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established in the Roman Catholic Church, and thence in the Church of England, is consistent only with the minds of the people in a state of ignorance and thrall, as was the case in the dark ages, when that form, as then constituted, was probably the best, because most conducive to order. But now that same form, constituted as it is, without the free and rational consent of the people in the choice and appointment of their bishops and priests, is quite contrary to the improved genius of the British people, and also to the nature and constitution of the civil government. Hence the great number of dissenters, who do not so much dissent and separate from the church as to doctrines, but chiefly on account of the form of its constitution and government. And it requires but little sagacity to see that the day is not very far distant when a thorough reform must be effected in the Church of England, in order to bring it into harmony with the free and improving genius of the people, and with the constitution and nature of the civil government. For episcopacy, as constituted in the Roman Church and in the Church of England, is only consistent with a despotic form of government, and not with the enlightened, free, and democratic form which now obtains. By these remarks, however, we do not mean to assert that the trine which assumes the form of episcopacy may not be, if properly constituted, in full accordance with a high state of religious and civil liberty. For when the people have a voice in the election of their bishops and clergy, episcopacy will not be obstructive to their civil and intellectual freedom and spiritual advancement; but as it is now constituted, it has power only for evil, and none for good.

The view here taken of the meaning of Swedenborg's Trine in the Church, is still further corroborated by the expression Antistites parochi, translated "parish priests." The term Antistes denoted especially the chief priests amongst the Greeks and Phrygians. It is also used by Latin authors to denote the high priest of a temple. Its primary signification is to stand before,-to superintend. At the time of the Reformation in Switzerland, this appellation was given to the chief priest, or primate, of the reformed church in each canton; and to this day the ecclesiastical head of the church is called the Antistes, next to whom are the parochial priests, under whom again are the curates, or as they are there termed licentiates. Here again is the trine, but assuming a different form, and a different appellation.

The term flamines, translated curates, has not, we believe, been employed by any other writer to denote offices in the priesthood of the Christian Church. They were first instituted by Numa, and had to perform the duties of the temple. In some cases they presided over the temple as the flamen of Jupiter; but there was a class called flamines minores, derived chiefly from the plebeians, who had to perform the common duties of the temple, and were also a kind of chaplains in the houses of great people. These flamines minores were thus analogous to the curates or licentiates. We may now again ask, Why did Swedenborg employ these strange faraway terms to illustrate the trine in the church? We think it is evident, as already stated, that he thus expressed himself, in order that he might designate the trine in question in the most abstract manner, so that the church, wherever established, in Europe or America, Asia or Africa, may assume that form of church order and government which is most suited to the genius of the people, and the circumstances of the place; the main point being ever kept in view, that in whatever form adopted, there must be a trine, that the form and the order may be complete.]-EDITOR.

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ON THE BLESSEDNESS OF PEACE-MAKING.

MUCH regret has been occasioned when meditating upon the blessing which is pronounced by our Lord upon the peace-makers, that it should be so little sought after by the generality of religious professors; and it is even to be feared that it is not sufficiently appreciated by the members of the New Church, or they would more frequently experience the delight arising from the heavenly employment of endeavouring to allay, rather than foster, feelings of irritation existing in the minds of others towards those who have committed real or supposed injuries against them, not only by lending the aid of their unbiassed judgment to enable the offended party to judge more justly than they would otherwise be able to do in the excited state of their natural feelings, but also by carefully suppressing any words or actions of the offender with which they may be acquainted, and which, if known, might tend to widen the breach already existing. Of course a wise discrimination must at all times be exercised in reference to concealing the faults of others, as in some cases it would be highly injurious to do so; but what is here more particularly alluded to, is divulging them needlessly. But not only is the blessing promised to the peace-makers too seldom sought after,—it is, alas! two frequently rejected, by assuming an opposite line of conduct, and thoughtlessly repeating injurious, angry, or inconsiderate speeches to those of whom they were spoken; thus lessening the cordiality, and sometimes entirely destroying the friendship which has hitherto existed between two parties. Doubtless it is from inconsideration that many may fall into this error, and the conviction that it is so, must be an apology for offering these remarks. It may not be out of place to allude to another fault of too frequent occurrence, and which is closely allied to the above, viz., that of allowing ourselves, in common conversation, to dwell on the faults or failings of others either in a tone of ridicule or severity; by doing so no good purpose can be answered, and the effect must be highly injurious on our own spiritual state, and may be so on that of those who hear us. Perhaps there is no temptation more universal than the one here spoken of, the pride and deceitfulness of the human heart ever tending to make us form a wrong estimate both of ourselves and others. But it would be well, in such times of temptation, to endeavour to bear in mind one of those useful and heart-searching heads of self-examination contained in that valuable work, "The Help to Devotion." "Have I, through an idle curiosity, (which must have been more akin to hate than love to my neighbour,)

sought out, or received readily, tales to the discredit of others; or have I spread such tales abroad, regardless of the misunderstanding, variance, contention, and unhappiness, which I might thereby occasion?" How much of pleasure and profit would arise, both from verbal and epistolary intercourse, were the Divine aid sincerely sought to enable us to abstain from every thing that is inconsistent with that charity which should be the prominent characteristic of every member of the New Church, and if the heavenly feeling of compassion, which our merciful Saviour so tenderly exhibited when "He beheld the city and wept over it," were more actively cherished by His followers. Especially, if those whose conduct there is reason to condemn, be out of the pale of the New Church, should feelings of the deepest gratitude arise in the hearts of those who are more highly favoured, and are permitted to "know the things which belong to their peace;" and let it also ever be borne in mind, that "From them to whom much is given, much will be required." M.

IN WHAT MANNER SPIRITUAL BEINGS, BY INFLUX, COMMUNICATE WITH MAN;-CONCERNING INFLUX IN GENERAL.

(From Swedenborg's Spiritual Diary.)

3020. Of the truth, in relation to this subject, I have been fully informed; namely, that into the universal heaven and the world of spirits, the Lord flows in, as well by immediate influx from Himself, as [also] by the medium of angels, into spirits of an interior degree, and [by] these again into those of a lower order; thus [downwards] to man. Such is influx in general.

3021. Also, that the reception, by spirits, of all influx of good and truth, is according to their form and quality. Good and truth are received [as such] by the good; but the wicked pervert good into evil, and truth into what is false; with every difference and variety, according to their disposition and states.

3022. Moreover, as man is an ultimate of order, so, [all] ideas terminate in his memory, or, in the material ideas thereof; and inasmuch as these are the recipients of the ideas, even of spirits, therein terminating (for even to that [ultimate] degree the orderly connexion is continued), it follows, that a spirit cannot but regard his ideas as though [subsisting] within himself, and as there commencing; when yet his ideas are within those of man, where they terminate, as may

be evident from their appropriating to themselves all things of man, even to every particular; and from their speaking [with him] in his language as though their own, so as never to have any [direct] notion of its being otherwise. [Compare H. H. n. 246].

3023. As there is such a descent of ideas into those of man's memory, that the latter must [needs] be variously infilled, it thence follows that innumerable things must be adjoined to every idea, [namely, first] such as proximately,-then, those things which mediately appertain thereto; [after which] those that are in remoter affinity; [and, last] such as are in any degree of connexion therewith. The quality, also, of the ideas, varies with every change of state, and that too with some difference in each individual man, according to every one's phantasies; besides farther modifications (plura), which cannot be so easily specified.

3024. Hence, because the spirits [accessory to man's every thought] are many, and of divers dispositions, it follows that one individual, or one class (genus), apprehends whatever therein best suits him or them; another, some other thing; and a third, something distinct from both; whilst the peculiar habit [of others] points to somewhat [remotely] dependent thereon, as was the case with those who attended only to excrementitious objects; or, of those [others] who study only how they may thence learn magic; or, who pervert every good into evil. 3024. The more the ideas are circumscribed by man, so that his attention becomes fixed to one thing only, which comes of persuasion [arising] from cupidity, thus from having regard to selfish and worldly ends, so that such [determination] is of man,-by so much less dangerous is the case, inasmuch as by this means the ideas of spirits become less liable to be diffused to a multiplicity of objects; nor consequently can they infuse into man such things as are evil, beyond what he has [already] appropriated to himself. But for such as are in faith, it is [all] the better, by how much less the ideas are determined to one object, so as to be the more applicable to every motion [of heavenly influx]; that is, if one may so express it, the more fluid, or the less hard and unyielding, is [all] within man, the more easily he is led by the Lord unto all things that are well-pleasing to the Lord; and [thus] to good.

3025. So long as man lives [in this world] the ideas of his memory are varied, altered, and diffused to more objects; and [again] by persuasions become confined to fewer ones. In a word, until his death, he can become [radically] worse, or the contrary. But such is not the case [afterwards, or] with spirits. Moreover, it is the nature of [man's]

ideas, that they admit of extension to more good objects, and consequently, [admit] of other conjunctions and disjunctions, and thus of new affinities being contracted, and so forth.-Sept. 1, 1748.

THE NEW AND OLD EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE.

We have seen several numbers of this interesting periodical, which appears quarterly, and are now enabled to form an idea of its nature and object. Its aim is to interest, instruct, entertain, and to edify, and the course it pursues is well calculated to attain its useful purpose. The articles are various, and, for the most part, written with energy and clearness. It seems to be sensible that " Old things are passing away, and that all things are becoming new;" and it is evidently desirous of aiding the advance of the era of the New Jerusalem, and as such should be encouraged by all who desire that happy period to arrive. But our readers will be able to form a better idea of the work by perusing the following paper on the Sycamore Tree, extracted from the last number, which appeared in December, and which we here take the liberty to insert :

"THE SYCAMORE TREE.

'Zaccheus sought to see Jesus who he was. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him.'-Luke xix. 2, 4.

"The Scriptural sycamore, or Egyptian fig, was a common tree, both in Egypt and Palestine. In both countries the fruit was eaten by the poor, and in Egypt the wood was extensively used both in building houses for the living and making coffins for the dead. The tree grows in low ground, and to a large size, affording shelter from the sun and rain; but its leafy boughs, though they make a luxuriant show, are fruitless; the wood also is light and porous. The only fruit the tree yields grows near the ground, upon the main trunk. It is said that to make the tree fruitful, the bark must be cut or pierced, which causes the sap to form little shoots, upon which the figs grow in clusters. These figs are opaque and bitter, and can only be ripened and made fit for food by friction, or cutting open; and this seems to have been the humble employment of the prophet Amos, who tells Amaziah, that he was no prophet, neither a prophet's son, but an herdman and a cutter of sycamore fruit.'* The fruit thus ripened is sweet and refreshing,

* Amos vii. 14. See the Septuagint.

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