is enveloped to our finite reason and degenerated faculties; and which disregard is fully substantiated, not merely by the prevailing slight of professing believers in the Bible, but also corroborated by the printed testimony of several pious, learned, and distinguished theologians who have adorned the various denominations of our common Christianity.

In a scarce, valuable, and anonymous treatise entitled “ Pneumatologia,* or a Discourse on Angels," published in the year 1701, from the pen of a writer, who, to the rare endowment of a lucid judgment, unites the erudition of the scholar, the acuteness of the philosopher, the piety of a saint, and occasionally, the persuasive eloquence of the rhetorician ; in a well written recommendatory preface by a Mr. George Hammond, the following appropriate remarks occur: "The subject here undertaken to be treated upon, is certainly very high and noble in itself, and exceedingly useful for us, to be acquainted withal, in regard there is so much spoken of the angels and their ministry in the Holy Scriptures. For that which is written therein, is written for our learning. It is then a matter which deserves to be soberly inquired into. What may be the reason why the Scripture

ating desire of having some visible and tangible object of adoration. Upon the same principle or inclination may be explained, the strong tendency of the multitude in all ages and nations, to idolatry.-MACAULAY'S Review of Milton.

The angelical nature, though it is a secret for the most part to us till we come to heaven; yet it is such a secret as we may modestly inquire into and seek to know so far as it is revealed, either in nature or the Scriptures.Pneumatologia.

* I beg to avail myself of this opportunity, to tender my respectful acknowledgments to the Rev. Mr. Cady for his obliging permission to consult some curious old theological tomes belonging to the library of the Episcopal Theological Seminary, which were not to be met with in any other of the public libraries of this city.

doctrine concerning angels is no more attended to? For it is, in our time, but sparingly treated upon; and not so frequently and deeply in the thoughts of Christians, as it should be; and consequently not improved by the children of God to their growth in faith, holiness, and comfort as might be. Let me be pardoned, if I offer my conjecture in two instances (1.) The bold, curious, and confident speculations touching the angels, both in elder times, and in the days of the schoolmen, who intruded into things not seen, vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds. This makes way for a voluntary humility, and issued in the worshipping of angels. And some (it is probable), that they might avoid this rock, have thought it dangerous to be inquisitive into these things, which are taught in the Scripture of Truth concerning them. (2). The irreligiousness and skepticism* of materialists and sadducees, who deny, or pretend to doubt whether there are, indeed, any immaterial beings, at all. And if there be no separate spirits, as to their existence, there can be nothing spoken, concerning such, that is to be regarded." Further adding "The. worthy author, how much soever he extols the dignity of angels and their wonderful properties, yet he still leaves them and their ministrations under the sovereign will and command of God, and Jesus Christ their head, to whom they devote themselves and their services."

Archbishop Tillotson observes, "The doctrine of angels is not a peculiar one of the Jewish or Christian religion, but the generat doctrine of all religions that ever were, and therefore cannot be objected against by any but atheists. And yet I know not whence it comes to pass, that this great

*The first great errors that infested the Christian Church were those of the Gnostics, who pretended into a very sublime yvwots, or Mystic Theology, which was no other than a corrupt complex of Orphic, Pythagoric, and Judaic infusion.-GALE, Court of the Gentiles, 1676.

truth, which is so comfortable to mankind, is so very little. understood by us. Perhaps the corruption of so great a part of the Christian church in the point of worshipping the angels, may have run us so far into the other extreme, as scarcely to acknowledge any benefit by them. But surely, we may believe they do us good without any obligation to pray to them; and may own them as the ministers of God's providence without making them the objects of our worship.'

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The devout Bishop Hall, likewise, respecting the neglect of this sublime and glorious doctrine, to which he refers in his "Tractate Concerning the Invisible World," thus rebukingly soliloquizes in one of his searching meditations. "The good Lord forgive me, for that I have suffered myself so much to forget his Divine presence, and so the presence of his angels. It is, I confess, my great sin that I have filled mine eyes with other objects, and have been slack in returning praises to my God, for the continued assistance of those blessed and beneficent spirits. Oh! that the dust and clay were so washed out of mine eyes, that I might behold, together with the presence, the numbers, the beauties and excellencies of those ever present guardians." With regard to the reprehensible oversight of the valid claims of this interesting doctrine of Revelation, the late excellent Rev. Mr. Bickersteth has thrown out the following judicious and forcible intimations and requisitions. "No part of divine truth can be neglected without spiritual loss, and it is too evident that the deep and mysterious doctrine of Revelation respecting evil spirits and good angels, has been far too much disregarded in our age. This has arisen, on the one hand, from the wide spread of infidel principles, and on the other from the unscriptural, idolatrous and extravagant attention paid to this subject in the Church of Rome, in which good angels are worshipped, and the evil spirits brought for

ward to foster delusions. But we gain no solid victory over Popery, by omitting the truths which have been corrupted and abused. Our duty is rather to take forth the precious from the vile, and hold fast the simple and plain truth revealed for us and our children; thus shall we be as God's mouth to the people." Equally applicable are his additional observations, as bearing, with fearful apprehension upon the fatal tendency of those vicious theories, fraudulent manœuvres, baneful and debasing delusions which attend the black retinue of the "Legion" of modern pretenders to a familiar intercourse, criminal and intriguing connection with supernatural agencies and spiritual beings, which disgrace the character of the present day, stultifying the understanding of infidel advocates, as well as ensnaring their imbecile devotees into the entanglements of a moral blindness and fearful perdition." In view of these threatened

* To the sober mind, it is painful to reflect, that a talented and popular clergyman of this city should have countenanced, by his attendance, the Satanic imposture, to converse with "the spirits of the Rochester knockings;" and which became so barefaced a fraud as even to be denounced by their recent agrarian and socialist advocate. Has it not the appearance of a wicked hypocrisy for a preacher of the gospel of Christ to visit such blasphemous exhibitions, in impious disregard to the spirit and abiding moral obligations of that interdict of divine authority recorded in Deut. xviii. 10, 11. แ There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." The puerile plea of curiosity is no valid excuse. Was it not the indulgence of a forbidden and unhallowed curiosity which forfeited Paradise, "brought death into the world and all our woe," and required the sacrificial atonement and piacular sufferings of the bleeding vicfim on the ignominious Cross of Calvary! Moreover, why does it not more frequently occur to the thoughts of the professed adherents of the "pure and undefiled religion" of Christianity that to attend on the Sabbath, the lectures and discourses of declaimers of heterodox sentiments, who desecrate the sacred hours of the Lord's day in defending the infidel claims of the

evils, he fills, with an urgent breath, the warning trumpet of serious admonitions and sagacious foresight, sounded forth in the following expostulation. "Looking at the signs of the times, and the long neglect and unnatural denial of all angelic ministrations or spiritual influence, and at the express predictions of false Christs and false prophets, who shall show signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect, and that when men receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved, for this cause God shall send among them strong delusions that they should believe a lie. I cannot but think there is a painful prospect of a sudden recoil and religious revulsion from the present unbelief and misbelief, to an unnatural and undistinguishing credulity, when antichrist shall appear in his latest form, "with signs and lying wonders." I would, therefore, leave an earnest caution on the minds of my readers. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God. The Scriptures have forewarned us beforehand that we may not be led away with the error of the wicked and fall from our own steadfast

ness."

In the fervid expressions of devotion, actuated by the ardent enthusiasm of a genuine Christian philosophy, Mr. John Reynolds, in his disquisition or "Inquiries concerning the state and economy of the angelical worlds," printed in 1723, thus proceeds, "And surely we shall find in the angelical system such heights and depths, as will raise our admiration of that God, whose fiat created the various worlds he has made, and the beautiful administrations he has

founders of antichristian systems, that by so doing, they virtually belie the profession of their faith, commit an awful affront on their avowed Redeemer, and are verily guilty of a criminal violation of the fourth commandment of the decalogue !

G. C.