are only resuscitations of good, by the medium of what has long preexisted, of what has been communicated from without, and inwardly received and retained by the human mind. However much they protest against human agency, they must have it; and, under all forms, it will manifest itself. For, the little ones in mind as well as body, such a religious service will, in every instance, be totally unproductive of fruit; and the illusion, that the Divine Spirit here evinces an absolute creative power, is, in this respect, most strikingly evident; for, if the Quaker-view be correct, what hinders the Spirit from selecting, at times, a child six weeks old, for the office of preaching and prayer? If, in the mind of man nothing preexist, to which the spirit can annex its inspirations-if, that spirit be to create all anew,

the sphere of his instruction in this manner, in proportion as it is received and encouraged. Thus, the man who is attentive to these divine notices, sees the animal, the vegetable, and the planetary world with spiritual eyes. He cannot stir abroad, but he is taught in his own feelings, without any motion of his will, some lesson for his spiritual advantage; or he perceives, so vitally, some of the attributes of the Divine Being, that he is called upon to offer some spiritual incense to his Maker. If the lamb frolics and gambols in his presence, as he walks along, he may be made spiritually to see the beauty and happiness of innocence. If he finds the stately oak laid prostrate by the wind, he may be spiritually taught to discern the emptiness of human power; while the same Spirit may teach him inwardly the advantage of humility, when he looks at the little hawthorn, which has survived the storm. When he sees the change and the fall of the autumnal leaf, he may be spiritually admonished of his own change and dissolution, and of the necessity of a holy life. Thus, the Spirit of God may teach men by outward objects and occurrences in the world. But, where this Spirit is away, or rather where it is not attended to, no such lesson can be taught. Natural objects, of themselves, can excite only natural ideas; and the natural man, looking at them, can derive only natural pleasure, or draw natural conclusions from them. In looking at the sun, he may be pleased with its warmth,

a child can then surely be its organ, as well as an adult.

What the Quakers tell respecting the struggle between the Divine inward Light, and the powers of darkness, that during their religious assemblies, seek to entangle and to retain them in worldly distractions, it is not difficult to understand. The human mind can enter, far more easily and more deeply, into its own interior, and be brought into a more beneficial train of feelings, when it fixes its attention on a matter, presented to it from without, exercises its reflection on the same, and then makes an independent attempt at meditation.

and anticipate its advantage to the vegetable world. In plucking and examining a flower, he may be struck with its beauty, its mechanism, and its fragrant smell. In observing the butterfly, as it wings its way before him, he may smile at its short journeys from place to place, and admire the splendour upon its wings. But the beauty of Creation, is dead to him, as far as it depends upon connecting it spiritually with the character of God; for, no spiritual impression can arise from any natural objects, so that these should be sanctified to him, but through the intervention of the Spirit of God."

Great and important, and universally admitted truths are here professed. It is only to him, who is already awakened and illuminated by Divine Grace, that nature truly testifies of God and of all things divine; nay, every particular thought, that springs fresh and joyous up to God, and warms the heart, even if it be occasioned only by outward objects, is still excited by God's grace. But, without the human spirit and its concurrent activity, no ray, whether it light on us from without or from within, can possibly impregnate: and this truth the Quakers themselves involuntarily admit, since they must annex the condition; "who is attentive to these Divine notices, who sees the world with spiritual eyes."

Note of the Author.

We see, from the above-cited passage of Clarkson, how on this point also, the tender-thoughted Quakers approximate to our Church; for this habit of making nature a medium for spiritual contemplations, is one recommended and practised by Catholic ascetic writers.-Trans.

But, according to the method adopted by the Quakers, it is only the minds of very few that can remain free from distractions; whereupon they are naturally thrown into great anguish, terror and trembling; so that what they take to be a sign of the proximity and visitation of the Divine Spirit subduing the powers of Satan, is an evident symptom of the perversity of the whole sect.

CHAPTER III.

THE HERRNHUTTERS, OR THE COMMUNITY OF BROTHERS, AND THE METHODISTS.

§ LXXII.-Historical remarks.-The Moravian brethren. THE doctrinal peculiarities of the party, to which we are now to devote our attention, were formed out of the union of the principles of the Moravian brethren, with those of Spener's pietistic school. It will, therefore, be incumbent on us, in the first place, to give a short account of the two last-named religious parties. In despite of all attempts to bring about a union between the Catholics and the Hussites, a considerable number of the latter continued separated from the Church, down to the period of the Reformation, which inspired them with new hopes, and infused fresh life and youthful vigour into their body.

The Hussites and Luther early recognized their spiritual affinity, and entered into a close outward union with each other; in consequence whereof, the former embraced the doctrinal views of the latter, as being the stronger party. The doctrine of the non-united Hussites needed, in fact, a considerable change, to enable them to join with the German reformer; for John Huss and Martin Luther, however they might agree, in their notions of the Church and the necessity of a Reformation, that would undermine its fundamental law, were yet, in some essential doctrines, diametrically opposed. We shall now take a brief survey of the mutual relations between Luther and the later Hussites, who under the

name of the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren protracted their existence.

The Bohemian Church-Reformer had no idea, of that doctrine of justification, put forth by the Saxon; and, accordingly, his view of human works and conduct, was essentially different. Huss laid down the most rigid maxims, in matters of ecclesiastical discipline; of whose impracticable severity we may form an idea, when we recall to mind, that among the four conditions, which his disciples proposed to the Catholics, as a basis for a reunion, there was one, that all mortal sins, under which they included " gluttony, drunkenness, incontinence, lying, perjury, usury, the receiving of any money for mass and confession, and the like," should be punished with death! A party among them even desired that the power of inflicting the penalty of death on any one, whom he should see polluted with one of the above-mentioned sins, should be conceded to every private individual. Huss, doubtless, had not proceeded to such lengths in his reforming zeal; yet, the excitement he raised, was of a nature necessarily calculated to lead to such unheard-of excesses of fanaticism. That no prince, or prelate guilty of any grievous sin, is entitled to obedience, was even an opinion formally inculcated by Huss. With such passionate exclusiveness, did these sectaries turn to the practical side of Religion, that, not content with the demand just adverted to, they had also the assurance to require of Catholics, to hold as a heathen any man who should let himself be nominated master of the liberal arts, as well as to annihilate all scientific institutions. The soothing influence of time, maturer reflection on the constitution of human nature, and a calmer temper of mind-brought about by want and misery-produced,

VOL. II.

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