CHAP. XI.

AFTER an interval of seven years, during which time no authorized General Conference of the New Church had been held, owing to causes which were neither foreseen, nor could easily be prevented, (though the Quarterly Meetings of the three London Societies had for some time taken the name of The London Conference) the Eighth General Conference was convened, with the approbation and consent of the several Societies in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and elsewhere. This was held in the New Jerusalem Church, Peter Street, Manchester, on Monday, the 14th of August, 1815=59, and four following days, chiefly for the purpose of taking into consideration the state of the Ministry, and of adopting such regulations as might be thought most likely to promote the welfare and prosperity of the Church at large. Mr. ROBERT HINDMARSH, of Salford, was on this occasion unanimously chosen President, and the Rev. RICHARD JONES, of Manchester, Secretary. {238} Four Ministers, and sixteen Delegates or Representatives from different Societies, were present, besides many other members of the Church resident in Manchester and its neighbourhood. A variety of letters having been received from Societies and individuals in different parts of the kingdom, and from the island of Jersey, these were laid in order before the Meeting, from the reading of which the members present derived the highest gratification, and could not help admiring the zeal, the affection, and the enlightened views, which dictated them. The information obtained concerning the state of the Church, the forms of worship, the times and places of meeting together, &c., was highly interesting and satisfactory; while the prospect of a more general extension the Lord’s kingdom on the earth, and a perceptible increase of heavenly love and charity among its various members, seemed to open in the minds of all present a new source of gratitude and delight.
The proposed Ordinances for the regulation of the Ministry in the New Church, submitted for consideration to the General Conference by the London Societies, were then read: after which the proposition, recommending a TRINE, or THREEFOLD ORDER, in the Ministry, having been maturely weighed, and found to be in agreement with the divine institution of the Representative Church, in which there were one High Priest, his sons, and the Levites; and with the example held out by our Lord in the appointment of twelve apostles, and seventy disciples, over whom he himself was the Head; and also with the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, in which it is declared, that, in order to the perfection of anything, there must be a Trine(*); it was Resolved Unanimously,
(*) See Exodus, chap. xxviii. and following chapters; Levit. viii. Numb. iii. 6 to 9; chap. viii. 22. 2 Kings xxiii. 4.– Luke vi. 13; chap. x. 1— Arc. Coel. n. 10,017. Tr. Chr. Relig. n. 10, 679. Coronis, n. 17.

“(1.) That the office of the Ministry in the New Church be formed into a Trine or Threefold Order: by which is understood, that there shall be three degrees of Ministers, answering to the three heavens; to the three constituent parts of man, the head, the body, and the feet; and to the three degrees of life in each.
“(2.) That the first or lowest degree of the said Trine consist of such persons as have been, or shall hereafter be, regularly ordained, or inaugurated into the office of the Ministry, and who are or shall be thereby empowered to exercise the usual functions of the Ministry, and shall not have the right of ordaining other Ministers.
“(3.) That the second or middle degree of the said Trine consist of such Ministers as, having been admitted into the first degree, are or shall be further empowered to exercise the office of Ordaining Ministers, and of regulating the general affairs of the New Church.
“(4.) And that in the first instance the office of the third or superior degree of the said Trine be held, and the duties thereof exercised, by one of the Ministers of the second degree, who shall be expressly invited by the other Ministers of the first and second degrees, with the concurrence of a General Conference, to act as Minister Superintendant over and in behalf of the New Church at large.{239}

The Conference next proceeded to take into consideration the qualifications proper for a Minister of the New Church; and, after giving the subject the attention which its importance demands, and the present infant state of the Church requires, it was Resolved Unanimously,

“(5.) That no person be considered as eligible to the Ministry of the first degree, unless he be at least twenty-two years of age; have been previously baptized into the faith of the New Church; have received the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with some one of her Societies; be of exemplary life and character; and have also made an open and full acknowledgment of the divine inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures, and of his cordial reception of the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem, as revealed by the Lord in the Theological Writings of his servant, Emanuel Swedenborg: And further, unless he be recommended by at least one regularly Ordained Minister, and some Society or Societies of the New Church, in which he has exercised his talents as a Leader or Teacher a sufficient length of time to enable them to judge of his public usefulness.
“(6.) That no Minister of the first degree be considered as eligible for admission into the second degree, until he have officiated seven years in the first degree, nor until he have received the full consent of the major part of the Ministers constituting the second degree, whose duty it will be, after examination as to his age, qualifications, and suitableness for the office, to present him to the Minister Superintendant for his approbation and concurrence, to be by him consecrated a Minister of the second degree; but if disapproved of by the Minister Superintendant, in such case the latter shall have the power of refusing to consecrate him.
“(7.) That after the death or resignation of the first Minister Superintendant, the Senior Minister of the second degree shall then, and on every future vacancy, succeed to the office; such Seniority being estimated from the time of his entrance into the second degree.
“(8.) That, in addition to the qualifications already specified, it be strongly recommended to every Minister, and to every candidate for the Ministry, if unacquainted with the learned languages, to acquire a competent knowledge of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; of the Hebrew and Greek, for the sake of reading the Word of the Old and New Testament in their original languages; and of the Latin, for the sake of reading the exposition of both in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.”

Another Resolution was also passed, recognizing four persons as Ministers of the second degree, having authority to admit by ordination such candidates for the Ministry, as may be properly qualified and approved of.
The establishment of a Missionary Ministry having been long considered by the members of the New Church generally, as a most desirable object, calculated, through the Divine Providence, to disseminate the blessings of the new dispensation both extensively and effectually; after full deliberation, and with a sincere desire to contribute as much as possible towards this great and beneficial end; it was Resolved Unanimously, That it is expedient that a fund be raised to defray the expenses of such Missionary Ministry, which shall consist of approved persons properly qualified to travel through Great Britain, for the purpose of visiting the different Societies already in existence, of forming new Societies, and of proclaiming to the inhabitants of this country at large, the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem. To effect this, small weekly contributions were recommended to all the Societies throughout the kingdom; and the Rev. J. Proud was requested to undertake the duties of a Missionary as soon as he conveniently could. {240}
The Conference further taking into consideration the great advantages and benefits to society likely to arise from the establishment of New Jerusalem Sunday Schools; and being fully convinced, that the insemination of divine truth in the infant mind, in a way accommodated to its tender capacity, before it has imbibed the seeds of religious error, or the first principles of a false and dangerous faith, is of the utmost importance to the future growth and prosperity of the New Church, unanimously came to the following Resolution: That it be earnestly recommended to every Society of the New Church, whenever and wherever practicable, to open Sunday Schools for the instruction of youth in reading and writing, and even (if convenient) in the first and most useful rules of arithmetic; in the just obligations they are under to society in a moral and civil point of view; and especially in their religious duties, which may be all comprised in the fear of the Lord, and love one to another.
After some other regulations the Meeting closed, and the next General Conference was appointed to be held in London, on Tuesday, the 16th of July, 1816=60.

From the great benefit which the lower classes of the community have of late years derived from Sunday schools, both in and out of the New Church, it will, no doubt, be acceptable to the reader to see an account of their origin, which was as follows:- About the close of the year 1781, or the beginning of 1782, Mr. Robert Raikes*, a printer, residing in Gloucester, reflecting on the miserable appearance of many poor children, who crowded the streets in a state of wretchedness and idleness, without the means of instruction or improvement of any description, happily conceived the idea of rendering them useful instead of dangerous members of society, when grown up to years of maturity, by providing for them in their infancy and youth such kind of education as might be suitable to their humble condition in life, and in a way too, which at the same time he little thought would be productive of so much good, as he afterwards found it to be, when his plan was gradually and generally adopted by the charitable and benevolent in every part of the kingdom. The circumstances which led to the institution of Sunday schools, shall be stated in his own words. In a letter to a gentleman, who had applied to him for the particulars of the nature and origin of his plan, he thus writes:
* Vide p. 107.- ED. {241}

“Some business leading me one morning into the suburbs of the city, where the lowest of the people, who are principally employed in the pin manufactory, reside, I was struck with concern at seeing a group of children, wretchedly ragged, at play in the street. I asked an inhabitant whether those children belonged to that part of the town, and lamented their misery and idleness. ‘Ah! Sir, (said the woman to whom I spoke,) could you take a view of this part of the town on a Sunday, you would be shocked indeed; for then the street is filled with multitudes of these wretches, who, released on that day from their employment, spend their time in noise and riot, playing at chuck, and cursing and swearing in a manner so horrid as to convey to any serious mind an idea of hell rather than any other place. We have a worthy Clergyman, (said she) Minister of our parish, who has put some of them to school: but upon the Sabbath they are all given to follow their inclinations without restraint, as their parents, totally abandoned themselves, have no idea of instilling into their minds principles, to which they themselves are strangers.’ I then inquired of the woman if there were any decent, well-disposed women in the neighbourhood, who kept schools; and I was presently directed to four. To these I applied, and made an agreement with them to receive as many children as I should send on the Sunday, whom they were to instruct in reading and the Church Catechism. For this I engaged to pay them a shilling for their day’s employment. The women seemed pleased with the proposal. I then waited on the Clergyman before mentioned, and imparted to him my plan. He was so much pleased with the idea, that he engaged to lend his assistance by going round to the schools on a Sunday afternoon, to examine the progress that was made, and to enforce order and decorum among such a set of little heathens. This, Sir, is the commencement of the plan. A woman, who lives in a lane where I had fixed a school, told me sometime ago, that the place was like a heaven upon Sundays, compared with what it used to be.”

It may suffice to state further, that through the medium of the newspaper, printed and published by Mr. Raikes, publicity was given to the plan of establishing Sunday Schools, in Mr. Raikes’s own modest and unassuming manner. A gentleman in Lancashire, on seeing it in the papers, wrote immediately to Mr. Raikes on the subject; and the extract, which is here given, is from the letter he received in reply.

“Sunday-schools were speedily established in various parts of Great Britain: they were also introduced in New York in 1814, and Philadelphia in 1815. Indeed, wherever the English language prevails, as well as among nations of a different tongue, Sunday Schools are to be found; and where these exist, the means are given for the extensive promulgation of truth.”*
* Vide p. 107.- ED.

It is a remarkable coincidence, that the Society established in Manchester for printing and publishing the whole of the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, commenced about the same period, as that Society dates its first public transactions in 1782. And a similar Society was instituted in London in the year 1783. Thus at the very time when these heavenly doctrines were about to be introduced into the British empire in the language of the people, they having been originally written in Latin, provision was made, by extending the benefits of education to every class of the community, that the poor, as well as the rich, might enjoy all the advantages arising from the new dispensation of mercy and truth, now opening upon the inhabitants of the earth. {242}

A Treatise concerning the Godhead of Jesus Christ, translated from the French, having been inserted in the Arminian Magazine, at the particular desire of Mr. Wesley, a few months before his death, the Printing Society of Manchester, finding it to be in agreement with the doctrines of the New Church on that subject, thought it might be useful to reprint the same in a separate pamphlet, for the purpose of circulating it among the people called Methodists. This was accordingly done under the following title: “The Sole Divinity of Jesus Christ proved, in a work extracted from the Rev. John Wesley’s ‘Arminian Magazine,’ vol. xv.; by which it appears, that the sentiments of Baron Swedenborg, and Mr. Wesley, were in exact agreement on that important subject. In consequence of this proceeding, a violent attack was made on the Printing Society, by one of Mr. Wesley’s followers, and inserted in the “Leeds Mercury” of Oct. 7, 1815; of which the following is a copy:

“BARON SWEDENBORG.

“To the Publishers of a Pamphlet lately printed, entitled, ‘The Sole Divinity of Jesus Christ proved, in a Work extracted from the Rev. John Wesley’s Arminian Magazine, vol. xv.; by which it appears, that the Sentiments of Baron Swedenborg, and Mr. Wesley, were in exact Agreement on that important Subject.”

“Gentlemen,
“The theological sentiments of the late Rev. John Wesley were so far from being ‘in exact agreement’ with those of the late truly enthusiastic Baron Swedenborg, that they were altogether as different from them as sound divinity is from nonsense; and they were every way as superior to them as truth is to the whims and imaginations of a distracted fanatic. Hence I infer, that by uniting the name of the celebrated WESLEY with BARON SWEDENBORG, you will ultimately ruin the cause which you intended to support, and will induce the sensible part of your readers strongly to suspect, that you are far from being the ‘Society of Gentlemen’ you have given yourselves out to be.
“Yours, &c.
“A WESLEYAN FOLLOWER.”
Skipton, Oct. 5, 1815.”

To this wild philippic the following temperate and most satisfactory answer appears in the same paper for Nov. 4, 1815.

“BARON SWEDENBORG.

“An advertisement having appeared in the Leeds Mercury, of the 7th Oct., addressed to the publishers of a pamphlet, entitled, ‘The Sole Divinity of Jesus Christ proved, in a Work extracted from the Rev. John Wesley’s Arminian Magazine, vol. xv.; by which it appears, that the Sentiments of Baron Swedenborg and Mr. Wesley are in exact Agreement on THAT important Subject;’ and it being therein stated by the writer, who styles himself A Wesleyan Follower, that the theological sentiments of the late Mr. Wesley were far from being ‘in exact agreement’ with those of Baron Swedenborg, although, from a comparison of the extracts taken from the said Magazine with the doctrines maintained by the Baron, it would be difficult for any one to point out their disagreement; the publishers of the pamphlet in question beg leave to communicate to the public at large, through the same channel as that which conveyed to them a charge of disingenuity and unfair conduct, the reasons which induced them to hope, that Mr. Wesley, previous to his death, had acknowledged the Sole Divinity of our blessed Lord, and that he was desirous of recommending to his followers a doctrine, which is plainly taught in the Sacred Scriptures, and which constitutes the very life and soul of the true Christian religion.
“A short time before the decease of the late Mr. William Illingworth, of Keighley, who for many years had been a class-leader and steward among the people called Methodists, but who afterwards embraced, and died in the full acknowledgment of, the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem, it was his earnest desire, that the members of the society to which he formerly belonged, and for whom he always expressed the most sincere affection, should be undeceived with respect to the character and doctrines of the late Baron Swedenborg, against whom the voice of prejudice, misrepresentation, and calumny, had been so unjustly raised, and so industriously kept alive. {243} He had read, in the Arminian Magazine, a Treatise concerning the Godhead of Jesus Christ, translated from the French; and it appeared to him, that the sentiments there inculcated were so much in agreement with the doctrines taught by Baron Swedenborg, but above all, so perfectly consistent with the Holy Word of the Lord, that he was anxious to see both the one and the other published in a small and cheap form, for the benefit of the people among whom he had received his first impressions of religion. For this end he applied to the ‘Society of Gentlemen,’ in Manchester, who have long felt it their duty to print, and circulate in the world, the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem; and, after stating to them the probable benefits likely to accrue to society at large from the publication of the French Treatise, as given in the Arminian Magazine, he requested, almost with his dying breath, that this small pamphlet, containing the most undeniable proofs of the Supreme Divinity of Jesus Christ, both from Baron Swedenborg and from Mr. Wesley’s Magazine, might be immediately put into general circulation.
“In consequence of this strong recommendation, the ‘Society of Gentlemen,’ engaged in the publication of Baron Swedenborg’s Works, procured that volume of Mr. Wesley’s Arminian Magazine, which contains the French Treatise alluded to. And it was not without considerable surprise, as knowing that Mr. Wesley’s former sentiments on the Divinity of Jesus Christ were by no means in agreement with the French author, that they found the work introduced to the reader’s attention by the following remarkable notice, given by the Editors of the Arminian Magazine: It was the PARTICULAR DESIRE of Mr. Wesley, a few months before his death, that this Treatise should be inserted in the Arminian Magazine’
“What now are the public to understand by this distinct and emphatic notification? And what could be the design of the Editors of the Magazine in giving it, as a preparative to the reader’s entering upon the subject? What, but to assure him, that the sentiments of the French author on the Supreme Divinity of Jesus Christ, and the sentiments of Mr. Wesley on the same subject, were in perfect agreement with each other? But the sentiments of the French author are evidently the same as those of Baron Swedenborg. It follows, therefore, incontestibly, if we give credit to the representations of the Editors of the Arminian Magazine, of the truth of which there can be no doubt, that the doctrine maintained by Baron Swedenborg, and the doctrine recommended, and of course believed, by Mr. Wesley in his last hours, are ‘in exact agreement, on this important subject’ of our Lord’s Divinity. And let it be remembered, that it was on this point, and this alone, that the similarity or agreement of sentiment between Baron Swedenborg and Mr. Wesley was announced in the title-page of the pamphlet complained of.
“Why then has the gentleman, who subscribes himself a Wesleyan Follower, been so unkind, so uncivil, in his animadversions on the conduct of men, who have no other aim, no other object in view, by the publication of Baron Swedenborg’s Writings, than to promote the knowledge, the love, and the worship, of the One true God, Jesus Christ; and, as the certain consequence of this, the final happiness of their fellow-creatures? We will not, we dare not, retort upon an adversary the terms of reproach, with which he thinks proper to assail so venerable a character, as that of Baron Swedenborg. We only lament, that men, professors of the meek religion of Jesus, are still to be found, who do not think it beneath them to run down the aged, the pious, and the wise, with the illiberal cry of ‘enthusiast,’ ‘distracted fanatic,’ &c. &c., as though they had forgotten, that similar aspersions, with similar impotence of effect, were applied by the Jews of old, even to the Saviour of the world himself. For while ‘many said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil: can a devil open the eyes of the blind?’ John x. 20, 21.
“The readers of the Leeds Mercury, and the public in general, will therefore, we trust, exculpate us from the charge of misrepresenting the last best sentiments of Mr. Wesley, when they consider that it was his ‘particular desire’ to circulate among his people that same doctrine of the Supreme Divinity of Jesus Christ, which the Writings of Baron Swedenborg, from first to last, are so uniform in maintaining. And if in this respect we have been inadvertently led into any error, we appeal for justification to the Editors of the Arminian Magazine themselves, who by their preliminary declaration had given us distinctly to understand, that Mr. Wesley approved of the sentiments contained in the French Treatise.

“A SOCIETY OF GENTLEMEN.” {244}

“Manchester, October 23, 1815.”

Whatever may have been Mr. Wesley’s real sentiments on the person and character of the Lord Jesus Christ, a short time previous to his death, this is certain, from the whole tenour of his writings, doctrines, and discourses, as published by himself that, during the long course of his public Ministry, he regarded him not as the Sole or Supreme God, to whom all adoration is due, but as a Being of inferior order, for whose sake the Great Object of worship ought to be addressed. In one of his discourses, delivered in the City Road Chapel, London, on the subject of prayer to Jesus Christ, I heard him express himself in nearly the following terms: “During my experience (said he) for more than forty years, I have uniformly observed, that when a sinner is first convinced of the error of his ways, and begins with a penitent heart to seek the salvation of his soul, he directs his prayer and supplication immediately to Jesus Christ; and after a time, when he has been better instructed in the true doctrines of Christianity, he makes his direct approach to the Father himself. But (continued he) I make this further observation, That they who pray to Jesus Christ are but shallow in religion (his very words). I advise, therefore, that you come along with me to God the Father, leaving Jesus Christ behind: for this is the very essence of Christianity, and the point to which it leads, as the perfection of all worship.”
I own I was much surprised to hear such language from the lips of one, who was reputed by many to be a strenuous advocate for the Divinity of Jesus Christ, in opposition to the doctrines of Arianism and Socinianism. And yet it would be difficult to point out the difference between the advice given by Mr. Wesley, and that which might be expected from the professor of Unitarianism. For if it be a proof of “shallowness in religion” to pray to the Saviour himself, and of the “perfection of all worship” to address the Father alone, then the Unitarians, including both Arians and Socinians, are still in the truth, notwithstanding the outcry that has been raised against them by the Trinitarians of all ages. But the fact is, as truly stated by Emanuel Swedenborg, in his True Christian Religion, n. 380, “That every faith, which departs from the one only true faith, and teaches men to climb up some other way, than by him who is the Door of the sheepfold, is no better than that of ‘a thief and a robber,’ John x. 1, 9. Such spurious, illegitimate, and adulterous faith can only abide with those who regard the Lord, not as God, but only as a Man. This (continues he) is evident from the two wicked heresies of Arius and Socinus, which were anathematized in the Christian Church, and excommunicated from it, in consequence of denying the Divinity of the Lord, and climbing up some other way. But (he adds) I am afraid that those abominations still lie concealed in the hearts of the generality of Church-members.” The reader will do well to consult the whole passage, and then form his own opinion of the Antichristian sentiments here condemned. {245}
If it be indeed true, as Mr. Wesley states, that converts to religion do at first very generally address their prayers to the Saviour himself, and not to either of the other supposed Persons in the Godhead, it may be considered as a proof, that their minds are at that time more open to heavenly influences, than afterwards, when they begin to think and reason from the false doctrines, which are continually instilled into them from the pulpit. A sense of their own unworthiness, and of the guilt they have contracted from a life of evil, joined to the desire of shunning for the future those sins which they are conscious of having committed, may no doubt form within them the groundwork and beginning of true religion. This state of mind in the new converts immediately begets a degree of conjunction with the Saviour himself as the true God of heaven, by whom the spirit of humility, and the desire of repentance, have been inspired; in consequence of which they are providentially led to think of, and pray to, Him alone, who has been standing at the door of their hearts, and knocking for admission, and who now presents himself before them as their adorable Redeemer and Deliverer, the sole Fountain and Giver of eternal life. Thus from the very circumstance, regarded by Mr. Wesley as a proof of shallowness in religion, in mistaking the true Object of worship, namely, that of converted sinners at first addressing their prayers to Jesus Christ alone, instead of the Father, may be justly inferred the more safe conclusion, that they have then found the Object of their first love, from which they should never afterwards depart, and that they are fully justified in exclaiming with Thomas in the Gospel, “My Lord, and my God!” John xx. 28.
But let us view the subject a little closer, and put Mr. Wesley’s doctrine into another form. When the Saviour of the world says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest,” Matt. xi. 28; the Reverend John Wesley, Master of Arts, and late Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, says “No; come along with me to God the Father, and leave Jesus Christ to preach to those who are only ‘shallow in religion.'” When again the Saviour says, “Abide in me, and I in you; for without me ye can do nothing: if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you,” John xv. 4, 5, 7; the Reverend John Wesley, Master of Arts, and late Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, says, “Oh, no; we can do better than abide in Jesus Christ; we can go beyond him to a superior Being, the Fountain of all power, and the Source of all protection.” And lastly, when the Divine Saviour Jesus Christ assures us, that “he that seeth him seeth the Father,” John xiv. 9; that “all things that the Father hath, are his,” John xvi. 15; nay, that he and the Father are One,” John x. 30; and consequently that from him, when glorified, proceeds “the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, and the Comforter of his people,” John xiv. 16 to 18, 26; chap. xv. 26; chap. xvi. 7, 13 to 15; the same Reverend John Wesley is virtually heard to say, “How can that be? {246} Is not the Father greater than the Son? And is it not the privilege of believers to go immediately to their God and Father who is at the same time the God and Father of Jesus Christ?’ How then can the Christian’s worship be complete, or how can the perfection of religion be realized, in any other way, than by the direct worship of the Father, that thus God (not Jesus Christ) may be all in all?”
Such is the kind of language, which must spring from the heart of all those, who either divide the Godhead into Three Persons, or else deny the supreme and exclusive Divinity of the Saviour. They must eventually, if they persevere in their errors, extracting from the Scriptures certain expressions, ill understood, which seem to countenance their respective hypotheses, and overlooking others which are a key to the rest, of necessity look up to some other Being for final happiness, than to Him, who expressly invites men to “come unto him,” Matt. xi. 28; John vii. 37; and who adds, that every true worshiper actually “doth come unto him,” John vi. 45; who likewise solemnly declares, that he possesses “all power in heaven and in earth,” Matt. xxviii. 18; that he is the “Fountain Head and Giver of eternal life'” John v. 26, 40; chap. vi. 35; chap. x. 28; chap. xi. 25; chap. xiv. 6; that he is “Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, Who Is, Who Was, and Who Is To Come, the Almighty,” Rev. i. 8, 11, 17; chap. xxii. 13.
After all that has been said, it is fervently hoped, that Mr. Wesley in his latter days had seen reason to change his opinions concerning the person and character of the Lord; and that, having well considered the contents of the French Treatise, which had providentially fallen into his hands, he found himself impressed with the conviction, that the doctrines heretofore taught by him, and generally received by his people, were not such as he could wish to recommend with his dying breath, because not in agreement with the divine testimony of the Holy Word. It is therefore possible, and by no means improbable, that the sincerity of his heart, and an earnest desire to know the truth, especially on such an all-important subject as that of the Sole and Exclusive Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, may have laid the foundation of a more enlightened understanding, and a more sound judgment in spiritual things. Under these circumstances, let us charitably hope, that Mr. Wesley did really and truly, towards the close of his life, acknowledge this fundamental doctrine of the true Christian Church; and that, being anxious to communicate to the people with whom he was connected, his full conviction of its agreement with the genuine sense of Divine Revelation, he made it his particular request to the Editors of the Arminian Magazine, that they would insert in their monthly publication an exact copy of the French Treatise, which had yielded so much satisfaction to his own mind, and which might perhaps be equally well received by many of the professors of Methodism. {247} He is, however, now gone to his final account; and, as before observed, it is to be hoped, that his last best thoughts and affections have been the means of introducing him into the society of those angels and blessed spirits, who continually surround the throne of heaven, and with a loud voice proclaim their adorable God and Saviour, saying, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain (heretofore denied in the Church,) to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing,” Rev. v. 12. May those, who describe themselves as “his followers,” imitate the bright example of their leader; and then with him they will be prepared to join the happy, glorious throng above, and from the fulness of their hearts to say, “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever,” Rev. v. 13; that is, unto the Divinity and the Divine Humanity united in the One Glorified Person of the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It was before stated, that the establishment of a Missionary Ministry had long been regarded by the members of the New Church generally, as a most desirable object; and that the Conference held at Manchester, in the year 1815, passed various Resolutions expressive of its sense of the great importance of such an institution, which, under the divine blessing, cannot fail to be productive of much good. By sending out properly qualified Ministers to different parts of the kingdom, especially to those populous towns and villages, where as yet the doctrines are in a great measure unknown, and by repeating those visits as frequently as possible, and at the same time distributing catalogues and small introductory tracts at the conclusion of each discourse, no doubt can be entertained but the seeds of divine truth, thus scattered upon every kind of ground, will in many cases meet with a due reception, and in process of time bring forth fruit, “some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, and some thirty-fold.” For although the country in which we live, may bear the name of Christian, and be actually in the possession of a Divine Revelation, yet how little of the true spirit of that Revelation is still known! How ignorant are the inhabitants in general of the TRUE GOD, his nature, attributes, and person! And how essential is it, that the mists of spiritual darkness, which have so long interrupted the beams of heavenly light proceeding from the Sun of Righteousness, should be dispersed, in order that the glorious truths of the new dispensation may be seen and acknowledged, and that the kingdom of peace and love may be universally established in heart and in life! {248} The New Church must not be confined to a corner of our land; the talents of her Ministers must not be buried in the earth; and her lamp must not be suffered to burn under a bushel or a bed: but a holy zeal, united with wisdom and sound judgment, ought henceforth to actuate both Ministers and people, societies and individuals, while each one, casting his mite into the treasury of the temple, using the means providentially put into his power, earnestly endeavours to promote the true spiritual welfare of his neighbour, and thus to prepare him for a joyful entrance into “that holy city, the New Jerusalem, now descending from God out of heaven.”
In consequence of these considerations, and the Resolutions passed by Conference, the two adjoining Societies of Manchester and Salford associated together, for the purpose of giving effect to the measures which had been thus recommended. And in the month of October of the same year they issued a circular, to which were annexed Resolutions detailing the plan which they were about to adopt for themselves, of collecting weekly, monthly, and quarterly subscriptions. These Resolutions and Circular were as follows:

“Missionary Ministry, for the propagating the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem through the United Kingdom.

“It having been recommended by a late General Conference of the Ministers and other members of the New Church, to the different Societies in the kingdom, to establish a Missionary Ministry, for the purpose of spreading through the country at large the knowledge of the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem, and to raise a fund, by small weekly contributions, for the support of the same; the Society belonging to the Church in Peter Street, Manchester, and that belonging to the Temple in Bolton Street, Salford, met together this day in the first-mentioned place, to take into serious consideration the said recommendation of the General Conference (Mr. Robert Hindmarsh in the chair); when it was Resolved Unanimously,
“1. That it is the opinion of this Meeting, that the establishment of such a Missionary Ministry, to consist of persons properly qualified to preach and propagate the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem, is an object that merits the support of every member of the New Church.
“2. That contributions of One Penny per week, or more, be solicited not only from the members of each Society, according to their several abilities, (and without detriment to their other subscriptions in support of their respective places of worship,) but also from such other persons as may be thought friendly to the object in view, and desirous of aiding the proposed fund, either by weekly or other occasional donations.
“3. That for this purpose each of the Societies now present take the earliest opportunity of appointing from among themselves twelve persons to be Collectors of the said contributions; that such twelve persons, when appointed, arrange their respective Societies into twelve portions and classes, according to local or other circumstances; and that they regularly collect the weekly, monthly, or quarterly contributions, and pay the same at the end of each quarter into the hands of a Treasurer to be appointed by themselves, who shall then pay the whole quarterly amount into the hands of Mr. William Lockett, Deansgate, Manchester, the Treasurer appointed by the General Conference.
“4. That a General Committee, consisting of seven persons, not Ministers, (any three of whom shall be competent to act,) be now appointed, who shall have the management and application of the fund to be raised as above, until the next General Conference, which will be held in London, on the 16th of July, 1816=60. {249}
“5. That the said General Committee consist of the following persons, viz:
Mr. JOSEPH LOCKETT,        Mr. R. P. LIVINGSTON,
Mr. RICHARD BAXTER,        Mr. WILLIAM LIVESEY,
Mr. JOHN BARGE,            and
Mr. FRANCIS DAVIS,        Mr. JOHN PRINCE.

“6. That these Resolutions be printed, and sent to the different
Societies in the United Kingdom, accompanied with a recommendation to adopt similar Resolutions, if approved of by them.
“ROBERT HINDMARSH, Chairman.”

“Manchester, Oct. 18, 1815=59.”

“CIRCULAR.

“The Members of the New Church in Manchester and Salford, conceiving it their duty to promote, according to their power, the measure proposed and recommended by the last General Conference, viz., the establishment of a Missionary Ministry, for the purpose of proclaiming to the inhabitants of this kingdom the everlasting gospel of the sole and exclusive Divinity of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, and the necessity of living in obedience to his commandments, have this day united together to give effect to the said recommendation, which has not failed to excite among them an interest dear to their hearts. On giving the subject a deliberate and full consideration, it has appeared to them, that, were the different societies in the kingdom generally to unite in the same cause, and to promote among themselves small weekly, monthly, or quarterly donations, a fund might soon be raised, sufficient to enable at first one Minister to go forth, as a Missionary or Ambassador in the name of his DIVINE MASTER, and in process of time, as the fund increased, two, three, or more Ministers, who might all be most usefully employed in different parts of the same new vineyard.
“It is with a view to this end, and to the future prosperity of the New Church at large, that the two Societies of Manchester and Salford have met together as above stated, and entered into such Resolutions as they conceived most proper to be adopted on the occasion. These Resolutions they are also desirous of communicating to their brethren of the New Church, wherever situated: and though they wish not to dictate to others any particular course of proceeding, they yet humbly hope they may express their conviction, that the measures, which are likely to prove effectual in one place, will be found equally beneficial in another.
“So far, therefore, as the annexed Resolutions may appear calculated to promote the real interest and welfare of the New Jerusalem, they are earnestly recommended to the different Societies, to be either adopted or modified by them, according to their own judgment, and the circumstances in which they may find themselves placed. And while all are thus actively engaged in co-operating with the divine mercy and providence, each one to the best of his ability, and with a sincere desire to do good for the sake of good, and to spread truth for the sake of truth, who can doubt, that the SAVIOUR of the world will be a second time ‘born in the city of David,’ in the hearts of his people; and that ‘a multitude of the heavenly host’ will again shout, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!’ Luke ii. 11, 13, 14.

“Signed in behalf, and at the request, of the two Societies of Manchester and Salford,
“ROBERT HINDMARSH.”

“Manchester, Oct. 18, 1815=59.”

No sooner were these proceedings made generally known throughout the country, than letters were immediately received by the Treasurer from numerous Societies and individuals, all expressive (with scarce any exception) of the highest satisfaction on the adoption of a measure so long and so ardently wished for, and promising to support the same in the way proposed, according to the utmost of their ability. Such indeed was the spirit manifested on the occasion, that several of the friends made no hesitation in putting down their names for considerable sums of money, in the way of a loan or advance on the credit of the future subscriptions, which they clearly perceived would be amply sufficient to defray all the charges likely to attend the first Missionary efforts of the Church. {250}

The Committee being thus encouraged, and desirous of bringing into immediate action the talents and zeal of that venerable and worthy Minister, the Rev. Joseph Proud, who had already offered his services in the Missionary department, lost no time therefore, in communicating to him the hope which had been raised in the minds of the people, and the anxiety with which he was expected by all the country Societies.

The war arising out of the French Revolution, in which most, if not all, of the nations of Europe had for so many years been engaged, having lately been brought to a successful termination, it appears, that the Emperor of Russia conceived the design of uniting all the great Powers in a solemn League, called the Holy Alliance, whereby they should bind themselves to act upon true Christian principles, in order to prevent in future those destructive wars, which had so often desolated the face of the earth; and to maintain for ever that peace, which the success of the Allied Armies had providentially established. To this League the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of Russia, became active parties, as before observed in this History p. 227, &c.; and having published a copy of such Treaty, which seemed to promise the realization of blessings never before enjoyed by the Christian world at large, an intense interest was excited, on the occasion, among all nations. Not only did the aspect of political affairs assume an entirely novel character, but the sudden and unexpected avowal of religious principles never yet acted upon by the Christian Powers, gave the most flattering promise, that a new Era was about to commence, in which the old Ecclesiastical dogmas would speedily shrink into insignificance, while the doctrines of the New and True Christian Church, explicitly recommended by the three Sovereigns above named, in their solemn Treaty, called the Holy League, would hereafter be regarded as the only authorized rule of faith and practice, particularly in regard to the supreme Divinity of the Lord, and a life according to his commandments. Under this impression, it was considered a duty incumbent on the members of the New Jerusalem Church, who warmly participated in all the sentiments thus announced to the world, to congratulate the Authors of the new Treaty on their extraordinary and unexpected Act of Royalty. I was accordingly solicited by some of the most respectable members of the Society, of which I was then the Minister, to address a Letter to each of the three distinguished Sovereigns, whose names had given sanction to the said Treaty, humbly expressing the high satisfaction which the step taken by their Majesties had given to the professors of the True Christian Religion in this country. {251}
An opportunity offering itself, by the captain of a vessel about to sail from Hull to Hamburgh, St. Petersburg, and other parts of the Continent, of putting this design into execution, I was emboldened to write a Letter to each of the Crowned Heads above-mentioned, on the part they had jointly and respectively taken in the late memorable transactions, which settled the peace of Europe, and seemed to promise a lasting state of prosperity and happiness. These Letters, accompanied with my “Remarks on the Holy League,” and two or three other books containing the heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, I have reason to believe, were punctually delivered into the hands of the Royal Personages, to whom they were addressed. Copies of the three Letters now follow, together with the Answer with which I was honoured by one of them, namely, by the King of Prussia, signed with his own hand.

LETTER I.

To His Majesty the Emperor of Austria.

May it please your Imperial Majesty,
Permit me, as Minister of the New Jerusalem Temple in Salford, Manchester, to present to Your Majesty a small pamphlet, entitled, Remarks on the Holy League, lately entered into by Their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of Russia; wherein they openly proclaim and recommend to their own Subjects, and to the Christian World at large, the Two Essential and Distinguishing Articles of the New Church, called the New Jerusalem.
The brilliant example of true Christian virtue and wisdom, which Your Majesty, in conjunction with your August Allies the Sovereigns of Russia and Prussia, holds up to the view of all nations, in the Treaty above alluded to, is alone sufficient to immortalize Your Majesty’s name, and to render it dear to those who have hearts and understandings capable of estimating the importance of Your Majesty’s views.
Sharing in the public joy so extensively diffused by the spirit and tenour of the new Imperial and Royal Covenant, but incapable of giving full expression to those sentiments of admiration, with which it has impressed my mind, I can only intreat Your Majesty’s goodness to pardon this presumptive intrusion, and to consider me among the number of,

May it please Your Imperial Majesty,
Your Majesty’s
Most obedient, humble, and devoted Servant,
Salford, Manchester, May 20, 1816.        ROBERT HINDMARSH.

LETTER II.

To His Majesty the King of Prussia.

May it please Your Majesty,
As Minister of the New Jerusalem Temple in Salford, Manchester, permit me to express to Your Majesty the high opinion, which the members of this Church entertain of Your Majesty’s unwearied attention to the interests of true religion, not in Prussia only, but in all the branches of the great Christian family of Europe. This paternal regard, in the first place, for the spiritual welfare of Your Majesty’s own subjects, discloses itself in that memorable Invitation, by Royal Authority, issued at Berlin on the 17th of September, 1814, wherein the various Ministers of religion are requested to offer Proposals for a Reform in Public Worship; and in the next place, for the general happiness and peace of mankind, is most strikingly exemplified in the Treaty of Alliance entered into at Paris on the 26th of September, 1815, by Your Majesty, in concert with their Majesties the Emperors of Austria and Russia.
From a full conviction, therefore, that some great work of Divine Mercy towards the inhabitants of the earth, is already begun in our day and that the Sovereign Disposer of all events has committed into the hands of the Three Illustrious Princes above-named, as a most sacred and solemn charge, the execution of the high purposes of his will, for the general amelioration of the state of Christian society, I have presumed to offer to Your Majesty’s deliberate and serious consideration, a few cursory thoughts on this most important subject, under the title of Remarks on the Holy League, lately entered into by Their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of Russia; wherein they openly proclaim and recommend to their own Subjects, and to the Christian World at large, the Two Essential and Distinguishing Articles of the New church, called the New Jerusalem. {252}
That the blessing of Heaven may accompany all Your Majesty’s exertions in the cause of virtue and true religion; and that the crown of peace in this life, and of a glorious immortality in the next, may be the happy portion of Your Majesty, is the sincere and earnest prayer of,
May it please Your Majesty
Your Majesty’s
Most obedient, humble, and devoted Servant,
Salford, Manchester, May 20, 1816.        ROBERT HINDMARSH.

LETTER III.

To His Majesty the Emperor of Russia.

May it please your Imperial Majesty,
The Members of the New Jerusalem Church in Salford, Manchester, of whom by the Divine Providence I am appointed the Minister, having seen a copy of the Holy Treaty lately entered into by Your Majesty, by the Emperor of Austria, and by the King of Prussia; and having well considered the spirit that must have dictated its most important contents, as well as the wisdom that framed it, and the great end to which it leads, namely, the welfare and happiness of the many millions of human beings, who make a profession of the Christian name; have requested me to lay before Your Majesty the few imperfect Remarks, accompanying this Letter, which have been suggested on reading the said Document, and which have been published in this kingdom, for the sole purpose of giving additional effect to the enlightened views and benevolent disposition of Your Majesty and Your Majesty’s Illustrious Allies.
I do therefore must humbly solicit Your Majesty’s permission to present the same to Your Majesty, as a token of the high sense I entertain of the many virtues, which so eminently distinguish and adorn Your Majesty’s public as well as private life.
In the midst of such a profusion of plaudits and acclamations, as must incessantly reach Your Majesty’s ear, from those of every nation who best know how to appreciate the part Your Majesty has taken in all the late glorious transactions, but especially in that which is so justly denominated the Holy Treaty of Alliance, it is too much to expect, that my feeble voice can be heard. Yet, participating as I do in the general impulse, which Your Imperial Majesty, in concert with two other Illustrious Sovereigns, has communicated to the Christian world at large, I cannot refrain from claiming the high privilege of indulging in those sentiments of admiration and esteem, which Your Majesty’s exalted character has awakened in the breast of,
May it please Your Imperial Majesty,
Your Majesty’s
Most obedient, humble, and devoted Servant,
Salford, Manchester, May 20, 1816.        ROBERT HINDMARSH

To these Letters I received only one Answer, and that was the following from His Majesty the King of Prussia, dated Carlsbad, Aug. 14, 1816, and signed with His Majesty’s own hand. The Letter came through the General Post-office, and having the Royal Seal of Prussia on the envelope, excited no little surprise among the gentleman connected with that department in Manchester.

Answer of His Majesty the King of Prussia to Mr. Hindmarsh.

I have received, with your letter of the 20th of May last, the work published by you on the Holy Alliance, and herewith send you my thanks for the transmission of it, at the same time that I acknowledge the justice of the sentiments you have expressed.

Carlsbad, Aug. 14, 1816.        FREDERICK WILLIAM.
To the Reverend Mr. Hindmarsh, Salford, Manchester.

As no Answer was returned by the other two Sovereigns, to whom I had written, I can only say, that it is probable my feeble efforts to make known the truth to such high and distinguished Personages were altogether unavailing, and perhaps deemed unworthy of notice. {253} There is reason, however, to believe that the doctrines of the New Church are well known in Prussia, and favourably received by many of the inhabitants of that country. For an English soldier, after his return from the Continent to his home at Manchester, informed me, that when he and some others were quartered upon a farm-house there, the farmer, understanding that he came from Manchester, inquired of him if he knew such a person as me, saying, that I lived at Manchester, and that my name was well known in his neighbourhood as an advocate of Swedenborg’s Writings. To this question he replied, that he did not know me: for it appears, that he had quitted his native place to join the army, before I had taken up my residence in that town. But on his return home he was surprised to find me there, agreeably to the information he had received in Prussia. By what means the natives of that part of the Continent had obtained their knowledge, either of the Writings of Swedenborg, or of the persons who embraced them in England, is not known with certainty. But it is possible, if not probable, that the correspondence opened with the Clergy appointed by the King of Prussia to revise and amend the Liturgy of their Church, as before described, may have been published in that country, for the purpose of collecting the sentiments of such of the Ministers and others as might feel themselves interested in the proposed improvement of their public worship. It is, however, of little consequence in what manner, or by whose agency, the new doctrines are spread in the world: it is sufficient if they find their way to the hearts of all true recipients; and then, whether they be princes or peasants, clergymen or laymen, high or low, rich or poor, each one will be enabled to perform the duties of that station to which the Divine Providence has seen good to appoint him.