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should have it to say), that the influence of "Conference," and of its recommendations to the various societies of the Church, is very much lessened and weakened by this circumstance, and so is that of the Sunday School Union," amongst the schools of the Church; and that deep and affectionate regard, which ought to be felt by every member of the Church for the proceedings of "Conference" is, from this cause, much wanting. I am aware that, by those who advocate the present constitution of "Conference," it is argued, that the number of representatives is, and always will be, greater than that of ministers: true; but the number of ministers, added to a considerable minority of representatives, will, at any time, make a majority in "Conference ;" and, consequently, those societies which have no "ordained ministers" to send, (and perhaps one-half of the societies in connexion with "Conference" are of this class), will not be fairly represented; which must cause the resolutions of Conference to be felt by such societies, to be of so compulsatory a nature, as to be incompatible with that freedom which is an essential principle of the New Church. May this, and every other obstacle to its thorough existence, be speedily and permanently removed!

I repeat, that in the above allusion to the constitutions of the "General Conference" and the "Sunday School Union," as regards ministers being ex officio representatives, I am not wanting in due respect either to the institutions or to the ministers; nor have I indulged the too common love of finding fault with the doings and sayings of others; but am actuated solely, if I know my own mind, by a desire to be instrumental in there moval of what I conceive to be a hindrance to the prosperity of the Church. The office of priest, or minister, as consisting in teaching, and leading to the good of life, I hold to be holy, on account of the holiness of its use; and that, in consequence of the holiness of its use, honour and dignity appertain to it. But the holiness of its use, and the honour and dignity which appertain to it, are entirely distinct from the personal character of the individual who fills it. For, inasmuch as every one by birth wills to command others, and to possess the goods of others,"* (and ministers, like all other men, can only be regenerated progressively) it is, consequently, reasonable to suppose, that it will often happen, that men will fill the office of minister before their individual regeneration is far advanced. But this does not at all lessen the dignity or the holiness of the office. always remain the same. They do not progress, as does the regeneration of the person who fills the office. They are, therefore, entirely

N. S. No. 36.-VOL. 3.

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* A. C., 10,791.

30

These

distinct from him, and only adjoined to him on account of his office. Hence it is his duty to refer all honour and respect, paid to him on this account, to the LORD alone; who is the "PRIME MINISTER" that came not to be ministered unto, but to minister," and whose representative he is, in proportion only as he fulfils properly the duties of his office; but he is by no means such as to his personal character.

Now, the proof that a minister does ascribe to the Lord alone all the honour and dignity conferred upon him, so far as I am capable of judging, appears to consist in his willingness to submit himself to all the laws of order, external as well as internal, and in his carefulness not to assume any thing, as belonging to him, on account of his office, with the exception of the duties he has to perform in it; and which consist, be it remembered, in teaching truths, and leading, by a life conformable to them, to goodness! Hence the worthy minister will be remarkable for his humility; his freedom of access; his open-hearted kindness; and his willingness to have any thing that relates either to his conduct or his office fairly discussed, and, if necessary, strictly scrutinized. For he will know, and be willing to confess, that, like all other men, he is prone to do wrong, and apt to overlook his own faults, while he is busied about correcting the faults of others; that, therefore, he stands in need of the reciprocal reproof and admonition of his brethren, in order that both he and they may follow the LORD's example, by "washing one another's feet." Nor will he forget, that, of all ministers, those of the Lord's New Church are open to the greatest temptations to become proud of their attainments and situation; since no other ministers have the opportunity of making the same display of talents and learning, because none have the same inexhaustible fund of knowledge within their reach. Hence he will see great reasons to suspect himself, and to be careful that the flattering nature of that respect and attention, which his brethren bestow upon him, does not injure his spiritual state, by puffing him up with a proud conceit of his own superior abilities and worthiness; and his fervent prayer will ever be, that he who "searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins" of the children of men, may "sanctify, through his truth," both himself and all the ministers of the Lord's New Church,-" that they be sent of him indeed!" Newton-heath, Oct. 30, 1842.

may

* Matt. chap. 20, ver. 28.

T. R.

John, chap. 13, ver. 14.

ON THE MEANING OF THE TERMS NATURAL BODY AND MATERIAL BODY.

To the Editors of the Intellectual Repository.

GENTLEMEN,

OBSERVER'S paper, in p. 429, contributes nothing towards the right understanding of the phrases (as used by E. S.) natural body and material body. Having disavowed the only meaning I have been able to attach to his words, I am at a loss to understand what the ideas can be which he intended to convey. If he can find any satisfaction in thinking that my objections to his paper originated in "a want of clear discernment," he is very welcome to it. At his desire I have substituted the words matter and material, for nature and natural, in my quotations from E. S., and instead of the " mass of absurdities and contradictions" he predicted, I find not one! But every reader can judge for himself on this point. In regard to the explanation of the terms in question offered by me, (ironically called an amended edition" by OBSERVER), I can only say that I shall be very glad to exchange it for a better, if any of your readers can furnish one.

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OBSERVER gives, in a postscript, his construction of the statement of E. S., that the Lord's Humanity from the mother was material, (Doc. Ld., 35); and he affirms (as appears to me) in direct contradiction to that passage, that man's visible body (whether called natural or material) “is not a constituent of Humanity;" which is as much as to say, that flesh formed no part of "the Word made flesh."

Before I can adopt OBSERVER's construction, I beg he will help me to reconcile it with the following passages; and especially I beg his attention to the phrase, "BODY OR Humanity."

"Since the Lord's soul was the very divinity of the Father, it follows, that his body OR Humanity must have been made divine also"" (Doc. Ld., 29.)

"From this circumstance [that from its conception the body of a man is the effigy of its soul] it is evident what was the quality of the body OR Humanity of the Lord; namely, that it was as the Divine Itself, which was the esse of his life, or the soul from the Father; WHEREFORE he said [before his crucifixion] he that seeth me seeth the Father." [Was not the "ME" "SEEN" apparently material?] (N. J. Doc., 287.) The very same words are found in A. C., 10823. See also A. C., 4735.

“Every man may say of his own soul and body, that "mine are thine, and thine are mine;" "He that seeth me, seeth thee;" because

the soul is in the whole and every part of man. Hence it is plain, that the divinity of the Father is the soul of the Son, and that the Humanity of the Son Is [and according to the premises always was] the body of the Father" (T. C. R., 112. See also n. 124).

"The body acts of itself from its soul. . . . . All that the one has belongs to the other, and this mutually and reciprocally. Just so it is in respect to the Lord's Divinity and Humanity; for the Divinity of the Father is the soul of his Humanity, and the Humanity is his body" (T. C. R., 154).

"That the Son, who was born of the Mother Mary, IS the body of the Divine soul, is a consequence of its conception; for nothing is provided on the womb of the mother except a body conceived by, and derived from, the soul: this [namely, what was conceived of the Father and provided of the mother] IS the SECOND ESSENTIAL of the Divine Trinity" (T. C. R., 167. See also 168 to 170, and 838).

"His Divine in ultimates was his Humanity which he made divine even to the flesh and bones, which are ulimates. That he made the Humanity divine even to the flesh and bones, [the ultimates of Humanity,] appears from this circumstance, that he left nothing in the sepulchre, and that he said to his disciples, that he had flesh and bones, which a spirit has not" (Ap. Ex., 166). [Will OBSERVER affirm that the ultimates of Humanity are no part of Humanity?]

"The body of man speaks that which he thinks from understanding, and does that which he wills from affection; thus the body and those principles mutually correspond to each other, and make one, as the effect and its efficient cause; and, TAKEN TOGETHER, they constitute the Humanity.

E. S. then proceeds to infer, that the Lord's Humanity (including his body) was Divine Truth in ultimates-the Word made flesh (Ap. Ex., 1071).

"Whereas the soul and body are one man, and hence one person; and such as the soul is, such is the body, it follows, that since the Lord's soul from the Father was divine, the body also, which is his Humanity, is divine. He did, indeed, assume a Body OR Humanity from the mother; but this he put off in the world, and put on a Humanity [or body] from the Father-and this is the divine Humanity" (Ap. Ex., 1108).

At present, then, it appears to me, from the above passages, that OBSERVER has been too hasty in attempting to speak without book.

Possibly, gentlemen, such an array of passages may alarm you, lest you should become involved in a controversy. I hasten, therefore, to

relieve you, by pledging myself to offer no reply whatever to any comments upon them. But having given this pledge, I beg to say, that if by possibility (and OBSERVER'S candour gives me the liberty of saying so much,) the reply, in your view, should be palpably wrong, unfair, or beside the question, you will, of course, not burden your pages with it. In this case, the above passages may be put in one scale, and the assertion that man's visible body is not a constituent of Humanity, may be put in the other, and the reader may judge which side preponderates.

To imagine that the soul gains any exaltation by the undue depreciation of its partner, the body, too much resembles a common vulgar error and practice. Let each have its due, and let the Creator be glorified in both.

AN OLD READER.

ON THE MEANING OF THE WORD "CONSECRATION.” To the Editors of the Intellectual Repository.

GENTLEMEN,

I NOTICE an announcement in your Magazine of one gentleman to be consecrated, and another to be ordained. I turned to Walker's Dictionary to ascertain the meaning of the word consecration; and I found there two meanings given: (1.) "A rite dedicating to the service of God;" and (2.) "The act of declaring a person holy."-I asked myself whether the former could be the meaning intended, and replied "No; that person has been already ordained (that is, dedicated to the service of God) and cannot need to be dedicated over again." Is it, then, intended, by his consecration, to declare that he is holy? (!)

Every thing done in the New Church MUST BE definite; and if not, it must be abandoned. I beg to be informed of the meaning of the word "consecration," as used in the New Church ceremonials: if it has no meaning, the act of "consecrating" can have no use, and being indefensible, it ought to be abandoned,-unless, indeed, we are prepared to become the slaves of blind prejudices!

I ask this explanation as a favour, and because my mind is wounded until I receive it. I might justly demand it as a right.

INTEGRITAS.