Worcester, containing on the great church with Hamstead stone was borne organ nine stops, on the swell nine stops, by Mr. Bloore, the builder, who also on the choir organ, which is recently gave a handsome money donation. The added, five stops, and on the pedals church and schools bear an appearance two, with all suitable couplers and com- of completeness, beauty, and adaptation position pedals. The cost of the build- to use which are not frequently met ing alone is over £6500, of which £3000 with in Birmingham Nonconformist was immediately subscribed by the churches." congregation, in sums varying from The Manual of the Birmingham £300 to 10s. In addition many valu- Society says:-The 22nd of November able presents have been made, notably 1876 will long be remembered by our several memorial windows, one an east Society as its greatest festival-the window, about 15 ft. by 20 ft., of which dedication of our church and schools to the principal subject is the Transfigura- the service of the Lord. The day was tion of our Lord. The pulpit is octa- fine, though cold. Long before the time gonal, and is wrought in a light red or for opening the doors friends began to purple stone; the sculpture in white arrive for the purpose of leisurely inCaen stone, the shafts supporting the specting the buildings and their various canopies in green marble. Round the appointments. Every part of the cornice is carved a wreath of the vine church was crowded, and 600 must and its fruit, and the capitals below are have been present. Such was the genecarved in symbolical foliages conven- ral interest excited that the invitations tionally treated. Six of the sides are issued by the Committee were accepted arranged so as to have three niches for by members of almost every important single figures,-Moses, Christ the Com- religious denomination in the town. forter, and St. John, the three larger Clergymen and ministers, with leading spaces being filled with groups repre- members of their congregations, came to senting the child Jesus disputing with show their kindly feeling, as well as to the doctors, our Lord preaching His see and hear for themselves. There were sermon on the mount, and the sending also present friends from London, Manforth of the twelve Apostles. The font chester, Derby, Bradford, Warrington, is octagonal in plan, and is wrought in Hull, Leamington, and Loughborough. Caen stone, supported by eight alabaster Mr. C. W. Perkins played the opening shafts, with a centre shaft of the same voluntary, and shortly afterwards the purple stone as in the pulpit. Upon officiating ministers, the Revs. E. these rests a clustered capital, enriched Madeley, Dr. Bayley, J. Presland, P. with water-lilies. In four sides of the Ramage, and R. R. Rodgers enteredbasin are quatrefoils, with emblematical Dr. Bayley carrying the Bible, which foliage; the remaining four sides have he laid open upon the Communion panels containing sculptured groups, the subjects being Christ blessing little children, the Baptism of Christ, the finding of Moses, and Christ showing a little child as an example to His disciples. Many other special gifts besides those referred to, and valued at £1700, have been made, in many cases by persons not attending the church. The whole of the gas-fittings, most beautiful Mr. Presland having offered up the in design, are one of these gifts, and the appointed prayer, the hymn, "With Communion rail is another. The Com- gladsome feet we press to Zion's holy munion cloth, a fine specimen of em- mount," was sung. Mr. Ramage read broidery, the gas fittings of the schools the First Lesson (1 Kings, viii.), and various rooms and offices, the clocks, after which came the anthem, "God the tea urns and china, the umbrella- who commanded the light to shine out holders, and various other useful and elegant articles, have all been so contributed. Whilst noting special gifts, we must not omit mentioning that the entire cost of casing the front of the Table. After a few moments of silent prayer, Mr. Madeley read the opening sentence, "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him," which was followed by the congregation chanting the 132nd Psalın. Dr. Bayley then delivered the revised address, appointed by the Conference to be used in the dedication of churches. of darkness" (E. J. Hopkins). Mr. Presland read the Second Lesson (Revelations xxi.), which was followed by the hymn, "To Jesus, God above, this temple now is given." Mr. Rodgers preached the sermon, taking for his text the words, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." His discourse was listened to with great attention, and was reported at considerable length in the newspapers of the following day, and has since been printed in a pamphlet form. After the offertory the hymn, "With one consent let all the earth," followed by the benediction, pronounced by Mr. Madeley, concluded the service. It was a great satisfaction to all that Mr. Madeley was able to be present, even though only able to take so small a part in the service. The organ voluntary “Fixed in His everlasting seat" (Handel), enabled the organist to display the grander qualities of the instrument. assembling in the school for the meeting On the following Sundays the services were conducted by the Rev. J. Presland, the Rev. P. Ramage, and the Rev. Dr. Bayley, the collections after which realized nearly £150-making, with the offertory on the first day, a grand total of £400 towards the debt of £500 which it was found existed on the day of opening. The appearance of the church with its crowded congregation, its many rich windows, through which came frequent gleams of welcome sunshine, its gas pendants and standards of polished brass, glistening like gold, its stately carved pulpit and font, its decorated organ fronts, its well-filled choir, and all NATIONAL MISSIONARY INSTITUTION. finished by the magnificent embroidered Mr. Gunton reports that during the Communion cloth, with the ornamental month of November he has visited rail and rich kneelings which surround Brightlingsea, Salisbury, Market Lavit, made up a picture the sight of which, ington, Bristol, Bath, and Wincanton. for the first time, was something to be His visit to Salisbury was a pastoral remembered. Many and warm were the visit, embracing two Sundays and one expressions of admiration, and the con- week-evening lecture. The services gratulations offered by the visitors to were announced by handbills, and the those who had invited their presence on attendance was satisfactory. The Society the occasion. The offertory amounted on this occasion contributed five pounds to £272, 4s. It was long after the service to the funds of the "Missionary and had concluded ere the friends had suffi- Tract Society." Several books were ciently satisfied their curiosity, and had sold, and others ordered. From Salisseen the whole of the details connected bury Mr. Gunton was driven to Market with the buildings, which were that Lavington, where a meeting was held in day solemnly dedicated to the service of Mr. Gauntlett's drawing-room, and the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. several persons by invitation came with their lanterns, as the house is about a mile from the town. These visitors included Mr. Samuel Saunders, a thorough and long-tried receiver of the doctrines. The meeting was a religious service, including an address on some of the leading doctrines of the Church. Several questions followed, and some books, including two copies of the Cares of the World, were sold. In the evening, tea was served in the lecture-room to above 300 friends. The room was prettily decorated with lacecurtains and a profusion of flowering plants. The tables, completely furnished with the various gifts, wore an air of comfort superior to what we have usually seen in our tea parties. After tea, the company adjourned to the church, where an organ recital was given, for the purpose of more fully exhibiting the varied effects of the instrument. The choir sang Mendelssohn's anthem, "Hear my Prayer," Miss Emma Beasley kindly taking the solo. On re On a previous visit to Market Lavington, says Mr. Gunton, I lectured in the hall generally used for such purposes, and on this occasion I was informed of a correspondence between one of our friends and a The meetings were well attended, about thirty strangers being present on the Friday, and about forty at each of the services on Sunday. Thirty copies of the "Silent Missionaries" were sold, and a good number of tracts and sermons distributed. On the Saturday evening I met the Committee, to consider what was wisest as an endeavour for the future. During this visit I also arranged for the Rev. T. Child to go over to lecture at Bristol on three succeeding Friday evenings, Dec. 1, 8, 15; subjects"Did God curse man?" "Will the natural body rise again?" "Is Hell eternal?" Respecting the first lecture, the Secretary of the Society writes me :"The subject was well handled by Mr. Child, who seems to be quite at home in this particular. Most of the sects I believe were well represented, and some of them provoked very interesting discussion; over one hundred were present, and fifty 'Silent Missionaries' sold. We have had a few strangers at church on Sundays since your visit." Member of Parliament, which took place From Market Lavington I proceeded as a result of these lectures. A few to Bristol, where one lecture and two brief extracts from this correspondence Sunday services had been advertised. may interest the readers of the Magazine. The Member of Parliament writing our friend, says: "I cannot be a party to any endeavour to teach the unlettered people I know not what, by I know not whom," to which our friend replies, "I feel that I should be merely begging the question if I did not recognize the fact, that what you do object to is the lectures delivered early in the year by Mr. Gunton, a New Church Missionary of London, and as it is supposed that I brought him here, and that I entertain the views he advocated, I have committed some very reprehensible act. I was very glad indeed to hear Mr. Gunton, and very glad that we had a lecture-room at our command, in which he could deliver the ennobling doctrines he entertains. Many families in the neighbourhood, as eminent as any for usefulness and uprightness, maintain the views advocated by Mr. Gunton, and regard them as deeply interesting and important. The Scripture says, Him that hath the Word let him speak the Word' and again, Freely ye have received, freely give. It would therefore have been a mere dereliction of duty had they not held the meetings referred to. Again, when you say, I know not what, and by whom,' I know you did not mean to be uncourteous, but I can hardly understand how any intelligent man can be quite ignorant of New Church or 'Swedenborgian' doctrines, and be entitled to say of them, 'I know not what.' If so, why infer that they are bad, and must be put down? It may be that upon inquiry you would have found that some of the doctrines so beautifully expressed by this Church, are already latent in your own mind, and as to 'I know not whom,' if you did not know the lecturer personally, you knew he was under my approval, and seeing that for fifty years past I have been carefully, thoughtfully, and sympathetically interesting myself for the welfare of the people, that my family were the means of supplying the hall, and that I have taken the principal burden of its support, you might have rested assured that there would have been nothing debasing in his influence; neither need you to have grudged me the liberty I have been the means of freely according to others." From Bristol I proceeded to Bath, where the Committee in remembrance of the services rendered at the time of Mr. Keene's death had arranged a tea meeting to welcome me. This meeting was well attended, and was presided over by the minister, Rev. T. Child. After the opening proceedings I was called upon to give some account of my missionary labours and of church matters in general, which I did, occupying about an hour and a half. Several other friends spoke briefly, and a very pleasant meeting was spent. Learning that Mr. Child would lecture on the Wednesday, I promptly sent for forty copies of the "Silent Missionaries," and a number of old Intellectuals and odd sermons. The latter were eagerly applied for after Mr. Child's very excellent lecture, and most of the books sold. After the lecture those who choose go from the church to the library, where a sort of conversational discussion is carried on, and which I noticed was under Mr. Child's management, admirably conducted, and calculated to be very useful. From Bath I proceeded to Wincanton, where two lectures had been announced, and where a few weeks ago Mr. Child had delivered the first lecture on the doctrines of the New Church. It is Dicks, the numbers being then augnoteworthy that several thoughtful mented to something over fifty. There gentlemen, under the leadership of Mr. were present on the platform the Rev. George Sweetman, who publishes a Dr. Bayley, Rev. J. Presland, Mr. G. monthly journal there, have united to- W. Thomson, Treasurer of the Union, gether under the title, if I remember and the Secretary, Mr. G. Trobridge, right, of "The Mutual Improvement jun. Union, and pointed out that it was in nowise to be looked upon as a rival or opponent of the already existing Sunday School Union at Manchester. The President then proceeded to deliver his inaugural address on the subject of "The Aims of the Union." As by special request this will appear in the pages of the Repository, it will not be necessary to do more than mention it here. It was listened to with great interest, and elicited considerable applause. On its conclusion the Rev. Dr. Bayley rose and addressed the meeting. He urged the importance of Sunday-school work, and the desirability of making the school a nursery for the Church. The duty of the New Church was to teach people to live, and the labour could not be commenced too early. Youth was the apprenticeship of life, and it was then that the best preparation could be made for a good and useful career. and New Church Inquiry Society," four The proceedings were commenced by local preachers being amongst the num- singing the 213th hymn, after which ber. It had been arranged that I should the Rev. Dr. Bayley offered up an apmeet these friends-I think twelve were propriate prayer. The minutes of the present-about an hour before the lec- preliminary meeting, held 3rd May 1876, ture, to speak upon some of the diffi- were read by the secretary, who also culties they had already met with-rather gave a short account of the origin of the a tax upon one's physical powers, when followed by a lecture and discussion. Mr. Sweetman, himself a Baptist local preacher, occupied the chair the first evening, and Mr. Pocock, another Baptist local preacher, the second evening. About one hundred were present on the first evening, and about two hundred on the second. The Baptist minister was present on both occasions, and was evidently a good deal disconcerted about something, although he seemed scarcely to know what. My first lecture was on the "Scriptural way of salvation,' which way I expressed in the words of the Lord and of His great apostle. But our friend evidently believes in substitution, and so read a string of passages which seem to him to prove it, such as, "The good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep," "Christ died for the ungodly,' ""He gave His life a ransom for many,' ," "He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all," etc. All these passages I explained, and several others, on the second evening. Both were really good meetings, as they aroused many from their slumbers, some to praise the Lord, and others to denounce men. Forty-five copies of the "Silent Missionaries were sold, and tracts and sermons distributed. The friends have invited Dr. Bayley for the present month. I hope he will go. LONDON NEW CHURCH SUNDAYSCHOOL UNION.-The inaugural meeting of the newly-constituted Union of the New Church Sunday-schools in London was held at Argyle Square Church, on Wednesday, 18th October 1876. Tea was served in the schoolroom at six o'clock, of which thirty-three friends partook; and at seven o'clock the chair was taken by the president, Mr. S. B. Mr. Speirs held that the instruction of the children of members should be made a special matter in Sunday-schools. He combated the idea that parents were delegating their duties by sending their children to Sunday-school, and spoke of the advantages of having trained teachers, and a proper classification according to age and abilities. The The Rev. Dr. Bayley could not see more reason in a parent keeping his children from Sunday-school than from Day-school. The advantages of experienced teachers was undoubted. Sunday-school, further, tended to the formation of worthy and lasting friendships; and was, indeed, a kind of opening in life where a child might learn something of his or her duties to the world at large. The President thought the special systems adopted at the various schools should be made known and discussed at the meetings of the Union. With regard to the children of members of the Church being sent to Sunday-school, he should like to ask if the parents as a rule did give their children a proper religious training. He feared that in many instances where the children were kept from school such was not the case. He thought that keeping children too much at home fostered selfishness, and engendered a feeling of exclusiveness and superiority. The Rev. J. Presland thought the meeting had amply vindicated the usefulness of the Union. He could not help contrasting the well-ordered system of secular education now in operation with the haphazard character of most Sunday-school work, which he hoped the Union would do much to improve. He believed that parents sometimes hesitated to send their children to Sunday-school from a want of confidence in the efficiency of the teachers. Now that secular education was so advanced, he felt it was more than ever important that properly qualified teachers should be found for Sunday-schools. Mr. Gray (Deptford) had entered the New Church at Deptford as a scholar in the Sunday-school; had subsequently become a teacher, and at length superintendent, which latter office he had held for eight years. In the course of his work he had often felt the need of counsel and assistance, which he hoped the Union would provide. After some remarks from Mr. Aspinall (Bradford), Mr. Kennedy (Manchester), and Mr. Barton, the proceedings were brought to a close. It was felt on all hands that the first meeting of the Union had been a great success, and augured well for its future prosperity. The next gathering will be at Camberwell on the 17th January 1877, when a paper will be read by the Treasurer, Mr. Thomson. SWEDENBORG READING SOCIETY.This Society met for the commencement of its ninth session at 36 Bloomsbury Street on Thursday, October 19th. There was a full attendance, and several new members were elected. The report of the Committee showed that the Society was in a healthy condition, and performing an excellent use. The following extract from the report may be interesting as illustrating the scope and The intention of the Society, and thus inducing others to join it and avail them. selves of its advantages. The report says: "The Society is now commencing its ninth session, having been established on the 15th October 1868. It has to a great extent been, so far, tentative in its proceedings, and is rather the embryo than the full development of what its members hope and believe it will ultimately prove. As its aims and uses, as well as its capabilities, become more generally known to those who read with appreciation the works of Swedenborg, and desire to see their universality of application exemplified and analysed, so will this Society increase in numbers and influence. It supplements and develops the value, whether of the pulpit, the Swedenborg Society, or any and all other existing means of spreading the invaluable truths taught by the great Philosopher and Seer. It opens a common ground on which believers in these truths can meet and discuss their bearings with those as yet in the earlier stages of inquirers or admirers only. The Society, in fact, meets a want of the age. doctrines of the New Church touch the world at all points. There is no subject they cannot enlighten, no truth they cannot amplify, no error they cannot correct. Whether it be theology, science, philosophy, literature, art, politics, or merely social matters they are brought to bear on, they give a breadth, a volume, and a scope that else were unseen and unfelt. Without doubt the great light of the Second Advent is dawning in the minds of all earnest and devout thinkers of the present day. The Lord has said, "Let there be light," and there is light. But it is not until such have read and studied the works of Swedenborg, and seen the power of the Divine word by their aid, that the great lights in the firmament are created, and the sun and moon rule in their respective spheres. To discuss these things, to see them in the light of many minds, to combine and develop their practical value, is the aim of the Society, and its career gives an earnest of power and capability that must be delightful to all who have the interest of the spread of these Divine truths at heart." subjects last session were all discussed carefully and temperately and in a most interesting manner. Among the sub The |