DIVINE REVELATION THE STANDARD BY WHICH ALL OUR IDEAS OUGHT TO BE REGULATED.

REASON, or the reflecting faculty, is that which distinguishes the human species from the lower animals, and by which "ideas" are generated in the mind. An idea is, as it were, an improving on the mind of an outward object. For instance, when a tree is first presented to the senses, we receive an impression of a tree; when a quadruped, or fish, is seen for the first time, a similar effect is produced. Thus far the lower animals seem to have the power of accompanying us; for it would seem that their minds are capable of receiving what may be called simple ideas, or such impressions as come direct through the medium of the

senses.

The superiority of man seems to consist in a power which his mind possesses of producing another species of ideas, by merely conjoining or comparing those previously acquired. He can put the wings of a goose to the shoulders of a man, or the tail of a fish to the body of a quadruped. He can augment the size, or diminish it, to any extent. He can form varieties as endless as the kaliedescope, but his utmost efforts cannot form an idea that is not a conjunction of objects which have been presented to his

senses.

When the impression which the mind receives corresponds with the object which it is intended to represent, the idea is said to be correct; when it has no existence out of the brain that formed it, it is called an erroneous idea; and in the same way, when a moral impression is made upon the mind, if it correspond with the principle which God has implanted in our nature, it is called a correct, or a rational idea; when it does not correspond with this principle, it is called an imaginary, or an irrational notion; for, besides the ideas thus formed and produced, there appears to be certain moral impressions, which are either a part of the constitution of our nature, or which are so generally produced by other circumstances, that no individual can be found to acknowledge that he is without them. The fundamental principle upon which all these cenVOL. I.

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tre is plain and explicit. It teaches us, "That whatever, in its ultimate tendency, augments human happiness is right, and whatever tends, in the same way, to diminish this happiness is wrong; and that we ought to do unto others on all occasions as we would wish them to do unto us."

As the ideas that are received through the medium of the senses, or that are communicated by the Author of Nature, are generally correct, so it necessarily follows that all the impressions which the lower animals receive are of this description; and consequently we find their conduct in unison with the law of their nature, and themselves (when man does not interfere) in possession of all the happiness of which their nature is capable. Before man can attain a similar point of elevation, the ideas which are generated in his imagination must be regulated by the objects from which they have their origin; and his moral impressions must also be made to correspond with the law of right and wrong, which the Author of his nature has revealed to his understanding.

The only other mode by which ideas, or knowledge, can be received, is by means of words, or other communication from our fellow-creatures. It is by this means that almost all erroneous impressions are made on the mind. Being originally without experience, the infant mind is liable to receive any impressions that ignorant or designing men choose to make upon it.

The first step to knowledge leads us to perceive, that the mere circumstance of our minds having been impressed with an idea, is no proof that it is true, or, in other words, that our ideas do not constitute the standard of truth. The difference between wisdom and folly is most distinctly perceived at this point. Though the rational mind must believe that all its own ideas are true, still, when it calls the attention of folly to its errors, it directs it to its inconsistencies with the Standard of Divine Revelation for proof of the existence of their errors. Those, however, who have not yet been raised a step on the road to knowledge act differently. The force of the truth of what God reveals to the understanding is so irresistible, that no human being can oppose it when it is completely separated from error; therefore they cannot take a sentence of un

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mixed truth, and even say that it is false; but they can say, "It does not agree with my ideas. I think it very objectionable. I wish to have nothing to do with it." When they are asked to give a reason for thinking and wishing in this way, it is then that the foundation gives way under them; for if we refuse to receive their ideas as the standard of truth, they are dumb. They feel the awkwardness of their situation, and they generally wish to remain in the shade. To have the eyes of the world fixed upon their frailty is almost more than they can bear; for shame is always the promotion of fools.

When any new information is received by means of a communication from our fellowcreatures, the process of comparison immediately commences in the mind of him who receives it. He compares the new idea with those which he has previously imbibed, and it is received or rejected according to its consistency or inconsistency; for it appears to be a law of our nature, that every human being must believe his own ideas to be correct. A Roman Catholic, for instance, has had his mind impressed with the idea that his church is favoured by God above all other churches;" and when the idea of a miracle having been wrought by an exalted member of this church is communicated to his mind, the comparison that naturally follows shows the latter idea to be quite consistent with the former, and of course he receives it. But the same idea is rejected by those who have been trained to believe that the Catholic church is the reverse of a favoured church; and this is done by the same rule, because the idea of a miracle being wrought by a member of it does not correspond with the idea previously imbibed.

The species of impressions first alluded to comprehends all the facts which God reveals to the senses; while the latter species appears to constitute the standard and the foundation of all the truths which God reveals to the understanding. When we turn to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, we find that all that is therein contained falls under one or other of these denominations. In order to ascertain this, we have only to examine any definite passage. For instance,

"The priest of Midian had seven daughters and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock."

"David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem."

"Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai, brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, and honey, and butter, and sheep, &c. for David, and for the people that were with him."

These are specimens of the plain facts which were made to pass before the eyes of the ancients, which facts were the original Divine Revelation; and the account of them corresponds exactly with the facts which are made to pass before our own eyes, which latter ought to constitute the standard by which our ideas of all other facts ought to be regulated. The truths which God reveals to the understanding are summed up both in the Old and New Testament.

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"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good and what doth the Lord require of "thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ?"

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"Whatsoever ye would that men should "do unto you, do ye even so to them; for "this is the law and the prophets."

"Pure religion and undefiled before God "and the Father is to visit the fatherless "and widows in their affliction, and to keep "ourselves unspotted from the world."

These are a specimen of the truths which are revealed by God to the human understanding; and very little reflection is requisite to shew us that there is an essential distinction in the nature of the latter of these from that of the former. The first are facts revealed to the senses, and the latter are truths revealed to the understanding, and these united comprehend all that has ever been termed Divine Revelation.

As the hearts of mankind never can be completely united until their opinions be reconciled, and as this reconciliation cannot take place until a fixed standard of compa-. rison be established, which all are willing to acknowledge, it must be a matter of great importance to introduce such a standard. There exists no difference of opinion among architects about the dimensions of buildings, because the rule of measurement which is used by all is fixed and definite; but if each individual were to use a rule which would stretch or contract at pleasure, there is little doubt but the same difference in opinion would exist among builders that now so unhappily distracts the moral and religious world. Yet no rule of measurement is more fixed and definite in its nature than Divine Revelation, when taken in the only sense in which it is applicable. The facts and truths which God reveals to the senses and to the understanding cannot be altered or changed by any human power; but the history of Divine Revelation is not of a nature so fixed and definite; and it appears to me that all the disunion which exists in the world upon the subject of religion and morals has proceeded from the deviation which exists in our conduct from that of the prophets and apostles. They invariably listened to the facts and truths which God revealed to their senses and to their understanding, and they enjoyed the benefit of doing so; but a notion has been generated in the human imagination, that God has changed his mode of

action, and that he has ceased to reveal any facts or truths to the human senses or to the human understanding. The Jews were led into the same snare; and with their example before our eyes, shall we prostrate the understanding which God has given us before the shrine of the human imagination? This fully becomes the more unaccountable, as it is directly opposed to the clearest and most self-evident injunctions of the Bible. No individual who considers the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the best rule of faith, can point out a single text which, by any interpretation, can be construed to mean, that we ought to turn away from the path which all the prophets and apostles adhered to. Neither have we seen a single text which, by any interpretation, can be construed to mean, that we ought to use another standard for regulating our ideas than that which has been from the beginning, and which no man has power either to alter or suppress.

ENEMIES OF DIVINE REVELATION.

When the Pharisees not only refused to be instructed, but were offended at the occasional information which was communicated to their minds, as it it were by stealth, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let them alone: "they be blind leaders of the blind. And "if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall "into the ditch." As if he had said in other words," These individuals prefer ignorance to knowledge; but leave them to suffer the consequences. Their intellects are disordered, and the proof of this will appear in the irrationality and absurdity of their ideas; these will necessarily lead them into the commission of gross inconsistencies, which again will be destructive of their own happiness; and the same fate will attend all who are deluded by them. As the progress of knowledge advances, the inferiority of their intellectual condition will become daily more apparent, until they shall become objects of compassion in the minds of children."

This is the true way to treat such characters, for we cannot force knowledge upon them; and to slander and vilify them, because God in his providence had chosen them as instruments to make manifest the

melancholy effects of preferring darkness to light, would shew that we were unworthy of the superior advantages which had been conferred upon us. It is owing altogether to the goodness of God, that we have been able to prefer knowledge to ignorance. It is no merit of ours that we do so; for if God had left us a prey to the snares of the human imagination,-if he had chosen us as instruments to manifest the consequences of de

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parting from his laws, we also should have preferred ignorance to knowledge, and light to darkness, and finally have become objects of compassion even in the sight of children, who were more wisely directed.

Divine Revelation, in its progress, has to encounter three powerful enemies,-the Devil, the World, and the Flesh; but all the power of these adversaries depends upon the unfair advantages which they have already assumed over the human mind. The works of the devil are manifested by the propensity existing in man to follow the dictates of the imagination on the road to destruction, in place of listening to the dictates of Divine Revelation, which lead to happiness.

By" the World" is meant, that inordinate desire of wealth and artificial distinction which never can be satisfied, and which is so very injurious to the welfare and happiness of those who have acquired it; and by "the Flesh" is meant those pernicious and acquired habits, and vicious propensities, which also are destructive of the happiness of those who are enslaved by them. The tendency of Divine Revelation being to liberate mankind from the degrading bondage of all these enemies, it is natural enough that they should form a union to accomplish their pernicious purpose. The apparent success that has hitherto attended their efforts, has been produced by a forced. and unnatural union with truth, which has enabled them to conceal their own deformities under the cloak of Divine Revelation. But our object now is, to separate the one from the other, and to exhibit each in its true colours.

In speaking of Divine Revelation, we must again repeat, that the term can be correctly applied only to the information that comes from the Great Governing Power of the universe; and in spite of all the efforts and devices of man, this can be shewn to be as distinct from the errors of the human imagination as dross is from gold.

It appears to me, that I cannot illustrate this better than by giving an extract from a letter from the South; the author of which has been at much pains to prove, that the testimony of the human imagination is not inferior in some cases to Divine Revelation. I expect to derive much profit from this letter; but as one number of the Register would not contain the whole of it, I must take it in separate portions as it occurs.

"If any thing in the world can be truly "termed the testimony of the human im"agination,' it is the testimony which those

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gentlemen have borne as to what is to "happen under the arrangements which they "have projected by the aid of their imagi

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nation, and which they are endeavouring "to convert into delightful realities. Of all "men, therefore, those who owe so much

"to the workings of their imaginations "ought to be the last to depreciate the work"ings of that noble faculty."

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Until a writer is able to distinguish accurately the testimony of the human imagination from that of Divine Revelation, his mind must be in a confused state; but it should always be borne in mind, that the former term can be correctly applied only to that for which no other evidence exists. For instance, I imagine that there is such a place as Moscow, but I have got this information from those who have been there. I can understand it, and besides, can have ocular demonstration by merely doing what others have done to obtain it; but if I imagine that there is such a place as purgatory," "I stand in a different situation. I must entertain the idea upon the testimony of the human imagination alone, unsupported by any other evidence; for there are no other mediums through which human beings can receive information except those of the senses and of the understanding; and I candidly confess that the existence of such a place, is, as yet, as much concealed from my understanding as it is from my senses. Again, I imagine that I ought to do unto others as I would that others should do unto me; but the truth of this has been brought home to my mind by a power which I could not resist. I perceive the utility of the doctrine, and the beneficial effects that will follow its introduction; and I can find no individual to acknowledge that his mind has received a different impression. It is one of the truths which God has revealed to the human understanding, and, consequently, no individual can say that, in his own case, it is not understood; but if I imagine that it is my duty to keep the fast of the Ramazan, the case assumes a different aspect. 1 cannot see the utility of fasting from sunrise to sunset for a whole month, while I can distinctly perceive the evil effects of such a doctrine. It is at variance with the truths which God has revealed to the human understanding; consequently no individual can be found to acknowledge that, in his own case, he can see the propriety of it. Therefore all those who adhere to it do so upon the mere testimony of the human imagination. Or when I read that the Pharisees were offended when knowledge was communicated to their minds, I cannot resist the impression, because the same feeling is evinced by those who are under the influence of ignorance at the present day.

It is true, that when any improvement or discovery is first introduced, the individual to whom it is made must be said to imagine that certain effects will follow. For instance the inventor of the steam-engine imagined that it would be useful, and he naturally felt anxious to convert the workings of his

imagination into "a delightful reality." But no one, who is capable of reflecting aright, will fail to perceive that what is here termed "the imagination" ought more properly to be designated "the judgment." "It is true, that we imagine that a correct acquaintance with the Divine Revelation is sufficient to produce peace on earth and good-will towards men; and that no one who devotes sufficient attention to the subject can resist this knowledge and conviction; but we ask no one to believe this beceuse we imagine it. We ask them all to assist us in bringing an important question to the test of ocular demonstration; or, if they are unable to do this, we ask them to do nothing injurious to those who are thus inclined to advance the progress of knowledge. The effects of all that we propose are as demonstrable as the effects of steam or gas. A short period must prove that our notions are either true and beneficial, or false and injurious. If the former, they will gradually supersede what is inferior. If the latter, our mouths will be shut for ever. It is true, that individuals (whose intellectual condition is now considered far above mediocrity) cannot perceive a distinction between ideas of this description and those which refer to the form of the houses which disembodied spirits inhabit, and the nature of the trades they follow in heaven, &c.; but though such individuals suppose, that if "any thing in the world can be termed the testimony of human imagination, it is the testimony" which we have borne, still it is consoling to know that the children who have been trained under the new system are able with accuracy to perceive the distinction.

It occurs to me, that I cannot close this article upon hostility to Divine Revelation, better than by the following letter, which has been sent by its author for insertion. There is something so humiliating in having our name recorded as an enemy to knowledge of any description, that I consent to the author's request with considerable reluctance. I have already stated what were the objects which I had in view in this publication. To make gain was not one of these objects. I have already reaped from other sources more than my own wants require; and the total expense is, in my estimation, a trifling concern, even if lost altogether. I have received an impression Stronger than I can find words to express, that our Creator has so formed the constitution of all human beings, that they must invariably enjoy most happiness when their efforts are most effectual for promoting the happiness of others; or, in other words, when they follow the principle upon which Christianity is founded. So far is this principle from requiring any sacrifice of what can be called happiness, that all who have ever been directed to it have found in