gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life;" and it is even so. He says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him; [i. e. he necessarily remaineth in spiritual darkness and moral death]; and surely this is so. He says, "He that hateth me, hateth my Father also": and elsewhere, "all they that hate me love death." Practical Christian Socialists see that all this is truth. They see that when any individual soul is brought right, the Christ-Spirit must have done it, and that this Spirit must have taken up his abode within such a soul; even as it is written: "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John xiv: 23. They see that when Society is brought right, the Christ-Spirit will have done it, and must take up its abode in the constitutions, laws and organic administration of such Society; because Society is a man, a complex man, a Social man. Therefore, they have no more hope of regenerating Society without faith in Christ, without reconstructing it on Christ-Principles, and breathing into its organism the ChristSpirit, the true breath of divine Life, than they have of regenerating individual sinners without the Faith, Hope and Charity of the same eternal Christ-Spirit; or than they have of saving a wicked man in his sins. This is their grand reason for making the interior, essential principles of the Christian Religion the basis of their Social Superstructure.

Ing. I now see and admire this fundamental characteristic of your Socialism, and shall expect you to enter, in our next Conversation, on an explicit presentation of those principles.

CONVERSATION IV.

Statement of essential divine principles given in a Table of three general divisions-I. Principles of Theological Truth-II. Principles of Personal Righteousness-III. Principles of Social Order-Explanations of certain terms-1st Principle considered-2d Principle considered-3d Principle considered.

Inq. I am now prepared to consider your statement of essential divine principles.

Ex. And I am ready to present that statement. I shall do so in a Table of three general divisions, as follows, viz:

TABLE.

I. Principles of Theological Truth.

1. The existence of one All-Perfect, Infinite God. 2. The mediatorial manifestation of God through Christ. 3. Divine revelations and inspirations given to men. 4. The immortal existence of human and angelic spirits. 5. The moral agency and religious obligation of mankind. 6. The certainty of a perfect divine retribution. 7. The necessity of man's spiritual regeneration. 8. The final universal triumph of good over evil.

II. Principles of Personal Righteousness.

1. Reverence for the Divine and spiritual.

2. Self-denial for righteousness' sake.

3. Justice to all beings..

4. Truth in all manifestations of mind.

5. Love in all spiritual relations.

6. Purity in all things.

7. Patience in all right aims and pursuits. 8. Unceasing progress towards perfection.

III. Principles of Social Order.

1. The supreme Fatherhood of God.

2. The universal Brotherhood of Man.

3. The declared perfect love of God to Man. 4. The required perfect love of Man to God.

5. The required perfect love of Man to Man.

6. The required just reproof and disfellowship of evil doers. 7. The required non-resistance of evil doers with evil.

8. The designed unity of the righteous.

Here are twenty-four cardinal principles; eight of Theological Truth, to be embraced by faith, or at least acknowledged as undeniable; eight of Personal Righteousness, to be illustrated in practice; and eight of Social Order, to be acknowledged and acted upon in the constitution, organization and establishment of a true harmonic Society. These are the essential divine principles of the Christian Religion. With their sub-principles and indispensable cognates, they include all that is vital in that Religion. Taken together in their blended interfusion and unity, they constitute its soul, its spirit. Practical Christian Socialists hold these to be essential, eternal, universal, divine principles; positively practical in their natural tendency, and interior to all external ceremonies, formalities, scholasticisms, ecclesiasticisms, sectarianisms, localisms, temporisms and mere incidentalisms.

Inq. I admire the perspicuity and comprehensiveness of your Table, so far as I am now able to understand it; though it presents a very different statement of essential Christianity from any I have elsewhere seen. I expect you will now proceed to demonstrate that these are the cardinal principles of the Christian Religion, and, in so doing, illustrate adequately their nature and scope. But before you commence, I wish you would define what you mean by external ceremonies, formalities, scholasticisms, ecclesiasticisms, sectarianisms, localisms, temporisms and incidentalisms.

Ex. I think it is very proper I should do so. By external ceremonies I mean what are commonly called the public ordinances of religion, such as water baptisms, the Lord's supper, the several sacraments, &c. By formalities I mean all stated forms and observances as to days, times and seasons, places, postures and modes of address, in the professed worship of

God, in fasting, prayer, thanksgiving, praise, &c. By scholasticisms I mean studied propositions in which metaphysical doctrinaries of different ages, either individually or in conclave, have artificially stated the articles of their faith, or what they assumed to be the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, such as the Trinity, Transubstantiation, Election and Reprobation, Foreordination, Total Depravity, Vicarious Atonement, &c., &c.; which may have more or less of truth as their original basis, but are not warranted by the simplicity of Scripture, or its plain testimony as a whole. By ecclesiasticisms I mean Church Constitutions, Confessions, Covenants, Clerical Orders, and all kinds of Ecclesiastical Polity, Rules, Regulations and usages; which may be good, bad or indifferent, according to their nature, use or circumstances. By sectarianisms I mean those peculiarities of faith or practice which only appertain to a particular sect as such, and which merely distinguish it from other sects, but are not of the nature of essential, universal principles of truth and righteousness. By localisms I mean those peculiarities of religious action or manner, observance or form, which obtain currency and become customary in particular countries, cities, or localities, and are proper enough there, but not necessary to be insisted on in other countries, cities and localities. By temporisms I mean peculiarities of religious action or manner, observance or form, which, for any reason, become customary in a particular age, or period of time, and may be proper, or even indispensable then, but are neither necessary, nor useful at later periods when circumstances have greatly changed. By incidentalisms I mean all little peculiarities of fashion, custom, habit, or of eccentricity, into which religious leaders sometimes fall, as it were accidentally and without consideration, certainly without intending to make them any way essential, or expecting them to be insisted on by their followers; but which, nevertheless, through human weakness, become sanctified, and magnified into great importance. Now I asserted that the essential divine principles of the Christian Religion, stated in my Table, are INTERIOR to all external ceremonies, formalities, scholasticisms, ecclesiasticisms, sectarianisms, localisms, temporisms and mere incidentalisms. In so asserting, I did

not mean to condemn and discard all these as necessarily evil, or useless, nor to raise a quarrel against them, but to affirm that the PRINCIPLES are absolutely essential to the Christian Religion, as its vital, unchangeable interiors; whilst all these are, at best, non-essentials—mere changeable exteriors of the Religion, every one of which may pass away, or be modified, without impairing its inherent life. Have I made my meaning plain?

Inq. Very plain, to my understanding. But your plowshare runs so deep into the venerated superficialism of popular Christianity, that I am afraid many will think you have torn up the very foundations. I see that your Practical Christianity is altogether a different thing from nominal Christianity.

Ex. Certainly it is; but I will show you that it is the Christianity of Jesus Christ.

Inq. Proceed with your exposition.

Ex. 1. I commence, then, with my first stated principle of Theological Truth; viz: The existence of one All Perfect, Infinite God. That the Christian Religion distinctly reäffirms the existence of one, and but one, self-existent God-an All Perfect, Infinite Spirit-the Source, Sustainer and Controller of Universal Nature, will not be questioned. Yet it may not be superfluous to quote a few passages from the New Testament, as samples of the manner in which this truth is set forth.

A certain scribe questioned Jesus, saying, "Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." "And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but him :" &c. "And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." Mark, xii: 28-34. enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, &c.; that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." "Be

"Love your