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is desirous to subdue evil, and to such a degree, that he may stand in a strength and fortitude equal to that of the evil which assaults, otherwise he would never engage in the combat. This freedom is from the Lord, who insinuates it into man's conscience, and thereby causeth him to conquer evil as from himself, or his own propriety; by this freedom, man acquires a propriety on which the Lord can operate good; without a propriety acquired, that is, given, by freedom, no man can be reformed, because he cannot receive a new will, which is conscience. Freedom thus conferred is the very plane on which the influx of good and truth from the Lord operates; hence it is, that they who do not resist in temptations from such a principle of willingness, or freedom, fall therein. The life of man consists in freedom, because therein consists his love, for whatsoever a man doeth from a principle of love, this appears to him to be free; but in that freedom, when man compelleth himself to oppose evil and the false, and to do good, there is celestial love, which the Lord at that time insinuates, and by which he creates his propriety, wherefore the Lord wills that that propriety should appear to man as his, although it is not his. This propriety, which man thus receives by an apparent compulsion in the life of the body, is filled by the Lord in another life with indefinite delights and happinesses; they also who receive this propriety are by degrees enlightened, yea, are confirmed in this truth, that they have not compelled themselves, in the least instance of themselves, but that the smallest tendencies of their will-principle were from the Lord, and that the reason why compulsion appeared to be of themselves was, that they might be gifted of the Lord with a new will-principle as their own, and that thus the life of celestial love might be appropriated to them; for the Lord is willing to communicate to every one what is His, consequently to communicate a celestial principle, that it may appear to man as his, and in him, although it is not his; the angels are in such a propriety, and in proportion as they are principled in this truth, that all good and truth is from the Lord, in the same proportion they are in the delight and happiness of that propriety. But they who despise and reject all that is good and true, and who are unwilling to believe any thing which is repugnant to their evil lusts and reasonings, these cannot compel themselves, consequently they cannot receive this propriety of conscience, or new will-principle. From what hath been said above,

it appears also, that there is a difference between, a man's compelling himself and being compelled, for no good can possibly come from being compelled, as when one man is compelled by another to do good; but for a man to compel himself is to act from a certain free principle unknown to him, for nothing compulsive is from the Lord; hence it is an universal law, that all good and truth is inseminated in freedom, otherwise the ground is no ways recipient and nutritive of good; nay, there is not any ground wherein seed can possibly grow." A. C. 1937.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.

THE TENTH GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE NEW CHURCH was held at DERBY, in ENGLAND, from the 12th to the 14th of August last, at which were present a great number of ministers, leaders, and delegates of societies, and members of the New Church. The reports made, and intelligence received, respecting the state of the Church, at this meeting, are highly gratifying; and: : so fully were the friends convinced of the great uses to be derived from general conferences of the members of the New Church, that it was unanimously resolved, they should be annually held the next conference to be at Derby, the second Tuesday in August, 1818-62. Invitations are given to every society in the United Kingdom to send delegates and communications. A proposition being read from Liverpool, respecting the establishment of a seminary for instructing youth into the New Church Doctrines, connected with a liberal education, and preparing them for the ministry, it was resolved unanimously, that, as the New Church is under great inconvenience, for want of a sufficient number of qualified ministers, it is very desirable that something should be done on this most important subject. The conference, therefore, highly approved of the proposition; and expressed a hope that the friends at Liverpool would digest a plan, and ascertain what means might be raised for carrying it into effect. The subject of additional restrictions, for preventing improper persons being ordained into the ministry, by requiring the approbation of the general conference, underwent considerable discussion; but was referred for further consideration to the next conference. It was earnestly recommended to all the members to have their

children baptized according to the forms established in the New Church. It was recommended to the ministers and leaders, to take under their care one or more young men, or other candidates for the ministry, whom they may deem capable of becoming efficient ministers. A general wish having been expressed, that all the societies of the New Church should adopt uniformity in the externals of worship, it was resolved unanimously, that the conference are strongly impressed with a conviction, that, if a form of worship could be produced, that would meet the approbation of all those societies in the New Church, who are disposed to use a printed form, it would be of the highest benefit to the Church in general: they therefore request, that all those societies, who are willing to adopt a uniform mode of external worship, will signify the same to the next general conference. The conference concluded their meeting with a resolution, unanimously passed, in the following words:

"That this conference observe, with peculiar pleasure, a considerable increase, this year, in the number of delegates and letters, from the societies of the Lord's New Church. Many of those societies not having heretofore held any communication with us, we regard their present favours as demonstrating their readiness to unite with us, in promoting the important and spiritual uses, which are so essential to the prosperity of that blessed and heavenly cause, in which we are engaged; and, as it must be evident to all our Christian brethren, that the more united the several societies are, in principle, affection and operation, the greater harmony, success, and usefulness, will be the consequence; hence we may perceive, how necessary it is, that all the societies and members of the New Church, who are separated from the Old, should become oNE UNITED BODY, connected together in the bonds of truth and goodness, zeal and affection, to assist and stimulate each other in every work, service and duty, of a religious and spiritual nature; and therefore we cannot but most earnestly request, that every society in the United Kingdom will take this subject into their most serious and deliberate consideration, and join us in maintaining annual conferences, by sending ministers, leaders, delegates, or reports, and thus connect themselves with the whole as one body, ONE CHURCH; that such a proper order and agreement may be established among us, as shall be calculated to promote and continue that union and use, by

which the respectability, prosperity and happiness of the Church shall be promoted and increased. And, in order to facilitate the accomplishment thereof, we beg leave to remind our esteemed brethren, in all places, and in all societies, of the essential importance of cultivating those divine principles of LOVE TO THE LORD, AND CHARITY TO MAN, in union with a genuine faith, which constitute the foundation and essence of all true religion. And that, under the influence of those heavenly principles, they will zealously and devoutly labour to establish and maintain strict order and discipline in the several societies; adopting such rules and regulations as may be calculated to suppress every thing disorderly among them, and preserve the peace, respectability, and purity of the Church. And we do, as a conference, representing the societies connected with us, feel it our duty, (and from pure affection wish to discharge it,) to remind every individual member, how essential it is for them, as also for ourselves, to honour the most glorious profession we have made, and promote our own individual regeneration, by bringing our faith, our principles, and our doctrines into ultimates, by a corresponding conduct and life, abstaining from every appearance of evil, observing the worship of the Lord regularly, and walking in obedience to the Divine Commandments of Jesus Christ, that our minds may be open to the blessed operation of his word and spirit, and thereby be receptive of those heavenly qualities, dispositions, and virtues, which are necessary to the enjoyment of that eternal state of felicity which we are all in the animating hope and prospect of obtaining."

The following extracts from the Intellectual Repository, for October, 1817, No. 24, will be read with great interest:

"MISSIONARY PROCEEDINGS.

Most of our readers are probably aware, that that distinguished teacher of genuine truth, Mr. Hindmarsh, has been engaged, during the last two months, in a missionary visit to Scotland and the northern parts of England. Through the kindness of the committee at Manchester for conducting the affairs of the missionary institution, we are enabled to present our readers with

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the most important of Mr. Hindmarsh's letters to Mr. Lockett, the treasurer to the institution, giving an account of his proceedings in the discharge of his mission, which will be read with equal interest and delight. They are written with unaffected simplicity and plainness; and, whilst they make us acquainted with results so far greater than could have been anticipated, we learn from them, at the same time, that their amiable and intelligent author, when compelled to speak so much of himself, knows how to do it without betraying the least tendency to magnify his own most useful but unassuming labours. It is indeed impossible to peruse his letters, without feeling the sincerest gratitude to the committee for having prevailed upon Mr. Hindmarsh to undertake such a task, and to that gentleman himself for having discharged it with such zeal and ability. The letters are as follow:

Dear Sir,

Glasgow, August 4th, 1817.

I arrived at this place on Tuesday night last, about ten o'clock. The next day, I found Mr. Morton, Mr. Attwell, Mr. Mackie, Mr. Patterson, and another or two, who constitute the whole society in Glasgow. At present they have no place of public meeting, but meet generally on a Sunday evening at Mr. Mackie's, about a mile from the town. They are now proposing to engage a proper room or hall, wherein they may meet, and be better known to the public. I have lectured every evening since my arrival here, in a room at Mr. Attwell's, and from sixteen to twenty persons have usually attended. The friends, for several days, had been looking out for a spacious and commodious hall, wherein I might preach on Sunday, but met with disappointment from various causes, some halls being under repair, and others not to be obtained till a meeting of the proprietors could be had. At length a large hall, fitted up like a theatre, for lectures on natural philosophy, was procured for Sunday evening, by the kindness of the Universalists, who, under the ministry of the celebrated Mr. Douglass, occupy it on a Sunday; and the Unitarians liberally offered us the use of their chapel for the morning and afternoon. Though we all had an objection to be thought by the public as in any way identified with the Unitarians, yet, find— ing that no other convenient place could be obtained for any other part of Sunday than the evening, we thought it best to accept of

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