the person of our Lord, the speaker proceeded to say that there were three religious parties working their way in the world the first stood outside the pale of Divine revelation, regarding the Scriptures as altogether mythical, having no foundation in fact, and the four Gospels as very little better than a romance; and the others stood within, and believed the reality of Christ, although one of these sections denied His divinity. In support of the theory that Christ was no myth, he touched lightly on the writings of Tacitus, Pliny, and other of the early historians, proving that there were then in existence bodies of men calling themselves Christians, who sung hymns to Christ as God.' It would, he said, be tedious to quote in detail all the varied testimony that might be adduced to prove the appearance of Christ; that was matter of public notoriety. His doctrines and works indeed so influenced the minds of many at that time, that rather than yield them up they suffered the most awful persecutions. On reading the early history of Christianity, what did they see? They saw Christianity surrounded by opposition, assailed on every hand, resisted by all the prejudice of corrupt human nature; but notwithstanding all this it moved with an energy and met with a success that could not be gainsaid. The result of conviction of the truth that Christ was really the Lord was always followed by beneficent works, look where they would; and as they always judged a tree by its fruits, so they should judge Christianity on its merits. Let them look for one moment at Madagascar. A short time since that island was the home of all vice and misery; now the blessed light of the Gospel had been spread abroad the evil habits of the people had been entirely changed. Darkness was dispelled, the evil were elevated, the corrupt were purified, and all human beings, by the power of the Gospel, were transformed into the likeness of God; and all this grand and glorious work was accomplished through the conviction that Christ was a reality. No mere code of human morals could have ever wrought such a great change; in fact, if they took away the religious elements out of the world, they took away its vivifying power. In the four Gospels they had cause amply sufficient to transform the most barren soul into But a blooming garden. Coming to the point of the divinity of the Saviour, he said there were many opposed to that view, but he wished to put Him before them as one with the Father, as God manifested in the flesh, and in whom all fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily. If it was so it would be seen at a glance that all things diametrically opposed to it could not find a true resting-place when the whole of the sacred volume was taken under consideration. one party looked at the human aspect of our Lord, and had built their faith almost entirely upon those passages in the Word of God dwelling upon Him in His earthly capacity; but the more evangelical of our fellow-countrymen had pinned their faith on the Divine phase of the character of Jesus, and deducing from it that in Him rested the attributes of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Upon this point he forcibly and eloquently dwelt, and, without one hiatus during a discourse of upwards of an hour's duration, he quoted passages from Holy Writ to prove that Christ was not a myth, but the one true God. At the conclusion he announced that a further lecture would be given on Thursday next, and the meeting was brought to a termination by prayer." GRIMSBY.-We copy from the Grimsby Observer of February 25th the following account of the missionary labours of Mr. Gunton at this town :-Under the title of the 'New Jerusalem of the Revelation,' a series of lectures and discourses have just been delivered in the Hall of Science by Mr. R. Gunton of London, a Swedenborgian lecturer. The subjects comprised "The Origin of Evil," "The Miraculous Increase of the Widow's Oil," "The Nature of the Spiritual World and the State of Man after Death," "How we ought to think of the Mighty God as manifested in Jesus Christ, and "The Two Advents of the Lord-their different natures and the uses accomplished by each." The views held by those who with Swedenborg believe that a new dispensation of truth, or a New Church, is prefigured by The New Jerusalem of the Revelation are of course different to what is called orthodox Christianity, and we cannot here give more than the merest outline of what those doctrines are. The lecturer appeared to understand 66 thoroughly the views he taught, and he growing population, which, though near certainly presented them with great to Manchester, has not been visited by earnestness. His listeners, too, who ministers of the New Church. In makwere fair in number, appeared greatly ing their winter's arrangements for public interested in what they heard, and were lectures, the Committee of the Manled by the representations of the lecturer chester Missionary Society determined to avail themselves of the opportunity to include this town in their operations. of purchasing books further explanatory A public hall was rented, and four lecof the tenets of this body of Christians. tures appointed, two by Rev. W. WesThe lecturer quoted a large number of tall, and two by Rev. R. Storry. Mr. passages of Scripture, which he con- Westall selected as his subjects, "The tended sustained his doctrines, and he Resurrection - Will the natural body advanced some rational arguments in rise?" and "Heaven-What is the nasupport of his creed. The leading prin- ture of its happiness?" The subjects ciples we gathered from the lectures discussed by Mr. Storry were, The were-That evil originated with man by Mission of Christianity-How has this an abuse of his free-will through his mission been accomplished?" and "The listening to his sensual nature, repre- Mission of the New Church-How will sented in Scripture by the serpent; and it be fulfilled?" The attendance at in the same manner that it originated these lectures was not equal to expectawith our first parents it now origi- tion. Indeed it was surprising to witness nates with each man. The widow's oil, the apathy manifested. Less than forty the lecturer said, signified goodness, were present, and of these several were and the borrowed vessels truth, and that from the neighbouring New Church if we collect vessels of truth the Lord Society at Ashton. We will not believe will fill them all with goodness, and that any effort to spread the knowledge goodness and truth in union are sure of the truth is fruitless; but it is neverto lead to a virtuous and useful life. theless difficult to persuade ourselves This, he said, was the demand of the that a population can be benefited unless Creditor, and the demand was made to first roused to give heed to the voice of increase man's happiness by an increased the preacher. The few who were preactivity in a life of usefulness. The sent gave a thoughtful attention; a few spiritual world, the lecturer said, should books were sold, and we can only hope be thought of as a real and substantial, that the seed sown may have fallen into but not material world, created expressly the ground of some prepared mind, and for the abode of angels, who are the may bring forth fruit, though after many spirits of just men made perfect. The days. A second course of lectures has since only rational mode of thinking of the been delivered at this place by the same mighty God was, he said, as an infinitely ministers, and, so far as regards attendglorious divine man, manifested to our ance, with the same results. One of senses in the person of Jesus Christ, for the lectures, "On the Word," was howJesus said, "He that hath seen me hath ever reported at length in one of the seen the Father," "The Father that local papers, so that a more extended dwelleth in me, he doeth the works," publicity was thereby secured. "In Jesus Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." The first advent of the Lord, the lecturer said, was for the purpose of restoring to man spiritual liberty, and the second was to restore to man a perception of the spiritual sense of the Scriptures, which ran through the whole of the Word; and as the spirit of man is more excellent than his body, so the spirit of the Word is more excellent than the letter. The admission to the lectures was free, and a large number of tracts were circulated gratuitously. KEIGHLEY.-We have been favoured by the National Missionary Institution with four lectures of a very interesting nature. The first two were delivered by the Rev. John Hyde on the 21st and 22nd January, on "The Divine Trinity in the One Person of the Lord Jesus Christ," and "Will God destroy the World or moral evil out of the World?" Both lectures were able and eloquent expositions of the enlightened views of the New Church on these important questions, and were listened to by very appreciative audiences. The second HYDE.-At this place is a large and course of lectures were by the Rev. R. Storry, and delivered on the 25th and 26th of February. The subjects were, "Modern thought respecting the Bible, the nature of its inspiration, and the law of its interpretation;" and "The Christian life, not a life of Pharisaical pretension, but of Christian usefulness." There were many strangers at these lectures, and the manner in which the subjects were treated, and the earnest eloquence of the lecturer in the illustration of the beautiful truths of the Church, cannot help but produce an excellent impression upon all. They were all of a very able and deeply interesting character, and we cannot help but feel that permanent good has been received by us all, but more especially to the rising generation in our Society. And to those who were strangers to our views, we may hope that these able discourses will have permanent results, and lead them to still further inquiries. We were greatly indebted to the reverend lecturers for their kindly visitation of several of our old and highly-respected members who have become severely afflicted. A. B. LONDON-Argyle Square.-A course of Sabbath evening lectures has been given in this church during the months of January, February, and part of the month of March, which have been well attended, and seem to have excited considerable interest. Two of the weekly papers, the Islington Gazette and the North Londoner, have given somewhat extended reports of these lectures, so that their use will thereby be extended to many who did not hear them. We give the report of the third of these lectures, which is the shortest of these notices:-"A lecture upon 'Confession and Absolution' was delivered by the Rev. J. Presland, at this church, on Sunday evening last, from the text, John xxi. 23. After referring to the effects in the Roman Catholic Church of an abuse of the confessional and the agitation for its use in the Anglican Church, the lecturer said, that notwithstanding the piety and earnest devotion of many of the clergy who recommended the re-use of the confessional and its apparent advantages, it was dangerous, disorderly, and contrary to Scripture to place such immense spiritual power in fallible hands. Although declared to be voluntary, the argument for the use of confession implied its necessity, and consequently rendered its use obligatory upon would-be pious persons. It was impossible to view with apathy a system which made mere priests receptacles of the deep secrets of men and women, much less when the rights of parents over their children were supplanted, the child's affections warped, and its character moulded by strange hands. What was the authority for all this? The advocates of confession said that the Lord forgives sin 'as the Son of Man,' that He conferred similar authority on His apostles, and that these apostles had not only exercised that power but transmitted it to the Church. Now, even admitting the existence of such a power and its exercise by the apostles, there was no evidence of transmission; indeed, of all shadowy myths this of apostolic succession was the vaguest. Moreover, the apostles never exercised the power. John's teaching is confess to God alone, who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse from all unrighteousness' (1 John i. 8, 9). James spoke of confessing faults, but this meant reconciliation between brethren, not reference to a priest. Another text relied on (2 Cor. v. 18, 19), when examined, was found to be simply a forcible exposi tion of the apostolic work in the ministry, and not a recommendation of confession. And, finally, the case of the transgressor referred to in 1 Cor. v. 4 and 2 Cor. ii. 10 is equally inappropriate, since upon perusal of the narrative, it was clear that Paul acted as the agent of the congregation concerned, and not as a vicegerent of Heaven. When he saw so important a doctrine upon such flimsy foundation, it argued much against its truth, but the matter became worse when it was seen that ecclesiastical historians failed to find evidence of the use of the confessional earlier than the third century, and it was not made imperative till 1215. Now, what was absolution and forgiveness of sin? Sin is the transgression of the law, a violation of the laws of order and happiness, a diseased, disorganized condition of soul, and was only to be cured, like disease, by being removed. Exemption from punishment did not cure evil, nor would admission to heaven effect a change. Forgive,' means to 'to send away, to remove, or forsake.' This is what the Bible teaches, and not that there is to be some change in God. all the other faculties, that our sins are really forgiven, i.e., removed." NORTHAMPTON.-Our Society has been favoured with a visit from Mr. Gunton, who preached two discourses on Sunday, 8th March-that in the morning from Isaiah lii., "How beautiful upon the mountains," and in the evening from 2 Kings iv., "The miraculous increase of the widow's oil." Mr. Gunton, in the course of his remarks, spoke of the necessity of cultivating a deeper and more earnest interest in the Lord's Day services of the Church, calculated as such interest is to raise man's thoughts, and to help him to attain the mountain state of mind, that he may receive a fuller measure of heavenly blessedness. It was all very well for the priest to say, The On the two following evenings Mr. Gunton delivered two lectures-the first being on the subject "How we ought to think of the Lord Jesus, why we ought to pray to Him, and what we ought to pray for. The subject of the second lecture was, "How to reach Heaven." An interesting discussion arose after each evening's lecture. The subject of the last lecture gave Mr. Gunton an opportunity to introduce the doctrine of substitution, which, as generally believed, he showed to be both unreasonable and unscriptu. ral. One elderly gentleman, unconnected with the church, expressed a wish that the views given utterance to that night were more generally taught. The lecturer had given him much hope and encouragement in his old age, and he should wish for others to share the same hope and encouragement with himself. Another gentleman, who has recently joined the church, also wished to thank the lecturer for the clear and able manner in which he had treated the subject, feeling that he was helped to see his way better to understand rightly this important doctrine. The visit of Mr. Gunton has, we believe, been a success, and we beg to return our thanks to the National Missionary Institution for Birth. On Friday, March 13th, at 25 Rochesuses to restrain, direct, and purify the ter Square, London, N. W., the wife of sensual desires. These are the apostles the Rev. John Presland, of a son. who remit sins because they are truths, and it is only by interior application of truths from the Word in a spirit of Marriage. On January 14, 1874, by the Rev. F. faith, obedience, and love, assisted by A. Bartlett, Incumbent of St. Olave's Church, York, Mr. John Martin, Surgeon, to Miss Rose Marion Goyder (Granddaughter of the Rev. D. G. Goy. der). No cards. Obituary. On 18th February, at Brixton, London, Mr. Samuel Barton, junr., aged 42. The deceased, who was born of New Church parents, was a member of the Camberwell Society, and had previously been connected with the Societies at Derby and Manchester. He endeavoured to show, in worthy deeds, his appreciation of our distinctive teachings; and those who came in closest contact with him, best esteemed his generous, honourable character. By rare energy and ability, combined with unblemished integrity, he had gained for himself an enviable position in the commercial world; and being blessed with seemingly robust health, a long career of mortal happiness and prosperity appeared in store. In a few days, however, his stalwart frame succumbed to disease, and a widow and five young children are left to deplore their irreparable earthly loss. "Even so Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight.' At Burton-on-Trent, September 10th, Mr. Edwin Barton, brother of the foregoing, aged 44. When a youth he was an active junior member of the Derby Society, but of late years he was an involuntary isolated receiver. Of quiet, unassuming temperament, his worth was not generally adequately estimated, but those who were permitted to watch his unselfish exemplary demeanour, realized how consistently he endeavoured to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with his God. At 20 Oxford Terrace, Islington, February 25, 1874, Mr. C. E. Waddington departed into the spiritual world, aged 51 years. Our deceased brother was a very energetic and useful worker in the cause of the New Church. He first became acquainted with the doctrines about the year 1851, during a discussion with Mr. Hart on the subject of Mormonism viewed as a universal brotherhood, and the philosophy developed by Snow, one of their chief men. Mr. Hart opposed these ideas by the spiritual views of Scripture. The discussion lasted many evenings, and eventually led to our friend first carefully reading and then accept ing the writings of our Church. He The soon was desirous of extending to others what had been so acceptable to himself. He took a lively interest and active part in several missionary efforts. In Holloway he and others exerted themselves strenuously to form a mission; but ultimately had to relinquish it at considerable pecuniary loss. While he was a member of the Islington Society, he was very highly esteemed for his sincerity and earnestness in the good cause. spirit which animated him Dr. Goyder has justly described: "He was always fond of helping the weakest Societies." This feeling led him to join the Buttesland Street Society when it was removed from the Shoreditch Town Hall. Here his active spirit found free scope for his desires, and in the Sunday-school and the church he was an earnest, quiet, loving worker. Since the removal of Mr. Ramage he has regularly conducted the Society's week-night meeting. In every sphere of his life he carried his principles into practice, believing that the principles of our Church require to be lived as well as learned. Only a few months before his decease he joined the Swedenborg Reading Society, and on January 15 read an elaborate paper on "The Correspondence of the Eye," a notice of which appeared in the Intellectual Repository for March. He leaves a widow and one child to mourn the loss of a loving husband and father, while the New Church generally and the Buttesland Street Society especially has lost one of its truest members. S. B. D. On the 11th of March, at the residence nian Road, London, Mr. John Augustus of his mother, Bingfield Street, CaledoPurnell passed into the eternal world. Always an invalid, an accident during infancy having resulted in spinal curva ture, his removal-caused by an affection of the lungs-was yet sudden and unexpected. The son of one of the oldest members of the Argyle Square Society, he was distinguished by great attachment to the Church, and, notwithstanding his physical infirmities, was from childhood a regular attendant at its services and meetings. His friends, while deeply feeling their separation, are con soled by the assurance that no bodily weakness will henceforth hinder the workings of his active mind, but that his death to mortality is a resurrection to full power and unrestrained capacity. He was in his 23rd year. |