sympathy. Ye shades of Sweedenborgh, Jacob Behman, and all the famed mystics that once inhabited this globe, blush, blush, at your inferiority to G. G. F. He has indeed out-done you all; even Joanna Southcott must yield to him the palm. But although he has told us that his belief arises from feeling, and can only be understood by sympathy, he is constrained to acknowledge, "that this impression is the result of observation and of reflection." If this be the case, the belief of a God may be understood independent of sympathy, and may be seen equally as well as felt; for according to his own acknowledgment, the whole is the result of observation and reflection, and in these I apprehend it will be admitted sight necessarily has the first and greatest share.

But probably G. G. F. may say the feeling he intends is an internal feeling, and not merely the sense of feeling. I will admit that this might be his meaning, but what will it amount to? All our internal feelings or impressions respecting the Deity must result from our observations of external objects, which form ideas in our mind; and the association of these ideas produce a conviction which I suppose he calls feeling, that there must be a God, an Omnipotent Creator of all things; but conviction is never indepen dent of ideas, but absolutely dependent upon and resulting from them. If this be a true statement, the being of a God may be known and communicated without the aid of sympathy; for whatever opinion we have ideas of may be conveyed in words to another. But if G. G. F. will still maintain he believes in a God of whom he has no idea, then I allow it is impossible for any other person to know it but by the same means. But since I have never known any person beside G. G. F. who believed in a God, when he had no idea of him, and conceive it impossible, consistent with the nature of man, so to do, I must conclude that he is an Atheist, notwithstanding his declaration that he believes in a God, unless he can prove to me that he possesses some occult method of believing different to all the human race beside. Query-Is it instinct or inspiration?

But G. G. F. flatters himself that his "view of the subject exactly coincides with the Old and New Testament." He has not quoted one passage from the Old, but in the New Testament he refers us to "Paul's speech to the men of Athens." God is not far from every one of us if haply they might FEEL after him and find him; " in him we live and move and have our being." Now, Sir, the whole that he can make applicable to his notion rests on the word feel,

after him, and in him we live, &c. The word feel exactly suited the taste of this ingenious player upon words, and therefore he has quoted it; but let any person read the connection (Acts xvii.), and he will find that it is only a figurative expression alluding to the peculiar circumstances of the gentile world, who were considered in a state of darkness; and their inquiries after God are compared to a man feeling in the dark for any thing that was near, but of which he was not apprised. The apostle could never mean that God was tangible to touch.

"In him we live," &c. The word in may be translated, by, from, through, or in; and the quotation which Paul makes from one of their own poets will determine what it ought to be in this place," for we are his offspring," consequently from or by would be the proper word, from or by him we live and move, and have our being;" but as G. G. F. had seen God, or rather felt him (I ask his pardon for the mistake) in so many things, the passage, as at present translated, suited in the sound, and that was all he looked for. It would equally suit those curious quibblers, who, wishing to be wise above what is written, contend that the Deity pervades and fills the brick-wall, or the manure we lay on the land, as much as "he shines in the sun, twinkles in the stars, sings in the birds," &c. But I am fully satisfied Paul dealt in no such philosophy; he was content to know from revelation what is confirmed by observation of nature, that there is a God, the Omnipotent Creator, governor, and preserver of all things, from whom we receive life, motion, existence, and every blessing.

I have to apologize to you and G. G. F. for any want of conciseness and method; the point I will leave to the judgment of your readers. To you, Sir, I have reason more particularly to apologize for taking up any part of your paper in reply to so whimsical, unmeaning, and incoherent a performance, as the letter of G. G. F.; but really, Sir, he set out with so dictatorial and schoolmaster-like method, that I did hope he had something important to advance; but, alas! he has neither attempted to controvert what I have written, nor to support the principles I have maintained. He seems indeed only to have noticed my letter for the purpose of introducing his own silly rhapsody about nothing, and has not only left the matter in darkness visi'ble, but in darkness that may be felt; and lest he should have opened the way for more of Mr. B's letters, who is always fond of attacking a weak adversary, I have endeavoured to show the folly of what G. G. F has written, to

save Mr. B. the trouble of writing, and you of printing any thing more from him, till he has fairly answered all my previous questions.

I shall conclude by recommending to G. G. F. for the future only to write about those things which he understands; a weak and ignorant advocate for a cause is sure to injure it, and to invite the wary opponent to avail himself of his folly. This was strikingly realized in his milk and water letter to Cobbett, which afforded that coward the opportunity of flying from the attack of the lion, W. Coates, to seize on the unconscious and silly lamb, G. G. F.

I am, Sir, your's, &e.

A FRIEND TO TRUTH AND CONSISTENCY.*

Since writing the above, I have seen two other letters from G. G. F. in Cobbett's Register, consisisting of the same flimsy materials as his former ones. It is such letters as these Cobbett likes to publish; they give him the appearance of libérality and candour, whereas he inserts them only because he knows they require no answer; or if answered, he can cut them to pieces without any difficulty. I will not say what sensations were produced in my mind towards G. C. F. when I saw his fawning letters, wherein he treats the unprincipled and cowardly Cobbett with all the respect due to an honest man, nor even dares to ask him why he failed to fulfil his promise to Mr. Coates, of inserting his manly letters. Any man who felt the dignity of Christianity, and his own character, would blush to see his name in such an unprincipled publication under such circumstances.

ON THE EXISTENCE OF A PLACE CALLED HEAVEN.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Christians' Magazine.

SIR,

S your Correspondent Timotheus considers that to communicate information to his fellow-creatures is one of the noblest occupations of man, and professes his readiness to afford it to the honest simple enquirer, I take the Jiberty of submitting to him a difficulty which the perusal of his reply to C. B. in the Magazine for this Month, has created in my mind; and in so doing I beg to assure him that this letter is not dictated by a disposition to argue for argument sake, but by a sincere desire for information, as I never before attempted to put my ideas into writing, with a view to solicit a removal of my difficulties through a public channel; nor do I believe I ever should, had it not been that I was induced to attend the meetings of your church for public instruction a few months back, and have since had the advantage of perusing the many valuable essays in its

Magazine. And here I trust I may be permitted to hear my testimony to the advantages that have resulted from the insertion of those (in my judgment) valuable productions which have appeared in it, under the signature of" Christophilus" as, by exhibiting Christianity in its purity, divested of its many and great corruptions, he at the same time divested me of my (as they now appear to me) puerile objections against that beautiful system, though before then I thought those objections unanswerable; and I have thereby fortunately been induced to think, before I was too old and prejudiced to receive conviction.

66

But to return to the principal object of this letter-I think with Timotheus, that to believe in heaven as the "particular" residence of the Deity, must necessarily attach an idea of locality to God, not at all consistent with those enlightened notions of his omnipresence which are generally entertained in the present day; but when he says at the latter end of his reply, "I believe that this wonderful and beautiful globe, as it has been, so it ever will be, the proper residence of man." It appears to me that he had, in the preceding part of the same reply, stated that, which if it is not sufficient to do away with this belief, at least creates a strong presumption against it. He says, in a note attached to his explanation of John iii. 2, 3, that he thinks it by no means improbable that Jesus here bore reference to an immediate state of immortality, which the apostles were to receive at their death; and he afterwards gives it as his opinion, that Elijah (see 2 Kings, chap. ii.) and the apostles are still in existence; but where, he adds, I cannot presume to say on this point the scriptures are silent, and. therefore I cannot tell. Now I do not ask where, but I ask (the scriptures being silent on the subject) whether it is not reasonable to suppose, as Elijah and the apostles were men in every respect like ourselves, that wherever they exist we shall also exist, as I presume Timotheus does not imagine they exist on this earth?

Timotheus observes, if there is no such place as heaven, man must necessarily remain where he is, or otherwise, he asks, where is he to go? I answer, as he will, I imagine, collect from what I have before said, that it appears to me that wherever Elijab and the apostles have gone before him, and do now exist, there it is reasonable to suppose that their fellow men will likewise exist hereafter; and Timotheus bas himself said, that he is not disposed to pronounce the idea of man's quitting this earth as absolutely unphilosophical, nor do I think that this idea involves in its admis

VOL. III.

3 Q

sion a confusion of the divine order, unless it be allowedthat that order has already been broken in the cases of Elijah and the apostles.

This is the idea that has arisen in my mind on perusing this article; and I beg to observe, that I only propose it as a difficulty upon which I feel desirous to have the opinion of your Correspondent; and as I have no wish to take up room unnecessarily in your valuable work, you can, if you think it best, hand this letter to him, and should he deem it worthy a reply, he can give one at his convenience.

I

am, Sir, your's, &c.

October 7, 1813.

A.

LETTER TO A YOUNG MAN, CONTAINING OBSERVATIONS ON POLITICS, THE MILITARY PROFESSION, &C.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Chritians' Magazine.

SIR,

HOULD you conceive that the following letter may be

of service to any of your younger readers, you are at liberty to insert it. As it was written without the most distant idea that it would meet other eyes than those of the person for whom it was intended, and as it appeared to me improper to alter or correct the stile of a letter professedly genuine, you will excuse any errors, or defects of expression, or method which it may contain; and, warning your readers of the necessity of making similar allowances, believe me, Your's, &c.

TYRO.

I AM much in arrear with you for letters, and as you have requested my opinion on some rather important points, which may influence your conduct and condition through life, I shall now, should time permit, proceed to give it at some length.

First for business

And now to your two grand points-politics, and desire of military glory. On these matters I most compleatly differ from you-my opinions. indeed are singular ones, and such as few would advance, but not perhaps the less worthy of your attention. To your desire of being a soldier, and ambition of military honours, I would reply-that for war, the whole art and science taken together, and all who are connected with it, I have a thorough contempt and detestation. A soldier is, in my