Moses under a form suited to their perceptions as the "Angel of the Lord." Thus, too, we found when the race had sunk entirely into sensualism, and were inaccessible to any impression that was not directed to their outward perceptions, the same Divine Person descended into the ultimates of creation under the name of Jesus Christ, which were expressive of the essential qualities of Divinity. The lecturer argued that it was thus seen that the idea of God was not only derived from Revelation, but also the idea of his Oneness, for whether under the names of God, Lord God, Lord, The Angel of the Lord, or the Son of God, it presented the same Divine Person, variously manifested. These points were supported by numerous references to the Scriptures, from all of which it was clearly shown that Jesus Christ is in reality the "God with us," the "Everlasting Father," the "Prince of Peace;" that he is indeed the Alpha as well as the Omega, "who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

The truly Christian spirit in which the subject was treated elicited the warmest approbation, while the style of the delivery was calculated to rivet the attention and impress the feelings of the most listless hearer.

The thanks of the society are eminently due to Mr. Rendell, whose engagements prevented him from delivering more than one lecture. They are glad to know, however, that it has produced much good, and that it has been the means of preparing a way for future operations of a similar nature.

JAMES SPILLING, Corresponding Member. Handford-road, St. Matthew's, Ipswich.

P.S.-The members of the Ipswich Society beg to express their thanks to the friends at Glasgow for the liberal assistance rendered them for the above purpose through Mr. David Goyder.

BRIGHTLINGSEA.

The friends and members of the New Church, in Brightlingsea, have long felt the want of a room for their Sunday school, for a Reading Meeting, for a Juvenile Class and Sunday-school Teachers' Meeting, and also for Committee Room and Vestry. This want is now supplied by the building of a new

room attached to the church, which is now completed, and was opened on Sunday, Aug. 12th, 1855, by the Rev. E. D. Rendell and the Rev. J. H. Smithson; on which occasion, the reverend gentlemen addressed the children of the school in the above-named room. But, to accomplish this desirable object, they had to incur a debt of about £70.; £20. of which has been raised among themselves and a little assistance by other friends.

They now humbly appeal to the Church at large for assistance, to enable them to pay off the remaining part of the debt. The smallest donation will be thankfully received. The undermentioned ministers have kindly added their names to the above application: they can testify that it is one deserving the aid of all who are able and feel disposed to contribute their mite towards the accomplishing of this object:-Edward Madeley, minister, Birmingham; E. D. Rendell, minister, Preston; and J. H. Smithson, minister, Manchester.

Contributions can be made payable at the Post-office, Colchester; or otherwise to Mr. William Hazell Griggs, of Brightlingsea.

"MONUMENTAL EDITION OF THE
APPEAL."

work, in agreement with their desire. The committee regret the necessity of stating, that no less than £75., due for the first edition, is still unpaid; they trust, therefore, that efforts will be made by all whose duty it is, to forward the money to the secretary without delay. The committee feel bound further to remark, that until a final settlement is made in regard to the first edition, they do not feel disposed to take the necessary proceedings for bringing out the second, although copies are constantly inquired for.-Yours truly,

R. GUNTON, Secretary.

251, Lambs Conduit-street, September 14th, 1855.

MR. NOBLE'S MONUMENT.

To the Editor.

Dear sir,-Thinking the following incident in connection with the monument of Mr. Noble will prove interesting to your readers, I forward it, with your permission, for insertion in the Repository.

A lady on whom I recently called when passing through the metropolis, and who is not a member of the New Church, informed me that having had occasion to visit the Highgate Cemetery, she was attracted by Mr. Noble's monument, having occasionally heard him some years since. On reading the inscription on it she was particularly struck with the consoling view of the other life presented in the passage extracted from Swedenborg's New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrines, in which it is stated that the spirit of man, after death, appears in the other life in the human form, being in every respect a man, except that he is not encompassed with that gross body he had in the world. It was the latter portion, however, that left the deepest impression, where the resurrection of the soul after death is spoken of as the continuation of life. Numbers beside herself, she added, were attracted to the spot, and apparently impressed with similar feelings.

VIATOR.

that portion of my family which was staying in its vicinity. This gave me an opportunity of seeing our brethren there; and the following particulars respecting them may not, perhaps, be unacceptable to the readers of the Magazine.

As previously stated, by yourself, I believe, the public New Church services which were formerly conducted in Oxford by Mr. Ray and others, have been for some years discontinued. Our friends, however, keep up a private meeting at each other's houses on the Sabbath, for reading and mutual improvement, which serves as a bond of association to some of those who used to assemble together at the Sunday services.

Some of the members of the Church have also become members of a scien. tific society in Oxford, where they have frequent opportunities of bringing forward the philosophy of the New Church and the name of Swedenborg. In this way they have been enabled to remove, in a very great degree, the prejudices which formerly existed against the illus trious herald of the New Dispensation; and in some instances to see in its stead, a large amount of respect for his character and attainments.

One of our friends, Mr. Thomas, occa. sionally lectures on scientific subjects; and although well known for his adhe rence to the New Church, he has been invited by Dr. Warburton, of Iffley, to lecture in his parish, and I think in his house, in conjunction with some other gentlemen, during the ensuing winter.

Our indefatigable friend Mr. Ray is also doing good service amongst the Dissenters in this district. He preaches, with others, at two chapels in the neighbourhood, at Littlemore and Heading. ton; and at the latter place, he has been appointed to administer the sacra ments.

It might be supposed, that in these services the great doctrines of the Church have to be concealed; but such is not the fact Mr. Ray is well known as a "Swedenborgian," and he preaches the New Church doctrines with a boldness and clearness which some years ago would have subjected him to dismissal from his post: and although he has to use the collection of hymns formerly belonging to the congregation, yet, having the power of selection and

omission, he contrives to manage admirably. Mr. Ray also displays great tact in his mode of elucidating his subjects, introducing copious confirmations from the Pauline epistles, and vindicating the apostle in many cases from the false doctrines which he has been supposed to confirm.

Still, with all these advantages, the members of the Church in Oxford look forward with hope to the time when they can usefully resume their public worship; and were glad to take advantage of my being amongst them, to have a New Church service in Mr. Ray's school-room, at Rose Hill, about 2 miles from Oxford. Here I preached twice in the evening of Sunday, the 19th of August, and in the afternoon of Sunday, the 26th. Between thirty and forty persons were present on one occasion, and about thirty on the other. In the evening of the latter Sabbath, I also preached at Headington, Mr. Ray having desired me to occupy his place in the pulpit on that occasion.

We held, in the course of the intervening week, a private meeting, at the house of Mr. Thomas, which afforded me an opportunity of meeting such of our brethren as could attend, and of noticing the earnest, intelligent, and affectionate spirit by which some of them are actuated. I also learned that a gentleman, not present, a member of an influential family in Oxford, had recently received the doctrines through the instrumentality of one of the members, In conversing about their future plans, it was agreed that an effort should be made to again obtain a course of public lectures, explanatory of the doctrines, from one of our ministers; and I think it very probable that the Rev. Edward Madeley, of Birmingham, will be applied to for the purpose of delivering them.

W. Bruce, the Rev. A. E. Ford, the Rev. Alfred Beechey, the Rev. Edw. Madeley, Dr. Carr, Dr. Holmes, Mr. Pyer, Mr. Reed, Mr. Hancock, and Mr. Kennerley have at various times most kindly offi.. ciated for us. The Holy Supper has been administered twelve times to an average of about eighteen receivers, chiefly by the Rev. W. Bruce. Twelve adults and six children have been baptized in the Church by the various ordained ministers who have so liberally given us their services; and one dying child, at the house of his parents, by one of the deacons. Some seatholders, whose assistance has been very valuable to us in our early progress, have given up their attendance, on account of the distances at which they live; but their places are supplied by others who live nearer, and are more likely to remain.

The Rev. Alfred Beechy has engaged to preach for us next Sunday, both morning and evening; and the Rev. W, Bruce has consented to deliver us a course of lectures on alternate Tuesday evenings during the winter. The lectures are intended to embrace, in consecutive order, the various subjects treated of by Swedenborg in the "Universal Theology;" the introductory lecture to be given on Tuesday, Oct. 2nd, the preliminary service commencing at half-past seven, and the lecture at eight o'clock.

On the intermediate Tuesday even. ings, it is intended to have either a scientific lecture in the school-room, or a meeting of some other kind calculated to be both interesting and instructive; the meeting commencing at half-past seven, the lecture at eight.

With kindest regards, I remain,
My dear sir,
Yours faithfully,
HENRY BATEMAN.

LIBERTY AS ADVOCATED IN THE NEW CHURCH.

To the Editor.

Dear Sir, I differ from your correspondent Iakobos' in his remarks in the September number respecting Mr. Paxton Hood's position. I confess that I never thought so highly of his book as many of the New Church public appear to have done. Certainly it is a very promising feature of the time that a writer of some note, whose readers are amongst

the religious public of the Old Church, should venture to stand forth manfully and say to them,-" This Swedenborg whom you revile and condemn is by no means either a madman or a deceiver; but a truly noble and perfectly sane man, charged evidently with a message for this and succeeding ages,-a teacher sent from God;--let me persuade you to hear him with candour, and in a calm and rational spirit." Such is really Mr. Hood's position. The narrow spirit of proselytism, which cannot bear to hear a man make large and candid admissions of the truth of Swedenborg's views without requiring that he shall at once rank himself as one of his followers, and call himself "Swedenborgian," is unworthy of the spirit of freedom breathed in the writings of Swedenborg himself. And if Mr. Hood thinks proper to set himself right with his friends on this matter, why should we take an advantage of his candour to join the cry first dictated by a persecuting spirit, and try to drag him from the position he chooses into our ranks?

I can scarcely think your correspondent has seen this bearing of his remarks, but certainly his letter will be thus interpreted by all who are outside

our pale of church membership; and, however inconsistent Mr. Paxton Hood's views may appear with the orthodox theology-as he has not ranked himself with the existing New Church organization, but has, on the contrary, positively declared himself not one of us-it is, to say the least, bad taste in us to endeavour to fetter him.

This is not the only occasion within the last few years on which public men have made very important admissions in favour of the New Church theology and philosophy, and have been immediately required by some of our friends, whose zeal has perhaps outrun their discretion, to declare themselves with us. Instead of rejoicing that the perception of the glorious truths of the New Jerusalem is spreading far and wide, we quarrel with them for not coming over to us; the consequence is, that we give gcod ground for the charge of appropriating Swedenborg entirely to ourselves-of being very narrow and sectarian in our views, and destitute of that very freedom which we consider is the essential spirit of the New Church. I am, dear sir, Yours faithfully,

LIBRA.

Died, at Brightlingsea, on the 18th day of June, aged 73 years, Mrs. Susannah Noble, widow of the late Mr. John Noble, of the above place. She was in early life a member of the established Church, and a strict adherent to its principles; but on the doctrines of the New Church being introduced into Brightlingsea, she was led to listen to, and subsequently to read the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, and ultimately to attend public worship at the New Church. She was one of those who first avowed their full belief in the heavenly doctrines in this village, and

consequently had to engage with others in defence of the principles of the New Church. Having been connected in friendship with many members of the Established Church, she had some difficulty in discontinuing to assemble with them at their place of worship. But this difficulty she finally overcame, and from that time became a decided member of the New Church, and a constant and regular attendant there for worship, as well as being present at all times at the Lord's table, to partake of the sacrament.