portant to the receivers of the New Church doctrines than that which we have already mentioned. For after a most diligent research into the folios of the most celebrated Fathers of the Nicene age, he concludes that the spirit and doctrines of Christianity, such as they were taught by the Apostles, must have almost entirely vanished; because he can find scarcely any allusions, in any of the numerous volumes he has studied, to the doctrines now prevailing in the modern Church, of "the atonement," and "vicarious sacrifice;" no vestige of the doctrine of "justification by faith alone;" nothing said respecting the "imputation of the merits and righteousness of Christ," which are now considered as the great luminaries of heaven, which are to lighten us on our way to the realms of bliss. Either these luminaries had not risen upon the ancient church, or, if they had, they had already sunk deeply below the horizon; for in the writings of the most esteemed and venerable Fathers, scarcely a single ray of their light is to be seen. From these facts, so ably demonstrated by the intelligent author, the members of the New Church will come to a different conclusion. But here we must pause for the present. As this work is so deeply interesting and important, considered from the ground on which the Intellectual Repository takes its stand, we shall embrace the first opportunity of resuming it.

(To be continued.)

1. A Refutation of Mr. J. H. Roebuck's Pamphlet, entitled "The Principles and Tendency of Swedenborgianism;" with an Appendix, on the Trinity, as it exists in the Lord Jesus. By an "EXAMINER" OF THE NEW CHURCH DOCTRINES.

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2. The Principles and Tendency of Swedenborgianism Considered and Defended against the Unprincipled Misrepresentations of the Rev. J. H. Roebuck. Edited by the Rev. D. G. GoYDER,

Glasgow. Pp. 46. Price 8d. WE must never be surprised when the doctrines of the New Church are attacked by those who, like Mr. Roebuck, have not read them with a view to discover whether or not they are of divine origin and worthy of all acceptation; but who have learned nearly all they know of them from previous attacks, containing misquotations and extracts so unfairly disjoined from the context as to convey totally inadequate ideas of the author's meaning, and even to distort it into its opposite. Although we do not wonder at this, we lament at it. We cannot wonder at it, knowing the opposition that necessarily exists between

genuine truth in all its simplicity, and the perversions of the same, which human authority would willingly perpetuate in its place; but we cannot refrain from lamenting that there should be experienced so much opposition, as we often find, to the reception of truth. This doubtless arises from the state of the public mind, which is not yet sufficiently prepared to hail, as a most precious boon, the heavenly doctrines now in mercy promulgated.

When, however, attacks on the New Church have been made, they have always been answered, and the assailant silenced. It has before occurred, as it has now, that the attack in itself was unworthy of serious notice; its evil origin manifestly appearing to an impartial reader. Many readers, however, have not the necessary discrimination to distinguish between bold assertion and candid argument; it is, therefore, not only justifiable, but expedient, to take advantage of the excitement occasioned by the appearance of any attack, to present our views to the public; for at such time they may be the more disposed to look at our side of the question.

The two little works, whose titles are given above, are produced to counteract the mischief intended by Mr. Roebuck's very disingenuous attack. They both fairly grapple with his numerous charges; which they shew to be unsupported by any rational argument.

In the "Refutation," "Examiner" takes every section of the attack, in its turn, and briefly, yet satisfactorily, refutes it. As a specimen of the work, we quote some of the remarks on the World of Spirits, p. 65, &c.

This brings us to the consideration of that middle state and place, between heaven and hell, denominated hades or the world of spirits, which is the common receptacle of all who depart from the natural world, where the good are divested of their remaining evil, before their elvation to heaven, and the evil of their remaining good, before their departure to hell. The state through which those pass, who have imbibed falses as to faith, and yet have loved the Lord and their neighbour, is called by Swedenborg "vastation." Though Mr. R. has serious objections to this doctrine, affirming that it is no other than the oft exploded Popish doctrine of purgatory, yet it is one which Christians generally have believed. It has no more connexion with the Catholic fabled purgatory, than Protestantism has with Catholicism. The great and good Stilling wrote much in favour of it; still he was no Roman Catholic, nor a believer in the New-Church theology; and so far from its being uncongenial with the feelings of the true Christian, it is quite the reverse. The supremely pious Henrietta, Countess of H-, in one of her letters to Stilling, says, "Your hypothesis of hades, which seems indescribably disquieting to so many worthy souls, has from the beginning been to me a very consoling idea, having first become acquainted with it in an extraordinarily painful conflict, in which the eventual possibility of my salvation was in itself an incomparable consolation."

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man's vain confidence and presumptuous hope of heaven are not the measure of his fitness for it.

We respect the opinions of any man who supposes that his faith is based on scripture. Our opponent briefly notices half a dozen passages, under the impression that they contradict the doctrine under consideration. We will briefly examine them. 1. "There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave." This teaches that in the grave, or, according to the original, in Sheol or Hades, a change of character from evil to good cannot be acquired; but not that in the spiritual world an advance in goodness is impossible; and what is an advance in goodness but a deliverance from some evil? Who that knows his own heart, and its "plague," can say that he does not need vastation? 2. We are exhorted to "work while it is day." Is not the assurance that the more diligently we work out our salvation here, the shorter will be our stay in the world of spirits, calculated to incite us to "work while it is day?" 3. "When a wicked man dieth, his expectations shall perish." Undoubtedly; and the doctrine we are advocating, teaches that the seeming good which he has, shall be taken away from him. Mr. R. cannot surely suppose that we maintain the contrary to what this text teaches. Where does Swedenborg encourage a wicked man to expect that he shall be vastated into a good one? This is a most inappropriate citation certainly. 4. The Redeemer said to the thief, "Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise." Then the thief went to that Paradise to which the Redeemer went. This was not heaven, but hades, or the world of spirits; for the words were spoken on the day of his crucifixion; and the third day afterwards he said to Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father." Mr. R. remarks, concerning the thief, "One would have thought that if the salutary process of vastation was needed by any one, it would have been by this individual." And we are quite sure he had whatever he needed of this process; for into heaven nothing can enter that is unclean, or that "worketh abomination, or that maketh a lie." According to the Psalmist, the Lord was in hades after his crucifixion; but "his soul was not left there, neither did his flesh see corruption." Ps. 16, 10. Acts 13, 35. 5. "To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord." A false reading again; the apostle says " Whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord." 2 Cor. 5, 6. It is true he soon adds (ver. 8.) his preference of the Lord's presence, rather than to continue in the body, together with some degree of confidence that, at the period of his death, he should behold the divine presence; and Swedenborg informs us that those who are in a high state of the regenerate life, pass from earth to heaven without staying in the world of spirits. 6. When the righteous die, they "rest from their labours." The connection of this passage (Re. 14, 13.) shews that it relates to the Last Judgment; after which, or "henceforth," the righteous enter heaven very soon after, or at the period of natural death, and are not collected in the world of spirits for a future judgement, as the good were between the times of the Lord's first and second coming. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth."

E. S. says that the wicked "betake themselves spontaneou-ly to hell;" and the scriptures speak of their being "turned into hell," "cast into outer darkness," &c. "If the first statement be true, (says Mr. R. p. 27.) the scriptural account must necessarily be false." Not at all. There is no collision between

these two sentiments. The first represents the thing as it is, and the other as it appears. The evil love what is evil, and pursue it with delight; and the good, or goodness in the abstract, proceeding from the Lord, possesses a repelling power against evil, by which the wicked are driven to a distance, or into hell. Swedenborg observes here, that, though the wicked go to the place of darkness of their own accord, it appears to others as they were hurled into it.

"Examiner" shews his confidence in the purity of the views of E. S. by giving in full those extracts which, in Mr. R.'s pamphlet, have asterisks in lieu of certain passages which do not accord with his notions of modesty.

The "Refutation" contains the impartial and favorable testimony to the character of Swedenborg and his followers by Dr. Levi Hedge, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the Harvard University, extracted from the "Christian Examiner and General Review," for November, 1833, published at Boston, U. S.: it also gives Swedenborg's letter to the Rev. T. Hartley, describing his family connexions and pursuits; also his call to the honorable office in which he was engaged to the end of his life.

Mr. Goyder's pamphlet does not pretend to answer all the points adduced by Mr. R. With every important one, however, it deals in such a manner as would satisfy every sincere seeker after truth. He reduces the whole controversy to twelve probing questions.

In considering "The Nature of the Divine Being," he says, p. 11, Commencing with the question first laid down, we inquire first, "Whether Jesus Christ is the Almighty God or not? and whether there is any other God?" for in this consists the first distinction between Mr. Roebuck's system and that of Swedenborg. That Jesus is God, he and his followers will allow; but while they concede to the Saviour the title of God, they deprive him of that honor which is due to him as God. At this stage of the inquiry we may be allowed to ask Mr. R. a question, "Is there any other God except Jesus Christ?" Let him not attempt to evade the question by talking of distinctions in the divine nature. Swedenborg allows, nay insists upon such distinctions; but let him fairly and honestly answer, " Is there any other Divine Being except the Saviour?" If he says there is, then there are either more Gods than one, and the Scripture is false, or Christ is not God, and His doctrine is equally false. Or if he says there is not, then Jesus Christ himself must be the only God, and in Him we must look for the Father, and from Him we must expect the Spirit. We leave Mr. R. and and his followers to choose upon which horn of this dilemma they will rest. Either the Bible is false, or the doctrine of Swedenborg (who declares Christ to be the only God), is true. Either there are more Gods than one, or Jesus is that one God.

And this agrees most fully with his own declaration: "When Philip prayed him, Lord show us the Father, and it sufficeth us ;" he replied, "Have I been s long time with you, and yet hast thou not known ME, Philip? He that bath seen me hath seen the Father and how sayest thou then show us the Father? be

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lievest thou not that I am IN the Father, and the Father IN me." Again: "If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you." With this Spirit or Comforter he identifies himself: “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come unto you." Now, he did not come again to them as before, but yet he did come again; for the Spirit which came, was none other than himself in his divine power. So says St. Paul: "The Lord" himself" is that Spirit; and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

Will Mr. R. tell us to seek for the Father or the Spirit any where but in Christ? If" he and the Father are one," can we find them asunder? If He is that Spirit," can we find it any where but in him? We cannot; for if the Scriptures be true, there is no Father but the Father in Christ, and there is no Spirit but the Spirit of Christ. Let Mr. R. now make his choice, either to confess himself a polytheist, and believe in a plurality of Gods, or to acknowledge the truth of Swedenborg's doctrine, that "Jesus Christ is at once, and in himself, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,-that in Him alone exists the trinity."

Taking, therefore, the Scripture for our guide, we conclude, that “Jesus Christ is the only God; that in him is the Father, and from him proceeds the Spirit."

At page 36, is an instance of the support afforded by the Scriptures to what many would consider a startling assertion of Swedenborg's.

Oh, but Swedenborg speaks of "angels visiting the damned, and saying, 'Under the care of a proper guard, you may ascend with us into heaven, and we also, with the same protection, can descend with you into hell;' whereas the Word of God says, between you and us there is a great gulph fixed." And certainly there is a great gulph fixed between good and evil-between heaven and hell;-a gulph so great, that to eternity the one can never dwell with the other but in what part of scripture is it said that angels cannot visit the damned? Does Mr. R. forget, that when the "sons of God" came before Jehovah, Satan also came among them?" Does he forget that when God said, "Who will entice Ahab that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?" there was an evil spirit present who said, "I will entice him, for I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets?" Here was both Satan himself, and an evil spirit, among the angels of God! Not dwelling among them certainly; for the “ 'great gulph" which the wickedness of the one has placed between him and the others, eternally forbade this; but temporarily among them and for a peculiar purpose. Once more; we read in the Apocalypse, that an angel from heaven "opened the bottomless pit," and there "chained that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, for a thousand years." Mr. R. would interpret the Revelations literally; but whether literal or not, the passage supposes plainly that angels can visit the regions of darkness, and that they are employed by the Almighty to control the inhabitants.

Mr. Goyder, as a conclusion, gives "The Contrast between Swedenborg's Doctrines and those of Mr. Roebuck;" and "The Swedenborgian, (so called) a Portrait."