friends who attend it may receive the same kind welcome in the homes of the members on this that they have received on former occasions, and have always experienced elsewhere. It may be as well to explain to those unacquainted with the usages of Conference, that it is customary to entertain the Ministers and Representatives, and as far as possible the visitors, at the houses of members of the Church, and not to leave them to seek accommodation at hotels or boarding-houses."

NEW CHURCH MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY.-Lectures to be delivered during the first month of the Third Session, 1858. To commence at 8 p.m. July 2nd, On Free Will, by Rev. W. Bruce,-9th, On Physiognomy, by Mr. A. Day,—16th, On Coal Gas (2nd), by Mr. J. Pinchbeck,-23rd, On Tom Hood (Prose), by Mr. R. Tilney, 30th, On Mary Queen of Scots, by Mr. J. Mayo. The Society will meet during July at Cross Street, Hatton Garden.-H. BARBER, Hon. Sec.

LECTURES AT IPSWICH.-The series of eight lectures, which was announced in our May number as in course of delivery by Mr. James Spilling, at Ipswich, is now completed. The subjects were treated in a very popular manner, and have attracted considerable attention. The lectures were well attended throughout, and much enquiry has been elicited. We anticipate that great good will result from the effort thus made in this highly prejudiced locality. We have every reason to believe that several have been drawn to perceive the beauty and excellence of God's truth. One gentleman, who has been for many years a sceptic, acknowledged the receipt of the last volume of the Arcana Calestia in these words: "I received the volume, which I intend to read very attentively, with the earnest hope (and prayer, which I did not a short time since imagine efficacious,) that I may derive advantage therefrom." Mr. Spilling has thought it convenient to continue his lectures, which will embrace some of the most interesting features in connection with the Old Testament narratives. If the Missionary Society can render a little aid in the autumn, to this small struggling Society, by sending a lecturer to give two or three week-evening lectures, they will be prepared to enter upon another crusade against the error and prejudice of this town.

NEW MUSIC. - The Royal Departure Polkas, composed by Fanny Henslowe, Editor of Literary Gleanings. This consists of three pieces, written in honour of the Wedding of the Princess Royal; entitled respectively, The Royal Italian Greyhound-The Procession-The Royal Yacht, or Departure. The music is of the usual character of productions of this class, written for special occasions.

TRINIDAD.-New Jerusalem Church in Trinidad.-To the Editor of the Trinidad Sentinel. Sir, Permit me through the medium of your journal, to give publicity to the following letter, being part of a correspondence between his lordship the Bishop of Barbadoes and the Rev. C. G. McPherson, on the latter gentleman retiring from the Church of England in this colony. Having emanated from a conviction of the error of the dogmas of the Old Church, his letter will no doubt be read with interest by many, and cause a deep, searching inquiry into the doctrines of the "New Jerusalem Church," which have been embraced by the Reverend Gentleman. I regret exceedingly not being in possession of the former part of this correspondence, but will endeavour to procure the same, and lay it before the public as early as possible.

PROGRESS.

Trinidad, 11th October, 1857.

To the Right Rev. Thomas Parry, Lord Bishop of Barbadoes.
My Lord,-Your letter of the 14th September, has not had the effect of recon-

ciling me to the doctrines of the Old Church. I am, nevertheless, obliged to you for it, and for the kind manner in which you have endeavoured, though unsuccessfully, to bring me back to what you hold as the truth.

I believe I see how everything you have been good enough to write to me may be answered, though it would ill become me to attempt to argue the matter with you. Such a discussion, moreover, would be useless, so far as regards myself; for it would be easier to persuade a modern astronomer to return to the old theory that the sun turns round the earth and not the earth round the sun, than to induce me to re-embrace the doctrine of three divine persons in the Godhead, and the other doctrines built upon that view of the Holy Trinity.

My Lord, in making this confession, and thus taking leave of you as my Bishop, permit me respectfully to remind you, that the New Church is making progress throughout Christendom, and to suggest to you that if it is to be opposed as a form of error or evil, it must be not only vigorously, but ably opposed—a partial or superficial acquaintance with the doctrines of the New Church will not be found sufficient to overcome it, or even to arrest its progress, much less total ignorance, backed by the rabble cry that Swedenborg was mad.

The New Church, founded upon Holy Scripture, reasonably and coherently interpreted, will stand the brunt of such attacks unharmed.

By implication you admit that the doctrines of the New Church possess considerable powers of fascination; hence, then, you may form some idea of its probable success, and of the amount of talent and sound judgment necessary to bring against it.

Whether Swedenborg's system of theology be true or false, whether his visions be revelations of his own brain, or the records of important and divine truths revealed to him from heaven, his writings deserve to be carefully examined by all who profess to be Watchmen in Israel, that in the one case truth may be recognised and received, or in the other, error judiciously and successfully resisted.

My Lord, the new leaven is working in the West Indies, in your own diocese. It is in contemplation to form a New Church congregation in Trinidad, who will assemble for public worship in a temporary building, and ultimately, to erect a Church and secure the services of a New Church minister. I do not presume to think that any word I can say can have much effect upon your Lordship, yet I venture to recommend to your careful perusal the works of Swedenborg, as I am quite sure from what you said in your last letter to me, that you would there find much to surprise and delight you, though you might still cleave to the dogmatic teachings of your Church; but even this I doubt, reading, as you would, in that bumble and teachable spirit, which becomes the honest and eager searcher after truth. You will smile, perhaps, at my earnestness; but I pray you to accept it as a proof of my sincerity, and to meet the objections which may possibly arise, as to the necessity of further search; let me ask you, Is the Old Church overburthened with light?

If I have said in this letter more than I ought, I beg your forgiveness, and plead as my excuse, the importance of the matter at issue between us-the cause of truth. That your Lordship may be long blessed with health and prosperity in this world, and eternal happiness in that to come, is the prayer of your humble servant, C. G. MCPHERSON.

Departure into the Spiritual World.

On the 4th of June, E. H. DAY, Esq., at Cleveland House, Brixton Hill, Surrey, aged 59.

THIS passage is closely related in meaning to several others; as when, for example, the Lord called ten of the disciples unto Him, and said, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." These, and similar precepts given to the disciples, appear to have been designed, in the ultimate sense, to counteract that selfish lust for worldly greatness and dominion with which their minds were, in a great measure, filled. Although they were associated with the Lord, and in a natural sense very near to Him, they were yet very far from Him in a spiritual sense. For in their case was illustrated that divine law of order, to which no exception has ever been made, or can be made, in behalf of any one-a law which decrees that no one can come near to the Lord in a true and internal sense, in any other way than by gradually and patiently acquiring a knowledge of the divine precepts, and, in the exercise of his own freedom and rationality, removing from his affections and life those evils and disorders which the truth brings to light. If men could, in any possible instance, be brought near to the Lord, and be filled with heavenly affections, habits, and desires, through immediate mercy alone, this would certainly have been done in the case of the disciples. They

"He that is least among you all, the same shall be great.”—Luke ix. 48. NO. XX.-VOL. II.

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were the Lord's chosen and appointed servants; they were around Him and near to Him; from His lips they were continually receiving instruction; and yet, after being with Him some two years or more, we find them thinking and talking of the glories and honours of this world, and cherishing the hopes and designs of a selfish ambition. To arrest and allay that ambition, and to show the disciples that their worldly expectations could not be fulfilled, and that the spirit of rivalry that existed among them was contrary to the order of His kingdom—was the immediate and specific purpose for which these words were uttered, "He that is least among you all, the same shall be great."

But every announcement or statement of any precept of the Word, has a universal, yea, an infinite meaning. Every such precept forms one of those mediums or channels of life, the number of which is infinite, and by means of which the Lord descends and is present with every angel, spirit, and man, who is connected either nearly or remotely with his kingdom.

We turn, therefore, to this divine precept, with the hope of receiving therefrom some measure of that spiritual instruction, which it is designed to convey to the Church of the Lord, and to every member thereof. We learn from the doctrines that "In heaven all become great, pre eminent, powerful, and of authority; for one angel has greater power than myriads of infernal spirits; yet not of himself, but from the Lord, and only so far from the Lord, as he believes that he has no power selfderived; and thus, that he is least; and this he may believe, so far as he is in humiliation, and the affection of being serviceable to others; that is, so far as he is principled in the good of love to the Lord, and of charity towards his neighbour."

That those angels and men, who are in the highest degree of good and truth, are, at the same time, most thoroughly humble and devoid of every measure of selfish ambition, is a truth often and clearly preзented in the heavenly doctrines. The Lord, being divine good itself, and divine truth itself, and thus infinite love and infinite wisdom, cannot have even the smallest measure of self-love. His love, ever springing from an exhaustless fountain, goes forth to fill the universe with life and joy. For Himself, for His own sake, He asks no return from those creatures whom He thus delights to bless. For their own good, and in order that they may be more fully happy, He does teach them the duty, the obligation of loving Him in return. He does this for their sakes, and not because He desires homage or worship from any creature whom He has made. The Lord, therefore, is in the fullest and most perfect, yea, in an infinite sense, the greatest of all, and at the same

time, the least of all, and the servant of all. Every angel, and every man, who has a place in the Lord's kingdom, approaches a state of humble self-renunciation, an entire giving up of all ambitious hopes, desires, and purposes, just in the degree in which he comes near to the Lord, and is made a recipient of those divine gifts which our Heavenly Father is continually bestowing upon those who love and obey him.

But what we have thus far said has been often and very fully presented. We have alluded to these truths simply for the purpose of preparing the way for another principle involved in this precept of the Word, and very closely and immediately connected with that great and beautiful truth, that the wisest and best of the angels are the most humble, and are the least disposed to think of themselves, or to claim homage or respect from those around them. Being filled with the life of use, the love of doing the good of use, they have no time, or any wish, to think of anything else; least of all to think of themselves, or to feel any anxiety or concern in regard to the estimation in which they are held. They turn away their faces from those who praise them, reminding all such spirits that honour is due to the Lord, and to Him alone, inasmuch as all good and truth, and every genuine, living use, descends from Him.

Now, in immediate connection with this truth, and depending upon it, is another principle, which we will present somewhat more fully, namely: That the wisest and best of the angels, also those men in this world who are in the most highly regenerated states, descend more fully than any others into ultimate principles; that they do this in their lives and their labours, their uses and their delights. Being more elevated than others into those principles which are internal, or first, they are thus enabled to descend more fully into those which are external, or last. The Lord alone is the first and the last. He has infinite power in the most minute, ultimate things, as well as the inmost; and these things-the first and the last, the causes and the effects are united as one. All power, as we read again and again in the heavenly doctrines, is in ultimates; because it is there in its fulness. The power of the Divine. Word rests and terminates in the literal sense, without which it could not even have an existence. The power, the influence, and the use, of every man's life, depends upon those things which he brings out into ultimates, which are always in proportion to the strength, the order, the firmness, of those spiritual principles which form his internal character. The man who only thinks what is true, and reasons about what ought to be done-who forms plans of use, but does not, at the same time, put forth his hand, and place those uses