"Heaven, what it is,' was the advertised subject of the sermon, and Mr. Thornton took as his text the very appropriate words of the Saviour, quoted by St. Luke, Neither shall they say, Lo here, or Lo there; for behold the kingdom of God is within you.' With such a text many divines would have dwelt upon heaven as a state or condition rather than a place; but the doctrines of the Swedenborgian Church are so clear in respect to the reality of the spirit world that Mr. Thornton did not take up this aspect of the words, though he taught distinctly that heaven is to be felt,' and that heaven is the outcome of our life.' But his discourse was mainly occupied with the theory that we shall possess in heaven joys corresponding to all the pure joys we experience here. We shall possess spiritual habitations, spiritual food, spiritual clothing, and a spiritual Word of God.' This contention he supported by many texts of Scripture, some of which appeared to me to be used in a strained and unnatural sense, as, for instance, he quoted the words of the Psalmist, They do His commands hearkening unto His Word,' as proving that angelic spirits have a Bible. "Mr. Thornton's address contained much that was very beautiful and very practical. 'To be an honest man,' he said, and not a hypocrite, is a step towards heaven.' He had been asked if his religious body had discovered a new religion; he replied that they had founded a new Church, but no new religion; that there was only one real religion in the world-that which consisted in loving 'the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thyself.' "Mr. Thornton retained the interest of the congregation to the last word. At the conclusion of the service Christians of all denominations were invited to join in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. This service was conducted with the greatest solemnity. The administration of the elements was prefaced by a brief address on the meaning of the ceremony and by suitable prayers. The doctrines of the New Church on the Sacrament may be gathered from the following extracts from their form of service: We are instructed that by the Lord's body or flesh is meant the Bread of Life-all the good which giveth spiritual life to man, which cometh down from heaven-being communicated from the Lord to all who come unto Him, who worship Him, and rely on His power to save.' "We are also taught that by the Lord's blood is meant the Blood of the New Covenant--the Divine Truth, which proceeds from Him, and conjoins His children to Himself.' The minister first partook of the elements himself, reverently kneeling as he did so, and then came round with the bread which he had broken and the wine which he had poured out, and administered them to the communicants, saying from time to time, 'Jesus said, This is My body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of Me;' and 'Jesus said, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.' This simple ceremony was followed by a hymn and a brief reading, and at the close the benediction was pronounced. All displayed the greatest reverence, and even those who are imbued with high sacramental notions would not have been offended by this simple but devout 'order of the Holy Supper.' There were thirty-three communicants at this service. In the afternoon of the same day the ordinance of Holy Baptism was administered to two adults and five children. This service was preceded by a special one for children and young people, the address being from 1 Kings iii. 7, 9. "O Lord my God, I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. Give, therefore, Thy servant an understanding heart, that I may discern between good and bad." The concluding lecture was given in the large hall on Tuesday evening, May 20th, the subject being "Hell," and the text Mark ix. 43-48, containing the words, "Where their worm dieth not, and thefire is not quenched." Hell was a dreadful reality, not less, but more dreadful, than generally supposed, and its punishments were inseparable from the life the wicked are now leading; nor could they be averted except by genuine repentance. The worst men have no conscience on earth, and devils have no conscience in hell. With them lusts and passions are raging where reason and conscience ought to be ruling and reigning. Remove the restraints of law and authority in this world and hell soon shows itself here. The condition of evil is eternally the cause of estrangement from God, and punishment is co-eternal with active evil, because evil punishes itself. The Lord said, "Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the last kodrantes." Swedenborg said that unless evil were removed by punishments such spirits could not but be kept in hell to eternity; for otherwise they would infest the societies of the good, and do violence to that order established by the Lord (4. C. 967). Replying to a question at the close of the lecture, I said I knew nothing to show that a devil could ever become an angel; but at least he might be eventually so subdued or controlled as to be rendered harmless to the good, and capable of performing some use. Swedenborg says (4. C. 2871), "It is impossible for any one to come into heaven who has formed his life according to self-love and the love of the world." man that would need explicit explanation. His attack was some evidence of an impression being made by the labours of the New Church friends. It was a cause of great regret to me that, when in Sydney, I could not prolong my absence from Melbourne and visit Brisbane. I had a great desire to do so. commodious place of worship of wood on high ground on one of the commanding sites of the city. The members are thoroughly earnest, and have an excellent leader in Mr. John Garsden, who, by the way, was formerly an Accrington man, though not then connected with the Church. The building stands on Wickham Terrace. The opening services were announced in the Brisbane Telegraph on the 4th of June; the subject of discourse in the evening being "The Foundation of the Church.' Queensland is likely to form a good field for the operations of the New Church, superior in some respects to those offered by the other colonies. This, however, is only an impression gathered from reports. At the present time the Sydney Society are unable to hold Divine service twice a day, owing to the room being engaged by the Unitarians in the morning. About the time of my visit considerable depression prevailed among some of the members The Society there have erected a neat and in consequence of Dr. Brereton's indisposition, and also through Mr. Slater's determination to remove his home to Brisbane and settle with the Society in that city, a decision in which he is influenced by a regard to the fitness of the climate for promoting his health. Mr. Slater was their secretary, and in this capacity he rendered great service. He also read for them in the absence of Dr. Brereton. Previous to my leaving temporary arrangements were made to supply these losses. Mr. Backhouse and Mr. Vernon consented to conduct the services alternately in the absence of Dr. Brereton, and Mr. Fred Biden, a grandson of Dr. Bateman, was willing to act as secretary. Two new members were proposed, and it was hoped that others would soon resolve to unite with the Society and help to sustain its important uses. There is urgent need that the whole Society turn their attention to providing a suitable place of worship, and this, I have no doubt, they will soon do. They have among them the elements of progress and of great usefulness in the future. If, in the Divine mercy, Dr. Brereton's health is restored, and he is able to resume his labours, their power for good will be much increased. Mr. Newman of Redfern, a suburb of Sydney, has long conducted New Church services in his cottage, and still continues them. He remained steadfast and faithful to the doctrines of the New Jerusalem through troublesome times, keeping alive the flame of its heavenly fire before the final settlement of the Society in Sydney. He has around him a small circle of interested and inquiring friends, to whom he is useful. Of Adelaide I have not heard recently; but the Society there never fails to send its annual report to Conference, so you will soon hear of them on better authority. I hope that within two years from now we shall be able to send Conference a general report of the Australasian Societies. It is often a source of regret to me that Mr. Day is so far off. To change with him would, I think, be a pleasure and benefit to all concerned. There is a dreadful sense of loneliness here-the isolation is so great. If there were not a spiritual faith to uphold us, and the consciousness of our blessed Lord's presence, I think we could never stand up and pursue our work. You, dear sir, seem to be in the very centre, while we are quite on the circumference. I should much like to have given some account of my visit to the Blue Mountains; of the zigzag railway that is carried along their precipitous face; of the The last week of my visit to Sydney a wild scenery extending for twenty miles Presbyterian minister advertised a dis- among their peaks and spurs; of the vast course on "Swedenborgianism," which resources in coal, iron, copper, fireclay, attracted some attention. He seemed to limestone, and water that appear on their have been stirred up in mind somewhat, western side; and of the various places but was very little acquainted with the which I saw a little of in a homeward subject he undertook to handle, as may be journey of 600 miles over land by rail and judged from two statements he made, to coach. But these are not fit subjects for the effect that Swedenborgians assert a Magazine devoted especially to Church that there are three persons in the Godhead"!!! and "practically deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ"!!! If these objections against the New Church are not well and sufficiently answered by our practice, I know not how they could be! But there were other difficulties raised by this gentle purposes even in the Miscellaneous depart- MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, July 27th, when he preached two very able and appropriate discourses, that in the morning from the words "In the beginning," selected from the opening verses of Genesis and St. John's Gospel. "In the beginning was the Word," was interpreted as referring to Jehovah's ever-present purpose and endeavour to reveal Himself. Accordingly man was made, and his constitution, like that of the terrestrial world, consisted of heavens and earth. While his natural mind is the earth which is quickened by the Lord, the Sun of Righteousness, the Lord Himself has His abode in the heavens of man's interior, the high and holy place from which He shines. The opening verse of Genesis and that of John were the complement of each other, and the great first principles there recorded were those which should underlie all pastoral work, whether in the world at large or in the individual mind. If there were not from God an ever-present revelation of Himself, and in man the divinely given and divinely quickened power to perceive and love that revelation, preaching would be in vain, and faith and charity impossible. LONDON (Camberwell).-On the evening of Friday, July 25th, a meeting of members, seatholders, and friends of this Society was held in the schoolroom in order to welcome the Rev. W. C. Barlow, M. A., the newly-appointed minister, and to assure him of the hearty respect and affection already felt for him by his future congregation. The chair was taken by the senior deacon, Mr. I. J. Alvey, who, on behalf of the Society, bade him Godspeed in his future sphere of labour. Mr. Barlow cordially responded, expressing his fervent hope that the union between himself and the Camberwell Society, on this evening consummated, might be productive of truly useful results to the growth of the New Church not only externally in the neighbourhood, but internally in the minds of the members. The secretary of the Society and Messrs. J. Williams and Denney then addressed the meeting, after which the proceedings were temporarily suspended in order that those present might partake of refreshments. On the resumption of the special business of the gathering Mr. Alvey vacated the chair in favour of the Rev. W. C. Barlow, who upon taking that position received equally In the evening's discourse, which was hearty applause to that which greeted his founded upon the text Genesis i. 27, "Let first addressing the meeting. Other us make man," it was shown that all speakers, whose remarks were uniformly things in God, all things in heaven, all directed to congratulating the Society things in the universe, all intelligence, all upon its acquisition of Mr. Barlow's duty, all love, converge to this one point services, and stimulating their hearers that man should be made. Every pulsato unremitting exertions on the Society's tion of the Divine life flowing from God behalf, then addressed the meeting, in- towards His creatures and every operation cluding the treasurer, chairman of Com- of Divine Omnipotence has no other end mittee, and Messrs. J. Orme, J. F. Howe, in view. Children were born and trained Camp Penn, and Appleyard. The meeting, for that purpose, and man permitted to which was throughout of a very enjoy- suffer hardship and endure toil for the same able character, was closed by the bene- reason. An impressive exhortation to codiction pronounced by the chairman. operate with the Divine and spiritual forces active on our behalf closed a deeply interesting address. The new responsibilities incurred by the Society in having, for the first time, a minister wholly devoted to its service have necessitated a large increase in the Society's income. This object was sought to be attained, in some degree, by the establishment of an offertory after each Sunday service. This, commenced in May last, was, until the actual arrival of the new minister, arranged to be devoted to the liquidation of the debt upon the Society's building. By a happy coincidence this object was accomplished on the Sunday prior to Mr. Barlow's coming, so that the Society commenced its new engagement unshackled by any outstanding liabilities. Moreover, by the zealous liberality of its members the treasurer was able to report that he was in possession of the sum of £55 towards future financial needs. The Rev. W. C. Barlow commenced his pastoral work at Camberwell on Sunday, HEYWOOD (from the Heywood Advertiser of August 1).-Hornby Street Day Schools.-A pleasant ceremony took place in these schools on Tuesday afternoon, when the teachers and upper scholars of the boys' school presented an elegant inkstand, with suitable inscription, to Mr. J. Taylor, the lately retired second master. Mr. Wild, in opening the proceedings, alluded to the esteem in which Mr. Taylor was held, and to the cheerfulness with which the boys had contributed to the testimonial. He called on the Rev. R. Storry to present the testimonial. Before doing this Mr. Storry briefly addressed the scholars. There was, he said, one virtue which all young persons should learn to practise, and that was gratitude to the friends who had helped them; and among those friends none had rendered them a greater service than their instructors and teachers. Turning to Mr. Taylor he congratulated him on entering more fully on one of the most important and useful offices in life. The duty of the teacher was to develop the intellectual nature of the scholar. In the effort to do this the memory, which was most active in childhood and youth, must be stored with knowledge. But instruction must not be confined to the memory; the pupil must be taught to observe, to think, to develop reason, and to form judgment. Nor will a wise teacher confine his attention to merely intellectual training. He will also give thoughtful attention to moral culture. The unhappy divisions and controversies in the world on the subject of religion rendered it difficult, if not impossible, to introduce direct religious teaching into our day schools; but the only solid foundation for moral principle was the Divine law, "Do unto others as ye would they should do unto you." In seeking to promote the moral culture of the children, besides the direct teaching of books and oral instruction, numberless incidents in the schoolroom and the playground afforded opportunities of teaching the lessons of mutual kindness, of forgivingness of temper, and of many of the highest virtues. Don't, therefore," said the speaker, "neglect moral culture, and don't be afraid of connecting it with the great elemental principles of religion; for depend upon it, when your work is done, those will hold you in highest esteem whose characters you have formed to virtue as well as made intelligent and wise.' Mr. Taylor, in a few well-chosen words, expressed his thanks for the present, which he had not expected. He had spent his time happily with his scholars, was thankful for the friendships he had formed in Heywood, and should always feel interested in the progress and prosperity of the school. At the close of the presentation the scholars, numbering nearly 700, marched in order to a field, where they spent the rest of the day in games and pastimes, refreshments being provided by the teachers. MELBOURNE (Derbyshire).-The bazaar, which has been announced in this Magazine, was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 29th and 30th, in the upper room of the Athenæum. The room was tastefully decorated with the articles for sale, banners, drapery, and evergreens. Strawberries, gooseberries, and fruits of various kinds were supplied by the friends. There was also a splendid collection of plants kindly lent by J. Briggs of Bleak House, and cut flowers were given in abundance. The opening of the bazaar was commenced by singing a hymn, and the Rev. J. Ashby of Derby offered up a prayer, after which Mr. C. Fairweather, the minister of the Society, addressed the friends, and declared the bazaar opened. The sales readily commenced, and there was manifested a spirit of goodwill and generous feeling throughout the whole of the proceedings. The bazaar realized over £120. There was some excellent music, both vocal and instrumental, at intervals. Bate's Fund.-This very useful and charitable fund is steadily increasing. The amount raised up to the present time is £152, 9s. 6d. The Committee feel encouraged to continue their efforts. The necessities of the case, and the kindly disposition the Church manifests to help this fund, emboldens them to continue the appeal. ITALY.-In our last number we inserted extended extracts from the report of the Italian Mission. The following letter to Professor Scocia, which evinces the earnest zeal and continued helpfulness of the Rev. Mr. Clissold in publishing the Writings of our great Author, was unavoidably omitted: "My dear Sir, I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your Report of Missionary Work for 1878, and to say that for some weeks previous to receiving it I had resolved to set aside a certain sum of money for the express purpose of assisting you in your translation into Italian of such writings of Swedenborg as you consider to be most conducive to the promotion of the great cause which you have been designed by the Lord to make known in Italy. As a missionary effort it seems to me just at present to take the lead of all others in respect of importance, even though it should prove to be an effort only. The sum I propose to devote to your assistance in publishing Italian translations of Swedenborg's Writings is £500, which will be placed in the hands of two or three trustees, of which the Rev. Mr. Gorman will be one; and I think you will have no difficulty in receiving remittances whenever they may be needed to pay the expenses of translation and publication. Mr. Gorman will very soon write to you further upon the subject. With my devout prayers for the welfare of yourself and Mrs. Scocia, believe me, faithfully yours, AUGUSTUS CLISSOLD. "THE PARK, STOKE NEWINGTON, LONDON, 11th June 1878." The Rev. Mr. Gorman shortly afterwards wrote to Professor Scocia, sending him £50 towards the commencement of his work; and it has been arranged between the Rev. Mr. Gorman and Professor Scocia that the £500 would be " At Derby, early on Tuesday morning, July 22nd, Mrs. Roe was removed to her heavenly home in the sixty-third year of her age. Born of New Church parents, she had all her life been connected with the Society of the New Church in Derby, and from her youthful days had been a devout worshipper, an earnest worker, and a liberal contributor to its funds. She was well known, not only in that Society, but throughout the whole Church. She had for many years devoted much time to literary pursuits, and was, as is well known to our readers, the author of several successful books. Perhaps her chief work was "Sketches of English History," which was received with high and deserved commendation by the press generally. Another work, equally successful, although less ambitious, was "Uncrowned Queens," in which Mrs. Roe gave vivid word-pictures of several women, who, although crownless, might justly be classed amongst "queens. This work recently received the honour of translation into French by a very able French lady. The education of girls was also a subject in which Mrs. Roe took a deep interest, and upon which she expressed her views in an ably-written pamphlet. The deceased lady rendered good service to many institutions connected with the religious bodies in Derby and in the neighbourhood by lectures which she delivered at various times, and which were always highly appreciated. She was one of the most popular ladies in the town, and her decease called forth expressions of heartfelt regret from the members of the local press, and it was observed that "the feelings of profound sorrow which filled the hearts of those who knew the deceased most intimately were attested in every possible way by all ranks of society in whose welfare she had when living used the influence of her talents and devoted the best portion of her time. This was especially observable on the day of interment at the cemetery, where, before the hour fixed for the arrival of the funeral procession, there assembled a large number of women, and who came up with rich floral wreaths, with which the coffin was strewed after being lowered into the grave, as symbols of their sorrow at the loss of one for whom they had so much reason to mourn, for to her it was a labour of love and a recognised duty to cheer the pathway of her sisters who needed her sympathy and solicitude." On Sunday morning, July 27th, the Rev. J. Ashby delivered a commemorative discourse to an influential and overflowing congregation, seats being placed all round the communion and down the aisles of the church. The sermon was quoted at length in all the newspapers published in the town. We select the following paragraph: "The rev. gentleman took for his text the appropriate words, 'She hath done what she could. After referring to the scriptural narrative connected with the text, Mr. Ashby proceeded to point out that it had been Mrs. Roe's effort throughout the course of her life to do what she could to exalt the moral, social, and spiritual condition, not only of her own sex, but of the race; and it was not merely the acts she performed which won the hearts and endeared her to those with whom she was brought into contact, but the tender, and sympathetic, and considerate way in which they were done. The deceased lady was always to be depended upon when requested to join in any enterprize calculated to be of service, no matter what might be the creed or the social standing of those who required her aid. She was a lady of great culture, of considerable literary talent, and of an amiable and affectionate disposition. When in company she was always charming and entertaining. Pride found no lodgment in her heart, and, though dignified, she was always approachable, even to the poor. One great object of her life had been to advance the interests of the Church in which she was brought up. Quietly and unostentatiously she stood by its banner, giving largely and liberally to the funds of the Society and all institutions connected with the Church. But while she had the greatest faith in the principles of the New Jerusalem Church as being scriptural and rational, those principles were never obtruded by her upon others. In this respect she was most liberal-minded. There had not been wanting people who had considered it strange that a woman of her capabilities could continue in connection with the New Church, and lend her influence to the propagation of its principles. Such were not aware that her position in the world of literature was achieved through the inspiration of the Church itself. All her works and lectures were given in the first instance in aid of the Church and its institutions. With reference to a most interesting and instructive series of papers, called 'Sketches of Palestine,' which crowded with important facts, and which had appeared in the Juvenile Magazine, Mr. Ashby had no hesitation in were |