were, "The Attributes of God," "Science and Revelation," and "The Constituents of Religion." The doctrines of the New Church on these subjects were set forth perspicuously and ably. The room was comfortably filled each night with an audience who seemed to be deeply interested in the lectures. Tracts bearing on the subjects of the lectures were distributed, and it is hoped that some good has been done. SUGGESTION FOR ENLARGING THE REPOSITORY.— -To the Editor.- Sir,-The following suggestion for enlarging the Intellectual Repository is most respectfully submitted to you, to be laid before its readers:-The Repository is called the Intellectual, and as such has been chiefly devoted to the understanding or the intellectual faculty, and to the subjects belonging thereto, to scientifics, doctrines, speculations, criticisms, and controversies, &c. With all this no fault is found. So far so good. What is now suggested is to add a portion, consisting of several pages and forming a distinct part by itself, immediately before the General Intelligence, to be devoted more especially to the heart or the will, to man's emotional and affectional nature, and of consequence to treat largely on Regeneration, with all its temptation combats, its sorrows and agonies, its joys and triumphs; and kindred subjects, as prayer, devotion, conjugial love, the love and nurture of children, the moral, sentimental, ideal, or beautiful. A sermon on some practical subject, or skeleton of a sermon, or exposition of a text, and selections from the American periodicals might form a part for each month. These additional pages would find employment for the pens of those men who are, pre-eminently, men of heart, that is, men of the type of Arbouin, Clowes, Thos. Goyder, and others; and it would also be a very suitable medium for the intelligence of the women of the church, gifted as women are with high intellectual perception, with grace, elegance, and refinement. It is suggested to add to the title Intellectual Repository, "and Affectional Magazine of the New Jerusalem Church" (or any other more appropriate words which might embody the idea). Thus to enlarge the Magazine an earnest appeal is hereby made to the ministers, leaders, and members of the church to rally round its editor, to encourage him, by contributing to his pages, and by endeavouring to increase the sale of the Magazine. Let also the women of the church, the pious widows, the loving wives, and intelligent maidens, all lay a helping hand and willing heart to assist in this matter, and doubtless, under divine providence, it will be crowned with success. The Magazine has long been chiefly addressed to the head, to man; now let there be a part for the heart, for woman. It is proposed, if necessary, to raise the price, at least temporarily, to eightpence, and in the meantime, to raise annual subscriptions to meet the extra expense, till the increased sale would make it self-supporting. The writer begs to subscribe five shillings per annum.-Yours truly, ISOLATED. Bollington, Dec. 1st, 1864. Married. At the New Jerusalem Church, Brightlingsea, on the 16th July, Mr. William Henry Pells to Miss Anna Maria Death, both of the above-named place. At the same place, on the 18th October, Mr. Joseph Angier to Miss Emma Parker, both of Brightlingsea. At Accrington, by the Rev. E. D. Rendell, on the 1st December, Mr. John Starkey Cunliff to Miss Elizabeth Barns, daughter of Joseph Barns, Esq., of Lane Side, Accrington. On December 17th, 1864, at Argylesquare, London, by the Rev. Dr. Bayley, Mr. Henry Barber, jun., to Miss Annie Nicoll. MISCELLANEOUS. to the New Church, both in his own society and in the church at large. He was kind-hearted, genial, and energetic. He had been associated with the proceedings of the Accrington Society, as secretary, superintendent of Sunday school, and other important offices, for very many years; and whatever uses he could perform or aid with his purse, were sure to meet with his ready attention. The firm of which he was a partner had risen from very modest beginnings to employ a great number of workpeople, and by these Mr. Barnes was respected and beloved in no common degree. All regarded their employer as their friend, and the establishment itself was truly regarded as a great benefaction to the town. Mr. Barnes was one of an earnest band who sought the improvement of his native place in all things. He was an active and esteemed member of the Local Board of Health, and laboured zealously to carry out its excellent objects, the last of which the formation of a capacious and beautiful cemetery was marked by this peculiar circumstance, that it was sufficiently near completion at the time of his death to enable the board to make a request to the Secretary of State, which they did unanimously, that he who had been one of its chief supporters should have his remains interred therein. The esteem in which our beloved friend was held by his fellow-townsmen was evinced on the day of the interment by the circumstances named in the public papers-" That all the shops en route to the cemetery were closed, and more than 2,000 people assembled in the streets to testify their regard for the departed. He joined the New Church as a Sunday scholar more than thirty years ago. As he became older and more intelligently convinced of the truth of the New Church verities, he became more and more active in their diffusion, and when there was a branch missionary society formed in Accrington, he was often engaged in preaching, and rendered important services to the infant societies around, by all of whom he will long be remembered and beloved; and to the wide circle of his New Church friends at Accrington, as well as to the writer of this brief article, there will ever remain an affectionate recollection of the lamented William Barnes. J. B. 47 Departed this life, at Nottingham, on the 24th of September, 1864, Mrs. Susanna Winfield (widow of the late John Winfield, noticed in the March number), after a long and trying illness, in the 71st year of her age. Resigned and peaceful, she has passed from earth's dull scenes to awake in a brighter and better world, for which change she seemed well prepared. Also Mr. John Edwards, in the 81st year of his age. A gradual decay of nature brought him quietly and calmly to the final change. They were both members of the Shakspeare-street Society, five of whose oldest members have thus passed to their eternal homes during the past year. Departed this life, on the 29th Nov., 1864, at his residence, Derby, in the 55th year of his age, Mr. Daniel Holme, after an illness extending over nearly 12 years. The Derby Society has lost, in the removal of Mr. Holme into the other life, an earnest friend, and a faithful and diligent officer. Educated in the Sunday school, and associated with the church from his earliest manhood, none have rendered more efficient, more cheerful, or to the town. more unremitting assistance cause of Divine Truth in this Gifted with considerable musical ability, he most acceptably discharged, during many years, the duty of choirmaster. He also filled the post of treasurer to the society, which office he held at the time of his decease. He shared in all the vicissitudes of the society's history, and was ever desirous of rendering valuable help. When only a journeyman mechanic, he regularly set aside a definite portion of his weekly wages for the uses of the society, and, as industry and stirling integrity increased his means, so he increased his punctual subscriptions. As a tradesman in the town, he was highly respected and widely esteemed, and striving to be useful in the municipal and political affairs of the borough, he was well known and obtained considera ble influence. His heart and mind rested in the thoroughly practical aspect of the New Church teachings, his constant desire being to perform USES in every sphere opened to his talents. One of his most strongly-characteristic traits was the punctuality and regularity of his attendance at public worship, in which he never failed. With a confidence that never thought of swerving, and with an unchanging love, through the often wearisome seasons of long suffering, which was borne with remarkable patience, he clung to the doctrines of the church; and felt ever resigned to the will of the Divine Providence whether he was to remain or depart. When struck down with the symptoms of his last great change, he felt only glad to go that he might meet the friends of his byegones, and await the dear ones whom he was only to precede for a short time. His widow sorrows not as those who have no hope, knowing the sureness of Him in whom she trusts, and the certainty of those sublime principles, which she now proves to be as full of solace in the hour of trial as they are capable of inspiring at all At Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on the 2nd of December last, John Coulson, Esq., suddenly departed this life, to enter upon that which is eternal. After living sixty-three years in this world, a great portion of which had been devoted to New Church uses, and a most ardent study of the literal sense of the Divine Word, there can be little to mourn over in his departure, as to his future state; but the sorrowing wife of his bosom and a family of five sons lament their unexpected bereavement, under the conviction, however, that "the Lord doeth all things well." TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS. All communications to be sent to the Editor, the Rev. W. BRUCE, 43, Kensington Gardens Square, London, W. To ensure insertion in the forthcoming Number, communications must be received not later than the 15th of the month, except recent intelligence, which will be received till the 18th. The article "Relative and Ultimate, Speculative and Certain Truths," will be resumed in the February Number. The Committee of the National Missionary Institution, and the Students and The Governors of the New Church College will meet regularly at Devonshire- Mr. Mackereth is thanked for his Paper, which, with some accompanying remarks on the same subject, will appear next month. A Regular Reader. We could hardly occupy space with extracts from a book for the information of one who does not possess a copy; but if he will favour us with his address a communication will be sent him. The writer of the letter in the present number on the various readings of the Greek text of the New Testament, and our readers generally, are referred to a series of excellent articles on the subject, in reference to both Testaments— the Old and the New-by the late Rev. S. Noble, in the Intellectual Repository for 1824-5, being Vol. I., New Series. Rev. J. Hyde's present address: 9, Sacheverel-street, Derby. CAVE AND SEVER, Printers by Steam Power, Hunt's Bank, Manchester. NEXT to the Divine work of Creation, the Redemption is the grandest of all events. Indeed, the Redemption was tantamount to a re-creation; for, as we learn from the doctrines of the New Church, if the Lord had not come into the world to effect the work of Redemption, all mankind would have perished, so that not a single inhabitant would have been left on this globe. "I was informed from heaven," says Swedenborg, "that unless the Lord had come into the world, the human race on this earth would have perished,— -so that at this day there would not be existing a single individual."-Treatise on the Last Judgment, n. 10. The true nature of this great work, however, has under the first Christian Dispensation been greatly misunderstood. It is only now, in the bright light of the New Jerusalem, given by the opening of the internal sense of the divine Word, that the true nature and manner of the Redemption is discovered. The old doctrine was gross and monstrous! It began with the grand falsity that Three Divine Persons existed from eternity. It then proceeded to affirm that one of these, namely, God the Father, being angry with Adam for violating the command not to eat of the forbidden fruit, condemned him and all his posterity to eternal destruction; but that the second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, interposed, declaring Himself willing to take upon Himself the penalty due to man's transgression, which He did by descending from heaven, assuming humanity in the world, and under going the death of the cross. The sin being considered as thus atoned for, the Divine justice thus satisfied, God the Father is willing now to impute the Son's merit to all such as believe on Him, and so pardon them for His sake. This, in brief, is the doctrine which has been commonly held in the Christian Church; this is the manner in which Jesus Christ is supposed to have effected the work of Redemption. But this doctrine, when scrutinized, will be found to resemble more nearly the fables of heathenism than the spiritual truths of Christianity. In the first place, it starts with the heathen doctrine of a plurality of gods; for though the lips, in obedience to a creed, may declare that there is but one God, yet the mind holding such a belief as that above described, and contemplating the different Divine Persons, so feeling and so acting, cannot but make a distinction between them, like that between completely separate personalities and beings; which is, in fact, the idea of two Gods (or, if the Holy Ghost be included, three Gods, though the idea of this last is much more shadowy and indistinct than that of the two former). But what do the Scriptures declare on this point? The Scriptures, particularly of the Old Testament, are impressed everywhere with the idea of a single Divine Being, Jehovah God, who repeatedly declares Himself to be alone, alone, and none else with Him. Hear, for instance, the following:-"Thus saith Jehovah the King of Israel and His Redeemer Jehovah of Hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and beside Me there is no God."* And again: "But now, thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am Jehovah, and beside Me there is no Savior."t Here it is affirmed, in the strongest language, that there is but one God, and moreover, that this one God, who was the Creator of man, was also his Redeemer, Savior. No allusion is made here to any God the Son; in fact, it is declared that no such being had existed, or should exist: "Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.” Now, a son must be after the father, and consequently, if there were such a being as God the Son, he would be a "God formed" after God the Father, which it is here affirmed was not and should not be. We hear nothing in the Scriptures of any Son of God, till we come to the age of the New Testament. The Gospels describe Jehovah's incarnation or assumption of the humanity, and therefore speak of the "Son of God," because that humanity, so assumed, being derived from * Isaiah xliv. 6. + Isaiah xliii. 1, 10, 11. |