synod had not yet arrived." If it had not arrived in 1842, it could not have arrived in 1833; so that the resolution appointing a committee to confer with the Western Church " concerning a Convention of societies and members," could not really contemplate the formation of a new general assembly. This is still more

obvious from the fact that the minister sent hither professedly to treat about a General Convention, was not furnished with any instructions on the subject; and he only endeavoured to reconcile the brethren here to the Eastern Convention. If a general assembly were proposed for all the Church both in England and America, and a delegate sent from Boston to Manchester professedly to treat res pecting it, you would hardly think our American in earnest, if they furnished the delegate with no instructions, and he neither could nor would negotiate on the subject.

I rejoice to see the assertion, in the article I am answering, that "dominion is odious" in the Church. This is not the official declaration of a Convention; but still, from the source whence it comes, and from the fact that "coming events cast their shadows before," it leads us to hope, that the Eastern Convention is beginning to see that it must renounce the claim of its right to be to the Church at large as a mother over her children.

With respect to my "limited opportunities, as a stranger, for information," let me say, that I am favored with ample assistance to enable me to make correct statements. My third letter, before it went to you, was carefully read to two leading members of the Western Convention. If, however, any thing in any letter of mine, should appear and be pointed out, so as to be seen by myself to be incorrect, or by those esteemed brethren on whom I place reliance, because of their information and sound judgment, it shall be duly corrected.

Let me now advert to another subject, namely, what prospect there is of the difficulties being settled, and a general assembly being organized for the entire Church. I regret to say, that there does

not appear any immediate prospect of this being accomplished. It might easily be done if a few influential men in the East could be induced to modify their views on the subject of Church polity. I might proceed and describe how matters stand, but to do it satisfactorily would lead me into details which would occupy too much space. Turn to the Journal of Proceedings of the Central Convention for last year, and read there some correspondence on this subject between the three Conventions. In page 51 you will see a paragraph deserving of especial notice: it is the following, in a letter from the chairman of a committee appointed by the Central Convention, addressed to a committee in this city:-" You will remark in the proceedings of the Eastern Convention, and in the communication of their committee, that a synod only is named. A synod according to the common definition is an assembly of ecclesiastics, which I presume is not required or desired in the present state of the Church."

With respect to the Church in this city, I am happy to say that it continues in a prosperous state. The same arrangement continues with respect to the pulpit at the temple. Our winter course of lectures, twenty of them, on successive Sabbath evenings, went off exceedingly well. The attendance continued to increase until nearly the close of them, and even now our evening services are attended by many strangers. Our temple is about the size of the temple in Salford, and is generally full on a Sabbath morning. Many persons are in want of seats of their own, who cannot be accommodated. The lectures we gave, have not occasioned any opposition from other professing Christians, which may appear to you surprising, since there was so much publicity given to them in the papers. The "Old Church," indeed, seems wishful here to be at peace with us, and we, also, both wish and strive to make our converts in as kind and peaceful a manner as possible.-I am, &c., A. H.

Cincinnati, June 10, 1844.

THE THIRTY-SEVENTH GENERAL
CONFERENCE.

This Conference has just been held in the Church recently erected in Argyllsquare, Battle Bridge, London. Its sittings commenced on Tuesday the 13th August, and were continued till Monday the 19th, being the first time that they have extended over the week. There were ten ministers present, and twentytwo representatives from 13 Societies. The Rev. E. Madeley, of Birmingham, was appointed President, and Mr. J. S. Hodson, Secretary (for the twenty-first time). After the usual routine business, several very interesting and valuable reports were read, emanating from committees which had been appointed to consider the subjects of them at the previous Conference. The report on the Trine in the Ministry, will be found a most important document, and deserving the universal attention of the Church. It will be printed with the Minutes. The subject was proposed for consideration by the General Convention of the Church in America: and it may be mentioned as a curious coincidence, that the Address read at the Conference, from the Central Convention of the New Church in America, entirely echoed the sentiments in this Report.

The New Rules were completed at this Conference, and are now in operation, and require to be carefully consulted by all Societies and individuals having business to transact with the Conference. Besides the great length of time which these Rules have occupied in preparation, being from the time they were commenced by the Secretary to the passing of them by the Conference, just four years; they engaged this Conference two-and-a-half days, for their final settlement. These were the two striking features of the Conference.

Addresses were received, and answered, from the Conventions in America.

The formation of Associations of Junior Members is again urged upon the Church and the attention of ministers particularly called to it.

The approval of the Conference was given to the ordination of Mr. Dyke, many years the leader of the Society at Salisbury. Four new Societies were re

ceived into connexion with Conference, viz., the Societies at Haslingden, Lancashire; Longton, in the Potteries, Staffordshire; Ipswich, in Suffolk; and Preston, in Lancashire. The place of worship at this latter place, to which is attached a suitable school-room, and a dwelling-house, has been lately erected by Mr. Becconsall, at a cost exceeding £1,500, and has been invested in the Conference Trust.

A donation of £20 was presented to the Conference, by Mr. Mackenzie, of Derby, to be applied by the Conference in assisting the cause of New Church Education; this donation was granted to the Manchester and Salford Societies, to enable them to open anogirls' school.

The grants made for Education were similar to those of last year.

A sum of £300 was presented to the Conference, by Mr. Clover, of London, to be entirely at its disposal.

The Rev. E. D. Rendell preached on Tuesday evening an edifying discourse from Matt. xix. 28; and on the Friday evening the Rev. J. F. Wynn preached from Isa. xxxiii. 20.

The Conference will be held next year at Bath.

On Thursday the 13th, the evening set apart in the Conference week for a meeting of all the friends who feel an interest in the great cause of the Lord's New Dispensation, a numerous assemblage appeared in the Church, both for the purpose of mutual congratulation, and of hearing the addresses from the several speakers. The Rev. T.C. Shaw, minister of the church, took the chair at about half-past six o'clock, and addressed the meeting in a congratulatory manner, highly pleasing to all present. ject he announced for consideration was the LORD'S CHURCH, which, from its comprehensive nature, afforded great scope, and many points of the deepest interest, from which the audience could be addressed. E. Madeley and J. H. Smithson, ministers; Mr. R. Abbott, J. Bayley, D. Howarth, T. Goyder, and E. D. Rendell, ministers, and Mr. H. Bateman, successively addressed the assembly. Our space does not permit us to give even a brief sketch of these

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different addresses; suffice it to say, that each speaker selected certain features of peculiar interest in reference to the Lord's New Church, which were descanted upon to the evident gratification and delight of the numerous assembly.

We cannot conclude this brief sketch of the proceedings of Conference, without expressing our gratitude to the Lord for another evidence of His Divine Mercy in providing those means by which His unworthy and unprofitable servants are permitted to labor in His new vineyard; and we also beg to record our acknowledgments to our brethren in London, for their great kindness to the dif ferent ministers and representatives, in providing them with every thing suitable for their convenience and entertainment whilst attending the important business of Conference.

THE OPENING OF THE NEW CHURCH,

ARGYLL SQUARE, LONDON. This New Church was opened for the public worship of the Lord on Sunday the 11th of August. The Rev. D. Howarth and the Rev. T. C. Shaw performed the consecration service in the morning, after which the Rev. D. Howarth preached an appropriate discourse from 1 Kings viii. 35, 36. The Rev. T. C. Shaw preached in the afternoon, from John xiii. 34; and the Rev. J. H. Smithson in the evening, from Zech. xiv. 9. The selections of music and singing were of the most appropriate description, and performed with admirable effect. The new organ is rich and powerful in tone, and seems well adapted to the building.

As many of the readers of the Repository are not aware of the eligibility of this place, as a means of making known our Heavenly Doctrines in the great metropolis, we will take this opportunity of mentioning some particulars respecting it. The Church is situated on a freehold plot of ground, purchased by the Society for the purpose, on the south-eastern part of Argyll-square, which is adjacent to the New Road at Battle Bridge. Its front, which is visible from the New Road on looking up Chesterfield-street, presents a beautiful appearance. The architecture is Anglo-Norman, and of that transition period when it is passing into the semiNorman.

The whole building consists of a Church, a school-room for 200 children, and the apartments of the verger.

The Church, properly so called, consists of two towers, each of which is about 70 feet high, and is surmounted by the symbol of Christianity, a vestibule which will hold 50 people, a nave, and two aisles, a triforium or organ loft, an apsis or rudimentary chancel, and a vestry, with the necessary staircases.

There is access to the Church both from the vestry and school-room, but the principal entrance is through a noble door-way in the middle of the front of the building, which is arrived at by a flight of steps. This door-way is deeply recessed, the recess being formed by a series of six concentric arches and supports, three of which are pilasters with basis and capitals, and the other three, piers of bricks zig-zagged. The door itself has two valves; it is faced with oak planks placed diagonally, and nearly crossed with two ornamental hinges. This door-way is placed in an acuteroofed porch, projecting about two feet from the body of the Church; in the upper part of the front of which is placed a large Catherine wheel window, consisting in part of stained glass; and at the summit of the centre of the building, above this window, is an ornamental

cross.

On passing through this door-way, you enter the vestibule, which is lighted by a deeply recessed round-headed window on each side of the door; and from this you pass in the side and towards the front into the staircases in the towers leading into the organ-loft and school-room, and opposite to them, by a smaller door-way on each side, into the corresponding aisle. Both in the aisles and in the nave of the Church the seats, consisting of open benches, with backs painted oak color, are so arranged as to leave gangways, which you enter immediately from these door-ways, and which lead both to the seats just mentioned and to the font, altar, and vestry.

The roof, both of the nave and aisles, is very beautifully arched and groined, and is supported on each side by six lofty pillars of very elegant form and proportions. The height of the nave is 36 feet, that of the aisles is 24 feet; and as there are no galleries except the organ-loft, the front of which rests on the wall dividing the vestibule from the part of the Church devoted to worship, there is nothing to intervene between the noble roof and the eye of the spectator.

The font for baptisms is octagonal in form; it is ornamented on its sides with semi-Norman arches in alto-relievo, and is large enough for the immersion of an infant, should that be desired. It is placed at the end of the western aisle, immediately in front of a door, and is thus in a situation representative of entrance into the Church,-this being an introductory rite, and is at the same time so situated as to be seen by the congre gation during the service.

The altar, reading-desk, and pulpit are in the place of communion, and this is situated partly within the apsis, the whole extent of which it occupies, and partly projects from it. There are four steps within the rails before arriving at the level of the altar, which is thus situated in the highest and inmost part of the body of the Church, and is in the midst as respects the two sides. The pulpit is a little to the front and at one side of the altar, and the reading-desk is in a corresponding situation on the other side, and both are precisely alike. The altar-table itself is covered with a velvet cover, on the frontal of which is embroidered the sacred monogram "I.H.S.," surmounted by rays in an oval form, and preceded and followed by the Alpha and the Omega. At a future period it is intended to introduce on a scroll beneath, the words, "I am the bread of life."

Above the altar will be the two tables of the Decalogue, arranged as described by Swedenborg in the Theology and in the Apocalypse Explained, in such a manner that the 4th Commandmant will be partly written on one table and partly on the other, and thus constitute a medium of conjunction between that more especially relating to the Lord, and that relating more especially to man. The tables are round-headed, in accordance with the style of the building, and they are still further conjoined by an arch above, and including both. The interspace between it and them contains the words, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Still higher than this, and near the roof of the building, is a second Catherine-wheel window, more richly ornamented with stained glass than any other in the Church.

In addition to the before-mentioned windows, the Church has on each side three double and one single roundheaded windows, the arches of which are

supported by a pilaster on each side, and each of which contains some stained glass.

The organ-loft contains, besides the organ, some seats for the choir and children, and a few other pews. Its front is painted and grained oak colour, and is ornamented with Norman arches and corbels. The organ itself is a very superior instrument, built by Robson, and is the present of a very sincere friend of the Church. It stands 16 feet high, and is placed in a handsome and appropriate case, the design for which has been supplied by the architect, J. D. Hopkins, Esq.

The basement story consists of a large lobby, which may be used when required as a separate room, or may at some future period be added to some other; the apartments of the Church-keeper or verger; and a school-room capable of holding 200 children.

This school-room, independently of its use as a place of instruction for children, is likely to prove a great boon to the Society in other ways. It will be more eligible as a place of meeting for general purposes, and thus prevent the necessity of employing the Church for other than the sacred uses for which it is consecrated, the public worship of the Lord, the administration of the divinely appointed Sacraments, and the marriage ceremony, &c.

The entire cost of the ground, Church, and Church furniture will be about £3,500. Towards' this sum the Society possesses about £200, chiefly arising from the sale of the remaining term of Burtonstreet Chapel, and has had subscribed in donations £1,046 3s. 2d., and in Church furniture about £310, making together £1556 3s. 2d. Besides this, a kind friend has given the Treasurer a hint of his intention to add another £100 as a gift; and there has been lent on debenture £1,270. These sums together are £2,926 3s. 2d., leaving a deficiency of about £600. It is evident, then, that there is now an obvious call for still further exertion; and before again appealing to those friends who have helped us thus far, we would fain hope that many of those who have hitherto withheld their gifts, will now come forward, each man according to his several ability, and shew, by their freely giving to the Lord's Church, how perfectly conscious they are that the Lord is the rightful

possessor of all they have, and that they are but stewards, who will shortly be called upon to give an account of their stewardship. We do not call upon any man to follow his Divine Master's example (who for our sakes, though rich, became poor,) by giving up all his worldly possessions, and becoming literally poor for Christ's sake; but we do call upon all to make sacrifices of a part for His Church, and to deny themselves mere worldly gratifications, for the sake of enabling them to extend a knowledge of the saving truths of His New Jerusalem dispensation to all who are prepared for their reception. Of course the main duty of making up this deficiency must rest with the members of the United Society themselves; and we pray that the Lord may touch the hearts of every one to do what he can. But there are other members of the New Church who are unconnected with any Society for worship, and who possess ample means of assisting us in this sacred cause; to them we would appeal for help, and we trust we shall not appeal in vain. Mr. Clissold, and some other friends whose names will appear in our Report when published, have set them an example worthy of all imitation, and we trust they will each hear the Lord's words on a memorable occasion sounding in their ears, "Go thou and do likewise."

H. B.

OPENING OF THE NEW CHURCH, IN

HENRY-STREET, Bath.

The new building, long contemplated by the members of the New Church in this city, and which was commenced on the 23d of September, 1843, was opened for worship on the 21st July, 1844. The event is thus noticed in the columns of the Bath Journal:

"New Church, Henry-street. This elegant little structure was opened for public worship on Sunday last, the 21st instant; and in consequence of an advertisement of a course of lectures, then commenced, on the most important doctrines of the Christian Religion, there was, both morning and evening, a thronged attendance, great numbers being unable to obtain admission. The service of consecration was very impressively read, after which an able lecture was delivered by the Rev. Edward Madeley of Birmingham, giving a general view of the creed of the New Church.

The lecture in the evening was on the doctrine of the Trinity, shewing that, according to Scripture, it was consistent with the truth it so emphatically enunciates, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and there is no other beside him.' The architecture of this Church is of a truly classic character, unexceptionably chaste and suitable for its sacred purpose; being an additional ornament to the elegant neighbourhood in which it is situated. The interior of the structure is in harmony with its external appearance; it is cheerful in aspect, and commodious in its arrangement, the whole reflecting the highest credit on the taste and judgment of Mr. Underwood, the architect, and shewing that equitable fulfilment of his contract for which Mr. Aust, the builder, has so well established a reputation. Nor must we omit to notice that grand essential towards all religious celebrations, the noble organ. This was built by Mr. Sherborne, and is a specimen of his productions that can not fail to advance him in public estimation as to that superior quality of tone and grand musical adaptation for which his instruments are so justly approved. The music of the consecration service consisted of selections from the best masters, which were performed by the efficient choir of the Church with sublime effect. The lectures morning and evening were listened to with devoted attention, and also three lectures during the week. If those that follow prove equally attractive to such numerous, respectable, and attentive audiences, the rev. orator will not leave Bath without leaving behind him an impression too powerful to be easily obliterated. The sum collected at the doors on the day of opening was £34 4s. 94d.

The entire course of lectures delivered by Mr. Madeley was as follows:

Sunday, July 21, morning, a Consecration Sermon; evening, a Sermon on the Trinity.-Monday evening, July 22, On the Scriptural Doctrine of the Atonement, "God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself."-Wednesday evening, July 24, Redemption-the deliverance of man from the powers of hell effected by the Word made flesh.—Friday evening, July 26, On the true character of the Word of God, proving that the Revelations of divine inspiration can be distinguished from human compositions, and consistently and rationally inter