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terly this taunt, is manifest from the great endeavours which have been made to prove that the Protestant Church is the same as that founded by the apostles. To give the New Church a name, therefore, calculated above all others to render it odious in the eyes of all Christians, appears to me, extremely ill-considered. I, for one, therefore, never meet with the term New Christian Church, but I feel an inward grief that its professed friends should apparently so unconsciously inflict upon it, I will not say deadly, but-severe wounds, as regards its reputation. I feel confident, that the appellation itself, in numerous instances, may be sufficient to arrest further inquiry into the nature of the church and its doctrines; and why should a stumbling-block be thus placed at the threshhold of the New Church? I beg of my brethren who have used this appellation, again to consider its propriety. There is often something very important in a name; and a misnomer of the New Church may do many a serious injury, although the circumstance may appear an indifferent trifle to the person using it; because having fully embraced its doctrines, any name given to it is not sufficient to alter his estimate of it. Let not your good be evil spoken of.

We may form some idea of the importance of considering the New Church identical with the first Christian, thus the true and then only New Christian Church, from that wonderful circumstance, thrice noticed by E. S. in the True Christian Religion, Nos. 4, 108, and 791. "It is here worth remarking, as a most memorable event, that not many months ago, the Lord called together his twelve disciples, now angels, and sent them throughout the spiritual world, with a commission to preach the Gospel anew, inasmuch as the church which he had established by their labours, is at this day brought to such a consummation, as scarcely to have any remains of it left." At nearly the end of this number, the author adds, that he would enter into an inquiry, "to the end that the truth may be revived, as it will assuredly be, whensoever human reason is convinced, by the light of God's Word, that there is a Divine Trinity, and that this Trinity exists in the person of the Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, as the soul, body, and proceeding operation, exist together in man." He further asserts, "that this article in the Athanasian Creed is true, that God and man, or the divine and human natures, are not two but in one Person in Christ, and that as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ." From the above it may be seen, that at the time the New Church may be deemed to have commenced, even on earth, it pleased the Lord to accommodate the prejudices of all in the

spiritual world, who could enter into it, as well as the rejectors of it, to assure them, by sending the identical disciples, who first, after him, preached it on earth, to declare to them, that this New Church was essentially the same as that first established by their labours in the world. How fully does this shew the deep-rooted feeling in the Christain mind, that whatever falsification and perversion of the truth may have effected in the church, in bringing it to an end or consummation, the church, as established by the Lord himself and his apostles, must be the true church, and be founded on those truths which will admit to eternity of progressive development, equal to all the requirements of both men and angels.

In n. 108, E. S. calls the disciples who were sent upon this commission, the twelve apostles, and states, that every apostle had his particular district assigned to him, and that each of them was executing his commission with the utmost zeal and industry. And in n. 791, he says, this was done June 19th, in the year 1770. In this number too, he says, that they were sent to preach the Gospel, that the Lord God Jesus Christ, reigneth, whose kingdom shall endure for ever and ever, according to the prophecy of Daniel, chap. 7, ver. 13, 14; and in Rev. chap. 11, ver. 15,-" And that blessed are they who are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb," chap. 19, ver. 9: and that this is understood by these words of the Lord, "He shall send his angels, and they shall gather together his elect from one end of heaven to the other," Matt. 24, ver. 31. Again, it is acknowinternal and an exter

ledged in the Christian world, that there is an nal man, and that the external is the same with the natural man, and the internal the same with the spiritual man, because his spirit is in it; and whereas the church consists of men, it is further acknowledged, that there is both an internal and an external church; and if the orderly succession of churches, from ancient times to the present, be inquired into, it will be seen, that the former churches have been external churches, that is, that their worship consisted in externals, which represented the internal things of the Christian Church that was founded by the Lord, during his abode in the world, and is now beginning to be built up by him," U. T. 674. This passage is so conclusive as to the continuation of the Christain Church in the New Church, that I think it unnecessary to add further quotations for the purpose of establishing the identity of the New Church with the primitive Christain Church.

At the end of the number last quoted, E. S. maintains that baptism was instituted in the place of circumcision, to mark the Christian

Church as to its internal character, and thereby to distinguish it from the Jewish. But in the New Church, no new'ordinance for this purpose is introduced, all the externals of religion remaining as before, in this respect. Had the change been as great between the Christian and the New, as that between the Christian and the Jewish, no doubt it would have been necessary to distinguish them by the introduction of new ordinances.

Your correspondent is, I am quite willing to concede, very properly jealous on the right designation of the New Church to the public; and if the title of New Jerusalem Church could be supplanted by any other more appropriate, I should feel great pleasure in contributing to the production of the change. But I have tried all my resources in vain to accomplish this, and am disposed to conclude, that a better appellation is not likely to be found. The time may come, when that of the New Church will be quite sufficient for every purpose, its signification being as readily understood by all mankind, as the title Christian is now by the generality of men, especially in countries enjoying intercourse with Christian nations. It is almost astonishing that E. S. should never have used the title New Jerusalem Church, as there are thousands of places in which we should now use it, were we writing upon similar subjects, and treating them in a similar manner.

As there may be much in a name, writers in the New Church would do well not too readily to adopt inappropriate names by which to designate the church. While writing this paper, the title new Christian heaven occurred to me as being as objectionable as New Christian Church, as thereby would be implied that a previous Christian heaven had been formed distinct from the new one. The Christian new heaven would be right in sense, but I do not find this phrase in turning over numerous pages of E. S.; neither do I find New Christian Heaven any where, although I feel confident it has been frequently used, both in the conversation and writings of the members of the New Church. I have not searched the whole of the Repository, but have used it therein myself, inadvertently, certainly, as many may use the appellation New Christian Church. Had I at all reflected upon its import, I could not have used the phrase, as I could have no other intention than to designate the new heaven, formed of Christians, and all such as could enter into the full acknowledgment and worship of the Lord as the only God of heaven and earth.

The appellations New Jerusalem and New Church, are so often used by E. S., the one for the other, that no doubt can be entertained N. S. No. 28-VOL. 3.

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upon it.

Neither of these seems adequate to convey to persons ignorant of our doctrines such an idea of the church as to incline them to inquire into its real character. In the mean time, till the church shall be generally known as the New Jerusalem, spiritually understood, or, the New Church, signified by it, we cannot, I think, designate it better than by the appellation New Jerusalem Church, as this phrase is agreeable to general usage in giving names to churches, and is calculated to excite inquiry into its constitution or doctrines. AN OLD MEMBER.

A FAREWELL TO DEAR FRIENDS EMIGRATING FROM ACCRINGTON.

OWING to the pressure of commercial distress, the trading community is suffering severe privations, and numbers are endeavouring to escape by emigration the calamities that surround them. Our societies in Lancashire are much affected by these circumstances; and although amidst the gloom, they have light in their dwellings to discern the gracious end the Lord has in this permission, yet they temporarily are suffering much. The society at Accrington has, from this cause, lost several of its most active and esteemed members. Between twenty and thirty persons, including members and their families, left for America, on Saturday, the 9th inst. On the Thursday previous, the members and friends of the society, presented to Mr. John Bradshaw, and Mr. John Wilson, each a beautifully bound Bible, with the following inscription, "This copy of the Word of God was presented to Mr. John Bradshaw, on occasion of his leaving England for America, by the teachers and friends of the New Jerusalem Church Sunday School, Accrington, Lancashire; with their devout supplications for his future safety and everlasting happiness; and as a token of their esteem for his labours in their Sunday School, as well as among the young members of the church, during the period of seventeen years, and their admiration of his conduct, as exemplifying the doctrines of their adorable Saviour Jesus Christ." The inscription in that presented to Mr. Wilson was similar. At the same time, Mr. Richard Taylor, Mr. John Lonsdale, and Mr. James Shuttleworth, were presented each with a copy of the "Four leading Doctrines," very neatly bound, having within an inscription similar to the above.

The occasion of parting with these beloved friends, was of an ex

tremely painful nature; indeed, if it were not for the consoling truth, so vividly set forth in our holy church, that all things work together for good, and that our Omniscient Father never permits anything but what he foresees will terminate in our everlasting benefit, it would have been almost insupportable. Our natural minds, from many causes, had become so knit together, that the separation was like tearing asunder parts of ourselves. At the meeting that was convened for the purpose of taking farewell, and the presentation of the tokens of our sincere affection and esteem, scarce a dry eye was visible,―sadness and lamentation seemed to preside over all. School children and those who thought themselves stout-hearted, were alike compelled to hide their weakness. How could it be otherwise? Though their leaving England may be the means of making them more useful than they could possibly be by staying, yet affection which has for seventeen years been increasing, is not to be snapped in an hour, nor even interrupted, without a severe pang. Children who from the time they could first lisp a letter, have been under the sphere of a beloved teacher's kind instruction, could not but have conceived a deep affection for that teacher, and he in return for the child. Should this affection be interfered with, by the removal of either, no matter what the prospects may be, distress of the most poignant kind must be the consequence. It may be called weakness, to be thus subject, and so it is; but it is a weakness common to our nature, and not an unamiable one.

The loss of one of our emigrant friends, Mr. Bradshaw, in particular, will be much felt. There are few men in the church, who have been so actively engaged in her cause as he. In his farewell address, he stated, (and without the least degree of egotism,) that during the period of seventeen years, he had spent nine-tenths of his spare time, in teaching the youth connected with the society, or in some way either directly or indirectly to advance the cause of the church in his immediate circle. "And why," said he, "have I done it? it was for no other reason than, because I loved you and the church, and that I might see you happy, and the church prospering." So soon as it was known among the school children, that he was about to leave them, much sorrow was felt. Some of the youngest met him in the school the following Sunday with tears in their eyes, and clasping his legs, besought him either to stay or to take them with him. This was

too much for him; tears rolled down his cheeks as if he had been an infant; he turned away from their entreaties, without having the power to answer them. Another circumstance will serve to shew

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