Advent. At that time all the members of the Church lived amongst one another as brothers, and also called themselves brethren. But in course of time charity decreased and finally vanished away. And when charity disappeared, evils succeeded in their place, and with evils errors crept in. Then arose schisms and heresies, which never would have existed if charity had continued to live and reign; for schism and heresy would not in that case have been called by these names, but they would have been called doctrines according to every one's opinions, which would be left to every one's conscience, provided he did not deny fundamental principles, which are, the Lord, eternal life, and the Word, and maintained nothing contrary to Divine order, that is, to the commandments of the Decalogue." 1 The sooner the Church returns to this its primitive state the better will it be for the cause of religion; and Christianity will become a greater and more beneficent power in the world.—I am, respectfully, W. BRUCE. SHANKLIN, Sept. 20. More courteous than his brother of the Times was the editor of the Daily News, who inserted a letter addressed to him offering a correction of some statements that appeared in his paper, although they formed part of a leading article. The writer of the corrective did not think it necessary to indulge in minute criticism, but to state broadly what are Swedenborg's teachings on the subject. The article appeared on the 20th of October, and the answer was inserted on the 23rd. SWEDENBORG AND SPIRITUALISM. (To the Editor of the "Daily News.") SIR,-In your article on a recent séance in to-day's paper you cite Swedenborg as holding a doctrine in conformity with "the most philosophical explanation of spiritualism at present before the world," and as illustrating the relation of spirits to tables and chairs." That "there may be worlds within worlds, and (that) a spiritual one of which we know little or nothing may be extremely near to us," may be accepted as agreeable to Swedenborg's teaching. But what you state on the authority of one of his commentators is not so near the truth. It is but justice to this great man, and to those who accept his teaching, and are sometimes called by his name, to allow him to state his own doctrine. His statements will also give "the reason why" of his doctrine, which you say "has not to our knowledge been explained by the seer." "There are present with every man both good spirits and evil spirits. By the good spirits his conjunction with heaven is effected, and by the evil his conjunction with hell. Through the agency of these two also he is placed in equilibrium; and being in equilibrium he has liberty, and can be withdrawn from evils and inclined to good; nor could he be endowed with liberty did not spirits from hell act from him on one side, and spirits from heaven on the other, man standing in the middle. The greatest care is exercised by the Lord to prevent spirits from knowing that they are present with man; for if they knew it they would speak with him, and then the evil spirits would destroy him. The angels of heaven, and also the spirits under heaven, know nothing of man, as man knows nothing of them, because the state of spirits and angels is spiritual and the state of men is natural. Those two states are consociated solely by correspondence, and consociation by correspondence causes them indeed to be together in affection but not in thought; and that which is not in the thought, but only in the affection, is not known, because it does not appear or is not seen. The Lord alone knows the thoughts of men." -Yours respectfully, B. Correspondence. (To the Editor of the “Intellectual Repository.”) THE NEW HYMN-BOOK. DEAR SIR,-I am delighted, as I am sure every New Churchman must be, at the labour of love which has marked the development and final completion of the New Hymn-Book. Comprising as it does some of the sublimest aspirations of the new age, and presenting a selection of hymns which for richness and variety are unequalled by those of any one other publication, it will doubtless become a household favourite. All who take the pains to compare a dozen of the best known hymns in this collection with previous versions will immediately rejoice at the improved tone of the sentiments conveyed; but few persons, I take it, who but casually apply themselves to literary pursuits can form any adequate conception of the immense labour bestowed upon alterations of lines demanding the most conscientious attention to propriety and harmony of thought, and at the same time the varied requirements of music. I would that we could show our appreciation of the committee's inestimable services in some practical way. Such a movement, if put forward from influential centres, would be cordially and spontaneously carried to a successful issue. The least we can do for the present is to show our gratitude by the immediate and general adoption of the Hymn-Book, not only for our churches, schools, and homes, but as a gift to every friend who, though not a fellowworshipper with one's self, may nevertheless as heartily respond to the power and beauty of these spiritual songs.-I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, H. W. ROBILLIARD. 16 RUE GODOT DE MAUROI, PARIS, December 8, 1880. THE ACADEMY. WE have received a communication from our friend and brother the Rev. J. F. Potts in reference to our answer to his previous letter, both of which appeared last month. We do not think it necessary to insert his present communication. He thinks we have represented the Academy. As we had no intention to do so, and are not only willing but desirous that any misapprehension that our remarks may have caused may be removed, we print such parts of our friend's letter as will give the best of all corrections, that of the Academy itself, as represented by its members in this country. Mr. Potts says: "I wrote to Dr. Tafel to ask him whether the Academy really did exact such conditions as you had stated, and to make my question as forcible as possible I expressed it in the following way: Would the Academy admit to examination and grant a degree to a person opposed to the Academy?' On receipt of my letter, Dr. Tafel called a meeting of the members of the Academy resident in this country, and after consulting together, they returned me the following answer: The opinion which a candidate for a degree might hold in respect to the Academy as an institution would not be the slightest hindrance or recommendation to him. Certainly no question on the subject would be put to him in examination, nor would his assent be required to anything not distinctly stated in the writings of the Church. The Academy does not bind any graduate to "obey its behests," nor does it interfere in any way with his private judgment."" Our friend further states that our surmise as to the change of title being an afterthought of the Academy is incorrect. Our alternative surmise that the Academy's Examiner in this country had mistranslated it is the correct one. But Mr. Benade has satisfactorily explained this. Dr. Tafel, he says, translated the original title into the corresponding English title. Hence B.D. instead of B.Th. JUVENILE BOOKS. OFF THE REEL. By LILIAN B. HUGHES. London: Speirs. 1880. WE are all born novelists, and act fiction before we are able to articulate it; for the imaginative faculty is one of the first that begins to be developed. We are not, however, all developed into writers of fiction, because it requires a variety of gifts besides the power of invention to enable one to write a good story. The author of the stories that form this handsome volume is evidently young, and she writes of and for young people. Most of the stories are short. Two of them are long, occupying more than half the volume. If they were written in the order in which they appear, the expansive rate at which they proceed bids fair for a three-volume novel at some not far distant period. Meanwhile we have reason to be satisfied with the present performance. The stories are very well told. Some few of the young characters are rather wise for their years, but this may only indicate that the author herself is precocious. Miss Hughes writes with a purpose, and her purpose is to show how the young are brought by the circumstances and events of life from a worse to a better state of mind-how evil is turned into good. She does not, however, preach, although there is here and there a gleam of purer than worldly light let in to lead to higher than worldly wisdom. We recommend the work as one suited for the entertainment and improvement of the young. TINY PLAYS FOR TINY PLAYERS. By R. T. GUNTON. Speirs. IN these days, when the social and domestic drama is so much in vogue, these plays may be turned to good account; and they appear opportunely at the present festive season. They are written with a good deal of dramatic taste, and, if we may venture to say so, with a view to stage effect. The tiny players that master them will show considerable talent and tact; for when three speakers have to chime in to complete a metrical line (or verse), they require to have their wits about them. The plays, as a whole, afford suitable means for the exercise of the young actors and for the entertainment of the audience. THOUGHTS ON CHRISTMAS. HAIL, Prince of Peace! We love Thy holy Name, Thy life, Thy mission-"Peace, goodwill on earth!" Lowly the shepherds-faithful in Thy sight- For Truth, though inly born, is as a child Till, in the conflict 'tween the Right and Wrong, A voice is heard above all human strife, "Lo, they are dead which sought the young child's life!" And Thou art Truth, O Dayspring from on high! Thy kindling presence visits ev'ry breast, O happy soul that welcomes Thy glad voice, H. W. ROBILLIARD. THEOLOGICAL TESTS IN "INTRODUCTION" AND MEMBERSHIP. MOREOVER (to continue our second point, the question of the rightness of theological tests in moral states, and specially, still, in regard to young people)-moreover, as mere teaching the principle of questioning as to personal faith in the thing taught is false: it creates a self-consciousness in relation to the truth which is prejudicial to its simple acceptance. The very essence of good teaching lies in its being affirmatively but rationally given. When this order is interfered with in these early stages of learning by appeals to personal beliefs a vicious disturbance is induced in the mind of the recipient, that affirmative simplicity which is the natural habitude of a young learner is marred if not destroyed, and his attention is directed rather to the profession than to the possession of the truth. If you have lodged in the young mind the thoughts you desire him to have, what else is there to do? Do your own teaching well and the natural instinct of the youthful affections will secure the rest: any retouching of such work which induces a misplaced self-scrutiny is the merest bungling, and you yourself with your meddling interference will be the first to interrupt his proper and happy affirmative state. Believe you? Of course he believes you; but to turn then on these affections and ask them deliberately whether they are sure that they are and mean to be true to what you have taught them is treason against your own work, against the divinely-ordered characteristically-recipient attitude of young minds, and against the truth itself which you have taught them. We turn now specifically to the subject of Subscription to Declarations of Faith as a test of church-membership. Every Society of the New Church in England has at last yielded to persistent pressure, and the secretary of Conference is now able to write, "All the Societies report that they require the Declaration of Faith to be signed by members on being admitted” (Min. of Conf. 1880). So that, in this matter, there has been a steady growth; and whether the principle once accepted shall or shall not find, in the future other embodiments than those in which it now asserts its existence, we cannot be said to be challenging in its mere incipience a practice which is confirmed by every Society in England; but we do challenge that confirmed practice as a vice, and as opposed to the spirit and teachings of the Church, notwithstanding the interpretation favourable to the practice which may be put upon Swedenborg's statement that doctrinal differences would not have existed if the Church had made love to the Lord and charity to the neighbour "the principal point of faith." A sufficient provisional answer to that inference from Swedenborg is that we are not talking of "principal points of faith," but about tests of faith-a difference wide enough to leave sufficient scope for wielding the axe against "tests" while "principal points of faith" are left untouched. The old fallacy of a doctrinal unity as the basis of the visible Church runs through this demand for signature to the Declaration of Faith. But then, must there be no doctrinal unity? Certainly; but where will that doctrinal unity exist? and will it be secured by tests? As just said, we are laying no violent hands upon the doctrinal unity of the Church, nor even so much as touching its source, when we deny any such unity of the visible organization, when we deny that if there could be such unity that would be the basis of a true visible Church, when we deny that such a basis of union, even if possible in fact, could ever be secured by tests. These are a wrong means towards an end that never should be sought. The only legitimate end is the building up of the Church as that Charity which is essential doctrine-a totally different thing from the demand for doctrine as the basis of Charity or of the Church in the hope that the doctrine may lead to Charity. But the latter mode, lifeless and fruitless as it is, has been the effort of the Church hitherto. We shall see when we come to quote from Swedenborg whether the quotations do not bear out the distinction here enforced. But to repeat:-The visible Church is a union of charities, a union by Charity, and therefore is Charity; the source of that Charity is expressible in doctrine as love to God and man; the doctrine of that Charity does not constitute the Church, but that Charity itself, which yet inevitably includes the doctrine whether consciously or unconsciously to the recipient; this Charity, therefore, being expressible as Charity or as doctrine, as a living emotion or as an intellectual belief, and since the emotion includes the belief and not vice versa, it becomes the Church's primary duty to address itself as far as possible to the securing of that emotion in order that |