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SWEDENBORG.-There are constantly and without considering his rather amazgrowing indications of the increased ing claim to be the official surveyor and attention which is given to the writings map-maker of the spiritual universe ; of our author, both in England and this may fairly be admitted he has America. In the latter country the contributed more than any other writer examples are apparently more marked to a philosophy of religion which reconthan in our own. The writings enter ciles the deeper senses of Scripture with more extensively into the current litera- all that we know of nature and of man. ture, and receive more fully, at least, a Often ridiculed and misrepresented by passing attention. The Messenger of those who have taken little pains to November 24th gives two examples of penetrate his real meaning, often grothis. The first is the introduction of tesque in his conception and expression, the claims to attention of the doctrine he is yet vastly larger than any of his of correspondences into a Sunday School critics; and probably no fair-minded Convention at Wilmington, Del. The student of his writings ever assigned first question proposed for discussion them a place in the second class. No was, "Shall we teach our children cor- man ever looked into Swedenborg far respondences?" The teacher who intro- enough to learn what he means, without duced the discussion based his argument receiving a profound impression, and on this proposition, "The spirit of in- confessing to a large indebtedness. His spiration regards the intrinsic qualities increasing influence appears in nearly all of things, and not their mere external recent and important modifications of circumstances." In proof of this de- religious thought; in the most salutary monstration the speaker offered proofs and effective preaching of our times; in and illustrations from the nature of man the growing reasonableness, catholicity, and of the Word. Of the Word he re- and humanity of the churches, and in all marked, "The Word of God is to be aspirations towards a more perfect social understood in two senses, that of the order. Or, if we may not trace these letter and that of the spirit, and by the better tendencies to his influence, we Divine science of correspondences, the must say they prove his breadth and most difficult parts can be brought down insight; for they all move, if unconto the comprehension of a little child." sciously, in the direction whither his This was illustrated by texts from the finger points. Word and their exposition. In the dis- "To two classes of persons the writings cussion that followed, a Wesleyan mini- of Swedenborg may be confidently comster said, "I am afraid of these corre- mended; first, to those who, with the spondences, it sounds like Swedenborg, Bible in their hands from childhood, I therefore move that we do not teach and with a large assortment of preachers our children correspondences. This to choose from every Sunday, have yet being seconded, came properly before been driven, by intellectual difficulties, the convention for action, whereupon to feel as if all foundations of faith and another Methodist minister moved to hope were slipping away, or crumbling lay the matter on the table, which was beneath their feet, and all religion becarried by upwards of a two-thirds vote. coming unreal. He can help this doubting and bewildered class in two ways: by making spiritual themes more 'thinkable,' and by inspiring respect for their honest doubts. He is a master in Israel, but he refuses to overpower you; his function as a seer is to help you to see with your own eyes. Better still, as a physician of the soul, he prescribes the eternal cure for doubt concerning the fundamental postulates of religion, by bringing the questioner face to face with

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The second notice in the Messenger is still more remarkable. It is a lengthened paper from the Christian Register, by a writer, Charles G. Ames, who, as will be seen, is not a member of the New Church. We give this paper at as great length as our space will admit.

Without swallowing whole' a system so suspiciously complete as that of Emanuel Swedenborg, without accepting him as an absolute oracle or authority,

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that awe-inspiring reality, himself,-a thought by his more admiring disciples revelation of both God and man, to be to have been, like his vast scientific questioned nevermore ! attainments, a providential qualification for reporting and formulating with exactness his visions' or views; but it has certainly made it impossible for one who is not an admiring disciple to read any of his volumes without being bored as well as instructed. Writing as he is said to have done in a partly barbarised Latin, and often expressing his commonplaces abstrusely, he only comes before English readers in a cumbrous translation. There are many often recurring phrases, out of which one must pick the meat as he would from an imperfectly cracked walnut. But the meat is there, sound, rich, and sweet.

"To another class the thoughtful reading of Swedenborg's works would be a noble benefit, viz., to those who are becoming painfully or sneeringly aware of the narrowness, the illiberality, the inhospitality to reason and human feel ing of the current orthodoxy, or of the vagueness, thinness, and chaos of the current heterodoxy. Multitudes are dissatisfied with their own religious traditions, and yet hardly know how to open or handle the questions they would gladly examine. Much of what Swedenborg says will not help them at first, perhaps not at last; but their own conscious needs will guide them in selecting from his mass of material that which is enlightening for the understanding and nutritious for the life. He can conduct them to high and clear points of religious outlooking and inlooking. He can lead them forth into a large place; and supply them a helpful measure both for their errors and their truths. Doubtless he is not a finality, but a way-station on the road to something better than he can give; but no one can travel so far without a joyful certainty that for every straying pilgrim there is a King's high

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"To read Swedenborg with attractive interest may not at first be easy; an appetite must be formed, as for eating tomatoes. Indeed most men would find something like re-education in compelling themselves to pass over to the points of view, the ways of thinking, and the forms of expression which characterize this scribe of the New Jerusalem. It may require a degree of resoluteness and persistence to which many are unequal, and for which most of our common reading and traditional thinking gives us a distaste and disability. More than once the reader will be repelled by obscurities and apparent puerilities; but when he first catches and follows his author's drift, gets used to the unhuman sound of his voice, and is content to let him have his own way of putting things, there will be an exceeding great reward for patient study such as comes to those who search in the right place for hidden treasures.

"The severely mathematical and rigidly logical cast of Swedenborg's mind, is

"Even an imperfect and comparatively superficial acquaintance with Swedenborg inclines one, who cannot call himself a New Churchman, to say that, ever since that acquaintance began, it has seemed possible to form a juster estimate of every other book he has read, of the relative importance of every theme he has pondered or heard expounded, of every experience through which he has passed, and of all present and past events affecting the human race. has also seemed easier to believe that, sometime and somewhere, even we, poor, blind mortals, might realize and attain the vision of the man who 'saw through.'

'He saw through life and death, through
good and ill;

He saw through his own soul;
The inarvel of the Everlasting Will
Before him lay-an open scroll.""

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SWEDENBORG'S PSYCHOLOGY. publication of Mr. Gorman's "Christian Psychology," which is a new translation of Swedenborg's "De Commercio Animæ et Corporis," with preface and illustrative notes, has led to notices in some of the popular periodicals. One of these occurs in the Literary World, a cheap weekly serial published by the proprietors of the Christian World, and circulating chiefly in dissenting communities. It is not perhaps surprising that the many topics introduced by Mr. Gorman into his "notes should have attracted the attention of the reviewer, but we might reasonably have supposed that he would have given some attention to the work itself.

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Swedenborg says there are three hypotheses respecting the intercourse

especially of one whose influence has been so marvellous upon a very high class of mind, is a thing to be glad of. No one can look at Mr. Gorman's patientlywrought essay without learning much.' What the writer has learned, and what commends the work to him, is the discovery "that the sect popularly called Swedenborgianism, and calling itself the 'New Jerusalem Church,' or some such pretentious and monstrous title, is in no sense the work of Swedenborg, who neither founded a schism nor wished any to be founded, but was as keen an opponent of sectarian separation as his contemporary Wesley was.

between the soul and the body. These, in the technical language employed, are called "physical influx, spiritual influx, and pre-established harmony." The first has its origin in the fallacies of the senses, the last in fallacious reasonings. The second, spiritual influx, is true, and is confirmed by right knowledge respecting the soul and its relation to the body. "No fourth opinion respecting the intercourse between the soul and the body can be framed; for either the soul must operate upon the body, or the body on the soul, or both continually together." Is the doctrine taught by the author true? We shall look in vain to this review. . . That Swedenborg, however, can for any notice respecting it. Not a ever become to English Churchmen all sentence occurs to intimate that the writer that such writers as Mr. Gorman and has given the slightest attention to what Mr. Chas. Bold believe he should be, is is the kernel of the subject he attempts utterly impossible; the majority of to handle. He fastens upon a multitude their brethren have not the time nor the of extrinsic and incidental matters, and power to enter upon speculations so totally overlooks the subject on which entirely philosophical and psychohe is professedly writing. As we read logical. Indeed, Swedenborg appears paragraph after paragraph, we ask our- to us more than ever, after looking at selves, what has all this to do with the Mr. Gorman's laborious elucidations, to question proposed for review? Sweden- belong to the philosophers more than to borg's Psychology is a clearly stated the theologians." The hope is less, doctrine, to which the reviewer has not therefore, than those of our friends once alluded! The review is filled with who adhere to the popular forms of details from private memoranda, the Christianity imagine, for the circulation Dream-book, and other matters, which, of the truth in these bodies. whether true, as some suppose, or false, matters than theological inquiry occupy as others very confidently affirm, were the attention of the clergy, and the the mere scaffolding to the solid struc- people who sit under their ministry ture of Swedenborg's mental attain- are too generally contented to listen ments, and have no more and no other passively to their instructions. relation to the doctrines he propounds, tween those, however, who prefer to than the scaffolding to a finished build- remain in the Establisment or coning. These doctrines rest on the solid nected with other Christian Churches, foundation of rational evidence, and and those who prefer to unite themare to be judged by their power of selves with their brethren in a separate enlightening the mind, and solving the communion, there ought to be no ever pressing and often perplexing untowardness of feeling or lack of problems by which it is oppressed. Christian unity and sympathy. Those These problems return upon us con- who have formed a separate communion tinually for solution, and it is the have done so in the hope and expectagreat recommendation of Swedenborg, tion of thereby best promoting the that he offers a satisfactory solution of diffusion of the truth, and the building their perplexities. up of the spiritual character in themselves, and we think that facts show that they have acted wisely.

A more respectful notice of the work appears in the English Churchman. The writer says:- "That we should take that exceedingly high view of Swedenborg's position in Christendom which the author attributes to him, is not to be expected. But any work which undertakes the defence and the interpretation of a misunderstood man,

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A review of the work in Notes and Queries is by a writer who confesses to scanty acquaintance with Swedenborg's writings. A perusal of the Appendix is sufficient to convince any one "of the inscrutable nature of the everlasting problem of soul and body, and of the

unseen world." The writer concludes, rational considerations. Dr. Simms however, that "if we believe that to says:-"No amount of evidence under Swedenborg was accorded a view of the canopy of heaven will convince a heaven and hell, his revelations large class of individuals, if they are not supersede and render unnecessary all in a condition to receive the truth. mere human conjectures regarding the But, when affliction comes, the mind spiritual world." It is a prominent becomes subdued to calm reflection, and feature of Swedenborg's revelations, we receive those truths which in the that while they assert facts they appeal bustle of life we rejected. The world to reason, and that their tendency is thinks much about death and its results, not to paralyze, but to strengthen and but very little about life. Yet life is develop the mental faculties. the most important of all things to man, for, as we live here so we fit ourselves to enter into that second life beyond the This life is only the nursery of the next grave, which we deem immortality. world-a workshop in which souls are made and fitted for eternity."

PURCHASE OF SWEDENBORG'S HOUSE

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AT STOCKHOLM.-We have received two communications on this subject, one recommending the entertainment of the subject, the other from a "New-Churchwoman offering her mite towards the cost. We are not aware that this question has been seriously entertained by any public assembly of the New Church, and would suggest to our friends whether the Scandinavian Mission would not be a better investment of their contributions.

PROFESSED HOLINESS.-The ostentatious profession of holiness has had a severe rebuke, in the conduct of some of its disciples. Eminent ministers, as Mr. Dale and Mr. Spurgeon, have thought it necessary to express strong dissent from much of this loud profession that has lately passed at the public conferences at Oxford and Brighton. NATURE'S REVELATIONS OF CHARAC- Mr. Spurgeon expresses himself in the TER.-A correspondent sends us some following manner:-" Mary did not tell extracts from the work of Dr. Simms everybody that she had precious ointrecently published under the above ment in store, but they knew it by her title. In discussing the subject of pouring it out. Whenever you hear a physiognomy the Dr. insists strongly man boast that he is holy, remember that the law of the exterior manifestation that good scent needs no proclaiming. of the internal character, which Sweden. The only cart I ever meet with that borg has shown exists universally in the rings a bell is the dust-cart. If jewels next life, is, to the trained observer, and diamonds, or the bullion of the equally universal in this life. The Bank of England, are carried through general adoption of physiognomy as a the streets, no bell is rung. 'Great cry branch of the ordinary scholastic curri- and little wool' is a proverb which has culum, would, in the estimation of Dr. had a new exposition in this country of Simms, result in greater openness of late in a wonderful cry about holiness, character, since attempts at disguise and wonderful little holiness to cry would be fruitless, more sincerity of about, but a great deal to be wept over conduct, since hypocrisy would gradu- and lamented before the living God. ally find itself devoid of a ray to cover To stand in every room and cry, Spikeits naked deformity, more benevolence of disposition, since malevolence would find itself everywhere exposed and scouted, and in fact would gradually be found to lead to purer sentiments, and that the indulgence of vicious habits inevitably lead to exposure, ignominy, and disgrace.

On the question of a future state the writer offers "Proofs founded in nature." The evidence of the future of man is by revelation, but the truth revealed to us admits of abundant illustration from

nard! spikenard! wonderful spikenard!' would have been idle. Pour it on Jesus' feet, and you will not have to say anything about it, for every room will be sweet with the smell thereof. We need nowadays to have a little less talk about what men are, and much more actual living unto Jesus."

REVIVALISM.-The effort to introduce into the city of York a series of revival services has led to a controversy in the local press, in the course of which the

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Rev. John Hunter, an eminent Congregational minister, expresses the opinion that the teaching of the Oxford and Brighton Conferences, apart from the "extravagances" of individuals, is not 'wholesome," and that it tends to encourage and promote a sentimental instead of a practical religious life. "From an honest study of this spiritual life movement," he continues, "I believe its direct tendency is to produce and increase that weak and morbid pietism which is the curse of our modern Church life. One has only to read the literature of the movement, especially the records of the Conferences, to be convinced of this. The more I study the New Testament the less encouragement do I find in it for those who place continuance in unusual states of thought and feeling before continuance in welldoing, and the more encouragement do I find for those persons who are called cold and unspiritual, because they believe that meekness and temperance and truth-speaking and righteousness and charity are the real signs and fruits of the Spirit of God, and not high-flown ecstasies of religious emotion."

In a subsequent letter, Mr. Hunter says, the professed endeavour of the York Conference to present the subject of the spiritual life "in a practical form," has his heartiest sympathy. "It must be manifest," he says, "to every candid person that the weakest part of religion to-day is this-that it does not save many of its loudest professors from cheating and lying, from uncharitableness and selfishness of life. Of all the weapons with which modern sceptics assail the Church, the most effective is this that it fails to produce among its members a type of moral character any higher, if so high, as that which is to be found in the unregenerate world." Another correspondent of the York Herald expresses a fear that the proposed Conference will foster a morbid and self-conscious piety which the history of the Church has shown to be compatible with great moral obliquity. "Have the visits,' he asks, 'of the itinerant revivalists which have been so frequent of late, with their coarse and carnal representations of Christian doctrine, so unlike the sweet reasonableness of the truth of Christ, been of any advantage to the cause of true religion?" He expresses a belief that as a means to

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draw the non-worshipping parts of the community these services have been an utter failure; that "this religious dissipation has induced dissatisfaction with the ordinary teachers and the regular services;" and that, "in spite of all those frantic efforts, our churches and chapels throughout the city are more thinly attended than they were a year ago.

The Conference nevertheless took place, and among the speakers was Mr. Muller, of Bristol. When it was over Mr. Hunter expressed the opinion that, with the exception of Mr. Muller's addresses, the teaching of the Conference seemed to have been not very unlike that of Oxford and Brighton. "With this solitary exception," he says, "there is scarcely a word in the newspaper reports that leads me to think that the speakers had given prominence to the practical character and form of the spiritual life, that they had applied the principles of the Gospel to the different relations men sustain to each other in the world. The burden of their message seems to have been how to secure joy, and peace, and rest, not how to live righteously and godly in the home, the shop, and the market-place-how to make themselves happy and blessed, not how to help and serve a world full of woe and want." Mr. Hunter and many others in York strongly affirm their belief that the whole tendency of the movement represented by the Conference is "to lead people into a state of unconcern regarding moral character and duty."

NEW CHURCH COLLEGE.--Our College Lectures have been delivered by Dr. Bayley, Mr. Appelbee, Mr. Austin, Mr. Davey, Mr. Davies, Mr. Payne, Rev. John Presland, and Mr. Bateman. Dr. Tafel has continued his lectures on Correspondences, and is to give us one on the importance of a genuine translation of the Sacred Scriptures," on Tuesday the 22nd inst.

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Dr. Bayley, Dr. Stocker, Rev. J. Presland, Mr. Woodford and Mr. Bateman have also engaged to lecture during the ensuing months of the Session. There are now forty-two boys in the College School, eleven of whom are boarders. Our two students are working well. -From a Correspondent.

ITALY.-We give from the Messenger

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