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that which it supersedes. This New of the World." The Lecture was anChurch,' then, being the fulfilment of nounced by means of advertisement, and all which has preceded it, is of conse- questions after the Lecture were invited. quence the crown of all Churches; and, Two very intelligent and respectable as we believe, must increase and extend gentlemen of the assembly availed themtill it replaces all defective and erron- selves of this privilege and a very lively eous forms of religious belief. Its and highly interesting discussion ensued. growth and development must of necessity be gradual and slow, and will only be realized as the minds of men are prepared to receive its truths and to embody its life. In asserting the ultimate extension of this Church to all mankind, I am only stating the fulfilment of scriptural prophecy: The God of the whole earth shall He be called; and "The Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name One.'

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WIGAN. Since Christmas, a course of Sunday evening lectures has been delivered in the above town, six by Mr. Johnson, and one by Mr. David Fox of Manchester. It is very gratifying to find that public interest has been awakened in the town by this endeavour to spread the knowledge of the doctrines of the New Church. Another evidence of progress in this society is afforded by the growth of their day-school. here progress becomes an embarrassSOUTH LONDON. -The annual meeting ment, as it necessitates the enlargement of this Society was held on 22d January, of the school buildings, and as the Mr. E. Austin, the minister, in the society is small, and the members in chair. The reports submitted embraced humble circumstances, the attainment the numerous organizations connected of this desirable object becomes exwith the Church, and were considered tremely difficult. The managers have to be generally satisfactory. During issued a circular from which we give the year a ladies' committee had carried out a plan for receiving weekly offerings towards the liquidation of the debt on the edifice, by which means £32 was procured. In addition £133 had in different ways been obtained within the twelvemonths for the same object; and it was regarded as a gratifying evidence of the earnestness with which the members and friends had laboured to lessen the Society's liabilities; that whilst the building debt was three years ago £1040, it is now slightly under £500. The Society since its formation eight years ago, has raised the sum of £4200 towards carrying on its operations. Messrs. Braby, Brown, and Skelton were again chosen to represent the Society at the London New Church Association.

ST. HELIERS, JERSEY.-We learn from the letter of a friend that the Society at this place has elected the Rev. Mr. Chalken to its vacant pastorate. Mr. Chalken has entered upon the duties of his office, and is again we hope entering upon a course of useful labours in the great cause of the New Church.

ST. IVES, HUNTS.-On Thursday evening, Feb. 1, Mr. P. Ramage (of London) delivered the first of a series of Lectures in the above place, subject: "The End

some extracts. Without the assistance of their brethren in other societies, it is scarcely possible they should succeed in this important work. In their circular the managers say: "That the above day school was opened in January 1870. When the school had been opened nine months (during which period the average number in attendance was 157), Her Majesty's Inspector, John White, Esq., gave the following report :-The school is making a fair start. The discipline appears remarkably good, when allowance is made for the rather over-crowded state of the schoolroom. If the managers could enlarge their school accommodation, they would greatly facilitate both instruction and discipline.' When the second year of the school was completed in September 1871 (the average attendance for which year was 242, being 36 niore than the Council of Education allows), Her Majesty's inspector, W. S. Coward, Esq., sent the following report :-The master here is most zealous and painstaking, but his efforts will not be rewarded with the success they merit, while the present over-crowded state of his school continues to exist. The building must be enlarged, with a view to the separate instruction of the infants, and the services of a mistress must be secured.' The Council further supplemented Her

Majesty's Inspector's report with the following note:-The superficial area of the schoolroom and class-rooms is quite insufficient to admit the number of children in average attendance. Unless premises are enlarged so as to satisfy all the requirements of Article 17 (c), my Lords will feel themselves unable to renew the grant.' The managers hope, therefore, to receive a liberal support to assist them to extend the usefulness which they have shown in what they have already done. Not only is the school quite full, but scholars are being refused adinission at the rate of over 300

annually. Subscriptions may be received by, and any information may be had from, LL MASON, Treasurer, New Springs, Wigan; or EDWIN RUDD, Secretary, 3 Larches Cottages, Wigan.

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REV. J. J. THORNTON.-This esteemed minister, whose interesting letter appeared in our last number, preached twice on Sunday, February 11, at Argyle Square. His discourses were delivered in an impressive manner, and indicated a future of great useful ess in the Church he has just formally entered. His future appointments are for South London, Deptford, Accrington, and Hull; after which the Committee of the Missionary and Tract Society will be glad to receive further invitations for his services that he may become known and a home found for him amongst us.

THE NEW CHURCH AT KENSINGTON will be opened on Sunday, March 24th, and will be consecrated on Wednesday 30th, in the evening.

THE REVELATION.-A volume of sermons on the Apocalypse, by the Rev. T. Chalklen, was published about two years ago. A second volume, which brings the exposition up to the end of the book, is now ready for the press, and only waits for a sufficient number of subscribers to ensure the author against loss to secure its speedy publication. We hope that a valuable work on so in teresting and important a subject will not be allowed to remain uncompleted for want of the necessary funds, but that the members and friends of the Church will come forward, and in sufficient num

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January 20th, at the New Jerusalem Church, Heywood, by the Rev. R. Storry, Mr. Alfred Heywood to Miss Eliza Schofield, both of Heywood.

On January 23d, at the New Jerusalem Temple, Blackburn, by Mr. Walter Bates, brother-in-law of the bride, John James, only son of Mr. T. Pemberton of Blackburn, to Jane, youngest daughter of the late Mr. John North, of Melbourne, Derbyshire.

January 24th, At the New Jerusalem Temple, Salford, Mr. Edwin Herbert Booth to Miss Maria Madeline Merga.

Obituary.

At Chewton, Victoria, Australia, on October 9th, 1871, Annie, wife of Mr. Purchas, and daughter of Mr. James Thomson, late of Grey Street, Newcastleon-Tyne.

Was removed into the eternal world, on the 12th January 1872, in the 64th year of his age, Mr. Edward Freeman, of Mylne Street, Middleton Square, London. Mr. Freeman was a member of the Cross Street Society, and one of the most regular attendants for worship at that church for the last twenty years. Previous to his coming to London he resided at Framlingham, Suffolk, where he and his beloved wife (who survives him), received the doctrines from Mr. Baldry, and for some time afterwards, meetings for reading the writings were held alternately at their houses. Mr. Freeman was of a quiet, contented, and retiring disposition, consequently not extensively known even in the society to which he belonged, although he was frequently visited by the Rev. W. Bruce and the Rev. O. P. Hiller, during their respective pastorates of the Society. He was an affectionate husband, father, and friend, and has in many respects left an example worthy of all imitation.

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Ir may seem extraordinary that, on subjects on which man has the testimony of his own consciousness and experience, there should be much less certain knowledge, and less unanimity of opinion, than on such as come under his outward observation. There is more certain knowledge and more unanimity of opinion regarding the nature of the fixed stars than respecting the nature of the human soul; and the laws by which their motions are governed are much more clearly understood than are those by which human volition and action are regulated. Why is it that man is such a mystery to himself? that his own mind is a profound which he is least able to fathom, a maze where he is most liable to become bewildered? Two reasons may be assigned for this. First, man, created upright, has found out many inventions. He has gone out of the course for which he was created, and into which his Creator introduced him, and is not therefore obedient to the law of his nature, and cannot, consequently, be considered as subject to it. In the second place, he proceeds without the only true guide, endeavouring to discover by the light of his own reason what the light of Revelation can alone discover.

We do not say that on this or any other subject of religion the light of reason is to be discarded. Revelation without reason would not be more useful than reason without revelation. But, while both are necessary, revelation must ever be regarded as the teacher and reason the scholar, revelation the master and reason the servant.

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son thus submits to be instructed by the wisdom of God, it acquires by that very submission the power of perceiving divine truth, respecting which, when it asserts its own supremacy, it is totally blind. This submission of reason is to be understood as entirely different from the theological principle of the dark ages, that the understanding is to be kept under obedience to faith, a maxim which is grounded in the opinion that there is no necessary harmony between reason and revelation; on the contrary, that the unreasonableness of a doctrine may be an additional evidence of its truth. We believe, in opposition to this, that no truth can become a matter of faith until it has obtained the suffrage of reason, and been admitted into the understanding. At the same time we consider that true reason, or genuine rationality, can only exist from the united light of reason and revelation-of the works and word of God; and, consequently, that the reason which is derived from the light of nature alone, may be at variance with the principles of revealed religion, for in such reason the corrupt will of man lies infolded and concealed; and the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, carnalizes human reason.

The necessity of uniting the testimony of reason and that of revelation in order to arrive at the truth, is not more necessary on any subject than on that of free-will; for on this subject those who depend on reason alone, and those who trust to revelation alone, have, in many instances, arrived at the same conclusion-that man is a mere creature of necessity. The only difference between these two apparently opposite classes is, that they differ as to the ground on which they rest their opinions. The religious necessitarian denies free-will because it interferes with his notions of the omnipotence and all-sufficiency of God, and with the decrees of election and reprobation, and because he supposes it to encroach on the merit and righteousness of Christ, as implying that man can save himself, independently of the free grace of God.

The infidel necessitarian maintains that man can have no choice, because he must always be swayed by the strongest motive; that therefore the will is subject to the motive, not the motive to the will.

The inference which these two different classes draw from the doctrine of human impotence are as different as their reasons for maintaining it. The religionist concludes that, since God has reserved to Himself the power of turning the human will, and has yet pronounced a woe upon sinners, therefore the wicked shall die in their iniquity, although they have no power to forsake sin. The unbeliever concludes

that because the human will is not free, man is not accountable for evil, and therefore cannot be guilty of sin.

We would not have brought these opinions so prominently forward, but for the purpose of showing that the doctrine of fatalism, as we may call it, is supported on the one hand by false views of religious truth, and on the other hand by fallacious reasonings, accompanied by common errors as to what free-will really is. We shall therefore proceed to consider the nature of free-will, with the view of showing that, properly understood, it is in perfect agreement both with Scripture and

reason.

Free-will is the power of choosing between moral alternatives; and is a power which the human being has of choosing and acting agreeably to the dictates of his judgment. We do not include in free-will the power of distinguishing between good and evil, for this is a distinct power, which is proper to the understanding. Considered by itself, the power of distinguishing between good and evil constitutes rationality, while the power of choosing between them constitutes liberty. But these powers, although distinct in themselves, are so intimately connected, and so mutually dependent, that the one is nothing without the other. The will would not be voluntary without the understanding, and the understanding would not be rational without the will. The will can make no choice but by means of the intellect; for before we can choose between good and evil, we must know the distinction between them, and have some reason for preferring one to the other. On the other hand, the understanding could have no perception of opposites, nor be able to distinguish between them, but by an impulse of the will, for without the will the understanding would have no motive or end, and where there is no end, there is no action. Considered by itself, the will is rather an involuntary than a voluntary faculty, will in itself being mere blind impulse, which only acquires the power of determination by the perceptive understanding to which it is allied. In speaking of the faculties or powers of the mind, therefore, we have to consider that, although they may be distinguished, they cannot be separated; and that no action can be considered a voluntary action which is not the result of the united activity of will and understanding. Choice, which we ascribe to the will, is the act of a will which is in connection with understanding; for before the will can choose, the understanding must decide. Before good can be chosen, as good, it must be seen to be good-it must be approved by the understanding. To take an example. If the precept is presented

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