memoration; while others, who have deemed it a reflection on his admirers, that no such tribute has been hitherto paid to his character and worth, will be pleased that this has now been effected. The idea is not new, it has been entertained on former occasions; but particularly in the year 1830, when, as appears by the following Minute and Resolution, it was brought under the notice of the General Conference :

“On considering a suggestion contained in one of the Communications to the Conference, as to the propriety of having a tablet erected to the memory of Swedenborg in the Swedish Church in Ratcliffe Highway, London; it was Resolved unanimously, That the Conference feels indebted to the writer for his suggestion, and entirely sympathizes with his feelings of the desirableness of erecting a tablet to the memory of the illustrious Swedenborg, expressive of the admiration of his personal character felt by the readers of his Theological Writings, and their affectionate remembrance of the exalted virtues, and unparalleled attainments of the Herald of the New Jerusalem Church; and the Conference entertains no doubt that the above judicious suggestion will have due weight with every receiver of the Heavenly Doctrines to whom it is communicated."

Here the subject dropped. Though declining to act itself upon the suggestion, it does not appear that the Conference was unfavourable to it; but left it to the members of the Church to act upon it themselves. Such action, however, did not take place; it has lain dormant for a period of twenty-seven years, until it has at length been my privilege to accomplish it; and in the eventful year, 1857.

I am altogether prepared to hear of some difference of opinion, not only as to the propriety of the measure, but also as to the mode of doing it. Some will think it might have been done in a superior and more imposing way, and that a more striking and explanatory inscription might have been given. But, here I was controlled by circumstances which could only be explained by entering into details which might be tedious and uninteresting. Suffice it to say, that the negotiation was opened by me in May 1857, by application to the minister of the church for permission to erect the Tablet therein. He was then in Sweden, but having from the officiating clergyman ascertained his address, I wrote to him direct. Afterwards, on his return, a formal application on the subject was made by me to the Vestry of the Swedish Church, when permission was granted to erect the tablet; and it was left to the minister to settle with me about the inscription to be put on it, and the selection of a suitable place for it in the Church. This permission was rendered the more gracious, inasmuch as there was not the exaction of any fee accompanying it.

I cannot close this account without remarking upon the extraordinary manner in which every apparent obstacle was removed, and the matter divested of all trouble, as if by a controuling power.

I must also acknowledge, with much thankfulness, the very kind and friendly bearing of the Rev. Mr. Carlson, the Minister of the Church, through the whole of the negotiations, and his valuable assistance, which, I believe, very greatly facili tated the accomplishment of my object, in thus celebrating the Centenary.

December, 1857=101.

I am, Yours truly,

JAS. S. HODSON.

THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH IN BALTIMORE.

A SMALL, but very neat and appropriate, house of worship has lately been erected on Lombard Street, near Lloyd, for the use of "The First German Society of the New Jerusalem Church," in this city. This was dedicated on Sunday, the 4th instant. The members of the New Jerusalem Church, or of the New Church, as it is sometimes called, receive the doctrines that are unfolded in the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. There are but few of this church in Baltimore. The society, whose house of worship has just been dedicated, is the first, and thus far the only society of the New Church among the Germans in this city. It was instituted about three years ago, and is under the pastoral care of Rev. Arthur O. Brickman.

On entering the Church, our attention was at once attracted by the arrangement at the altar. In the centre stands the repository for the Word of God. In front of this stands the table to be used in the Lord's Supper. The pulpit stands on the one side of the repository for the Word and somewhat nearer to the seats for the congregation; on the other side stands the reading desk. A baptismal font, of marble, has its place near the entrance to the altar.

The services were conducted a part in German and a part in the English language. The minister of the First American Society assisted Mr. Brickman in the services of the day. First the Word was brought in, the minister then saying, "Jehovah is in His Holy Temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him." The curtains were then drawn back and the Word was placed in its repository, while appropriate passages from the Scriptures were repeated. After all had united in the Lord's prayer, the Word was carried to the pulpit, and there it was opened, to denote that its heavenly truths are now unfolded in their glory.

The Temple, as a whole and in all its parts, was consecrated by the use of chosen passages of the Scriptures, and so far as possible every part was prepared for and applied to its specific office. The Word was placed in its repository. From the pulpit the Scriptures were read and expounded, and dedicatory addresses, both in German and English, were made. From the desk was read a portion of Swedenborg's work, entitled The True Christian Religion, in which the doctrines of the Church were concisely presented. The font was filled, and three persons were baptized. A marriage was consecrated by religious services; the table was spread, and the Lord's Supper was celebrated.

The following statement of the doctrines of the New Church is taken from their liturgy:

1. That there is one God: that in Him is a Divine Trinity, called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that these three are distinct, and at the same time united in Him, as the soul, the body, and the operation are in man; and that the one God is the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. That saving faith is to believe in Him as the Redeemer, Regenerator, and Saviour from sin.

3. That the sacred Scripture is Divine Truth; that it is revealed to us as a means by which we may distinguish between good and evil, by which we may be delivered from the influence of evil spirits, and by which we may become associated with angels and conjoined with the Lord.

4. That we must abstain from doing evil, because it is of the devil, and from the devil, and that we must do good, because it is of God and from God.

5. That in abstaining from evil and doing good, we are to act as of ourselves; but we must at the same time believe and acknowledge that the will, the understanding, and the power, to do so are of the Lord alone.—Baltimore American, Oct. 6, quoted in New York Herald, Oct. 14, 1857.

Lotices of Books.

Life of Emanuel Swedenborg for Youth. By Sarah P. Doughty. London: J. S. Hodson, 22, Portugal Street, 1857.-Several biographies of Emanuel Swedenborg have already appeared, but not one in a form suited to meet the capacity of youth, until the present edition made its appearance. The youthful mind is naturally inquisitive, especially on topics in which they observe others, especially parents or friends, to be earnestly engaged. On such occasions, have we not frequently seen the upturned prying eye; their breathless attention; and the absorption of thought; with an apparent desire for an elucidation of the subject matter of conversation? What is there that is likely to excite the curiosity of youth more than the life and writings of eminent men? and where shall we find one so extraordinary, and so full of deep interest, as that of the truly good and illustrious individual whose life and writings are the subjects of this neat little book?

In this multum in parvo edition of the Life of Emanuel Swedenborg, the anxious wishes of juvenile enquirers are met by the authoress, with a simplicity and ease, yet with a conciseness and purity of diction, which are necessary qualities in the instruc tion of the young. The design of the authoress may be gathered from the following quotation from Chap. I. p. 4. "You have often heard your parents and friends speak of Emanuel Swedenborg, and you know that they regard him as a very wise and good man. You have also seen many books which you have been told were written by him, and perhaps some passages from these books have sometimes been read to you; and you may have been told, that when you are older, you will find it very useful and interesting to read them yourselves. But you have never learned much about the life of Swedenborg, that is, you have heard but little of what he said and did while he lived in this world, and therefore we have prepared this book to teach you many things concerning him which you will like to know."

The design of the writer thus expressed, we hesitate not to affirm, will be more than realized in the perusal of the work. It is, in fact, an epitome of the larger biographies; and no interesting point in the life of the illustrious Swedenborg is overlooked, from his birth to his decease. Not only are the various works which he wrote introduced, but an idea is given of the nature of the subjects they contain; and wholesome advice is inculcated occasionally, for the benefit of the young reader. The whole matter of the book is compiled with great care and ability; and ability is certainly requisite in adapting such high and important subjects to the capacity of the young, so as to render them intelligible and instructive at the same time. New Church parents (and indeed, others) would do well to introduce this useful work into their families, as a valuable boon to the younger branches; while its merits are such as to entitle it to be called a Manual for the young, or adult strangers to the writings of the New Church.

A Discourse, delivered in the New Church at Brightlingsea, near Colchester, Essex, on "Binding and Loosing." By Thomas Baxter. Jersey: Thomas Thorne, 2, Charles Street, 1857.-The subject of this Discourse has already been thoroughly argued, we might almost say exhausted, by several talented Newchurchmen of America. There the occasion for its discussion originated, and there the obnoxious fallacies, which Mr. Baxter has resolved to assist in destroying, will, we think, receive the most effectual treatment. The doctrines on this question taught by Mr. Worcester, the President of the General Convention, America, have, as far as our

knowledge goes, been openly adopted and expressed by no one in this country; and as we do not see any ground for fearing their propagation here, we confess to the possession of no enthusiasm in wishing to raise unnecessary hostility. But for the sake of those who may, nevertheless, feel an interest in the subject, and have not the privilege of seeing the American publications, which have lately given it considerable attention, we recommend the perusal of Mr. Baxter's Discourse. In the main he is right in the views he advocates; but he is somewhat unguarded in many of his assertions; they admit of very great modification; and, in our general approval of the Discourse, there is a small degree of the animus he exhibits to which we must claim exception. The Discourse is instructive, and we have no doubt its influence will be promotive of good.

Carrespondence.

To the Editor.-Dear Sir, So excellent and evidently sincere a spirit breathes throughout the paper of "M. C. H." that it is with reluctance I undertake to present an objection.

That the formula of prayer was inadequate to the oceasion of the appointed national humiliation I am ready to acknowledge; but that any thing "M. C. H." supplies could justly have been substituted I doubt exceedingly.

It is a matter of weighty import the judgment of a great nation as to a century of conquest, government, and commerce. We should not be ready to condemn without comprehensive knowledge, and well authenticated evidence; and if the writer has these, and he is warranted thereby in attributing to the government and people of this country the crimes he lays to their charge, namely, robbery, oppression, and murder, and these not as exceptions but as the rule, charging this nation as having obtained its Indian Empire by them-by "the success of our marauding arms,"I should still consider it unwarrantable presumption in him, or any minister, to put such language into the form of a prayer for the people of this country.

There is one who judgeth the nations, and always righteously; but it is quite enough for the members of the Lord's Church to look to themselves. This is the Scripture rule, and its propriety is indisputably shewn by the scribe of the New Church.

Such a prayer as your correspondent prescribes includes, by the pronoun we, him who uses it; but is even he who is capable of convicting himself of such enormities warranted in dealing forth such wholesale condemnation to others?

M. C. H. is very free in this country to express his opinions, and could all others, who enjoy the same freedom, agree with him in his extreme denunciations, his proposed confession would be very suitable; but as, whether fortunately or otherwise, the great majority of the people entertain very different opinions, the introduction of such a form of words in our churches would be the very reverse of what prayer ought to be. Instead of inducing to repentance and improvement, it would provoke only strife and animosity.

Trusting that your correspondent will, on further consideration, see the propriety of not converting party politics into religious denunciations, and with the hope and belief that He, to whom we may safely commit the nations, will yet make England a blessing to India and the world,

Bath, Nov. 16, 1857.

I remain, dear sir, yours truly,

J. K.