human form; and we know of no other form that can display intelligence and reason.

If the soul resided in the heart, or head, or blood, or in any other particular constituent of the body, it could retain but a small share of human identity or character; in that case it would be either round or square, or some other figure to which, in all probability, geometry has not given a name.

Spirit and matter åre distinct things, nor will they allow of being mixed together. Spirit can be present with matter, and influence its actions, without being itself a part of it; in like manner, if the comparison is permitted, as steam may be in an engine and give it power, without constituting any portion of the mechanism. The soul, then, as a spiritual substance, inhabits the body as a material organism wonderfully and fearfully made; it lives within it, and not by it, just, if the similitudes may be used, as a hand within its glove, or the body within its dress. Its functions do not exist from the body, that is only the medium for their manifestation in the world; hence the death of the body by no means impairs the pursuits, mutilates the form, or derogates the quality of the soul. The reason is, because its nature is completely distinct from matter and perfectly independent of it.

But here it may be asked, What is spirit? and Wherein does it differ from matter?

Can these questions be satisfactorily answered? Are the facts wherewith to reply to them beyond man's reach? If they have hitherto eluded inquiry, are they always to remain unknown? We do not entertain so despairing a conclusion. A satisfactory elucidation may reasonably be hoped for. He who sits down with the idea that such knowledge cannot be attained, will, indeed, make no effort in that direction. But that is not a wise conclusion. The mind is admissive of unlimited developments. We cannot ascend the hill unless we make the necessary exertion: we cannot know intellectual things unless we strive to learn them. Let us then humbly make the attempt.

Spirit, in reference to its original essence, is God Himself, for the Scriptures declare that "God is a spirit." Yet as it is in "Him we live, move, and have our being," it is plain that human spirituality is derived from the Divine. This, then, consists in those living principles which make man a man; and the existence of which is traceable to no other being in created nature-those principles by which he can reflect upon the past, and contemplate the future-those principles which do not permit man's nature to remain stationary, but which urge him onwards and upwards to make new discoveries of truth, and beauty, and

order, and use. The spirit of man is that principle which the rule cannot measure or the line fathom, which space cannot confine or time extinguish; to which the darkness of this world is no night and its winter no cold, because the spirit can see the light of truth at midnight, and feel the warmth of love amidst the ices of the Poles. These phenomena are known to all men; they are peculiar to the spirit of man, and they furnish the reflecting imagination with some idea of its nature. It is a human form intangible to the physical senses of others, but fully aware of its own identity and existence, and consequently that it differs from natural substance; not as the pure things of matter differ from the gross, for that will still be matter, however delicately the atoms may be refined, but as thought differs from speech, or as sight differs from the object seen, or as affection differs from the object loved. We cannot see the thought, nor can we handle the affection, because they are spiritual things, and yet there are no existences of which we have a greater certainty.

Let us look at this distinction through the medium of a farther illustration. Speech, considered as sound, is a mere natural effect caused by a disturbance of the atmosphere through the multifarious action of the articulating organs. But when the ear, as the sensorium to which the sounds of speech are conveyed, listens to a language which it does not understand, nothing is perceived but the common properties of sound, differing in their degrees of intonation. Under such circumstances alone the longest life could not acquire the knowledge of a single thought which those sounds were employed to enunciate. No chemical analysis of the air so employed could ever lead to a discovery of the cause of this. The reason is evident; there is no continuous relation between the sounds of speech as natural effects and the ideas of thought as their spiritual cause. They are distinct things, their existence is no doubtful hypothesis, and their difference is as the difference between spirit and matter. We know that thought does not depend on speech for its existence; they are distinct things, incapable of commixture; and we conclude that the soul, as a spiritual existence, does not rely on the body, as a material substance, for its being, for they too are of opposite natures which cannot be incorporated. It is, then, to the soul of man that is to be ascribed his intellectual superiority. It is this which distinguishes and separates him from the brute. Man is a rational being because he is a spiritual one; he is improvable from the same cause. He is not born into any ideas, because he is gifted with capabilities for receiving all knowledge that may be communicated to him. He can advance in civilization and the development of

He can

thought. He can invent elegancies and love the beautiful. turn away from criminalty with disgust, and devote himself to virtue with delight. He can look through nature, behold her symmetry with admiration, and wisely ascribe it to a cause; he reasons, and this con. ducts him to the acknowledgment of a God; and if he reasons soundly he will shew that he worships the magnificence of his wisdom by an orderly obedience to his laws.

Preston.

R. **

THE USES OF CONFERENCES OR CONVENTIONS.

66

Ir is a usual and a natural question to those who have attended Conferences, Well, what did you do at Conference?" And not unfrequently the party questioned is puzzled to call to mind some specific measure, pregnant with good and full of promise, and at length hesitatingly replies, "Why, really, I do not recollect anything very particular." This being the case, some are found saying, "I, for my part, can see no use in your Conferences. You spend a great deal of money in attending them, and nothing seems to come of it." It is some consolation, then, that a reply which should be deemed reasonable, and to some extent satisfactory, is found in an Address from the General Convention to the Central Convention (U.S) in the following words :

"We refer you to our journal only for some of the results of our assembling and deliberating together, because there are other results of an interior nature which no journal attempts to record. There are changes of state, changes as to opinion and as to affection, produced by them, which may be of far more importance and interest to the church than any acts of legislation. The processes, too, by which these results are produced, the action of mind upon mind, the occasional warfare among the elements of the natural man, and the sunshine of peace breaking forth from the internal man, dispersing the clouds and ending the tempest, and the quality of the peace which then settles and prevails, can no more be made to appear fully upon a journal, than the flavour of delicious fruit can be represented upon canvas, by how skilful soever a hand that fruit may be delineated thereon. No journal, therefore, can fully present to you the state of a Convention. Neither will any description of ours be sufficient to convey an adequate idea of these things. We will then only say in general, that there seemed to be present more of true freedom, whereby each portion of the church was able better to appreciate and acknowledge the rest, so that an increased spirit of true liberality prevailed, more of ability and disposition to acknowledge that there can be good, although it may be of a kind with which we have not been acquainted, and of a form different from our own; and that there may be truth, although we have not ourselves yet seen it, and even although it may contradict some of our own preconceived opinions."

We are much obliged to our friend the Rev. Warren Goddard for

these remarks. Were the members of the several societies to be always isolated through the societies holding no communication with each other at any general gathering, injurious peculiarities might spring up and remain uncorrected, for want of better information and example, and narrow feelings and party spirit grow and increase, to the destruction of the enlarged views and objects of genuine charity.

As the first state of the reception of the doctrines is commonly doctrinal or dogmatical state, it is not surprising that in old times our doctrinal antipodes, the "Unitarians," were regarded with very strong sentiments, or that we were disposed to attempt to put "a seal on their lips," instead of patiently waiting to see what would be the course of mental development with these active reasoners. Happily it has been such as to abate the feelings of repugnance formerly entertained by not a few of the readers of Swedenborg. One of the advantages of Conferences is, the circulation of information such as is presented in the following admirable extract from the Report of the Boston Society to the last General Convention, the remarks in which are well calculated to soften feelings of a partizan character :—

"We would also notice, that so far as we can judge, the doctrines continue to be more and more favourably regarded by the public. We do not mean by this remark that any very considerable portion of those connected with the old church have examined the writings of Swedenborg, and are inclined to receive them; though it is well known that many of the ministers, especially of the Unitarians, read the writings; and that their preaching is to some extent modified thereby. Of this they appear to make no secret, but converse freely concerning the New Church with receivers of the doctrines, and not unfrequently speak of Swedenborg, and recommend some of his teachings to their own people. This is done both in private conversation and in their sermons, and no doubt has an influence in removing prejudice, and in preparing the way for the full reception of the doctrines. Thus it has a tendency to produce the general state of public sentiment to which we referred as becoming more and more prevalent, a state in which the New Church is not merely tolerated as harmless, but respected as being useful and serviceable to the community.

"We are aware that this aspect of things may be in a considerable degree limited to Massachusetts; but it seems to us to be interesting to the church at large; it also presents Unitarianism, or perhaps we should rather say, the work which Unitarianism has effected, and is now effecting, in a somewhat new point of view. In the early movements of this sect, the chief effort was to oppose and break down orthodoxy, which then held the understandings of the great mass of men in spiritual bondage. In this effort Unitarianism has succeeded in a considerable degree; and while intent and earnest in the warfare against the falsities of a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, of the atonement and of salvation by faith alone, the necessity for positive doctrines to be substituted in their stead was overlooked. But now that the work is accomplished, and the power of an absurd and false faith is so nearly overthrown, it is gratifying to see indications that Unitarians are not entirely satisfied

with their present position and attainments; but feel, to some extent at least, the necessity of a more positive and sustaining faith and system of doctrines. While they were simply opposing orthodoxy, they made use of such weapons as readily came to hand, and were themselves sustained in great part by the strength of the barrier against which they were striving. But as that falls before them, it becomes necessary that they should inquire, not only what they have gained, but what is to be done next? And it is a hopeful sign, that Unitarianism is beginning to examine itself, and to perceive the necessity of converting its weapons of warfare into instruments adapted to the promotion of a life of peace.

"But, on the other hand, we must be careful not to take these indications for more than they really are. So far as Swedenborg is read, we may trust that his writings will produce a good effect, and we must also rejoice to see the light of the New Jerusalem illuminating in any degree the regions of the Old Church. But when we hear that Swedenborg is read and admired, and some of the truths he teaches acknowledged, it may often be necessary to inquire how his writings are regarded, and how his teachings are understood. For there are those at the present day who profess to admire the writings of Swedenborg, and at the same time deny the great essentials of the New Church doctrine which it was his appointed office to teach."

In corroboration of the view presented in the Report from the Boston Church, of the friendliness of Unitarians to the New Church, we refer to the following extract from the review of "Des Guay's Letters on Swedenborg" in "The Christian Inquirer," published by the Unitarian Association of the State of New York :

"Des Guays has given by far the most lucid and interesting exhibition of Swedenborg's intricate system that has ever to our knowledge been presented. It is the best introduction to the study of the wonderful Swedish theosophist. We are sure that we never understood Swedenborg's meaning so well as after reading these pages.

"The Swedenborgian school is in many respects doing good service to religion, especially by giving to many minds of a sceptical tendency what seems to them a scientific basis for religious faith. We are not disposed to anticipate any great increase of the New Jerusalem Church as a distinct organization; yet nothing is more obvious than the increase of valuable thinkers in every community who are somewhat inclined to Swedenborgian views of Christianity, nature, and life. It is rare to find such persons without being obliged to accord to them eminent intellectual perceptions and moral elevation.

As further evidence of the advancement of the Unitarian mind, at least in the United States, A Plea for the expectation of New Light (extracted from the same periodical) will be furnished as a separate article in our next number. It would be difficult to write more pertinently on the same subject; and it must indeed be difficult to read this essay without feelings of joy that THE TRUTH is making such advances, or without aspirations of gratitude to the Lord for thus proving to us that He is "no respecter of persons."

*Lately republished by Mr. Hodson.

W. M.