relinquish the teaching of the Bible in our public schools? We think that the feeling in England will be strongly opposed to such a change. The strength of England is the conviction in the hearts of the bulk of her population that the Bible is the Word of God; and her hope in the future is the preservation of this conviction and its enlightenment by a careful instruction, not in the creeds of the churches, but in the facts and precepts of the literal sense of Holy Scripture.

THE APPOINTMENT OF DR, TEMPLE TO THE SEE OF EXETER.

A correspondent wrote us last month respecting this appointment in the following terms:The appointment by the Premier to the See of Exeter of one of the writers in the Essays and Reviews, is likely to lead to a rather complicated ecclesiastical situation.' The diocese of Exeter is in a ferment. The Exeter Gazette of the 9th October says: There can be no question, that the possibility of the head-master of Rugby being placed in the Episcopal chair of Exeter has created something like consternation; and it is greatly to be feared that the appointment will lead to serious contention, instead of a revival of Church work in the two counties.' The appointment is one highly characteristic of the mode of selecting Bishops which obtains in the Church of England. Dr. Pusey, in a remarkable letter to the Guardian of October 13th, alludes to it in these terms: We are apt to think that they are hard terms of the Bishop of Rome, that he reserves to himself the selection to a bishopric out of three who are presented to him. It was thought hard that, on a not very distant occasion, [the allusion is to what took place some years ago in the Roman Catholic body in Ireland], he passed by all the three nominated to him, and created one who had not been selected. But the English Prime Minister, who becomes such on mere political grounds, exercises not as of old, with the advice of bishops, but as an absolute autocrat, a choice less limited than the Pope in his communion, a choice limited by no other restraint than that a dean and chapter should, under the penalty of præmunire, refuse to select the person

whom, in the name of the Crown, he enforces upon them, or that bishops should, under the same penalty, refuse to consecrate him. Honoured by posterity will be the memory of that chapter and of those bishops who should first refuse such an injunction.' This seems the first note of approaching strife and confusion. Readers of Swedenborg's writings are aware that upwards of a century ago he pointed out (Vid. Apoc. Rev. No. 716), the pernicious effects in England of this mode of selecting bishops.'

The anticipation of our correspondent of approaching strife has been abundantly fulfilled. To oppose the election of Dr. Temple, the utmost efforts have been made to unite the two extremes of the High and Low Church parties, but without effect. The effort has only manifested the bitter hostility of the Evangelical or Low Church school to both the other sections of the Church. The virulent language employed is in the highest degree reprehensible, and has been severely commented upon by the public press.

"The style of writing," says the English Independent, "in which these reverend champions of the faith indulge, is to us most wonderful. We sometimes ask ourselves whether it can be possible that these gentlemen understand the bad language they employ. Of course it is a very small thing for Dr. M'Neile to charge Dr. Pusey with a want of sincerity. That is using language which, if strong, is at least decent. But when the Protestant champion goes on to describe the cup of poison labelled poison, and the cup of poison labelled syrup; when he charges his opponent with offering poison, and calling it syrup, while he knows it to be poison, for otherwise he would be sincere; when he goes on still farther to quote the Mosaic law as to the leprous man, whose leprosy is complete and without a doubt, and to apply this illustration to his opponent,-we must confess that to us poor ignorant laymen and schismatics, the dignified Churchman is trailing his pen in the mire of offensive and scurrilous abuse. neighbourhood of the Ripon Deanery must certainly need scouring." All the opposition that has been raised has not prevented the election of Dr. Temple, and the commotion will become one of

The

THE SWEDENBORG SOCIETY AND THE UNPUBLISHED MSS.-At the ordinary meeting of the Committee of the Swedenborg Society, Nov. 4, when the subject of the MSS. came up, it appeared that the matter had now entered upon an entirely new phase; whereupon the following statement of facts was agreed to, and the Secretary was directed to send a copy of the same to the President of the General Conference, to Messrs. Tafel and Benade, and to the Editor of the Intellectual Repository.

Professor Tafel came to the Conference of 1868, being deputed by a Committee of the General Convention of the New Church in the United States to invite the co-operation of the friends in this country in reference to obtaining copies of any unpublished MSS. of Swedenborg which might be thought worthy of preservation. The Conference thereupon expressed its satisfaction at the effort of the American friends, and commended the favourable consideration of the whole matter to the Swedenborg Society.

The Committee accordingly entered upon this duty, and several letters passed between them and Messrs. Tafel and Benade. They soon, however, found that no definite plan had been decided on whereby they could be guided; yet, desiring as far as possible

to promote the object, they advanced £60 to Professor Tafel, with an understanding that they would make it up to £200 in two years, out of any funds they might receive for the purpose-not from the funds of the Society, which were not available.

Professor Tafel went to Sweden, and, as is well-known, was very successful in his investigations and discoveries; an account of which was published in the Intellectual Repository for May of this year, and also in a separate form as "Results." At that time the Committee were in hopes they would shortly be able to issue a circular, inviting subscriptions, and distinctly stating for what specific purpose the funds were required. They however had to wait for information; and this did not arrive before the Conference of the present year.

This Conference, apparently quite forgetting the action of its predecessors, and without communicating with the Swedenborg Society, or referring to its action, appointed a Committee of four to collect subscriptions in order to assist Professor Tafel, precisely as if nothing whatever in reference to it had been done in this country.

Under these peculiar circumstances, which they deeply regret, the Committee of the Swedenborg Society, deeming it quite useless to have two committees engaged in precisely the same work, consider it most advisable to leave the matter entirely in the hands of the new committee, to whom they transfer all the responsibility as to the payment promised to Professor Tafel. The treasurer, Mr. Watson, will hand over to the new treasurer whatever money he may receive beyond the £60 he has advanced. H. BUTTER, Hon. Sec.

MISSIONARY OPERATIONS.-Ashbyde-la-Zouch. It being known to our respected friend, Mr. Adcock of "The Mill," at Ashby, that the Rev. E. D. Rendell was on a short visit to this place, he suggested that, as no public effort had ever been made there to make known the doctrines of the New Church, a lecture might be delivered with some probability of use. The Market-Hall was taken, and advertisements were circulated announcing that Mr. Rendell would deliver, on Friday evening the 19th of August, a discourse shewing "That our Lord Jesus Christ

is the One and only True God revealed in Holy Scripture." There were upwards of ninety persons present, who listened with considerable interest to the discussion of this most important subject. Several came from Melbourne, which is only a few miles distant. These and others were much pleased; and hope is entertained that some good has been done. The expense was kindly sustained by Mr. Adcock.

HULL. The usual quarterly missionary visit to this Society was made by the Rev. R. Storry, on Sunday, October 31, the services connected with it extending to Wednesday, Nov. 3. Two discourses were given on the Sunday to attentive but not very numerous audiences. On the Monday evening a public tea-meeting was held, addresses of an instructive and interesting kind being afterwards given by several of the members of the Church in Hull, and by Mr. Storry, who dwelt on some of the practical features of the New Church, and of its relation to the religious developments of modern times. On the Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, lectures were delivered to most attentive and apparently interested audiences. The first was on the New Jerusalem as the Church of Prophecy. After establishing, from a variety of evidences, the great truth that Jerusalem represents the Church, and that the New Jerusalem is the Church in her latter-day glory, the preacher proceeded to show the distinguishing features of this Church as discoverable from the inspired description of the Apostle. It is the Bride the Lamb's wife, and therefore distinguished by its devotion to the Lord, and fervent worship of Him in his Divine Humanity. It is a Church of light, and the light that shines in it is the light of truth from the Word rationally understood, denoted by her light like a stone most precious. It is a Church of love and of transparent goodness, denoted by the city being pure gold like unto clear glass. And it is pre-eminently distinguished by the conjunction of goodness and truth, charity and faith, in all its doctrines, its worship, and its life, as denoted by the number twelve so frequently named in the description of the city. From this exposition, the preacher sought to show the adapted

ness of this Church to the religious requirements of the age, and the advantages it offers to every thoughtful, pious, and inquiring mind. The following lecture was on "The future lot of the Wicked." The friends at Hull expressed themselves much gratified by the course of services, and we hope that some good results may follow the visit.

RELIEF FUND.-It will be remembered by most of our readers that during the Lancashire distress in 1862-3, the members and friends of the New Church were appealed to by the Societies in London for contributions to alleviate such distress. After it had subsided, an account appeared in the Intellectual Repository for May, 1863, which showed a balance in hand of

£80, 11s. 10d. A subsequent deduction of £1, 18s. 4d. for incidental expenses, reduced the balance to £78, 13s. 6d. ; and this sum was invested by the Treasurer in the following November in the purchase of £89, 0s. 2d. new 3 per cent. stock. The dividends on this fund have been added from time to time, and the present amount of stock is £102, 1s. 7d.

Just now it has come to our knowledge that similar distress to that for which this fund was collected has befallen the inhabitants of Brightlingsea, in consequence of the failure of the local oyster fisheries for several years past, and we are desirous to respond to an appeal which has been made to us to mitigate such distress. Feeling sure that these facts only require to be known to the subscribers to insure their approval of the appropriation of a portion of the said fund, we beg to intimate that it is our intention to make a grant of £20 on the 10th of December, should no valid objection be raised by any subscriber before that date; and, should the distress continue, and make it thus necessary, a farther grant of a like sum will be made about the same time in January. (Signed) THOMAS WATSON, Treasurer. FREDK. PITMAN, Secretary. J. BAYLEY, H. BUTTER,

R. GUNTON,

Marriage.

Members of Committee.

On the 23d of October, 1869, at the Argyle Square Church, London, by the

Rev. Dr. Bayley, Mr. Milton Smith of Holloway to Mary Ann Forbes, eldest daughter of the late P. W. Forbes, Esq., of Penton Place.

Obituary.

On the 10th January 1869, at Dover's Green, near Reigate, Caroline Sarah, third daughter of Alex. Broughton, Esq. She was educated in the principles of the Established Church. From her earliest years she had a deep sense of religion. In the year 1828, when her eldest sister, after deep mental conflict, received the truths of the New Church, she was induced to read some of Swedenborg's works, at first only with the desire of becoming acquainted with those doctrines which had estranged her sister from the principles in which she had been brought up; but as she read she became more and more convinced that a higher order of truth was illuminating her mind, until she became one of the most earnest receivers of the doctrines. Of a most delicate constitution, suffering from ill health for the greater part of her life, and experiencing much worldly trial, they became her exceeding joy and support. Thoroughly unselfish, and possessing a most affectionate disposition combined with child-like innocence, and a strong sense of duty, which led her earnestly to endeavour to bring those heavenly doctrines into life. Her health compelling her to rise late, she daily read with delight the New Church hymns as soon as the morning light enabled her to see. She read through several times the Arcana Coelestia, the Apocalypse Explained, and all the principal works of Swedenborg. She perused with deep interest the Spiritual Diary, and was most anxious for the publication of the remainder of the work. When reading any modern good works, she used to observe her interest in them was much lessened, ever returning with delight to the study of the truths of the New Church. She had ever a firm trust in the Divine Providence in all the events of life, and recognised the Divine permission in many circumstances that would appear to be inexplicable to many minds. Towards the close of her life she was permitted to pass through much mental suffering, extreme debility and emaciation of frame caused a cloud on her mind, which was not to be removed

until she awoke in that Presence which through her life she meekly and humbly longed for, and entered "that city which had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

At Heywood, July 24, Mr. John Marsh, aged 48 years. The deceased

had been from childhood connected with the New Church, and during the whole of his life, when in health, actively engaged in the Sunday School. For many years he held the office of teacher, and laboured assiduously to promote the prosperity and usefulness of the school. The latter years of his earthly sojourn were clouded by bodily affliction and feebleness. His afflictions were borne with patience and resignation, and his end was peaceful and happy.

July 29, Mr. George Herbert Poole, one of the founders of the Adelaide Society of the New Church. The following account of this pioneer of the New Church in Australia is from a discourse delivered in the Carrington Street Chapel, Aug. 8, 1869, by Mr. W. Holden "Our departed friend seems to have enjoyed a foretaste of heaven before his removal from earth. About

twenty-four years ago he first became acquainted with the holy truths of the new dispensation. But it was not till after much anxious thought and patient investigation that he was led to perceive their intrinsic excellences. Like many others who have been educated in the principles and doctrines of the consummated Church, he experienced much mental conflict in his transition from the darkness of the past to the light of the coming day. With a mind ardently athirst for truth, he could not but pursue his inquiries, yet he was too honest to his own convictions to accept as truth that which did not carry with it its own evidence. But one by one his prejudices gave way. Gradually but surely, and with constantly increasing intensity, the light of genuine truth spread over his mental earth with all the freshness and beauty of a vernal morn. And from that time forward having most truly been brought to the 'knowledge of the truth in the love of it,' he felt a strong desire to communicate that knowledge as far as he could to others. Our Lord has taught us that it is more blessed to give than to