procured. The seceders from his communion accused him of denying the orthodox doctrine of the union of the Divine and the human natures in the Man Christ Jesus—not indeed in a Unitarian, but in a Gnostic sense. He clothes his doctrines in a sort of quasi-metaphysical garb, which in the present condition of knowledge among the Darbyites is doubtless very imposing, though I must confess myself sceptical as to its covering any genuine thought at all. This at least seems certain, that he promulgated doctrines, or hints at doctrines, that were widely understood, even within his own little fraternity, to be of a Gnostic character; and that he never vouchsafed any intelligible explanation in an orthodox sense.
Strife waxed furious, not only in England, but in France and Switzerland, in America, and doubtless in the ends of the earth. In this country I believe that Mr. Raven obtained a large majority, but the Continental possessions were lost. I have heard of a certain amount of Ravenism in France, but I should suppose it is comparatively small; while French-speaking Switzerland has gone, I am informed, almost solid against Mr. Raven. This indeed was only what might have been expected; for Mr. Raven’s leading opponents were the two men whose influence was paramount with the Darbyites of the Continent. I refer to Major McCarthy and Mr. William Lowe.
Whatever uncertainty there may be as to the precise character of some of Mr. Raven’s speculations, the imputation against him of heterodoxy as to our Lord’s humanity was in no sense gratuitous. Mr. Grant had asked, “Will F. E. Raven satisfy us as to whether he believes that our Lord had, in the humanity He assumed, a true human spirit and soul?” “Mr. Raven’s only
