covenant, not alone with chosen Israel, but with all men and people of the earth. He regards not circumcision but faith, which is active by love. Here there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free man; no distinction between man or woman, but all are equal before him.

The Saviour could not reveal his works in signs and writing, but in living words from mouth to ear and heart; for the spirit of the Father cannot be silent, but enters into him who loves him. He acts directly and powerfully in the faithful, and produces new fruits a thousandfold. But as faith is not with every one, not all will be able to understand or follow him, and the rich and worldly-learned will find it to be a stumbling-block; and as especially his teachings command the renunciation of the world and its pleasures, how could the man fettered to his earthly possessions at once give up his comforts, or descend from his elevated position? The Saviour will undeniably speak before all the world, and impart his spiritual benefit, accompanied by miracles, to every one who approaches him and prays for them; but for the certain and sure prosperity of his mission, he will choose an especial few, in whom he fixes the divine word so firmly by intimate communion that it can never be destroyed. His chosen disciples may not, however, be inoculated by worldly wisdom; but they must have a sound understanding and a faithful spirit, properties necessary above all others, that they may be able to carry out in obedience the will of their master. For this purpose, however, they must become infused with the whole spirit of their Lord, by a long and direct communion with him; and be so penetrated by his truth, that they cannot be terrified, by any worldly persecu tion or obstacle, from exercising openly, and without expectation of reward, the mission which they have received.

The presence of the Saviour upon earth, and among his disciples, is only necessary till his disciples are sufficiently prepared to carry out the great work after his departure; and for this purpose the schooling of two or three years was sufficient. The number, however, of his first disciples would naturally be governed by the circumstances of the country and nation where the first seeds were planted and germinated. For even the smallest germs of the divine word increase in an incredible manner, till they shall embrace the

earth. In the small country of Palestine, where the Jews lived divided into twelve tribes, separated from the surrounding heathens-on this account twelve apostles were chosen.

When the Saviour, who appears here in the flesh, has concluded his labours and fulfilled his time, he will die, like all men; for the earthly body must become as the earth, and the spirit alone ascend to heaven. "That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be; but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body" (I. Corinthians, xv. 36.) But as his adversaries will regard him as an innovator, and, moreover, as a creator of disturbance and misleader of the people, because he endeavours to introduce a new order of things which reverses the old one, with which, according to their ideas, the heritage left them by their Father will be destroyed, they will cry out against him as a doubly dangerous delinquent; politically on account of the numbers following, but also as a calumniator of their laws, a blasphemer of God, making himself equal with God. They will, therefore, cry out loudly to kill him before all other malefactors. And he will drink the bitter cup, which his Father places before him, for the salvation of mankind; for not his will in the flesh, but the will of his Father in heaven, will be fulfilled. With his death, darkness will cover the earth, and the eyes of the faithful will become dim, and the hearts of sinners be hardened. But if it is God's work, it will endure; and if it was truly God who descended, he will not remain in death, he will arise to glory and power above the living and dead; and he will comfort the sorrowful by his spirit, and reveal himself to them; he will give confidence to the doubting; and, lastly, at his departure from them he will bless them, and after his ascension send to them the spirit of truth, which arouses the mind and understanding, as by a tongue of fire, such as was never before seen in the world.

And what will be the consequences of this death? The offered blood of the God-man will cleanse the believing man from all earthly stain of sin, and the germs scattered

by him will shoot forth and spread out green branches; and over the nations scattered under its shadow the blessings of the sacrifice will descend. The gateway of a new life and temple in the heart of man, opened by the Saviour, will be without bolt or bar, for he will release the mind from its innumerable fetters. No more smoking sacrifices will be offered; no blood of animals will be shed; no idols, carved in stone or wood, will be worshipped, but the inward purity of the mind, and the perfect resemblance of God, will be restored; and in this manner, all those who fell in Adam will arise in our Lord, and through his mediation all will regain freedom to act and work in faith and love.

This regeneration of man will not, however, be brought about in a moment, and influence all hearts like lightning, but will progress silently and slowly, but surely and irrestrainably, according to the infallible laws of nature. Thousands of years will pass by before the whole flock will be gathered into one fold. But this new teaching will restore to all and every one that receive it the original freedom and perfection of the mind; in all it will ripen the fruits of holiness, of love, and happiness.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John, iii. 16.)

Did Christ really appear with the divine mission of Saviour of the world? The following reasons convince me that in Christ the divine Mediator and, at the same time, Saviour, appeared:

(1.) That the same spirit which formerly announced the word of God through the prophets spoke fully in Christ.

(2.) That all prophets witnessed of him that all those who believed in him, and followed him, should receive forgiveness of their sins (Acts, x. 43).

(3.) That all circumstances of Christ's advent, till his ascension, were foretold.

(4.) I am further convinced by the contents of Christ's teachings; by the Spirit of the life of Jesus; his miracles and prophecies; the agreement of his teachings with the expectations of earlier ages, and with the necessities of humanity; and, lastly,

(5.) That all who believe in Christ, and receive his spirit, since his advent, gain inward peace, and do that in his name which he has promised his disciples.

This anthropological digression might appear to many unnecessarily introduced; but I do not consider it superfluous to make the belief in Christianity stronger than it usually is; that an easily-accepted belief may not become superstition, and thereby be placed as a counterpoise to rationalism; that by such an easily-acquired faith everything inexplicable is believed in; for it is as common on one side to believe too easily, without caring about investigation, as on the other to believe little or nothing, when the circumscribed knowledge does not agree with the subject of belief. The contradictions, which are believed to exist, arise mostly in the diverging polar opposites of faith and knowledge. I would rather strengthen the objective comprehensiveness of the common religious belief in the divinity of Christ, which is in general much more difficult, except in individual cases, than knowledge; not by dialectical specialities, but by a harmonious equalisation; and would follow the system of the investigator of nature, who does not construe anything novel in nature, but endeavours to comprehend the subject of investigation.

In this manner we shall justify the universal popular belief (which unconsciously contains almost always more germs of truth than the most elaborately chiselled systems of the philosophers of the age), and introduce truth into the knowledge, as we do not alone believe the idea possible in the event, but found the event upon a basis accordant with nature, which is not imaginary. Such a profound conception of the meaning of Christianity is, how ever, absolutely necessary to the proper understanding of the magical appearances of later ages, which still remain to be mentioned; and I here take the opportunity of speaking of the connection of magnetism with the Christian miracles, as in modern times they have been declared to be nothing more than magnetic, and Christ himself a magnetist; while on the other hand magnetism has been regarded as purely spiritual. Here several questions arise, which at present are imperfectly explained: to these belongs that question, upon the similarity or equality of the Christian prophecies propt Maquetism is plesova, out divine heb. spiritualion

Apall

and miracles, and the magnetic phenomena. Is all this a natural influence, only varied in intensity, or is there a higher miraculous influence through Christ? These questions are to be answered by different courses of reasoning, according as we regard magnetism from an elevated or low point of view; or as a higher or lower condition of existence; or as any theory may adapt itself to analogy. Thus, one declares the miracles of Christ magnetic, because there is no supernatural power, and because all miracles are far removed from minute criticism, and may be compared to magnetism, which obeys natural laws, more or less known. Another regards Christ as the highest manifestation of intelligence in the telluric sleep-life, in which the negative power of the believing mind becomes, in fact, the active principle in the cure. Again, another looks upon it as supernaturally miraculous, and a comparison with doubtful or uncredited magnetism is inadmissible, while in an opposite manner, magnetism is regarded by some as a continuation of the Gospel, and by others, on the contrary, as the work of the devil.

He who is not perfectly acquainted with magnetism, and only regards it in certain aspects, will form an opinion of it according to his individual position and his own theory concerning it. Whoever on the one side accepts too much influence of nature in life, and on the other regards Christ only as an individuality among fleeting events, will never be able to answer the above questions properly. But if we know Christ as the Evangelists and Apostles represent him, if we pay attention to the events before and after the advent of Christ, we shall not find it difficult to gain proper views upon the worth and intention of magnetism on the one side, and of the being and dignity of Christ as a divine manifestation and as a miracle in nature on the other.

However, the analogies in the phenomena of prophecy as well as in manipulation, as for instance laying on of hands, and the mutual rapport by communion in faith, are to be denied just as little (which might serve to recommend magnetism) as they are to be accepted literally. Christ lived and worked in nature, also as a man by ordinary natural agents he had flesh and blood from his fathers Abraham's and David's seed, and was born of a virgin in the village of