tinct from the universe or he is not. If he is distinct from it, and created it, (and this latter assumption is made by both,) then the universe with all its instrumentalities and manifold organisms must be a machine in the sense in which it was so called by those whom Carlyle censures. If God be not distinct from the universe, then the universe is a part of God, and should be worshipped with him. This is Pantheism. We will admit and even insist that God is present every where in the midst of his creation giving impulse and life and fresh beauty to all the works of his hands. But the question still returns. Is he distinct in esse from his universe? If he is, then the world is a machine. The perpetual presence or occasional absence of the Maker, is a distinct matter entirely. But if the world be not a machine, then no distinction in esse between God and the world can be made. Then Pantheism follows as before; and the "Universal all"-a phrase of frequent use in Carlyle-is our Jehovah of Hosts. We ought to state here that the idea that the world is a machine is a theme for the wit and invective of Mr. Carlyle through the rest of his works, and the impression that he seems desirous to make every where is this, there is at bottom nothing but God. We may venture to say here that when this result is arrived at, its converse is very naturally reached too-God is at bottom but nothing.

Proof 3.-We will add as confirmatory and subsidiary proof that Carlyle is a Pantheist or Atheist, one more noticeable fact. Carlyle uses the phrases, "Powers of nature," "Invisible powers," "the gods"—and the word "God,”-in the same sense times without number in his works. Here we must beg the indulgence of our readers as we have not space to give quotations. No reader of Carlyle but will confirm what we say. Taking this then, for granted, let us ask whether any author who worshipped in sincerity and truth a personal God, would deliberately and in cases unnumbered, use words which would confound his existence with that of his works and laws, and even with that of the heathen idols? We cannot bring ourselves to think so. We are forced to the conclusion that a personal Jehovah enters not into the Theology of Mr. Carlyle.

A universe without a living conscious God !—A conclusion from which the sober Deist, even, starts back alarmed-which the Christian glances at but to repudiate forever. The glory of the world is changed into blackness. Its thousand melodies of widest harmony and sweetest tone are but the wail of woe. Hope that

"Springs eternal in the human breast,"

appeals to our Father but to delude us with a lie. Orphans in this blooming and fresh world, our lives are the pursuit of a flying shadow that pauses not till it rests over our graves. We rear temples, and burn incense on our altars, and sing anthems of praise, and pour our hearts out in reverence and love, and suffer the martyr's doom of fire and blood-for a shadow, for a dream. "My soul come not thou into their secret." By the glories of the setting sun, by the crimson cloud that veils the radiant sky-by the soft breezes of spring-by the sweet voices that fill the air with music-by the prattle of infancy and the words of household love-by the gifts of the seasons that bring their tide of blessings to all that live-by the undying aspirations of the soul that asks for the bosom of God on which to rest-by God's own word, we pronounce this creed a lie.

Another feature of Carlyle's Theology, is his irreverence for the Bible. This may seem strange to those who have read his works hastily. His disregard for the Scripture as the exclusively inspired and authoritative word of God, is indeed no where formally stated or defined. But it is thrown out without any effort at concealment in many passages. One or two only can be given.

"Men believe in Bibles, and disbelieve in them: but of all Bibles the frightfulest to disbelieve in is this Bible of universal History. This is the eternal Bible and God's book, which every born man, till once the soul and eyesight are extinguished in him, can and must see with his own eyes the God's-Finger-writing! To discredit this is infidelity like no other. Such infidelity you would punish, if not by fire and faggot, which are difficult to manage in our times, yet by the most peremptory order, to hold its peace till it got something wiser to say. Why should the blessed Silence be broken into noises to communicate the like of this? If the Past have no God's-reason in it, nothing but Devils-unreason, let the Past be eternally forgotten; mention it no more; we whose ancestors were all hanged, why should we talk about ropes? Past and Pres. p. 134.

"A man even professing, and never so languidly making still some endeavors to save the souls of men: contrast him with a man professing to do little but shoot the partridges of men! I wish he could find the point again, this speaking one, and stick to it with tenacity, with deadly energy-for there is need of him yet! The speaking function this of truth coming to us with a living voice-nay, in a living shape and as a concrete practical exemplar: this, with all our writing and printing functions, has a perennial place. Could he but find the point again-take the old spectacles off his nose,

and, looking up, discover, almost in contact with him, what the real Satanas, and soul-devouring, world-devouring Devil, now is! Original Sin, and such-like are bad enough, I doubt not but distilled Gin, dark Ignorance, Stupidity, dark Corn-law, Bastile and company, what are they!! will he discover our new real Satan, whom he has to fight; or go on droning through his old nose-spectacles, about old extinct Satans-and never see the real one, till he feel him at his own throat and ours? That is a question for the world! Let us not intermeddle with it here." Past and Pres. p. 136.

Passages like these, though perhaps less marked, swarm throughout his works. In fact an under-current of infidelity runs deep and strong beneath a style besprinkled richly with holy words and sometimes with texts from the Book of God. Of course Carlyle should be read wakefully, with one's When thus read he will do little harm. But he comes almost always when men sleep, and sows tares with an unsparing hand. Two peculiarities in his manner, make up the secret of his art in the attainment of this end.

armor on.

1. He never argues but assumes everything, and makes his assumptions too in so quiet and stealthy a way, that you are ready to admit what he says at once. Thus you are drifted insensibly away, till you find yourself in the swift torrent, and the fatal plunge but a step before you.

2. The second feature of his, which contributes very powerfully to the subtlety of his influence, is his exceedingly pious manner. He rails against Atheism and unbelief-talks of God and the changeless justice he administers; speaks of Christ as the Divine Man; of spiritual religion, of conversion, of the boundless empire in the future, and of the everlasting dominion, of the Christian religion, in a strain and with an unction that put to shame many an Orthodox Divine. The reader exclaims, "Surely he is a safe guide. So pious too : how he does spiritualize!" Ah there is the rub. He spiritualizes every thing into nothing. Atheism means, not disbelief of a personal God, but denial of every thing. Belief means, not the embrace of the Christian religion, but the embrace of any theory. God means, the sum total of every thing, or a thousand other things ;-what, it is not so clear, and not so much matter. The Divinity of Christ means, God in the soul of man, and embraces the whole race as certainly as Christ. Conversion and spiritual religion mean, the sincere adoption of something as a rule of religious life, and Mahomet is given as a fine example. The world-wide and everlasting kingdom of Christ means, the triumph of the principle of brotherly love; while

the Old and New Testaments will probably be laid upon the same shelf with the Shaster and the Koran, and the statue of Jesus be placed between that of Vishnu and Mahomet. Isaiah and Job, Paul and Christ, were inspired to be sure, but so were Plato and Seneca, Shakspeare and Goethe, and so is Thomas Carlyle.

We must now take leave of our author. We do so with mingled pleasure and regret with grateful pleasure for the many beautiful things which lie strown-a shower of pearls, all along his way-for the loving, generous, free-hearted sympathy which gushes spontaneously from his bosom-for the fine perception of many grand moral relations and for the reverent admiration which he heartily bestows on the great and good of all times-with regret that a spirit so richly gifted, should be tarnished with such blemishes--that a countenance so solemn, should be distorted by so much ghastly grimace-that such a turn for philosophizing, should submit to no settled rules of thought--that a guide so skillful to warn us against many a delusion, should have failed to find for himself the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. We sometimes fancy him an angel that has lost his way. He wanders among the ruins of a wrecked planet with marred visage and crippled wing. "Archangel ruined" seems written in lingering light on his form, and in the tones of a once heavenly voice mingles the grating dissonance of Unbelief and Blasphemy.

ARTICLE IV.

The Secret Society of Odd Fellows.

A Brief History of the Rise and Progress of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in the United States, brought down to the present year. Compiled from authentic sources, by John H. Williams, P. G., Counsellor at Law, Portland, Me. Bos ton: Published by Haliburton and Dudley, 1845. 8vo. pp. 32.

A General History of the Order of the Independent Odd Fellows' Society, with an Expose of their Secret Signs, Grips, &c.: Showing the bearing which Secret Societies have upon our Republican Institutions, and the baleful effects which are exerted upon the Christian Character. New York: Published by J. Reynolds, 1842. 8vo. pp. 35.

Three Lectures on Odd Fellowship, by Rev. Nathaniel Colver; with an Essay on its Practical Influence in regard to Church Discipline. Boston: Published by William S. Damrell. 1844. 8vo. pp. 32.

:

[By Reverend Ovid Miner, of Penn Yan, New York.]

Secret Societies have existed in almost every age and nation and whether we receive the testimony of ancient history, or determine their character in view of recent occurrences, in our own land, it is doubtless just to affirm respecting them the following things: That they achieve no good but what can be fully secured in other and simpler modes: That their pretensions to a superior charity or virtue, have been found altogether worthless: That in proportion as they gain strength they become a dangerous element in the civil government: That secret, oath-bound combinations, prove more or less injurious to the initiated themselves: And what is more, that they are deeply hurtful to a pure Christianity.

It was to have been expected, that the full discussions growing out of the Masonic excitement, an the condemnation then pronounced against Secret Societies, by the American people,

would have prevented so soon, at least, the fountain of another body, bound together by mysterious signs, and passwords, oaths and badges: Especially, it was to have been hoped, that Christian brethren, mindful of the afflictive results produced in the Church, by connexion with Secret Societies would have stood aloof from them. But such unhappily has not been the case. With a rapidity of growth, which astonishes sober minds, the Society denominated "Independent Order of Odd Fellows," has spread over the land, and already exists in such numbers as to be fitly named Legion.

It hence becomes our duty now, to awaken the public mind anew to this mysterious rising power; and so far as may be, to prevent the Church of Christ from being again entangled and torn by strifes, through connexion with it.

It might be remarked, in passing, that there are other Secret Societies, growing up in our country: Free Masonry, is being warmed into life, and with a stealthy tread, is again spreading itself in almost every direction. "The Independent Order of the Rechabites," a secret body, professedly for the promotion of temperance is also gaining numbers and notoriety. Two or three others might be named: But in this paper we propose to examine only the character and claims of Odd