only in science, but likewise in intelligence and wisdom. He can not only calculate eclipses, and demonstrate the most abstruse problems in philosophy, but can also apply his acquirements to the highest purposes of wisdom. Even in the lower range of the human rational powers, we see an essential distinction between these and the instincts of animals. Look at man as a mechanic, an architect, a citizen, and a subject. View him thus in the various phases of his outward life. If a seeming resemblance between him and animals is found, intrinsically they are, nevertheless, most diverse. No animal but man can make the instruments he requires, and use them. The animal possesses the implements essential to the uses of its life, as it possesses its instincts,ready provided for it. But look at the wonderful variety of instruments human ingenuity has invented for the common purposes of life, to say nothing of those adapted for scientific purposes. The architecture of the beaver, the form of social government existing among bees, and the polity of the ants, to which Solomon has sent the sluggard to learn wisdom, however perfect, are merely the instinctive impulses of their respective natures.* Whatever of a similar nature is found in man is the result of thought and design. Man, it is true, cannot perform many things which instinct can accomplish: he cannot, for instance, like the bee, extract honey from flowers by any chemical science he possesses; but in whatever he does we see traces of rational thought, either in a rudimental or developed state, either of an orderly or disorderly nature. In every result of his exertions, from his rudest and most imperfect efforts, to the most striking productions of his genius, are seen the traces of the elaboration of his intellect; the perfections of the productions of animal instinct lie on a dead level of uniformity hence, whilst the latter are stationary, the aggregate condition of the human family progresses from one age to another, in a manner analogous to individual progression. The social and intellectual status of one generation furnishes a sort of fulcrum for the operations of the succeeding; or, to change the figure, a new basis for further : * The following anecdote, related of a beaver domesticated by a gentleman, will illustrate this. Though having the range of a far superior house to any itself could construct, its instinctive propensity for building could not be eradicated. It was perpetually making preparation for forming one after its own model; and to show the absence of all reasoning power, it commenced, as it would have done in its natural state, by making a dam; although had it possessed the slightest degree of rational reflection, it would have seen that a dam was useless where there was no water, nor, in the ordinary course of events, likely to be any. The locality it selected for its operations was beneath a set of drawers, where it pursued its labours, laying under contribution whatever it could press into its service, sticks, brushes, &c., with a degree of unreasoning pertinacity that no amount of disappointment could overcome. accessions of mental and moral riches, and for elevating and improving, by their means, the social structure: hence the progress so obvious in all things relating to the conveniences and uses of civilised life. We might take the reverse side of the picture, and show that man is contradistinguished from animals by virtue of his power of abusing, as well as rightly using, his faculties, which is not the case with the brute creation; for these cannot live otherwise than in accordance with the order of their being this, however, more properly belongs to the subject of Freedom. We might also carry our illustrations into those regions of the mind which lie altogether above man's animal nature. The subject, however, must be so obvious to every sane thinker, that an apology is rather due for having entered so largely into points some of our readers may deem self-evident from the known pertinacity of infidel objectors, however, we have preferred to run the risk of being thought redundant, and even tedious, rather than merit the charge of deficiency in the evidence presented. Suffice it merely to add, in concluding this branch of our inquiry, that the distinctive characteristics we have pointed out between reason and instinct, striking as they are, are nevertheless those merely that relate to the lowest or outmost degree of man's mental nature. It might be shown that man possesses two other degrees superior to this, answering to which nothing is discovered in the animal species, and in which, therefore, the distinctive characteristics of the human subject are still more broadly marked. For the region of the mind, where love supreme to God, and genuine spiritual love to our neighbour, have their residence, as far transcends the natural region in which the subjects and sciences relating to the world have their abode, (although in this degree we find powers that are adequate to subject to human control even the subtlest principles in nature-" to write with the lightning and paint our pictures with the sunbeam")-as this transcends mere animal instinct. (To be continued.) Poetry. SONNET, ADDRESSED TO THE INFANT CHILD OF A FRIEND. Born of the union close of Love and Thought, May thou with heaven's good gifts be largely blest, And may the texture of thy life be wrought, N. S. No. 152.-VOL. XIII. 2 R By gentle Time's light-handed 'broidery, Of high self-sacrifice for noblest end; And, as thy young affections outward move In words and deeds where love and wisdom blend, See, by the flowering of thy inward heaven, That, back to God is brought what has by Him been given. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. P. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MISSIONARY ability, to place that talent, or a liberal The routine business of the meeting having been gone through, the following resolutions were moved from the chair, and ably seconded by the Rev. J. H. Smithson, Messrs. Beswick, E. Howarth, Coffey, and others : 1. That inasmuch as the true unity of the church as to persons, depends upon the unity of the church as to principles, the sectarianism in doctrine, and disunion in church government which have long distinguished the first dispensation of Christianity, are an external exhibition of that which incoherent and contradictory doctrines are calculated to produce. 2. That the New Church, by the harmony of the principles which constitute it in each individual mind, excluding, as it does, sectarianism in doctrine, will, when such principles exist internally, be preeminently distinguished by harmony amongst its members. 3. That such harmony amongst the members of the church is a sure foundation upon which missionary exertions can be based, and will assuredly lead those who have talent, or who have pecuniary measure of pecuniary means, at the service of their brethren, feeling that common interest which arises when the love of the neighbour is ardently cherished. The observations made upon these resolutions went to shew that the New Church was not a sect, as would be seen when it was considered that by its establishment the divine words were fulfilled"Behold I make all things new;" and that which is totally new can have no affinity with the old. The use of the term sect expresses the idea of something cut off, a sinall body detached from a larger body; but the principles of the New Church having no affinity with the perversions of the first Christian Church, its truths cannot be truly said to be cut off, or derived therefrom. the same time it may be granted, that it is, in some respects, a restoration of that which existed in the early days of the first dispensation, whilst that superior illumination which it enjoys may serve to preserve the New Church from declension. At And not only is the New Church not a sect of the Old Church, but from the possession of a rule of interpretation by which the truths of Scripture are seen to harmonise with each other, that fertile source of sectarianism which arises from partial and incomplete views of Scriptural truth, leads us to the hopeful anticipation that sects, as to doctrine in the New Dispensation, will never obtain an existence. Unity of doctrine and unity of love must exhibit itself in the New Church externally, in harmony amongst its members. It is not necessary that we should have a dull and monotonous uniformity amongst the several societies in the church; but unity as to doctrine, unity as to those principles of religion which, if it be genuine, has relation to life, when those principles are received into the mind, and acted upon in the life, must necessarily produce harmony amongst the respective members of any given society, and also with the general body. Such is the hopeful source from which we are to expect an united action from all; thus will all be led to bring forth their various gifts. From some we shall have talented labour, from others pecuniary aid; the hidden principles within, visible only to the all-seeing eye of an Almighty Father, will be made manifest before men, as is beautifully expressed in our liturgy, in "works of love, charity, and use. Some observations were made upon the measure of pecuniary support given by the various societies; after which the chairman concluded the meeting by some very appropriate remarks, and expressed a hope that all who might have heard the resolutions passed, or who might read them, would think of them as if they were written for himself, and act accordingly, as if all future success rested upon his own exertions. G. B S. NEW CHURCH MISSION AT ISLINGTON. In the last number of the Repository, we gave some account of the efforts made to establish the commencement of a New Church Society here, and stated that an eligible piece of ground had been purchased, on which to erect some buildings for the use of the friends. This ground is situated in Devonshirestreet, Islington, and has a frontage of 72 feet, by a depth (including the area) of 66 feet. Devonshire-street is a new street at the east of the main street of Islington, and runs between Gerrard. street and St. Peter's-street. It is of easy access from the city and from Hoxton, and contains an Episcopal Church and schools, besides many houses of a respectable character. St. Peter's Church is the first building at its northern entrance, and ours will be the first after passing the corner at its southern extremity. The ground we have obtained is of sufficient size to hold two houses, each with a 21 feet frontage, and a chapel, with a frontage of 30 feet, between them. The southern side of our ground is sepa rated from the gardens of the Gerrard street houses by a wall, and our first building will be on its northern side, so as to leave a space of 51 feet between our mission-room and this wall. Our plans have reference to two objects, the immediate provision of a missionroom and school-room for our incipient society, and the prospective provision of a New Church College. In all we do now, therefore, for ourselves, we have an eye to the future educational wants of the whole British Church; and this must be taken into consideration when judging of our arrangements, which otherwise would be necessarily looked at from an imperfect point of view. Our present object is to erect a building of which the basement story will be a school-room, the ground floor a missionroom, and the attic floor a small house. The school-room will be about 11 feet high, by 37 feet long, and 18 feet broad, interiorly; the mission-room about 22 feet high, by 374 feet in length, aud 18 feet in breadth, and the living apartments will be placed above this. On the south side of this building a temporary tower will be erected, which will hold a staircase leading down to the school-room, a vestibule for the mission-room, and a second staircase leading up to the top of the house. About midway in this upper staircase will be a door leading to that portion of the mission-room in which it might perhaps be a convenience to put up a gallery at some future time. The mission-room, as at first constructed, and the school-room, will each be capable of holding one hundred persons, and as our hope is not to lessen the congregations of Argyle-square and Cross-street, but to form, with a few exceptions, an entirely new congregation, this may be perhaps large enough for us for several years to come; and when it ceases to be so, we can add an end gallery, at a very trifling expense, capable of accommodating about thirty more. The building is to be in the Elizabethan style, brick-built for the major part, but fronted with Bath stone, and having the front and sides of the tower also cased with the same material. Its foundations were commenced to be dug on the 23rd of June last, and since then the work has been going on steadily and well. On the 10th July, the first corner stone" was laid by Henry William Bateman, Esq., grandson of the late Thomas Jones, Esq., of London, and great 66 nephew of the late Rev. Richard Jones, of Manchester, in the presence, amongst others, of some of "the first fruits" of the New Church Mission at Islington. The architect engaged on the work is Edward Welch, Esq., the architect of the Town Hall, at Birmingham; and it is our duty as well as our pleasure to state, that by his admirable arrangement several hundred pounds will be saved to us in the first erection, and such a system will be pursued as to make every thing we now do a means of lessening future expense, so far as is compatible with security and good taste. Subscriptions and donations will be thankfully received and acknowledged by Henry Bateman, 6, Islington Green, London. THE SWEDENBORG PUBLIC READING SOCIETY. The July number of the Repository contained a somewhat detailed account of the rise and progress of the New Church Society at Islington. It is now wished to call the attention of our friends, especially those resident in the metropolis, to efforts undertaken in connection with the Swedenborg Public Reading Society, to afford to the inhabitants north-west of London an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem. A room at the Devon and Exeter Coffee House, Tottenham Court Road, had been occupied some two years, weekly, for publicly reading the theological works of Swedenborg, principally "The True Christian Religion," and a free discussion of the points of doctrine from time to time brought before the meetings. This room, it was felt, was not so respectable as, and less comfortable than, could be desired. The attendance, however, was encouraging, and many persons have not only become acquainted with the doctrines, but also, in many respects, expressed an admiration of them. Those who, from the confirmed state of their minds in the doctrines of the current theology, were amongst the most violent and unscrupulous opponents, gradually abated the zeal by which their opposition was characterised, and acquired the better habit of calmly offering their objections in the way of argument. It was thought that if a more eligible room could be obtained in the immediate vicinity, so as to be conveniently situated for such as were in the habit of attending, many advantages would be gained. Such a place offered in the Bedford Gallery, two doors from the Music Hall, Storestreet. This room being occupied on Monday evenings by the Christian Young Mens' Association, it was unavoidable to alter the evening of meeting to Wednesday. The room was engaged not only for the week evening meetings, but also for Sunday services, morning and evening, at the usual hours, the Missionary and Tract Society agreeing, with commendable zeal and liberality, to pay £20. per annum towards the rent. It is hoped that some persons will, by these means, be brought to such a general acquaintance with the doctrines, as will induce them to seek a fuller explanation of them by attending one of the churches. The attendance, although not so good as could be wished, especially of strangers, has been, upon the whole, sufficient to warrant the continuance of the services. It would be encouraging to those who conduct them to see the enterprise countenanced by snch friends as could make it convenient to attend occasionally without interfering with their regular attendance at the churches. The alteration of the week evening meeting from Monday to Wednesday has operated, it is feared, unfavourably, inasmuch as some members of other churches, who were very regular in their attendance on the former evening, have ceased to come, it is supposed from a previous engagement, on the latter evening; some of our own friends also are unable to attend from the same cause, which is to be regretted, not only from the regularity by which their attendance at the previous meetings was marked, but also and especially as, from their long standing in the church and extensive acquaintance with its writings, they are well qualified to meet objections and defend the doctrines. It is therefore hoped that others who may have the good cause equally at heart will be induced to supply their lack of service in this department of the Lord's vineyard. The greater the number of New Churchmen present, the greater the variety of argument and illustration, and of consequence the greater also the interest of the meetings. The following hand-bill has been circulated in large numbers, and is here presented in the hope that, in addition to supplying information of what is doing in London, it may suggest to members of the church residing in other large towns the propriety of proceeding to do likewise : |