Apocalypse Explained at hand, we had recourse, in its place, to Schmidius's Hebrew and Latin Bible, which we knew to be the very work Swedenborg himself used, and closely followed. We found that the passage had been, indeed, incorrectly rendered. The Latin is rapit brachium, etiamque verticem. Rapit does not mean simply to tear, but to carry off as prey, or in a secondary sense, to devour; and it is not " with the crown of the head," but "and also the crown of the head:" put together, the sentence reads "he devours the arm and also the crown of the head." The connection between the words and the interpretation is now plain enough in the spiritual sense. The arm being the emblem of power, and as all power is by truth, therefore arm signifies ultimate, or external truth; while head signifies wisdom, or internal truth: then, "he devours the arm and also the crown of the head," signifies, he feeds upon, or is nourished by, external and internal truths. The sense was now plain. This circumstance led us to examine other passages from Scripture, as they stood in the Apocalypse Explained, and we found that the translator had followed the same course throughout the work,-instead of giving us Swedenborg's version of Scripture, merely copying the common version,—a great saving of labour, no doubt, to the translator, but a very unfaithful way of proceeding. What propriety is there in a translator's leaving the text before him, in which his author has rendered certain passages of Scripture in his own way, and in their place substituting the version of others, which may be often quite different: thus destroying, too, as must often be the case, the connection between the passage and the interpretation. We found, also, that Swedenborg's interpretation itself had in some cases been forced, or the language changed, in order te suit the incorrect rendering of a Scripture passage. For instance, in the 24th verse of the same chapter, "Let Asher be blessed with children." The exposition of this is in Apocalypse Explained, 431. It is there said, "Children signify truths :" now this is an error; it is sons that signify truths-and so it is expressed in the Latin of Swedenborg. But this passage, as quoted from the English version, has children, and the translator was obliged to change the terms of Swedenborg's interpretation to suit the incorrect quotation. So in the 26th and 27th verses of the same chapter, explained in No. 594. The present translation says, "God rides in his excellency on the sky" but Swedenborg has it, "on the clouds," a sense quite different. Again-" Underneath are the everlasting arms :"-but, in the original, it is "the arms of the world." Thus the translator seems to have changed the language of Swedenborg's translations throughout, to suit the common version of Scripture passages, and in so doing the proper basis for the internal sense is destroyed. From what has been said, will be seen the importance of having the Apocalypse Explained re-translated, or at least the passages from Scripture translated anew from Swedenborg's own words, before the work is again printed: as, at present, it really cannot be considered as a complete translation from Swedenborg-being, as to all the Scripture passages, a mere copy from another version, in accommodation to which the terms of Swedenborg's interpretation are often made to bend. Glasgow. T. O. P. [We beg to inform our correspondent that the first translation of the Apocalypse Explained was accomplished in America, by the late Rev. Mr. Hill; after whose death it was brought to England, and entrusted to Mr. Clowes for revision. Mr. C., on examining the manuscript, found it necessary to subject it to a revision so thorough as to entitle it to be called a new translation, which was printed in London in 1812 to 1815, under the superintendence, if we mistake not, of the London Printing Society, then recently formed. In Mr. Clowes's version of this important work, the Scripture passages are rendered verbatim from Swedenborg's Latin version, according to the idea of our Glasgow correspondent. In the second edition, however, published some years ago, by the London Printing Society, it was deemed advisable, as stated in the preface, to adopt a certain plan of rendering the Scripture passages adduced in the works of Swedenborg. The plan was this:-The common version, together with the marginal readings, which are always more directly expressive of the Hebrew, should be assumed as the basis of the translation. From this basis the revising editor was not to depart, except where Swedenborg's own version, as being more close to the original text, rendered it, for the sake of the correspondences, necessary. With this plan we perfectly agree, and we certainly think the society was right in adopting it. The general reader, who holds the common version in much veneration, does not like to see the translation to which he has always been accustomed departed from, without obvious necessity. And where there is no necessity why should it be changed? The recent editions of the Printing Society have, we believe, been published, as to the Scripture passages, on this plan, and much satisfaction therewith has been expressed. But the mistakes mentioned in the above communication are very serious, and must be corrected as soon as possible. These mistakes have arisen, not from the plan adopted by the society, but from the negligence of the revising editor in carrying it out. No man is fully competent for the work who has not a thorough knowledge of Swedenborg's Latin, and a perfect acquaintance with the original text of Scripture. It would be much better to allow the Scripture passages to remain as they are in Mr. Clowes's translation than to proceed in this erroneous manner.-EDITOR.] 32 Poetry. THE YEAR THAT IS PAST. Lo! another year is gone! Pause and ponder, O my soul! See the tide of time move on, Mark its billows as they roll; Each is bearing thee away To the land where spirits dwell; Nearer still by every day— Solemn thought!—to heaven or hell. Oh, what millions they have borne Who the parted year's first morn Seasons, Sabbaths-all are fled; Why am I the living still? Ne'er from it may I depart, Never lose its record there. Make me active in thy cause, More than earth can ever give; In thy smile, my God! to live. Thus, as years their rapid tide Onward urge, and never stay, Let me in my course abide, Still pursue my upward way: Till the arduous race is run, Till the victory is given : Then the laurel grace has won, Then the crown laid up in heaven. 66 Hark! even now I seem to hear Liverpool. T. R. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. INTELLIGENCE FROM AUSTRALIA. (From the Adelaide Observer of July 17th, 1852.) The eighth anniversary of the establishment of the New Church in South Australia was celebrated by a tea meeting on Monday evening, in the new place of worship at the corner of King William and Carrington-streets. The tables being removed, a public meeting was held. The chapel was crowded, a large proportion of those present being ladies. Mr. Pitman commenced the proceedings by giving out the 129th hymn, in the collection used by the New Church, commencing 66 Jerusalem, proclaim abroad The blissful tidings; say the Lord Assumes the royal crown." Mr. Pitman then repeated the Lord's prayer, after which Mr. Phillips was called to the chair. Mr. Spiller, the secretary, read the report as follows: "The Committee appointed to make arrangements for the celebration of the eighth anniversary of the New Church, deem it desirable, for the information of those who have but recently joined the society, to lay before them the following report of the origin and progress of the Church in this province : "The first notice of the establisment of worship by the recipients of our heavenly doctrines is that contained in the Records of the Church, in the fol N. S. NO. 175.-VOL. XIV. lowing words:-'July 7th, 1844-On this day, agreeably to notice previously given by Mr. Jacob Pitman, the worship of Jehovah Jesus, as the only God of heaven and earth, was first celebrated in the province of South Australia, according to the doctrines of the New Church, as revealed to the world through the instrumentality of Emanuel Swedenborg.' "From the same records it appears that only four male adults were then present; and that, during the first year, the average attendance did not exceed seven or eight adults. At this period a class was formed, which met on Wednesday evenings, for reading the writings of the Church, and for mutual instruction in Divine truth. At later periods, meetings for similar purposes have been held, but there appears too much reason to believe that such meetings were not attended with that punctuality which could have been desired, and for this reason their existence was of short duration. "As the number of believers in the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem increased, a desire to be formed into a society became general; but, with that desire, the obstacles to its accomplishment became more and more apparent; there being no ordained minister in the province to organize a society, and to administer the holy ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Under these circumstances, it was thought desirable to write to England for advice; which being done, an answer was received from Dr. Barnes, of Bath, dated February 3rd, 1846. Amongst many valuable hints, the Dr. gives it as his opinion that the receivers of genuine truth in this province would never come into a state of order until E they enrolled themselves into a society, and elected a leader. It was accordingly determined to invite all the known friends of the Church in the colony to a meeting appointed to be held October 4th, 1846. As some of the friends thought such a step was premature, it was further determined that, if at the meeting there should not be twelve adult male recipients present, the appointment of a leader should not be proceeded with. At the opening of the meeting eleven male adults were present; during the reading of the first lesson, the twelfth entered, from which singular circumstance the friends inferred that it would be in accordance with the Divine Will to proceed in the appointment of their minister. "It appears, however, from the records that, upon the Articles of Faith being read from the Liturgy, one of those present (a gentleman who has since become a worthy member of the Church) declined to make a full declaration of faith, upon the ground of his then late acquaintance with the New Church writings. The result, therefore, was, that (as no candidate offered himself) the further consideration of the subject was period. deferred until another "As the desire to be united in church fellowship continued to be felt more and more, a requisition, with nineteen signatures attached, was forwarded to Mr. Jacob Pitman, inviting him to offer himself as a candidate for the office, promising to assist him in the responsible duties of his office by their presence, their prayers, and their united efforts to spread the glorious truths of the New Dispensation, and to live accordingly.' In answer to this, Mr. Pitman kindly consented to comply with the wishes of the requisitionists. "After the necessary preliminaries had been arranged, that gentleman was duly inaugurated on the 14th March, and has continued, as far as circumstances would permit, to conduct the services of the Church gratuitously from that time to the present. On the Sabbath following the inauguration, twelve adults were admitted into the Church by the gate of baptism, and received the sacred emblems of the Divine Good and Truth, by partaking of the Holy Supper. Thus was formed the first society of the New Church in this province, and it is believed the first in the Southern Hemisphere of the world—a Church which its members believe in all sincerity is destined to stand for ever. "Your Committee have little more to add, inasmuch as recent events are known to most of the present members of the Church. In August, 1846, a fund was opened for defraying the incidental expenses of the Church; and on the 1st November of the same year the building fund was commenced, which has at length enabled the Committee to erect the building in which we are now assembled. "During the same year a donation of books was received from the London Missionary and Tract Society; also several works from private individuals. From these circumstances the present library originated, which contains all the writings of the New Church, and other works illustrative of her doctrines. "Coeval with the establishment of the Church, a fund was commenced from the free will offerings of the members, received at the communion, which has enabled the Committee in several instances to afford relief in cases of need. "It appears from the records, that the first anniversary of the Church was observed by an address, suitable to the occasion, delivered by Mr. Pitman from the desk, previous to the sermon, there being eleven present; the second by a tea meeting at a private house, at which about fifty attended; the third by a similar meeting, at the Music Saloon, about 200 being present, a report of which appeared in the South Australian Register; and the fourth in the Lodgeroom of the Freemasons' Tavern, of which a full report was given in the same paper, since which period the anniversaries have not been celebrated publicly. The season, however, having again returned, and found us in a more eligible position, it has been resolved to celebrate the eighth anniversary as on this occasion. "Such is a brief sketch of the origin and progress of the first society of the New Church in South Australia. Its course, however, has not been one of uninterrupted success; like as in the lives of individuals, it has been subject to vicissitudes which, for a time, has seemed to retard, or stop its progress; but, as in the regenerative process, every |