wisdom, and a race of Christian youth rising into holy activity, will coact gloriously for the triumph of the Cross. Aim at rearing such a race. On the World-how beneficial the influence which will give the right direction to education, philosophy, literature, social morals, political movements; preserving the age from the extremes of despotism and anarchy, of superstition and infidelity.

You may deem your individual place of little moment. But remember you are not private adventurers, solitary pilgrims; but parts of a glorious phalanx, identified with God's ministry, God's church, God's Spirit, by reasons cogent, and ties indissoluble.

Let our Sunday-school teachers put forth their united force, diligently and devoutly, and who shall dare to limit the benefits arising to the church and the world? When at home every member of the churches shall be trained to Christian effort; when to nations around, oppressed with systems of falsehood, and distracted with social strifes, the teachers of truth and peace shall go forth; when missionary ranks, reinforced, shall lift up the crucified Saviour in the view of every guilty man. Have in prospect such results as these, while labouring in your holy vocation! For by such agency "shall come salvation," and "the kingdom of our God and of his Christ." Then shall liberty, fraternity, love, be spread world-wide. Then shall the joy of earth rise to the bliss of heaven, and the universal song proclaim the universal reign of God. In that final ecstasy the Sunday-school teacher shall have a large "recompense of reward."

ON PANTHEISM.

That Protean monster which we designate Pantheism has excited in all ages, and strange to say, still finds abettors in countries where it might have been supposed the light of science and of revelation had for ever excluded it. According to this absurd system, (if system can be applied to its ever changing form,) the universe is an emanation or extension of the Creator's essence. Under this belief, however modified, the Creator himself is identical with the Creation. This notion obtained among men at a very early period. In the writings ascribed to Orpheus, in the doctrines propounded by Pythagoras, and in most of the Grecian poets and philosophers. Plutarch, in his "Defect of Oracles," says, that the ancient philosophers resolved all things into God, and pronounced this of them universally:

Ζευς άρχη, Ζευς μεσσα, Διος και παντα τελονται.

God is the beginning, the midst, and all things are complete in God.The same doctrine was embraced by the Roman philosophers: Seneca says, “We are all members of one great body. The whole world is God, and we are not only his members, but also his fellows and companions. In fact, we find this doctrine more or less pervading the writings of all the Grecian and Roman poets, from Orpheus to Virgil, with, perhaps, the exception of Empedocles and Lucretius. The same Pantheism still distinguishes the two great systems of oriental heathenism—Brahmanism and Budhism.

From ancient times this doctrine has descended to our own age. It was

advocated and elaborately set forth by Spinosa, in the seventeenth century, and runs through the writings of the English sophists of the last century. It appears prominent in Pope's celebrated Essay on Man,” though probably its author spoke more rhetorically than philosophicallyand put loosely into poetry what his patron, Lord Bolinbroke, held systematically. The following lines of Pope, if understood literally, express the quintessence of Pantheism :

"All are but parts of one stupendous whole,

Whose body nature is, and God the soul."

Neckar held this doctrine; and Isnard, on the immortality of the soul, labours to give it support. Father Malebranche verbally favoured this notion, for he says, that "we see all things in God," and that "He is our intelligible world."

In Germany a variable Pantheism prevails to a considerable extent, which though differing in some of its features from the materialism of its heathen predecessors, yet presents characteristics equally absurd and rerepugnant to all just conceptions of the Deity. Professor Kant has the reputation if not of originating, yet of elaborating and diffusing, principles under the designation of "Transcendental philosophy," which his successors have ripened into various theories, the most repellant to reason, and the most inimical to religion. Schelling regards the objects of sense as the phenomena of the ideal world, and the ideal world as nothing more than the mode of the existence of the Deity. Fichte identifies object and subject, or being and thought with him are one—the finite and infinite are one. According to Hegel, creation is an eternal momentum: it is the Deity, by a negation of himself, passing into a world, and becoming a second self. The creation is a world which is never made, but always being created.

Such is a cursory view of the varied systems of Pantheism which in different ages and climes have held ascendency over vast multitudes of minds-systems so heterogeneous that it is difficult to give them a general classification; and so contradictory, that they are equally opposed to each other as they are to truth and common sense. If such views had been originated and put forth by men of ordinary minds and status, they would have been deemed by the literati as scarcely worth denouncing-as too puerile and preposterous to merit a passing observation. The ravings of Johanna Southcote, and the prophet of the Mormonites, do not furnish a greater outrage upon the first principles of reason than these philosophic reveries. Yet they are earnestly and elaborately defended and propagated by men of strong intellect and great acquirements, whose potent influence in moulding public opinion can scarcely be estimated. Trifling, therefore, and absurd as the sentiments are, their extensive prevalence, and their elaborate defence by learned men, are to be treated as great and serious facts, and their fallacies and wickedness to be gravely set forth. This is our duty, and we proceed to show that the Pantheistic theory under every modification is fraught with absurdity, infidelity, idolatry, and licentiousness.

I. PANTHEISM IS FRAUGHT WITH ABSURDITY.

1. It contradicts one of the most obvious principles on which all reason

ing proceeds, and on which all knowledge is built-namely, the principle that essential difference constitutes individuality, or distinct identical existence. In all classes, orders, genera, species, and individuals, there is an essential difference by which one thing or person is distinguished from another, and has its individual identity. It matters not whether the beings be organised or unorganised, animate or inanimate, material or immaterial, atoms or worlds, persons or things, there is in each a distinct individuality. As a tree is not a man, and a man is not an ox, and an ocean is not a continent, so an idea is not the object it represents. Now the theory that identifies the creature with the Creator, the finite with the infinite, the Deity with the universe, contradicts this obvious principle. It has the absurdity of making the workman and his work, the potter and his clay, the same identical being. It matters not how the theory be disguised, nor how metaphysically, learnedly and elaborately it may be presentedwhatever be its costume, this is the thing itself, apart from all disguise.

2. While this theory is contradicted by the common sense of mankind, and the first principles of knowledge, it is equally contradicted by its authors themselves: they are every moment contradicting their own theory both in their speculations and their practices. Are they mathematicans? They distinguish a square from a triangle, and they distinguish both from a circle; they cannot construct a single theorem, nor even commence the process, without contradicting their own theory. Are they logicians? They distinguish one proposition from another, and the premises from the conclusion. If they made these identical, they could never construct a single syllogism if they should live to the end of time. In fact every effort they make to build up their own theory, assumes the very principle which destroys it—in the very act to support it, they undermine its foundation. In every sentence they pen, they assume an essential difference in their own ideas one from another; in every word, every syllable, and every letter, by which they seek to express their ideas, they assume this essential difference; and in their controversies amongst themselves, or against their common opponents, they assume an essential difference in their systems one from another, and this difference constitutes an individuality for each; and this individuality destroys the identity which lies at the foundation of their theory. There may be a resemblance between two beings of the same species, but there is still an essential difference, which gives to each a distinct individuality. Two atoms of matter may be so near alike that we can see no difference in shape, size, colour, or weight, but still they are not identical—there is such an essential difference between them, that each has its own identity and individualty.

If then there be distinct individuality in objects thus intimately resembling each other, how palpably absurd to contend against this distinction with respect to objects between which there is the greatest disparity and contrariety! The universe is finite, God is infinite; the creature is of yesterday, God is eternal; the creature is helpless and dependent, God is independent and Almighty; the creature dies, the Creator is essentially and eternally living; and yet these sage philosophers are writing books to persuade mankind that they are one and the same Being!

3. While this theory is contradicted by the first principles of reason, it is equally contradicted by our consciousness and our senses. We have a consciousness of personal identity, by which we know that Ego is not Tu,