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 they were at the time Swedenborg wrote, and of which he says: "At this day, it is doctrine which constitutes the church, but not life." "For the churches at this day separate themselves according to dogmas; and he who believes otherwise than as the dogma teaches, is cast out from their communion, and is also defamed." (A. C. 4689.)

And have not the Memorialists, therefore, and the hundreds of other receivers who sympathize with them, cause for regret, not that the platform as laid down in the preamble of the Convention's constitution is not broad enough, but that the Convention should have lost sight of, or practically discarded, one of the main planks in its platform? Nor can we suppose the keenness of their regret to be much lessened by the reflection that such practical abandonment of one or more planks in a platform, is no uncommon circumstance with the political parties of our country and times.

But "religious bodies of every name," say this committee, "are organized on the basis of religious doctrines." We judge "every religious body by its standards" or creed. "Bodies of men must be judged by the general principles they adopt." The General Convention, therefore, "is a New Church body, because it adopts the principles of the New Church and is organized to propagate them." And it seems to this committee