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"H. BATEMAN."

regret we were unable to send a represen- placed by Republicans. May they all soon tative there to welcome him on his arrival, have the freedom of the sons of God. and had to content ourselves with writing. The distance between us is too great for us to hope to receive a visit from him (save, perhaps, one of the briefest). But it gives us great encouragement to hear of his work, and to know that there is in

Australia an able and effective advocate of New Church truths. Mr. Thornton has written to us on the subject of New Church organization, and pointing out the weakness resulting from the isolation of Societies. We cannot offer much help, but such assistance as we can afford will be most cheerfully given him in his efforts to unite us into close and sympathetic union. In conclusion, I would say that although cause for discouragement, or for slackening our efforts to secure, with the blessing of Divine Providence, a permanent footing for the New Church in this colony.

our progress is small we feel we have no

"H. HURMAN, Hon. Secretary."

NATIONAL MISSIONARY INSTITUTION. During the month of August Mr. Gunton has preached at Camden Road, Wigan, and Horncastle. At the last-named place he attended the annual meeting of the "Lincolnshire New Church Association," and also made arrangements for a continuance of the services of Mr. Bates as the leader of the Horncastle Society. During the month of September his labours were chiefly devoted to Ipswich, Bristol, and Wincanton.

SCOTLAND.-The annual meeting of the New Church Societies in Scotland is to take place on Thursday the 24th of October at Edinburgh, in the church, 6 Infirmary Street. The Secretary of the Edinburgh Society has requested us to state that it would be a great pleasure to the meeting to welcome any friends from England who could make it convenient to be present.

FRANCE." My wife and I have recently visited Paris for a fortnight, and while there we attended the reunion at Dr. Poirson's. The numbers present, including a Swedish lady now residing in France, were smaller than usual. I was informed that there are other 'circles' of receivers in Paris, but cannot give the address of their place or places of meeting. I am happy to find that there is a desire felt amongst the members for a more Church-like form of worship-one more resembling our services in England and America- -one that would interest all, young and old, educated and imperfectly educated. The bonds which Romanism has thrown around them are being loosened by the present free government, and will loosen still further as Imperial magistrates become re

THE LINCOLNSHIRE NEW CHURCH ASSOCIATION.-The members of this Association held their annual meeting in the New Jerusalem Church, Horncastle, on Thursday, August 22nd. The meeting was opened by the President, Mr. Richardson, who read Psalm xl., and offered up the Lord's Prayer. The Secretary read the report, from which it appeared that a large amount of New Church books had been gratuitously circulated among the ministers of the county, and other useful work accomplished, with the very small means at the Committee's disposal, the entire income of the year only amounting to £15, 12s.

BARNOLDSWICK, NEAR SKIPTON.---The Craven Pioneer of September 9th gives the following report of a lecture at this place: "A lecture on 'The Bible, its History and Inspiration,' was given by Mr. E. Jones of Embsay in the Mechanics' Institute on Monday evening. Mr. Stephenson of Bradford, the colporteur of the New Jerusalem Association for Yorkshire, occupied the chair. Mr. Jones, in the first place, showed from ancient manuscripts that exist with what remarkable accuracy the Word has been transmitted to us, especially alluding to such rare manuscripts as the Vatican Codex, written about the fourth century; the Alexandrian Codex, written in the fifth century; and the most ancient of them all, which was found by Dr. Tischendorf in the monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai. It requires very little more to prove that the Bible is of that antiquity which it professes to be, and that it is not the concoction of priests. He spoke at length of its Divinity, and went on to observe that at the Reformation the Bible was liberated from the grasp of priestcraft. Then it only needed a spiritual unfolding. At the proper time the Lord raised up Emanuel Swedenborg, through whom He had revealed the spiritual sense. All the New Church doctrines were derived from the letter of the Word of God, and can be proved from the plain grammatical reading of the Bible. Before concluding, Mr. Jones gave a large number of quotations to prove this double meaning of the Word of God. At the close of the lecture an opportunity was given to the audience of asking any questions relating to the subject, but as no one availed themselves of the privilege, the meeting was brought to a close. The attendance was good."

BESSES-O'-TH'-BARN.-On Saturday even- to the simple' (Psalm cxix. 105, 130).

ing, September 14th, the opening meeting of the Mutual Improvement Society in connection with this church was held. According to recent custom, an exhibition was held of collections of specimens in various departments of natural history, and was a very creditable one to all concerned. After tea the chair was taken by the pastor, the Rev. I. Tansley, who presented the prizes awarded for excellence in the exhibition, and urged upon the young people connected with the church the study of God's great book of nature. Mr. C. W. Smith, Mr. Walker, Mr. Chadwick, Mr. Robert Taylor, Mr. O. Wardle, Mr. James Hilton, and Mr. R. T. Gunton gave short addresses suitable to the occasion. The choir varied the proceedings with hymns and glees.

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LONDON, ALBION HALL, Dalston.The Hackney Gazette of September 9th gives an extended report of a sermon at this hall by Mr. Dicks, the leader of the Society, which holds its meetings therein. The discourse is entitled Cleansing Blood," and is a lucid exposition of the Apostle's words, "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.' In the course of his exposition Mr. Dicks remarks: "Our Lord in the passage before referred to says, 'Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My Hesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life (John vi. 53, 54). Here, then, we have the Lord's blood placed before us as the source of life to man's spiritual nature. the blood of the Lord is, for a little further on in the same chapter, verse 63, He says, My words are spirit and they are life.' The Divine Truth, therefore, which the Word of the Lord is, according to the Lord's express declaration, is represented by the blood of the Son of Man.' Not only does this Divine Truth give spiritual life to man, it also is the means whereby the work of purification is effected. Speaking to His disciples, and through them to His followers in all ages, He says, John xv. 3, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.' The cleansing blood of which the Apostle speaks is none other than the Divine Truth itself." In discussing the order and method of the blood's cleansing operation, the preacher remarks: "In an earlier verse the Apostle affirms that God is light, and in nature of that light is may be gleaned from the words of the Psalmist: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path; and again: The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding

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From this we gather, that they who in their daily life and conversation walk in the path mapped out for them in the Word of God are cleansed from sin and all unrighteousness by the word thus 'spoken unto them.' In his unregenerate state man walks in the darkness resulting therefrom. His affections feed upon evils of every kind; his thoughts freely imbibe falsehood; he breathes an atmosphere impure and full of the germs of all spiritual disease, and the poisoned stream of his life flows out into every degree of his being, carrying misery and death in its train. The work of the Word of God is to undo all this, and to lead man, when he recognises his awful condition, to Him who can quicken, that is, make alive, those who are dead in trespasses and sins."

PRESTON (from the Preston Chronicle of 31st August). -"On Wednesday even. ing the ordination of Mr. John Martin to the New Jerusalem Church, Avenham Road, Preston, took place before a large congregation. Mr. Martin has been acting as resident minister at the church since the death of the late Mr. Rendell, which occurred about two years ago, and lately was recommended for ordination by the New Jerusalem Conference. This, we understand, is the first ordination service of the kind in Preston, and consequently the ceremony was watched with much interest. The service was conducted by the Rev. Dr. Bayley, President-elect of the Conference, assisted by the Rev. Eli Whitehead of Dalton. Mr. Martin was supported by Mr. John Parkinson and Mr. Thomas Simpson. The ceremony, which was a very imposing one, having been concluded, the Rev. Dr. Bayley ascended the pulpit, and preached from the 7th and 8th verses of the 10th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand,' etc. These, the preacher said, were the Divine words of Him who spake as never man spoke when performing a service similar to that in which they had that evening engaged. The Lord having gathered His twelve disciples together and ordained them, it was said, that they should go forth and preach the Gospel, which He had come into the world to deliver. He had acted according as He had ever acted by appointing to the sacred duties of the ministry persons whose business should be to see

especially to those everlasting and important truths. There were some persons who had thought too lightly upon subjects of this kind, who had been inclined to think that it was not necessary to have a ministry, and that it was not of that importance that there should be persons set apart in order to care for things of heaven especially, and to bring comforts home in their various circuits. But was it at all astonishing that the Lord had appointed persons to fulfil His work wisely and jealously, when He had arranged for the comfort and common uses of society, and given talents to some who could conduct business better than others, others who could care for the various concerns of the body, and restore sick persons to health with the talents the Lord had given them to exercise? And so in all ages we found that there had been always men set apart to teach the things of heaven. The rev. gentleman referred further to the work of the ministry, particularly among the spiritually dead men, and the drunkards, and concluded by a few words on the ordination of Mr. Martin. He said they could not doubt but that he would carry out that sacred work which he had been engaged in for years, and in which he had shown that he had been advancing from knowledge to understanding. He hoped they would all go on working together at that church earnestly and lovingly. Mr. Martin leading, the congregation following, and helping and realizing all the benefits that the Word of God unfolded."

of esteem and affection which had been so lovingly expressed by their muchesteemed friend Mrs. Bates.

WORSLEY. -On Saturday evening, July 20th, this Society held a teameeting and soiree for the purpose of taking leave of their leader, Mr. Thomas Mackereth, who has become the minister of the Bolton Society. Mr. Mackereth has had charge of the Worsley Society for nearly twenty years, and our friends there could not part with him without showing him some token of their esteem. The testimonial consisted of a very handsome and inlaid timepiece. Mr. William Noar made the presentation, and in a very interesting speech described the many and great uses which Mr. Mackereth had performed almost gratuitously to the Society. He said they parted with him with a thorough and heartfelt sorrow. No doubt he was actuated in leaving them by a desire to be more extensively useful to the Church, and to reduce the strain upon his overtaxed physical powers. Mr. Mackereth, in accepting the present, said it was not for the intrinsic worth of the beautiful timepiece, which was not small, but for the love of his people which it represented, that he felt grateful for it. To him it would always have a spiritual sense, and recall the delightful associations he had so long experienced amongst them. He found them in a very humble building and in debt. But he left them in a pretty little church and a neat and commodious schoolroom, all out of debt. He begged them to work well together, and then they would always have with them that which would make him feel satisfied his labour had not been in vain. The chair was occupied by the Rev. Peter Ramage, who, together with the Rev. C. H. Wilkins, the Rev. William Westall, and Mr. Edward Seddon, addressed the meeting in cordial sympathy with the Society, and in kind expressions for Mr. Mackereth. The choir contributed to the enjoyableness of the meeting by singing beautifully some glees and songs.

Previous to the ordination the Committee of the church met in the vestry, when a deputation, consisting of five ladies of the Society, presented Mr. Martin with a surplice and bands. In making the presentation Mrs. Bates said, "Dear Mr. Martin, I have been requested on behalf of the ladies of the Society to present you with your ministerial robes of office; and in doing so I sincerely wish you the blessing of good health, and the ability to perform aright the duties of your sacred office. And it is the fervent prayer of my heart that when those duties are ended you may RECEPTION OF THE DOCTRINES FROM be found worthy to wear a Robe of THE GRATUITOUS CIRCULATION OF THE Righteousness' which fadeth not away.' " WRITINGS.-The following interesting Mr. Martin in accepting the robes of case is given by the Messenger of Sephis office thanked the Society for the tember 11th, from "Zion, the Sunny good wishes and the kindly sentiments Mount," a monthly published by the

Rev. Isaac M. See. After describing did. Candour alone will satisfy the the providential leadings which had demands of the Church of Christ in already introduced him into the New this age, so unlike all former periods, Jerusalem, "which is of no denomina- We believe that a true course in this tion," and prepared him to receive the respect with the writings of Swedentruth, Mr See proceeds :borg would have saved years of toil some doctrinal troubles, and would have made advanced teachers of many men who are now but parrots.

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"We heard that any Christian minister by applying for them might have the three books of Emanuel Swedenborg, called (1) 'Heaven and Hell,' "Having read this Christian Seer with (2) The Apocalypse Revealed,' and so much profit to our own soul, and (3) The True Christian Religion.' having been helped thereby to a fuller We applied to and received the books understanding of the Word of God and from J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadel- of His everlasting covenant, we solemnly phia, Pa. These books have hitherto ask and entreat professors of theology been contraband articles among many, to request of their students a careful They are growing less so. It is a shame review of these books; for we may be to hide them through fear or careful- assured that the books are obtaining a ness of the sayings and doings of men. wide circulation, and are in many places We trod the ground very carefully at being received and treasured up in every step. Through further kindness hearts which God has touched. And we became further possessor of 'The such people are saying they should be Arcana Coelestia.' We travelled among spread far and wide. Every minister these books with the slowness of a of the Gospel should thoroughly exworm that we might not suddenly take amine them with the simplicity of a in some error. And without doubt we child. have found in them the description of the doctrine and life of that Church which is not a denomination, but is scattered among all true believers. That doctrine and life are in God, and are called Love and Wisdom, or Good and Truth, bearing the same relations as heat and light. Heat and light proceeding from the Lord as the sun contain in their bosom all the infinities of His love, and the light of all the infinities of His wisdom, and thus also, in infinity, all the good which is of charity, and all the truth which is of faith.

"Swedenborg's works give delightful views of the truth, and describe the underlying principles of Christian "doctrine. They are helpful to the Bible student; they are reasonable in statement; they are explanatory of what have been called difficult passages; they are filled with the spirit of the Word; and their statement of doctrine is such that it can always be made in the very language of Scripture. We have inwardly asked, 'Why did not our theological instructors advise us to read these writings instead of saying, "These are the words of a dreamer and an enthusiast "?"

"If Protestants condemn these books before examining them, they are doing what they have often condemned in the Romish Church. They should be can

"Our statement will be viewed with

prejudiced eyes by some. That we cannot help. Prejudice hurts those who harbour it. We ask any such to lay down their selfhood and, prayerfully, carefully to study for themselves."

Births.

On Thursday, September 12th, at 22 Great Coram Street, Brunswick Square, London, Mrs. H. Farrington of a son.

On 19th September, at 5 Calder Terrace, Lower Hopton, Mirfield, Yorks, the wife of Mr. Joseph Hartley of a son (Herbert).

Obituary.

REV. THOMAS WORCESTER, D.D.This distinguished and eminently useful minister of the New Church in America was called from his earthly to his heavenly state on the 15th of August, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. We give from the Messenger the following particulars of his life and labours :

Dr. Worcester was born April 15th, 1795, in the town of Thornton, N. H., but his youth was spent in Brighton, Mass., to which place his family had removed. He was a son of Noah Worcester, D.D., a distinguished Unitarian clergyman, who founded the

Massachusetts Peace Society, and who latter first sought the books in the was brother to the Rev. Samuel Wor- college library, as above mentioned, cester, the first secretary of the American gathered together the few receivers of Board of Commissioners for Foreign the doctrines residing in and about Missions. Thomas Worcester graduated Boston, and meetings of from half a from Harvard in 1818 in the class with dozen to twenty were held at different Sidney Bartlett, the Rev. Dr. Farley, residences. In 1818, with much trepidathe Rev. Warren Goddard, Sampson tion as to whether it was the favourable Reed, William Parsons, and John H. time, they organized and held publie Wilkins. The Boston Society of the worship in Boylston Hall; in 1821 New Jerusalem, the first New Church the Society removed to Pantheon Hall; Society organized in New England, was in 1823 it was incorporated by the instituted this year, and of the twelve Massachusetts Legislature; and in 1828 who first signed the three brief articles it removed to the Athenæum Lecture of faith, Mr. Worcester was, with one Room, then in Pearl Street. From 1831 exception, the youngest. For a while to 1845 worship was conducted in the his elder brother, Samuel Worcester, hall in Phillips Place, then leading was the leader of the new organization, from Tremont Street, and since that but in 1821 Thomas was chosen to the time the Society has worshipped in its pastorate of the Society, and for nearly temple upon the top of the hill, in half a century he continued actively at Bowdoin Street. its head. A sketch of his life would be but a history of the church which he so faithfully served. This was not the first New Church Society in America, but it is now the largest and strongest one in the world, and its success has been due, more than to any other one man, to the pastor who tenderly watched over it for so many years.

"At college Mr. Worcester laboured not for honours, but pursued a general course of reading in connection with his studies. In the summer of 1816 he was led to seek in the college library for the works of Swedenborg, a Latin edition of which had been presented to the college by an English gentleman travelling in this country about the first of the century. After a long search they were found stored in the college museum in the company of stuffed monsters and other natural curiosities. The President gave him permission to take them to his room, and he became a diligent student of, and an earnest believer in, the doctrines therein enunciated. Sampson Reed and Warren Goddard also studied and became convinced of their truthful

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"In 1828, ten years after its organization with twelve members, it numbered sixty-three members, and ten years afterwards there were five Societies in the State. These were at this time organized into the Massachusetts Association, with Dr. Worcester as the presiding minister. There are now seventeen Societies in the Massachusetts Association, two of them located in Boston. The first Boston Society has a membership of about six hundred, and has sent about twenty-five of its members into the ministry.

"Such in outline is the history of the Society under Dr. Worcester, but it conveys little idea of his influence over it or of his work in the Church. He knew no other work, and, with the exception of being a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard College, he held no office, and took no active part in any movement outside of it. He cared little for the literature, or even the theological discussions, of the day, but gave all his time for study to biblical research and the consideration of the writings of Swedenborg. To his clear perception of spiritual truth is due his success as a preacher, for though of commanding presence, and possessed of many of the qualities that make a

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magnetic' leader, he eschewed the arts of oratory, and placed the truths of religion with simple directness before his hearers.

He never wrote a sermon or a word of a sermon for appearance's sake. The striking characteristics of his discourses were logical crder and

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