269 ARTICLE IX. 1. Biblical FRAGMENTS. BY MARY ANN SCHIMMELPENNINCK. London, 1821. 2. The HARMONY of PHRENOLOGY with the SCRIPTURE DocTRINE of CONVERSION, (read before the PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 27th November 1823.) Published in the Christian Instructor for December 1823. By GEORGE LYON, Esquire. THE objections to phrenology are gradually giving way to the efforts of its defenders, and the force of truth. Many which appeared formidable at a distance, have proved, on a nearer approach, to be unsubstantial vapour. Those of Materialism and Fatalism have in this manner vanished away, and are not likely to be revived. Another had occurred, which threw a doubt upon the subject with many pious and excellent persons; namely, that the doctrines of phrenology were inconsistent with an important Scripture doctrine. Mr Lyon has brought this objection to the test of a close examination, and endeavoured to demonstrate that it is entirely unfounded. We do not mean to give any analysis of his paper, and notice it only to give us an opportunity of mentioning, that there are two principles admitted in all phrenological works, which, Mr Lyon states, are perfectly sufficient to explain that change of character and conduct which takes place under the influence of religious truth, without either resorting to a miracle, or supposing any change in the original faculties. The two principles are, first, the different states of relative activity in the organs of the different faculties, which may occur at different periods of life; and, secondly, the different direction which these faculties may receive, according as they are turned towards worldly or spiritual objects. We may perhaps, at some future period, discuss this subject, which is of great extent and undeniable importance; but at present, we must content ourselves with quoting a very interesting passage from the other work referred to, in which phrenology is not merely asserted and maintained by Mrs S. to be not inconsistent with the doctrine, but used to explain, certainly in the most admirable and beautiful manner, many anomalies, of which previously no account could be given. It is not the least remarkable feature in this work, that, while phrenology has here been suffering under all manner of opposition and obloquy, this lady refers to it as a science in which she seems to believe with a confidence as unwavering as that she reposes on the system of divine truth, which she adduces it to illustrate. "The Bible," says Mrs Shimmelpenninck, "is the revelation of "GOD, addressed emphatically to MAN. It must, then, as to its "substance, contain all the truths of GOD; but, as to the mode of "setting them forth, it must be calculated for their intended reci"pient, man. Now man is never happy unless all his faculties are "called into alternate activity. It is, therefore, obvious that the "revelation of God must be made in such a mode as to address itself "to all the human faculties, and to afford scope to all the human "propensities. Every branch of the human intelligences must "there find its appropriate object; and every class of human im pulses must there find an object, a motive, and a sphere for full "exertion and activity. 66 «For, were this not the case, there would always remain some “unevangelized, intellectual, or moral faculties, which would be perpetually disturbing and distracting the councils of the mind; "or some refractory, unchristianized propensities, which would be "perpetually snapping the reins of her control, and starting aside "from that course which the mind could (in that case) possess no "appropriate motives to urge them to maintain. In the first case, "the man would resemble an equipage, the charioteers of which "were in a perpetual contest as to which road to drive their steeds, "In the second case, he would be in the same trouble as the driver. "who should have two or three unbroken horses yoked in with an "otherwise well-appointed team. Now, the human vehicle can "never go on well, unless the moral and intellectual faculties (the "drivers), and the inferior propensities (the steeds to be driven), "are all in perfect accordance; that is, every faculty and every propensity has its own peculiar and distinctive object; conse"quently each one has its own appropriate class of motives, of "which any other faculty and propensity is unsusceptible. But "every faculty and propensity have, like the limbs, their alternate .. 2 66 " necessity for exertion and activity, and for rest. But no motive "will influence it longer than its appropriate faculty or propensity " is in activity. Hence every character must be in a perpetual "state of alternation and inconsistency, as its various faculties and "propensities rest or exert themselves; unless it be possible to find "a round of motives and objects which though addressed to all the "faculties, shall yet all bear upon one and the same end, and thus "unite their different means and resources in labouring for one "common object. On having found, or not having found, such a "stock of motives, so connected, depends all consistency or inconsistency of character. It is owing to this necessity of alternate "exertion and rest in all the faculties, and owing to not having "found one common object for these motives to bear upon, that "we so often behold the most astonishing extremes in the same "character; that we see in the same person the most astonishing "and exalted talents often united with the most debasing profli gacy; nay, we often observe the very same thing in reading the biographies of persons who have afterwards settled into truly and exemplarily religious characters. There is often a period in the "history of such persons, when the good leaven, the grace and "word of GOD, has been received by some of their faculties, with"out having yet spread itself, and furnished their appropriate sphere "of activity to all the faculties. During this period, in which the "leaven is hid in the meal, before it is thoroughly leavened, the "character often exhibits the most monstrous contradictory ex"amples of devotion and of evils; and those who are inattentive to "the workings of the human mind, would often be tempted to ima"gine those hypocrites, whom a little patience would soon exhibit set"tled Christians. The case is, that the grace of GoD, or Gospel truths, "are only as yet apprehended by some faculties. The recipient, in "his zeal, sets all the converted faculties to work together, and en"deavours to still the activity of the rest as he may. After a time, however, the evangelized faculties need rest, and the unevange"lized ones, wearied of the durance in which they have been kept, "suddenly start up without control, and plunge in headlong disor"der: and thus arise the alternations of zeal and lukewarmness, of "love and distaste for religion, to which new converts are subject, "till all their faculties and propensities have discovered their true "religious object and sphere. Hence it follows, that no affection, " or no taste, can be always and at all times influential, that does "not address all the faculties and propensities. But revelation is "intended to be always influential: it must, then, be addressed to "all the faculties and propensities, and furnish them all with full " scope for their activity; and this in an eminent manner the revela"tion of GoD, and that alone, does. Again; some faculties and propensities are both much more "commonly met with, and much more early developed than others. "Now, it is remarkable, that the mode in which the truths of GoD "are revealed in Scripture, as well as its doctrines, are precisely "adapted to all these multiplied wants. Every faculty and pro" pensity finds in scriptural truth its highest object: but those are "yet most abundantly provided, which are most early and most "commonly developed. "God revealed in Christ, and set forth not only as Jehovah in"carnate, but under the types of Husband, Father, Friend, and "Brother, and Captain and Leader of his people, becomes an object "within the grasp alike of every devotional and elevated feeling to "which the mind can soar in the retirement of the closet, and of "every endearing social and affectionate feeling which goes forth "with us in the intercourse of life. Our veneration here turns "from rank, from talent, and the debasing great things on earth, "to receive its highest object in GOD himself. Our faith it estab "lished, not on the doubtful calculation of human probabilities, but "on Him who is truth itself. Our conscience is not left to waver "in the uncertain projects of expediency of causes in producing ef"fects, beyond the powers of man to calculate; but its fluctuations "are at once fixed by the unerring rule of right. Human caution " and circumspection are not the sport of vain terrors; but to learn "to fear alone the Lord of Hosts himself; and, He being the only "fear and dread, all others vanish. Our determination is no longer "the servant of idolatrous self-will; but is determined, like St "Paul, henceforth to know nought else but Jesus Christ, and him cru"cified; and to live to him who died and rose for us. Our venera❝tion is henceforth superlatively fixed on that Parent, who, though "the mother may forget the sucking child, will not forget his children; " and who, like a true and tender Father, bids the bow of peace "smile again in beauty, even from the frown of the darkest cloud. "Our heart adheres to that Brother who wished to appease our "heavenly Father's wrath, even by the sacrifice of his own blood,"to that Friend who came to us in our need, who sticketh closer "than a brother. Our heart is united to that heavenly Bridegroom, "with whom the believer, being united, is one spirit. Our benevo "lence henceforth no more vacillates between the good and the plea"sure of its objects. It henceforth knows its own true good, and "the true good of others. Its self-love and benevolence both re"ceive accession aud amalgamation by that one heart-affecting con"sideration, Christ died for sinners! of which number they are and "I am. One blood has been shed, the ransom for all; one Spirit " is poured out, the teacher of all; one GoD is the Father, who ac"cepts all in the one beloved. "The revelation which informs us that we are citizens of Mount "Zion, the city of the living GOD, and which unfolds the wondrous "mystery of the cross, and the astonishing Christian scheme, affords "scope abundantly for the fullest exercise of all the highest reflect"ing faculties. What concatenation of cause and effect does it un"fold! what a wondrous fund of comparison between things natural "and things spiritual! what a mine of investigation does it discover! "and every discovery of truth here brings with it an accession of "love! All the resisting propensities of Destructiveness, of Comba"tiveness, which formerly grovelled on earth, are now used to de"stroy that evil self they before defended; and become champions "of the truth, instead of the instruments of hatred, error, and ill 66 "will. The faculties of calculation, of order, &c. &c. which for "merly moved in the service of self, are no longer set to work by an "ill-understood covetousness; but, by benevolence, and a thousand "well-understood institutions of philanthropic economy, succeed to "the sordid accumulations of selfish gain. The same faculties of wandering, and ready perception and imitation, which, inspired by "self, led the wandering gipsy from clime to clime, under a thousand "characters of imposition, inspired by Benevolence and Veneration, "send the indefatigable missionary from clime to clime on errands "of love; and in his journeyings, from the Esquimaux to the fens "of Surinam, from the barbarous Indian to the civilized Persian, "enable him to become, like St Paul, all things to all men, that he may win some. The same perceptive faculties of form, of colour, "of music, &c. which, inspired by human Ideality, so continually "chain the lovers of the fine arts down to earth, become, by the parabolic style of writing, the very means of lifting the soul of the "believer to heaven. Every earthly object, which the natural man "desecrates, as the means of expressing and decorating human pas"sions, the book of GoD consecrates, by rendering the vivid type of "heavenly truths. To the Christian, all the earth reflects heaven. "All which is visible is the type of that which is invisible; and tem"poral things, touched by the alchemy of Scripture explanation, "become at once holy and spiritual. And the perceptive faculties "being the most early developed in children, so GOD has supplied "the earliest age with this vast magazine of living spiritual types, " and with a treasury of holy associations and instructions, which "no believing parent will fail to apply; knowing that feelings con"nected with sensible associations are ever strongest. And last, "though not least, we add, that the parabolic style of Scripture is eminently calculated not only to spiritualize the perceptive facul"ties, but the ideality of man: and by thus doing, she converts into "the most powerful auxiliaries of holiness, the most dangerous in"struments of human passion. The ideality, whilst the slave of "human perception and passion, is ever chaining man down to earth "with gilded cords, or presenting one vain phantom after another "to his ever-renewed, but disappointed chase. But when ideality " is once inspired by the Spirit of GOD, the case is altered: she then "starts up from earth, not a demon, but an angel, in her native magnitude. She it is, who gives wings to the soul, to bid her contemplation to soar from earth to heaven. She it is, whose "faithful and vivid mirror reflects back the invisible realities and "joys of heaven, to those yet groaning in misery on earth. How "often has she gladdened the heart and lighted up the eyes of the "wretch, pining in a dungeon on earth, with the bright (but no "more bright than true) vision of heavenly joy! How often has "she annihilated the pain of the martyr, by transporting his mind " from the rack on which he lay, to the glory in which he should soon "participate! How base is ideality, when she is the magic painter " of human passion! how exalted, when the vivid painter inlisted "in the service of divine truth! Then, indeed, does she resume the |