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Mr. Woodman followed up these discussions, by the delivery of two lectures against Materialism, in the same place. The subjects of the lectures were, Creation, showing the essential distinction between the Creator and the Created;" and, "The Immateriality and Immortality of the Human Soul." The audiences, though not near so numerous as at the discussions, included many strangers to our doctrines, in the town and neighbourhood, among them some highly respectable parties connected with the dif ferent religious bodies. Questions being allowed, an animated conversation, or rather discussion, followed each lecture, the replies appearing to give great satisfaction to the majority present. The only objection (if it may be called an objection) expressed by the strangers was, that the replies were too short, as they wanted to hear the matters more fully elucidated. At the close of the second lecture, Mr. Woodman again stated his willingness to meet, not merely the Latterday Saints, but also any advocates of Materialism, on any of the subjects of either the discussions or the lectures. It is remarkable, that the leading infidels of the neighbourhood absented themselves from the lectures.

From all we learn, this effort has been very useful in strengthening the New Church in Bolton. Much of the prejudice against our doctrines, arising from the notion that they were a modification of infidelity, has been removed. This impression may now be said to be effaced. Another impression, to the effect that we rested our views on the testimony of Swedenborg, rather than the Word, has been broken down. Some astonishment was expressed that, instead of bringing forward the claims of Swedenborg, Mr. Woodman brought Scripture, and would never have named Swedenborg, had not Mr. Gibson done so. We are also happy to hear, that a permanent impression appears to have been produced on a few, who have begun to read the works for themselves.

THE ORDINATION SERVICE.

To the Editor.

Sir, The Conference of 1849 required from the several societies suggestions for the improvement of the Particular and Extraordinary Services of the Liturgy. The society to which I minister, after much earnest labour and deliberation,

offered various suggestions; but it did not please the Conference of 1850 even to look at them, but rejected them, together with the suggestions of all the other societies, without examination.

The Conference having by this proceeding refused its advice on the point I am about to mention (among others), and having declined to take advantage of our advice which we tendered upon it, and having directed the re-print of the words we objected to, without seeing the reasons we assigned, I feel myself placed in a dilemma, from which I see no way of escape but by appealing to the Church generally. I am an Ordaining minister elect, and I feel great difficulty as to the propriety of putting to the "candidate for Ordination" the first of the questions directed to be put to him, and the omission of which would possibly render the validity of an ordination liable to be questioned.

This first question asks of the candidate, "Dost thou sincerely believe that it is of the Divine Providence of the Lord, that thou art called to officiate ?" &c.

We object to these words:-1st. Because nothing whatever can happen that is not of the Divine Providence, operating either by the laws of appointment or permission, consequently, to ask the question in this broad sense of "the Divine Providence," is pure surplusage, to say the best of it. 2ndly. If the question means to ask the candidate whether he believes that the Divine Providence has appointed him to the office of a minister, it should say so distinctly, and then such an answer would be a fair subject for rational inquiry. If the fact of such appointment is settled by the candidate's witness in his own favour, the conclusiveness of the answer precludes the necessity of any more questions. Surely it is enough that God has appointed him: how dare any man forbid him? If you do not believe the answer, why do you ask the question? if you do believe it, all further questioning is loss of time. But if it is meant that he cannot really be divinely appointed unless he can answer affirmatively the questions that are to follow, the conclusion comes out in a circle ;-the faith is sound and sincere because of the Divine Appointment, and the Divine Appointment is no illusion because the faith is sound! But can a conclusion so come to be anything beyond mere verbiage?

Seriously, can any man "sincerely believe" himself Divinely appointed to the

ministry without being either an enthusiast or an apostle? If the former, he is not fit for a minister; if the latter, we require better credentials than his "belief," howsoever "sincere" he may fancy it to be.

I certainly must plead guilty to having answered affirmatively to this question at my own ordination: I now see that I had no warrant for giving my own feelings the authority of a Providential appointment. Indeed, I really cannot venture to decide whether any one act of my life by which I chose, according to the dictates of my reason, a new occupation, or a new course of usefulness for myself, was an appointment of Providence, or only permitted. How, then, can I with propriety ask my fellow-man a question which my own experience tells me he has no means of answering, except by Divine Inspiration?

I appeal to my "brother ministers" who by their votes have approved of this question being again printed and put to the candidate, to shew me how it is reconcileable with reason and truth, unless, indeed, they have been inadvertently carried away by vague feelings, as I confess myself to have been formerly.

I have to add, that I have been unable to get satisfaction from any one to whom I have applied individually: indeed, with one exception, the question has been condemned or declared indefensible. I know that I may be told, that if a man thinks that he has the required talents, knows that he sincerely loves the truth, and desires to spread it, and an opening for his employment occurs, he can truly affirm, and therefore ought to affirm, that Providence has called and appointed him to the ministry. But were I to admit this to be valid, for the same reason I must admit that every man who thinks he has the required talents, knows that he is sincerely desirous to do his duty, and a suitable opening occurs, may truly affirm, and therefore ought to affirm, that he is appointed by Divine Providence to any calling he embraces, whether it be the law, the army, or any common trade! Whence it would follow, that in the matter of the choice of a way of getting a living, Providence always appoints, and never merely permits!

And now I must beg attention to the second question the Ordaining minister is required to ask the candidate, it being as follows:-" Art thou desirous of entering upon that office purely from motives of usefulness to mankind ?" Now it strikes

The New Church teaches, that every one has an external man with its external motives, as well as an internal man with its internal motives; but the word "purely supposes that the person seeking ordination, is pure from all secondary external motive whatsoever. This seems impossible. I therefore cannot see that an answer in the affirmative can be true, and if so, how can the question requiring it be honestly put? If, in becoming a minister, the candidate expects to be supported, and would not become one if he were not to be supported, it is obvious that the secondary motive of a living is not absent. And even supposing that the candidate expects no pay, he cannot be, and ought not to be, indifferent to the reward of grateful approbation, although he ought to seek only "the honour that cometh from God." If language has any meaning, the word purely means, that the candidate has no looking to anything external whatsoever; but so long as man is swayed by mixed motives, which is the case with the best of men while here, this question, or rather the answer to it, appears to me not strictly true.

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Other points in our unexamined, unseen suggestions, I pass by; but these I must bring forward, because they affect my position as

AN ORDAINING MINISTER ELECT.

PROPOSED MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE NEW CHURCH, DURING THE EXHIBITION OF 1851.

At their meeting last evening, the Committee had received six more letters, all approving of the proposed meeting, and containing some suggestions which will most likely be adopted.

One letter, from the south, mentions the number of friends that may be expected to be present; another gives a promise of £2. These are points on which the Committee are anxious to obtain early and specific information. They wish to know how many may be expected, in order that if our churchesas is most probable-should be deemed

too small, they may engage a sufficiently large room for the meeting: they also wish to know what amount of funds will be at their disposal.

Many of the friends from the country will be lodging with persons to whom even the existence of the New Church may be unknown, but who would be likely to attend the proposed meeting with their friends: the residents in London too will probably bring some of their acquaintances; so that it seems reasonable to expect a far larger meeting than any previously held in the New Church. As the meeting will doubtless be made both interesting and useful to strangers, it seems very desirable to invite the public by advertisements, perhaps also to publish a report of the meeting, and likewise, as suggested, to disseminate a large number of tracts.

To what these several measures can be carried out will, in a considerable degree, depend on the funds supplied for the purpose. The societies in London collectively, and the members individually, will without doubt do their part; but the great objects contemplated are not of local but of universal interest, and the privileges and consequent duties are equally extensive. The Committee there fore confidently rely on receiving liberal contributions, both from societies and individuals; to facilitate which, and to secure more general and active coöperation, it may be well to organize district committees, to communicate with the one in London. At all events, it is highly important, by all orderly and available means, to take advantage of so favourable an opportunity. Communications are requested to be forwarded by the 16th of January.

May the Divine blessing attend our efforts!

H. BUTTER, Secretary. 48, Cloudesly Terrace, Islington, December 18th, 1850.

MR. CLOWES'S PRAYER.

To the Editor.

Sir,-A PRAYER was inserted in your number for November, composed by Mr. Clowes, and stated to be from "An unpublished MS."your well-intentioned but not sufficiently well-informed contributor will find this prayer inserted at the end of the small paper edition of Clowes's Parables (and possibly in other editions);

it was also printed in the first edition of Mason's Help to Devotion (and stated to have been written by Mr. Clowes), and forms the 72nd prayer in the second edition of that work.

As the pious contributor of the prayer feels an interest in Devotional compositions, I would beg leave to recommend him to examine Mason's Help to Devotion, with which he seems unacquainted. I am informed that it will not be long before the present edition will be out of print.

ANOTHER CONTRIBUTOR.

OXFORD -The leader of the Society in this city writes :-In Oxford we are improving. We have a very good room, in which I have given a series of lectures, attended by strangers every time; some are coming forward as receivers. There is a more favourable opening than we have had at any time previous. We cannot obtain any more "Juvenile Magazines" through booksellers, for which I am sorry. Twelve were taken in my school.

NEW PUBLICATIONS AND NEW EDITIONS.

A Dialogue on the Apostolic Doctrine of the Atonement, in which that Doctrine, together with the Doctrines of Mediation, Intercession, and Imputation, is clearly explained.

True views on the Doctrine of the

Atonement are of the greatest possible importance. No doctrine, amongst a very large portion of the Christian community, is so much dwelt upon as this; it has become the Shibboleth of all the so-called Evangelical party in the Church. The admirable tract under consideration, we verily believe, clears up, in strict accordance with Scripture, every point in this important doctrine. Those who wish to see the doctrines of Atonement, Mediation, Intercession, and Imputation, placed upon their true Scriptural basis, and amply confirmed both by the testimony of the Divine Word, and by every rational consideration, should, by all means, possess this tract. No New Churchman should be without a number of copies, for when asked his opinion respecting the Atonement, he can, by presenting this little messenger of truth, readily give "a reason for the hope that is in him."

Stories for My Young Friends, by T. S. Arthur, Author of the " Maiden," &c. The New Church, and the public at large, are much indebted to Mr. Hodson, for the energy and success with which he has endeavoured to supply a desideratum in New Church literature. Not many years since, scarcely a juvenile work, altogether suited for the children of the New Church, was in existence. But now we have only to refer our readers to Mr. Hodson's list of publications on this head, in order to show how extensively this important field of heavenly usefulness has already been occupied. So great is the variety, that nearly all mental tastes, amongst our juvenile friends, can be satisfied. Our American brethren, and particularly the author of the above stories, have especially signalized themselves, by their successful exertions in this important department. The instructive subjects so ably discussed in the stories before us, are:"Temptation Resisted ;"—"The Word of God;"-"The Power of Kindness;" "The Freed Butterfiy;"—" The Broken Doll;"—"God is everywhere;"-"Honesty and Policy;"-" Slow and Sure."— Certain brief extracts which we intended to give, had our space permitted, would plainly show how well suited these little publications are to accomplish their intended purpose,-that of awakening and strengthening in children the moral and the spiritual life.

THE HAND-BOOK OF MESMERISM, for the Guidance and Instruction of all Persons who desire to practice Mesmerism for the Cure of Diseases, and to alleviate the Sufferings of their Fellow-Creatures, &c. By THOMAS BUCKLAND, late Secretary to the Mesmeric Infirmary. London: pp. 66. Mesmerism, as applied to the cure of diseases, and as a means of alleviating the sufferings of mankind, is now an established fact in science. It has, therefore, strong claims upon the attention of all who suffer, and of all who desire to see suffering and pain alleviated and removed. So many and so important are the facts, established by names of the most respectable authority, that Mesmerism, as a curative means, can no longer be doubted. It is in this light then, especially, and not as a means of somnambulism or clairvoyance, that we would recommend this little work to our readers. It is drawn up by an experienced hand, and gives, in a small compass, every thing essential to be known on Mesmerism as a science, and the benefits to be derived from its application. The discursive matter of many volumes the author has skilfully condensed, as well as the results of his own experience, into the small compass of a little manual, which will serve as a guide, not only to those who wish to become acquainted with the principles of Mesmerism, but also to those who wish to practice it for the benefit of others.

Died, on the 28th of October last, at Northom, near Bideford, Mr. Wm. Oke, aged 33, leaving a wife and four small children. Mr. Oke first became acquainted with the doctrines of the New Church through a conversation with Mr. Thomas Westcott, of Exeter, at the time the Rev. Thomas Goyder lectured there in 1840. He attended some of his lectures, with which he was much pleased. He removed soon after to Northom, his native place, and at the book-stall of Mr. J. Berry, in Bideford market (where many have first heard of the New Church, and learned some of its principal doctrines, and from whence tracts have been sent far and wide), he was presented with some of the works of E. S. This led to further con

versation, and the deceased soon became a receiver of the doctrines. He was not a talker, he lived in peace and good-will with all. Mr. Oke was one of the little flock first called together to hear a minister of the New Church in Bideford, at the house of Mr. G. Manning, at the time of the Rev. T. Chalklen's mission into Devonshire in 1846. (See Int. Rep. 1847, page 33.)

He attended the lectures of Mr. Chalklen in Bideford, and was truly delighted. He was a constant visitor at the house of Mr. J. Berry, Bideford, when his family could part with him, on Sundays; and his even temper and good conduct endeared him to all who came within his sphere. J. B.

Bideford, Nov. 10th, 1850.