tends for a divine trinity, in the single person of Jesus Christ alone, consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just like the human trinity in every individual man, of soul, body, and proceeding operation; and he asserts, that, as the latter trinity constitutes one man, so the former trinity constitutes one Jehovah God, who is at once the Creator, Redeemer,and Regenerator. On this and other subjects, Dr. Priestley addressed letters to the members of the New Jernsalem church, to which several replies were made, and particularly one by Mr. R. Hindmarsh a prin

ter.

Baron Swedenborg further maintains, that the sacred scripture contains three distinct senses, called celestial, spiritual, and natural, which are united by correspondencies; and that in each sense it is divine truth, accomodated respectively to the angels of the three heavens, and also to men on earth. This science of correspondencies, it is said, had been lost for some thousands of years, viz., ever since the time of Job, but is now revived by Emanuel Swedenborg, who uses it as a key to the spiritual or internal sense of the sacred scripture, every page of which, he says, is, written by correspondencies, that is, by such things in the natural world as correspond unto and signify things in the spiritual world. He denies the doctrine of vicarious sacrafice, together with the doctrines of predestination, unconditional election, justification by faith alone, the resurrection of the material body, &c.? and, in opposition thereto, maintains, that man is possessed of free-will in spiritual things, that salvation is not attainable without repentance; that is, abstaining from evils, because they are sins against God, and living a life of charity and faith, according to the commandments; that man, immediately on his decease, rises again in a spiritual body; which was inclosed in his material body ; and that in this spiritual body he lives as a man to eternity, either in heaven or hell, according to the quality of his past life.

It is further maintained by Baron Swedenborg and his followers that all those passages in the sacred scripture, generally supposed to signify the destruction of the world

by fire, &c., commonly called the last judgment, must be understood according to the above-mentioned science of correspondencies, which teaches that, by the end of the world, or consummation of the age, is not signified the destruction of the world, but the destruction, or end, of the present Christian church, both among Roman Catholics and Protestants of every description or denomination; and that the last judgment actually took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757, from which era is dated the second advent of the Lord, and the commenecment of a new Christian church, which, they say, is meant by the new heaven and new earth in the Revelation, and the New Jerusalem thence descending!

Such are the outlines of Baron Swedenborg's principal doctrines, collected from his voluminous writings. His followers are numerous in England, Germany, Sweden, &c., and also in America. They use a liturgy in their worship, which, except being much shorter, is as near to that of the church of England as the difference of doctrines will admit. They likewise introduce a great deal of vocal music, accompanied by the organ, and the minister's dress is exactly similar to that of the Established church. Three places of worship are now opened in London, agreeable to this form, viz., Fryar's-street chapel, Blackfriars; the New Jerusalem church in Dudley-court, Crown-street, Soho, of which the late Mr. Hodson was minister; and Hanover-street chapel, Long Acre. Chapels are likewise established at Birmingham, Hull, Manchester, and several other places in the country*

THE HALDANITES.

New sects in religion have been always and every where spoken against, and the name of their leader has been contemptuously fixed upon them. What was at first reproachful, often continues after reproach has ceased, and

* Almost the whole of the above account was sent to the author for insertion, by a gentleman of that denomination.

is found convenient as a term of distinction, though perhaps no man was ever so averse to such names as the person to whom the term Haldanite refers. We know not of any proper distinctive appellation for those we mean to give some account of, else it would have been substituted for that which is so objectionable to themselves.

In giving some account of those called Haldanites it is necessary to take notice of the gentleman whose name has been applied to them. About fifteen years ago, Robert Haldane, Esq., then of Aithrie, near Stirling, and his brother, Mr. James Haldane, both received serious impressions of the importance of religion, and soon after resolved upon going to the East Indies to plant a Christian colony. With this view Mr. Robert Haldane, the elder brother, sold his beautiful family estate of Aithrie, and procured the consent of the Rev. Greville Ewing, then one of the ministers of Lady Glenorchy's chapel, Edinburgh; of the Rev. William Innes, then one of the ministers of Stirling; and of the Rev. David Bogue, of Gosport, to accompany him. Mr. Ewing and Mr. Innes had both resigned their office in the establishment, and all necessary arrangements were made for their departure, but the East India Company refused their permission. Prevented from carrying his first design into execution, Mr. Haldane now turned his attention towards home, erected a large building for religious worship in Edinburgh, called the Tabernacle, capable of containing three thousand people, purchased a place built for a circus in Glasgow, of nearly the same size, which he converted to the same purpose, and erected a Tabernacle in Dundee, of nearly the same dimensions. Both he and his brother had already become preachers, but himself was obliged to desist on account of bursting a blood-vessel. Mr. James Haldane was stationed at Edinburgh, Mr. Ewing at Glasgow, and Mr. Innes at Dundee. Hitherto they considered themselves on terms of communion with the Established church, but all connexion of this kind was soon broken off. Churches were formed at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, &c., after the model of the English Independents, and a number of young men were collected and placed under the tuition of Messieurs Ewing and Innes for the ministry.

These were educated and sent out-places of worship were built in many towns and villages of Scotland—and missionaries were employed from England, at the sole expense of Mr. Haldane. The new sect (we speak it not reproachfully) had already made a progress similar to that of the Methodists in England, but it was more rapid than lasting. All the new-formed churches soon began to approximate to the faith and discipline of the Scotch Independents, commonly called David Dale's people-to the Scotch Baptists, commonly called Maclean's people, and to the Glassites. These three denominations are, in faith and discipline, very similar. Their creed is Calvinism, somewhat refined indeed, for they have long been accused of heresy by their Calvinistic brethren on both sides of the Tweed. They deny that scripture is a dead letter ; that Jesus is the eternal Son of God; that there are any mysteries, in the popular acceptation of the word, or mystical senses, or diverse meanings, in the text of scripture ; they assert that faith is merely credence, which is produced by evidence, and that the Holy Spirit never operates, but according to and by the written word. They pay much attention to the scriptures, but little regard to hu man theological compositions. They believe that the New Testament contains a perfect plan of church government; that every church ought to have a plurality of elders, chosen out of itself;. that the Lord's Supper is to be observed every day of the week; that the brethren ought to sit down together on the same day to the lovefeast, and salute one another with a holy kiss, according to the apostolic commandment; that contribution is to be made for the poor brethren, all of whom are to be liberally provided for; that none shall be admitted into their fellowship but by the consent of the whole body; and that offenders, whether against a brother, or against the faith, or against morality, shall be dealt with first privately, and then publicly, that they may come to repentance, but being obstinate must be put away.

This scheme of church order has never been popular in Scotland, though it rather gains ground. The Haldanes soon fell in with it, especially with respect to a

plurality of elders, and the duty of the brethren to exhort one another. Every thing clerical was considered objectionable; as the term reverend, or even minister; the wearing of black in preference to any other colour; a connected, well-composed sermon in preference to a plain exhortation to duty, or exposition of scripture, by comparing spiritual things with spiritual. All this rendered them abundantly unpopular; besides which, they became Baptists, and it is well known that many people have great aversion to baptism in the form of immersion. Those called Haldanites having passed through many changes, cannot now be distinguished from the old Scotch Baptists, the faith and worship of whom may be seen in a book, entitled "The Commission of Jesus Christ," &c. by Archibald M'Lean. Most of the buildings erected by Mr. Haldane are now appropriated to different purposes, or occupied by other worshippers.

Mr. Ewing, Mr. Wardlaw of Glasgow, Mr. Aikin of Edinburgh, continue on the plan of the English Independents, and are attended by numerous congregations.

This account has been communicated to the author of the Sketch by a respectable minister, who was formerly among the Haldanites: the reader may rely on the correctness of the representation.

FREETHINKING CHRISTIANS.*

However singular the principles and practices of any body of men may be, however calculated to alarm the prejudiced, or even to astonish the dispassionate, it becomes the imperious duty of the author of the Sketch to represent men and opinions as they are.

The title of Freethinking Christians is one applied about six years ago to a society which has regularly assembled together in the heart of the city of London, since the year 1799, as a church of God, and as the disciples of

*The article has been sent the author by a gentleman belonging to the Freethinking Christians, who was appointed by their society to draw it up for this work.