of his duties as Chairman of the Committee on the MSS. of Swedenborg, and that said Committee be continued." Thanks were also voted to Mr. E. J. Broadfield and Rev. J. Hyde, "for the active sympathy and co-operation and aid they have rendered to Prof. Tafel in furtherance of his mission."

During the past year the "American Swedenborg Printing and Publishing Society has given complete sets of the writings of Swedenborg to the principal public libraries, and the American New Church Tract Society has sent a package coutaining eighty pages of tracts, most of them extracts from Swedenborg, and a catalogue of the New Church publications, to ten thousand clergymen of the Old Church, from some of whom responses were received showing a favourable reception. These works are commended, and a hope expressed that funds will be provided for the continuance and enlargement of these operations. The Convention also points out suitable depositories for future gifts and proper places of missionary labour and tract distribution. Authority was also given to the Board of Publications to publish one or more of the works of Swedenborg in raised letters for the use of the blind. The Convention hears also, with much pleasure, the gratifying intelligence of the auspicious inauguration of the New Church in Denmark, and in Italy, as also in Bohemia, in Austria, and in Sweden, and renews the expression of sympathy and confidence in the missionary enterprises of the Scandinavian Society for the printing and disseminating of the writings of the New Church and the Italian mission.

The publications of the Convention are of the utmost importance in instructing the members of the Church, and extending the knowledge of the doctrines. Hitherto the "Board of Publications' has been a sub-committee of the Executive Committee. At this Convention it was determined to elect a board of twelve trustees to which shall be committed the whole subject of the publications of the General Convention. This Board is instructed to proceed immediately to raise a fund of 50,000 dols., for the permanent establishment of a publishing-house, or houses, at their discretion. The other business which occupied the attention of the

assembly was of the usual routine kind.

We have given in the above a brief summary of some of the more important items of information in the journal of Convention. The appendix to this journal is occupied by many interesting documents, and makes us acquainted with many important facts. In America the printing and publishing establishments are chiefly under the control of the Convention. In his address to the members, the Vice-President says, "Aside from establishing and maintaining an orderly and efficient ministry, one of the greatest objects of the Convention has been to provide for the publication of the writings of the Church, and their dissemination through the press; for this is the great instrumentality of the New Church, and the present dispensation of Divine truth. We have endeavoured to do this by means of a book-publishing house and periodicals; and, however imperfectly we have succeeded, or inefficiently our work has been done, and whatever may have been the extent of the criticisms upon the acts of the managers and editors, I think we have great cause of thankfulness for what we have done, and more occasion of wonder that we have done so much, than dissatisfaction that so little has been accomplished. We have great occasion for modesty and humility in the New Church, and to remember and be reminded of the paucity of our numbers, and the feebleness of our means, and the little progress we have made in the work of regeneration. We cannot do great things, as the world counts greatness, but we can endeavour to do our duty. This is all we can do. If it were desirable or necessary that we should do more, the Lord would give us more ability; and He will give it to us so far as we endeavour to use faithfully what we possess.

From the report of the sub-committee on publications, we learn that no new books have been published during the year, though several new editions and 1200 tracts have been printed. The Messenger has circulated 2924 copies, being four less than last year. The Children's Magazine has a circulation of 1252 copies, which is a loss of one copy. The New Jerusalem Magazine is published at Boston, and has a list of

800 subscribers, and the Little Messenger, which is published twice a month in Philadelphia, has circulated 2285 copies, being an increase of 90 during the year. A considerable pecuniary loss has been sustained by these publications. The Convention has nevertheless adopted resolutions for their continuance and the efficient management of their publishing concerns.

The "Directory," published with the Minutes, gives over 800 places where members of the Church are known to reside; and in more than 100 of these places are established societies. The number of ministers is 69, and of licentiates 16. The report of the several officers, committees, and associations, manifest a large amount of zeal and warm interest in the progress of the Church, and give every reason to believe and hope that this progress will continue and be accelerated, and that Jerusalem will become in their extended territory "a praise in the earth."

LONDON NEW CHURCH ASSOCIATION.

The usual quarterly meeting of this Association was held at Cross Street on Wednesday, 27th Sept. Mr. Austin, the president, occupied the chair.

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The principal business occupying the attention of the meeting was the project of publishing a weekly newspaper to be the organ of the Association, of which mention has been already made in the pages of the I. R. Considerable progress has been made since the publication of the specimen copy, and the committee reported the receipt of subscriptions for "guarantee fund." They reported, however, that much misapprehension exists in the Church, caused in part by the advertisements respecting the 'Dawn," which has been confounded with "True Christianity." The former is a private speculation over which the Church itself has no control. The latter will be published by, and be entirely under the control of our Association, by which all arrangements will be made, and to which editors will at all times be amenable. The subject was prevented from being discussed by Conference chiefly because it was considered that the newspaper would be conducted by irresponsible persons. The London New Church Association, however, considers that Conference was in error, as they cer

tainly would only appoint as editor one who would have the entire confidence of the Church.

It is intended that the next annual meeting shall be held in the newly purchased church at the Mall, Kensington, in January next.

PROPOSED AMALGAMATION OF THE MANCHESTER PRINTING SOCIETY WITH THE MANCHESTER TRACT SOCIETY.

A special general meeting has been called of the subscribers and friends of the Manchester New Church Tract Society for the evening of Tuesday, November 14th, to consider and decide upon an offer to amalgamate with this Society the Manchester Printing Society, and to transfer on certain conditions to the united societies the stock of books, book-debts, storeroom fixtures, and the balance of cash, now the property of the Manchester Printing Society. Believing that the contemplated union will be of great practical use, we hope that there will be an earnest and numerous meeting. meeting is to be held in Peter Street Schoolroom, and tea is to be provided. All the Church in Lancashire cannot fail to be interested in the fact, and ought to be well-represented at the meeting.

The

ALLOA. We insert the following letter and specimens of the accompanying papers as examples of what may be done by the employment of the local press to disseminate a knowledge of the doctrines.

To the Editor.-Sir,-About three years ago I made arrangements with our Alloa newspapers for the insertion of a weekly article in their advertising columns, during which time there has appeared a series of papers headed

New Church Doctrine. Then the heading was changed to "New Church Spiritual Philosophy," under which title they have continued to appear in both our papers for the last two years. To illustrate the spiritual sense of the Holy Word I have given a condensed explanation of the Apocalypse; and then with a view to point out the original state of man, and the nature of the fall, and declension of mankind to the confessedly low state of the human race under the Jewish economy, I have commenced at the beginning of Genesis

and am now approaching the end of the most ancient Church, and its judgment, the flood.

I send you a selection from these advertisements for insertion in The Intellectual Repository; and being satisfied with the success of the experiment in producing a favourable impression on the public mind, I can recommend the adoption of a similar plan to friends situated in country towns like Alloa where the local influence prevents the growth of small meetings. Yours in the good cause,

ALLAN DRYSDALE.

New Church Spiritual Philosophy. -Sons and daughters, when spoken of as being born to Adam and others in this history, or in other parts of the Holy Word, always signify, in the inward sense, the affections of goodness and truth. This may be clearly seen from the way in which they are spoken of in the Psalms, and in the prophetical parts of the Word. It is written in the 127th Psalm, "Lo children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is His reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. The beautiful divine lesson contained in this passage is entirely lost by taking it as a mere poetical figure, from a spurious idea of what true poetry really is. All poetry is true, just in proportion to the glimpses of celestial truth and goodness it contains. This passage in the Psalms, with others in the same book, and also in the prophets, is divine poetry, because in its inmost sense it contains divine truth and love, and in its application to man it applies entirely to the little spiritual kingdom of mind within him. There are two gates or ways of entrance into his mind, one of which he may, nay must, choose to keep open for the inflowing of that inspiration of the life he resolves to cultivate; the one is open to heaven, the other to hell, and by which heaven or hell may be formed within him. The one gate is self-love; it looks outward, and has its enjoyment from outward relations with other men, and superiority or dominion among them. In this gate are infernal spirits who are

the real enemies of man. The other gate is love to the Lord and charity. In this gate are angels and good spirits, and these are the true friends of man. Between the principles that occupy these two gates there must be war. The quiver is a case or sheath for arrows. But in this spiritual war on man's part, co-operating with his friends the angels and good spirits, the instruments of war are spiritual; the bow is the doctrine of truth, the arrow truths from affection. Such truths have all their force from true doctrine, so that the bow and the quiver is the state of the understanding in this warfare, as to the genuine doctrine of truth, and the affections of good and truth, by which the Lord, who fights for man, enables him to overcome and have the gate that leads to hell shut up, and the gate that looks to heaven opened. The affections of good and truth are the spiritual children in this passage; it is these spiritual children that destroy false principles in the mind, for if truth is loved for its own sake and for the sake of goodness, false principles will be cast out.

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In Isaiah, 54th chapter, it is written : Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear," &c., "for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord." This is a prophecy of the Lord's coming, when the Gentiles, who were barren of good and truth, because they had not the Word, where truths are, were desolate; yet they were open to receive the affections of good and truth from the Lord, while the Jewish church, the married wife, rejected the Lord's teaching, and became spiritually barren.

of the flesh; nor of the will of man, but of God." Blood, in a bad sense, signifies what is false. The will of the flesh, the evil of the depraved willthe will of man, the evil of a perverted understanding-so that the Divine declaration 'he (man) also is flesh," indicates the entire falling away of man from that inward perception of good and truth enjoyed by the most ancient Church, in consequence of which the Divine influence could no longer affect them for good through the interiors of their mind, to the regeneration of their external life.

Mankind were, previous to this, born into the perception of what was good and true, but in consequence of falling into all the grossness of the corporeal state, their internal perceptions were shut up, and their delights in consequence became vile; for it is to be remembered that all the genuine pleasures or delights which are in things corporeal or external, derive their origin from delights more interior, for thus being in order they are filled with heavenly delight and blessedness, which is entirely lost when the interior, as in this case, is closed up. Then every good and true principle is suffocated, and this is the spiritual flood that destroyed every living thing in the earth or mind of the Church; and an entire change comes over mankind, who cannot, after this sad catastrophe, be born into any perception of good principles, but only into the love of self and the world, with all the vile propensities therewith connected, for it is a fixed law of God's divine order that the ruling delights of parents must necessarily be produced in their child

ren.

The Lord in His infinitely loving arrangements has adapted all the dispensations of religion to the states of mankind. When the avenues of life from the internal was shut up, by the corporeal state predominating, man's life was still to be one hundred and twenty years. Numbers are expressions of states, this number is made by multiplying twelve by ten, twelve representing all the truths of faith, and ten the knowledge of goodness to be implanted in these truths of faith by parents and teachers from without through the memory, that a foundation may be laid by which the internal mind may be opened again to things internal by regeneration.

CHURCH MUSIC IN BIRMINGHAM.— In an account of the history and progress of church music in Birmingham, given in the Birmingham Morning News of October 6, occurs the following account, which we have abbreviated, of the musical performances and attractions of the New Church in that town. If the musical history of other New Church societies were also written, it would probably furnish us with similar facts. It is interesting to know that the Church from the beginning has been interested, and sought to interest others, in the service of song; and that wealthy and prominent members of the Church have generously and zealously given their time and musical talents to improve the devotional services of the Church.

"About eighty years ago, the New Jerusalem Church was established in Birmingham, and soon manifested a preference for good music in public wor ship, which has been a characteristic to the present day. The old "Temple" in Newhall Street, and, later on, the church in Paradise Street, occupying the site of the present Queen's College, where the body of Christians constituting this church worshipped, were often on special occasions the scenes of the performance of "grand selections of sacred music from the works of Handel, Haydn, and others," at which times a band was secured, and many old Birmingham musicians gave their gratuitous assistance. The service was conducted according to a liturgy which afforded a ready means for the introduction of a variety of choral and other music. Notwithstanding the fact that Birming ham people had many opportunities at this period of hearing the works of the best composers, the New Jerusalem Church on such occasions was crowded with eager listeners. About forty years ago, when the New Jerusalem Church removed into Summer Lane, the musical spirit of its people reappeared, and special musical services were again an nounced at this church. On these occasions, there was a large choir, and a band of twenty or more performers, Mr. John Moreton, senior, acting as conductor. When young, Mr. Alfred Mellon here gave his services, and the best of our vocalists and instrumentalists assisted. The church, at no period of its history, has ever had the services of paid singers or organist, and

on special occasions the extra performers always rendered gratuitous service. The unanimity with which the members of the community forming this church study music is a marked feature of the body; and the most influential and well-to-do of the congregation take their places in the choir, which on Sunday morning, September 24, consisted of fourteen persons, seven female and seven male adult singers, all of whom have received a considerable amount of musical instruction.

The writer continues his remarks by a lengthened critique, mostly of a commendatory character, on the musical portion of the service; and concludes his notice with the remark, that "the interest felt in the music, and the time bestowed upon the study thereof by the congregation, is very creditable to them; and if all congregations throughout the country did the same, who can say how far it would influence for good the character of our people?"

HULL.-Dr. Tafel paid a visit to this Society, and preached two sermons on Sunday, Sept. 17, to very large audiences, the room being well filled. The subject in the morning was "The Divine Providence," and after the service, the ordinance of baptism was administered to one infant and two adults. The service was very impressive, and all felt the solemnity of the ordinance. The evening subject was "The Immortality of the Soul." All who were present were delighted with the able manner in which man's immortality was proved. On Monday evening, Sept. 18th, Dr. Tafel delivered a lecture in the same

room.

Subject, "Emanuel Swedenborg; his preparation for his office, and the nature of his illumination." The room before the service commenced was full; it was the largest audience that had ever attended our lectures in Hull. The lecturer was listened to with the greatest attention for about two hours. His lecture was noticed in three of the Hull newspapers. The following was in the Hull News :- "Dr. Tafel on Emanuel Swedenborg.'-On Monday evening, Dr. Tafel of London delivered a lecture under the auspices of the New Jerusalem Church, in the Mechanics' Institute, George Street. There was a very good attendance. The subject of the lecture was 'Swedenborg, his pre

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paration for his office, and the nature of his illumination.' In opening his lecture, Dr. Tafel remarked that whilst Swedenborg dwelt amongst men, he was considered an extraordinary man, and his supernatural powers were unquestioned; but when he died, he was stigmatized as a madman, and, indeed, towards the end of the 18th century, he was looked upon as the very Antichrist, and his writings were forbidden to be published in his native country. The lecturer then proceeded to review Swedenborg's preparation, reading a great number of extracts from his works. In conclusion, Dr. Tafel briefly summarized the nature of Swedenborg's illumination. From the year 1747 to the end of his natural life in 1772, he gave up all his other studies, and devoted himself entirely to studying that which was revealed to him. According to his works, he was in the same condition as the angels, although he was at the same time a dweller upon earth. At the close of the lecture, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Dr. Tafel."

ERRATUM IN THE PUBLISHED MINUTES OF CONFERENCE.-To the Editor. -Dear Sir, kindly allow me a few lines of the Magazine to correct an error in my last report to Conference. In the seventh paragraph from the top of page 62 of the printed Minutes, the Summer Lane Society, Birmingham, is represented as having omitted, during the past Conference year, to require new members to sign the Declaration of Faith. This statement belongs of right to the following paragraph respecting the presentation to new members of the Duties and Obligations, not to the more important subject with which it stands in misplaced connection.- Faithfully yours, JOHN PRESLAND, Sec. Gen. Con. Births.

On the 20th September, at 6 Torriano Avenue, Camden Road, London, the wife of Mr. Robert Jobson, of a daughter.

On the 5th October, at Seaforth, Liverpool, Mrs. Arthur C. Moore, of a daughter.

Marriages.

At the New Jerusalem Church, Old Lane, Worsley, September 28th, by Mr. Tho. Mackereth, Mr. George Clarke to Miss Alice Clarke, both of Worsley.