been limited to the first races, and to have degenerated in consequence of the human mind endeavoring to reason upon the notion of God, whilst at given periods events occur where an appeal is made to some primary fact relating to that notion, events which show themselves independent of the mind of man, the connection cannot relate to a mere conception of our first parents, but to a communication. It may appear very natural to admit that they must have perceived that they themselves had no parents, and thus have been assured of their possessing a Father in Heaven, a Father Almighty, a Creator; but this would not account for the Attributes or the Name of God; and still less, we repeat, would it tally with subsequent conceptions, or with subsequent mysterious appeals to a primary communication or Revelation.

Such a communication is, according to Theology, a matter of commonplace, which leaves human Will without any adequate expression even in error. But let the Revelation be limited to the knowledge of the Word, and that Word be adopted as the standard of Faith, as the criterion of all future appeal, and we shall then possess in the Name of God a proof of the nature of the communication by means of the harmony and concord which evidently exist in all the future appeals.

This view leaves ample space for all opinions relative to the real meaning of the longevity attributed to the first race of Man. Eight or nine centuries may or may not be considered as relating to a race, and not to one man's longevity. We have nothing to do with that. All we aim at proving is, that with respect to religious worship there did not exist for an immense period of time any other rallying point for Religion besides the WORD, or the Divine Attributes

expressed in the Name of Him who was revealed as the Almighty. Theology gets rid of the difficulty by admitting of distinct revelations being made to each patriarch or father (chief) of a tribe, instead of admitting of the existence of a general rule. Even Enoch's Faith is a deep mystery for Theology, because he is said to have walked with God. And this, we have seen, was construed by St. Paul into the sense "of having believed in the Existence and Goodness of God." Moreover, we again appeal to the matter of fact stated in the Bible, of the first introduction of Idolatry as relating to men beginning "to call themselves by the Name of the Lord." (Genesis, ch. iv. 26.)

Unfortunately the Reformation, instead of laying down as a principle that Scripture contained the Word of God, or that the Word of God is in the Bible, followed the track already traced by Theology, both Jewish and Romanist, that of making the Bible itself, and not the Almighty, the Revelation; so that no revelation would have existed before Moses. Warburton has inflicted on Theology a chastisement she so richly deserved, for making Judaism the real starting point of every thing; and that Theology was the result of Protestantism, no less than of Romanism.

We maintain then, that Idolatry and all Polytheism either symbolic or mythic, although it may be said to have arose in accordance with the bent of human nature, was a deviation from true religion, because instead of worshipping the Almighty as he was manifested to Man; instead of following the road pointed out in His Word or Name (All Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness), they symbolized Him, and worshipped the symbol; beginning by comparing Fire to His Spirit, the Sun to His Eye, and adoring the sign. Now, we maintain with many, not only that acts of

Wisdom and Intelligence, of Goodness and Mercy, are the real worship, and that such are realized by following the Divine Commands as Moses taught, and as the Lord Jesus revealed anew to Man, but that we possess in Christianity a real, positive beginning of the true rational religion, which only requires to be freed from Theology and Superstition to flourish afresh. But are then the former conceptions of Man all lies? The answer of the day is that they are merely figurative modes of thought, and either subjective or objective, being inadequate in all to express what God is. Therefore we admit that artificial forms of that kind, and dogmas proceeding therefrom are all true for a time. This we admit because we find rational proof of the Revelation of the knowledge of the Existence of the Almighty and of His having been known only as the Word. Science at first was merged in Religion and Religion can never do without Science. It is not that Religion is swallowed up by Science; it is merely a progressive conception that is substituted for a preceding one. The Divine Laws are the tried essences of Knowledge and of Goodness. But the individual application bears an appearance of something foreign, which rational investigation shows to be fallacious. To say that scientific cultivation is the only means of maturing the religious sentiment, is only taking in view the Intelligence; but, as all know, Instruction and Education are two things. But even Education can be dispensed with provided the positive dictates of human Experience, matured by hundreds of centuries and termed the Laws of God, be early and sedulously inculcated. These are no mere theories; they are not creeds; they constitute neither entities as Symbols, nor entities as Myths. Progress may be made in the field

of Religion as applied, or rather as finite attempts at application of the Divine Laws.

The grounds of Faith, Hope, and Duty are all to be found in the Revelation of the Existence of the Father Almighty, made known as the Word. But the Divine Laws or Commands of Moses are dictates resulting from practical experience of Wisdom and Goodness under thousands of various circumstances. They harmonize with the Word, and in that harmony resides the strength of our argument in favor of the Divine Mission of Moses. Moreover, unless the Word be admitted as an appeal from the beginning there would exist, we repeat, no duty, and consequently no positive Religion before Moses. Now we are told that men fell away from God, which can only mean that they followed their own conceptions respecting Him, and not the plain, simple path held forth in that Word.

Here we do not say merely that Faith takes up the problem where knowledge leaves it. The Faith we allude to is no transcendental view superadded to Science by the Spirit of Religion, thus bringing near the distant, making continuous the temporary, and the finite, infinite. Divine Faith, we repeat again and again, is Trust in the Almighty revealed as such; so that seeing Evil we yet believe in His Word; and Religion or His Worship can only be true when carried out according to that Word. The distinguishing mark of the Mission of Moses is that which so forcibly attracted the attention of Warburton. It is a rallying point between the primary Revelation of the Word, and the renewal of that Revelation in Christ. The Nature and Ways of the Father Almighty are placed by this very fact above all human conception, leaving alone to Theology His Attributes as her standard and aim.

OF CHRISTIAN FAITH.

I and my Father are one.

ST. JOHN, X. 30.

CHRISTIANITY involves strict Theism. The unity of the Son and the Father constitutes the connection between the Revelation, or communication to Man of God's existence, and His revelation in Christ. Duality is completely precluded by the declaration of the Holy Spirit. The Unity of the Trinity is the real test of the worth of Christianity. Is that Unity congenial with that great and peculiar fact in the history of Mankind on Earth-the Revelation? Are the Attributes of Almighty Power and Wisdom and Goodness diminished by the Christian dispensation? Does the long expected Messiah lay claim to any particle of Deity distinct from the Almighty? Does Christianity stand the brunt of these searching questions? It does. And moreover, the manner in which the Unity of the Trinity is asserted, is so very distinct from what we know of the incarnations of the Hindoo divinities, as to support all the investigations so requisite in matters of such difficulty. As to the question whether Christianity does, or does not, inculcate doctrines in conformity with such as existed in some pristine state of