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it; with the pocket helping the advancement of the truth, with the life exhibiting its beauty and power. They rejoiced to see how wondrously the great work was being carried on. They wanted every one to be joint possessors with them of these grand truths. A Sunday School teacher once told him that some Methodists had used some poetry which had been recited by his scholars at a recital, and seemed aggrieved. "I told him," said Dr. Bayley, "I wish they had stolen the whole lot!" Just so with the doctrines of Swedenborg: they found them cropping up in every direction, and he rejoiced to see this. He had just been reading Tremadoc Sermons, by the Rev. H. N. Grimley of Tremadoc, a professor of mathematics in the University of Wales, and he read to the meeting extracts from it upon the subjects of the Divine Humanity, the spiritual body and spiritual world, and the science of correspondences. They rejoiced, said Dr. Bayley, to see their doctrines so clearly and eloquently stated. On inquiring if Mr. Grimley was aware upon what ground he stood, he (Dr. Bayley) found that he was, and that he had no difficulty in saying so. Men, then, could now hold Swedenborg's views without being despised. The New Church never could be a sect; even if there were only one of them he could not be sectarian. The world was slowly reaching a point which

it had reached fifty years ago. Geology and anthropology made

people think there was something wrong in the ordinary ideas of creation. They could conceive of nothing higher than that God is Jesus and God is Love. The Roman Catholics, he saw by some of their books, had a curious Trinity: it included the Virgin Mary. That was a Trinity of four ! The doctrines which taught that God is Jesus and God is Love tended to make men images and likenesses of God, and the whole world a loving family.

Dr. S. THOMPSON (Torquay) said the Tremadoc Sermons had made a great impression. He knew the writer, who had received letters of approval from all denominations.

The Rev. J. PRESLAND seconded the resolution. He said this was an age abounding in truths, but while the tendency of the age was to appreciate scientific truths in the first place, and to neglect or set aside spiritual and rational truths, Swedenborg reversed the order, and placed spiritual truths prior to scientific. We might see in this an illustration

of our Lord's description of the fig-tree, which, while its branches were yet tender, put forth leaves. The fig-tree's branch was now putting forth leaves; the natural man was growing verdant with appropriated knowledges, and these were stepping-stones in the development of a pure Christianity, with which the influence and name of Swedenborg would be intimately associated. The Tremadoc Sermons had been noticed by the press. Some time ago the Literary World, a sort of penny Athenæum, published a notice of a book, in which they took occasion to roundly decry the theology and person of Swedenborg. Lately, this paper had inserted a notice of the Tremadoc Sermons, and they found difficulty in finding words to express admiration of these sermons, which differ from ordinary sermons only so far as the

author has drawn inspiration from Swedenborg's works. The same jonrnal, which had nothing but vituperation for Swedenborg, has nothing but praise for the Tremadoc Sermons. He left the meeting to draw the moral, but maintained that it should not induce them to be less bold in making it known that their doctrines came through Swedenborg. On the contrary, he thought they should do all in their power to remove the ignorance prevalent concerning the real character of Swedenborg, and thus gradually sap the foundations of the prejudice still existing to some extent against his name. It was significant to see the Literary World blessing the Tremadoc Sermons, and cursing the foundations upon which they were based.

The Rev. J. J. THORNTON (Accrington) gave an interesting account of missionary work in the south of France during a recent stay there. He everywhere experienced a respectful recognition of Swedenborg's merits, and disposed of many books and tracts. In one case a professor of literature from Bordeaux expressed himself delighted with Swedenborg's views, and declared he would speedily introduce them to the 200 students under his tuition. The authority of Swedenborg's writings was dependent upon the extent to which they were studied; only those who had extensively studied these works could regard Swedenborg as an authority. He looked upon them as a revelation, for just as the senses were bases of scientific thought, so revelation from the Divine Being must be the basis of spiritual thought. They could not base spiritual thought upon any facts of science; they must take it to its true foundation. The doctrines of the Church had great attractions to many minds as weapons of controversy, but they were also doctrines of love, since they came from the God of love. They taught that every man is our brother who worships the Lord and lives a good life.

The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution to the meeting, when it was carried unanimously. The Chairman announced the election of the following gentlemen as the Committee for the ensuing year, viz. :— The Revs. Dr. Bayley, W. Bruce, J. Presland, and R. L. Tafel; and Messrs. Bateman, E. H. Bayley, T. H. Elliott, R. Gunton, R. Thexton, H. R. Williams, and Dr. Stocker.

Mr. R. GUNTON proposed, and Mr. JOHN SMITH Seconded, a cordial vote to the Chairman for presiding, who briefly responded, and after prayer by the Rev. Dr. Bayley, the meeting separated.

SONNET.

I WANDERED down the dale where Walton came
To spend the day in sport he loved so well,
Where many a pleasant lesson he would tell
Of cheerfulness, and God's great Love proclaim.
And as I went, watching the silver stream
Rippling its onward way, I saw the sun

Sinking behind the hills-its day's course run-
Was mirrored in the river; and each beam
Of purple, green, and gold that fainter grew
Lingered awhile although the sun had gone.
So is it with the good. Their life-work done,
Whate'er in action, feeling, thought was true,
Still casts its rays of beauty round the earth;
And from their influence new joys of life have birth.

VERUS.

Reviews.

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG THE SPIRITUAL COLUMBUS. Pages 216. DURING the issue of the "True Christian Religion" last year there came out a series of articles on Swedenborg in one of the metropolitan papers. These, unlike the mere sketches which ordinarily appear, and evince often great self-sufficiency and very little knowledge of the subjects upon which they pronounce ex cathedra, were written in an admirable tone, with excellent taste, and displayed a full and accurate knowledge of the subject.

The whole are now blended into one continuous treatise, and are brought out with the above title. We commend it very heartily to our readers. It gives a fair sketch of the life and writings of Swedenborg. The style is lively and attractive; the size is convenient, and for a person who wants to have a grasp of the whole subject before he launches farther into detail, this will be an extremely handy and serviceable work. We wish it a very extensive circulation. The author's 's nom de plume was U.S.E.

TREMADOC SERMONS.

THESE sermons, published by the Rev. H. N. Grimley, Chaplain of Tremadoc Church, and Professor of Mathematics in the University College of Wales, form a very edifying and beautiful volume. The style is clear, elegant, and affectionate. Like the works of Mr. Browning, they are signs of new life and thought in the Church of England. We hail them with delight, and hope such evidences will multiply and extend.

In all religious bodies, especially in this country and America, new thought and a spirit more truly Christian are announcing new life from the Universal_Lord.

We are grateful for these testifications that spring is advancing and summer is nigh. We are, however, none the less satisfied that a central body is needed, and a visible Church should be exhibited, in whose practical worship and lives may be seen that it is safe as well as wise to put "the new wine into new bottles."

Timid souls, that have tried to go on as well as they could with the old garments formed in coarse, dark ages, are afraid of new robes, and would fain put a piece of the new cloth upon the old garment, but in due time, by loving consideration and universal charity, these things will right themselves, and the nations of them which are saved will all walk in the light of the Holy City.

In the meantime, such charming books as the one before us are like manna in the wilderness. As illustrations of its style and of its truth, we subjoin the following selections for our readers, and we wish for this work a hearty reception and a wide circulation. In the sermon on the Holy Trinity, after explaining the original meaning of person to have been character or manifestation, and not separate individual personality, as it does at the present day, the author remarks of the Lord Jesus Christ (p. 159)::

"This Divine Omnipresent Being, the Father, Maker of heaven and earth, whom men in times long past were not able to personify-whom the imaginations of men were not able to give any representation of-has revealed Himself to His children of a later date in the person of His Son, the Man Christ Jesus. In Him we are to behold the fulness of the Godhead bodily. In Him we are to behold the Divine, in the only abiding form in which He has revealed Himself to us. Throughout all the preceding ages, the Divine One had been but a Great Spirit hovering over the universe, had been but a Voice heard amid the thunder and lightning which echoed and flashed among the mountain-tops, had been but the Inspirer of prophetic souls, but had not revealed Himself to the world, clothed with any abiding personal form. But to men He is now for ever henceforth revealed in the human form of the Lord Jesus, who, strictly speaking, using the word person in its modern meaning, is the only person in the Ever-Blessed Trinity. To the eye of faith now, the Divine wears the human form-the glorified body—of the Jesus who lived and suffered upon earth, and in whom was commenced the great union of the Human with the Divine."

We add one other extract, and are sorry we have not space for more :—

"When we look upon the outward world we are really beholding what God has designed to be for us a representation of the inner world of spirit. He has constituted the visible, to be to us the silent teacher of the invisible, to declare to us His Divine glory. The things we see are so designed as to prepare the human heart for the contemplation of the things unseen, to which they in mystic manner CORRESPOND. There is not a created thing on earth which has not its archetype in the heavens. Nothing we see in valley or on mountain, in the blue vault above, among the moving clouds, in storm or in sunshine, or on the great and wide sea, but has its Divine pattern in the heavenly mount. The whole round world is all aglow with the teaching impressed upon it by the Word of the Lord" (p. 99).

THE Swedenborg Society has issued new editions of the following works, in all of which we notice not only great excellence in printing and paper, but very valu able improvements of translation, which will largely add to their usefulness :

1st, "Apocalypse Revealed." This noble book, in its improved form, is being so largely called for by the clergy and ministry generally, that the Rock, the Low Church newspaper, has felt it necessary to attack it very bitterly, which will no doubt be an advantage to its circulation.

2nd, "The Conjugial Love." This work is presented in a very improved appearance, and with several alterations, which we cannot but regard as great emendations. The needless intrusion of Latin words is avoided-"storge" is translated in Nos. 192 and 195, and many improved renderings are given. We particularize one instance, the substitution of coerced for checked, in No. 450. It is a closer translation of the author's word coerceri, and it gives more precisely the shade of idea intended by him.

3rd, "The Four Leading Doctrines," now styled "The Four Primary Doctrines." We believe it is not the intention of the Committee to publish the four treatises separately, and certainly in their present form they are everything that can be desired, at a very moderate size and cost. The four indexes, too, are thrown into one, with equal advantage both as to convenience and economy.

We trust these works in their new form will be extensively circulated.

JEHOVAH-JESUS. Scripture Studies of Seven Sayings of our Lord in the Gospel according to St. John. By ALEXANDER MACLEOD SYMINGTON, B.A. London: Philip & Son.

THE title of this book is attractive to the New Church reader; but he who takes it up with much hope will lay it down with some disappointment. So far as regards its dogmatic teaching, it is Anti-Arian, but it is not Anti-Trinitarian. Many Christian writers have undertaken to prove that Jesus is Jehovah, who only meant to establish what the author of this work says the Lord Jesus plainly asserts, "His own proper Godhead." The author, it is true, does not intend his book to be dogmatic, but evangelical; and he carries out his intention with ability, and evidently with a view to edification. After a preliminary discourse, in which he shows that Jesus possesses all Divine attributes and performs all Divine works, he devotes a discourse to each of the Lord's seven sayings-I am the Light of the world; I am the Bread of life; I am the Door; I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; I am the Resurrection and the Life; I am the Good Shepherd; I am the Vine. Much excellent practical teaching is given in these discourses. The texts are examined on all sides, so that the full meaning may be brought out, prominence being always given to the Lord's testimony of Himself, as not the Dispenser merely, but the Author of the gifts and graces He bestows-as, in fact, the Life, and the Source of it to man. As an instance of the testimony he finds in Scripture to the " proper Godhead" of the Lord Jesus, in quoting Titus ii. 13, he follows Grenville Sharp and some others, in giving the Greek particle kal the meaning of Amen,-" The great God, even our Saviour," a rendering which would alter the reading of several other passages. Whether it is right we need not stop to discuss here. We need only say that the great doctrine of the Lord's sole Divinity does not rest upon isolated passages, but upon the testimony of the whole Word. Besides, we do not strengthen their testimony by obliterating distinctions. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct, only they are not distinct Persons. The soul and body are distinct, but they are one person. So God and man are one Christ.

Although, as we have said, the author does not intend his teaching to be dogmatic, the orthodox views crop out here and there, or rather run through the whole work; but, with few exceptions, they are only formally introduced by the author in connection with his subject, and as doctrines forming parts of the assumed common faith of his readers. We have the common doctrine of the Trinity, Atonement by vicarious sacrifice, including the reconciliation of

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