bate, dying unbaptized, born in the church, because in a Christian locality? I judge, then, that there is strong ground for believing, that not any infants who die unbaptized, wherever born, pass into the Christian heaven.

Perhaps this conclusion may alarm some persons, who are remote from ordained minister to baptize their infants. But who can prove any that in an extremity of this sort, a baptism, or simple application of water, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," by any one, male or female, would not be recognized as a true baptism by the attendant angels? Certainly it could do no harm, if it did no good. But this extraordinary baptism being admitted to be valid under the circumstances, would not, in the slightest degree, impugn the principle that baptism by a minister is, on every account, to be preferred when attainable.

It may appear to the reader that, in part of the foregoing observations, some uncertainty is indicated in regard to the exact benefit baptism confers upon an adult not previously baptized. This point receives some illustration from what is said in Ap. Ex. 724, where the author shews that when the Lord came into the world, his holy presence in it would have spread universal destruction, unless preparation had been made to receive Him by the baptism of John, without which the earth would have been smitten with a curse. (Mal. iii. 24.) The ordinance of circumcision, it appears, did not afford the necessary protection, but baptism by the last of the Jewish prophets, John, as an intermediate between the Jewish rite of circumcision and the Christian rite of baptism, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, afforded this protection; and the reason given is, "because the Jewish church was a representative church, and all conjunction of heaven with them was by representatives." If, then, for this reason, the baptism of John brought heaven nigh and removed hell, and prepared for the Lord's near approach to the souls of those baptized, similar must be the effect of the reception of Christian baptism by an adult, inasmuch as the two sacraments being of a representative character, have power of the same kind as the Jewish representatives, but more effectual, because there is effected not only an external, but also an internal conjunction with the Lord and heaven by means of them, in case of their "worthy" reception. In the number referred to, it is said, "Heaven was conjoined with the people of the Jewish Church by the baptism of John, and when heaven was thus conjoined to them, the Lord, who was the God of heaven, could manifest Himself, teach, and abide amongst them. But it is not to be supposed that this effect on the world generally took place, except by means of those baptized individuals ex

clusively to whom John's baptism was truly a baptism "unto repentance." All who were baptized who did not repent were hypocrites, whose baptism could have no good effect either upon themselves or others. With the Jews, their ceremonial observances had no effect unless accompanied with moral obedience, as may be seen by consulting the 1st chapter of Isaiah, and elsewhere.

But any proof that could be afforded of the value to adults of their baptism, when not baptized before, would be no proof of the value of rebaptism, until it can be shewn, by a clear reference to competent authority, that something is conferred on those who are re-baptized into the New Church, over and above what was conferred by their baptism into the Old Church in their infancy. If the full benefit of baptism is enjoyed by all who receive it in infancy, wherever baptized, re-baptism, in all cases, is a work of supererogation. The proof that infant baptism amongst Old Church communities is not so effective as infant baptism in the New Church, must be afforded not by questionable inferences, but by direct authority, before re-baptism can be established as an obvious duty. Until this is done, the same reason must exist for re-baptizing those who were baptized in infancy into the New Church, as for re-baptizing into the New Church those who were in infancy baptized into the Old Church.

That baptism, amongst Trinitarian communities, at least, gives that communication with heaven which was intended by its institution, derives some countenance from the preface to the Apocalypse Revealed, in which the author says, that into the new heaven of Christians, formed after the last judgment, were admitted those who worshipped one God under three persons, and had not, at the same time, an idea of three Gods, and this by reason that a Trinity of Persons was received throughout the whole Christian world. If this idea was so far innocuous, it can scarcely be so hurtful as to nullify the divinely-intended use of baptism.

M. D.

ON THE BEST MODES OF IMPARTING INSTRUCTION, AND DEVELOPING THE VARIOUS FACULTIES OF THE MIND.

Of all the subjects, in this age of speculation and inquiry, offered to man as a rational being, few are more worthy of his serious regard than the one at present under consideration,-the best modes of imparting struction; inasmuch as it is by means of instruction that the various powers of the mind are developed and perfected. Indeed the fact is so evident, that it is not necessary to dwell upon it at any length, especially

to members of the New Church; but as all may not be agreed as to what are the best modes of communicating instruction, and as the subject is one of the greatest practical importance, it seems most desirable that all who have to do with the education of the young should lay the matter seriously to heart, and in a humble and truth-seeking spirit, endeavour to attain for themselves this most desirable, because most useful, kind of knowledge, benefiting alike, as it assuredly must, both the imparter and the receiver, and which can only be attained by looking, in the first place, for wisdom to the Great Source and Giver of all Wisdom, and by carefully studying the opinions of those who have thought and written on the subject.

I wish it to be understood, in passing, that I am not about to lay down any distinct theory on the point in question, but simply to give expression to certain perceptions which from time to time have arisen in my mind, in the course of my limited experience, when engaged in this school on Sunday afternoons (Sunday-school teaching, be it remembered, being that with which we, the members of this meeting, have especially to do), and to throw out a few hints for your consideration which may or may not be worthy of acceptance.

The perceptions, then, that have arisen in my mind when hearing the children read the Word and repeat the Catechism, which form the principal portion of the afternoon instruction, are that they (the children) are very little benefitted by the process, except as they may happen to retain in their memory any portion of that which they read and repeat, but which, as regards the Word, is surprisingly little, a few facts here and there comprising nearly the whole of their knowledge, showing, consequently, how little their minds are awakened by, or interested in, the study, which also is often sufficiently manifested by their listless inattention; so that if I were to let them read and repeat on and on, without endeavouring to keep alive their interest by some other means, hour passed in this way would be a very dull and profitless one indeed. I am speaking now of the class with which I have more especially to do, consisting of the elder children of the school; those who are engaged with the younger, can of course speak for themselves better than I can speak for them, but judging from probabilities, I should think their difficulties greater than mine.

the

The end, then, to be sought, is the discovery or construction of some plan, if such can be found or devised, which, by adapting itself to the comprehension of the children, shall awaken their feelings in, and excite their interest towards, the thing learnt; for unless this point be achieved, all our labours to cultivate and improve their minds are useless,

or worse than useless. When we consider the natural distaste which children have, generally speaking, to learning and restraint, especially when called upon to submit to the latter on that day whereon probably many of their neighbours and companions are engaged in holiday-making, this will appear so important a consideration, that I hope I may be pardoned for digressing for a short time to dwell on it—I mean that of associating the Sabbath, as far as possible, with pleasurable recollections in the minds and memories of children, seeing how the observance of the Sabbath is considered by some identical with religion itself, and consequently their reverence or repugnance to the one, is the natural measure of their reverence or repugnance to the other. It is not, therefore, too much to say, that it is of the utmost importance we should endeavour to connect the Sunday with the children's pleasurable recollections, instead of the reverse; indeed, it appears to me that the degree of importance is such, that it would be a theme by itself. I will not, therefore, take up your time with any further observations of my own on this portion of the subject, but content myself with giving a short extract from a work on education which has lately appeared, by the Honourable Amelia Murray, whose remarks on Sunday schools, although, I am happy to say, they do not exactly apply to this school, it may not be amiss to quote here :

:

Sunday schools (good and useful where no better means can be found for training neglected children to habits of reverence and love) have been made to desecrate the Sabbath by their hours of toil and gloom, and their stifling atmosphere. The children come to school at nine o'clock, spell over the Bible or the Catechism till the time of worship-are taken to morning service afterwards-sent home perhaps a mile or two-hurried over their frugal meals-are ordered back to church again at half-past two or three o'clock, then return to school to be stuffed a second time-to be taught theology and learning far beyond their age, or excited by the false motive of emulation to supplant their sisters or their neighbours in the class, instead of being won to Christ and to religion through love, and happiness, and charity. Can such a system as this lead to good results ?"

Certainly not. Hence the necessity that we, as members of the New Church and promoters of a new order of things, are under, of endeavouring to devise some better system of instruction, that shall lead to good results, as far as human means are available thereunto. To discover this, however, and to make it capable of application in a school where so many children of different dispositions, tempers, and capacities are mingled together, appears to me no easy task. But inquiries wisely

gone into will yield "not nothing but something," as a celebrated modern writer tells us; and although we may have to grope our way for some time to come, still a few glimmerings, from time to time, may serve to help us on in pursuit of that clue which alone can guide us, and which, leading direct to "nature and the facts of things," can be no other than the knowledge of the constitution of the human mind as it manifests itself in childhood and youth, at which period we find the imagination the most active faculty; and this, if we follow the order of nature, we ought to assist in developing, while taking upon ourselves the task of its regulation, not, of course, confining ourselves exclusively to the cultivation of this faculty, for that would be to deprive the mind of its strength; but "laying the emphasis," as it were, thereon, and thus endeavouring to make the imagination the instrument for the development of the higher faculties of the mind, and of its highest-the affections! And as one means to the attainment of this end, I would have every school library supplied with works of general literature, of course, I mean those of the best kind, and founded on New Church principles, and those more particularly adapted for Sunday reading. I would have the teachers read to their respective classes every Sunday, after the necessary reading of another kind and the repeatings have been gone through, thus endeavouring, through the medium of the fancy, to call forth the best affections and highest reverence of which the nature of the children is capable. Indeed, when I remember the effect produced on my own mind, by the allegory of "Parley the Porter," particularly at that part where he permits the first little opening to be made in the hedge; and when I also remember the holy feeling that came over me, even at the theatre, during the representation of Goethe's Faust, or an English version of it, where the Mephistopholes is tempting Margaret, and when, after a trying struggle, she suddenly exclaims, "No, I do not consent!" and the evil spirit, without uttering a word, sinks prostrate through the earth;-when I remember these things, I marvel that so little comparative good use has been hitherto made of these influences (for every one must have experienced the like in a greater or less degree), and that men have been so little able to discriminate between the uses and the abuses of things; for it is by the abuse and not the use of the imagination,-by feeding and stimulating it with poisonous and unwholesome food, that reason too oft has become utterly distasteful, and sentimentalism (that unsuspected form of self-love) has usurped the place of true sentiment, or the genuine love of the true and beautiful. "The great secret of morals," says a late writer, "is love, or a going out of our own nature, and an identification of ourselves with others. A man to be greatly good, must imagine in