The Committee have derived sincere gratification from the accounts that have reached them, and will be most happy to make arrangements for other missions to the full extent of the means placed at their disposal, and which they hope the present statement will considerably augment. They desire to unite with the respective and respected missionaries, in attributing all the glory to Him to whom alone it is due,-the Lord Jesus Christ. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. SwedenborG'S "ANIMAL KINGDOM." -It is with much pleasure that we subjoin the following additional subscribers to the Second or Concluding Volume of the "Animal Kingdom." But the amount hitherto subscribed is not sufficient to enable the translator to put it to press, as this volume, on account of its containing considerably more matter than the former, and also on account of the indexes to be annexed, will be attended with much more labour and expense. We, therefore, call upon our friends to come forward liberally with their subscriptions in order that the accomplishment of this great and useful work may be placed out of danger:£ s. d. Dr. Spurgin, London : 5 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 10 6 A plan having been submitted for providing means to aid Societies in support of ministers, it was 66 Resolved, That the Conference approves the object of the plan to form a Congregational Aid Fund for the support of ministers in the New Church, by affording, to such Societies as stand in need thereof, pecuniary aid, so that the entire services of the ministers may be devoted to the duties of their office; and the Conference most earnestly and affectionately recommends it to the consideration of the members and Societies of the Church; who are hereby requested to state their views on the subject, and the degree of support they are inclined to afford to such a fund; and to address their communications to the Secretary of Conference, on or before the 1st of February next." Resolved, "That a Committee be appointed, to whom the superintendence of this plan shall be entrusted during the 6 ensuing year, and that the Secretary shall forward to such Committee all communications he may receive; and they shall report thereon to the next Conference." 0 10 6 0 0 10 6 010 6 Mr. H. Blenkinsop, Warwick.... 0 10 Rev. Mr. Schofield, Manchester.. 0 10 010 6 0 10 6 0 10 Mr. Boys, Radcliffe.... Mr. Jowett, Keighley.... Mr. Gorell, Bradford 6 PLAN FOR A CONGREGATIONAL AID FUND, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. At the last Meeting of Conference, the following resolutions were adopted. (See Minutes 140-142.): Resolved, "That Jonathan Bayley and Woodville Woodman, ministers, and W. Shatwell, do constitute such Committee, and that William Shatwell be the Secretary thereof." In compliance with the directions contained in the preceding minutes, the Committee have met, and present the following resolutions as embodying their views respecting the best mode of realizing the object for which they were appointed: 1. "That the object of the funds be to assist Congregations, otherwise unable to do so, to provide themselves with ministers exclusively devoted to the ministerial office." 2. "That the fund be raised by an annual sermon in all places of worship connected with the General Conference, and that all individuals living apart from New Church Societies be solicited to furnish subscriptions." 3. "That the distribution of the fund be conducted by a Committee of persons, to be annually appointed by Conference, and that they shall annually report to the Conference thereon." 4. "That when a Congregation is desirous to obtain the services of a suitable individual as minister, but is able to raise only a portion of an income for him, the Committee, in case they approve of the application and the individual, shall supply from the fund a sum sufficient to make the income, if the individual be a single man, £60 per annum, and £80, if a married man. But that in no case shall more than half the sum be furnished from the Congregational Aid Fund." 5. "That Congregations receiving aid from this fund shall render an annual report to Conference of their funds, and the state of their operations and success.' 6. "That after any Congregation shall have had the full assistance of this fund for two years, the sum of £- be withdrawn annually until the Congregation be left to its own resources." (Signed,) "WILLIAM SHATWELL, Sec. "Salford, Nov. 11, 1843." Address to the Members of the Church on behalf of the Congregational Aid Fund. "Dear Brethren, Having been requested by the other members of the Committee to present the claims of the object above stated to your attention and support, hasten to urge the subject on your most serious consideration. Permit me, however, first, to state that it was the wish of the Committee that this matter should have been brought before the Church at an earlier period, had not circumstances occasioned an unavoidable delay. "There can, we should think, be no question that the generality of the members of the Church agree with us in the importance of the object, though, probably, some doubt may exist as to the practicability of its attainment. Still, if the importance of the object be admitted, it is an undoubted duty to examine whether the means whereby it may be accomplished do not lie within our reach to urge your attention to this point is the chief end for which we address you. Few can have failed to notice how frequently a thing is deemed impos. sible, when the impossibility is merely the result of the absence of sufficient energy to carry the means of its attainment into effect; whereas when it is approached in a right spirit, and the difficulties attending it looked steadily in the face, the impossibility vanishes, and many who, at first, despaired of its practicability, are led to wonder that so much can be accomplished with moderate exertion. Such, it is the firm conviction of the Committee, will be the case with the Congregational Aid Fund, if they can but succeed in concentrating the attention of the Church at large on the subject. "In the resolutions of the Committee it is proposed, that a moiety of the annual sum for the maintenance of a minister, shall be furnished by the Society applying for assistance from the Congregational Aid Fund. On this principle, a subscription of only one hundred pounds annually, would supply three Societies, sufficiently energetic to furnish their share of the expense, with ministers exclusively devoted to the duties of their office and the welfare of the Church. More than this is annually expended in missionary objects; and it should be borne in mind, that, in proportion as the number of the regular ministry is increased, the calls for missionary purposes will be proportionably diminished. "It is proposed in the resolutions to raise the funds by sermons annually preached in every place of New Church worship. In Lancashire alone, the funds raised by annual sermons for the support of our Sunday-schools, do not fall greatly short of £300. It would surely speak but little for the zeal of the New Church, could not a sum be annually raised by all the Societies, together with the subscriptions of individuals, sufficient to accomplish a great amount of good, in extending the usefulness of the ministry, when, as we have shown, so much may be accomplished with so small means.— We might urge the subject by numerous other considerations, as well as consider some of the objections likely to arise in the minds of some. We will not however obtrude longer on your patience, but leave the matter to your consideration. Permit us, however, to press upon every Society the necessity of giving it their serious and early attention, as the Minute re quires that the general opinion of the Church should be forwarded to the Secretary of Conference on or before the 1st of February next. "In the hope that this effort may, by the divine blessing, contribute to the permanent good of the Church, I subscribe myself (in behalf of the Committee), very affectionately yours, "WOODVILLE WOODMAN." NEW "We are thoroughly satisfied that our friends at Bolton greatly need a more commodious and eligible place of worship than their present one, and hope their own zealous exertions will be warmly seconded by all our brethren, whom the Lord has blessed with the means, "D. HOWARTH, "I. H. SMITHSON, "W. WOODMAN, "R. STORRY, Ministers." MANCHESTER MISSIONARY SOCIETY. AN ADDRESS FROM THE CHURCH SOCIETY AT BOLTON.-"Fellow citizens of the New Jerusalem.-It is with no small degree of reluctance that we call upon you to aid in giving increased means for establishing the doctrines of our Holy Church in the populous town of Bolton;-knowing, as we do, the many burdens under which most of your Societies are laboring,--The following Circular has lately apneither would the greatest inconveniences to ourselves have prompted us to do so; but there are calls of a more urgent and more important nature-the Church is suffering. Our present means are utterly inadequate to enable us to obey in our immediate sphere, that imperative command of our Great God and Saviour, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' The place at which we now assemble for worship is obscurely situated; besides which, it is now found too small and inconvenient; and should we be compelled to remain longer in it, we fear the cause of the New Church in this town will be seriously injured. It is, therefore, to enable us to raise a suitable and better situated edifice, that we now call for your aid.-The Church we intend to erect will cost nearly £800, towards this sum there has been already subscribed nearly £200, with a prospect of obtaining about £50 more; this sum, small as it may appear, is the result of great sacrifice on the part of a few of our friends, the majority of our members being too poor to contribute anything excepting the merest mite; but to their honor be it said, "they have done what they could."-The above exertions are the utmost of our endeavours; we therefore humbly solicit the assistance of the Church generally, to enable us to accomplish, what appears to us so necessary an object.-Donations from private individuals, and subscriptions from Societies, will be thankfully received by the Treasurers, Mr. James Tickle, Bridge-street, peared in behalf of this useful Institution, and we especially solicit the attention of our readers to its contents:-"The Committee of the Manchester and Salford New Jerusalem Church Missionary Institution beg to call your attention to the fact, that lately the funds at their disposal for Missionary purposes have been totally inadequate to carry out the objects of the Institution; and unless some increased aid be immediately afforded, the visits usually made to the various country Societies, who depend in a great measure on this Institution for support, must be very much diminished, and in some cases wholly given up. Owing to the deficiency of funds, the Committee have, of late, carried on even their limited operations with great difficulty. To remedy in some degree this state of things, it has been considered advisable to recommend every Society to commence collecting from its members small weekly subscriptions, and remit the amount to the Treasurer every quarter.-As the Committee is in debt to the Treasurer, it seems to them a case of urgent necessity, that, in addition to the above systematic form of obtaining resources, every Society should have, at the earliest opportunity, a Sermon preached, and a public collection made in aid of the funds. The Committee feel assured such are the important objects of this Institution, that they have only to place their situation before the Church in general, to obtain the aid required.-Communications to be addressed to the Secretary, Mr. James Fox, 91, Market-street, Manchester.--December, 1843." PROPOSED NEW TRANSLATION OF THE WORD. To the Editor of the Intellec. Repository. SIR, At the last annual meeting of the Western Convention of the New Church, we were appointed a committee, with instructions to communicate with the other Conventions in the United States, and with the Conference in England, on the subject of a new translation of the Word. In undertaking to carry out these instructions, we deem it hardly necessary to do more, than suggest the subject, and invite the attention of our distant brethren to it. It is generally agreed, we believe, among the members of the New Church, that there is need of a more correct translation of the Word, than that now commonly used in England, and this country. It is well understood, that there are, in that translation, very many errors, some of them radical ones, and such as may lead into false doctrines, those who imbibe them. Most of these have been pointed out in various New Church publications, and it is not necessary here to specify them. On the general ground, therefore, that it is the duty of those, who are in possession of the truth, to remove errors, whenever it is in their power, and especially great sources of error, as mistakes in the translation of the Word must be, and to substitute truths in their place, we presume, that the New Church will hold it as its duty, to make a good use of the superior light, which it possesses, by preparing and giving to the world, a new and correct translation of the Holy Word. This work it has peculiar facilities for accomplishing, on account, especially, of the understanding which it has, of the style in which the Word is written, viz., that of correspondences: without which knowledge, a translation, prepared by men, however otherwise learned, could hardly be an accurate and correct one. only question, which we suppose necessary to be considered, is that of the proper time for undertaking this work. It may be, that that time has not yet arrived. There may be other duties of even more pressing importance just now incumbent on the members of the New Church; that, for instance, of publishing to the world the glorious truths that fill the spiritual sense of the Word, and which shining through the letter, render it transparent, and thus remove its obscurity: in this way, indeed, indirectly correcting the translation. But if we The can be performing both uses at the same time, it is manifest that they will aid each other, and thus still greater good be done. Now it may be, that there are existing, in some parts of this country, or in England, men in the New Church, peculiarly well calculated for the performance of this use, and who need only the countenance and encouragement of the Church at large, to induce them to undertake it. It is for the purpose of calling forth such minds, if such there are, and of engaging them in this important work, that we wish to see the subject of a new translation of the Word brought before the Church.-We have nothing further to add, at the present time, except to offer the suggestion, that steps be taken to bring the subject before your body, at its next annual meeting; and that then, if it be deemed advisable, a committee be appointed to consider and report upon it.-With much affection, we remain your brethren in the Lord's New Church, } Committee. NATHANIEL HOLLEY, ON THE PROPRIETY OF ALTERING THE Sir, It is well known, no doubt, by most of your readers, that a considerable portion of the Ministers of the New Church are engaged in tuition as well as in their ministerial duties, and besides that, it often happens that some of the members best qualified, in more respects than one, for acting as deputies to Conference for their respective Societies, are also occupied in the instruction of youth; and it must be equally well known, that those so occupied have, according to the custom of this country, certain vacations allowed them for recreation after their arduous toils. Now, the same custom which gives them these vacations also fixes the time of their happening, which time in summer is generally, if not always, from towards the end of June, to a more or less advanced period of the month of July; so that if Conference were held on the first Tuesday in July, instead of the second Tuesday in August, it would afford opportunity to these gentlemen of acting as deputies without quitting their official duties, which is often impossible, and always attended with inconvenience and risk. As, there fore, I know of no reason for Conference being held in August rather than July, except, perhaps, to accommodate some few members, I would suggest that it be taken into consideration next Conference, to alter the time in future, from the 2nd Tuesday in August to the 1st in July. The time of the year is as pleasant, and even if it were inconvenient to some of our friends, I do not see why the convenience of the few should preponderate over the inconvenience of the many.-1 am, yours respectfully, S. BRADLEY. Manchester, Dec. 12th, 1843. MANCHESTER AND SALFORD NEW JERUSALEM DAY SCHOOLS.-Since the publication of our last number, we have had an opportunity of witnessing a public half-yearly examination at each of these Schools. The first was in the Manchester School, on Wednesday the 20th December, when we had the pleasure of seeing the first and second classes go through various exercises in Reading, Arithmetic, Geography, Grammar, and Geometry; also religious exercises in the Catechism, and a series of Doctrinal Questions. The next day (the 21st), we attended the examination of the girls' school. Here the children of the first class were examined in the Catechism, various Doctrinal Questions, Reading, Arithmetic, Geography, and Grammar. A number of female friends, consisting of the Ladies' Committee and others, were present, to all of whom we believe, the progress and improvement of the girls were very satisfactory. On this occasion the interest of the scene was considerably heightened by the presentation of a number of neatly bound Bibles and Testaments, kindly provided by the ladies, to such of the girls as were most distinguished for regular attendance at Church and School, and diligent application to their studies. The examination of the Salford boys' School took place on Friday the 23rd, when the first class was exercised in Reading, Doctrinal Questions, Arithmetic, Geography, and the Physiology of the heart, lungs, blood-vessels, &c. Here, also, the result appeared to be very satisfactory to the friends present. Numerous specimens of writing were also exhibited at each School, and, at the girls' school some very neat samples of plain and fancy needlework. On the whole, we think these examinations bore ample testimony to the excellency of the system of tuition adopted in these Schools, as well as to the industry of the respective teachers in applying and carrying it out. LECTURES.-A course of popular lec. tures has lately been given by the Rev. E. Madeley, at Birmingham. The Rev. E. D. Rendell is now engaged in giving a course on highly important subjects at Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and the Rev. D. Howarth and I. H. Smithson, are also occupied in lecturing on a series of important subjects at Manchester. INTELLIGENCE FROM BRADFORD.Our Society is now in a more prosperous state than it has been for some time back. We have had many hindrances to the progress of the cause, but through Divine assistance we have been able to overcome them all, and are now more likely to prosper than ever. about making some alterations in the chapel, which will make it much more comfortable, and improve its appearance. Our congregations on Sundays have gradually increased since the lectures which were given here by the Rev. I. H. Smith son. We are Six or seven converts have joined the Society, who are likely to become very useful and practical members. Bradford, Dec. 6. G. G. OBITUARY. DIED, on the 28th of July, suddenly, of disease of the heart and spleen, in his 34th year, THOMAS WM. HULKES, Esq., a gentleman whose exalted qualities of mind, and ardent attachment to the doctrines of the New Church, it may be profitable as well as interesting to record. His knowledge of those heavenly views was acquired about ten years since in France, where, for the most part he resided. The literary society and institutions of Paris charmed his intellectual soul; and he rarely visited his native country, but for congenial purposes, when St. John's College, Cambridge, was his chief resort, till within a short time of his decease, which took place at Rochester, involving his beloved mother and sister in sorrow for his loss to them on earth, which, however, will be mitigated by their congeniality of sentiment with his kindred spirit. His intercourse with New Church Society in this country was necessarily very limited; he consequently was |
