soul," which followed these creature comforts.

The recently formed Choral Society, which numbers about twenty vocal and instrumental amateurs, gratuitously rendered their services for the evening; and although in some of the choruses the dullest ear might have discerned a great want of harmony, both in tune and tone, between the voices and the instruments, yet two or three of the pieces were very creditably sung, and induced a unanimous hope that the society will continue its efforts, and soon be so organized as to merit further commendation.

At the close of the third chorus, Mr. Jacob Pitman addressed the meeting by stating his full conviction, that though the very name of the New Church was new to most of those present, the time would come when it would number as many thousands as it now did units. "All that I desire," said Mr. Pitman "is this, that the writings of the New Church may be thoroughly investigated; and though from my heart I believe in their truth, yet if any man can show to me that they are either unscriptural or contrary to the dictates of enlightened reason, I will renounce them for ever, and esteem that man as the greatest friend I have ever had."

He then read from the Liturgy of the New Church the twelve articles of faith, adding a few observations of his own, and concluded by soliciting that the New Church writings, as they are condemned, might be impartially examined, that being the only means by which their truth or falsehood can be ascertained.

At a subsequent part of the evening two other persons, whose names were not announced, addressed the meeting, the first of whom said, that the objections to the doctrine of the Divine Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as centered in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, are drawn from two sources: 1st, The belief that the being who became incarnate was a Son of God born from eternity. 2d, From the fact that Jesus Christ, when upon earth, sometimes spoke of the Father as a being separate from himself. In attempting to remove these objections, he said that searching the Scriptures, we find no mention is there made of a Son of God anterior to the incarnation." "Had there been," said he," such a being existing from eternity, governing the universe in conjunction with the Father, would the church have been left for 4000 years in

66

on

total ignorance of his existence ?" In his attempt to remove objections founded upon the fact of Jesus Christ addressing the Father as a distinct being, he stated that they (members of the New Church) believe that the Lord assumed the human nature for the purpose of glorifying it, or making it divine; and that so long as he was in the world, there was a part of his nature which was not divine, being derived from the Virgin; but that when this great work was completed, he ascended into heaven, where he ever liveth and reigneth with the Father an indivisible One, the only God of heaven and earth. After explaining, upon New Church principles, the phrase, "he sat at the right hand of God," as denoting the assumption of Omnipotence, he (the speaker) went on to show that the reason why Jesus Christ on various occasions prayed to the Father with the greatest distress and anxiety, was this, "that on those occasions he was in a state of humiliation owing to the infirmities derived from the mother, and the direful and terrific combat with the infernal hosts which were necessary to be overcome for our salvation." The humble Christian (he said) at times undergoes states similar, in dark temptation's trying hour, so as to shut out, as it were, all heavenly delight, and he is then brought to doubt whether he has really received anything of a heavenly nature or not; such also was the case with our Lord. He encountered the whole of the infernal powers at once, which would have destroyed any finite being,-- any but divinity itself. No wonder, then, if when in such states he appeared as if at a distance from his Father, and prayed to him as to a distinct being; but after his glorification he never did so; but the angelic hosts, with unutterable reverence, sing, Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto Him-not them- be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever; and He assumes the most absolute possession of the divine attributes when he says, (Rev. v. 13.) “I am Alpha and Omega,the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

The last speaker chose for his subject, "The Word of God." His reasons for so doing he stated to be, "that there are not wanting those who do not hesitate to declare that Swedenborgianism is but another name for infidelity." In attempting to explain the principle upon which

Married, on Thursday, February 3rd, 1848, at Chalford, Gloucestershire, by the Rev. Thos. Goyder, Mr. John Todd, jun.,

to Miss Iris Elizabeth Bloy, third daughter of Mr. Noah Chalders, both of the city of Norwich.

January 5th, 1848, Dorothy, the greatly beloved wife of John Dearden, Esq., of Prospect House, Denton, near Manchester, passed from the natural into the spiritual world; and although few of her friends were prepared to part with her so soon, or had any anticipation of such a result at the time it occurred, there is every reason to hope that she has exchanged an earthly tabernacle for one not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Mrs. Dearden's mind was early imbued with the essentials of all true religion, by the example and instructions of an excellent mother, the lively recollections of which were never, during life, effaced from her mind. The remains inseminated into her mind, through this agency, led her into great sincerity of character, even as a child, and rendered her both an affectionate and obedient daughter, as well as a greatly loved and valued sister. When a child, about nine years of age, she went for about twelve months with some friends of her parents to the New Jerusalem Temple, in Salford, then conducted by the ministry of the late Rev. Robert Hindmarsh. Though she was then too young to exercise a discriminating judgment in matters of doctrine, she was, on some account, ever after unable to receive, with conviction, the doctrine of a vicarious sacrifice as taught by the Wesleyans, though she afterwards became, for many years, a most diligent and affectionate teacher of their Sunday schools, Gravellane, Salford. At the age of 16 years she lost her pious mother, whose happy death and some remarkable circumstances attendant upon it, so fully impressed the minds of her children with the certainty of the existence of a spiritual world, that they could never, after that event, entertain a doubt respecting it. Some time before her marriage with Mr. Dearden, the good of remains stored up in her mind, appeared fully ready to embrace with ardour the genuine truths of the New Church, and

yet the great love of truth which ever characterised her, led her to examine with care and caution the evidence upon which she received them. Her mind appeared so well balanced, if the expression may be allowed, as to be proof against any kind of surprise, wonderment, or undue enthusiasm, and she was seldom if ever betrayed into a careless or thoughtless expression upon any subject. Her much-bereaved husband, to whom I am indebted for many of these particulars, states that he has known her from her infancy, having been greatly interested in her even when a very little child, and has often been surprised with a life SO regularly blameless, when considered in connection with the great amount of hereditary evil in every human subject, Since the writer was acquainted with her, he has had occasional opportunities of conversing with her, and of closely observing her conduct, and sometimes under severe trials and bereavements, and he has always found her, on such occasions, under the government of the most rational conception of things, as far as he himself could judge, as well as under the influence of the most virtuous and correct feeling. She appeared to him greatly blessed with powers justly to discriminate in every exercise of them on important subject which engaged her attention; and yet she was both too wise and too humble to make any pretension to any knowledge or attainments she did not fully possess. She appeared to have a wonderful facility of cultivating good in every thing, finding out all that was good in every one, and of seeking the accomplishment of all the good she could effect, by all she undertook or counselled. The late epidemic, called the influenza, appeared to have been the instrumental means of her removal into the eternal world. Her case was somewhat extraordinary, as no idea of her immediate death, or her death at all on that occasion,

every

appeared to have been entertained by her medical attendant. He was with her but a few minutes before her death, and then held out every hope that she would again rally and recover. He and Mr. Dearden retired from the sick room while her sister raised her from, the bed, but were soon recalled to witness her unexpected departure, at that time, into the spiritual world. Thus unexpectedly to those about her, her meek and quiet spirit closed its intercourse with its frail tenement of earth, with the most placid composure of every muscle, and of every fibre of a muscle; and, in the fullest resignation of her spirit, I have no doubt, was ready to be conducted by the ministering angels to the mansion prepared for her in His Father's house by her blessed Saviour. The prosperity of the society of the New Church lately commenced at Ashton-under-Lyne, was an object she had frequent pleasure in anticipating. In their place of worship there, Mr. Bradley, of Ardwick Cemetery, delivered what is usually called a funeral sermon, on the 6th inst., from John xiv. 2: "In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you." J. B.

Feb. 17th, 1848.

On Saturday the 29th of January last, at Bath, in the 29th year of his age, after a lingering consumption, which had for nearly two years made death its evident termination, Mr. Samuel Buckingham, an eminent performer at the London, Salisbury, and the Bath and Bristol theatres. Mr. Buckingham, as an actor, was a man of remarkable talent. With the ready apprehension denominated genius, he caught the spirit of his author, and made his personations preeminent for those characteristics which gave to them identity-by which the actor was lost, and the character depicted the only object of attention. Our design, however, is not a critical memoir of Mr. Buckingham as an artiste dramatique, but to recognise him as a true Christian, acting a good part on the great theatre of the world, according to the judgment of a

well cultivated mind, and the impulses of a generous heart. Science may exist without virtue, and more frequently, perhaps, in a profession which more than others exposes to worldly temptations; but if ever any man's character was unstained by the love and practice of vice, such was his. Quiet, sober, intelligent, kind, and useful, he had no time for low and sensual pursuits, and could have found no delight therein. So estimable a man could not be otherwise than religious, but he had no doctrines presented to his mind that he could reasonably and confidently embrace, until he became acquainted with those of the New Church. His first attention to those heavenly doctrines which were his high and perfect consolation, was within the last three or four years, to which he was induced by the conversation of a lady of his acquaintance, who attended the church during a temporary stay in this city. For a period of twelve months he had become an attendant at the church, and a zealous reader of the Arcana Coelestia. With a mind free from prejudices, he was fully receptive of the truth the moment it was presented. He accordingly read with delight,-doubts and misgivings quickly vanished, as darkness before the morning's dawn, and thus his mind was enlarged, and his faith strengthened. A few days after devoutly receiving the sacrament, administered by the Rev. J. W. Barnes, he died, an enlightened member of the Lord's New Church, fully resigned to his heavenly Father's will. A more instructive patience under long-suffering, and a mind more cheered with the prospects of eternity, have rarely been exemplified, or continued more increasingly to the end. In the calm and hopeful prospect of death, he had many hours and days free from pain, which were full of cheerfulness and delight in the happiness of others. He thus gave to all who had the benefit of knowing him, and of seeing the true influence of religion which he so exemplarily shewed, the fullest assurance of his eternal peace in that world of progress to which his immortal spirit is translated.