between the study of uses and the study of mere shape, as between our knowledge of a man from his full life-time, and our knowledge of him from a portrait or a statue. "Among the present fruits of the doctrine of series and degrees, as wielded by the master mind of Swedenborg, we may enumerate the establishment of many facts which have been for thousands of years no more than transient and untenable intuitions in other hands. Such, for example, is the real existence of the elemental kingdom of nature, which Swedenborg was the first to demonstrate. Such also is the real existence of the spirituous and nervous fluids in the animal body, or the higher parts of the blood series; which, although long felt to be rationally necessary in the sciences, continually eluded the human mind, and perished over and over again in the pits of scepticism, until the hand of series led them to a throne where they are supported by all the facts and substances of the human organization. In many and many cases, too, the doctrine of series led this author to discoveries to which even the most speculative geniuses had never inclined, nay, to which the poets themselves, the early chanticleers of scientific truth, had given no voice in all their salutations of the morning. Such, for instance, was the doctrine of the animation of the brain, synchronous with the respiration of the lungs, the greatest psychical and physiological fact of our bodily existence, and indeed the first fruits of the soul's intercourse with nature. Such also was the discovery of the office of the respiratory movements, in supplying motion to all the organs and parts of the frame, or in distributing the attractions of all things in the body, according to their destined uses. The latter doctrine, or organic gravitation, is indeed one counterpart to the Newtonian discovery of material gravitation; and even more suggestive and useful to the mind than the magnificent generalization of our great countryman. For it not only demonstrates attraction, but dives to its proximate and remote mechanical causes, in the spiration of those atmospherical and ethereal correspondents, the lungs and the brains."—(P. 30-36.) We could adduce many other extracts, shewing the beauty of scientific truth, when viewed from an enlightened philosophy; but we have extracted sufficient to induce our readers to procure this very interesting lecture, and to study its important contents. Those who desire that Swedenborg's claims, as an original cultivator of the fields of science, -as a discoverer of new scientific truths, and of new modes of contemplating the phenomena, forms, fluxions, and operations in nature, would do well to present this lecture to the Athenæums, Lyceums, and Institutes of Science, throughout the land. It will eventually be found that Swedenborg is not only in the course of Providence the regenerator of theology, but of science also, by placing it in its proper relation to a higher sphere of intelligence, and by making it a means subservient to the higher, the eternal ends of human destiny. DROPPINGS FROM THE CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN; a Series of Sermons explanatory of some of the most difficult and important passages of the Word of God, by Ministers and Preachers of the New Church. Edited by the Rev. THOMAS GOYDER, Minister of the New Church, Chalford. 8vo. cloth, pp. 360.. London: NEWBERY, 6, King-street, Holborn; HoDSON, Fleet-street. OTIS CLAP, Boston, United States. WE feel great pleasure in announcing the completion of this useful publication; and can assure our readers that its contents are, for the most part, of a very attractive and edifying kind, embracing sixty original discourses of an expository and practical character, explaining some of the most literally obscure and perplexing passages of Scripture. It abounds in variety, being the production of no less than twenty-four various New Church ministers and preachers. To the work a very copious index of subjects is added. The getting-up of the volume reflects great credit both on the editor and the printer, for it presents a neat arrangement of matter, good paper, and excellent type. It is an addition to New Church literature which will be found of great service to all isolated families of the church, and also a great benefit to those small societies who have no regular preachers. 糖 A LETTER TO THE REV. B. EVANS, Minister of Ebenezer Chapel, Scarborough, in reply to his Letter to a Friend, On the Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity. By an INHABITANT OF SCARBOROUGH. Second Edition. THAT this is a very cheap publication, may be seen by consulting the cover of our number for December last. Having only lately seen accidentally a copy of it, we were unable to state previously, which we now do with much pleasure, that it contains sixty pages of very valuable matter, in close and small print. Here is enough, in fact, to fill a goodsized pamphlet. The language is clear and forcible, and the ideas presented most convincing. We are truly glad to perceive that a second edition has been called for. We cordially recommend this valuable production to our readers, which is offered to them at the expense of a very few pence. We present for their satisfaction the following specimen of its contents: "And first, as to the absolute Unity of the Divine Being. It may be thought that it is not necessary to introduce any evidence to prove that God is one, and more particularly as you have stated such to be your opinion in a quotation I have already given from your letter; but we have seen that this admission is coupled with an assertion that completely nullifies the admission of his oneness, by insisting that he is at the same time three. I will therefore endeavour to prove that He is one, both in essence and person. "The first of all the commandments is 'I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods but me.' This, one would think, ought to be quite sufficient to satisfy any person that God was indivisibly one; but men who have formed to themselves opinions and creeds at variance with the plain declarations of this text, cannot or will not view it but through the medium of their preconceived opinions, and thus endeavour to reason upon it, and take away its plain meaning by a forced application to their own creeds. They tell us that it is the triune God who here speaks, meaning a God in three persons, and as a proof point triumphantly to the Hebrew term Elohim, translated God, and tell us that being a plural noun, it evidently alludes to the plurality of persons in the Godhead, and if properly translated would read 'Gods.' Let us, however, examine for a few moments this assertion, and see if it will bear the construction thus put upon it. There is no question that it is a plural noun, but if it is as such to be understood as teaching plurality of being in the Godhead, it evidently teaches plurality of Gods; there is nothing about persons, or any specific number-it may be two or three, or it may be more; there is nothing in the text or context to shew that it had any allusion to persons or to a trinity. If, therefore, this plural term as applied to God is to be understood as in any way teaching plurality of being, it must teach a plurality of Gods; there can be no question of this,-and indeed those who thus apply it do understand it as three Gods, but, say they, these three are mysteriously one. If the term Elohim, being a plural noun, is to be understood as conveying an idea of plurality, when applied to God, it must also do the same when applied to a false god. Dagon, the god of the Philistines, is called Elohim, therefore, to be consistent, we must say that Dagon was in three persons, or was a triune god, because he is called Elohim; and again, the golden calf, which Aaron made for the Israelites to worship, was likewise called Elohim, and must therefore have three bodies, or triune being; and also Moses himself is said to be Elohim, or God to Pharoah. But I think you will not contend that the Golden Calf, or Dagen, or Moses, were in a plural form, and therefore that the term could not and did not signify plurality of being; and if it does not in these instances, it does not when applied to God, which the reading of the whole passage fully proves. Let us examine the whole of the text in this view. "I am Jehovah thy God, thou shalt have no other Gods before me." Here we see that to make this text teach plurality of being, we must outrage all notions of grammar and common sense. God calls himself by the name of Jehovah, a term expressive of self-existent and underived being, and the pronouns and verbs in the sentence are in the singular number, and if, therefore, this passage can in any way be applied to a trinity, it can only be such a trinity as exists in one undivided person,—such a trinity as existed in man,—such a trinity as existed in Moses, who is called Elohim. But all doubt on this subject is at once removed by our Saviour, when in the flesh; when, in answer to the scribe who asked him, 'What is the first commandment of all ?' he answered, 'The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.' Here is nothing to imply plurality here. The term Theos (God) in the Greek, is singular, and consequently if we are to believe that the term Elohim in the Old Testament is to be understood as teaching plurality, we must come to the conclusion that our Lord did not give the correct rendering of the passage. How is it that the Jews, whom we should suppose understood the Hebrew language as well as learned commentators of the present day, did not understand this term to teach a plurality of persons in the Godhead? The scribe who put this question to our Lord, says, 'Well, master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God; and there is none other but he.' Here again is no plural term employed, and yet our Lord says that he answered discreetly. So fully convinced were the Jews of the individual oneness of God, that when our Lord said unto them, 'I and my Father are one,' they took up stones to stone him ; and when the Saviour asked them for which of his good works they stoned him, they answered, 'For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because thou being a man, makest thyself God.' It is plain, then, that the Jews did not consider the word Elohim as teaching plurality of Gods, or of persons in God; it is likewise plain that when the term is translated into Greek by unerring wisdom, it loses its plural form, and is expressed in the singular number. We find that the plural term is also applied to some things which we know were not plural, yet learned commentators say that when applied to God it is to express plurality of idea. But all learned commentators have not thus been determined to make the text support their preconceived opinions. Some of the most learned Hebraists have allowed that this word has nothing to do with a trinity, and believe that though it certainly has a singular form, it was originally a plural noun without a singular, of which there are many instances in various languages." Poetry. TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW CHURCH CONFERENCE, Assembled at Derby, August, 1847. Go on! ye faithful, noble band, Like each distinct pellucid star, A radiant sphere of love, Now, blent in one commingling blaze, Have sunk their individual rays, Banished from this enlightened sphere To densest shades of night, No hateful party names appear, The soul's deep joy to blight; August, 1847. Can ocean's vast expanse divide Oh! when apart, may each partake Till the firm links of Truth and Good, M. A. C. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. FORTIETH GENERAL CONFERENCE. The Conference was this year held at Derby, in the chapel which the society has recently purchased, and which is well suited to its purpose, being lofty enough to admit of galleries when wanted, and having a large school-room, and other rooms for committees, &c. on the baseA ment. The members assembled on Tuesday, August 10th, at ten o'clock in the morning. The whole number present was 11 ministers and 21 representatives, viz.: From Birmingham, 2; Brightlingsea, 1; Dalton, 1; Derby, 2; Glasgow, 1; Heywood, 1; Kersley, 1; Leeds, 1; London (Argyle-square), 3; Manchester, 3; Newcastle, 1; Preston 1; Salford, 3. The Rev. W. Woodman, of Kersley, was appointed president, and Mr. Butter, secretary. As usual, much of the first day was occupied in reading documents-the address from the Conference to the members of the Church-the addresses from the Conference to the American Conventions, and from those bodies to the Conference -an address from the Swedenborg Association-the reports of the various Educational and other Committees-the memorials from the Schools, &c. Several of these being of general interest, will be found in the Appendix to the printed minutes. Additional interest was given to the meeting by the presence of the Rev. T. O. Prescott, of Cincinnati, one of the recognised ministers of the New Church in the United States. He was invited to take a seat among the members of the Conference, and to address the chair whenever he thought fit. For several years the attention of Conference has been called to the subject of the religious instruction of the children in the schools to which it makes grants. On this subject a valuable report was presented respecting the nature, extent, and frequency of the instruction to be given. This report will be found in the Appendix, and is well worthy of the attention of all connected with the schools, and also of societies and parents in general. In reference to the subscription in aid of the Conference funds, the following resolution was passed :-"That this Conference records with gratitude the ready zeal with which the appeal of this body made on behalf of its funds, through the Rev. J. Bayley, has been responded to by the Church, and at the same time expresses its hope that increased contributions of the societies will in future prevent the necessity for the repetition of such an appeal." The regulations for admitting persons into the ministry, which had been circulated to every society, were, with some slight alterations, adopted. Certain portions of the baptismal service requiring alteration, a committee was appointed to examine the particular services in the Liturgy. The treasurer, in his report, stated that he had been enabled to pay back, with interest, the £100. borrowed from the Manchester Printing Society. An ardent desire having been expressed, especially by members of the Sunday School Union, to have a small edition of the Hymn Book, a committee was appointed to print an edition of 5000 copies of the Hymn Book and Morning and |