126 



MINISTRY AT WARRINGTON. [Chap. IV. 



including one on Swedenborg. He stated that the New Jeru- 

 salem Churches were very few in number, but that, like the 

 Unitarians, they held principles which were becoming recog- 

 nized by persons of other Denominations; e.g., that love of God 

 and our neighbour is the life of faith; that "heaven and hell are 

 not places which will be the future abode of the holy or the 

 wicked, but internal and spiritual states, in accordance with 

 one or other of which each man lives ; " that those who have 

 chosen heaven while on earth become angels after death ; and 

 that " those who live in bondage to self-love, or love of the 

 world, thereby are associated with devils, and choose hell as 

 their portion." What others hold as opinions, Swedenborg 

 stated as facts which had been revealed to him ; but the New 

 Church did not recognize any human lord over their faith. 

 As to the " theological dress of his religion," Swedenborg 

 repudiated the usual doctrine of the Trinity, but affirmed that 

 Christ was " the same being as God the Father, who united 

 Himself to a glorified human form, in order to effect the 

 redemption of the world : " he did not put the books of 

 Scripture on the same level, and considered that many of 

 them contained the word of God only in a spiritual sense. We 

 have referred to this lecture because the peculiar views it 

 describes were gaining a hold on Philip's mind. 



On April 30, 185 1, he took his nephew, W. L. Carpenter, 

 and two other young friends to the Frodsham hills. It hap- 

 pened to be the time of the Chester races, and there was a fatal 

 accident in the train by which they returned. Part of his letter 

 to the coroner (which is very characteristic) will be read with 

 interest : — 



"Warrington, May 11, 1851. 



" Sir, 



" I was present at the collision in the Sutton Tunnel, 

 but I have not attended to give evidence because I con- 

 scientiously object to the taking of an oath.* t As, however, I 



# As the law stood, members of certain Denominations which protested 

 against oaths (Friends, e.g.) were allowed to make affirmations instead ; but 

 the consciences of isolated individuals were not respected, and they were 

 liable to committal on refusing to swear. 



