The transparent fallacy of this instantly appears when a miracle is defined as to its true character, and as what the word means, A WONDERFUL THING. For it is not contrary to experience that WONDERFUL THINGS should be accomplished. They are done every day. Everything is wonderful when its deeper and wider relations are reflected upon and comprehended. What more wonderful than that the sun should be equal in size to thirteen hundred thousand earths, and should be poised upon nothing? What more wonderful than that the moon, at her inmense distance, should govern the tides and lift every day the mighty masses of the waters? What more wonderful than that we should breathe, our blood circulate, and our strength be restored, when we are asleep and totally helpless? Everything is wonderful to one who has not seen it before. A watch is wonderful to a child. A South Sea islander, as the Rev. Mr. Williams, the missionary, relates, thought a chip with writing on, which told a person at a distance to send him a saw, was a wonder of wonders. Railways accomplished in our time are wonders undreamt of a century ago. So that it is not contrary to experience that wonderful things should be performed, and the axiom of Hume in this respect is found entirely wanting.

Dr. Maudsley's axiom for discrediting the supernatural is about equally specious, and equally flimsy. He says, p. 260: "Many persons who find it nowise contrary to the order of nature to believe in the existence of fanatics, madmen, and impostors, claiming supernatural powers, and witnessing to supernatural stories, do find it altogether contrary to their experience of the order of nature to believe in supernatural events."

In this crude statement it is implied, though not stated, that because SOME who witness to supernatural things are fanaties, madmen, or impostors, therefore ALL who claim to have witnessed supernatural things are fanatics, madmen, and impostors—a statement of the same value, as if it were said: SOME, who claim to have invented improvements in machinery, have been fanatics, madmen, or impostors; therefore ALL who claim to have invented improvements in machinery are fanatics, madmen, or impostors.

The latter portion of Dr. Maudsley's axiom is equally weak with the former. He says "many persons find it contrary to their experience of the order of nature to believe in supernatural events." How can it be contrary to their experience if they have had NO experience in the matter?

That many persons have had no personal experience of actual speech with an angel may be true enough; but how can it be contrary to their experience that OTHER PEOPLE HAVE. Millions of people have not been to America, and have never personally seen that continent; but it is not contrary to their experience that there is such a continent, and that other people have seen it.

It is true also that it is not contrary to nature that some who have gone to America have been fanatics, madmen, and impostors, but does that prove that all who have gone to America, or have testified to its existence, have been fanatics, madmen, or impostors?

People have believed in America, not because fanatics, madmen, and impostors have said something about it; but because there is abundant evidence that it has been seen by myriads who are neither fanatics, madmen, nor impostors.

Belief on sufficient testimony is the basis of our action in all the business of this life, and belief on sufficient testimony is the satisfactory foundation of our hopes in relation to the spiritual, the eternal world.

All persons have intuitions of an inner and future world. The experiences of every age have been numerous enough to sustain the trust in immortality, and make it coeval and coextensive with man, Wherever

human beings are found, there the hope of immortality is found, clear or confused, coarse or refined, elevated or low, according to the general cultivation of the mind, or otherwise, but still existing and potent,

Then, besides these general intimations of another and a better world, the All-wise has furnished special instances of an extraordinary kind in every age, of great benefactors, who have manifestly been neither fanatics, madmen, nor impostors. Such is that long line which we may trace from Socrates, who it is well-known had his guardian angel frequently communicating with him, to Oberlin, who equally declared he was similarly befriended by his deceased wife. What does Dr. Maudsley say of Moses, of Joshua, of Isaiah, Ezekiel and all the prophets, of John and all the apostles, and of the Highest, the Founder of Christianity Himself? Were they, according to this crude syllogism, fanatics, madmen, or impostors?

And now, we come again to Swedenborg, and if Dr. Maudsley will but apply himself to master the case by studying Swedenborg himself, we are satisfied that case alone will furnish the obvious and sufficient evidence that his testimony is true, and that therefore the spiritual world exists. He will not contend that Swedenborg was an impostor or a fanatic, his contention is that he was insane. He is familiar with the records of lunatic asylums; let him produce an instance of an insane person who has, through thirty years, written thirty volumes evolving a consistent spiritual meaning to every part of Scripture, by a law perfectly uniform, never contradictory: FOR THIS IS THE CASE WITH SWEDENBORG.

He knows at least somewhat of the Science of Correspondences; let Dr. Maudsley produce a lunatic who has unfolded by some other law, not the law of correspondences, the principles which constitute heaven, hell and the world of spirits, and are competent rationally to explain them, as well as the hieroglyphics, fables and myths of the ancients: FOR THIS IS THE CASE WITH SWEDENBORG.

Let the aforesaid lunatic be produced who has conceived a perfect system of doctrine, quite harmonious with itself and with Holy Scripture, explaining lucidly what has long been felt to be dark and contradictory, and unfolding a system of morality so attractive to the conscientious men Dr. Maudsley refers to, who are charmed with Swedenborg, because it is inspired by the morality of the New Testament, and adapts it to daily life: FOR THIS IS THE CASE WITH SWEDENBORG.

Let the record of our lunatic friend of thirty years standing he brought forward, who conducted his affairs lovingly, shrewdly, discreetly, and kindly, so as to be esteemed, respected and honoured by all who had his personal acquaintance up to his life's end, and went happily in peace to his eternal home: FOR SUCH WAS THE CASE WITH SWEDENBORG.

If no such lunatic case can be produced, let us hope, when time and consideration have been afforded, that our esteemed literary friend, whose essay we have been reviewing, will find that what he superficially thought was folly is in reality the highest wisdom. Like those of old, he has been entertaining an angel unawares.

Miscellaneous.

PROGRESS OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM: God and religion from the universe. PILGRIMAGES, INDULGENCES, AND The moment the English Church joined AURICULAR CONFESSION.-The public in the cry of Danger' as regards announcement of the conversion to the scientific teaching, she irresistibly Catholic Church of the Earl of Ripon impelled weak and affrighted minds has again excited attention to the in- towards the Church that could supply sidious efforts of leading members of the comfortable dictation of dogma on this community to spread their net over all things which she could not pretend our upper classes. It has also led to to command, and could not without a various comments as to the causes denial of her own principles presume to which can induce educated men to lay down. We do not know how far subject themselves to the mental pro- this rather timorous falling away from stration of this system of priestly ascen- the clear, strong resolve with which the dancy and spiritual serfdom. Church of England began to hold her place is answerable for the defection of Lord Ripon. But she has unconsciously played into the hands of the Church of Rome in more than one remarkable instance already, and we may be sure that she cannot show any lack of faith in herself without infusing a faintheartedness into some of her followers."

"It is hard," says the writer of a leading article in the Daily News, "to understand how a man trained to activity and independence in the healthful and bracing atmosphere of English public life can settle down to a condition of such intellectual servitude. There must surely be some natural infirmity in the mind which, either from sentiment merely, or from tracing out a narrow line of logical sequence regardless of the broad facts of history, nature, and life which lie on either side of it, is brought at last into that condition when mental serfdom is a relief from intellectual perplexity." But why does not the Established Church continue to supply a spiritual home for these her most prominent and affluent children? This writer shall answer.

"The Church of England is in a somewhat distracted condition. She has taken no defined attitude with regard to the teachings of science. Some of her representatives have been heard every now and then weakly crying out that if people believe the scientific men they are likely to go to perdition. But if any half-bewildered creature turns round and asks what authoritative direction she has to give him on the subject, she has, of course, none whatever to offer. She never did pretend to any power of teaching, not to say infallibility of instruction, as regards science. She is no more of an authority on this subject than she is on law or on the fine arts. Her ministers ought to have perceived and proclaimed, as a few among them have done, that Science can discover nothing of which she is afraid, instead of encouraging nonsensical talk about Science eliminating

But what are the agencies whereby these conversions, or perversions, are accomplished? The correspondent of a provincial daily paper reports a conversation with one of the London Roman Catholic clergy, in which he was informed by him that he (the correspondent) had been twice at a ritualistic church, and that they had, therefore, hope of him. Evidently, therefore, the sanctuaries of those who are so manifestly pointing to Rome are watched, and their mistaken worshippers looked after, by other agents than the clergy whose ministry they attend. In this conflict the clergy of the Establishment are at a disadvantage; they essay to be catholic and the one only church, while a more ancient institution rebukes the assumption and denies the claim. It is easy to see that, on the ground of church authority, the older claimant has immense advantage, and those who lean on this broken reed are easily drawn into the net. What can save our country from this insidious snare and terrible danger? Nothing but the clear teaching and enlightened exposition of the Word of God.

Closely connected in point of time with the announcement of the conversion to the Catholic Church of the Marquis of Ripon appears in the public prints the narrative of a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Edmund of Canterbury at Pontigny Abbey, in France. The pilgrims

were accompanied by the representatives justly describes these teachings as of the daily papers, and their communi- "contemptible, degrading, and immoral "They are," says a cations dispel much of the false glitter superstitions." with which these "pleasant excursions" writer in the Christian World, "silly are surrounded. After intimating the superstitions, for they rest on the declairreverence of the thousands of Bur- rations of a clergy who knew no more gundian peasants, who "came to see about a future state of existence than is the English pilgrims, and also to enjoy or may be known by other people. themselves," the correspondent of the They are contemptible and degrading, Daily News says:because they can only be held by those "The pilgrims sat down by the who refuse to recognise unwelcome waters of the Serain, but not in any truths from mere cowardice or weakness mournful mood. They formed them- of mind, and who weave sophistical selves into merry family groups. It arguments to evade the plain conclusions Their distinctly imwas pleasant to see them seated under of common sense. the shade of the trees which bear the moral tendency is demonstrated by the pears for which the Pontigny Fathers fact that they degrade all morality into are celebrated, and of which the contri- a vast system of capricious criminal law, butions to the religious communities imputing to the Almighty God such a around will this year run short, owing mode of dealing with His creatures as to the number provided by the Fathers would be discreditable even to fallen for the English dessert. The day was a man. "That a coarse and vulgar priestthorough festival. The groups beneath hood," says the Pall Mall, the trees were not devotees, but family excogitate such a mass of nonsense in a picnic parties. The day was brimful rude age, is not surprising; but deliberof hearty, healthy enjoyment for them. ately to attribute such behaviour to God The English pilgrims, too, could not appears to us to be simply blasphemous." keep up prolonged seriousness. They were not irreverent in the church, but outside they were as their foreign brethren, cheery and hearty."

The pilgrimage has opened another question that of indulgences. The Times has called for a plain statement of what an Indulgence really means, and an answer has been given by more than one correspondent. From these answers we learn that "An Indulgence is a remission, granted by the Church, to those who are free from the guilt of all mortal sin, of the whole or a part of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven." In other words, it frees them from so much of the suffering which they will have to undergo in purgatory. "The Church, in granting an Indulgence, offers to God for the remission of the temporal punishment deserved for our sins the infinite superabundant merits of our Lord, and, also, the merits of the blessed Virgin and the Saints." If it is asked, what may the pilgrims indulge in when they return? we are told that "they may indulge in the hopes that they have gained either a plenary or a partial Indulgence," ie. the remission of the punishment due for forgiven sins, or the remission of some part of that punishment. The Pall Mall Gazette

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The

There is another subject which is closely connected with these proceedings of Roman Catholicism, it is the growth in the Established Church of the practice of auricular confession and priestly abso lution. This subject has been discussed at considerable length in a recent number of the Quarterly Review. practices of the ritualistic clergy are spoken of with marked severity, and the practice of confession with unsparing Their method," it is condemnation. said, "has developed into a simple system of imitation. In their services, their books, and their practices, everything is a mere copy of what they see in the Roman chapels, and read in Roman Catholic books.

And all the while the whole production is nothing but an ingenious manufacture of Birmingham ware. It is not the real thing after all. It is pinchbeck, and not the true gold that they would have us believe it is." The writer enters into a lengthened history of the rise of these sacerdotal sentiments among the priests of heathendom and of the Christian Church. "The old heathen priest, with his hideous pretensions, survives in the modern Confessor," putting forth an extravagant theory as to the guilt of sins committed after baptism, and founding upon that theory a claim for himself over the inalienable

rights of the individual conscience, more on Foreign and Colonial Missions, and in daring than was ever asserted by the order to do it satisfactorily I think it is not priesthoods of ancient heathenism. The wrong to mention with a few words how dominion of those old priesthoods was, this important undertaking commenced. indeed, a coarse and vulgar tyranny, "After a sojourn of several years compared with that subtle, but more in America, England, and France, terrible, despotism which the modern to prepare myself for translating the confessor exercises over the trembling theological writings of Emanuel SwedenChristian soul. Ancient priesteraft borg into our language, I commenced seized, corrupted, and blighted the body; modern priesteraft seizes upon the soul, and crushes it with a far more irresistible despotism. In each case the priest professes to stand between man and his Maker; but it is the Christian priestcraft alone which presumes to stand between the love and penitence of the soul and the infinite love and justice of God."