As

themselves into a society (in accordance with the plan recommended by Conference), on the 20th October, 1846, during the visit of the Rev. T. Chalklen (from the London Missionary and Tract Society), who presided on the occasion. Rules were formed according to the suggestions of the Conference minutes. soon as the society was duly organised, the formation of a library of New Church works was commenced; application was made to the London Printing Society for assistance, which was liberally afforded; they presented the Exeter Society with five volumes of Swedenborg's larger works and seven of the smaller. Contributions of books were also made by Messrs. Kingdon, Clapp, and Trobridge.

surer.

On the 5th January, 1848, a special fund was established for the purpose of increasing the library, of which Mr. F. Clapp was appointed collector and treaDonations were received from the members of the society, J. James, Esq., Ilfracombe, and other non-resident friends. Mr. Joseph Berry, of Bideford, gave the society 2 vols. of the Intellectual Repository, and 1 vol. of Tracts.

In April, 1848, the Rev. T. Goyder visited Exeter, under the direction of the West of England Branch Missionary Society, and delivered several public lectures, and administered the Sacrament of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. He was also the medium of conveying a contribution to the library from Mr. Bucknell, of Stroud. The proceeds of a collection among members and friends was handed to Mr. Goyder for the Branch Missionary Society, amounting to three pounds fifteen shillings and sixpence. The library contains upwards of eighty volumes, and is accessible to subscribers at one shilling per quarter.

GEORGE TROBRIDGE, Secretary. N. B. Contributions to the library fund, or gifts of books, will be received by the secretary, 7, Jeffrey's-row, St. Sidwells, Exeter.

LECTURES AT MALTON (YORKSHIRE) BY

THE REV. R. STORRY.

The New Church friends in Malton (Yorkshire) have been highly entertained, and we trust greatly benefitted, during the past week, by the delivery of four lectures by the Rev. R. Storry, of Dalton, near Huddersfield.

The first lecture was delivered on Monday evening, November 6th, in the large

room of the Corn Exchange, the subject being "The Deity of the Saviour, and the Scriptural Doctrine of the Holy Trinity as centering in his Glorified Person." A more able and thoroughly complete and satisfactory lecture could scarcely be conceived, and it was particularly gratifying to observe the strict attention paid to the talented and popular lecturer while elucidating this most important subject.-On Tuesday evening, Nov. 7th, Mr. Storry's lecture was on the "Redemption, Atonement, and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ," which also yielded general satisfaction.— On Thursday evening, Nov. 9th, the third lecture was delivered to a much larger and more respectable auditory, "On the Bible or Word of God, showing it to contain a Spiritual Sense distinct from its Literal meaning, and presenting the Law of its Interpretation." This important and deeply interesting subject was treated in a very clear and satisfactory manner; and from the marked attention and evident delight manifested, at the close of the lecture more especially, when the rev. gentleman treated of the correspondences of the Word, it was evident that the truths of the New Church were being affectionately received. The audience generally appeared highly entertained with the views of the New Church on this truly sublime and heavenly subject.

The fourth (and final) lecture was delivered on Friday evening, November 10th, the subject being "Charity the first Essential of genuine Christianity." The attention again was most marked, and at the close of the lecture several parties remained to express their thanks personally to the lecturer for the pleasure and delight he had afforded them by the delivery of these interesting lectures. It is to be hoped that much good will result from their delivery. The attendance on each evening averaged about 120.

On Wednesday evening, November 8th, the friends of the New Church held (in the same room) their second "Quarterly Coffee Meeting and Soirée Musicale," when about 160 of our friends sat down to partake of the coffee and refreshment provided by Mrs. Sunman, at whose house the New Church Society has held its meetings for divine worship during the last six months. At a quarter to seven o'clock (the tables having been removed, and a few additional friends admitted to hear the addresses and musical entertain

ment) Joseph Senior, Esq., of Dalton Lodge, near Huddersfield, was voted to

the chair. Between each section of the musical programme addresses were delivered by the worthy chairman, the Rev. Mr. Storry, and Mr. Joseph Pitman, to whose active and untiring exertions we are indebted for the founding and forming of this section of the Lord's New Church in Malton.

Both the addresses and music were listened to with considerable pleasure, and, from the repeated plaudits which continually resounded from all parts of the room, it was pretty evident the delight shared by our friends was general. The precision with which the various pieces of music were executed, together with the purity of the tones, and the general beauty of the compositions, attracted universal admiration.

LECTURE BY MR. PRESCOTT, AT SALIS

BURY.

(From a Salisbury Newspaper.)

"On Monday evening last, the Rev. T. O. Prescott, of Cincinatti, Ohio, America, delivered a lecture at the New Jerusalem Church Lecture Room, Castle-street, Salisbury, on the Life, Character, and Writings of Swedenborg. The room was well filled, and the audience very attentive to the statements of the lecturer, who took as a motto or text for his lecture, Rev. chap. xxi. ver. 5:-"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new, and he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful."—He then commented on the fact that the New Church did not regard itself as being merely a sect-but as being a new and distinct church altogetherthat by the word church is not merely meant an external institution, but a dispensation of truth-and that the essence of the church was truth and love conjoined. In defence of Swedenborg's revelations concerning the spiritual world and the life after death, reference was made to the conversion of St. Paul, and the Revelation of St. John, and it was contended that the object of the Swedish scribe's mission was of sufficient dignity and importance to the human race to warrant such a divine manifestation. It was altogether a novel lecture, but delivered with considerable ability and good feeling."

SWEDENBORG'S MOTTO.

The motto "Dominus Providebit," alluded to by a correspondent in the October number of this Magazine, is one of several

legends contained in Swedenborg's "Opera Philosophica." Its first appearance is in the vignette to the title page of the first volume, where it appears as an inscription on an altar to Mercury and Pallas. As it is not inscribed under the family arms which appear in connexion with the author's portrait on the opposite page, it may be concluded that Swedenborg only adopted it on account of the piety and hope which it so tersely expresses.

Other legends occur in the same work; under a phoenix, rising in the sunbeams, forexample, "Probetur origo per ceneres;" and, in connexion with the dedication of the third volume, "Dat Deo quas meruit, Pallas regina coronas." The "Dominus Providebit," however, is frequently reproduced in the course of the work, as if it represented a favourite or cherished thought.

"A Christian gentleman of France (Count Agenor de Gasparin) has recently called to recollection an ancient Swiss coin, representing a man leaning on a long twohanded sword, with the deviceDeus Providebit.' 6 Admirable emblem,' adds this pious nobleman, man is armed for the combat, and God will provide!' To throw away the sword and wait for God alone, is to neglect one of the conditions of victory. To forget God, and reckon upon one's own sword alone, is to neglect the other condition of success. Let us obliterate neither the armed man nor the device. Let us grasp the sword of the spirit and fight our best; and let us implore that blessing without which all human efforts are vain. GOD WILL PROVIDE. Say among the nations, the Lord reigneth, the Lord reigneth, let the people tremble; the Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice.' E. R.

* Merle D'Aubigne: Germany, England, and Scotland.

ANSWER TO QUERIES AT PAGE 399. "What does Paul mean by being baptized for the dead?"-(1 Cor. xv. 29.)

There is, we think, no passage in the New Testament on the meaning of which commentators have been more perplexed than on this. Conjectures concerning it have been very numerous, and after all nothing is decided. The phrase νжEр τWV νεκρων may be translated either over the dead," "for, or in the place of the dead," or, on account of, or for the sake of the dead." The meaning, therefore, appears

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to us to be either-1. That certain individuals were baptized on account of the death of those Christians who had met that event with such resignation and serenity as to move those who were still hesitating whether they should become Christians, to submit to baptism, and thus to join the Church at Corinth; or, 2. Some of those who were baptized at Corinth, and had been baptized over the tombs of the martyrs, as a declaration that they were willing to suffer martyrdom for their faith. In this case it might be said, that they were baptized "over the dead," which is the exact literal rendering of the text. Some have thought the meaning to be, that they were baptized for the sake of the death (of Jesus Christ), but the term being in the plural, and there being no various reading on the text, it is impossible to put this construction upon it. The apostle also uses the term baptized in its spiritual sense of regeneration, and the consequent temptations by which regeneration is effected, (See Rom. vi. 3-11.) where the apostle draws a parallelism between the Lord's glorification and man's regeneration, which is also the true doctrine of the Atonement. It does not, however, appear, we think, that the apostle employs the phrase "the dead" here in the figurative sense. But the interpretation of this passage recommended by Dr. Doddridge and others is in this country generally admitted, namely "Who are baptized in the room of the dead," referring to the case of those who presented themselves for baptism immediately after the martyrdom of their brethren, as if fresh soldiers should enlist and press forward to the assault, to supply the place of those who had fallen.

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2. As to the apostle's fighting with beasts at Ephesus," it is the general opinion of commentators that it is to be considered as a strong figurative expression, to denote the contentions and the persecutions he experienced at Ephesus, and not that he literally fought at the amphitheatre in that city with wild beasts, otherwise among the perils through which he passed (see 2 Cor. xi. 26), he would doubtless have mentioned his fighting with beasts.

3. In the last verse of Jude's Epistle some manuscripts add, through "Jesus Christ our Lord." But suppose this clause be canonical, or that it really belongs to the text, the inference that Jesus Christ is the "only wise God our Saviour," would not be invalidated

thereby, since the only wise God is there called OUR SAVIOUR, and it is admitted on all hands, that Jesus Christ is our only Saviour.

4. As to the Seven Churches in Asia, see Eusebius, or Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. The literal existence of these churches, as such, was never, we believe, doubted.

5. For the explanation of Zechariah xiii. 7, see A. C. 7668. It has no reference whatever either to the Tripersonality, or to the Atonement.

6. The inquirer now asks:-Was the condition of the people of this globe, before the formation of the Adamic Church, a state of evil, either positive or negative, or of ignorance?

We reply, that no state of evil, either positive or negative, could be predicated of mankind prior to the fall. But in a relative sense evil, or rather imperfection, might, we apprehend, be predicated, since the natural degree relatively to the spiritual degree is imperfect. Before the Præadamites were formed into a Church, as represented by Adam, they were men in a simple state of nature, or in whom the natural degree only was opened, with a capacity to have the spiritual degree opened on their arrival in the spiritual world; there being nothing in the natural degree to oppose the opening of the spiritual degree when divine means, as operative in the spiritual world, were brought to bear upon their states. Thus the Præadamites, prior to their being formed into a spiritual and celestial church, by the opening of the spiritual and celestial degrees of heavenly life, as described in the first two chapters of Genesis, formed, as it were, a natural church, or the Church in its lowest plane, upon which, and in which, a spiritual and celestial church could be developed and established. Thus prior to the fall there was in the natural degree no hostile opposition to the spiritual degree; but after the fall there was an hostile opposition, which, if not subdued and removed upon earth through the divine powers mercifully provided in the Church, could not be removed after death. The Church must first be formed in heaven before it can be formed upon earth, for it is an eternal truth, that the Church always "descends from God out of heaven." (Rev. xxi.) The Præadamites were, therefore, formed into a church in the spiritual world, which church, when it had arrived at a certain degree of ful