water of life." (Rev. xxi. 6.) But the edicts of popes, and of ecclesiastical councils, together with the entire mass of traditions, are broken and leaky cisterns, made by the selfish intelligence of fallen man, and are by no means the results of God's revealed and eternal truth. These, however, are not the only broken cisterns, which can hold no waters of genuine truth; but human reason also, so soon as it seeks to have a life of its own, independently of the eternal truth, gives birth to that perverted rationalism which hews out for itself numberless broken cisterns, which can hold no water of spiritual and genuine truth. Right reason is always derived from divine light, -and never itself a fountain of light. Reason can never create truth, it can only perceive it, and imitate it. And as, at the present time, a man can only become a man amongst men, or in communication with men, and in this way be trained up as a man; in like manner the original man could not awake to consciousness, if the creator had not revealed himself to him, and educated him. But after the Fall the light of reason became weaker and weaker, and needed for its support the especial light of revelation. Reason, therefore, is in a constant state of development, and it too often happens, that that which is not reason (unvernünft) assumes the name of reason. No church, therefore, can be built upon reason, which is, as we have seen, only the medium of realising the highest good,-love to God, and eternal happiness as the result of that love. But of itself, reason is totally inadequate to this good, because it can create, or give birth to, no existences, but can only move in the province of general truths; whereas in revealed truth the living God Himself meets us and speaks to us, with "spirit and with life."

But we may reasonably inquire, "Where is right reason?" To this we reply by asking, "Where is the pure Word of God, and what is incumbent upon us in relation to it?" And here the Roman Catholics have objected to the Protestants, saying, "You have rejected all human authority in matters of faith, and have preserved the Word of God as the only source of religious knowledge; now, how do you know what books belong to the Word, and how can you tell whether, and to what extent, they have been preserved genuine and unperverted? You can only support your belief in the genuine and unperverted state of the Scriptures on external evidence, that is, on the wit

ness of the ecclesiastical fathers, and, therefore, you inconsistently adopt again that tradition, as a presiding judge, which you, in separating from us, had rejected; and thus you mingle what is divine with what is human, or you suffer merely human reason, which you yourselves declare to be blind [in matters of faith], to decide; when you, for example, with Luther declare, in a manner worthy of mere rationalism, and urged by a onesided interest in your doctrine of justification by faith, 'that the epistle of James is nothing but an epistle of straw, and reject it as such."" To this objection the Protestants could say nothing satisfactory in reply; the most they could say was:-"That external evidence to which you refer, was confirmed to us by the internal conviction of the Holy Spirit, and by our own experience." But each possesses the spirit only in a limited degree, and this in different persons is very different; and, indeed, it has often happened, that that has been taken as an evidence of the Holy Spirit, which was only the result of the man's own unholy spirit. Hence it is, that we have often seen, that such supposed evidences of the Holy Spirit completely contradict, and thus destroy one another, and in this manner such persons play into the hands of infidelity. But internal experience, without the divine intervention, could at the most, only prove that a writing is edifying to the mind, and a merely human production can assume this character. On the Protestant side, therefore, we are in danger of mingling what is divine and human together, yea, of placing that which is divine, on account of its outward appearance, behind that which is human, and thus to fall into idolatry, fanaticism, and even into the deification of ourselves. And this, alas! has but too often occurred; the consequence of which was, that one bulwark after the other has been given up to the enemy of the church, and at length, in respect to the Sacred Scriptures, at the shell (or letter) of which many were offended, or scandalized, there remained [in their eyes] nothing but a human book full of contradictions, errors, and of statements and representations unworthy of God; and this especially in relation to the Old Testament, which had been thus thought of and thus vilipended not only by infidels, but even by so-called Christians, although the divinity of the Old Testament scriptures is confirmed by the Lord Himself. (Luke xxiv.

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44.) And thus the church itself, in consequence of the living fountain of waters having been, in one way or other, taken from her, and hence every thing having become merely subjective and uncertain,* the church under these conditions must die away as to every internal and vital principle, and be totally destroyed, or be dissolved into heathenism, which indeed has been the case with many. But in order to prevent such a dreadful state from becoming universal, the Lord, in the fulness of time, has mercifully caused the shell or letter of his Word to appear transparent, so that the inner kernel, the "spirit and life," may become in every part visible to all those who were represented by the "beloved disciple," that is, to all who are well-disposed, and who in sincerity seek the truth,-to all such the Word has now become, through the opening of its spiritual sense, a pure river of living water, clear as crystal." (Rev. xxii. 1.) And by this means, all things will be made new, and we shall return again to the beginning. This opening by the Word as to its spiritual sense, has been effected by Swedenborg, in the works entitled Apocalypse Revealed, Apocalypse Explained, and the Arcana Calestia, &c. But since the Lord has thus manifested the glory and incomparable nature of his Word, and presented it to the well-disposed mind, seeking truth, and in this manner its internal spirit has been brought out objectively, as an object of contemplation; we may now inquire, What books belong to the Word, and do we still possess it complete and unperverted? And this question may be at once answered in the most satisfactory manner, because it has been rendered evident by the discovery of the internal sense of the Word; inasmuch as every one who has escaped from the Babylonish Captivity can now himself see, independently of external witnesses, according to prophetic declarations, (see Jer. xxxi. 16, Isa. liv. 12, 13, John vi. 45,) that the real Word of God is no dead letter, but a living and divine reality; (John vi. 63.) consequently that it has a soul, an internal

The term SUBJECTIVE denotes that which relates to an individual, and implies his own peculiar mode of thinking and acting, in contradistinction to the term OBJECTIVE, which denotes that which exists out of us, or independently of man as a SUBJECT: when, therefore, it is said that the church, as to every thing, has become SUBJECTIVE, it is meant that individuals, instead of being guided and influenced by the great OBJECTIVE principles of the church, are led by their own SUBJECTIVE - opinions and idiosyncracies.

organism, full of eyes before and behind. (Ezek. x. 12, Rev. iv. 6.) Yea, what is still more, every one who looks to the Lord, and who is actuated by love, can experience within himself the enlightening, enkindling, and saving power of his Word, and thus become sensible in his inner mind, that it is infinitely exalted above every other writing; and in this manner he will perceive, that all doubts and objections are, at once, cut off and destroyed. The Old Testament, in agreement with the canon given by the Lord himself, (Luke xxiv. 44,] and the New Testament, in agreement with the evidence of the apostolic fathers, Ignatius, Justin the Martyr, and Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, contain, as proper books of the Word, all those which, in the visible body of the letter, have everywhere an invisible soul, an internal spiritual sense, which, in every part, corresponds to the letter and shines through it, and enlightens and animates the mind; and this, because the spiritual sense does not relate to what is natural and external, but everywhere and in every part it relates to what is spiritual and heavenly, to faith and love to the church and its states; and in the supreme sense to the Lord himself, and in every particular it treats of Him according to his own words. (Luke xxiv. 44.)

Now, if your church is to have a firm and lasting foundation, and to flourish, you must by no means trust to your own intelligence and wisdom; but it is indispensably necessary that you enter more and more closely into conjunction with the one Lord and Master, and with this his work. For "his altar must not be built of hewn stones, because if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." (Exodus xx 25, Deut. xxvii. 5, 6, Josh viii. 30.) "If ye have built houses of hewn stone, ye shall not dwell in them." (Amos v. 2.) And the Lord's house, when "it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building." (I. Kings, vi. 7.) In like manner, the feet of the Babylonish image, “which consisted of iron mixed with clay, and which, therefore, could not cleave together, could only be broken to pieces by the stone which was cut out without hands." But this stone will break to pieces the entire image, so that it will be

like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors, and the wind carries it away, so

To the Editor of the Intellectual Repository. SIR,-In the minutes of the meeting of the Conference of the New Church for the year 1844, every society is strongly urged to adopt some plan for forming a class of junior members, and for having them properly registered. The New Church in Bath, therefore, fully recognizing the usefulness of such a proceeding, and solicitous also to provide means and frequent opportunities for instructing its members in the truths of the Christian religion, established a MUTUAL INSTRUCTION SOCIETY, May 5th, 1845, agreeably to announcement given in the Church one month previously, out of which society the junior and full members of the Church will henceforward be chosen.

The Mutual Instruction Society consists of a principal, teachers, visitors, and members. Forty-four persons, varying in age from 12 to 40 years, entered their › names at the first meeting, besides the teachers and visitors; of these only two Fare as yet members of the Church; visitors are ex-officio teachers.

roughly studied during the ensuing fortnight; at the succeeding meeting the classes are first examined by their respective teachers, after which the members examine each other in regular order.

By giving insertion to the following rules in your excellent periodical, you will much oblige, sir, your obedt. servt., WILLIAM BUSH. Gay-street, Bath, May 17th, 1845.

MUTUAL INSTRUCTION SOCIETY. The object of this society is, to afford every person an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the doctrines of the New Church.

RULES AND REGULATIONS.

1. This society is constituted of a principal, teachers, visitors, and members. The principal and teachers shall be appointed by the Church committee, from among the members or junior members of the Church.

2. Any person is admitted as a member of this society, provided he is willing to attend the meetings with regularity. The teachers and members shall pay one penny every time they neglect to attend any of the meetings.

3. Meetings of this society shall be held in the library of the Church, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month, at seven o'clock in the evening.

4. The members shall be allowed to borrow books from the school library, subject to its rules.

5. A register book shall be kept for the purpose of entering the names of the teachers, the dates of their appointment, and relinquishment of office. It shall also contain the names, ages, and residences of the members, and the dates of their entrance and discontinuance.

6. A registry of the attendances of the

teachers and members shall be read at every quarterly meeting of the Church. 7. The principal shall present a report of the proceedings at every quarterly meeting of the Church.

8. The ministers of the Church shall be visitors ex-officio; and the committee shall appoint two visitors in addition. Visitors shall be allowed to examine the members whenever they think proper. N.B. A copy of these rules shall be suspended in the library.

JUNIOR MEMBERS.

1. All persons of the age of 14 years and upwards may be elected as junior members, provided the ministers and the principal of the Mutual Instruction Society are satisfied of their knowledge of the doctrines of the New Church.

2. The committee of the Church shall elect the twelve first members. All future members shall be elected by ballot by the junior members themselves. One black ball in four shall exclude the candidate.

3. A registry of the junior members shall be kept by the committee of the Church.

N.B. A copy of these rules shall be suspended in the library of the Church.

LIVERPOOL TEA MEETING.-On Wed. nesday evening, June 4th, the quarterly tea meeting of the New Church Society, Russell-street, was held in the lecture room, Adelaide Buildings, near the Adelphi Hotel. After a social and friendly conversation during the hour of tea, our minister took the chair, and the usual proceedings commenced, after singing a hymn and prayer. The subject for consideration was the 49th psalm, which the chairman elucidated as to its literal bearings, and its more important spiritual signification, particularly the first nine verses. After which, Mr. James Bolton, being called upon, gave an exposition of the spiritual meaning of a few verses of the psalm, eliciting much valuable information and instruction Mr. Craigie then read the meeting an essay which he had prepared, on the 11th and 12th verses. The essay, which occupied a considerable time in reading, contained many discriminating remarks and excellent sentiments,-was read with great energy of mind, and did great credit to the understanding and glowing Christian affection of the writer.-The meeting was then addressed in an able and lucid man. ner by Mr. J. W. Stephenson, who in

troduced many striking remarks on diffe. rent portions of the psalm, accompanied with useful illustrations.—Mr. Joseph Skeaf being called upon, next addressed the friends in a zealous, affectionate, and powerful manner, on points of vital importance which the subject suggested to the minds of all. After a few useful and friendly remarks made by Mr. C. Hall, in a very appropriate manner, the meeting was closed with a doxology and the benediction. The utility of thus assembling together in a social Christian spirit, for the mutual benefit of each other, appeared to be fully appreciated and enjoyed; and but one opinion seemed to prevail on the occasion, viz., that this meeting also has produced its beneficial effects. Let the praise of every good result be attributed to its proper divine

NEW CHURCH BIBLE SOCIETY.-As I find many friends express themselves disapprovingly of the spirit apparent in (or rather of the apparent spirit of) the letter signed "A Minister," in your last number, I am anxious to take this opportunity of assuring them, that I am quite satisfied with the good intentions of the writer, who has believed himself bound, by his love of duty, to point out some of the difficulties with which the objects contemplated by this Institution are surrounded, and the weakness of ONE of the arguments by which it has been attempted to be supported. The argument adverted to is a weak one, and I am quite willing it should be estimated only at its real value, as a weak one; I am also free to admit that it is an argument calculated to influence rather the external part of our nature than the internal, and yet so long as we live amongst our fellows upon earth, we may all of us, however truly desirous of bʊcoming members of an internal church, and however earnestly endeavouring to crucify in ourselves whatever is opposed to our spiritual progress, we may all of us be legitimately influenced in some degree by such external things as times and seasons. Some men, I am aware, carry their objection to celebrating times and seasons to a much greater extent than even does my reverend friend. Some, I fear, have too little respect for the bringing internal worship into season or externals, to prevent their being absent from their place of worship at the time when the public services of the sab. bath commence; and my real opinion is,

-and it is an opinion grounded upon extensive knowledge,-that the members of the New Church generally are rather too little disposed than too much disposed to pay attention to such matters as these. In respect to the New Church Bible Society itself, it is at present to all men an unsolved problem, one the solution of which will require a large amount of time, and learning, and discretion. For myself I can truly say, that on entering upon it, I was unaware of the difficulties of the subject; but, thank God, I am also able to say, as truly, that I was as much unaware of the means which He has mercifully provided for overcoming those dif. ficulties. At present only one meeting of the Committee has taken place since the general meeting at which the laws were passed. At this meeting we were favoured with the presence of the distinguished Hebrew scholar who has so generously expressed his willingness to act as Editor; and from him we learned how much had to be done, and how abundant were the provisions made through the medium of literary and scientific men, &c., for that much to be accomplished. All, I have much pleasure in saying, are impressed with a sense of the necessity for the utmost caution and fidelity. Before any rule of translation is determined upon, we shall have the advantage of, amongst others, Dr. Tafel's opinion respecting it. Our kind Editor is at the present time at Tübingen, with the intention of conferring with Dr. Tafel and others on the canons of interpretation. Communication has also been opened on the general subject with our American brethren. The members of each of their Conventions have been separately addressed by letter, and it is intended to procure as large an amount of information as possible from every quarter of the Church before any positive plan of operations is marked out. We are aware that an object like the one which this Society contemplates, cannot be attained without the Divine blessing, and we are also aware that we cannot expect the Divine blessing on any imma. ture and unwise efforts to extend his kingdom which are the result of zeal without knowledge. It is therefore our determination to pray for guidance and direction, and to proceed slowly and cautiously, -to be more anxious that every step we take shall be really a step in advance, than to push on rapidly and have to retrace our steps. As we all desire to follow the leadings of Divine Providence rather than to cut out a path for our

THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH, CROSSSTREET, LONDON, having been closed some weeks to undergo repair, was reopened on Sunday, June 22nd, when the fortyeighth anniversary of the erection of the edifice, and of its original dedication to the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Only God of heaven and earth, according to the heavenly doctrines of the New Church, signified in the Revelation by the New Jerusalem,-and the seventeenth anniversary of its re-dedication to the same sacred purpose, --- were commemorated. The building has been generally repaired, and entirely new painted: a new and excellent organ has also been erected, built by the celebrated Mr. Hill. The former expense has been chiefly defrayed by a subscription, raised by the congregation for the purpose, amounting to about £120. The cost of the organ is £280., of which £125. are allowed for the old organ in exchange, leaving £155. to be paid in cash : towards this about £130. have already been raised by the subscriptions of the friends, and there is no doubt that the whole will be similarly provided for. Collections were made after the services at the door only, which realized above £30. additional, being more by one half than any collections made at this Church ever amounted to before. Thus the sums contributed on the occasion by this Society, which so quietly pursues the even tenor of its way, already amount to about £280., and will, to all appearance, eventually exceed £300. The discourse in the morning was delivered by the Rev. S. Noble, the regular minister of the place, from psalm cii. 12—15; in which a sketch was given of the history of this society and of their Church, and the seventy years' period of captivity announced by Jeremiah, the termination of which is the "set time" mentioned in the literal sense of the text,