represented in the lowest and most destructive condition of the individual life; while, as the individual is developed, and becomes more simple, truthful, and vital, he is made to become conscious of, to incarnate, to appropriate, and to manifest as the laws of his life, the destructive laws of the mind which represent the finite : so that the experiences of human nature are brought into a state of complete contradiction, and the most vital things are represented to and by the individual in proportion as he is removed from the possibility of their realization. These difficulties are not mentioned to account for any imperfection in their explanation by this philosophy, but only to show some of the obstacles which the mind will have to encounter in its reception by the individual; because this science is so exact, so searching, and so universal, that all things are explained by its application.

The fact that Creation is not real, but is simply relative, and representative of opposite things which cannot be reconciled, while its life, of which the individual is not conscious, is constituted by laws representing the Finite, is in all things the opposite of what it seems, and exists in a state of perpetual change, so that, beyond the merest external form, things have neither consistency nor fixedness, has made the study of human nature, from the natural point of view to which the mind has been confined, extremely difficult and unsatisfactory, and a knowledge of its real character utterly impossible. Being representative of opposite things which cannot be reconciled, its manifestations can be generalized only under the law of Unity in Diversity, by which they have been confounded; and, consequently, it has not been possible to recognize either the opposition that exists between the dualistic forms of the human constitution, or the changes which are continually taking place in its condition and relationships in consequence of its growth from below upwards, and its development, in a contrary direction, from within outwards. As the individual is confined to a belief in appearances, and therefore supposes what is simply representative to be 'real, these unreal appearances have taken the place, in the common belief, of realities which are opposite in character; and as these appearances are dualistic and contradictory, so that nothing can be affirmed that cannot also be contradicted, knowledge has been realized in a discordant and contentious form, and every opportunity has been given to the narrow-minded, the hypocrite, and the fanatic, for disputing the most vital of theoretical and productive forms, and for exercising the Fancy in confounding opposite

things, so that neither can be understood, and every kind of interpretation can be given to them. These difficulties have been increased by the fact, that, in the structure of language, the same term is demanded to express or to represent a great variety of things which are similar, but have no real relationship; and that we are required to speak of things as they appear, although they are opposite to what they seem. With regard to physical phenomena, these false appearances can easily be detected and corrected by scientific experiment; but with regard to mental phenomena, or to the facts of the consciousness, no science has existed by which the false representative appearance could be separated from and antagonized to the real fact; and the consequence has been, that a superficial definition and use of langague based upon appearances, which are discordant, contradictory, and the opposite of what they seem, has almost universally taken the place of an exact and scientific definition and use.*

By the statement and application of the Universal Laws upon which our science is founded, all the difficulties to which we have here alluded will be overcome. We shall therefore find no difficulty in determining the true position, character, and relationship of every phenomenon, because, by the application of these laws, we obtain a perfect classification of all the forms of the Universe, including those of the human constitution; and also obtain a legitimate explanation of the manifestations of the soul in all the different spheres of its existence: and we are able to do this for the reason that we realize Philosophy as Universal Absolute Science, founded in a conception of Infinite and Finite Laws as opposite Universal Indefinite Causes, and of the manner in which God becomes individualized as tri-personal Creating Cause; because all things are created and are manifested as representatives of these spiritual facts. By applying the Law of Tri-Personality, which has been founded upon this conception, we shall be able to show that every thing in the natural is realized and becomes manifested through the supernatural combination of opposite elements representative of infinite and finite principles, to describe the particular character of this opposition,— and to show the various and even opposite results which are produced by this combination and manifestation. We shall be able to show, that, although all Existence is necessarily dualistic, because it must contain elements corresponding with both Infinite and Finite, and therefore with

* Appendix I.

diversity and partiality as well as unity and universality, dualism does not necessarily include discord, — that, even in the natural, an individualization of these vital and destructive elements is effected by their supernatural combination and manifestation, by which a natural vitality becomes realized, and that, although, upon coming into a spiritual sphere of consciousness, opposite absolute laws must be presented to the soul, and affinities for these realized as a personal experience, it is redeemed from this opposition and reconciled to God through the sacrifice of individual life. As the Law of Tri-Personality includes three fundamental laws which govern all the manifestations of Existence, - these being the laws of Opposition, Attraction, and Marriage, - before proceeding to apply this law in the conception, classification, and explanation of the forms, functions, and manifestations of natural and of spiritual life, by which it is to be verified, we will consider separately these three great laws, in order that their origin and the nature of their operation may be clearly understood. Having realized a conception of these laws, we will first apply them in the explanation of the forms and functions of Phenomenal Existence, describing these in a regular series from the most universal to the most particular, commencing with the Universe, and ending with the forms and manifestations of the Human Constitution, first in an external, and next in an internal, sphere of the natural consciousness. We shall next apply them in explaining the natural and supernatural phenomena of the human consciousness from a theological point of view, as contrasted with spiritual experiences; and, finally, we shall apply them in conceiving and explaining the spiritual phenomena which are incidental to the resurrection of the soul into a spiritual sphere of consciousness.

The LAW OF OPPOSITION, as a universal law of existence, may be referred to four principal causes: namely, that Infinite and Finite, as opposite spheres of Indefinite Being, constitute the opposite poles of Existence as vital and destructive powers; that, in the natural form of Absolute Existence, Infinite and Finite become incarnated and represented in opposite forms; that Creation, or Phenomenal Existence, is the result of a combination of infinite and finite phenomenal laws; and that the Material Universe, with Man as its head, is created to represent Absolute Existence. Every thing therefore comes into existence in a discordant dualistic form, constituted by vital and destructive elements, which are related as Male and Female, and Internal and External; the relationship between these being described in the

Scriptures as life against death, and good against evil; the godly against the sinner, and the sinner aganst the godly. As all these dualistic forms of Creation are externally representative of the opposite forms in Absolute Existence, in which Infinite and Finite become represented through opposite forms of Truth and Good, we will here state the origin, nature, and relationships of these universal forms of life, and show the manner in which they have been illustrated in the Scriptures, and in the Church.

We are to obtain a knowledge of the nature of Truth and Good, and of the relationship between these as male and female and internal and external, from a conception of the manner in which Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Love become incarnated in definite forms as Absolute Truth and Good, and these become represented in a phenomenal sphere of being. Now, in conceiving the incarnation of the Infinite, as Life Itself, in the definite forms of Existence, we have been obliged to conceive this incarnation as being produced through the means of an Opposite, which is the Finite, subsisting as Death Itself; that is, we have been obliged to conceive Existence as being produced by the Infinite through or out of the Finite, and therefore to conceive these infinite and finite principles, which constitute opposite spheres of Indefinite Being, as Male and Female: and the consequence of this is, that we are obliged to conceive this production as Dual, or as constituted by incarnations, upon the one hand, representative of the Infinite, as Male, as Internal, as Conscious, and as Vital, in forms of Truth; and, upon the other, of the Finite, as Female, as External, as Unconscious, and as Destructive, in forms of Good; these male and female spheres being also divided and antagonized as internal and external, which are vital and destructive, because both infinite and finite must be represented in each natural sphere and we are also obliged to conceive these antagonistic principles as being combined and manifested through a mediating principle in forms representing Marriage, in which the destructive is made subject to the vital principle, in Use. These absolute relationships, through a conception of which we obtain a knowledge of the nature and relationships of truth and good, as natural productions, are represented in all the forms, functions, and manifestations of the Human Constitution. They are represented in the constitution of the Mind, first, in its supernatural and natural regions, the first containing internal and external departments constituted by the Religious and Moral Sentiments, which are the exponents of supernatural truth and good, and are

related as vital and destructive; and the second containing internal and external departments, constituted by the Understanding and the Instinct, which are the exponents of natural truth and good, and are related as vital and destructive. They are represented, next, as every department of the mind contains a male region which is relatively soul, and is perceptive and actively communicative, as a sphere of Law representing Truth, and a female region which is relatively body, and is receptive and passively productive, as a sphere of Phenomena representing Good; as each of these contains an internal and an external principle which are relatively intellectual and affectional, so that each department contains the laws of truth and good upon the one hand, and the phenomena of truth and good upon the other; and as all these dualistic forms are characterized as vital and destructive, requiring that the destructive should be made subject to the vital in order that any productive manifestation should be realized. These relationships are also represented by this, that it is only as the moral is sustained by the religious, and the affectional by the intellectual departments, that any productive manifestations can be realized; and only as the receptive is sustained by the perceptive region in each department, or becomes internally and unconsciously receptive from this region, that any consciousness of external phenomena can be experienced: and they are also represented by the fact, that it is only as the opposite perceptive laws have been combined in the opposite receptive forms, and the manifestations of both have been combined in the reflective or constructive principle, which constitutes the third region. in each department, with the subjection of the lower to the higher for use, that any productive manifestations corresponding with truth, with good, or with beauty or use, can be realized by the mind. These relationships are also represented in the Personal Constitution, which includes Individuality or Will; this being founded in vital and destructive affinities for Truth, and vital and destructive affinities for Good, the vital being relatively male, constituting the Not Me of the individual, corresponding with a universal principle, and representing the Infinite; while the destructive are relatively female, constitute the Me of the individual, correspond with a partial or personal principle, and represent the Finite; the appropriations made by these personifying principles from the productions of the Mind being combined and manifested through a threefold form of Individuality or Will in a supernatural manner, with the subjection of the personal to the