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What is the idea generally entertained of the meaning of the word mind, amongst the readers of E. S? I find that it partakes too much of the indefiniteness of the idea entertained by those who surround them. This idea is, that the mind is in man; that it is something distinct from his person, and is within it. Hence it happens, that because the term " person" involves all a man's substance, and therefore all his organization, the mind comes to be thought of as something different from organized substance. But, in this passage, E. S. comes into direct collision with the common, indefinite, and inaccurate idea. He declares that the whole mind is composed of organized substance; that in its first principles, it is spiritual; and in its last, it is natural and material. The mind, in its first principles, or as a spiritual body, is called "mind" par eminence, and the mind, in its last principles, because it is the lowest investiture of the first, is called " body;" and for which designation this further reason also exists, that, to men, the former is invisible, and the latter is visible. According, then, to E. S.,-in that point of view which regards the whole man as organized substance, both spiritual and natural, the whole man is body; but in the other point of view, which regards the use of man as an organized existence, the whole man is mind! It appears, therefore, that the proper idea of the mind, if thought of as distinct from person, is, the use, to and for which the whole person has been organized; and which use is produced by the action of life, that is, of the Lord, upon the adapted, and therefore corresponding organization. This use, as regards those connected with the individual is, the inclination and power of acting for their good, or against it (according as the use, that is, the organization or mind, is in order, or disorder); but, as regards the individual himself, the use is, the consciousness resulting from, and which he possesses, in and by the activity of that use, and which consciousness is either true, or false happiness. It appears, consequently, that in calling the human organization, "the mind," (whether we think of both the interior and exterior organism, or the former only,) we act agreeably to a universal law, which requires us to call every substance by the name of its use, if the use be known to us. Thus, a table and a chair, if deprived of the idea of their use, become merely pieces of wood of particular shapes, but the designations table and chair are not given to distinguish particular shapes in the wood, but to describe the uses for the sake of which the wood was formed into those shapes. The old illustration of a wind instrument is, however, the most striking: who can think of a flute, without thinking of its adaptation to give forth a

N. S. NO. IV.-VOL. I.

particular sound when acted upon by the air (which answers to life acting upon organization, and thus exhibiting the quality of the organization, and which is called "mind")? Evidently the idea of a flute is the idea of a certain use primarily, and of a certain construction for the sake of that use secondarily; and yet the former is wholly such, as to quality, as the latter is, and wholly dependant upon it for its quality. In like manner, the mind is such as its organization is; the idea of the mind is the idea of the use of that organization, and although the use is first in dignity, and is the end for which the organization was formed, yet the former is wholly dependant for its quality on the latter.

Now to this definition of mind, probably, no objection would be felt, if E. S. had confined the organization of it to spiritual substance. But he has not done so. He has rightly included with the spiritual organization, as part of the mind, the natural and material organization also. But no confusion of ideas will result if the author's distinction be attended to (in passage 5), that the spiritual organism is man or mind in itself, but the material organism or body, is not man in itself, but by derivation from the spiritual; in other words, the spiritual organism is the mind primarily, but the lower organism is mind in a subordinate, or derivative sense; it is an accessary or subsidiary mind, having only a temporary use so long as man is in this world.

But E. S. distinguishes between natural and material substances, and considers both as entering into the constitution of the subsidiary mind, or the bodily organs of will and thought. What then is the difference between the natural and the material? By turning to passage 6, we find a great difference indicated between their capabilities, for it is stated that the natural substances of the mind are the primary seat of thought and will with those who are in hell, from which it is plain, that a natural organization can think; but the material organization cannot think, except by derivation from the primary seat of thought, or by influx from that which can think. Now if a person can admit that natural substances can be the primary organ of thought in any case, or, in other words, that natural substance can think, surely the step further is not difficult to be taken, that material substance, or matter, can be a secondary organ of thought, or, in other words, can think by derivation from what is interior.

But I presume, you will require me to define what natural substances are, as contra-distinguished from material. In the first place,

I conclude that they are invisible, because infernal spirits, who think in them, are not visible. It may be the case (and I have heard the same many years since as the opinion of an eminent member of the church) that the Sun and his atmosphere are natural substances; while the earth and its atmosphere, are material. This distinction is not liable to any objection that I am aware of.

The perfect correspondence between all parts of the spiritual or interior organism, and all parts of the bodily or ultimate organism, asserted in passage 3, shews how the likeness of the whole nature of the father is communicated to the offspring in his spiritual rudimental organization; and how the likeness of the whole nature of the mother is communicated, in his bodily rudimental organization, according to the statements in passage 5. It also becomes apparent, how the Lord inherited from the mother, all hereditary evils, by taking from her, as a fallen creature, a complete ultimate organization or mind. We see also, that when Paul said that no good dwelt in his flesh, (passage 8,) he uttered literal truth, as well as spoke figuratively; and that when the evangelist declared that "the Word was made flesh," he announced the important fact, that the Lord took upon himself our ultimate nature which, as the organ of will and thought, had become corrupt, and in which dwelt no good thing, in order to redeem it from its corruption by restoring its organization to perfect correspondence with his Essential Divinity, and thus to unite it therewith, and to make it Divine Good and Truth in Ultimates, according to passage 2.

From passage 5, it also appears, that the Lord could take our fallen ultimate nature thus upon him, because the image of the Father was formed within it, and continually was in the effort to unfold itself therein. Without this medium between the Eternal Infinite Holiness, and the flesh in which dwelt no good thing, it would indeed be difficult to form an idea, how two such absolute opposites could come into close contact, and even into such intimate union as that of soul and body.

From long experience of the great importance of every statement made by E. S., I have been led for some time to attach the greatest interest to that which you have brought under my notice. I have too great a reverence for every thing he says to pass by any one of his statements with indifference, or to set about qualifying, or neutralizing, its obvious sense, because it does not suit my previous opinions, or creates a feeling of repugnance to it. Thus abiding by E. S., I may be charged with being a semi-materialist, but what then? A

materialist is one who makes the bodily organization the only organ of mind, and who utterly denies the existence of any spiritual organization. Now we have seen that E. S., affirms all that is true in what the materialist asserts, and all that is attested by experience (see passage 4), and he supplies that which is wanting. There are, doubtless, good men who are materialists, being such probably from giving too much regard to the fallacies of the senses, or for want of such a guide as E. S. It is the fashion for the "religious world" to stigmatize materialists as infidels, but what difference is there between the denial of the existence of a soul separate from the body, and the denial that the soul has any form, that is, has any of the conceivable attributes of existence? What difference is there between an idea of nothing, and no idea at all?

If you or any other friend can defend E. S., from this supposed charge of semi-materialism, by shewing that I have misinterpreted his words, by mistakenly putting a sense upon them which it can be proved he never intended, I assure you that I am open to conviction; but I am not to be scared from the fair, and I may say, dutiful and reverential interpretation of E. S., by any fear of consequences whatever. So long as I agree with the truth, it matters little that I disagree with those who love their own opinions better than the truth.

CEPHAS.

A NEW PROPOSITION,

TO PROMOTE THE RECEPTION OF NEW-CHURCH DOCTRINES.

To the Editors of the Intellectual Repository, &c. GENTLEMEN,

I WILL condense my thoughts into as brief a compass as possible, and at once state them.

I think much good might be done to the cause of truth by appointing proper persons to visit in the evening the houses of the humbler class, to read to them, and explain the truth in a manner suitable to their capacities or states; and perhaps the best field to begin in would be among the parents of those children who attend New-Church schools; and the most proper persons for the office might be the school-masters, as they are known to the parents, and it might be carried into effect at less expence by their means, as an addition to their stipend might suffice. New-Church truths are calculated to exalt man, and every possible means should be tried to inseminate them;

and the solifidio-aristocratics should be made to respect them through the superior character of those who profess them.

As heavenly principles must descend into the ultimates of the mind before fructification, so it appears that the glorious doctrines of truth must begin in the ultimate grade of society.

The spiritual must be based on the secular and substantial material -gold; let, therefore, the lover of truth come forward, to the best of his ability; I will contribute five pounds a-year towards the object, and if I see energy in the matter, will do my utmost in the cause: the thing surely is worth an experiment: personal aid I cannot offer, circumstances obliging me to be,

With respect,

AN INCOGNITUM.

REVIEW.

Heaven and its Wonders Described, with an Account of Hell: from actual Information and Observation. By EMANUEL SWEDEN BORG, Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. A New Translation from the original Latin: by the Rev. S. NOBLE. London. Published by the London Printing Society. Hodson, 112, Fleet Street. Price 5s.

SWEDENBORG, as is well known, wrote all his theological, and most of his scientific works, in Latin; this language, in his day, being more generally read in the literary world, and more frequently used as the vehicle of communicating knowledge, than it is at present. It was the the principal key to all the learned treasures of science, philosophy, and theology, and every person with the least pretensions to what is called a liberal education, was more or less familiar with the Latin tongue. It was the passport by which the educated and learned of all nations had free access to each other's mental productions. Most of the lectures also on science, especially on the Continent, were given in Latin, and on this account, a perfect knowledge of this language constituted the principal object of elementary education. Swedenborg, we are informed, by one who knew him well*, was familiar from his childhood with this useful, and in the educated world, universal language. So great was the progress he had made in this useful accomplishment, that, in his youth, he is said to have written a volume of poetry, so * Count Hopken, many years Prime Minister of Sweden. See Noble's Appeal, Sect. V.

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