mately connected with our eternal salvation, that the Lord in establishing His church amongst us, individually or collectively, should deeply conceal Himself, as it were, from human observation. Hence, in this season, when a dense cloud appears to overshadow a portion of the vineyard of the New Church, while happily the light is breaking through in other parts of the horizon, your Committee would derive encouragement, and exhort their brethren to do so likewise, from the truth contained in the following parable:

:

"So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.'-Mark iv. 26-29.

"And your Committee feel that they cannot better conclude their Report, or take leave of their brethren in more appropriate language, than by repeating the exhortation of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians,- Therefore, beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.'— 1 Cor. xv. 58."

We refer our readers to the Report itself for particulars relating to the Treasurer's account, and also to the account of the building fund.

SWEDENBORG IN THE "AUTOBIOGRAPHIC SKETCHES" BY THOS. DE QUINCEY.

To the Editor.

My dear Sir,-The accompanying extract from the Autobiographic Sketches of Thomas De Quincey, may interest your readers at this time, as affording a proof of the growing estimation in which the name of Swedenborg is received in the world of letters. This fact cannot be too frequently urged upon the community, and I therefore forward you, with much pleasure, an instance that is calculated to induce men of reading and thought to examine the pretensions of our great Swedenborg for themselves. The disparaging tongue has been too long listened to in reference to one who, of all men, least sanctions it both in doctrine and practice. The giving ear to disparagement, however, is itself a mark of weakness and an indication of an unchristian spirit. For the correction of both these states has Swedenborg laboured, and it is for his admirers to testify to his success in regard to themselves, otherwise, they will have read in vain.-I have the honour to be, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely,

Jan. 11th, 1855.

JOHN SPURGIN.

"My mother little guessed what sort of person it was whom she had asked into her family; so much she had understood from Miss Wesley, that Mrs. Lee was a bold thinker, and that, for a woman, she had an astonishing command of theological learning. This it was that suggested the clerical invitations, as in such a case likely to furnish the most appropriate society. But this led to a painful result. It might easily have happened that a very learned clergyman should not especially have qualified himself for the service of a theological tournament: and my mother's range of acquaintance was not very extensive amongst the clerical body. But of these the two leaders, as regarded public consideration, were Mr. Hmy guardian, and Mr. Clowes, who for more than fifty years officiated as rector of St. John's Church in Manchester; in fact, the golden jubilee of his pastoral connection with St. John's was celebrated many years after with much demonstrative expression of public sympathy on the part of universal Manchester-the

most important city in the island next after London. No men could have been found who were less fitted to act as champions in a duel on behalf of Christianity. Mr. Hwas dreadfully commonplace; dull, dreadfully dull; and by the necessity of his nature, incapable of being in deadly earnest, which his splendid antagonist at all times was. His encounter, therefore, with Mrs. Lee, presented the distressing spectacle of an old, toothless, mumbling mastiff, fighting for the household to which he owed allegiance, against a young leopardess fresh from the forests. Every touch from her, every velvety pat, drew blood. Far different was Mr. Clowes: holy, visionary, apostolic, he could not be treated disrespectfully. No man could deny him a qualified homage. But for any polemic service he wanted the taste, the training, and the particular sort of erudition required. Neither would such advantages, if he had happened to possess them, have at all availed him in a case like this. Horror, blank horror, seized him upon seeing a woman, a young woman, a woman of captivating beauty, whom God adorned so eminently with gifts of person and of mind, breathing sentiments that to him seemed fresh from the mintage of hell. He could have apostrophized her, (as long afterwards he himself told me,) in the words of Shakespeare's Juliet

"Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical !'

for he was one of those who never think of Christianity as the subject of defence. Could sunshine, could light, could the glories of the dawn, call for defence? Not a thing to be defended, but as a thing to be interpreted, as a thing to be illuminated, did Christianity exist for him. He, therefore, was even more un

for he was, in fact, the introducer of Swedenborg to this country; as being himself partially the translator of Swedenborg; and, still more, as organising a patronage to other people's translations; and also, I believe, as republishing the original Latin works of Swedenborg. To say that of Mr. Clowes was, until lately, but another way of describing him as a delirious dreamer; at present (1853) I presume the reader to be aware that Cambridge has, within the last few years, unsettled, and even revolutionised our estimates of Swedenborg as a philosopher. That man indeed whom Emerson ranks as one amongst his inner consistory of intellectual potentates, cannot be the absolute trifler that Kant (who knew him only by the most trivial of pretensions) eighty years ago supposed him. redly Mr. Clowes was no trifler, but lived habitually a life of power, though in a world of religious mysticism and of apocalyptic visions. To him, being such a man by nature and habit, it was in effect the lofty Lady Geraldine from Coleridge's Christabelle' that stood before him in that infidel lady. A magnificent witch she was, like the Lady Geraldine; having the same superb beauty; the same power of throwing spells over the ordinary gazer; and yet at intervals unmasking to some solitary, unfascinated spectator, the same dull blink of a snaky eye; and revealing through the most fugitive of gleams, a traitoress couchant, beneath what else to all others seemed the form of a lady, armed with incomparable pretensionsone that was

'Beautiful exceedingly, Like a lady from a far countrie.' "

Assu

deliberate impeacher of Christian evidence, than my reverend guardian.

"Thus it was that he himself explained his own position, in after days, when I had reached my sixteenth year, and visited him on terms of friendship as close as can ever have existed between a boy and a man already grey-headed. Him and his noiseless parsonage, the pensive abode for sixty years of religious reverie and anchoritick self-denial, I have described further on. In some limited sense he belongs to our literature;

To the Editor.

REPOSITORY.

Dear Sir,-Will you have the goodness to allow me to state, through your columns, that with the commencement of the present year, I have determined upon adopting a new mode of transmitting the "New Church Repository" to England,-one which, I trust, will enable me to avoid the vexatious irregularity and delay that have hitherto been inevitable, if I would save my subscribers and myself an enormous

expense in forwarding the numbers, from month to month, to their destination.

Mr. Hodson, in London, has hitherto acted as my agent, and has doubtless managed the business as well as I have enabled him to do. But, with the very best management in this way, there will be delays that cannot be prevented, and each number becomes comparatively stale by the time it reaches the hands of its reader.

The postal method would double the expense, if each number be charged according to its weight, which is a fraction over two ounces, whereas if it should fall under that, the charge is only a penny an ounce. In order to compass the object, I have concluded to divide the numbers, and send them in two portions each, including the covers, which can be afterwards stitched on. This, if I am rightly informed, will bring the postage of each entire number at not more than two or three pence, and it will ensure the most prompt and punctual transmission.

But it will be seen that this plan requires that I should have the names and addresses of the individuals who propose to take the work, that it may be forwarded directly to them by the first steamer that sails after the issue. To this end, permit me to request that such of your readers as come into this category, would forward their names and address to Mr. White, 36, Bloomsbury-street, Oxford-street, London, from whom I shall receive them. As payment for the year is required in advance, remittances (10s. per annum) may be made also to him at the same time.

I am aware that some inconveniences may attend the proposed plan, but with those who desire the New Church-of which the number on both sides the water is but small-they will probably be outweighed by the certainty of an early and regular transmission. As the numbers will in most cases be bound when the volume is complete, the style of stitching is doubtless of comparatively little consequence.

To the Editor.

LIVERPOOL.

Sir,-On the evening of the 17th of January last, a tea meeting of about 200

members and friends of the Lord Nelson-street Society, was held in the Concert Hall, Lord Nelson-street; the Rev. D. Howarth, of Salford, in the chair.

The speakers were the Rev. D. Howarth, Mr. J. Selby, and the Rev. E. D. Rendell, of Preston.

As the nature of the meeting was social, and the music secular, the speakers dwelt particularly on the benefits derivable from social meetings when based upon truly religious principles.

The Rev. D. Howarth, in an able address, shewed that it is not essential to a purely religious life to seclude ourselves from the world, but that a man can enjoy the social relationships of this life by properly using them; and when social meetings are conducted on religious principles, they are conducive to a healthy state of the spiritual life.

Mr. Selby, in a glowing speech, gave an account of what the enjoyments of man consisted. It was no part of true religion that man should pass through this world with a moping countenance, or like the Pharisees of old, shewing to the world that while we are in the world we are not of it, for even the athletic enjoyments are not only recreative to the man of the world, but are also such to the truly religious, and it is only such who appreciate their real utility. The influence of music adds much to the enjoyment of social life, even from the carol of the bird, to the soft melodious pipe; but above all, that music which flows from the human voice, especially the female, which in its softness imitates the Angelic Choir-it is on such occasions, when a combination of talent in the form of music, and speech, was brought together, in such harmony, that it may well be said, we had "the feast of reason and the flow of soul."

The Rev. E. D. Rendell, dilating on the subject, gave a graphic account how the Monks of old, by their lacerations, penance, and seclusion, endeavoured He very

to

"climb over the wall." beautifully illustrated Gen. ix. 3. It would, he said, be absurd to take this in its literal sense, as it had never been, and had little likelihood of being, fulfilled; and true it must be in some sense, and in a highly beautiful sense it was so. When in the Word any animal was mentioned, it was because that animal was the only one which properly portrayed, or corresponded to, the

peculiar quality or character in man, intended to be pointed out, for the animal kingdom, properly speaking, is but an out-birth of the mind of man in his affections; the moving (creeping) things being the lowest in the animal kingdom, represented the lowest affections of man, and their being provided as meat for him, shews that the lowest affections require their nourishment; and that in themselves they are highly beneficial to man, when he appreciates their use, and particularly on occasions such as social meetings, having for their object the elevation of the lower affections, the cultivation of which are highly conducive to a truly religious life.

Throughout the evening the meeting was delighted by the choir, (whose services were gratuitous) performing some excellent pieces from "Bishop" and other celebrated composers, with great taste and accuracy, the company evincing the gratification felt by frequent encores; indeed, the taste and tone displayed in various "duets and solos" sung by Miss M. Bromeley and Miss S. Wood, were highly creditable, and augur well for future success; the accompaniment of the piano played by Mr. J. Skeaf, jun., in his usual pleasing style, added much to the pleasure of the meeting, which, at ten o'clock, broke up, and may be said to have been one of those truly denominated "Social." A. B. CRAIGIE.

"MONUMENTAL EDITION OF THE APPEAL."

To the Editor.

Dear Sir,-The following names, in addition to the previous lists, have been received::

Amount Copies subscribed. ordered.

Amount previously announced .£105 11 6 ..653 More than 26 subscribers. Stand Lane Society.. 2 18 4 pd. 0 10 0 pd. Heywood Copies ordered:-Glasgow Society, 48; Ipswich Friends, 17; Nottingham Society, 18; Burnley Society, 16; Mrs. George, 2; Accrington, 215; Burnley, 16; Salford, 72; Dalton, 25; Embsay, 26; Ramsbottom, 21; Manchester, 200; Middleton, 26; Stand Lane, 50; Kers

ley, 80; Melbourne, 26; Haslingden, 30; Stockport, 25; Bury, 10; Heywood, 20; Leeds, 60; Bolton, 16. Total copies ordered, 2,000. Payment received from Mr. Salter, Mr. R. Carte, Mr. Hewett, Mr. Dunn, Mr. H. R. Williams.

The subscription list has reached the amount required, and, as previously announced, is closed from the 1st March. Orders for copies will be received till the 10th of this month, after which the work will be obtainable only through the publisher, and it is expected the price will be 3s. 6d. Enough, we trust, has already been said to induce those who desire to order the work to do so within the prescribed period, and we mention this as much as possible to prevent after disappointment. It is expected the work will be ready for delivery at the end of the month. We solicit payment of the subscriptions; instructions for forwarding copies where such have not been given, and payment for the same at the earliest convenience of all parties. R. GUNTON, Secretary.

25, Lamb's Conduit-street, February 17th, 1855.