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REV. SAMUEL NOBLE. 1211
them. If I was convinced on a former occasion, that the Scriptures
are assuredly the Word of God, I was now made as thoroughly
certain that the doctrines of the New Jerusalem are the genuine
doctrines of the Scriptures : and never since, from that hour to this,
has a doubt upon that subject been able to intrude itself upon my
mind."
From the time that Mr. Noble became fully convinced of the
truth of the doctrines of the New Church, he became a delighted
attendant on the ministry of the Rev. J. Proud,273 the eloquent
preacher by whom his faith had been sealed ; and cast his lot amongst
the little band who formed the visible church of the New Jerusalem
at that period in England. His excellent qualities soon brought him
into favourable notice among the members of the church, and his
abilities enabled him to become highly useful. Among many other
services rendered to the cause which he so heartily espoused, he
assisted in establishing, in 1810, the society now existing in London,
for printing and publishing the writings of Swedenborg; and in 1812,
the present periodical of the New Church in England, the "Intellectual
Repository." His active zeal and useful labours materially contri
buted to the success of both. Of the magazine he was principal
editor for twenty-eight years, and during all that period was by far
the largest contributor to its pages.
In 1819 Mr. Noble accepted the unanimous invitation to become
the minister of the society to which Mr. Proud used to preach, and
which had become vacant by the retirement of the Rev. Dr. Churchill ;
although he was then successfully engaged in his secular profession,
which yielded him a much larger income than he had any expecta
tion of ever deriving from the work in which he was invited to
engage. On Whit-Sunday of the following year, he was ordained a
minister of the New Church, and then commenced that career of
usefulness as a religious teacher and writer, which he so long and
successfully pursued. The beneficial effects of his labours in his
own congregation soon became manifest ; and a few years afterwards,
it had become so prosperous as to be able to purchase the church
in Cross Street, the pulpit of which he occupied till he lost the use
of his eyes, by which the society was deprived of his services.
Among the works by which Mr. Noble was deservedly raised
into the front-rank of New Church theologians are the following :
"The Plenary Inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures asserted" which
was published in 1825. This was succeeded in 1826 by his most
popular work entitled : "An Appeal in behalf of the views of the
eternal world and state, and the doctrines of faith and life, held by
the body of Christians who believe that a New Church is signified
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