to set their face against it as disorderly and forbidden by the Divine Word. And surely we of the New Church, least of all, have need of resorting to any such means for attaining spiritual knowledge. In the writings of the Lord's illuminated Messenger, we have as full and ample information in regard to the spiritual world as it is good or profitable for us to receive in our present state. In those writings such knowledges are set before us in an orderly and intelligible manner. There they lie; we can receive or reject them as we please; our freedom remains inviolate, and each one may take from those writings just such truths as may conduce to his regeneration. Beyond that, spiritual knowledges are not profitable; such things are too sacred to be inquired into for mere curiosity. But, more than that, it is declared in the above extracts, that either speaking with, or coming in any way under, the manifest operation of spirits, is dangerous to the soul. Then, I would ask, does it not become a heavenly duty not only not to subject ourselves to any such influences, but moreover not to countenance it in others, nor aid them to enslave themselves by purchasing or reading books written under such disorderly influences?

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APPENDIX.

Since the above discourse was delivered, I have met with the following strikingly confirmatory statements and remarks on the dangers of spiritualism," contained in the January No. of the "Swedenborgian," a New Church Monthly Magazine, published in New York, and edited by the Rev. B. F. Barrett.

"LIGHT BREAKING IN AMONG SPIRITUALISTS.

O. P. H.

"It is interesting to see how many of the most distinguished among Spiritualists are beginning to learn that no reliance whatever is to be placed in the communications made through 'mediums.' Some of them are fast coming to the conclusion that most, if not all, the spirits who communicate through mediums,' are unreliable, deceitful, and wicked. Judge Edmonds, who has been for some time quite prominent among the Spiritualists of New York, in a recent address upon the subject of communication from the spirit-world, is reported by the New York Tribune to have said-It must be conceded, at the outset, that in all these

communications there is an element of uncertainty. It is impossible always to be sure of the genuineness and truth of the message revealed. It is very difficult, and often impossible, to tell whether the message delivered by the medium comes actually from a disembodied spirit, or from the spirits of other persons still living, or from the spirit of the

medium himself. There can be no doubt at all that all these sources of deception do exist, and that persons who endeavour to follow the guidance of the spirits are very apt to be misled by them. In many cases, for example, Spiritualists are deeply impressed with the want of congeniality between themselves and their wives or husbands, and they very often receive directions from the spirits that it is their duty to sever these uncongenial ties, and seek other affinities more in harmony with their own spirits. But there can be no doubt that, in most of these cases, the directions came unconsciously from their own minds and hearts, from their own passions and appetites, and not from disembodied spirits, although the media themselves might not be aware of the fact. There was great danger of being deceived in this manner. He had himself once been most egregiously deceived.'

"And Dr. Randolph, another distinguished Spiritualist, in a discourse lately delivered at Clinton Hall, New York, makes some honest and thrilling confessions, which ought to convince all modern mediums' of the terrible dangers to which they are exposed. The doctor has had a large experience in this line, and is therefore entitled to be heard, since he speaks from his own observations and experience. He says he has been a medium about eight years,' during which time he has 'made three thousand speeches, and travelled over different countries, proclaiming the new Gospel.' He has been in trance about two thousand five hundred times; of these one hundred and fifty were involuntary, the rest resulted from self-volition.' As a trance-speaker,' he says, I became widely known; and now aver, that during the entire eight years of my mediumship, I firmly and sacredly confess that I had not the control of my own mind one-twentieth of the time; and before man and high Heaven I most solemnly declare that I do not now believe, that, during the whole eight years, I was sane for thirty-six consecutive hours, in consequence of the trance and susceptibility thereto.'

During all this time the doctor was a great sufferer,-completely enslaved by the spirits,-led from his home and duties'-made to squander in world-roving a sum more than sufficient to have rendered his family comfortable for life—' concluding the second act of the drama with a fearful crime,' the attempt to take his own life. Five of my friends,' he tells us, destroyed themselves (and I attempted it), by direct spiritual influence. Every crime in the calendar has been committed by mortal wooers of viewless beings.' Then, after naming 'adultery, suicides, desertions, unjust divorces, prostitution, abortion, insanity,' he adds-'I charge all these to this scientific spiritualism. It has broken up families, squandered fortunes, tempted and destroyed the weak, banished peace from happy homes, separated husbands and wives, and shattered the intellects of thousands.' He does not deny but that there may be some good spirits engaged in this so-called movement, but he gives it as his firm belief before man and God,' that, 'to one such, there are millions of black and vicious fiends, who delight in ruin, sin, and desolation.' He says For seven years I held daily intercourse with what purported to be my mother's spirit. I am now firmly per

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suaded that it was nothing but an evil and infernal demon, who, in that guise, gained my soul's confidence, and led me to the very brink of ruin.' "Therefore,' he adds, I enter my solemn protest against all trancemediums, believing that the chances are fearfully against all who yield to their seductive influences, and open the door of their souls to what may be a good spirit, or may be a destroying demon. An eight years' experience has convinced me that the possession and exercise of the faculty is fraught with frightful dangers.'

"After all this, we are not surprised that Dr. R. should believe modern spiritualism to be the most tremendous enemy of God, morals, and religion, that ever found foothold on the earth.' And how completely does this man's experience verify what Swedenborg wrote a hundred years ago in regard to the dangers of open intercourse with spirits, or manifestly perceiving their influence!"

WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS.

THE wars which take place among the nations of Christendom can be contemplated either from a political or from a higher ground, which may be called the spiritual stand-point. Viewed from this latter, they present a different aspect to the reflecting mind than when regarded merely as political events. All wars at the present time, especially those which are waged in the church, represent the states of the church itself, as seen from heaven. This was the case with the wars between the different nations mentioned in the Word; and the following extract will shew us how the case is now :

'All wars, although they are of a civil nature, are representative in heaven of states of the church, and are correspondences thereto. Such were all the wars which are described in the Word; and such also are all wars at this day. The wars described in the Word are those which were carried on by the children of Israel with various nations, as with the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Philistines, the Syrians, the Egyptians, the Chaldeans, the Assyrians; and when the children of Israel, who represented the church, departed from their precepts and statutes, and fell into the evils which were signified by those nations (for each particular nation with which the children of Israel waged war, signified some particular kind of evil), then they were punished by that nation. For example, when they profaned the holy things of the church by foul idolatries, they were punished by the Assyrians and Chaldeans, because by Assyria and Chaldea' is signified the profanation of what is

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holy. What is signified by 'the wars with the Philistines,' may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning Faith, n. 50-54. Similar things are represented by wars at this day, wherever they are; for all the things which are done in the natural world correspond with spiritual things in the spiritual world, and all spiritual things concern the church. It is not known in this world which kingdoms in Christendom represent the Moabites and Ammonites, which the Syrians and Philistines, and which the Chaldeans and Assyrians, and the others with whom the children of Israel carried on wars; nevertheless, there are kingdoms in Christendom which represent those people. But what is the quality of the church upon earth, and what are the evils into which it falls, and on account of which it is punished with wars, cannot at all be seen in the natural world, because in that world appear externals only which do not constitute the church; but it is seen in the spiritual world, where internals appear which do constitute the church, and there all are conjoined according to their various states. The conflicts of those in the spiritual world correspond to wars, which on both sides are governed correspondently by the Lord according to His Divine Providence." (Divine Providence, 251.)

Although we cannot tell specifically to which people mentioned in the Word the belligerent nations now engaged in actual warfare correspond, yet we may probably form some idea of their representative character in relation to the church. We know that a very great part of Christendom has fallen under the dominion of what is understood in the Word by Babylon, which is a type of the love of power, preeminence, and dominion exercised by means of the holy things of the Word and of the church. This is, no doubt, the most dreadful condition to which the church can be reduced. It is denoted by the "hard bondage" with which the people under its yoke have been made to serve; (Isaiah xiv. 3.) and we also know that the time has now come when this Babylon is to be destroyed, when its high tower shall fall, and when the people shall be delivered from its dreadful bondage, and have free access to the knowledges of Truth and of Goodness derived from the Word. For one of the strongholds of Babylon by which it has maintained its power, is that of holding back the Word from the people, and by this means keeping them in the densest ignorance as to everything spiritual. It requires but little sagacity to see that Austria has for ages past, on account of its political power, been the strong-hold of Babylon. Rome is indeed the seat of its authority, but Austria is its principal fortress by which its authority is upheld. The concordat lately established between Austria and Rome clearly demonstrates this fact. But Babylon we know has, in the world of spirits, been destroyed; and a similar fate

must come over it in this world also, otherwise there can be no improvement, no true liberty, and no spiritual elevation among the nations of Europe.

The tendency of the present war, viewing it from a spiritual standpoint, is, we consider, to weaken, and, as far as possible, to destroy the power of Babylon; for this is evidently the design of Providence. The present war, therefore, as one of a series of judgments upon Babylon in the church, will, no doubt, have this tendency, whatever may be the political designs of the belligerent parties themselves.

But it may probably be said, that the war is at present confined to the Roman Catholic nations, who, as under the spiritual authority of Babylon, cannot be expected to destroy the Babylonish power of the church. It is, indeed, not the intention of these nations to destroy the power of their church, although many, no doubt, see that this Babylonish power is the cause of all the hard bondage and oppression, both political and spiritual, under which they suffer. But above the scene of political motives from which the combat is waged, there is another Power overruling the war from the wisest counsels in respect to the present and future good of the nations engaged in the deadly conflict, and, indeed, to the good of the entire church upon earth. Judgments, and the destruction which follows as the result of their execution, arise from the outbreak and collision of evils amongst those who are the subjects upon whom judgment is executed. The love of preeminence and dominion—“ who shall be greatest"-whether France or Austria shall have preeminence and dominion in Italy, is most probably the political cause of the present war. But this love of dominion, which is equally characteristic of both nations, will, it is hoped, be checked and weakened by the war, and as a consequence, a greater amount of spiritual liberty will hereafter be enjoyed by the people. The Word of God will have a freer course, and the nations will be brought more or less under its influence. This is, no doubt, the end contemplated by the Lord in His Providence as to the permission of wars, which, however horrible in themselves, seem to be necessary agencies to break up the old system of things, before what is understood by a new heaven and a new earth," or an entirely New Church-new both as to its internals as well as its externals can be established on earth.

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