with joy and gladness, and are thus prepared to become angels of heaven. That Mr. Barrett lays great stress upon the Necessity of Truth as well as Goodness in the formation of the Church, is evident from the following passage, which, on account of its clearness and beauty, we quote entire : The Value of Spiritual Truth. "Let no one imagine, from what has been said in the foregoing chapters, that the New Church considers it of no consequence what a man believes, or that she places a low estimate upon spiritual truth. It is quite otherwise. She could not do so without forfeiting her claim to be considered a true church. She could not lightly esteem the truth, without, at the same time, lightly esteeming Him from whom all truth comes. She could not speak disparagingly of it, without speaking disparagingly of Him who is the Truth itself. The Lord is declared in the Scripture to be 'THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE.' Whatever estimate, therefore, any people or church place upon the truth, must be the exact measure of their estimate of the Lord. If they do not love the truth, they do not love the Lord. If they are indifferent about the truth, they are indifferent about the Lord. If they have no anxiety to know the truth, they have no anxiety to know the Lord. If they are unwilling to follow the truth, they are unwilling to follow the Lord. And if in their hearts they despise the truth, then in their hearts they despise the Lord. Such a people can have no genuine love of goodness; for the design and end of all truth, is, to lead to goodness. Hence it is written, that 'all men should honour the Son (the Divine Wisdom or Truth) even as they honour the Father (the Divine Love or Goodness). He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that hath sent Him; that is, honoureth not the Divine Goodness whence all truth emanates, as light comes forth from heat, or thought from affection. "But there are various orders and degrees of truth, some higher and some lower, adapted to the various wants and conditions of men, and the various states of the human mind. The same truth is not the same to a number of individuals who are in different mental states, and who must, therefore, contemplate it, each from a different spiritual stand-point; just as the same landscape is not the same to a number of beholders occupying different positions. There are higher and lower views that may be taken of every truth; and that not only may be, but that must be, and actually are, taken by minds in different states. A carnal mind can apprehend truth only in its lowest or sensuous form; but a rational mind apprehends it rationally; and a spiritual mind spiritually-each according to his own state. Take any truth of the Word, and how different would be the view or understanding of it by one of the highest angels, and that by a sensual-minded man! Each would understand it according to his state; and the understanding of it would therefore differ as their states differ. And herein lies the perfection of the divine Word. It is wonderfully adapted to all possible mental states, containing instruction for minds deeply immersed in the things of time and sense, and for those dwelling nearest the throne of the Eternal. Thus the simple may understand it in simplicity, and the wise in wisdom; and each derive from it the good which his state requires. But pure and absolute truth, such as it is in the Divine Being, not even the highest angels are capable of receiving. Truth must be veiled, as it were, in order that it may be accommodated to the states of recipient subjects; and often the moral vision is so weak and impaired, that only a very dense cloud will serve for an accommodating medium. 'I have yet many things to say unto you,' said our Saviour to His disciples, but ye cannot bear them now;' thus plainly teaching that the Lord, in imparting truth to men, has reference to the state of their moral vision, or to their preparation for receiving it; and that there are certain truths, which some meu are not able to bear, and which it would, therefore, be useless to attempt to teach them. "But is spiritual truth, then, of no value? Of none whatever to some persons. It is of no value to those who are not in states to understand or live according to it; of no value to those who think nothing about spiritual life-who care not to know or to do the will of the Lord. A person, for example, who has not yet learned to keep the commandment, 'Thou shalt not steal,' in its natural sense, could not keep it in its spiritual sense; therefore the spiritual truth involved in this commandment would be of no use to him, and could not be received. And so with all the other commandments and precepts in the Word. Until men have learned to regard and shun as a sin the evils that are condemned in the literal sense, they are not prepared to obey the higher truth of the spiritual sense, and therefore this truth could be of no use to them at present. How can those who do not regard and shun moral evil, or the outward commission of vice and crime, as a sin, be expected to hold in abhorrence spiritual evil, or the affections, dispositions, and feelings in which all vicious practices have their origin? And of what use to such would spiritual truth be, whose purpose it is to reveal spiritual evil, and the way in which it is to be overcome? "But to all who have learned to keep the commandments in their literal sense, from a principle of religion-who are sincerely desirous of knowing and resolutely bent on doing the Lord's will-who have, therefore, begun to follow Him in the regeneration, spiritual truth is of immense value. It discloses the nature, depths, and workings of spiritual evil in the heart of man, and the manner in which it may be uprooted or overcome; the nature of the most intimate spiritual conjunction with the Lord, and the way in which it may be realized; the nature of spiritual good, and how this good may be attained. Thus it exhibits to us the spiritual nature of man, and reveals the various states, both good and evil, of the human spirit, and the manner of passing from one to the other. The higher and purer the truth which we receive, the farther can we penetrate into the depths of evil within us; and the higher and purer will be the state of life and consequent happiness to which we shall attain, provided we live according to the truth we receive. All love has its delight; and the higher and purer the love, the higher and purer will be the delight felt in its exercise. And the highest and purest truth, if applied to life, is the means of acquiring the highest and purest love. If only a low order of truth be received and lived, the individual may be saved, but saved in a low degree-admitted into a low heaven; because only a corresponding low degree of human life will have been developed. But if a high order of truth be received and lived, then a corresponding high state of human life and enjoyment will be attained. And the more truths we learn, provided always we strive to live according to them, the more does our faith become strengthened and perfected, the more is our spiritual state exalted, the richer do we become in all heavenly graces, and the more securely shall we stand against the assaults of evil from hell. Upon this Rock (the great truth which involves all other spiritual truths) I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,' saith the Lord. "There is, moreover, an unspeakable satisfaction to every mind in attaining distinct and elevated views of religious truth. Swedenborg says that a bed corresponds to doctrine. And who that has ever reposed mentally, or tried to repose, upon false doctrine, and subsequently upon that which is true, or that which is evolved when the spiritual sense of the Word is opened, does not know that the difference between the two is as great as the difference between a bed of thorns and a bed of down? The mind enjoys no tranquil or refreshing rest in the one, but finds a peaceful and sweet repose in the other. We can rest only in the truth-only in spiritual truth; and not securely in this, until, through religious obedience to its requirements, we find that peace-giving love which dwells within it as its life and soul. Then we rest in the Lord, and enjoy that spiritual peace which He alone can give. "While, therefore, a true church embraces within its pale, and recognizes as brethren, all the simple good among those in Christian lands who are in false doctrines, and even among the Gentiles, it utters not a word in disparagement of spiritual truth, or of true doctrine. The truth is not undervalued, nor its intrinsic beauty and excellence blurred in the slightest degree. And is there any different view of this subject which presents the character of the Divine Being in a light so adorable, or which has not a tendency to lessen, in some measure, our confidence in His wisdom, love, and mercy?" We are confident that our readers will receive much instruction, much expansion, and much edification of mind in reading this volume, and the numerous beautiful extracts which it contains. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. INTELLIGENCE FROM INDIA.-CALCUTTA. are considerable numbers in and about Calcutta, besides not a few scattered among the provincial cities, towns, and large villages throughout India. The good colleges, schools, the efforts of private bodies, together with the inquiring character of the natives, have done this; but still, if viewed collectively, this portion of the native mind does not appear to be exactly what the education intended. The dry dogmatic mysteries of the Christianity of the west does not appear to satisfy it. The mass is still in expectation, and waiting for it knows not what. A few individuals have adopted the names and forms of western sectarianism; a larger number are deists and freethinkers, but Hindoos and Mahome 38 dans a still larger number, who are very well educated and intelligent, but who can only be communicated with in the vernacular, are much more free in their inquiries, and less bigoted than the majority of sectarians in Europe. The mass of the people, the uneducated and uninquiring, are very likely to be moved in the direction in which the superior classes may give the impulse. Here, then, is plenty of material for the New Church, ready to be built up into a fabric of greater or less architectural proportion, and no doubt the Master Builder, according to His own plans, has His agents for the present appointed, whether they are aware of the fact or not. But to all appearance, a talented New Church lecturer, who could invite and meet discussion, would find an ample and completely new sphere of usefulness in and about Calcutta. But if this cannot at present be, it would certainly be an effort in the right direction if the Society for printing and publishing the works of Swedenborg made a present of as many of the books as possible to the Calcutta Public Library, for which Messrs. W. Thacker and Co. are the London agents, and who will take charge of any books presented to it. There are already in the library several of the works of Swedenborg, but many more are wanted. Some of the smaller works might also be sent for distribution in the Tractshops, such as "Doctrine of the Lord," "Sacred Scripture," "Of Truth," "Of Life," "The Heavenly Doctrine," "Intercession," &c. I take the liberty of addressing this, with the enclosed, to you, as I know of no more direct way of communicating with the Printing and Publishing Society. As it will be desirable to know the success or otherwise of this application to the Society, perhaps you will have the goodness to drop a note to Baboo Nund Lall Mitter, or to me, at Arrah Shahabad, India, or you might notice it in the Editor's page of the "Intellectual Repository," which I receive regularly, and give to him. The Tracts for distribution may be I am, yours most respectfully, JAS. MYLNE. The following is a copy of the native's "Jas. Mylne, Esq. "Dear Sir,-As the question how the doctrines of the New Church could be promulgated in this country has taken a hold on my mind since our first conference on the subject, among other plans, some of which I have communicated to you, it spontaneously occurred to me yesterday to inquire if any of Swedenborg's works were in the Calcutta Public Library," and being in possession of copies of catalogues of the institution, I immediately went over the heads Divinity' and Mental Philosophy,' but could not find any of Swedenborg's works. I am therefore inclined to think that as there is no missionary of the New Church working in India (at least I am not aware of any), it would be the second best plan-(the best plan according to my view would be to open a lecture-room in the metropolis, where a numerous audience of well-educated and thinking native young men could be assembled, if the lecturer happens to be a man of metaphysical turn of mind, joined with the gift of eloquence, besides the force of Truth on his side; I have seen, more or less, 200 young men assembled on the occasion when a series of lectures were delivered to the educated natives by the resident missionaries in Calcutta) -to present some of Swedenborg's books to the Calcutta Public Library, which are not unlikely to come within reach of the native members and subscribers, whose number is daily on the increase; consequently some at least will receive the doctrines, and they who so receive These books will, will naturally inculcate them among their countrymen. under Divine Providence, work as silent Were it missionaries of the New Church, in absence of the speaking ones. now in my power to buy Swedenborg's works for presentation to the Calcutta All the Public Library, I would have done so with the greatest pleasure. books that I have read were lent to me by you. I am anxious to buy some of his works for my own use, which I have not been able to do for want of means; and as I think it would be expensive for you to purchase Swedenborg's works and present them to the library, I therefore beg to suggest, that an application to some one New Church society in England, for presenting Swedenborg's works to the Calcutta Public Library, if made by you, will meet with a favourable response; and if you approve the pro. priety of such a course, you can give the direction of the secretary and librarian to the society; requesting to send the books direct to the Library in Cal-, cutta. The Library receives books and papers from the learned societies of Great Britain, such as the Royal Astronomical Society of London, the Royal Irish Academy, the Royal Asiatic Society, the Cambridge Philosophical Society, the Geological Society of London, &c. &c.; and the character of the Calcutta Public Library can be ascertained from its annual reports, which very likely can be obtained from some of the societies named above, if necessary. The circulation of books from the library in 1851 was as follows:General Literature.... 12,474 vols. Prose Works of Imagination 29,387 Periodicals 1,096 Number of subscribers, both European and native (Native 53), is 376; visitors, 5,823; of these 1-4th may be native. This I say from personal observation. Besides the plans suggested above, there is another, i.e., presenting entire as well as chapters of books published, in the way of tracts, to the metropolitan as well as provincial colleges, and to some schools; this can be done by an agent, with discretion, according as the demand may be; and if the society approve of this measure, I am willing to become their agent gratuitously. -- 66 66 "Before concluding, I would request you to impress on the society that you may communicate with, the necessity of sending books and tracts in place of their missionaries. I for one did not even hear the name of Swedenborg mentioned by any one in the metropolis, though I was brought up and embraced Christianity in it, by self-inquiry, at the age of twenty-five, and it is now nine years since my conversion. I did not know anything of the New Church until it pleased God to bring me in contact with you, which took place in April last, since then I am studying New Church theology (bestowing the greater portion of my leisure time to it), and as means and circumstances will admit, I shall study both for my own edification and to diffuse its doctrines among my fellow countrymen; and, in the absence of books and tracts, I shall do what I am now doing-i.e., communicate the doctrines by means of opening correspondence with those who are at a distance, and personally with those who are near. I may as well add that natives will not buy any religious books until they have embraced its doctrines; and I believe it is natural too that we pay for that whose value we know; and to get people to a certain knowledge of the New Church doctrines, it would be necessary to distribute books and tracts among them, joined with personal conference where circumstances will admit of so doing. And now, dear Sir, believe me, that my earnest prayer to God is, that you and such others as you are, may, under the Divine Providence, prove useful in diffusing the New Church doctrines in this extensive heathen country. I remain, dear Sir, yours very sincerely, "NUND LALL MITTER." LETTER FROM DR. BAYLEY TO THE BRETHREN OF THE CHURCH IN ARGYLE SQUARE, LONDON. 11, Halbe Gasse, Dresden, Sept. 11th, 1855. My Beloved Brethren,-Having promised that I would endeavour to add a little interest to your quarterly meetings, and finding that your first since I left England is at hand, I take the opportunity afforded, and though unable to be with you in body, beg to assure you of the interest I take in your proceedings and welfare, both as a society and as individuals. It will be gratifying, I doubt not, to know that we have all enjoyed improved health since our residence in this beautiful city. Its pure air, with which very little smoke is intermingled, is doubtless a great cause of its undoubted salubrity, and the delightful blending of park-like rows of trees with almost every part of the city and its environs, gives to its inhabitants at the same time, the blessings of both city and country life. With these advantages, and hearts grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Giver of every blessing, we enjoy our residence here extremely, and have no doubt it will be a great means of preparing us all for higher and more important uses. have no doubt you will easily conclude that one object very likely soon to en I |