Pagan-christians, of Oriental origin, have, with Swedenborg, the advantage of introducing into Christianity the theory of emanations, so justly appreciated by thinkers of all ages: nevertheless, the Swedish Author avoids the reproach of Pantheism, which these reformers incurred; for his Pantheism would be that of the spirit; he avoids the absurdities of the foolish dogma of Manes, by assigning greater scope to the liberty of man. The origin of evil with him is simply a removal from God; it does not proceed from an evil principle equal to God and co-eternal with him. In like manner, the theory of Pelagus as to grace, which has so greatly engrossed the Fathers, especially St. Augustine, is presented by Swedenborg under the most rational form. He declares everywhere to Protestants that man is free, and, at the same time, to man endowed with this faculty, that he can do nothing of himself. The manner in which the Romish teachers have modified the doctrine of St. Augustine, by adopting semi-Pelagianism, is an anticipated homage rendered to the manner in which Swedenborg has regarded this doctrine. Whilst these sects occupied the speculative minds who had remained attached to Christianity at this epoch, those who had left it, adopted at the same time a spiritualism which we cannot consider as merely dogmatic. The philosophy of Julian, and that of Apollonius of Thianus, which preceded it by two centuries, belong to that school of magic which we find among the Hebrews, the Platonic philosophers of Alexandria, and the Orientals. Julian is the author of a hymn addressed to the Spiritual Sun. We discover in the writings of that Emperor traces of true philosophy, and perhaps it is here that we may seek the solution of the character of that Prince, to excuse what may be called his errors, without seeking, at the same time, to palliate his evils, for the justification of the Author does not carry with it that of the Prince. Philosophers have been very severe in regard to him, considering him as the dupe of an ardent imagination; this is the decision which these same men would give in regard to Swedenborg. The contempt of historians for Julian has arisen from their not understanding his philosophy. He was an apostate in the eyes of the Christians of his time; the same designation would be given by Christians of our day to all those who forsake their literal interpretations and adopt those of the New Jerusalem. In the age in which he lived they would have accused him of heresy, and in ours of superstition. They reproached him for his belief in genii, as if the early writers of antiquity did not believe the same. The knowledge of Julian's philosophy may explain his belief. Wishing to trace his ideas to the foundation even of paganism, he thus explains himself in his discourse to Sallust:-"The Being subsisting by himself, [Enl. Series.-No. 18, vol. ii.] 2 F the Being infinitely good, is the first Sun; the second Sun is the spiritual, and the third the visible, world. The first produces all souls from his own substance, the second distributes the benefits of his understanding, the third is that luminous star, the principle and preserver of all that exists." The theory concerning degrees in the New Jerusalem is quite in agreement with that explanation. In his celebrated discourse against the Galileans, Julian says that "the sun, moon, stars, and heavens, are representations of beings that we cannot perceive. When we look at the sun (says he) we look at the image of an intelligible thing which we cannot discover." In the same work the Imperial Philosopher combats Divine Revelation by an immaterial means of arriving at the truth-Divination. In the West, the only man whom it remains to us to quote, who lived at the time of the irruption of the barbarians, is the celebrated Boëtius, author of the beautiful work entitled "Consolation." The manner in which he treats of the moral liberty of man, is an unequivocal testimony in favour of the true theory of Free-will. It is only the man, says he, who remains in the natural order which he has received from God, that exists, so to speak; all who remove themselves from Him, lose the existence of which they had the principle within them. This is what constitutes the mysterious nature of man according to the last church. The wicked, adds Boëtius, ought not only not to be esteemed powerful, but even as having no existence, since those who remove themselves from the common end of all creatures, cease to be of their number. The author of the work on "Heaven and Hell," speaks in the same manner on the impotence of evil spirits. The latter often developes this declaration of the Scriptures, that the Law of God gives liberty, and that vice is slavery. We read thus in the Romish writer,-“ The spirit of man is never so free as when it is occupied in contemplating the greatness of the Highest of Beings, but if it is so unhappy as to plunge itself into all sorts of vices, it falls into the basest of servitudes." All these confirmations of different points of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem, by so many authors, deservedly respected and appreciated, are truly remarkable, especially when we reflect that they are not the results of close application to study, nor the compilations of erudition, but simply direct introvisions into the spiritual world,-unvarnished truths which are offered for the approbation of our understanding and affections. 259 THE REVOLUTION IN CHINA. (An Account of its Origin, and of its Chief, Hung-Siu-Tsuen.) THROUGH the kindness of our correspondent Scotus, we have received an interesting little work by the Rev. Theodore Hamberg, a Swede, employed as a missionary in China from the Basel Evangelical Society, in Switzerland. This missionary, in company with another from the same institution was, by the solicitation of Dr. Gutzlaff, many years a missionary in Hong Kong, sent out in 1846 to that distant country. He commenced his labours in a district where he had opportunities of knowing the nature of that extraordinary movement in China, which seems likely to terminate not only in an entirely political, but also in a completely religious revolution of that populous empire, containing nearly one-third of the human race. This great movement is deeply interesting to the New-Churchman, who knows that causes have been put into operation in the world of spirits, in which men, as to their affections and thoughts, actually exist, which sooner or later must, in relation to religious sentiments, ideas, and worship, bring to pass among the nations changes similar to those which are now in progress in China. Much obscurity has hitherto hovered over the origin of this extraordinary revolution, but Mr. Hamberg, in the document now lying before us, seems to have dissipated this obscurity, and to have explained the veritable origin, nature, and progress, of this great change which is coming over so many millions of the human race. We will condense the narrative of Mr. Hamberg, who, as appears from the brief memoir which accompanies it, died at Hong Kong in May, 1854, and give to our readers, as far as our space will permit, the substance of the work. At the same time we recommend them to procure the work itself.* Mr. Hamberg, with his companion, left, in 1848, Hong Kong, where he had been since his arrival in China, in coöperation with Dr. Gutzlaff, and proceeded to a district in the interior of the country not far from the locality where the chief of the movement was born and educated. The name of this extraordinary man, who is the chief of the insurrection, is Hung-Siu-Tsuen, whose cousin, by name Hung-Jin, was baptised into the Christian faith by Mr. Hamberg in November, 1852. HungJin supplied Mr. H. with some writings, giving an account of the chief. This account, it is said, is perfectly reliable, and may, consequently, be depended upon as to all its leading facts and statements. * The title of the work is-" The Chinese Rebel Chief, Hung-siu-Tsuen; and the Origin of the Insurrection in China," by the Rev. Theodore Hamberg, &c. pp. 98. London: Walton and Maberly. The native place of Hung-Siu-Tsuen is a small village in the Hwahier district, in the southern part of the province of Kwang-tung. Its distance from the city of Canton is about thirty English miles; so that the reader, by finding Canton on the map, can easily discover the locality. It was in the neighbourhood of this place where Mr. Hamberg was stationed as a missionary. In this village the Chinese chief, the originator of this great movement, was born in 1813, and at his birth he received the name of "Brilliant Fire," but when he attained his manhood, he received his present name, which signifies "Elegant and Perfect;" for it seems that, like the ancient Hebrews, the Chinese are called by names which signify some circumstance or fact or event which characterised their birth, or some feature of their form and appearance. The young Hung-Siu-Tsuen soon evinced an extraordinary aptitude for study, and was sent to school when seven years of age. In the course of five or six years he had already studied and committed to memory the Four Books on Virtue, Conversations of Confucius, and the Works of Mencius, the Five Classics, or books of general philosophy, poetry, rites, and history, and the Koo-wan and the Hau-king, or memoir on filial duty. Afterwards he read for himself the History of China, and the more extraordinary books of Chinese literature, all of which, it is said, he easily understood on the first perusal. His friends became proud of his great talents, and hoped that he would rise by degrees into eminence in the state, and thus shed lustre on his family name of Hung; for we understand that the family or sirname in China is put first, and the adjunctive, or what we call the christian name, afterwards; thus, instead of saying John Smith, the Chinese would say Smith-John. It may not be known to some of our readers that in China, for many ages past, education has been universal. There are schools according to the extent of the population, in every town and in every village. The one described above is a specimen of what may be found in each village, and the routine of study and of the subjects taught is similar. The only way of promotion to any office in the state and to any employment in the community is through these schools; and the elevation, or dignity and emolument of the office or employment, is in proportion to the diligence and attainments of the pupils, who, according to their industry and proficiency, take up honours corresponding to our collegiate degrees. With these degrees a Chinese, irrespective of the condition of his birth or rank, is promoted to office, or is recommended to an employment. Hence it is that the Chinese are all educated, and education, such as it is, is universal. Here, then, is a wonderful basis not only of a high civilization but of an elevated Christianization also. We, in Europe, are only beginning to agitate for the necessity of this state of universal education, and of a legitimate preferment to office in any department of the state, according to aptitude, skill, experience, and merit. It may be stated, in reply to this, that, nevertheless, the Chinese government, in all its departments, is full of abuses. This may be the case, but it does not arise from the system adopted, but from the bad administration which is tolerated amongst them, from the Emperor downwards, and which it is one great object of the present revolution to correct. Hung (for by this shorter name we shall henceforth call him) went to several schools, and his teachers were so well pleased with his talents and conduct that they would not receive any payment for teaching him. When Hung was sixteen years of age, the poverty of his family did not permit him to continue his studies, but like the other youth of the village, who were not students, he assisted in field labour, or led the oxen to graze on the mountains; a common occupation in China for those who, either by their age or their youth, are unable to perform heavy manual labour. This, however, was not long to be his occupation. His mind was too active for this kind of life, and he still pursued his studies. He resorted to Canton to undergo his examination for the honours of literature, which, as we have seen, are the principal way to employment and honour in the state. In the years 1836 and 1837, when he was about 23 years of age, he resorted to Canton for the purpose of attaining the highest degree, but in this he was disappointed, and so returned home to his village. On the journey he became ill, and when he arrived at home he was confined to his bed. During this period he had a succession of dreams or visions. In his dreams he saw a great number of people, bidding him welcome to their number, and thought this dream was to signify that he should soon die, and go into the presence of Yen-lo-wang, the Chinese King of Hades. He, therefore, called his parents and relatives to his bedside, and thus addressed them :-" My days are counted, and my life will soon be closed. Oh, my parents! how badly have I returned the favour of your love to me! I shall never attain a name that may reflect its lustre upon you." After he had uttered these words he fell into a swoon, and all thought he was about to die. During this trance his mind was acted upon by a peculiar energy, so that he not only perceived things of a very extraordinary nature, but afterwards retained in memory what had occurred to him. At first, when his eyes were closed, he saw a dragon, a tiger, and a cock entering his room, and soon afterwards, he observed a great number of men playing on musical instruments. But a venerable old man appeared, and as soon as he saw Hung he began to shed tears and said,— All human beings in the world are produced and sustained by me; they eat my food and wear my clothing, but not a single one among them has a heart to remember and venerate me; what is however still worse, they take my gifts, and, therefore, worship demons; they rebel against me and rouse my anger. Do thou not imitate them." Upon this the old man gave to Hung a sword, commanding him to extirpate the demons, but to spare his brothers and sisters; he also gave him a seal by which he would overcome the evil spirits; and a yellow fruit which Hung found sweet to the taste. —66 This appears to be the first event originating the great movement now going on in China. From that time Hung began to exhort all who came near him to exterminate the demons, to destroy all idols, and to establish, as we shall shortly see, the authority and power of the Ten Commandments, especially of the five latter, amongst the people. After this illness and the vision which he had experienced, Hung's mind became much altered, and his determinations to commence a |