templation is a state of perfection to which they aspire. Of this description there have been many singular characters, especially Madame Guyon, a French lady, who made a great noise in the religious world. Fenelon, the amiable Archbishop of Cambray, favoured the sentiments of this female devotee, for which he was reprimanded by the Pope, and tọ whose animadversions he most dutifully assented, contrary to the convictions of his own mind. It is not uncommon for the Mystics to allegorise certain passages of scripture, at the same time not denying the literal sense, as having an allusion to the inward experience of believers. Thus, according to them, the word Jerusalem, which is the name of the capital of Judea, signifies allegorically the church militant; morally, a believer; and mysteriously, heaven. That fine passage also in Genesis, "Let there be light, and there was light," which is, according to the letter, corporeal light, signifies allegorically, beatitude, or the light of glory. Mysticism is not confined to any particular profession of Christianity, but is to be understood as generally applied to those who dwell upon the inward operations of the mind (such as the Quakers, &c.) laying little or no stress on the outward ceremonies of religion.*

* The two following Sects are occasionally mentioned in conversation, and the Author has been asked by young people more than once for an explanation of them. A short account therefore is subjoined.

SWEDENBORGIANS.

Tus Swedenborgians are the followers of Emanuel Swedenborg, a Swedish nobleman, who died in London, 1772. He professed himself to be the founder (under the Lord) of the New Jerusalem

The FIFTH MONARCHY MEN were a set of enthusiasts in the time of Cromwell, who expected the sudden appearance of Christ to establish on earth a new monarchy, or kingdom. In consequence of this allusion some of them aimed at the sub version of all human government. In ancient history we read of four great monarchies, the Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman: and these men believing that this new spiritual kingdom of Christ was to be the fifth, came to bear the name by which they are distinguished. BURNET's History of his Own Times has this brief account of them: "One Venner thought it was not enough to believe that CHRIST was to reign on earth and to put the saints in possession of the kingdom (an opinion they were all unspeakably fond of), but added to this, that the saints were to take the kingdom themselves. He gathered some of the most furious of the party to a meeting in Coleman Street. There they concerted the day and the manner of their rising to set CHRIST on his throne as they called it. But withal they meant to manage the government in his name, and were so formal, that they had prepared standards and colours with their devices on them, and furnished themselves with very good arms. But when the day caine there was but a small appearance, not exceeding twenty! However they resolved to venture out into the streets and cry out, NO KING BUT CHRIST! Some of them seemed persuaded that Chris

Church, alluding to the New Jerusalem spoken of in the Book of the Revelation of St. John. His tenets, although peculiarly distinct from every other system of divinity in Christendom, are nevertheless drawn.

would come down and head them. They scoured the streets before them, and made a great progress. Some were afraid, and all were amazed at this piece of extravagance. They killed a great many, but were at last mastered by numbers, and were ALL either killed or taken and executed."

P

The Muggletonians (a very few of whom remain) were the followers of Ludovick Muggleton, a journeyman taylor, who with his companion, Reeves, (a person of equal obscurity) set up for Prophets, in the turbulent times of Cromwell. They pretended to absolve or condemn whom they pleased, and gave out that they were THE TWO LAST WITNESSES spoken of in the Revelations who were to appear previous to the final de-struction of the world. I picked up a thin quarto volume published by Muggleton; it detailed his sufferings and persecutions, and stated at large his travels and labours. But from the wildness and incoherency of his statements, (some of which are really ludicrous) there can be no doubt of the poor man's insanity. I have only to add that the followers of Muggleton were strong opposers of the common notion of the Trinity, and seem to have entertained proper ideas of the injustice, impolicy, and odiousness of persecution: This appears from a work put into my hands, entitled The Muggletonian Principles prevailing, published in 1695. It is a reply to an adversary. "When God gathers up his jewels, many of those that have been judged Heretics, will rise Saints, and many of those that your Churches have canonized for Saints will rise Devils! For no Persecutors of Conscience will escape the stroke. If any man object Paul's persecuting the Church, they may know that Paul at that time

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from the Holy Scriptures, and supported by quotations from them. He asserts, that in the year 1743, the Lord manifested himself to him in a personal ap. pearance; and at the same time opened his spiritual eyes, so that he was enabled constantly to see and converse with spirits and angels.

He now began to print and publish various wonderful things, which, he says, were revealed to him, relating to heaven and hell, the state of men after death, the worship of God, the spiritual sense of the

acknowledged no Jesus at all; therefore when both sides ac knowledge a Jesus, take heed how you persecute!"

Since writing the above paragraph, I have met with the following Inscription-taken from the Church-Yard, SpinningWheel Alley, Old Bethlem. Mr. Ludovick Muggleton, died Monday, March 14, 1697, in the 88th year of his age.

Whilst Mausoleums and large Inscriptions give;
Might, splendor and past death make potents live,
It is enough to briefly write thy name,

Succeeding times by that will read thy fame;

Thy deeds, thy acts, around the Globe resound,

No foreign soil where MUGGLETON's not found!

This is a singular instance of the extravagance of the followers of this now almost forgotten Prophet. I have been down to the ground, and no stone tells where the Prophet lies.

The reader is referred to Penn's Works, where will be found an epitome of the tenets of Muggleton, and a curious account of an interview between Penn and him, in which the replies of Muggleton (if we can depend upon the account) are at equal variance with common sense and common decency.

Scriptures, the various earths in the universe, and their inhabitants, with many other extraordinary particulars, the knowledge of which was, perhaps, never pretended to by any other writer, before or since his time. Baron Swedenborg, in his treatise concerning heaven and hell, and of the wonderful things therein, as heard and seen by him, makes the following declaration: "As often as I conversed with angels face to face, it was in their habitations, which are like to our houses on earth, but far more beautiful and magnificent, having rooms, chambers, and apartments in great variety, as also spacious courts belonging to them, together with the gardens, parterres of flowers, fields, &c. where the angels are formed into societies. They dwell in contiguous habitations, disposed after the manner of our cities, in streets, walks, and squares. I have had the privilege to walk through them, to examine all around. about me, and to enter their houses, and this when I was fully awake, having my inward eyes opened.” A similar description is given of heaven itself, but the reader is referred to the treatise whence this curious extract is taken. He denies a Trinity of persons in the Godhead, but contends for a divine Trinity in the single person of Jesus Christ alone, consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just like the human trinity in every individual man, of soul, body, and proceeding operation: and he asserts, that as the latter Trinity constitutes one man, so the former