2'>'» S. N« 64., Ma&. 21. '67.;] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



223 



portion of which is now ready for the press: from the 

 portion of it which I have seen I believe it to be of con- 

 siderable value." 



The long and very sensible letter from which we have 

 quoted, has produced a Treasury Minute, in which My 

 Lords sanction the scheme, express their opinion " that the 

 plan recommended is well calculated for the accomplish- 

 ment of this important national object," — suggest, and 

 the suggestion is unquestionably a very good one, " that 

 the Preface to each work should contain, in addition to 

 the particulars proposed by the Master of the Rolls, a 

 biographical account of the author, so far as authentic 

 materials exist for compiling one, and an estimate of his 

 historical credibility and value ; and finally adopt the sug- 

 gestion of the Master of the Rolls for the publication of Mr. 

 Hardy's Chronological Catalogue : and with reference to 

 Mr. Hardy's declining to ask for any remuneration for the 

 work, My Lords very properly remark, " that if, after the 

 work has been completed, it should, in the estimation of 

 competent judges, prove to be, as is expected, a contri- 

 bution of great value towards the history of the country, 

 a suitable gratuity might with propriety be allowed to 

 Mr. Hardy as a special mark of the approbation of Her 

 Majesty's Government." 



Such is an outline of a plan which, if carried out in 

 the same spirit in which it has been conceived, is destined 

 to exercise a great influence on the progress of historical 

 studies in England. Were we not justified when, on first 

 announcing it to our readers, we pronounced it to be one 

 which reflected infinite credit upon Sir John Romilly, 

 who proposed it, and upon Sir G. Cornewall Lewis for 

 the readiness with which he has adopted it ? 



liAw's PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS. 



(^Continued from p. 203.) 



" Part Third. Dialogue IV. — The whole foundation 

 of the gospel, in the certainty of man's original perfection, 

 his bestial-diabolic fall, and his redemption. The prime- 

 val fire and light, still lodged in the human soul. Salva- 

 tion consists in the conscious reopening (or quickening) 

 of this latent, supernatural, divine life. How it differs 

 from any natural goodness, and yet must become a 

 power of the life, even the ' life of our life, and the spirit of 

 our spirit.' The doctrine of the fall, the best and only safe 

 means for converting unbelievers. Its proofs not histori- 

 cal, but are lodged in human nature itself. (See also Intro- 

 duction to Theosophy, Vol. I., Book I., pp. 39—62.) The pos- 

 sibility, occasion and manner of the fall, briefly sketched. 

 The diff'erence between the fall of mankind, and that of the 

 Luciferian angelical hierarchy. The certain redemption 

 of the former. Gospel Christianity only its actual com- 

 mencement, as involved in the glorification of Christ's 

 humanity. _ (How gospel Christianity stands distinguished 

 from the original, universal Christianity, which began with 

 Adam, was the religion of the patriarchs, of Moses and 

 the prophets, and of every penitent man, in every part 

 of the earth, that had/ai'tAand hope towards God, to be 

 delivered from the evil and vanity of this world.) {_End 

 of Vol. II. Introd. to Theos.'] 



Dialogue V. — [ 0/ the Way to Divine Knowledge and 

 Understanding. Being, (according to the intimation at the 

 end of the Second Diabgue,) an Introduction to the Phi- 



losophy of the Writings of BoiiE^iivs.'] Learned exposi- 

 tions of scripture, like religious opinions, utterly useless. 

 The only purpose to be regarded in scripture, is its use in 

 advancing the new birth of the divine life. Bohmk the 

 only original guide to the philosophy of this new life. 

 The nature of Bohme's disclosures. For whom his works 

 are intended, and by whom alone thej' can safely be con- 

 sulted. The impossibility of searching into these things, 

 — appertaining to the supernatural centre of the divme 

 wisdom, — by mere earthly human reason. True apprehen- 

 sion derived from the Spirit of the supernatural * Deity, 

 working in man's natural immortal life, as he works in 

 eternal nature. Hence the only way to Divine knowledge, 

 is the way of the gospel ; which proposes the new birth, 

 as the means of attaining to divine light and love. How 

 the way to this birth lies wholly in the will. How the 

 will of man rules (and forms) his own spiritual nature, as 

 the will of God rules the eternal nature. The nature of 

 this will, as proceeding from the latent divine life, or 

 power of redemption in the soul. Faith, in the true 

 Scripture sense, as it relates to salvation, nothing else 

 than the working of this new engrafted divine power 

 in the natural life of the soul. 



" Dialogue VI. — Nature and God both known by their 

 manifestation in the mind. In what the whole ground of 

 religion consists. Nature and God both defined. The 

 birth and generation of the properties of nature as set 

 forth by Bohme. First form of Nature, with its three 

 properties. Their beatification by the supernatural di- 

 vine light and love. How they constitute the substan- 

 tiality, or working powers of darkness, in which the 

 hidden, superspiritual, supernatural Deity moves and 

 shines, or becomes perceptible. The degrees by which 

 they become materialised, [or how the supernatural, in- 

 tellectual, free, magic Will of light, the Nothing and the 

 All, introverts itself as self-desire, to seek and find itself, 

 thereby compressing or contracting, as it were, its infinity 

 of power, colour, virtue, into a point, or centre of nature ; 

 and how it thence proceeds centrally forward, pregnant 

 with essentiality, into its own original extroverted infinite 

 liberty, having completed the comprehension, sensation and 

 manifestation of its own wonderful all-potentiality. Vir- 

 gin Sophia.] In what state the original, eternal nature, 

 or substantiality of heaven, was brought forth. Its funda- 

 mental constitution (as mere self-desire of omnipotence,) 

 never intended to be known (experientially, but only 

 ideally). The reason of its discover}^, and the creation of 

 temporal nature as a consequence of the fall. Into what 

 elements, the upraised wrathful properties of the eternal 

 nature by the fallen angels finally passed, by the con- 

 trolling will or fiat of God, in the three first circulations, or 

 'days.' The comprehension of temporal nature in seven 

 properties, (the electric forces). The place of the sun in 

 their midst, or the Copernican philosophy opened from 

 transcendental grounds. The end of temporal nature, and 

 general review of the providential design connected with 

 its origin, existence and termination. The philosophy of 

 individual regeneration practically set forth. The birth 

 of fire, or fourth form of nature f in regeneration. Admoni- 

 tion concerning the right use of the mystery revealed in 

 Bohme. 



* By supernatural understand that which is within, 

 without, above, or bej'ond even spiritual essentiality, or 

 the eternal nature itself. 



t This the actual opening of the supernatural divine 

 sci-entz, wisdom or tincture in the soul's natural essences, 

 whereby they become transmuted and exalted into essen- 

 tial light and a spirit of love («. Preface to Introduction to 

 Theosophy'). Before this terrible, consuming yet vivifying 

 transaction, (the true alchemic magistery, and a qualifi- 

 cation of the philosophical artist or magnetist,) the soul is 

 yet unregenerated in God, and therefore without divine 



