's-self, but to society. No one has a just excuse for being ignorant, when he might and ought to be intelligent and wise. The secular law does not exculpate the transgressor from the penalty of his crime, on the plea of ignorance; for it claims, that no one has fulfilled his obligations if he does not understand his legal responsibilities. This is true of every system of laws, be it physical, intellectual, ethical. or psychical. Time was, when ignorance, was apparently questioning the truth or falcounted bliss; blind faith, wisdom; sity of propositions. Finding it easier mystery and superstition, religion; and to follow than to lead; to imitate than physical tortures, the portals to the to originate; to accept than to reason; mansions of the blest. But these dark to be dependent than self-reliant; to be clouds of irrational belief, are fast be- ignorant than to toil for knowledge, ing dissipated from the atmosphere of understanding, wisdom, truth; manthe educated, who intelligently trace kind, in general, have groped their way consequence to sequence, effect to cause. through the mazes of error, One of the marked characteristics of lowing blind guides. ignorance is, a servile acceptance of the History, and the literature of the nateachings of the past, especially where tions, present more of human weakness, they assume a religious aspect; as error, and degradation, thau of wisdom, though infinite wisdom and understand-virtue, and strength. Ante-deluvian traing centered there, and it was only left ditions characterize the race as for the present and future generations, sters of folly and wickedness: whose to gather virtue from the overflowings hearts were only evil and that continuof their superior wisdom and knowl- ally. Post-deluvian records exhibit the knowl-ally. edge, or imputed plenary inspirations. blind folly of the people in fulsome Hence arise the divine right of kings measure, instanced in the building of and potentates, and the more divine the tower of Babel; the forty years right of priests, to rule the common peo-wandering of the Israelites in the Wilple with despotic sway. derness; the superstitious creation of

blindly fol

mon

So long as tradition formed the chief myriads of tutelar deities and demigods source of transmitting information from with idols to represent them; and the generation to generation, this assumed demoralizing rites and ceremonies pracand accepted divine right was easily ex-ticed by them in their sacrifices and ercised over the ignorant multitude, offerings at their sacred altars and festiv

ities, by all nations down to the Druids en hurled his incisive philippics of conof the British Isles. Added to these demnation at the ignorance of his hearare the irrational beliefs in metempsy-ers, and by the wise demonstration and chosis, incarnations, atonements, and application of a grand proposition, their mythical marvelous legends, ren-taught them an important truth. What dered hoary by age, and sanctified. by could have been more apropos, or what the imposition of bloody priests, gladia- could have more strongly condemned the torial shows, inquisitorial tribunals, and religious intolerance and ignorance that cruel deaths. prevailed among his disciples, than the Down to the invention of movable utterance of the humiliating truth: types, and the blessing of the enlighten- "The children of this world are, in their ing and redeeming printing press, ren- generation, wiser than the children of dering the dissemination of knowledge light!" A statement paramount to sayeasy, it was an age of inconsistent and ing: "This is to you a dishonor! It impractical marvels. Immoralities, ra- ought not so to be!" pine and turmoil and terrorism prevailed, that never would have had an existence, had it not been for the stupid ignorance of the people.

In the memorable sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus propounded some very important principles of christian ethics; when about to close, he enBut the end is not yet. The millen- joined it upon his disciples, to seek first ial day of triumph lies still in the fu- the kingdom of heaven and its righteousture. Vast areas of mental, fallow ness,-light, wisdom, intelligence, truth; ground and wilderness land remain to be [ and not follow the example of the foolbrought under cultivation and fruition. ish gentiles, who sought earthly treasure Dense clouds of mental, ethical, and in eating, drinking, and clothing. psychical darkness are to be dissipated Seek the greater which includes the from the etherean sky, before the Sun lesser, and you will ensure both. This of Righteousness shall arise with heal-was counseling to observe Heaven's ing and refulgent glory, and humanity Order; things of first importance first, shall be eliminated from the thraldom of leaving the broad uncertain road of igignorance and error, by the knowledge of the Lord that shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

It is written: God winked at these times of man's ignorance, but now he calls upon all to repent, and be wise, and to know the Lord from the least, even unto the greatest of them; to arise and shake themselves from the slavish bands and chains of ignorance, and to shine with the glory and splendor of intelligence, understanding and wisdom.

The divine Teacher of Nazareth, oft

norance which leads to destruction, and take the straight and direct highway which leads to perpetual life and bliss.

sion of Jesus Christ, was to a people The very commencement of the miswho sat in darkness, and the region of the shadow of death:-Gross darkness. The lightening which rifted the clouds of this intense Plutonian darkness:

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," is still lighting the dark recesses of ignorance, revealing the truth that God is not only love, but that in his eternal archives, are stored all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Mount Lebanon, N. Y.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

ness, with a remarkable development women, who had at a former date been

of the New Hampshire yankee, which has enabled him to keep up with the progress of the age in transacting the extensive business of the Society.

Mr. Parker is an upright man. Nobody except some poor specimen of humanity, who may, perchance, have undertaken the difficult task of outwitting him in a bargain, ever pretended anything to the contrary. In the matter of attending to the peculiar rites and spiritual welfare of the Shakers, his people know how to appreciate him better than many others.

Hotel, and then a

members of the Shaker Societies.

Assailed, as he was personally, by a modern Jeffrey, with the most vituperative appellations, he withstood the charges with all the calmness of a Baxter. The poisoned arrows fell short of their mark.

Enjoying as he did a remarkably strong constitution, with an active elastic mind, he was enabled to project and execute a very large amount of business till within a few weeks of his death.

Surrounded by a large circle of friends, and in the glory of his usefulness, he passed from this life in the 60th year of his age.

Canterbury, N. H.

THE SHAKERS.

AGNES E. NEWTON.

WE occasionally find, in the periodicals of the day, candid descriptions of this people and their religious belief, by those who have, or are, honestly inves

He is a man of business,--Now I see him at half past eight o'clock in the evening, after the arrival of the last train from Boston, ready for a hasty supper at the Eagle drive of twelve miles to Canterbury to sleep. Now you will find him looking over Shaker wood lots in the wilds of New York. Again you will meet him in Washington, Buffalo, Philadelphia or New York, always with an eye to busi-tigating the same. We also find the ness, whether he happens to make a call most absurd articles written by those on the President or the proprietor of a who have made, as they state, a visit of wholesale drug store." two hours or more to some Shaker Settlement; and from this brief acquaintance attempt to describe a people, of whom they know so little.

In May 1837, David Parker was appointed to to the order of Ministers. While officiating in this capacity he made his home, about one half of the time, in the Society at Enfield, N. II.

In October 1846, he was again called to take charge of the financial interests of the Community.

Whether the Shakers are at fault for the wide spread ignorance concerning themselves, or whether as Paul declared to the Corinthians: The natural man discerneth not the things of the Spirit of God, we will not attempt to decide; but

During the inquisitorial arraignment of the Shakers before the Legislature of will make reference to the question so New Hampshire in 1848, he acquitted often asked. "Do the Shakers considhimself as an able advocate in defense er themselves the only true Christians?" of his home and friends, against the The word Christian, clearly defined, vilest insinuations as well as the direct signifies, one whose life inwardly and defamatory charges of a class of men and outwardly comports with the doctrines of

Christ. Wherever individuals of this life while upon earth, as did Jesus, who class are found, whether within, or himself declared, "Strait is the gate, without the pale of the Church, we and narrow is the way that leadeth unt must acknowledge them to be the follow-life, and few there be that find it.” ers of Christ. He declared, My king- Matt. vii., 14.

Again, "A new commandment I give Our heaven is to be formed of our that you, Like the love one another as I life, thoughts and actions. ye have loved you." John, xiii., 34. The Mason who places one block upon anothwords of the poet in the "Vision of er in the rearing of the earthly mansion, Echard" harmonize with this beautiful so do our thoughts and actions stand upon one another in rearing our heavenly mansion, that is to be our Eternal Home.

The Shakers have accepted the Christ❘nity.