SOME ASPECTS OF SOCIOLOGY IN THE SPIRITUAL AND THE NATURAL WORLD       I. H. H. GOSSET       1916


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Vol. XXXVI JANUARY, 1916 No. 1
     The inequalities of social life in this world are a favorite theme with social reformers, who, more often than not, bitterly inveigh against such an unjust, unchristian, and unnatural state of things, and suggest the most drastic and revolutionary reforms in order to equalize the possession of the so-called "good things" of this world among the "People." But few-some even among New Church people-appear to realize that far greater are the inequalities of social life in the world to come, as revealed in Swedenborg's works. Between the life of the myriads of angels in the Heavens and the comparatively living death of the myriads of inhabitants in the Hells, the differences are so appalling that earth contains nothing approaching to it; in fact, the most vivid
imagination cannot possibly grasp the transcendent glory of the one and the horrific depths of degradation and wickedness of the other. In awful contrast to the surpassing magnificence and exquisite luxury of so many heavenly societies, we are told that "in the hells. . . they appear indeed clothed with garments, but such as are ragged, squalid and filthy, each according to his insanity; nor can they wear any others." (H. H. 182.) In fact, their whole environment is inexpressibly foul and disgusting. Thus "all for each and each for all" is certainly not applicable to the inhabitants of the spiritual world, for what is heaven to some is as it were hell to others and vice versa. As each spirit is free to choose his associates and place of abode, the law of like to like is there universal.

     Certain spirits . . . when the heat of heaven breathed upon them, began to be tormented in a direful manner wherefore they cast themselves downwards, swearing that to enter heaven, unless they were in the light and heat of heaven, was to them hell. (A. E. 865)

     Of course our future life entirely depends upon our life in this world.

     Every man after death enters into the world of spirits and takes away with him altogether the same nature that he had in the natural world. . . . The world of spirits is so full of subtle wickedness that it may be compared to a pool of water replete with the spawn of frogs. (T. C. R. 120.)

     "All for each and each for all" is an altruism dangerously misunderstood and misinterpreted, for although "Heaven is a communion of goods," (H. H. 268), yet the degree of perception and reception of these goods entirely depends on personal character, which differs in each individual angel, whereas in the hells where the love of self reigns supreme, "to everyone is done that which he would do to another." (A. R. 762.) While in this world slavery has among so-called civilized nations been abolished, it is not so in the next world, for we are told: "After infestations they afflict him with cruel punishment until he is reduced to a state of slavery," (H. H. 574), alluding to the experiences of a newcomer into the abodes of evil and falsity. "The reason why the Lord permits torments in the hells is that evils cannot otherwise be restrained and subdued." (H. H. 581.) "The fear of punishment is the only means of restraining the violence and fury of those who are in the hells. . . . There are no other means." (H. H. 543) Yet in spite of all this, evil spirits enjoy and have delight in their dire environment, "and the delight of evil, perceived as good, is hell." (D. P. 93.)

     Neither does "all for each and each, for all" mean equality in rank and class.

     Because the whole heaven is distinguished into Societies according to the affections which are of love and because all wisdom and intelligence is according to those affections, therefore each Society has a peculiar respiration distinct from the respiration of another Society, and similarly a peculiar and distinct heartbeat.

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No one therefore is able to enter from one Society into a more distant one, neither can anyone descend from a higher into a lower heaven, or ascend from a lower into a higher, because the heart then labors and the lungs are oppressed. Least of all can anyone ascend from hell into heaven, for if he makes the attempt he pants like one in the agony of death, or like a fish taken out of water into the air. (D. W. vii.)

     Nothing is more certain than that unless heaven is within us here on earth and predominates, we shall never be in heaven hereafter. The converse is equally true, that unless hell is within us here on earth and predominates, we shall never be in hell hereafter; but it must infallibly be one or the other.

     That the hells have not only communication but conjunction with such things on earth, may be concluded from this, that the hells are not remote from men, but are around them, yea, are in those who are in evil because the spiritual world is not in space, but it is where there is a corresponding affection. (D. L. W. 343.)

     Then the antipathy is so overwhelming between the evil and the good that "an evil spirit when only looked at by the angels, falls into a swoon and loses the appearance of a man." (H. H. 231) Even any intercourse between the intermediate states in the heavens is impossible as "the angels of the Celestial kingdom and those of the Spiritual kingdom do not dwell together, nor associate with one another," (H. H 27); for "an angel of one heaven cannot enter among angels of another heaven." (H. H. 35.) Yet from one standpoint "all for each and each for all" is a fact, but it wholly depends on the individual capacity of reception, for "they who are in the inmost heaven and in the midst of it, diffuse their sphere through the whole of heaven, and hence there is a communication of all in heaven with every one and every one with all." (W. H. 49.) And "Heaven is a communion sharing all it has with each one and every one receiving all he has from this communion. . . . In proportion as man receives heaven, he also is such a recipient, a heaven and an angel." (H. H. 73)

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This communion is discrete and not, as it were, personally cognizable; subjective but not objective; for "a society of a higher heaven has no communication with a society of a lower heaven except by correspondences." (H. H. 207.)

     It is most carefully provided that no angel of a higher heaven should look down into a society of a lower heaven and speak with anyone there; for if this be done the angel is deprived of his intelligence and wisdom. (H. H. 208.)

     The wisdom of the angels of a higher heaven exceeds that of the angels of a lower heaven, in the proportion of a myriad to one. This also is the reason why the angels of a lower heaven cannot speak with the angels of a higher one; and even when they look toward them they do not see them. (H. H. 209.)

     If the inequalities of condition in the world of causes is so great, how futile and impossible to expect anything different in the world of effects, for "nothing whatever exists in the natural world that does not draw cause and therefore origin from the spiritual world . . . from both heaven and hell." (D. L. W. 339.)

     Besides innumerable class distinctions, there are an endless variety of ranks and orders.

     In the Heavens as on Earth there are distinctions of dignity and pre-eminence, with abundance of the richest treasures; for there are governments and forms of government, and thus a variety of ranks and orders, of greater and lesser power and dignity. Those, too, who discharge the supreme authority, have palaces and courts, which for magnificence and splendor far exceed those of emperors and kings on earth, and they are surrounded with honor and glory from the multitude of courtiers, ministers and guards in magnificent apparel. (T. C. R. 735.)

     There are not only angelic guards but innumerable angels who are servants.

     A similar government [in heaven] is also in least form in every house. There is the master and there are servants; the master loving the servants, and the servants loving the master, so that they serve each other from love. (H. H. 219: also T. C. R. 740, 747)

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     Common ownership of all the land, capital, and means of production is frequently advocated by Socialists, including many Christian ministers and clergymen, in spite of the fact that if all capital and land be confiscated by the State, it would be impossible to compensate the owners or avoid breaking the Seventh Commandment. Compulsory confiscation, under the circumstances could mean nothing else. Swedenborg considered capital superlatives important and useful, for he says:

     No man of sound mind can condemn riches or wealth, because in the body politic they are like blood in the animal body. (T. C. R. 403.)

     And in regard to private ownership and possession of riches, the Writings furnish many instances expressing direct approval of both, not only in this world but in the next.

     A man may acquire riches and accumulate wealth provided that it be not done with craft and fraud; that he may eat and drink delicately provided that he does not make his life to consist in such things; dwell in magnificence according to his rank. . . nor need he give his goods to the poor, except so far as affection leads him. . . . These things do not hinder his admission into heaven provided he thinks interiorly in a becoming manner about God and deals sincerely and justly with his neighbor. (H. H. 358)

     Large fortunes are also permissible and not undesirable in both worlds.

     The lot of the rich in heaven is such that they excel the rest in opulence. Some of them dwell in palaces in which all things are refulgent as with gold and silver. (H. H. 361.)

     Both the good and evil are in dignities and wealth dignities and riches or honors and wealth, are either blessings or curses . . . blessings to the good, curses to the evil. . . . There are both rich and poor, both great and small in heaven and also in he1l. . . . There are dignities and wealth in heaven as in the world there is also commerce there and hence wealth. . . . They who have greater love and wisdom than others have greater dignities and wealth, and they are those to whom dignities and wealth had been blessings in the world. . . . Persons who are in dignity there are indeed in magnificence and glory like that of kings on earth. (D. P. 217.)

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     The following quotations will cause a shock in this ultra democratic age, but I take it Swedenborg knew what he was writing about.

     Emperors, Kings, Dukes and all such as are born and educated to the exercise of dominion, if they humble themselves before God, are sometimes less influenced by the love of dominion grounded in the love of self, than others who are of mean extraction, and who seek pre-eminence and distinction from pride or self-conceit. (T. C. R. 405.)

     Neither is the millennium to be approached-as so many hope and expect-by an all-pervading bureaucracy.

     Many who were engaged in trade and commerce in the world and became rich by their employments, are in heaven, but fewer of those who were in stations of honor and became rich by their offices. The reason is, that the latter by the gains and honors bestowed upon them as dispensers of justice and equity, and also by conferring posts of profit and honors on others, were induced to love themselves and the world. (H. H. 359.)

     And in the following, who is right, the Divine Providence or the Communist?

     The Lord never leads man away from seeking honors or from gathering wealth, but He leads him away from the cupidity to seek after honors for the sake of eminence alone, or for the sake of himself; so, too, from gathering wealth for the sake of opulence alone, or for the sake of power. (D. P. 183)

     I would now refer to a much quoted and misunderstood text as to the rich and the poor. Many Christians "suppose that it is as difficult for the rich to enter heaven as for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle; and that it is easy for the poor because they are poor. But they who know anything of the spiritual sense of the Word, think otherwise. They know that heaven is for all who live the life of faith and love, whether they are rich or poor; but who are meant in the Word by the rich and the poor, will be shown. It has been given me to know certainly that the rich come into heaven as easily as the poor; and that no man is excluded from heaven because he lives in abundance, and that no one is received into heaven because he is poor.

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There are both the rich and the poor, and many of the rich in greater glory and happiness than the poor. (H. H. 357)

     The poor come into heaven, not on account of their poverty, but on account of their life.... There is no peculiar mercy for the one more than for the other;. . . besides, poverty seduces and draws men away from heaven as much as wealth. There are very many among the poor who are not contented with their lot; who seek for many things, and believe riches to be blessings. They are angry therefore if they do not receive them and think ill of the Divine Providence. They also envy others the good things which they possess, and also defraud them when they have the opportunity; and they also live as much in sordid pleasures. (H. H. 364)

     From these things it may be clear that the rich come into heaven as much as the poor, and the one as easily as the other. It is believed that the poor are admitted easily, and the rich with difficulty, because the Word when it speaks of the rich and poor has; not been understood. By the rich in the Word are meant in the spiritual sense those who abound in the knowledges of ... good and truth and by the poor, those who are destitute of those knowledges, but yet desire them (H. H. 365.)

     In spite of the Word and in direct contradiction to the Writings, there have been, and I believe still are, a certain number of New Church people, who advocate the abolition of private capital, with common ownership of all land and means of production, but how they dare lend themselves to such propaganda after the clear teaching and revealed arcana in the Writings, passes all understanding.

     In the same way as "All for each and each for all" is often misinterpreted, I think that the real signification of "Our neighbor" is frequently misunderstood. The Writings contain many references as to our duty to our neighbor and enlighten us as to his quality and attributes. In the next world our neighborly environment entirely depends on mutual sympathy and somewhat similar characteristics and uses, and though in this world our neighbor has, in a sense, a wider signification, still, according to the Writings, the limits are relatively well defined and are by no means so universal as is generally supposed.

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For instance, "every individual man is the neighbor whom we ought to love, but according to the quality of his good." (T. C. R. 406.) It is distinctly laid down that everybody is not our neighbor and that even among those who we may recognize as such, our reciprocal duties to each other vary considerably and are by no means based on a general equality.

     He who loves the neighbor from charity connects himself with the good of the neighbor and not with his person, except so far and so long as he is in good.... But he who loves another from friendship only, connects himself with his person, and at the same time with his evil.... The man who is in charity searches carefully and discerns, by means of truth, what ought to be loved, and in loving and conferring benefits, regards the quality of the other's use. (DOCT. FAITH 21.)

     For satanic spirits have power through those in the spiritual world who are in works alone, but none without them, for they draw them into connection with themselves provided any one of them says, "I am thy neighbor and on this account good offices ought to be extended to me;" on hearing which they accede, and give him assistance without enquiring who or what he is; because they are without truths, and it is only by truths that one can be distinguished from another. (A. R. 110.)

     Thus to recognize our neighbor a good deal of discriminating judgment is called for, although in many cases certain glaring negative characteristics render judgment easier.

     Love to the neighbor is the love of obeying the Lord's Commandments, which are chiefly those contained in the Second Table of the Decalogue. . . . He does not love his neighbor who desires to steal and plunder his goods. (A. R. 356)

     On this showing, if the State forcibly pooled all capital, seized all landed property, and communized all the means of production, it would be committing criminal and un-neighborly acts of spoliation, whether brought about by instalment or otherwise. Not only has the State no right to arbitrarily deprive owners of their lawful goods, but by the confiscation of capital as well, any form of compensation would be impossible. To do evil that a suppositious good may result is cynical casuistry.

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     What is love to our neighbor but not to do him evil, according to the precepts of the Decalogue? And so far as man will not to do evil to his neighbor, so far he wills to do him good. (A. R. 571.)

     To forcibly confiscate our neighbor's possessions by the irresistible power of the State, is that showing him evil or good?

     Every man ought to be loved in proportion to the quality of the good which is in him; therefore good itself is essentially our neighbor. . . . It is evident that there are genera and species and also degrees of love towards our neighbor which degrees ought to be regulated by love towards the Lord, consequently by the proportion in which the Lord is received by our neighbor. (T. C. R. 410.)

     He who loves good because it is good, and truth because it is truth, pre-eminently loves his neighbor. (T. C. R. 419)

     Compulsory equality and community of property would be traversing our duty to our neighbor, as then the evil as well as the good would receive the same treatment. True charity to our neighbor is not robbing Peter to pay Paul for then we are grossly uncharitable and unneighborly to Peter. True charity is not so easy of attainment even in almsgiving.

     Eleemosynary acts of charity consist in giving to the poor and relieving the indigent, but with prudence.... It is a prevailing notion that charity consists solely in giving to the poor, relieving the indigent, providing for widows and orphans, etc.... Many things of this sort have no proper connection with charity, but are extraneous to it. Those who make charity to consist in such actions, must of necessity consider them meritorious. (T. C. R. 425.)

     It is difficult to remove such ideas [personal merit] from those who believe charity to consist in giving alms and assisting the indigent: in doing these works of charity, the doer at first openly and afterwards tacitly, desires reward and contracts notions of merit and desert. (T. C. R. 442.)

     This may seem a hard saying and must be taken as a serious warning, but considering the source of Swedenborg's information, we cannot but acknowledge its truth, more especially that the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION was his last work and to a large extent epitomized his spiritual philosophy.

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On the subject of indiscriminate equality in State-charity, I would make one more quotation from the same work to prove its unwisdom.

     Those who have done eleemosynary acts of charity from the impulse of a blind undistinguishing charity, are found in another life equally compassionate to the wicked and the good; the consequence of which is, that the wicked are assisted in their disposition to do wickedly, and to turn the kindnesses they receive into means of injuring the good, so that such bestowers of kindnesses are ultimately the cause of mischief to the good. To bestow a favor on a wicked person is like giving bread to a devil, which he turns into poison . . . by using the kindnesses he receives as allurements to draw others into evil. (T. C. R. 428.)

     Thus to selfish people, the possession of dignities and wealth-even the communistic minimum-might be a curse and not a blessing. To sum up: "The love of dignities and riches for the sake of uses, is the love of uses, which is the same as the love of the neighbor." (D. P. 214) "This love is heavenly." (D. P. 215)

     I have already quoted H. H. 364 where in alluding to the poor it is stated: "They also envy others the good things which they possess. The last two Commandments in the Decalogue refer to this deadly sin of envying or coveting that which belongs to others." The Writings frequently refer to it. The socialist political doctrine of common ownership of all land, capital, and means of production, is largely based on envy and covetousness. It is so easy and politically popular in this world, to be philanthropic and generous with other people's property, especially when the owners are in a political minority, for "minorities must suffer!" But what says New Church doctrine as to this?

     So far as anyone does not covet what is his neighbor's, he wishes his neighbor happy in the enjoyment of his possessions. (T. C. R. 330.)

     Here is no condemnation of individual rights of property, quite the contrary.

     "Thou shalt not covet," and when a man does not covet what belongs to his neighbor, he then learns good-will towards him. (T. C. R. 456.)

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     The converse must be equally true, that if a man does covet another's possessions, he then learns ill-will towards him.

     Man is wholly possessed by two kinds of love, the love of ruling over all, and the love of possessing the wealth and property of all. (T. C. R. 498.)

     And these are hereditary from his parents. Only the regenerate can overcome these natural inclinations. If they are not overcome, we still abide in these sins. Thus, lust of dominance and cupidity can be national as well as individual, as in German Kultur and in other modern psychological movements nearer home. What a man loves, this he continually covets.... By not coveting a neighbor's house, is understood, not to covet his goods, which in general are possessions and wealth; and not to appropriate them to ourselves by evil arts. This concupiscence is of the love of the world. (A. E. 1021.)

     Man is born into every evil as to the will and wills good to himself alone . . . he desires to appropriate to himself the goods of all others, whether they consist of honors or riches. (H. H. 424.)

     Although he [the merely natural man] does nor steal, yet he covets the goods of others and regards fraud and evil arts as not contrary to civil law; in intent, he is continually acting the thief.... We are not ... to covet the goods of others. (H. H. 531.)

     It is noteworthy that three out of the Ten Commandments directly refer to this lust of possession, which is evidently a peculiarly subtle temptation and sin.

     These two Commandments [ninth and tenth] relate to all the preceding Commandments, teaching and enjoining that evil's are not to be done or even lusted after ... for the lust of evil, notwithstanding a forbearance from the outward commission, constitutes an act. (N. J. 54.)

     That a man live according to the Precepts of the Decalogue by abstaining from those evils which are there forbidden. . . from coveting the possession and property which belongs to others. . . .

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The Lord cannot enter into man and lead him so long as these evils are not removed as sins: for they are infernal, yea, are hell with man. . . The Ninth Precept, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, contains also a requirement not to desire to possess and appropriate to ourselves the goods of others against their will. (A. E. 934)

     These Laws . . . were the first fruits of the Word in summary the complex of all things of religion, and so holy that nothing could be more holy. (N. J. 54.)

     The Precepts of the Decalogue are the Lord with man. (A. E. 981.)

     The foregoing amply prove the danger of envying and coveting the possessions of others, whether individually or politically, for given the power, such thoughts and feelings become actual, and then, not only are the ninth and tenth Commandments broken, but also the seventh. Common ownership of all the land, capital, and means of production, by and through a political majority in the State, means nothing else. The Writings are very definite as to this.

     Thou shalt not steal. By stealing, man understands stealing, defrauding or taking away from the neighbor his goods tender any pretext. (S. S. 67)

     He does not love his neighbor who desires to steal and plunder his goods. (A. R. 356.)

     With the exception of, what I should call, the bedrock principles of the Socialistic program, i. e., "All for each and each for all," and "Common ownership of all the land, all the capital, and all the means of production," I have refrained from quoting from any of the voluminous literature voicing modern socialism, which differs somewhat in realization and degree, but I think the above principles embrace their fundamental propaganda. I suggest, that the above somewhat lengthy and detailed quotations from the Writings, condemn these principles with no uncertain voice, and thus render them conscientiously untenable. Beyond all others, we have an infallible Witness as to the right or the wrong of most modern social movements, both dogmatically and vigorously enunciated, and not once or twice, but with detailed reiteration, so that there is no valid excuse for ignorance or misconception.

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The only barrier to a reasonable assimilation, are those preconceived opinions which are so apt to render their possessors deaf, blind, and unwilling to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest such momentous truths, so clearly revealed. Surely any attempt to boycott these and other New Church Truths, which, after all, are a living part of the New Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God, having the glory of God, whose light is like a stone most precious, clear as crystal, (Rev. xxi:10, 11 ), is at, least on the part of Believers-in-the-Writings-when-it-suits-them, a very questionable and risky proceeding. Our Lord, out of His loving Providence, through His Servant and Prophet Swedenborg, has cast this bread upon the waters; of a surety, whatever its past or present rejection, He will find it after many days. To the Writings I appeal and by the Writings must judgment be given. "And they whether they will hear or whether they will forbear . . . yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them."

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SPIRITUAL THEFT 1916

SPIRITUAL THEFT        W. F. PENDLETON       1916

     "The thief cometh not but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.

     There are in the Word of God three general classes of truths, namely, civil truths, moral truths, and spiritual truths.

     Civil truths are the truths of the civil state, commonly called laws, or the civil law, which include not only the enactments of the law-making power and the decisions of judges, but all the modes by which government is maintained and supported, by which justice is administered, by which business is conducted and all natural uses performed. The state is organized for the sake of these truths, for their active operation among men, for the protection of men in their operation, and to restrain the violence of those who would destroy them, or who would destroy the order which these truths have established.

     Moral truths, considered as distinct from civil truths, are those which teach the relation of the life of man with his neighbor, which life is called charity. The goods of moral life, or its uses, have relation in general to justice and equity, to sincerity and uprightness, to honesty, to chastity, to temperance, prudence, good-will, and to other virtues which are commonly recognized as the virtues of moral life, and by which society, or the moral state, or the moral kingdom, is safe-guarded and protected. For, as in the civil state, it is necessary that the moral life, or charity, should be protected from violence. For the moral virtues have their opposite evils, or their enemies, which enter and invade the moral kingdom, to steal, to kill, and to destroy. These enemies also have their names, by which they are known, or may be known; such as injustice, inequity or unfair dealing, insincerity and fraud, cheating, lying, lasciviousness, intemperance, cunning, enmity, hatred, revenge, ill-will,-including all that is immoral and that tends to break the bonds of society and the relation of man with man. This moral kingdom is maintained and supported by the civil state on the one hand, and by the spiritual state, or the Church, on the other, and also by an intermediate tribunal which is called public opinion, and which has its moral standards of judgment, by which men are either approved or condemned, and rewarded or punished.

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     Spiritual truths are those which the Word or Divine Revelation teaches concerning God,-namely, that He is one God, that He is the Creator of the universe; that He is Infinite, Eternal, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and All-provident; that God the Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ the Redeemer are one and the same Divine Person; that He is not only Creator and Redeemer, but He is also the Regenerator and the Savior; that He is the Lord God of heaven and earth; that He is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom; that He is good itself, truth itself, and life itself; that everything of love, charity, and good will, and everything of wisdom, faith and truth, is from Him, and nothing at all of them from man; and therefore that no man has any merit because of any love, charity, or good, or because of any wisdom, faith or truth, that may be with him as his; consequently that the Lord God alone is to be worshiped, since He alone is, and was, and will be, Almighty. The spiritual truths of Divine Revelation also teach that the Word is holy and Divine, and Divinely inspired in every syllable; that there is a life after death, a heaven and a hell; a heaven for those who live well while in the world, and a hell for those who live wickedly; these, with other things which pertain to doctrine from the Word, and to the Church formed from the Word, and according to it,-these and many similar things are spiritual truths; and when they are received, they form a spiritual state, or a kingdom in the world, which is called the Church. These also have their enemies, which are false doctrines, and enemies which are evils of life, which the Church has to resist, and from which the Church must protect itself.

     It will thus be seen that there are three kingdoms in the world, formed by truths from the Word, the civil kingdom, the moral kingdom, and the spiritual kingdom. And now this general proposition is to be added, that by these three classes of truth from the Word the Lord is approached and conjunction effected with Him; and that then the Lord performs uses by them, or by those truths, through men.

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     How approach is made, or how man draws near to the Lord, is plain, for it is a matter of continual teaching; and so it may only be remarked here in general, that man draws near to the Lord, and is conjoined with Him, by means of these three classes of truths, when he lives according to them, and shuns as sins against God the falsities and evils that are opposed to them, and are their enemies. When this is done, the Lord also draws near to man and performs uses through him; and He makes a heaven after death of those who are in such a state.

     It may be well also to add a remark as to the reason why it is necessary to approach the Lord first of all, or before one can really perform uses, or the Lord through him. It is simply because before this he does good or use from himself which is neither good nor use except in the outward form. Man can do nothing from himself that is good in itself, but he can do good from the Lord that is good in itself. Since therefore he cannot do good which is use from himself, but only from the Lord, it follows that every use that is good is done by the Lord by means of man.

     This may be illustrated by things which exist in the world. The general of an army is said to fight a battle or gain a victory, which has been done by the instrumentality of his officers and soldiers, who have worked for the success with all their might. The head of a manufactory or business establishment is said to make or produce certain things, which has been done by the instrumentality of his employees. A farmer is said to make a crop, whether of hay or grain or other farm produce, which has been done by the instrumentality of his laborers. The general, the manufacturer, the farmer, exhibit the active force in the work done, and the workers, the reactive or co-operative force. The soldier, or the laborer when he has agreed to or entered into a contract to do a given work, labors as of himself, but the inspiring cause is not with him, but with another who is set over him and for whom he labors.

     This illustrates in some feeble way how it is that the Lord does uses through or by means of man, and how no one can perform use which is use or good from himself. And it shows also why it is necessary for man to approach the Lord, to draw near to Him, to enter into covenant with Him, before he is in a position to perform use that is use in itself.

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This is true, whether the uses are civil, moral, or spiritual. They are all done by the Lord by means of man; and truths, civil, moral, and spiritual, are the means by which man is to draw near to the Lord, in order that he may do the goods or uses of those truths, not from himself but from the Lord. Not only are the goods from the Lord, or the uses, and not only are they done by the Lord through man, but the truths also, whether civil, moral, or spiritual,-these are all from the Lord in His Word, revealed to enlighten us that we may approach Him and be wise, that we may approach Him and do uses, that we may approach Him and be saved,-saved by wisdom and use.

     Now let us return for a moment to a consideration of the three classes of truth, and their distinction, namely, civil truth, moral truth, and spiritual truth, and let us see how the subject is illustrated in the words of the text. The text opens with the idea of a thief, and suggests the commandment, Thou shalt not steal. Not to steal, as a civil truth, is not to take away covertly or by force the goods or property of another; and the civil law punishes the man who so does; for the security of the state is dependent on the right and privilege of every man to enjoy in freedom the legitimate fruits of his labor, without fear or danger of loss through theft or fraud.

     Not to steal as a moral truth is that a man must act with sincerity, honesty and justice, in all his dealings with his neighbor, and that he is not to take away that which is his neighbor's by cheating, fraud, cunning, or deceit. For there are men who violate the moral truth of this commandment, and yet who are to all outward appearance good citizens of the state; and yet who are willing to obtain the goods of another by fraud but who would nor openly steal, as does a burglar, the goods of another. A man may therefore be an honorable member of the civil state, but not at the same time an honorable member of the moral state or kingdom.

     Not to steal as a spiritual truth is not to take away aught from the Lord and attribute it to oneself, which is done by all who ascribe truth to themselves and their own intelligence, and who assume merit to themselves for the good which they do.

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There are many men who are honorable members of the civil state and at the same time honorable members of the moral state, observing all civil and moral laws strictly in the outward form, who are yet spiritual thieves, who do not observe or keep the spiritual law, because they ascribe all truth and all good to themselves, and if not to themselves still to man, and take them away from the Lord, to whom only do they belong, and from whom only are they derived with man.

     It may thus be seen that the civil kingdom, and even the moral kingdom may continue to exist, while the spiritual kingdom is destroyed. This was the state of the Jews, and for the most part of the world in general, when the Lord came into the world. There was no spiritual kingdom, and the moral kingdom, yea, even the civil kingdom was in jeopardy. These two kingdoms may continue for a time, after the spiritual kingdom is dead, but in the end they also will perish; and they would have perished, if the Lord had not come into the world and restored the spiritual kingdom. There was already a civil and a moral kingdom, even though in greater danger of destruction, and the Lord did not come to establish a new civil and moral kingdom. Hence He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." His kingdom was to be a spiritual kingdom, or a church, which was to be the soul and thus the renewer and preserver of all the other kingdoms in the world.

     As it was with the Jews, so it is now in the Christian world. The civil kingdom appears to be firmly established, and the moral kingdom has its place, and has never wholly ceased to exist. But the spiritual kingdom is gone, and hence it becomes necessary for the Lord to come again into the world, and re-establish His spiritual kingdom or establish a new spiritual Church, which called the New Jerusalem in prophecy. For the civil and the moral kingdoms are constantly in danger of destruction if there be no spiritual kingdom. But the spiritual kingdom of the Lord is now to be made permanent and secure, and is to last forever. For this reason, the moral and civil kingdoms will also be secure, and can never be overturned, even though they may at times, and for a time, be threatened with destruction; and so the establishment of a new spiritual kingdom is what is meant by making all things new.

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     What is here said about a spiritual kingdom illustrates the subject of the Ten Commandments, and their miraculous promulgation on Mt. Sinai. As we have said, when the Lord came into the world, the spiritual kingdom was dead, but the civil and moral kingdoms were still in existence though threatened with destruction; and the Lord came to re-establish the spiritual kingdom, that the other kingdoms also might be preserved and continue to exist.

     Now the preparation for the establishment of a spiritual kingdom in the world began thousands of years before the actual coming of the Lord. This preparation and foreshadowing of a spiritual kingdom was most marked in the giving of the Decalogue on Mt. Sinai. The civil and moral kingdoms already existed and all nations in the world knew the commandments as civil and moral truths; every man knew that it was wrong to from his neighbor, or defraud him of his goods by cunning and deceit; and so with the other commandments. But it was not known that the commandments interiorly considered are also spiritual laws, and that by these laws a spiritual kingdom is to be established among men, in which the Lord alone is King; that the commandments interiorly teach that man is not to appropriate to himself, and claim as his own, that which belongs to God, nor is he to destroy that which is from God, or that which is spiritual, among men.

     Another thing is involved in the giving of the commandments in so miraculous a manner, in giving by a stupendous miracle, what men already knew as civil and moral laws. There is involved not only what is purely spiritual, that man is not to appropriate to himself what belongs to God, or to take merit to himself for anything that he does, or in any way to destroy the spiritual truth of the Word, or spiritual good among men; but also there is involved a thing that had become utterly unknown, namely, that the commandments, even when considered as civil and moral laws, must be kept and observed from a spiritual origin, that not only is order to be preserved in the civil and moral state, but men are saved, by keeping them, by shunning the evils forbidden in them,-not only as offences against the state, and detriments to society, but because they are also sins against God.

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When this is done, the commandments are kept not only from a natural but from a spiritual origin, not only for the sake of natural life in the world, but for the sake of spiritual life in heaven. This was new in the world then, and is new in the world now.

     He, who is a spiritual man, he who keeps the commandments in their spiritual sense, he who acknowledges the Lord and takes no merit to himself for the truth which he thinks and the good which he does,-he also is a moral man, and a civil man, because he has sincere love of the moral and the civil law; for to begin with he has sincere love of the spiritual law. And since he loves the spiritual law, he will honestly and sincerely keep the moral and civil law. It is the spiritual that gives life to the moral and civil; and without the spiritual, the moral and the civil are like a body without a soul, that soon becomes corrupt and dead. It is the spiritual man, therefore, or he who is beginning to become spiritual, who acknowledges God, and who shuns the idea that life is self-derived, who claims nothing to himself that belongs to God, who shuns the thought of merit for what he thinks and does, ascribing all merit to the Lord,-it is such a man that keeps the commandments truly and sincerely both in their moral and civil senses, who shuns the evils forbidden in them as sins against God.

     The commandments were given on Mt. Sinai, therefore, in order that the spiritual might be in the moral and the civil, that a spiritual kingdom might be established in the world to be within the moral and the civil kingdoms; and the Lord came to make this an ever enduring certainty in the life of the world. Hell had risen up and destroyed the spiritual kingdom, and was fast destroying the moral and the civil kingdoms, and at the same time all the spiritual, moral, and civil life of men; but the Lord came to put an end to this work of destruction, and to bring back the life that was ebbing away from the world. This is what is meant by the words, which have been presented for your consideration today, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

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     The spiritual thief is especially meant here, who takes away or destroys spiritual life by destroying a true idea of God, a true idea of the life after death, a true idea of life in the world that prepares for a life after death. When these are destroyed spiritual death reigns, and moral death will follow, and after this will come civil death, the death of all social and civil order, and then the extinction of the human race. But this is not possible, because the Lord has come into the world, the way for which had been prepared by Moses and the prophets, and by the Jewish Church,-the Lord has come into the world to establish a true spiritual kingdom, a true spiritual church by which all may be saved who are willing to believe in Him and obey His commandments.

     A thief therefore in the spiritual sense is one who would deprive another of his faith, and thus of his spiritual life. And as the loss of faith is spiritual death, or is at the same time the taking away of spiritual life, hence it is said that the thief cometh, not only to steal, but also to kill; and; as spiritual death is also damnation it is therefore said that the thief cometh not, but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy,-indicating a total destruction of what is good and true, which is the object or end which the spiritual thief has in view.

     Stealing in the celestial sense has already been indicated. The celestial sense always has reference to the Lord, and the spiritual sense to the neighbor. We have just seen that stealing in the spiritual sense is to deprive another of his faith, and so of his spiritual life. But stealing in the celestial sense is to deprive the Lord of that which is His, and appropriate it to oneself. All who are in the pride or conceit of their own intelligence do this. They attribute to man what is of the Lord; for it is in general the same whether they attribute to themselves or to other men what belongs to the Lord. It is from this source that-all-pervading worship of human intelligence comes which exists at this day. It is found everywhere in-modern literature and science, and it is the gravest danger that the Church has to meet at the present time; for it is the most active agent of draconic spirits in destroying faith in the Lord, and in Divine Revelation.

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     It is the pride of human intelligence that is signified by the dragon in the Apocalypse; and in whatever form it takes, in whatever form it comes, whether in the form of a false theology, a false philosophy, or a false science, still it comes as a thief, a murderer, and a destroyer. It is the serpent of Genesis, it is the dragon of Revelation, it is Satan, it is Apolyon, the Destroyer of souls; and were it not for the Divine Power in ultimates, brought down even into natural human life by the Incarnation and Glorification of the Lord, there would be no hope for the salvation of men. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, to kill, and destroy." But the words of consolation follow, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

     These words literally translated are, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have abundance." Men are to have from the Lord, all men who receive Him in His coming,-they are to have life, and they are to have abundance. They are to have not only the life of heaven, but the abundance of that life. The life of heaven is love, and use from love, and the abundance of heaven is truth, or wisdom, or spiritual riches.

     The Lord in His Second Coming reveals the life of heaven, and its abundance, in the revelation which He has given of the internal sense of His Word; and He has come to establish, by means of His Word so revealed, a spiritual kingdom such as never existed before, and which is to endure forever,-a kingdom into which the thief cannot enter to steal, to kill and to destroy, for the Lord God will be in it to protect and to defend all who come to Him with humble hearts, from true repentance of life. To all such He will give life, and He will give abundance, in this world, and in heaven forever.

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SWEDENBORG'S FIRST RATIONAL 1916

SWEDENBORG'S FIRST RATIONAL       T. MOWER MARTIN       1916

     The writer of this article has not the least intention of claiming ability to settle the discussions, sometimes amounting to disputes, on the relation that the Writings bear to the Word as previously known to mankind; or on the exact value of the Scientific writings of Swedenborg in confirming, or upholding, the Inspired Revelation afterward given to the world through him.

     Neither does he desire to convince enquiring minds as to the exact shape of the spiritual body, except by referring them to the books whence alone every enquiring mind must get the information; and warning them that without a knowledge of Influx, Discrete Degrees, and Correspondence, no clear understanding of anything above the plane of man's natural life can be had.

     He is writing simply to suggest that among those voluminous works, a considerable amount of advice is given as to the attitude that is most becoming to students desirous of investigating interior truths of doctrine to Which all are invited and urged; and to adduce some words of warning to those who wish to explore some particulars that the Lord has not seen fit to reveal, and some passages in which Swedenborg refers to his own experiences and limitations, which may perhaps induce some to hesitate before making hasty deductions from incomplete, or possibly misunderstood, premises.

     For the desire to make deductions from the knowledges we gather is inherent in us all, and we see it in children and youths long before they come into any rational faculty of their own, and when we have deduced some ingenious conclusion from the premises, it seems as if there was something of our own personality in it, and that we had discovered something that persons of less intelligence had overlooked; and in this way our selfhood is flattered and we feel elevated above our fellows. The same elevation of self above the neighbor, and appeal for his admiration, is seen in those stories we hear around us everywhere; of what he said to me and I said to him, and how adroitly I got the best of the argument.

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     But how much better is the modest form used by the greatest man the world has yet seen, who so often says in his narrations, "It was given me to reply." That is the true attitude, for in every case we may be quite sure that if we speak the truth in refutation of falsity, both the will and the power have been given to us; while in the greatest of all examples, that of the Lord Himself, we have the simple statement, "It is written," in answer to the subtle persuasions of the hells.

     Certainly we cannot at once, in our prior states, confine ourselves to the Yea, yea; Nay, nay, of the Celestial man, or heaven, but we are not left in ignorance that arguments and reasonings about truths belong to the lower planes of spiritual life; and the state and condition of the man who is entering upon the use of his own first rational faculty, is described at length in the ARCANA in the story of Ishmael, where we read that the rational when it is only in truth but not yet adjoined to good, "is morose, contentious, looks upon every one as in falsity, is ready to rebuke, to chasten, and to punish; has no pity, does not draw near to others and study to bend their minds; . . . its common delight or reigning affection is to conquer; and when it conquers, it glories in the victory."

     We all have been, or are still, going through this state, which in one aspect it is a phase of the love of the world, when we are seeking admiration and applause; and in the lower, worse, aspect, the love of dominion, it is the love of self-the devil; and we all know the pleasure of glorying-in victory when our arguments cannot be answered; but the drawing near to others by showing how our truths will lead to good and to heaven, is of another spirit.

     There are three subjects that just now are causing much discussion and argument throughout the Church, namely, the relation of the Scientific works of Swedenborg to the Divine Revelation given through him to the world in his later life; the exact shape, substance and locality of man's spiritual body after he passes out from his corporeal tenement of flesh and bones; and the long-drawn-out controversy as to the relation that the New Revelation, to which we owe all we have and are, bears to the Divine Word which previously we so little understood, and which now we see to be infilled with the Divine Presence and the light and glory that makes heaven, now made visible just to the extent that our spiritual eyes are opened by the adoption of the Divine Will in place of our own.

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     It is not, as above hinted, the intention of the present writer to fill pages with extracts chosen and collated with the end in view of proving some proposition that seems true to him, and must therefore be so, but respecting the first of these three themes, as to the Scientific Works, I wish to present only such statements as Swedenborg makes regarding himself and the various states he passed through in his preparation for the great work of his life on earth, and, respecting the other two, some general truths from the Writings, particulars of which can be filled in by the reader from his rational faculty.

     We too often forget that general truths should be first learned and that then particulars and singulars can be arranged in their true order. Possibly the important general truth that covers the whole subject of discussions such as the above is that every one of us can only see any truth, above the natural plane, according to his own spiritual advancement in the regenerate life. All things change as man progresses,-the Lord, Heaven, the Word, Charity, Faith,-all of these take on different meanings to every man as he advances, away from his own self, and into the Lord's kingdom of mutual love.

     The advancement of Swedenborg through the stages of regenerate life through which he had to pass was the same as with every other man; we find in his SPIRITUAL DIARY, as well as in the ADVERSARIA, and also scattered through the theological works themselves, numerous notes as to his mental condition and the progress of his enlightenment,-for progress, although not predicable of the Divine, belongs to all things finite, where all things have to progress from their origin to their destined end.

     That his preparation began very early in childhood he asserts several times, nor need we be surprised at this, for some day it will be common knowledge that spiritual events are prefigured and foreshadowed by their natural precursors just as the human embryo passes through successive states, known as the worm, the fish, the marsupial, and the anthropoid ape,-forms, which foretell his development through the sensuous, the scientific, and the natural rational, to the human,-a simple fact which that blind leader of the blind, Haeckel, reading it all backwards from effect to cause, as he supposed, led to perhaps the worst mistake of his lifetime, and a fruitless search for missing links that never existed.

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Every one of us has his preparation in childhood, but we fail to recognize it, though sometimes in old age we wonder and praise the Lord for the way We has led us.

     In the Writings we read much concerning the necessity for media between successive states, to serve for communication, and in the ADVERSARIA and WORSHIP AND LOVE OF GOD we may perhaps note the transition stage between the Scientific and the Theological works. But the term "scientific" here rather obscures our view and leads to confusion. Those works represent the exercise of the first or natural rational, for the progress of the natural mind is through the sensuous to five years of age, through the scientific or learning stage to the twentieth year, during which period man borrows a rational faculty; while at the twentieth year he opens or begins to use his own rational. And unless regenerated by the Lord he has no other but that, which, from the description given above, as having no pity, desiring to conquer, and boasting of victory, at once accounts for all wars, and the evils of political parties, and communal discord generally. In Swedenborg's case the preparation granted him softened these asperities within bounds; but nevertheless we know that in early life he looked upon many persons as opponents and enemies; we know that in his youth he longed for place and power; that he believed in the tri-personal doctrine even when writing the ADVERSARIA, and that he had many doubts and states of fluctuations even after he had some insight into the spiritual world.

     But the simplest and easiest way of comparison is to note the results of summing up of his own attainment in that chief object that he set before him,-the search after the soul and its condition after death; and to admit his lack of real knowledge of the fundamental doctrine on which the New Church is founded,-that of the Divine Humanity and its corollary, the human form, as the form of forms and type of all below it.

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     Of the soul he says, in the work ON THE SOUL, n. 498: "What the soul is has been defined above, namely, that it is immaterial, without extension, motion, or parts, hence it contains in itself nothing that will perish.... Except from analogy one cannot avoid, in the above definition, the idea of nothing. Hence we betake ourselves to the form itself of the soul, since it is said that the form of the soul is spiritual and that in the spiritual form those things are infinite which are finite in inferior forms." Then follows much discourse but nothing definite as to what the spiritual form really is, but a great deal as to what it is not.

     Taking Swedenborg's summing up of the state of the soul after the death of the body, in the ensuing chapter, we find what should be the most convincing proof possible that these so-called "Scientific" works belonged to the first rational period, for man's natural rational knows nothing from its own intelligence concerning the nature of the soul after death, even though it has been the universal belief of all nations in all ages that man continues to live after death: but the idea invariably has been that of a natural life, requiring the same weapons, tools, and cooking utensils that he had here, and therefore they were buried with him.

     Perhaps this will be sufficient to show that in the climax and conclusions, where results of all the previous pages of acute reasonings show themselves in light, there was as yet no real entrance into the larger spiritual conceptions of the Writings; pages could be filled with extracts from the various inspired books that would substantiate the fact that a part of Swedenborg's preparation was a passing through the old erroneous concepts in their order so that he might have a clearer idea of them from their opposites. For instance, in T. C. R. 76: "I said I meditated on the creation of the universe for a long time but to no purpose; but afterward when I was admitted by the Lord into your world, I perceived," etc.

     In the SPIRITUAL DIARY, as one might expect, much is said as to his own varying conditions, from obscurity to clarity of perception, by which we can see that, though no change is ever possible with the Divine Love and Wisdom, which is infinite and eternal, much fluctuation and mutation of state occurs with its receptacles, to whom liberty and rationality have been given to accept or to deny the Divine proceeding.

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     It is well to bear in mind that Swedenborg was but a mortal man who required the same, or possibly more severe, temptations to enable him to see that he of himself was nothing but a form of evil; he says in S. D. 3904, "Although one is in the light of knowledge, yet, if his life is repugnant, he does not love the things confirmatory of faith against life, but he loves rather the things confirmatory of life against knowledges; and when there is such a conflict, it follows that he will be in obscurity and ignorance into which state I was myself reduced before it was granted me to speak with spirits and angels."

     In one of the most important passages in the DIARY, bearing on this point and showing a kind of regret at the time spent in writing the books on the ANIMAL KINGDOM and the ECONOMY OF THE A. K., he says, on date of November 30, 1748: "From what has been said we are at liberty to conclude that it is better to be ignorant of all these matters, and simply to believe that the life of the Lord flows into all and singular things, than to suffer oneself to be absorbed in such speculation. It is better, I say, to be ignorant; for if men covet this kind of knowledge, they must necessarily launch out into a boundless field; just as in my own case, when I wished to know in what manner the actions of the muscles were ordered in their representative relations to the ideas of the thoughts, and how the endeavors and forces of the will conspired to the effect, I spent many laborious years in investigating the appliances in the lungs in each of their functions... and so on; when yet after all the action was dependent on other laws, to explore all of which were the labor of many years, and still scarcely even the most general things could be known. Therefore it is better simply to know that the will flows in ... far more is this expedient in those things to which pertain the influx of the Lord's life and of His Providence. These things were thought with spirits, through spirits, from the angels."

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     In a different vein is this assurance, written later, in S. D. 6101: "It is not my work but the Lord's, who wished to reveal the nature of heaven and hell, and the nature of man after death, and concerning the Last Judgment, and also that theological things do not transcend the understanding of man."

     It is submitted that all the preceding, (a very small part of what might be adduced), goes to show that Swedenborg wrote what are known as his "Scientific" works during his progress through the first or natural rational, and that his enlightenment was a gradual process and took place together with his regeneration through the three degrees of the spiritual mind, as with other men, but in a manner and state of enlightenment that no other man of this earth has experienced since the Golden Age,-and this in order that he might prepare the way and lay the foundation for what are termed his Theological Writings, but which he says are the Lord's.

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THREE GODS OF "CHRISTIAN" ART 1916

THREE GODS OF "CHRISTIAN" ART       C. TH. ODHNER       1916

     After sixteen centuries of "Christian" preaching the idea of three gods has become so deeply rooted in the faith of the Old Church-Protestant as well as Catholic-as to be altogether ineradicable. Yet so cunningly has this monstrous idea hidden itself in the folds of theological terms that every "orthodox" Christian will indignantly deny that he believes in three gods.

     "There are three persons in the Godhead; each one is God; and yet there is only one God!" Every one will admit that this is a mystery, inexplicable to the human understanding, and therefore to be believed blindly, by taking the understanding "captive" in obedience to faith. What power is there in this mystery that has captured the entire Christian world? Falsity alone cannot have such power, for truth alone has power. The truth is that there is a Trinity in God. This is a universal and fundamental truth, clearly proclaimed by Sacred Scripture and instinctively accepted by human reason which in all things perfect recognizes a trine. In every operation there is the trine of end, cause and effect; in every created thing the trine of substance, form and use. Why not then a trine in God, the author of all things perfect?

     Surely, to deny the Trinity in God would be unreasonable, unscriptural and unchristian. There is the Divine Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but how is this truth to be understood? Since it is a truth it must be in some way explicable, reasonable, and intelligible. But is it reasonable, is it intelligible, is it scriptural to think of the Divine Trinity as consisting of three persons, each one of whom is a God?

     A person is a man: three persons are three men. God is a Divine Person, the Divine Man. Three Divine Persons would make three Divine men,-three gods! Turn it and twist it as you may, the idea of three Divine persons results in the idea of three gods. But where in the Scriptures do we read of "the Holy Spirit" revealing itself as a separate person? Christ breathed upon His disciples and said: "Take ye the Holy Spirit."

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Was the breath or spirit of Christ a person distinct from Christ Himself? Certainly not! And where in the Scriptures do we read of "the Father" revealing Himself in His own Person? In the Old Testament the Father always revealed Himself mediately through angels, but no one ever saw Jehovah Himself, for no one could see the face of God and live. And the Lord said: "No one hath at any time seen the Father. The only-begotten Son, he hath made Him manifest." The only Divine Person ever revealed, ever seen by human eye, is Jesus Christ Himself, our Lord, "in whom dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 2:9.)

     The simplest elements of logic should convince every sane being that three Divine persons make three gods, and in fact an indefinite number of gods. Every one is acquainted with this syllogism:

a=b
c=a
c=b

     Compare with this syllogism the logical conclusion of the "orthodox" conception of the Divine Trinity:

God=Three Divine Persons.
Each Divine Person=God.
Each Divine Person=Three Divine Persons.

     In other words: there must be not only three but nine Divine Persons! And if each one of these is God, and God = three persons, then each of the nine must consist of three persons: in other words, 27 persons and 27 gods, who by the same simple rule of logic and arithmetic may be multiplied into an endless number of persons and gods. The syllogism is unanswerable.

     But, if there are not and cannot be any three persons in the Godhead, what is the true explanation of the mystery concerning the Divine Trinity? The answer is as simple and self-evident as Truth itself. God made man in His own image and likeness. Each man is one person, not three persons, because the Lord our Creator is one Divine person, not three persons. The Divine Trinity is not a Trinity of persons, but a Trinity of Divine Essentials in the One Divine Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Creator, our Redeemer and our Regenerator.

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     As in man, the image of God, there is the essential trine of soul, body, and operation, so in God there is the essential trine of Divine Soul, Divine Body and Divine operation. The Divine Soul is what is called "the Father," who is Infinite Love and Infinite Wisdom. The Divine Body is what is called "the Son," the Glorified Human of Jesus Christ, who is One with the Father, even as the human body is one with the soul. And the Divine Operation is what is called "the Holy Spirit," the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of our Lord who by His Divine teaching works for the salvation of every one who turns to Him.

     A simple illustration will make this supposed "mystery" very plain. "The Father" may be compared to a monarch enthroned in a dark room; no one had at any time seen His face, but from most ancient times His voice had been heard and His Being made manifest. Thus "the Father" is the Divine Esse or Being. "The Son" may be compared to this same monarch opening a window in the room and showing His face and form; this "window" is the Word of God, and the face shown is the face of Jesus Christ. Thus "the Son" is the Divine Existere, the Divine Standing-forth. And "the Holy Spirit" may be compared to this same monarch opening the door of His room and going forth to teach and lead His people forever. Thus the "Holy Spirit" is the Divine Proceeding. And the whole of this Divine Trinity is One in the Lord our Savior, Jesus Christ.

     We need not dwell further on this subject in the present paper, the special object of which is to furnish indubitable proofs, by means of ocular demonstration, of the fact that the idea of Three gods reigns universally in the faith of the Old Christian Church. It is the history of Christian Art that will furnish this evidence against "Orthodox" Theology,-an Art that has been inspired, directed and molded by this orthodoxy and stamped with its complete ecclesiastical approval.*

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The monstrosities thus produced by Christian Art are revolting to the devout mind; the eye shrinks from the sight of them, but it will be useful, nevertheless, to reproduce some of them here, in order to strike conviction to the soul of the awful fact that the whole Christian Church-ever since the Council of Nicaea in the year 325-has actually been worshiping THREE GODS!
     * It was laid down at the second Council of Nicaea, in the year 787, that "a picture is not to be fashioned after the fancy of the painter, but according to the inviolable traditions of the Holy Catholic Church. It is the Holy Fathers who are to invent and direct; artists have but to execute their behests."

     The most ancient representation of a tri-personal trinity is probably the following one from Christianity, of all religions that ever were, is and is supposed to be Monotheistic. Christ Himself certainly taught the other God than Him, for Paul states in unmistakable words that doctrine of One God and One God only; His disciples knew no "in Jesus Christ dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily," and John utters this grand confession and solemn warning: "We abide in the Truth in Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life eternal. Little children, keep yourselves from: idols." (I. John 5:20, 21.)

     How, then, did this monstrous notion of three persons in the Godhead creep into the early Christian Church? The answer is indisputable: It crept in from the various systems of heathen religions then existing. With the exceptions of the first few converts from the Jews, all the early Christians came from polytheistic and idolatrous nations, and each one carried with him something of the old and false religions when entering the new church that was being established.

     All of the ancient pagan systems were nothing but perverted forms of the one and true primeval religion, the fundamental precept of which was faith in the One personal God, and in Him the trine of end, cause, and effect,-of soul, body and operation,-Love, Wisdom, and Use,-essential Being, forth-standing Manifestation, and proceeding Spirit of Divine Work. These three essential relations of the One God were well known and clearly understood in primeval times, but in the course of ages the human race became more and more external and sensual, and men found it necessary to visualize these Divine essentials by various representative forms. At first they knew what these forms represented, but gradually they lost the knowledge and began to worship the representative forms as so many different gods. This was the origin of all idolatry and polytheism.

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     In each nation the worship of many gods began with the worship of three gods, and in each heathen system ancient artists have depicted the corrupt faith of their priestly instructors in forms which bear a striking resemblance to the pictures representing the "Christian" conceptions of the Divine Trinity. In every one of the mythological systems the gods are arranged in trines or triads, and though with some nations we find hundreds of gods, they are all so many different names and aspects of the three original conceptions.

     Babylon, which was the cradle of all idolatry and polytheistic corruption. It represents the triad of Ea, Bel, and Marduk, (or Merodach), and is not one whit worse than some of the "Christian" representations of the Trinity.

     [Fig. 1 - Drawing.]

     Our next figure is a three-headed monster of Phoenician origin. The people of Tyre and Sidon never had any Art, (except the art of making money), but it is evident that the early Christian artists borrowed ideas even from this degraded people which expressed their supreme religious devotion by the burning of little children in the glowing statues of Moloch. (Fig. 2.)

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     Monstrosities such as the one depicted below are never found in the religious art of the ancient Greeks and Romans, for with all their polytheism and idolatry they possessed too much rational sense and artistic perception to indulge in such profanations of what is divinely human and beautiful. It was only after the classical spirit had been completely stamped out by barbarian nations that Greek and Roman artists, inspired by Catholic priests, produced images of a three-headed "Christian" god for the worship of "Christian" people.

     [Fig 2 and 3 Drawings.]

     How widespread was the notion of a tri-personal deity among the pagan nations may be seen from the adjoined figure of "Trimurti" or tri-union of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, as adored by the Brahmans of India. (Fig. 3.)

     But it was in ancient Egypt that the heathen doctrine of three Divine persons received its fullest development and its most complete representation. Here all the gods-and there were some six or seven hundred of them-were arranged in carefully defined triads, each triad consisting of a family of father, mother and son, and representing originally the trine of Love, Wisdom and Use. We reproduce here one of these triads, that of Amen-Ra, Maut, and their son Khonso. (Fig. 4.)

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     Divine trials, like the one below, were depicted in gigantic figures on every temple-wall in Egypt, and from the constant sight of them for thousands of years the idea of three essential persons in the Godhead became ineradicably fixed in the Egyptian mind. And it was from Egypt, more than from any other source, that the Theology of the Christian Church became imbued with the fatal error of Tritheism.

     [Fig. 4 Drawing.]

     Christianity was planted in Egypt even in the time of the Apostles and here it made astonishing progress. In less than two centuries half of Egypt had been Christianized, and many persons of the old heathen priestly families entered the Christian ministry. It was here that the first Christian theological schools were opened and Christian Theology first developed into a science. And it was here, finally, that the term "person" was first applied to each of the three Divine Essentials of Divine Esse, Divine Existere and Divine Proceeding, which in the figurative language of the Scriptures are termed "Father," "Son," and "Holy Spirit."

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     Just before the Council of Nicaea a bitter controversy broke out between Arius and Athanasius, two leading theologians in Alexandria. Both of them held that there were three distinct persons in the Godhead, but Arius contended that the Father alone was completely Divine, while the other two Persons were less Divine and therefore of a different substance from the Father. Athanasius, on the other hand, maintained that the three persons were equally Divine and therefore if the same substance. After scandalous fights which embroiled the whole Christian Church, the view of Athanasius was established as the "orthodox" Christian dogma by the Council of Nicaea in the year 325, and the Christian Church was henceforth committed to the worship of Three Gods.

     [Fig. 5. Drawing.]

     Christian Art, so-called, had its rise in the darkest of the Dark Ages, after the Christian Church had become thoroughly corrupted through the wholesale "conversion" of the rich and the mighty, when Christianity was declared the "State Religion." Then, when the world, the flesh, and the devil ruled over the Church of Christ, magnificent temples arose, adorned with rich sculptures, gorgeous paintings and garish imagery supposedly representing profound and essential Christian truths.

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The ancient classical spirit of Art was dead, but the Christian artists, driven by the Catholic priests, searched among the heathen ruins for Ideas by which to represent the "mysteries" of the new religion.

     The results of these efforts-as far as concerns the Medieval representations of the Trinity-are extremely painful as well as ludicrous to behold, but the wretched artists had before them the impossible task of reconciling, in imagery, "Christian Verity" with the "Catholic Religion." According to the Athanasian Creed these two would seem to be at hopeless variance with one another, for it states that "Like as we are compelled by Christian verity to acknowledge each person by himself to be God and Lord, so we are forbidden by the Catholic Religion to say there be three Gods and three Lords."

     [Fig. 6 Drawing.]

     From the contradiction and confusion thus induced upon the mind, what could result but the monstrosities depicted by the artists according to the insane inventions of their priestly mentors? And let it be distinctly understood, the religious insanities underlying the medieval representations of the Trinity, as here produced, are not confined to the Dark Ages nor to the Roman Catholic Church, for they reign supreme to this day in the Protestant Churches as well.

39


The Reformation cleaned only the outside of the cup and platter; it left Untouched the great fundamental falsity of Tritheism established at Nicaea, and whenever modern Protestant artists try to represent the "Christian Trinity," they fall back upon the same old medieval monstrosities.

     [Fig. 7 Drawing.]

     The most common personal representations of the Trinity show only two persons-the Father and the Son, with a dove hovering above or between them, as in the illustration, (Fig. 5) from a fresco in the convent on Mount Athos in Greece.

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     Fig. 6, (p. 38), represents this "strictly orthodox" conception of the Greek Catholic Church, that the Holy Spirit proceeds "from the Father through the Son," according to the original Greek text of the Athanasian Creed.

     The next illustration, (Fig. 7), exhibits the Roman dogma, that the Holy Spirit proceeds "from the Father and the Son," according to the Latin version of the Athanasian Creed,-one wing of the Dove proceeding from the mouth of the Father, and the other wing from the mouth of the Son. The Romans changed the words "through the Son" to "and the Sea" (filioque), a proceeding which caused the great schism between the Greek Church and the Roman. There is no other doctrinal difference between the two Churches, but neither the one nor the other has the slightest rational understanding of the absurd dogma.

     [Fig. 8 Drawing.]

     Prompted by a feeling that a dove is not a person and that a more distinctly tri-personal representation was needed, some of the ecclesiastical artists have depicted the Trinity by three heads on one body, as in the next illustration, taken from an Italian engraving of the fifteenth century. (Fig. 8.)

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     Others again, striving to express a still closer unity of the three supposed persons, have represented the Trinity by a combination of three faces on the one head of one person,-with results that would be ludicrous were they not so monstrously profane,- as witness the one below. (Fig. 9.)

     [Fig. 9 Drawing.]

     The next illustration may be called the supreme effort of Old Church Theology to represent the tri-personal dogma. It is a very popular one, even in modern churches, and exhibits one person with three combined and similar faces. In the corners are symbolic figures representing the four Evangelists, and in the middle an ingenious device containing an inscription which, if read from the corners towards the center, runs thus "the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God," but, if read from corner to corner, it states that "The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is not the Father," etc. (Fig. 10.)

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     [Fig. 10 Drawing.]

     We need not multiply the illustrations. These pictures are authentic and testify conclusively that every effort of Christian art to visualize the central doctrine of the Christian Church has resulted only in exposing the fact that this Church is worshiping Three gods,-not the One and Only God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

43


Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     The Rev. Frank Sewall passed to his eternal home on December 7th. In our next issue we hope to present an account of the life and work of this distinguished scholar, author and New Church minister.
Title Unspecified 1916

Title Unspecified              1916

     Under the title of "The Psychology of Obedience'' we were somewhat surprised to find the sermon on "Simeon," (printed in the LIFE for 1904, p. 8), published in NYA KYRKANS TIDNING, the Swedish monthly, edited since the year 1876, by the Rev. C. J. N. Manby. The translation is from the hand of the Baroness Alma von Cedda, who, it seemed to us, had vastly improved upon the English original.


     Again we read of "Union Thanksgiving Services" being held in various places, where "Swedenborgians" join with Unitarians, Universalists, Jews, and other "Anti-trinitarians." Can you think of anything more incongruous than such a religious company, addressing prayers and thanksgivings to Whom? or What?

     
     
     The Rev. Norman O. Goddard, at the recent meeting of the Kansas Association of the New Jerusalem, reported that he had "started his church on an upward move again, and is gradually closing up the gap between his church and the other churches of Pretty Prairie." When this New England New Church minister has quite succeeded in "closing up the gap," we shall hear more of the once promising New Church Society of German ex-Mennonites at Pretty Prairie.


     The Dutch translation of the DOCTRINE OF FAITH, (De Leer van het Nieuwe Jeruzalem over het Geloof), is the most recent production from the untiring hand of our friend, Mr. Geritt Barger, of The Hague.

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This completes the translation of "The Four Leading Doctrines." From private letters we learn that Mr. Barger has been instrumental in interesting a Chinese gentleman, connected with China's legation at The Hague, and that the latter is now anxious to be employed in translating some of the New Church Writings into Chinese. For a start in this work we would suggest THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY, as likely to appeal eminently to a nation nurtured upon the teachings of Confucius.


     Perhaps the last literary contribution from the pen of the late Rev. Frank Sewall, is a paper on "Germany's part in the Growth of the New Church," published in the MESSENGER for December 15th, 1915. In a most interesting way Mr. Sewall here reviews his early association with Prof. Immanuel Tafel, at the University of Tübingen, the work of Rudolph and Louis Tafel, the amazingly successful missionary work of the Rev. Arthur O. Ericknian, and the remarkable rise and progress of numerous German New Church societies in the United States and Canada. It seems to us, nevertheless, that "Germany," as a continental country, has contributed a very small part, indeed, to the Growth of the New Church. In Germany itself the New Church has had a most precarious and famishing existence, from the beginning and up to the present day. On the other hand, it is wonderful to contemplate the number of native Germans who have received the Heavenly Doctrine, and have brought up large and loyal families in the New Church faith, when transplanted to freer countries and removed from the oppressive spheres of German autocracies, State Churches, official paternalism, militarism, etc. The reception of the Heavenly Doctrines by Germans in America is, indeed, a most hopeful omen for the future of the New Church in Germany itself, when, as we firmly believe, a more liberal spirit will establish itself after the conclusion of the present War of Vastation.

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VIEW FROM AFAR 1916

VIEW FROM AFAR              1916

     Our wide-awake contemporary, THE NEW AGE, of Sydney, N. S. W., in its issue for November, offers the following comments on a recent interesting occurrence in the Church:

     "NEW CHURCH LIFE (September), contains a remarkable communication, notifying the withdrawal 'from the General Church and the whole Swedenborgian body' of Miss Lillian Beekman. Her reason is that she considers that the Swedenborgian body is institutionally founded upon 'an explicit denial and rejection of any such reality in God as the Christian Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit-before the Creation of the world and the Incarnation.' In the letter in which Bishop Pendleton accepts the resignation he states that Miss Beekman also 'rejects her former faith in the truth that the Lord has made His Second Coming in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.' As a matter of fact, the Lord makes His Second Coming in 'the clouds of heaven,' i. e., in the letter of the Divine Word. The misunderstanding seems to be one of words and phrases, rather than of realities. Can anyone seriously maintain that the Divine Being was at any time incomplete? Expressions in the Writings which might be held to convey that impression seem to be merely concessions to the limited power of the human intellect."

     * * * *

     "Miss Beekman's difficulty seems to be connected with one that was mentioned in THE NEW AGE some years ago. In the mind of the present writer, it is removed by the consideration that, although God, the Divine Man must, as to His Being, be ever Infinitely perfect, and thus unchangeable, still as to manifestation He adapts Himself to the varying states of His Church-yea, and to those of every member of His Church. When those states demanded manifestation in the flesh for the purpose of overcoming the infernal powers which held man in slavery, that manifestation was duly made and the work accomplished. To the Unchangeable it could add nothing, but to man's conception of the Unchangeable, it made-and makes-all the difference between redemption and bondage."

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     Many others have, with Mr. Spencer, supposed that "the misunderstanding," on the part of Miss Beekman, was "one of words and phrases, rather than realities," but the future will show that it was of a very real, substantial and dangerous character.

     Mr. Spencer's comments on the Unchangeable nature of the Divine exactly express our own understanding of the subject. The Incarnation and Glorification could add nothing to the Unchangeable Infinite, "but to man's conception of the Unchangeable it made-and makes-all the difference between redemption and bondage." That which was added by the Glorification was not a new Divine Substance, but a new form of The WORD, a new accommodation and manifestation of the Divine Truth, by which the Divine took unto itself a new power to save all men willing to be saved.
DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL LIFE 1916

DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL LIFE       HOMER SYNNESTVEDT       1916

     In the minds of many in the Church, especially the isolated, and also those living widely scattered in metropolitan centers, Many difficulties arise as t, the acceptance of the teaching printed upon the cover of NEW CHURCH LIFE, that we ought to have a social life distinct from that of the former church. Some even go further, and ask whether Social life, belonging specially to the sensual plane, into which we must descend for all recreation, is really an inseparable part of the Church. Is it in any way intrinsically different inside the Church from that which is formed outside?

     It is easy to recognize the practical difficulties of the isolated, and also of certain urban congregations, among whom are many who regard each other as socially "impossible," because their habits of life, their manners, and their tastes and interests on the natural plane, are so heterogeneous At first it would hardly be expected that such a straggling collection, as some of our societies are, recruited from every walk of life, should make in one generation a well knit social unit. But it is wonderful what the General Church has already accomplished, here and there, in the direction of social coherence and neighborly happiness therefrom.

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The measure of our success in the past, and what has been accomplished thereby in the promotion of marriages within the Church, compares very favorably with the conditions elsewhere. It has been a case of sheer sacrifice, on the part of some, on the natural plane, for the sake of a principle, and in order to insure the preservation and perpetuation of the Church in the midst of a spiritually deadening and destructive environment. In the pursuit of this policy, however, we seemed to fall into something of the Jewish spirit of exclusiveness, which in itself is bigoted and intolerant. It tends to the taking away of freedom, because it was regarded as wrong to have anything at all to do socially, with those outside the visible Church, and this in spite of the teaching that "friendliness with anyone, for the sake of various external uses, does no harm." What is forbidden is "the friendship of love" with anyone, without first scrutinizing his ends. And since the mutual love of spiritual ends cannot but be present and qualify even the social intercourse upon the external plane, it seems evident that we must have centers where a distinctive social life of our own can be maintained. The Church must grow from such centers. It is too weak, as yet, and the surrounding seductions are too insidious, to make it possible for the Church to grow, and especially to propagate itself by means of marriages within the Church; and to grow by bringing up the young in the sphere of our persuasions, (for persuasion must needs precede faith), unless we do have such centers, and a strong and delightful sphere there into which the young and also novitiates can be drawn. Still, we do not wish to return to the Jewish spirit of exclusiveness. Our distinctiveness must have a different spirit and a spiritual, not a merely natural and selfish end. The question now before us is, therefore: Is it possible to preserve freedom and humility, and yet maintain a policy of distinctiveness, as to our social life' Can we otherwise preserve the Church, our distinctive charity, our peculiar faith, and, last but not least, the ideal of love truly conjugial, without real, living, social ultimates? Is a strong but narrow persuasion the only alternative? Even that would be better than total extinction.

     So much at least is clear,-indiscriminate intimacies (the friendships of love with anyone) we are warned against.

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This, as well as the teaching concerning the early Christian Church, and the benefits it derived from its frequent love feasts and its brotherhood, imply the need of a similar relation among those who share the ends and ideals of the New Church. But at the same time there is nothing inherently wrong in associating, for various external reasons, with those outside the pale of our own ideals.

     There remains, however, one more consideration which seems to call for emphasis at this time. In the face of unusual need, men make unusual provisions, and also sacrifices. In such circumstances we surely find ourselves today; and it seems that unless we voluntarily renounce something of our rightful freedom, in the matter of outside pleasures, the Church in some of our centers cannot but starve and die socially.

     No one can serve two masters, and those who have what satisfies them socially, elsewhere, make but a sorry lot of polite pretenders when they are called together for anything in the Church. They are not hungry. The feast has little charm for them. It is duty, more than pleasure, thus forced, and is not spontaneous; and in the end, so far as it depends upon such, it must come to nothing.

     The horse is a false thing for safety;-the understanding or faith alone will not save us. We must have a warm sphere of affection as well. No amount of harmony as to theological "views," will build a consistent and strong church, able to house our spirits, nurture the loves of heaven among us, and protect us from the invading influences of the Dragon, unless we have also the other element-the conjugial mate of this,-the intense activity of some common love, which must ultimate itself even in the good of the external, where alone dwell fulness, holiness and power, the power of use and reproduction.     
     HOMER SYNNESTVEDT.

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IRREVERENT USE OF THE WORD 1916

IRREVERENT USE OF THE WORD              1916

     One or the most common evils of the world in which we live is the irreverent use of the Word of God by professed Christian people. In thousands of homes the big "family Bible" does indeed occupy a place of honor on the parlor table, but is never opened except when some new data are to be entered on the family tree. In the meantime anything and everything is slammed down on the sacred volume,-hats, newspapers, sewing baskets, etc;-and quite often the Bible is placed on a chair, and stepped upon when anyone wishes to reach for a book on one of the higher shelves of the book case. Things 1ike these are often done quite thoughtlessly, but we may be sure that such treatment of the Word does not implant "remains of holiness" with children and young people.

     Worse than this are the jokes and puns from and concerning the Word, which fill the air in the Christian world. We meet them on every side,-in the daily papers, in the comic sections of the Sunday editions, in works of fiction, and especially in the vaudeville theaters. Whenever a writer or actor wants to be "real funny," he connects his cheap jokes with some Scriptural phrase or Biblical character, for he knows that this will always be appreciated by his audience. Scriptural terms and sayings, applied in jokes or light talk, have indeed become so common that most people no longer remember that they were originally taken from the Bible.

     Nor is this evil habit confined to vulgar people or to cheap literature alone, for the "higher classes" also indulge in it, in a more refined manner, perhaps, but for the same purpose, i. e., to add "spice" to their talk by a bit of profanity. After-dinner speakers, lawyers pleading at court, political orators, etc., are especially guilty of this evil, and any "funny" reference to the Bible is sure to evoke shouts of laughter. The Word, and marriage,-these two most holy things in human life are the things most exposed to profanation in the Christian world.

     And those who of all men are most guilty of this form of profanation are the preachers in the Old Church.

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It is well known that they fill their empty sermons with all kinds of funny anecdotes, in which the holy things of the Word are used in an irreverent manner. "Billy Sunday" is an extreme example of such blasphemers, but he is only a little more "advanced" than the rest of his ecclesiastical confreres. The term "Preachers' jokes" has become a by-word. Once, on an ocean liner, we overheard a sample of clerical wit. Four reverend gentlemen assembled in the smoking room to exchange anecdotes, and never in our life have we heard such foul ideas garbed in the language of Sacred Scripture.

     Bishop Benade and the other fathers of the Academy were strenuous in their preaching against this evil, with the result that the practice was pretty well rooted out among those who followed them. To mention this fact may seem like praising ourselves for conscious virtue, but surely, the knowledge that certain gross evils are discouraged among us, should not be charged against our heavy burden of communal self-conceit. External decency and reverence for holy things must be prerequisites for life in the New Church, for they constitute the ultimate basis of spiritual order and progress.

     As one of the early converts to the "Academy" way of thinking, we hope to be pardoned for bringing personal testimony as to the impression made upon our youthful mind by the treatment of the Word in the Academy families. The sacred repository for the Word in each home,-the reverence with which it was named and handled,-the gentle suggestion, (rather than reproof), when once in class we rested an elbow on the Word,-the silence among jovial young men whenever any stranger tried to be "funny" by the use of Scriptural language,-all this was new and startling, and made a life-long impression. We are happy to state that this manner of treating the Word is still one of the characteristics of external life in the General Church, and we suppose it is the same in all other parts of the New Church.

     As far as we know, the teachings of the Writings on this subject have never before been collected and published, and we therefore take pleasure in presenting them here. They are of the utmost practical value.

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TEACHINGS 1916

TEACHINGS              1916

     "'Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain,' signifies that all' and single things which belong to the worship of God are not to be contemned, still less blasphemed and contaminated with filthy things." A. C. 2009.

     "By 'taking the name of God in vain' is signified blasphemy, which is committed when those things which are of the Word, or of the Doctrine of faith,-thus the things which are holy-are held in derision and are debased to unclean earthly things and thus defiled." A. C. 8882.

     "To 'take the name of God in vain' means to take anything from what the Church teaches out of the Word, and by means of which the Lord is invoked and worshiped, and use it in vain talk, falsehoods, lies, curses, sorceries and incantations, for this also is to revile and blaspheme God and thus the name of God." T. C. R. 298.

     "Divine Truth, or the Word, is profaned when its holiness is denied, which is done when it is despised, rejected, and treated with opprobrium." A. E. 960:14.

     "The first kind of profanation is committed by those who make jests from the Word and about the Word and the Divine things of the Church. This is done by some from a bad habit, in taking names or expressions from the Word and mixing them with remarks which are hardly becoming and sometimes foul. This cannot be done without being joined with some degree of contempt for the Word, when yet the Word in all and single things is Divine and holy, for each and every word therein conceals in its bosom something Divine, and by it has communication with heaven. But this kind of profanation is lighter or more grievous according to the acknowledgment of the holiness of the Word and according to the indecency of the talk into which it is introduced by those who jest concerning it." D. P. 231.

     "Those who make jokes from the Word do not regard it as holy, and those who joke about it hold it in no esteem. And yet the Word is the very Divine Truth of the Lord with men, and the Lord is present in the Word, and likewise heaven; for every single thing of the Word communicates with heaven and through heaven with the Lord; therefore, to jest from the Word and about the Word is to bespatter the holy things of heaven with the dust of the earth." A. E. 1064.

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     "When such a man comes into the other life, holy things adhere to profane things in every idea of his thought. He cannot there bring forth a single idea of what is holy without bringing forth at the same time the adherent profane things. Profanation exists in each thing that he thinks; and, as heaven abhors profanation, he cannot but be thrust down into heir." A. C. 1008.

     "There are spirits who, while in the life of the body, had despised the Word; and there are those who had abused the things of the Word by introducing them into jokes. There are those who had supposed the Word to be of no account except that it might serve to keep the common people in restraint; there are those who had blasphemed the Word, and there are those who had profaned it. The lot of all such persons is miserable in the other life, with each one according to the kind and degree of the contempt, derision, blasphemy and profanation. For, as has been said before, in the heavens the Word is so holy that it is as it were heaven itself to them; and since in heaven there is a communication of the thoughts of all, such spirits cannot possibly be together with the angels, but are separated." A. C. 1878.

     "Those who debase spiritual things to unclean earthly things correspond to unclean excretions. Such spirits came to me and brought with them filthy thoughts, from which they spoke filthy things, and also warped clean things to unclean things and turned them into such. Many of this kind had belonged to the lowest orders, but some also to people of higher station in the world, who during their bodily life had not indeed so spoken in company, but still had so thought; for they had refrained from speaking as they thought, lest they should come to shame and lose friendship, gain, and honor. Nevertheless, among their like, when in freedom, their conversation had been like that of the lowest orders, and even fouler, because they possessed a certain intellectual capacity which they misused to defile even the holy things of the Word and of Doctrine." n. 5390.

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     "Some persons from common practice, and others from contempt of the Word, have contracted that evil habit of using statements of the Holy Scripture as matters of laughter, or for jokes, supposing that thus they are joking in an elegant manner. But holy things are thereby So adjoined to corporeal and filthy ideas, that in the other life they are a source of great detriment to these persons; for such holy things, by habit immersed in worldly and corporeal ideas of various kinds, must be separated in the other life, and this is usually effected by various methods of discerption, [tearing apart], which I have witnessed. Let men beware, therefore, how they mix holy things with things profane, thereby profaning holy things; for in the other life similar ideas return: when worldly ideas occur the holy things mixed with them occur also; and when holy ideas occur the profane things also occur in connection with them, and therefore these things must be separated from one another. Let this suffice for a warning, for these things can scarcely be cured except by painful methods." S. D. 1304.

     "Profanations of the Word produce a kind of callosity which obstructs and absorbs the goods and truths of remains. Let man beware, therefore, of profaning the Word." A. C. 571.

     "Let all, therefore, beware of injuring the Word in any way; for they who injure it do injury to the Divine itself." A. C. 9430.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. At present Bryn Athyn lies buried under a deep mantle of snow, which has aided and abetted a bad epidemic of the grippe. Almost all the children, and many of the young people and older folks, have suffered from it. The Synnestvedts had eleven sick in bed at one time, the Odhners nine, and so on. We regret to say that Mr. Pitcairn, after twelve weeks of most serious illness, is still confined to his room, but we learn that the crisis seems to have passed, and that there is now hope of recovery. The sympathy of the whole Church goes forth to "Uncle John."

     On November 26th, after a lapse of three years, another "fair" was held. It was found that although fairs involve a great deal of work, they nevertheless "raise money" and, what is more important, provide an opportunity for many to do something for their beloved Church. The recent fair was a great success, financially, as well as socially. The program was skillfully arranged by Mr. Fred. Finkelday, who converted the auditorium to a veritable oriental market place. Many came in brilliant oriental costumes. Five oriental dances and a selection of music from the Orient were followed by a little farce, representing a mock trial, based on the recent "borough trial," composed by the lively wit of Mr. Donald F. Rose.

     November 27th and 28th were made historical by an important meeting of the Joint Council of Clergy and Laity. Rev. F. E. Waelchli, Hugo Odhner and Richard Roschman came from Berlin, Ont.; Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, Mr. S. S. Lindsay and Jacob Schoenberger from Pittsburgh, Mr. Seymour Nelson and Paul Carpenter from Glenview, Ill.; Rev. T. S. Harris from Baltimore, and Mr. Walter C. Childs from New York. It was almost like an Assembly; the purpose of the meeting was to discuss "the State of the Church," as affected by the teachings of Miss Beekman and others on the nature of the spiritual world, the spiritual body, and the doctrine concerning the Holy Supper.

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A great many letters were read from various parts of the Church; beside some documents of great doctrinal and historical importance. The long discussion that followed was very frank and earnest, but a friendly tone prevailed throughout in spite of some apparently irreconcilable doctrinal differences. Many of those attending left with a feeling of great encouragement and hopefulness, for it is becoming more and more manifest that the Lord Himself is leading His Church out of the internal temptations through which she has been passing during recent years.

     The "Philadelphia District Assembly" was held in connection with the meetings of the Joint Council, the fair taking the place of the usual banquet. The two following evenings were devoted to verbal reports of the visiting ministers and to a discussion on "the evidences that the New Church will be established in Christendom."

     On December 3d the congregation witnessed a very beautiful wedding. The fair bride was Miss Greta Odhner, and the happy bridegroom, Mr. Otho W. Heilman. The chapel, decorated with brilliant chrysanthemums, was filled to overflowing with the relatives and friends of this popular young couple. Though the editor of the LIFE will frown upon these details, I know that the ladies and young people among the readers will be interested in them. The dress of the bride was white embroidered "Organdy" in "Empire" style; the veil decorated with lilies of the valley. The bridesmaids were attired in the same general style, Miss Hilda Glebe, the maid of honor, in lavender, and the other fair maids-Miss Winfrey Glenn, Miss Agnes Lindsay, and Miss Flora Waelchli-in citron-yellow and purple, these being the "colors" of the senior class, which the bride has forsaken for the matrimonial estate. The two little sisters of the bride, Renee and Ione, were flower girls, while little Ormond trotted up as the page. Bishop W. F. Pendleton officiated, and his magnificent chasuble, of brocaded white velvet, added ecclesiastical beauty to a beautiful scene. A pleasant surprise to the parents of the bride was the rendering by the orchestra of the same old Swedish wedding march, which was sung by Schools at the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Odhner, in 1889.

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At the reception, which followed nearly four hundred friends, old and young, offered their congratulations. It was a very happy occasion, gay and free, and not over-loaded with many long speeches. The music was unusually fine, and the dances many. The newly married couple have made their first nest in "the Brown Study."

     On the following evening a native of Greece, ("Mike" Dorizas, Otho's friend and successor as heavy-weight wrestler at the Penn), gave us a very interesting lecture on the Balkan situation and especially on the little-known country of Persia, where he had spent two years. The lecture was illustrated by more than a hundred lantern slides. After the talk he was entertained as the guest of the Younger Generation Club at a "smoker" in the "Dutch Kitchen."

     On Sunday afternoon, December 12th, the Civic and Social Club gave a musical, which proved a very pleasant occasion. It will be followed by a series of musicals. K. R. A.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA. Since our last report two interesting incidents have occurred. The first, in order of time, was the "fair," which more than equaled our hopes and expectations. About 75 of our people were present, filling our old hall to its greatest capacity. Booths, decorated in brilliant colors, and costumes suggestive of the Harvest Home, brightened the scene and engendered a jovial spirit, which went far to loosen the purse strings. The articles for sale rapidly dwindled, as the coffer filled and finally overflowed the $100.00 mark.

     On Sunday, December 5th, we reaped the first-fruits of our long and patient efforts to obtain a permanent place of worship of our own. A simple but impressive ceremony, attended by nearly all the members of the society, signalized the laying of the corner-stone of our new Church building, which is situated at Wyalusing Ave. and 54th St., in West Philadelphia. The presence of Bishop N. D. Pendleton added much to the sphere of the occasion. The foundations of the building have now been laid and the work will progress rapidly to its completion.

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     It has been a pleasure to entertain a number of guests and visitors from Bryn Athyn, and we hope to see more of our "country" friends. The regular activities of the Society have been well sustained, and we have settled down in earnest to the work of the winter. A. E. S.

     CHICAGO, ILL. Lest our long silence should give our friends in the General Church the impression that we have fallen into "innocuous desuetude," in the absence of a regular correspondent a casual contributor here ventures to make an effort at filling the gap in the record.

     These reminiscences will only go back to our summer vacation, which began in August. This was the signal for a general flight from crowded and noisy city streets to the serene and peaceful solitudes of the Michigan woods. Gentle winds and waves carried us at different times to the friendly shelter of South Haven, Refreshed by the invigorating breezes of our inland sea, the pilgrims continued their way overland to the leafy solitudes of Palisades Park and Covert. That goal once reached, how restful to be lulled to sleep by the restless rolling of the waves upon the sandy shore and the gentle soughing of the sentinels of the forest realm!

     In due course our brief stay drew to a close and before long all set their faces toward their city homes. Church and Sunday School services, the latter under Mr. Klein's able leading, were resumed, and on October 13th we greatly enjoyed the presence of our Bishop at the Wednesday evening supper and class at the Pollock house. October 17th a joint service with communion in connection with Mr. Headsten's congregation was held in our hall in the Fine Arts Building, the Bishop preaching.

     Our little flock has enjoyed the visit of Mrs. Schroeder, from Denver, who has spent the fall months in Chicago. On the other hand, we much regret the departure for the East of our friend, Miss Klein, who has so long attended her sorely tried brother's family.

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     One event of the near future, which will be launched on December 1st, at present engages the close and. laborious attention of the Ladies' Auxiliary, who have for a long time worked like beavers to make the Bazaar a success. We hope they will meet with the success they so richly deserve.

     As a society we are leading a somewhat precarious existence, no accessions being recorded for a long time, which makes the building up of a flourishing society in the busy center of American activity so difficult. Still, our little flock is clinging together and we fully realize "how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." J. W. M.

     GLENVIEW, ILL. Building activities and interest in the growth of our new buildings have nearly superseded social functions proper. Already the walls are up sufficiently to give one an idea of how well the finished product is going to look amid the rural surroundings of the park. There are building committees and sub-committees of various kinds, so that many meetings have to be held, leaving few evenings free for our usual functions. The Philosophy Class, which has been carried on for several years, has been omitted. We still manage to have the indispensable Friday evening supper and class and the regular services in temporary quarters. As we have waited for twenty years for a real church building our excitement and enthusiasm are pardonable and natural.

     Sunday, the seventh of November, was a memorable day in our history, for on that day the corner-stone of the church was laid with appropriate exercises. The usual service was held in the temporary building and just before the last hymn the pastor gave a short, but interesting, address; the stone is of unhewn granite,-the gift of one of the members. The correspondence of the stone, and of the east and the south, was given. The address was an excellent preparation for the ceremony that followed. The pastor, bearing the WORD in his hands, led us in solemn procession through the paths of the park to the building site. The weather was apparently made for the occasion, as warm and sunny as a day in spring.

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It was inspiring to look back and see so many of our people, marching together with the same end in view. The one hundred and twenty who took part made a long procession with here and there a gap caused by the lagging of little feet or those of old age.

     Soon all gathered in sight of the southeast corner. Suitable passages from the Word were read, a hymn was sung, and then four of the young men lowered the stone to its proper position. After another hymn had been sung the pastor invoked the Divine Blessing upon the Church, the people and the building. The congregation then dispersed feeling that this work, that means so much to us, had been begun under right and orderly conditions.

     We also enjoyed having a bazaar this month. A play was given by the young folks and a large and attractive stock of useful and ornamental articles were sold with the result of making a considerable addition to the building fund.

     The second Wednesday of December witnessed a postponed "steinfest" to which the ladies were invited. The subject discussed (with pleasure and profit) was the general subject of "Waste." The particular parts of the subject spoken to were waste of material, of energy, of emotion, of time, and of opportunity.

     Among the minor items is the purchase of an automobile by one of our young men. He has a nice little garage to lock it up in at night. Night is the only time it is in danger of being stolen; nobody would steal it by daylight.

     STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. When the summer holidays had come to an end, the Circle assembled again with eagerness, planning for the coming winter. We had finally received a leader and minister after two years of waiting and expectation, and we now all felt that the little Circle was to leave its privacy and step into publicity. Two things we had to consider to begin with: To procure a suitable place for the public worship and our meetings and to discuss how our Circle could, in the best way, become a congregation, recognized by the State. On several successive meetings we discussed the name of the intended congregation and the statutes which are to accompany our application.

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We found that we could procure the necessary number of fifteen persons (who had left the Old Church and were baptized into the New Church) to sign the application, and thus everything is arranged, though the application is not yet handed in.

     The Circle has finally found a suitable home in a former school room, large and well lighted, on Artillerigatan 60, on the ground floor, quite in the neighborhood of our former rooms, which we left with some regret. The hall itself has been repaired, but according to the rigorous restrictions of the authorities in this country, it is not allowed to hold more than sixty persons. The spacious and cheerful cloak-room we have partly re-arranged as a room where our little library and other things are housed.

     Since the beginning of October we have had regular public services every Tuesday, at 11:30 a. m. Classes are held on Wednesdays, at 7 a. m., when Mr. Baeckstrom lectures, at present on the subject of the Spiritual World, discussion being allowed afterwards. The attendance at the services has been fairly good, never less than twenty persons, and at the Wednesday classes about thirty persons. We all feel very thankful, indeed, to the General Church, that our minister, through its generosity, is in a position to devote his time exclusively to the work for the Church. This will, we hope, give more strength to it and increase the progress, though it cannot perhaps be as rapid and great in a country where there is still an established religion and where, consequently, it is a great enterprise to leave the State Church. Some who have quite privately in some way or other taken an interest in the Writings have found their way to us, and now it is to be seen if their interest is strong enough to continue to visit our classes. The first Sunday, when a service was held at Artillerigatan, a little baby, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Liden, was baptized, and we accepted this as a good omen for the future. Now we have three married couples and six children in the Church, which is not so bad to begin with.

     The first festivity in our new room was the marriage of Mr. Gustaf Baeckstrom and Miss Greta Wahlstrom, Pastor Bronniche, from Copenhagen, officiating.

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The hall was in festive array, decorated with palms and flowers and lights in tall silver candelabra and was to the last place filled with a happy crowd. After the hymn, "O Lord, Thy love through heavenly spheres descending," (of course translated into Swedish), was sung, the glorious tones of Beethoven's song, "The Praise of God in Nature," filled the room. Then followed, "Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah," during which the minister entered and opened the Word. To the strains of a wedding march by Soderman the bridal couple slowly marched in, preceded by four little girls in pink dresses with white flowers on their culls and in their hands. The ritual for the wedding was according to the Liturgy of the General Church. Immediately after the ceremony the bridal couple received the communion. Then the congregation sang "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts," the newly married pair leaving the room, their path being strewn with flowers by the little bridesmaids. After another solo the feast had come to an end. The whole ceremony made a deep impression upon all those present, among whom were a number of friends not connected with the Church. It was the first time any wedding like this was seen in Sweden. Members of the Circle and a few others were afterwards invited to the home of the bride, where an animated supper ended the day. SOPHIE NORDENSKJOLD.

     LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND. The Rev. G. J. Fercken, on a card dated November 22d, states that on November 14th he "wrote a long letter, from which I know you will draw some very interesting news for the readers of the LIFE." This letter has never reached us, and it is to be feared that it has been lost, like several other foreign communications, owing to the chaotic conditions in Europe. But from letters received by Bishop N. D. Pendleton, we draw some encouraging particulars concerning Dr. Fercken's newly established mission in the French- speaking part of Switzerland.

     Having safely settled in the neighborhood of Lausanne, Dr. Fercken at once established connection with the little colony of New Church people from Mauritius,-his former parishioners. There were nine or ten of these, but he found quite a number of other persons interested. A suitable hall was secured and regular services instituted, with an average attendance of twenty-two persons.

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In all, there are about thirty persons in Lausanne actively interested in the Doctrines of the New Church. Five of these are now members of the General Church. The minister is supported by the Extension Fund of the General Church, while the congregation pays for the hall and current expenses. A doctrinal class, attended by eighteen persons, is held every Friday evening, and is at present studying the work ON THE LAST JUDGMENT. The little tract, entitled "The Testimony of the Writings," is doing effective work in convincing the people that the Writings are indeed the Word of the Lord in His Second Coming.

     A new field seems to be opening in the old Calvinistic strong-hold of Geneva. Dr. Fercken states that "Madame D., of Geneva, continues her very interesting correspondence with me. She is busy gathering 'des personnes d'elite' as a nucleus for New Church work in that city. I think you will soon hear very happy news about this new field."

     MR. BOWERS' MISSIONARY WORK, The usual fall tour on my little circuit, in the great missionary field of the world, began on September 17th. The first place visited was Berlin, Ont., where I was invited to preach on Sunday, September 19th The Rev. F. E. Waelchli, pastor of Carmel Church, being now employed as visiting pastor in the use of Church Extension, the Rev. H. L. Odhner, the assistant minister, is efficiently carrying forward the work of the Church in Berlin.

     Services were held on Sunday, September 26th, at the home of Mr. Ferd. Doering and family near Milverton, Ont. Sermon and administration of the Holy Supper to six persons. Three members of the circle were absent on account of rain-storm that day.

     On Sunday, October 3d, our meeting was at the residence of Dr. Edward Cranch and family, in Erie, Pa. The attendance was twenty-one adults and three children. When my first visit was made in Erie, in November, 1879. Dr. and Mrs. Cranch were the only people in that city, known to be believers in the New Church, as a body distinct from the Old Church. There were a few also in the country.

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     On Sunday, October 10th, services were held at the home of Mr. Solomon Renkenberger, at Youngstown, O. All of those present except the writer, six persons, were members of the family.

     Near Columbiana, O., on Sunday, October 17th, I preached at the home of Mr. Jacob Renkenberger and family, to a circle of seven persons.

     It was to me an enjoyable experience to be able to attend the Pittsburgh District Assembly, October 22-25.

     In the city of Kokomo, Ind., five days were given to a visit with Mr. Isaac M. Martz and family. Mr. Martz has long been a most diligent reader of the Writings. He believes in them as the Word of the Lord. On Sunday, November 14th, we held service, seven persons being present.

     The next place visited was Bourbon, Ind., 95 miles east of Chicago. Here our little circle consists of three married couples. Our meeting was held on. Sunday evening, November 21st, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Fogle. The sermon aroused a warm sphere, and an interesting conversation followed.

     Having returned to Ontario, we had a service at the home of Mr. F. E. Woofenden and family, at Mull, Kent county, on Sunday, November 28th. The six children of the family and five adults formed the congregation.

     On December 1st I again arrived at Berlin and Waterloo. As Mr. Waelchli was away over Sunday, the 5th, and Minister Odhner just returned on Saturday from Bryn Athyn, where he had been at the meetings of the Joint Council, my giving the sermon was again acceptable.

     Besides the places mentioned above, sixteen others were visited on this trip. And I much regret that on account of limitations of time and space, my calls at those places cannot be more fully spoken of here. But it must suffice to say that at Warren, Greenford, Waverly, Columbus, Madison county, in Ohio, and at all the other places just above referred to, kind and earnest New Church friends gave me a cordial welcome, as ever. And our talks as to the Church and the Doctrines were pleasant and useful, as in many former years. J. E. BOWERS.

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LOVE OF COUNTRY 1916

LOVE OF COUNTRY       Rev. F. E. WAELCHLI       1916




     ANNOUNCEMENTS.



NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XXXVI FEBRUARY, 1916          No. 2
     (Read at the Ontario District Assembly, Jan. 1st, 1916.)

     In the New Church all things are to be made new by means of the new doctrine now revealed. Upon every relation of man to his fellow-men, that doctrine sheds its light, and the man of the Church who desires to enter into a new and truer life as to any one of those relations, will turn to that doctrine to learn its teachings. He is not willing to rest satisfied with what the world can give him in the way of principles and theories, but longs for the light of heaven. When, therefore, his mind turns to the question of his relation to his country, he seeks for the truths relating thereto as given in the Heavenly Doctrines. And as the mind of everyone is in these days occupied with this question, it may be of use to present and consider some of the passages bearing upon it.

     "One's country is the neighbor more than a society, because it consists of many societies and consequently the love toward it is broader and higher; and beside, to love one's country is to love the Public welfare. A man's country is the neighbor, because it is like a parent; for there he was born; it has nourished and still nourishes him, it has protected and still protects him from injury. Men should do good to their country from love, according to its necessities, some of which are natural and some spiritual. Natural necessities regard civil life and order, and spiritual necessities regard spiritual life and order. That one's country is to be loved, not as a man loves himself but more than himself, is a law inscribed on the human heart; hence what has been affirmed by every just man has been declared, that if ruin threatens one s country from an enemy or other source, it is noble to die for it, and glorious for a soldier to shed his blood for it.

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This is a common saying, because one's country should be loved so much. It is to be known that they who love their country, and do good to it from good will, after death love the Lord's kingdom; for this is the country there; and they who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord, because the Lord is the All in all of His kingdom." (T. C. R. 414)

     "He who loves his country, and has such an affection toward it as to find a pleasure in promoting its good from good-will, would lament if this should be denied him, and would supplicate that the opportunity of doing good to it might be granted, for this is the object of his affection, consequently the source of his pleasure and blessedness. Such a one is also honored and exalted to posts of dignity, for these to him are means of serving his country, although they are called rewards. But those who have no affection for their country, but only for themselves and the world, are moved to action on account of honor and wealth, which also they regard as ends. Such persons prefer themselves to their country, or their own good to the common good, and are respectively sordid; and yet they are above others desirous to make it appear that they do what they do from a sincere love. But when they think privately about it, they deny that anyone does this, and wonder that anyone can. They who are such in the life of the body with regard to their country, or the public good, are such also in the other life with regard to the Lord's kingdom, for every one's affection or love follows him, since affection or love is the life of every one." (A. C. 3816.)

     In these words of doctrine we note three things: (1) that it is a law inscribed upon the human heart that one's country is to be loved, not as a man loves himself, but more than himself; (2) that there are those whose perception of this law has perished because of their regarding only their own advantage in their pretended love of country; (3) that such as men are in regard to their country, such they are also in the other life in regard to the Lord's Kingdom.

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     The law of the love of country is inscribed upon the human heart because, as the doctrine states, the country is as a parent, providing the place of birth and giving nourishment and protection. As the love of parents is inscribed on the heart, so is the love of country, unless selfishness blot it out. This love may be merely natural or it may be spiritual; or, to use other terms, it may be merely natural good or it may be spiritual good. As merely natural good it may exist with the unregenerate man; but as spiritual good only with him who is regenerating. If it be merely natural good, it lacks the quality which is necessary in order that after death it may become love of the Lord's Kingdom; but if it be spiritual good it has this quality and will become that eternal love.

     Man is born with natural good. It is a gift from the Lord, bestowed in order that he may become receptive of spiritual good. Unless there were natural good, there would be no possibility of remains coming into any activity and leading into spiritual good. To illustrate: how could there ever be any entrance into spiritual good with a man who is devoid of natural kindness, sympathy, good-will, gratitude, honesty, justice and uprightness. So, although this good in itself does not have in it eternal life, yet but for it there could be no attainment of that life. And so it is with the love of country, which is of natural good; it cannot become the eternal love of the Lord's Kingdom, but it can serve as the means of entrance into that love of country which is of spiritual good, and which does become love of the Lord's Kingdom. The Lord inscribes upon the human heart the law that the country is to be loved not as oneself but more than oneself, in order that that law from being merely natural may become spiritual, and thus eternal; for in all things the Lord regards what is eternal. And when the state of men is such that that law is in danger of perishing, He provides or permits such events among men as may serve as means for calling it into renewed life. Of one of these means we shall speak later.

     But though the Lord seeks to keep the love alive, He does not take away from man the freedom to destroy it, if he will. He destroys it, when he permits his selfish ends to rule to such an extent that the love of country becomes a mere pretense, used for the attainment of those ends.

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And yet that pretense may become so much a second nature to him, that he does not realize that it is a pretense, but believes that he genuinely loves his country. This is illustrated by the case of Charles XII, of Sweden, who believed that he was acting from love of country, when in reality he was only seeking to carry out his obstinate will. Concerning him we read: "When Charles XII lived in the world, and lost his country and all who were in it, he said that he wished well to the country; he was not willing to see that such was not the case, but that he most obstinately remained in the purpose never to desist, before he was brought to such extremity that nothing remained. This was shown, and, also, that in itself it was diabolical: he believed, however, that this must be the glory of his country; but it was shown that he ought to be considered as insane." (S. D. 4741.)

     No natural good is pure. Back of it and entering more or less into it there is always something of selfishness, something of self-satisfaction and of the desire for recognition and credit. It is, therefore, also thus with the love of country which is of natural good. Selfishness is ever seeking to inject itself into it, and will do so unless there be combat against it. To this there is no exception. The combat may be carried on from merely moral principles, or it may be carried on from spiritual-moral principles. If from the former, the selfishness can be held in check, but not put away. And yet such combat is of use, indeed, of great and important use, for by it the natural good is preserved in a state relatively pure, and thus capable at any time of becoming the means whereby spiritual good may be attained. Spiritual good is attained when the evil of selfishness is combated from spiritual-moral principles, that is, because it is a sin against God. Then the evil is not merely held in check, but is rendered powerless; and the truly genuine love of country will find its place in the heart, a love of country which after death becomes the love of the Lord's Kingdom. That genuine love of country is none other than such as is capable of becoming the love of the Lord's Kingdom is evident from the following teaching:

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"Those were explored who had not any charity towards the neighbor-not those who are unmerciful, and of such a disposition; for these are at once seen to be infernal-but they who do not appear so in words and in outward form, and yet are so in heart and internally. They are those who say they are for their country and its good, and likewise act and speak as if they were for it, and yet are not; for those who are for the good of their country have charity towards the neighbor-for the good of their country is the neighbor, and more the neighbor than a fellow citizen is. These were explored by the following criterion, namely, as to whether they wished well to the Lord's Kingdom, thus to heaven; for they who wish well to their country also wish well to the Kingdom of the Lord; for after death this is their country; in the other life no other country is recognized." (S. D. 5399.)

     Genuine love of country is attained only by regeneration, and this because in it are included all things of the life of charity; and the life of charity is not possible without regeneration. That all things of charity are included in the genuine love of country is because this love is the love of the common good, which good man has at heart when he is a form of charity, performing his daily duties from the love of promoting the good of the neighbor, individually and collectively. To become such a form of charity man must be regenerated, that is, he must look to the Lord and shun his evils as sins. Only he who is such a form of charity can truly love the neighbor, and consequently his country; for the country is in an eminent sense the neighbor. We read:

     "Not only man as an individual is the neighbor, but also man in plurality; for a society larger and smaller, a man's country, the church, the Lord's Kingdom, and above all the Lord-these are all the neighbor, to whom good is to be done from charity. 'These also are ascending degrees of neighbor; for a society of many is neighbor in a higher degree than an individual; a man's country in a higher degree than a society; in still higher degree is the church; in yet higher degree the Lord's Kingdom; but in the supreme degree the Lord. These ascending degrees are like the steps of a ladder, at the top of which is the Lord." (A. C. 6819.)

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     Let us note that it is here said that these ascending degrees are like the steps of a ladder. We mount to the higher steps by the lower; only thus can we, attain them. He who is not in charity to the individual neighbor, cannot be in charity to a society; and he who is not in both of these, cannot be in charity towards his country, that is, in the genuine love of country.

     True love of country, or, what is the same, true patriotism consists in the faithful performance of use for the sake of the common good, with love to the Lord entering into it all. This appears from the following teaching:

     "To perform use is to desire the welfare of others for the sake of the common good; and not to perform use is to desire the welfare of others not for the sake of the common good, but for the sake of self. The latter are they who love themselves above all things, but the former are they who love the Lard above all things. Thus it is that they who are in heaven act as one, and this not from themselves, but from the Lord, since they look to Him as the Only One, from whom are all things, and to His Kingdom as the common weal to be cared for. They who in the world love their country's good more than their own, and their neighbor's good as their own, are those who in the other life love and seek the Lord's Kingdom; for there the Lord's Kingdom is in the place of country." (H. H. 64.)

     What are the uses that are to be performed for the common good, is indicated, in a general way, in one of the numbers adduced above (T. C. R. 414), where it is said: "Men should do good to their country from love, according to its necessities, some of which are natural and some spiritual. Natural necessities regard civil life and order, and spiritual necessities regard spiritual life and order." We do good to our country in what regards spiritual life and order when we fulfill our duties towards the Church. Everything done for the promotion of the cause of the Church, if from a true motive, is in an eminent sense an act of patriotism.

     The doctrines do not, however, leave us with only a general statement of the manner in which we can promote the good of our country, but point out definitely in particulars how this is to be done.

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In presenting these teachings, it will be useful to divide them into two parts, namely, (1) those which relate to patriotism in times of peace, and (2) those which relate to patriotism in times of war.

     A state of peace is the normal condition of a country, in which it is possible for ah to work together in an orderly and tranquil manner for the common good. The most effective work that each one can do to this end is the faithful, sincere and upright performance of the duties of his employment or calling. How this is to be done, and how thereby the common good is promoted, is told in regard to a large number of employments, in the Doctrine of Charity (158-172). The teaching there given is that of genuine patriotism. Time will permit us to quote but a few lines from what is said in regard to one of the employments, so that this may serve as an example of what is taught in regard to all. In the section on "Charity in the Man of Business," we read:

     "He loves the common good while loving his own good; for that lies hidden within it, as the root of a tree, which conceals itself in the earth; from which, nevertheless, it grows, and blossoms, and bears fruit. Not that he gives to it of his own beyond what is due; but the fact is that the public good is also the good of his fellow-citizens, whence indeed it arises, whom he loves from the charity of which he is a form." (167)

     Besides the faithful performance of use, other duties of patriotism mentioned in the Writings are obedience to the laws and the paying of taxes from good will. Concerning the latter we read:

     "They who are spiritual pay tribute and taxes with one disposition of heart, and they who are merely natural with another. The spiritual pay them from good will, because they are collected for the preservation of their country, and for its protection and that of the church, also for the administration of government by officials and rulers, to whom salaries and stipends are to be paid from the public treasury. Therefore they to whom their country and also the church are the neighbor, pay them with a ready and favorable will, and regard it as iniquitous to deceive and to prevent their collection. But they to whom the country and the church are not the neighbor, pay them with a reluctant and repugnant will, and at every opportunity they defraud and steal; for with them their own house and their own flesh are the neighbor." (T. C. R. 430.)

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     In every country there must be those who administer civil affairs, and to these it is given to serve their country in a higher degree than others do. They who seek such positions should be actuated by a high and pure love of country, and besides should be intelligent in the laws of what is just and right. If they have these two qualities, the love and the intelligence, they, will continue in such uses in heaven; for we read:

     "In heaven those are engaged in civil affairs who in the world loved their country and its common good in preference to their own, and did what is just and right from the love of what is just and right. As far as they from the eagerness of love have investigated the laws of what is just and thereby become intelligent, so far they are in the faculty of administering offices in heaven, and administer them in that place or degree in which their intelligence is, this intelligence being in equal degree with their love of use for the common good." (H. H. 393)

     While intelligence in what is just and right is a most necessary qualification for those who fill or desire to fill public offices, it is also of great value to every citizen; for such intelligence will ennoble the love of country, in accordance with the law that every love is perfected by the intelligence which pertains to it.

     Love of country is not genuine if it be mere love unaccompanied by intelligence. Such love runs wild. Love to be genuine must be intelligent. This is indicated by the teaching in the Doctrine of Charity (83) that one's country is the neighbor according to its good, spiritual, moral and civil. In bestowing our love, we must estimate the quality of the object loved, estimate its good; for good is the neighbor that is to be loved. If our country is lacking in good, spiritual, moral, or civil, we cannot love it in the same degree as we would if there were not that lack. And yet, whatever be the shortcomings of one's country, one's allegiance is due to it, and its good is to be promoted by every effort in one's power. It would be wrong, in case some other country excelled our own in good, to love that country and to promote its good more than our own; as is plainly told in these words of doctrine:

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     "To love another kingdom more, by doing more to promote its use, makes against the good of the kingdom in which one dwells. For this reason one's own country is to be loved in a higher degree. For example: if I had been born in Venice or in Rome [in Catholic Italy], and were a Reformed Christian, am I to love my country, or the country where I was born, because of its spiritual good? I cannot. Nor with respect to its moral and civil good, so far as this depends for existence upon its spiritual good. But so far as it does not depend upon this I can, even if that country hates me. Thus I must not in hatred regard it as an enemy, nor as an adversary, but must still love it; doing it no injury, but consulting its good, so far as it is good for it, not consulting it in such a way that I confirm it in its falsity and evil." (D. CHAR. 85, 86.)

     This teaching clearly shows us that although we must love our country above all other countries, and be true and loyal to it, yet we must not close our eyes to its shortcomings, and still less love its falsities and evils. These we must oppose and seek to correct, even though the result should be that our country hate us. By such an attitude, when it is necessary, true patriotism is exercised.

     Concerning one's attitude towards another country we have this further teaching: "The human race is my neighbor in the widest sense; but as it is divided into empires, kingdoms, and republics, any one of them is neighbor according to the good of its religion and morals, and according to the good that it performs to one's own country, and makes to be one with its own good." (D. CHAR. 87.) The same teaching is stated in another part of this number, in these words: "[Another country] is my neighbor, according to the good of its religion and morals, and according as it wills to do good to my country and to itself."

     We have considered what should be the quality of patriotism in times of peace. Let us now see what its quality should be in times of war. In general, this is the same as in times of peace. So far as conditions permit, there is to continue the faithful performance of use, obedience, the payment of taxes from good will, the doing of what is just and right, and the good of intelligence in the laws pertaining to what is just and right.

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But besides all this, there is in times of war the duty, a duty which should be performed from love, of making unusual sacrifices for the sake of one's country, even to the offering up of one's own life. The teachings of the Writings in regard to this have already been given in some of the passages quoted. In times of war the destruction of one's country threatens, and this impending danger causes one to realize how precious it is to us. Patriotism is aroused as at no other time, and there is manifested that love of country which is greater than the love of oneself. And herein we may see one of the reasons why, in the Divine Providence, wars are permitted, namely, in order that the love of country, upon which the eternal welfare of men so much depends, may not die out. At this day of the world, in a state of long continued peace, men's affections and thoughts center more and more upon themselves; even their country they think of from no other standpoint than the benefit they themselves can derive from it in the way of honor or gain; to love their country's good above their own they regard as a fanciful, a merely poetic idea. If such a state, from long continuance; should become permanent with a nation, it would be fatal to the hope of salvation for that people. The love of country must, as we have seen, exist, in order that by its becoming spiritual, there may be the eternal love of the Lord's Kingdom. When, therefore, it threatens to cease to be, the Lord provides that it may be revived, even though for this the permission of the calamity of war be necessary. For this calamity, dreadful as it is, can in no wise compare with that most fearful of all calamities, the loss of the hope of salvation with the greater part of the people of a nation or of a number of nations.

     What should be the attitude towards a country with which one's own country is at war, is told in these words:

     "Since charity consists in wishing well and so acting well, it follows that it is to be exercised toward a society in almost the same manner as toward an individual; but in one way to a society of good men, and in another to a society of wicked men. To the latter, charity is to be exercised according to natural justice; to the former, according to spiritual justice." (T. C. R. 413.)

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     What is here said of a society, applies also to a country. In time of war the enemy country is to us as a wicked man, for it seeks a wicked end, which is the destruction of our country. We are fold that the charity to be exercised towards it is the same as that which would be exercised towards a wicked man. Let us see what is said concerning this exercise of charity, and, as we read, have in mind a country instead of an individual:

     "To love the neighbor is not merely to will and do good to the relative, friend, and good man, but also to the stranger, enemy, and bad man. But charity is exercised toward the latter in one way, and toward the former in another; toward a relative and friend by direct benefits; toward an enemy and wicked man by indirect benefits conferred by exhortation, discipline, punishment, and so by correction. This may be illustrated thus. . . . If one repels an insulting enemy, and in self-defense strikes him or delivers him to the judge, so as to prevent injury to himself, yet with a disposition to befriend the man, he acts in the course of charity. Wars that have for their end the defense of one's country and the church, are not contrary to charity; the end in view shows whether there is charity or not. Since, therefore, charity in its origin is to have good will, and as this has its seat in the internal man, it is manifest that when one who has charity resists an enemy, punishes the guilty, or chastises the wicked, he does so by means of the external man; therefore after he has done it, he returns to the charity that is in the internal man; and then, as far as he can, and it is useful, he wishes him well, and from good will does good to him. They who have genuine charity have zeal for what is good; and that zeal in the external man may seem like anger and flaming fire, but the flame is extinguished and it is quieted as soon as the adversary returns to reason. It is otherwise with those who have no charity; their zeal is anger and hatred; for from these their internal is heated and inflamed." (T. C. R. 407, 408.)

     This passage and also others which have been quoted bring before us clearly the fact that whatever phase of the subject of the love of country we consider, we have before us the doctrine of charity. The love of country is a part of the life of charity, yea, as we have seen, it includes all things of charity.

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Therefore do the doctrines give us such abundant teaching concerning it. And this teaching they present to us as drawn from the Word in the Letter, yea, as drawn from the Decalogue itself, so that we may know that this love is enjoined upon us as a Divine Command. In the True Christian Religion, in the exposition of the Fourth Commandment, we read: "In the broadest [natural] sense by this commandment is meant that men should love their country, because it supports and protects them, and is therefore called fatherland [patria] from father [pater]. But to their country . . . honor must be rendered by parents, and by them implanted in their children" (305).

     And this truth thus comes to us in all its power, in order that by the application of it to life, we may attain unto eternal citizenship in the Lord's Heavenly Kingdom. The things of this world pass away. Today they are, tomorrow they are not. Kingdoms and empires rise and flourish; they have their day; they fall; they disappear. And yet there is something that pertains to them that lives forever,-the love towards them on the part of those dwelling therein. If that love be genuine love of country, it continues to eternity as love of the Lord's Kingdom.

     This truth, that genuine love of country endures forever as love of the Lord's Kingdom-a truth stated again and again, in nearly every passage of the Writings that speaks of the love of country-is unknown today, save in the New Church. To those to whom it is granted to know it, patriotism becomes a duty as it is to none others. Upon them rests the responsibility to be genuine patriots as it rests upon none others. But there is given unto them also a delight in the fulfilling of the duty and the responsibility, such as none others know.

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SABBATH, A DELIGHT 1916

SABBATH, A DELIGHT       Rev. W. B. CALDWELL       1916

     "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy desire an, my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own desire, nor speaking a word, then thou shalt delight thyself in, the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 58:13, 14.)

     The internal sense of these words treats of the celestial state of regeneration, the culmination and crown of the regenerate life, signified by the "sabbath" as the seventh day of "rest in the Lord." For the celestial state is one of complete renunciation of the desire and pleasure of the proprium, and complete reliance upon the Lord from delight in being led by Him alone; This state is a "rest in the Lord,"-the holy sabbath of rest from the conflict of spiritual temptations, a state of innocence and peace, attended with inmost delight of the soul,-delight in the Lord,-and with all derivative delights of mind and body. It is attended with celestial beatitude, spiritual happiness, and natural pleasure, thus with the fulness of heavenly joy and felicity. This threefold series of delights is the reward of him who attains to the celestial sabbath of peace and rest by his progress in regenerate life, and is meant by the words of the text, "Then thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob."

     That the term "sabbath" in the text, and throughout the Word, signifies the celestial man and the celestial state, is evident from the institution of the sabbath recorded in Genesis, as the day of rest following the six days of creation. The works of the Creator ascribed to six days, wherein the series of the world was perfected, describe in the internal sense the series of states through which the man of the church passes in the regeneration, the series of Divine acts in regenerating a man to the spiritual degree.

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This is what is involved in the 1st Chapter of Genesis; but in the Second Chapter we read of the seventh day of rest, of the perfected garden or paradise, and of the man who was placed therein to enjoy all the blessings of the completed world. And by this man is meant the man of the Most Ancient Church when he had been regenerated by the Lord even to the celestial degree.

     When we are told that "God rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had created and made," we are not to understanding that the Divine activity in creative operations then ceased. For the completion of the world and all its kingdoms by the acts ascribed to six days regarded as an end its preparation to bring forth uses in a perpetual new creation, even by a continued Divine presence in and conjunction with this work of His hands, that it might live from Him, and bring forth uses forever, the chief and crown of which is an angelic heaven from the human race. And this great end is fulfilled in the regeneration or new creation of man, his formation by the Lord into an angel, his preparation to enter into the heavenly paradise as an angel of the Lord's celestial kingdom. The state of this man is one of conjunction with the Lord and total submission to Him, a state of rest in the Lord, and of the Lord's resting or abiding in man, to increase blessedness of life in him forever. This, then, is what is signified by the sabbath, which in the text is called a "holy delight in the Lord."

     This was what was understood by the sabbath in the Nest Ancient Church, and in the Ancient Church after it, for which reason the sabbath was instituted as the most holy observance of the Jewish Church, wherein all things were representative. The same, therefore, is meant by the 3d Commandment as by the days of creation. The progressive states of regeneration with the spiritual man, signified by the six days of labor, are states of temptation combat against evil from an end of good, and by victory in this combat he is introduced finally into the fulfillment of the end on the seventh day, when the trials of temptation cease, and he enters the rest and peace of heavenly felicity. "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and rested on the seventh day; I wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it."

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     The Jews were held to a strict observance of the sabbath on penalty of death, which represented the spiritual death of those who do not attain to some degree of holy love for the Lord, to that innocence and peace of rest and trust in the Lord, which is the inmost state of every angel of heaven, and without which no one can enter heaven. ("Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.") As the Jewish observance was merely representative, it was abrogated when the Lord came into the world, when He raised up a church that was to be in the state of the sabbath as the ancient churches had been, as the Jews were not,-a state of holy delight in the Lord. And still more is this to be the case in the New Christian Church, wherein, as we are taught, the sabbath day is to be a day of rest from labors for the sake of instruction in Divine things and meditation in the things of salvation and eternal life; also a day for the exercise of love to the neighbor; as signified by the teaching and healing- done by the Lord Himself on the sabbath day. (T. 301.) And these central uses of the sabbath in the New Church make one with the spiritual meaning of the word; for the reward of the spiritual labors of temptation is a new light of perception and instruction in Divine things, and also a new state of mutual love or charity from love to the Lord. This is the reward of victory over the evil of the natural man during the labors of the week, and a result of man's renouncing the proprium and his reliance upon the Lord, who then gives spiritual rest, together with new light, new instruction, and a new delight in all the uses of charity. In this manner the Lord "blesses the sabbath day, and hallows it."

     With the regenerating man, when engaged actually in his works of use, there arises a conflict between the internal and external man. The internal delights of use, springing from love to the Lord and the neighbor, are then in the endeavor to go forth and express themselves in act. But on the way out they encounter the opposing delights of the external man,-the delight of self love, the delight of the world as gratifying to self; in a word, the higher loves of the internal man find obstructions in the external man, and these are to be removed by resistance and combat from a genuine love of use, until the opposing delights are overcome, that there may be victory, attended with peace within and tranquility without.

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Man may be said to enter into this state on the sabbath, or, rather, this state is the sabbath of rest from spiritual labor and trial whenever he experiences it,-a rest of peace and delight, delight of the soul, and thence a new delight of mind and body. Into this he comes especially during the acts of worship and states of piety which belong to sabbath observance, not as sad and compulsory things, but as heavenly delights from love to the Lord.

     In the supreme sense the sabbath signifies the union of the Divine and Human in the Lord, which was effected by temptation combats against the hells and victories over them: the result of which was rest and peace in both worlds, the conjunction of the Lord with the human race, and this from the union of the Woman with the Divine in the Lord. "For the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath day." But the word "sabbath," as we have shown, also signifies the regenerate man, who enters into the image and likeness of this Divine victory by overcoming the evils of the proprium,-the desires of the natural; who by this is conjoined to the Lord in the eternal sabbath of heavenly rest and peace.

     That this renunciation of the natural by the regenerating man, and the reward thereof, is what is treated of in the text, will be evident from the particular expressions, which we will now
consider.

     'If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath" is to shun the natural, to shun merely natural states, to turn them away, that they may not invade and disturb, or defile and destroy the holy spiritual state of rest in the Lord and conjunction with Him. It means the same as the command to Moses at the bush, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standeth is holy ground."

     "Not to do one's own pleasure, one's own will, on His holy day," is not to will and do what favors the cupidities of self love and love of the world, for these are of the unregenerate will of man.

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     "Not to follow one's own way" is to turn away from that which favors the falsity of evil; thus to shun evil in thought as well as in will and intention. For "ways" in the Word have reference to the thoughts of the understanding. The Lord's "ways" are Divine Truths, which become man's ways when he thinks them, and removes the falsities that are contrary. Hence "Not to follow one's own way" is to turn away from the falsity of evil, from thinking evil, that the Lord's way may be followed.

     "Nor to find one's own desire" is not to five according to the delights of those natural loves; for delight is of desire, and to find one's natural desire is to live according to evil delight. "And not to speak a word" is not to think such things, for the speech proceeds from the thought, and represents it. Thus silence may be called one of the ultimates of the state of trust in the Lord,-the silence of mute astonishment at the wonders of the Divine greatness, a silence that is essential to instruction from the Lord in the state of the sabbath rest,-a quiescence of the natural man, that the spiritual may be in its activity and delight. "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him."

     All of these forms of renunciation are willingly made by the man who loves the Lord, and this is the end for which he makes them. He shuns the natural for the sake of the spiritual and celestial, for the sake of love to the neighbor and conjunction with the Lord. And because he makes this sacrifice from love he "calls the sabbath a delight," the "holy of the Lord, honorable;" honoring the Lord and not self. For the very state from which mail resists in temptation is a peace and rest of the soul, a holy state of delight in Divine and heavenly things. For the protection and preservation of this he fights against all that would invade and destroy. And by victory he is introduced into that which was already with him potentially,-a delight in the Lord, and confidence in Him.

     We are taught that all heavenly delights and felicities are present in the soul of man from his birth, though unconscious to him until by regeneration those inmost and imperceptible delights are brought forth into the mind and body, there to be felt and perceived more and more.

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And this can only take place in the measure that the way is opened by instruction of the mind, and by its adapting itself to receive influx from the soul, especially by the removal of opposing delights in the natural; thus by temptation combats and victories. And so it is a truth that after temptations man comes fully and consciously into that which was already with him obscurely. For it is said in the text, that "if man turn away from his own desire and way" then he will "delight himself in the Lord." He is then elevated from the unhappy states of the self-life to a renewed delight in the Lord, who blesses him with heavenly wisdom and felicity. He is uplifted by the Lord and given to experience the exalted states of the angelic life. For the Lord "causes him to ride upon the high places of the earth," instructs him continually out of the bounty of His Divine storehouse, and "feeds him with the heritage of Jacob."

     The inheritance of Jacob was the land of Canaan, which blossomed as a fruitful garden so long as the Israelites observed the commandments of the Lord. This land fully represented heaven and the Lord's Divine Human, from whom are all the goods and truths that sustain the spiritual life of regenerating man, who thus is "fed with the heritage of Jacob." Jacob, in special, represents the Lord's Divine Natural, as Isaac the Divine Spiritual, and Abraham the Divine Celestial. To "feed the regenerating man with the heritage of Jacob," therefore, is to receive the Lord in His Divine Natural, who feeds with the bread of heaven forever all who enter the heavenly sabbath union with Him in eternal life. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh; and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:53.)

     The analysis we have made of the text brings to view what we are to do if we would spiritually "keep the sabbath holy," and "call it a delight,"-if we would protect from harm, and thus preserve that holy internal state of remains which is the Lord's abiding-place with us,-the heavenly sabbath from which we begin, and to which we return, in every state of life.

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And it is clear from the teaching of the text that this holy internal is preserved by resistance to its opposite in the natural man,-not by reserving our delight in the Lord for special states of piety, into which we come at stated periods, but by permitting these states to pervade our daily labors, and all the walks of our life,-providing that this may be the case by turning away from that which offends and defiles it, as from that which is unholy and profane, that the natural man itself may be purified, and thus prepared to receive the gift of a genuine delight from the Lord.

     This is set before us as a choice in the text, which reads, "if thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, doing not thine own will, thine own way, seeking not thine own desire, then thou shalt call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord,-then thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord." This choice is to be made in freedom, consequently from will, love, affection, and delight, for these alone are free. The celestial man is the one who has most fully exercised this choice, this opportunity set before him, who from love to the Lord has been willing to undergo the conflict of resistance to all opposing loves. This love to the Lord is the celestial in every man, and from it as an inmost end he meets and conquers the obstacles that arise in his everyday life, the obstacles in his natural man. These overcome, he is introduced by the Lord into rest, peace, and delight of heaven.

     The sabbath state, then, is a holy internal of love and worship of the Lord, a state of innocence and peace and infantile trust, which abides and persists through all the storm of temptation conflict, providing all power of resistance to earthly loves, and gifting man in the end with the reward of the heavenly sabbath. "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy desire on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him; not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own desire, nor speaking a word; then thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

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SYMBOLISM IN THE NEW CHURCH 1916

SYMBOLISM IN THE NEW CHURCH       C. TH. ODHNER       1916

     A STUDY

     In making plans for the church building that is now under construction in Bryn Athyn, the subject of Decoration naturally forced itself upon our attention. It was evident that the noble structure ought not to be left altogether plain and bare within. The bareness of Protestantism must he avoided as carefully as the gaudiness of Romanism. Unless the Church could offer suggestions to the architects, the latter would be sure to follow their own devices, some of which might embody ideals very different from those of the New Church. Some effort, therefore, must be made to embody the heavenly principles of the New Church in corresponding external forms,-to produce something distinctive, if not in the architecture itself, then, at least, in the way of correspondential decoration.

     Mistakes have been made in the past when New Church people have attempted to apply the Science of Correspondences to the externals of worship; these mistakes have come, sometimes, from an imperfect understanding of the "Science of Sciences," and sometimes from a lack of good taste and artistic judgment; and the misguided efforts have produced, with many, a fear of making any attempts whatever in the application of correspondences. A feeling has grown up that correspondential forms must come from a spontaneous and unconscious growth in the course of ages, (which is indubitably true), and that in the meantime we must either do without any distinctive symbolism or else use that of the Old Church.

     But no ardent New Churchman can possibly rest content in supine an attitude. The mistakes of our brief past have been neither many nor fatal. A new internal demands and will create for itself something new in the external, by which to speak out, and the past failures simply teach us that there must be more careful study and more consultation, on the part of the theologians, with architects, artists, and practical people. Granting that the newly revealed Science of Correspondences is to us like an uncharted ocean where venturesome mariners may be lost, are we on that account to lose courage when we know that the compass of genuine Doctrine is on board!

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The science was given to us for a purpose. It was meant to be used, most especially in the worship of the Lord, and we now propose to use it, at least in a few timid little excursions to the right and left of our harbor.

     Ecclesiastical Symbolism has become almost a science in the Old Church; many books have contributed to it, but all that we have examined are disappointing to a New Church investigator, for they are filled mostly with dead bones,-stereotyped, hackneyed, inartistic forms of Mediaeval and Roman origin, for the most part expressing purely historical and personal traditions. Or else, where really embodying an inner meaning, the symbols are often the outgrowth of horrible falsities, such as tritheism, salvation by faith alone, the vicarious atonement by the bloody sacrifice on the cross, and so on. A very few pure symbols have survived from the age of primitive Christianity, but even these have been so surrounded by the formalism of a dead church that they can be used by us only very guardedly. Nevertheless the study of Old Church symbolism brings to us many suggestions as to what might be done in the New Church, and, more especially, what ought not to be done!

     But Old Church Symbolism forms but a small part of our study. The held before us is world-wide, for it includes the whole Word of the Lord in the Book of Nature, the whole Word of the Lord in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, and finally the whole Word of the Lord in the Revelation given to the New Church. In our present study we can only skim the surface of this vast held in a rapid review, noting as we pass such correspondences as might be embodied in our ecclesiastical symbols. Afterwards comes the work of eliminating all that may seem unsuitable or impracticable, and finally a few surviving ideas may be placed before the artists who will make the actual designs. We think there will be no danger of the building being overcrowded with decorations and symbols, but the more we have to chose from, the better will be the final result. The Committee on "Symbolism" desires to enlist the sympathetic interests of all the members of the Church, in order to obtain from all quarters suggestions which may be of service not only to the temple in Bryn Athyn but to the whole Church.

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     As an introduction to this work we propose to review first the leading correspondences in the animal and the vegetable kingdoms. Incidentally, our study may be of use to New Church students and educators.

     Taking up, first, the correspondences in the Book of Nature, we see that the whole of creation is divided into four great kingdoms, according to the following diagram:

     THE FOUR KINGDOMS OF NATURE.

1. The Animal Kingdom = Affections.
2. The Vegetable Kingdom = Thoughts.
3. The Mineral Kingdom = Knowledges of good and truth.
4. The Elemental Kingdom = The goods and truths themselves, as proceeding from the Lord.

     I.

     THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

     The subjects of the Animal Kingdom, all of which correspond to the living affections of spiritual beings, are divided into three classes:

1. Beasts = Affections of good, or celestial affections.
2. Birds = Affections of truth, or spiritual affections.
3. Fishes, (including Reptiles and Insects) = Affections of knowing goods and truths; natural affections.

     In each of these classes there are certain animals, which in themselves correspond to evil affections, but which nevertheless, on account of various external qualities, are able to represent things good and true, on account of which they can be used in Ecclesiastical Symbolism.

     A. SYMBOLIC BEASTS.

     Beasts of a good correspondence are mostly domestic beasts, and are divided into two classes: 1. Beasts of the Rock and herd, corresponding to the voluntary things of the celestial degree; and 2. Beasts of Burden, corresponding to the intellectual things of the celestial degree,--according to the following diagram:

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     Domestic Beasts,

Voluntary Things.           Intellectual Things.
Sheep.                         Horses, (also Elephants).
Goats and kids.               Mules.
Bullocks, cows, calves     Asses, (also Camels).               (See A. C. 2781.)

     The Sheep ranks the highest, as to correspondence, of all the subjects of the Animal Kingdom, and may be used either singly or in flocks, for mural decorations or in windows, to represent the Most Ancient Church and the Celestial Heaven. They should be used in eastern or southern quarters.

     The Ram, as the father and defender of the flock, signifies the Fatherhood of the Divine Love, and his horns signify the power of this love. The artist should carefully study the Egyptian sphinxes with rams' heads. The twisted horns of the ram, in the Egyptian style, may be used very effectively in various decorations.

     The Lamb, throughout the Scriptures,-from the Pascal lamb of the Exodus to the Lamb upon the throne in the Apocalypse,-is the supreme representative of the Divine Innocence of the Lord's Divine Human. It may be represented either standing, or lying down upon a throne, with a nimbus about the head or about the whole body.

     The Goat has an evil name in Ecclesiastical Symbolism, and in an evil sense it does signify "faith alone," etc. But in itself it is a useful and harmless animal, and corresponds to "the exterior celestial," when the sheep correspond to the "interior celestial," (A. C. 4005). The he-goat signifies the truth of good; the she-goat, the good of truth; and the kid, the exterior of the good of innocence. Goats signify especially "those who are in natural good and thence in truths, such as are the angels who are in the ultimate heaven." (A. E. 817:12.)

     Bullocks, Cows and Calves correspond to celestial-natural things, affections of natural good; the cows, natural good itself; the bullock, the truth of natural good; and the calves, the innocence of genuine natural good.

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The Egyptians used these forms very extensively and sometimes with strong effect. The Assyrian bulls, used as cherubim or guardians of gates, are fine examples of strength.

     The Horse family, consisting of Beasts of burden, corresponds to the intellectual faculty in general, which carries the things of the will,-that is, celestial affections of truth.

     The Horse is the highest animal symbol of celestial intelligence,-swift, strong, beautiful, spirited yet obedient. He does not appear in the history of the Most Ancient Church, nor in the Ancient Church itself, but first appears in the later history of Assyria and Egypt, and is especially prominent in Greek Mythology and Art, where we find the fiery horses of the Sun-god, the winged horse, Pegasus, the horses of Neptune, and the horse-heads on the helmet of Pallas Athene. As an ecclesiastical symbol the horse-head would seem to fit best in connection, with interior decorations representing the entering, intellectually, into the mysteries of faith, or outside, above gates and portals, to represent "Nunc Licet."

     The Mule and the Ass represent the lower degrees of the intellectual faculty,-the natural rational and the scientifics,-and may, in the hands of an intelligent artist, be represented in subordinate places.

     The Elephant has a very high correspondence, both on account of his great size and strength and on account of his remarkable intelligence and his ivory teeth. From numerous causes,-various suggestions in the Writings,-we believe the elephant corresponds to the rational in general, and his tusks to the highest rational truths in the letter of the Word. Elephant tusks and trunks may be used effectively in outside decorations, especially on towers, and Hindu architecture may be studied for this purpose.

     The Camel corresponds to the scientific in general, i. e., the faculty of the memory as a whole, being the greatest carrier of all beasts of burden in the Orient. The head of the Camel may be used with nice decorative effect, and may be used in lowly places. A big camel in front of an impossibly small gate may teach a very useful lesson.

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     Of the wild animals the Deer has perhaps the highest and noblest correspondence as well as the most graceful form.

     "Naphtali is a hind let lose; he giveth words of eloquence." (Gen. 49:21; A. C. 3928) These words suggest fitting and beautiful forms for the base of the pulpit in the Church.

     Of the Beasts which have an evil correspondence but a good representation, there are especially the Lion and the Dog. The Lion, as a fierce and terrible beast of prey, corresponds to the evil love of dominion, but on account of his tremendous strength and majestic aspect he represents the Divine Omnipotence of the Lord. His symbolic character is self-evident, but, being merely representative, his image should not be used as an inmost: symbol, like the Lamb. The Lamb can be used in most internal representations, but the Lion should be used as a somewhat more external symbol of Divine Protection,-on screens, guarding the entrance to the most holy place. Compare the lions guarding the throne of Solomon, and the winged lions guarding the entrance of the Assyrian palaces.

     The Dog, on account of his watchfulness and faithfulness, represents obedience and protection, although he corresponds to various filthy lusts. In the World of Spirits every gate to heaven is seen guarded by dogs, and in our church buildings the heads of dogs-some gentle, some fierce,-may be used in place of the dragons and monsters used as gargoyles in the Old Church.

     B. SYMBOLIC BIRDS.

     The Birds of the Scriptures, or of Nature, are not so easily classified as the Beasts. Their different uses are not so distinct, and the key to their classification in the Writings is not so clear to us. As a whole, the kingdom of Birds corresponds to spiritual affections, the affections of truth, the whole realm of human thought, as compared with the realm of celestial affections, represented by the mammals.

     We would suggest the following tentative diagram.

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     Celestial = Domestic Birds.                Spiritual = Wild Birds.
Pigeon family: doves and turtle doves.     Song Birds.

                                                  Bird of Paradise.
Peacock, and the Hen family.           Birds of Plumage.
                              Quail family: quails, etc.
                                             
Duck family: swan, goose, duck.          Water Birds: ibis, flamingo, pelican, etc.

     The Dove, including all pigeons, turtle-doves, etc., clearly represents the purity and innocence of the celestial affections of truth. In the highest sense it is the fitting symbol of the Holy Spirit, for it was as a Dove that the Holy Spirit was seen descending upon the Lord at His baptism. As a bird it is the symbol of the Divine Proceeding, and on account of its gentleness, beauty and purity it corresponds to the Holy Spirit. In the early Christian Church it was customary to represent the Holy Spirit by a silver dove above the altar.

     As a bird of celestial correspondence the dove was associated with the olive leaf in the story of Noah, and it was thus come to stand, in the common perception of man, as the symbol of peace--the peace that ensues after temptations. And on account of the monogamous habits and conjugal fidelity of this bird it is the chief correspondent of conjugial love in its celestial degree. It would be highly appropriate to have a silver dove, with beak, eyes, and feet in crimson, suspended by a silver chain over the altar in our church, as a representative of the Holy Spirit at Baptism and in general, and as a symbol of love truly conjugial at our wedding ceremonies. Nothing could be more beautiful.

     The Bird of Paradise figures in the Writings as the representative of conjugial love in its spiritual degrees. (C. L. 2702; See also D. L. W. 374; A. R. 757) And in the Coronis 30, the spiritual man, as to advancement in spiritual things is likened to a Bird of Paradise and also to a Peacock. The latter has always been associated with the idea of the rainbow and was hence called "the bird of June."

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This goddess represents the Ancient Church, the Church of Noah, to whom the rainbow was given for a sign of the regeneration of the spiritual man. (A. C. 1042.) Hence the Peacock may be used to represent the Ancient Church, the Spiritual Heaven, and the spiritual man in general. Birds of Paradise and Peacocks would form beautiful combinations, especially in mural paintings.

     The Cock, as a Christian symbol, has been used to represent vigilance, on account of his crowing at various periods throughout the night, and as a symbol of resurrection,, as the herald of light after the night of death. To us he represents especially the Last Judgment on account of his crowing at midnight, that is announcing "the last state of the Old Church and the first state of the New Church. (A. C. 6073; A. E. 9; T. C. R. 571.) Compare the words of the Lord to Peter: "Before the cock crow, thou shalt have denied me thrice."

     It is on account of his vigilance that the cock has been used as a weather-vane on church-spires,-though in our prolific communities a stork might be a more fitting symbol.

     The Hen, sheltering her chicks under her wings, is used by the Lord Himself as a symbol of His merciful love, protection, and Providence.

     The Swan is the only member of the duck family that can well be used for decorative purposes. As a water bird of the greatest grace, beauty and cleanness, the swan is used in the Writings to represent conjugial love in its natural degree. (C. L. 279.)

     The Quail signifies "the good of the external or natural man, which is called delight," (A. C. 8431, 8452), but may not make a striking symbol. Other water birds, such as the Ibis, the Flamingo, and the Pelican, may be used with better effect. "A man who has religion in spiritual things is like a pelican feeding its young with its own blood." (Coronis 4.) A pelican feeding its young could be used to represent the Church as a whole in its character of "Alma Mater." It is very commonly represented in ecclesiastical symbolism.

     The Ibis was used by the Egyptians as the special emblem of the god Thoth, to represent the understanding of the Word in its literal sense.

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Among the birds with an evil correspondence but a good representation there is chiefly the Eagle, which is, among the birds, what the Lion is among beasts. It represents Divine Intelligence, and as such may be used above the pulpit, rather than as a lectern for the Word, as is so often seen in the Old Church. It also represents Divine Watchfulness and Providence, and could be used on top of the tower--say, an eagle crowning each of the four corners. An eagle's nest is the noble and self-evident symbol of Education in the New Church.

     C. SYMBOLIC FISHES.

     Among fishes the Writings include all animals to whom water is the element of life, and we must include also all cold-blooded animals such as amphibia, reptiles and insects. All of them correspond to the affections of knowing,-knowledges of spiritual, natural and sensual things. We would suggest the following classification:

     Knowledges of Good.                Knowledges of Truth.
Aquatic mammals: seals, whales      Reptiles.
dolphins.
Fishes with scales.                    Amphibia.
Fishes without scales.                Insects.

     Of the aquatic mammals none seems suitable for decorative purposes except the graceful Dolphin, which figures largely in Greek Mythology, and which, like the Whale, corresponds to "general scientifics" of the highest order,-probably cognitions of good, or celestial knowledges, on account of their warm blood and oily flesh. The dolphin may be used at the base of columns, or in other lowly places.

     In the symbolism of the Old Church the Whale stands for the Resurrection of the Lord, on account of His comparing His death and resurrection to the sign of the prophet Jonah. But the whale, in this connection, really represents hell in general and the temptations from which the Lord emerged victorious.

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     FISHES, and especially scaly fishes, may be used to represent the lowest or natural heaven, the inhabitants of which appear at a distance like fishes in the sea, when viewed from the higher heavens. The fish is, indeed, a fitting symbol of the Christian Church, out of which the New Heaven, (which is a Natural Heaven), was formed after the Last Judgment.

     It is a remarkable coincidence--or, rather, the evidence of providential symbolism,--that the Fish from the earliest times was chosen as the chief historic symbol of the primitive Christian Church. It was the secret sign of recognition or passport among the early Christians and is found by the side of the cross, on all kinds of monuments, in the catacombs, on graves, etc. It may have been chosen in remembrance of the fact that the Lord chose His first disciples from among the fishermen of Galilee, or from the fact that the letters in the Greek word for "fish"-[Greek]-(Ichthys)-as an acrostic form the initials of the words "Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior."

[Greek] = [Greek]
[Greek] = [Greek]
[Greek] = [Greek]
[Greek] = [Greek]
[Greek] = [Greek]

     In ancient church buildings the symbol of the fish was often seen in mosaic on the pavements,-sometimes two fishes, one on each side of a cross or an anchor. The Fish was used, also, as a symbol on baptismal fonts, and may well be used on our own baptismal font,-two fishes, one on each side of a cross-to represent the introduction into the Church by means of the knowledge of good and truth (fishes) and the consequent temptations, (the cross).

     Of the REPTILES none can be used for symbolic purposes except possibly the Serpent, not by itself, but as the brazen serpent on the cross, to represent the Lord's Divine Sensual.

     The INSECTS are too small to be used for symbols except possibly the Butterfly, to represent Resurrection. The Scarabaeus might be used, in the Egyptian style, to represent human life in ultimates and inmosts.

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Bees correspond to the good of the natural rational, on account of the honey; and locusts correspond to the most external or sensual scientifics.

     D. COMPOSITE ANIMALS.

     Some of these may be taken from the Word, and others from the Mythologies. A representation of the "Four Beasts before the Throne" could be fittingly pictured in mosaic on the pavements or in screens before the altar.

     The Cherubim were unquestionably Sphinxes of Egyptian origin.

     The Phoenix could be used by us, as by the ancients, to represent Resurrection. It could also represent THE NEW CHURCH, arising out of the ashes of all the past Dispensations.

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NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG 1916

NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG       Various       1916

     While working, last year, on the Chronological List of Swedenborg Documents I came across a remarkable article printed in a Swedish work and hitherto unnoticed in our literature. The Work is by C. Eichorn and entitled NYA SVENSKA STUDIER, (New Swedish Studies), Stockholm, 1881, and contains some original testimo6y by Count Carl Gustaf Tessin on Swedenborg and the Queen of Sweden. I cannot do better than give an English translation of the entire article which ably analyzes the its relation to the known versions. (See Doc. no. 275.)

     In order to procure the original testimony at first hand I decided to look up Tessin's Diary and was informed by Count Stenbock, of the Royal Library, that it was at Akero castle, formerly the residence of the great statesman and now in the possession of Fru Enderlein. Baron LGvenhielm, of the State Archives, kindly gave me an introduction to this lady who invited me to visit Akero, where I was graciously received into the stately marble-hailed abode of one of Sweden's greatest statesmen, son of Nicodemus Tessin, the famous architect who built the present Royal Castle of Stockholm. It would be out of place here to describe the really wonderful old mansion with its tapestried and painted walls, its fine old portraits, its beautiful situation by a lake to which terraces 1ead down in a gradual descent, the old birch which was said to have materially aided in the education of King Gustaf III., who had Tessin to thank for many a lesson in virtue, etc., etc. The room in which I slept was formerly the King's bedchamber, and the ancient gilded rococo mirror had probably reflected many a powdered wig and courtly scene.

     When the estate was sold it was stipulated that the old Tessin library should remain permanently at Akero castle. Its greatest treasure is the Diary of this remarkable genius, Carl Gustaf Tessin, consisting of twenty-nine folio volumes where he wrote down, day after day, reflections and events, accounts, etc., never forgetting a note each day about the quality of the weather.

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All of these I went over carefully and extracted everything relating to Swedenborg.      CYRIEL LJ. ODHNER.

     TESSIN ON SWEDENBORG.

     BY C. EICHORN.*

     Swedenborg's life and peculiar personality is still one of the most interesting objects of Swedish research; Since recently Fryxell** has devoted particular attention to this subject and a lively controversy has arisen on account of his treatment of the subject, it may not be considered out of the way to present here something which may contribute to the formation of an opinion of the seer or more correctly, to the knowledge of how one of his most famous contemporaries regarded him. We have long known a passage in Tessin's Diary [March 5, 1760], where he relates in detail a conversation he had with Swedenborg concerning the latter's religious and philosophical views. [See TESSIN OCH TESSINIANA, P. 355, et seq.]*** It has been supposed that this is all there was, but we have by chance come across a few more extracts from the Diary, made by Fred. Sparre,**** Tessin's nephew, among which there are several relating to Swedenborg, and one especially of great interest because it gives us the only absolutely authentic account of Swedenborg's famous conversation with Louisa Ulrica concerning her dead brother,-that testimony to his gift of seer-ship which seemed most difficult of explanation, since it has been testified to by so many persons, although in different versions. By this means we are also in a position to illustrate Fryxell's conception and critique of this occurrence.
     * Translated from Nyo Svenska Studier, by C. Eichorn, Stockholm, 1881, pp. 62-67.
     ** Aenders Fryxell, the Swedish historian, who wrote a very hostile account of Swedenborg.
     *** Doc. II., p. 398.
     **** Frederic Sparre, the last Lord High Chancellor of Sweden. He succeeded Tessin as owner of Akero Castle.

     We find Swedenborg first mentioned by Tessin on the 28th of March, 1759.*

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He says there, that "the Councillor of Mines, Swedenborg, is a living instance among us, of the height to which the vapors may rise in a man's head and imagination. He lives, I am told, in a garden-conservatory, regards himself as the most fortunate of all living beings, and is so, too; for through an intimate intercourse with a future world, he believes that he sees and can speak with all the dead, both known and unknown." Tessin then gives a very brief account of Swedenborg's views as to spirits and immediately afterwards relates the incidence-included in TESSIN AND TESSINIANA-of how Polhem walked in his own funeral procession at the side of Swedenborg and asked whose burial it was, upon which the latter informed him that it was Polhem's own.** Then follows the account of Tessin's visit to Swedenborg in 1760, which is given in full in the work just referred to. Under the same date we read as follows concerning the book DE COELO ET EJUS MIRABILIBUS, which Tessin looked through: "Among all the visionaries Herr Swedenborg is probably the one who has written most explicitly. He discusses, quotes writings, adduces arguments and causes, etc. The whole edifice has a kind of connection and is, with all its queerness, erected with studied thought; the book, moreover has so many new and unexpected turns that it may be read without tiring. What he says in n. 191 et seq.: "De spatio in coelo" is a well-reasoned dream. Throughout the entire work we recognize Bishop Swedberg's son, who is dreaming with far greater profundity than the father." After giving an account of the introductory chapters Tessin adds: "All this may be read with the same cyedulence that we may give to Mahomet's Alkoran." And, under March 26, Of the same year, he states that he has read with delight the DE NOVA HIEROSOLYMA ET EJUS DOCTRINA: "If the pure seed were separated from the tares, it would be both useful and edifying," he adds further; and on June 26 of the same year he gives a list of the six works of Swedenborg then published which, according to the Swedish rate of exchange, cost 446 "dalers in copper."
     * By a mistake in writing, the date in the extract is given as 1760, which is, of course, incorrect. [C. E.]
     ** See S. D. MINUS, 4773, and J. POST. 323.

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     On June 30, 1760-4 days after the last entry-Tessin again writes: "After dinner, I and my dear wife, in company with my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law, Countess Carl Fersen, and their children, went to visit Assessor Swedenborg in his pretty garden and philosophically arranged house at Hornsgatan. He told me that my deceased sister-in-law, Countess Hedvig Sack, had often visited him. She was now (these were his very words) quite well and has testified that everything he had written about the future life was true. I do not know whether I ought to call happy or unhappy an unbalanced person who finds pleasure in his imagination. He gave me his book DE CEREBRO,* published at Amsterdam in 4:0. Someone ought to write a work (ON BRAIN CURE, which this otherwise very kind-hearted man is in need of."
     * Probably the ANIMAL KINGDOM or the ECONOMY. Swedenborg never published any work "On the Brain."

     There remains now only one more extract, but this is the most remarkable of all since it has to do with the conversation with Louisa Ulrica mentioned above, and was written down a few days after the occurrence. Fryxell (33, 185 et seq.) describes the various accounts given by Thiebault, Tuchsen's [Tuxen], the Saxon Minister, Springer and Nordin of this remarkable incident, and he himself inclines decidedly to the version rendered by Nordin, since this is founded upon "stated witnesses,"-none of them, however, eye-witnesses. According to this version, Louisa Ulrica wrote to her younger brother, Ferdinand, a letter which was to have been kept secret; but he says that the Councillors Hopken and Tessin nevertheless persuaded a chamberlain, M. Falkenberg, to procure for them this letter, which they read before it was sent off. This [he says] was the letter concerning whose contents the queen afterwards asked Swedenborg, and the two Councillors secretly communicated the same to Swedenborg, upon which he aroused the queen's amazement by repeating it. The whole of the account is clearly a tissue of improbabilities, most likely further amended by Nordin, whose well known scepticism everywhere scented substitutions, deceptions and intrigues.

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However, since Tessin was mixed up in this remarkable story, it would seem to be sufficient to refute it by what he himself relates. And since, moreover, his account very closely coincides with the two original versions,-the one originating from the queen, the other from Swedenborg,-it would seem that there can be no doubt of its veracity, especially as current reports and several eye-witnesses further testify to the event. Tessin writes as follows in his Diary under November 18, 1761:

     "A remarkable report is being circulated, which has caused me to ask Assessor Swedenborg himself about the connection of the matter. This is his own account: About 3 weeks ago he was engaged in a long conversation with their Majesties at the Palace, on which occasion he also requested gracious permission to present copies of his published books; during the conversation he related many more things which are not particularly in place here, except as confirming his system of angels and heavens, etc. Her Majesty ended by requesting him, in case he saw her brother, the Prince of Prussia, to tell her something from him.

     "Three days ago, (which was last Sunday), he again presented himself and, after having delivered his various books, requested an audience with the queen, and he then told Her Majesty something privately, which he was bound to keep secret from everyone else. The queen thereupon turned pale and took a few steps backwards as if she were about to faint, but shortly afterward she exclaimed, excitedly, 'That is something which no one else could have told, except my brother!'

     "The assessor expressed regrets at having gone so far, when he noticed Her Majesty's intense consternation.

     "On his way out he met Councillor Von Dalin in the antichamber and requested him to tell Her Majesty that he would follow up the matter still further so that she would be comforted thereby.

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     "'But I shall not venture to do so,' he added to me, 'until after some 10 or 12 days; for if I did it before, it would have the same terrifying effect and perhaps still more intensely, upon Her Majesty's mind.'

     "However remarkable this may appear, as well as other things which he said to me during an hour and a half, I nevertheless feel all the more safe in putting it down as Her Majesty's obvious consternation is unanimously testified to by all those who were in the room, and among others by Councillor Baron Carl Scheffer.

     "The queen, also, tells it very nearly in the same way, adding that she was still in doubt as to what to believe but that she has put Assessor Swedenborg to a new proof; if he managed in this, she would, be convinced that he knew more than others.

     "Perhaps this was what he referred to when mentioning his intention to say more in 10 or 12 days.

     "For all that we can see, this statement is so clear, and confirmed by so many testimonials, that it must needs be regarded as reliable. As to how an explanation would look, we do not, for the present, venture to state. This much seems certain to us, that Swedenborg's condition of mind must have been a highly remarkable mixture of penetration, indeed even divination, and of unrestrained imagination, one of these exceedingly uncommon characters that will always be a puzzle to investigators, without necessarily, on that account, having to lie beyond the bounds of possibility and comprehension."

     In immediate connection with this, Tessin relates the story of the widow of Marteville, the Dutch Ambassador, although with the express reservation that he is only repeating current reports, since he has neither asked the lady herself, nor Swedenborg, about it. "Madame Marteville," he says, "was asked to pay a sum of money, which she knew had been paid, but could not find the receipt. She therefore requested Herr Swedenborg, in case he saw her husband, to ask him about it;

     "The following night, while asleep, it seemed to her that she saw M. Marteville, who mentioned the place where she was to seek, and where the receipt was actually found.

     "The following morning Assessor Swedenborg wrote to her that any further statement from him was so much the less necessary as her own husband had undoubtedly related to her the previous night what she requested to know."

     This occurrence evidently has been trimmed up; it may be true in its general outlines, without having to be at war with hitherto known laws of psychical operation.

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Even Tessin, moreover, considers this story improbable, for he states as his conclusion: "In order to believe all this, there is needed a faith as strong as that which the Assessor himself seems to possess, and of which it is said that it moves mountains." One thing, however, appears unquestionable from what we have here brought out, namely, that Tessin and his contemporaries regarded Swedenborg as in part mentally deranged, or suffering from monomania. In this respect, later investigators have been unwilling to agree with his contemporaries; it is only recently that such views have begun tot make their influence felt again, although, of course, in a much milder form. We have every occasion to believe that an impartial judgment of Swedenborg will be more and more inclined to this opinion, even if, as we mentioned above, there must always be the reservation that in the case of this remarkable figure we are not dealing with any ordinary monomaniac, but with the ruins of a colossal genius which in its heaven-storming strivings shattered the weak corporeal vessel in which it was contained.
ADDITIONAL EXTRACTS 1916

ADDITIONAL EXTRACTS              1916

     A few more extracts from Tessin's Diary, not quoted by Eichorn, are here appended as they are typical of Tessin's estimate of Swedenborg. The first is taken from the year 1760, when, on March a5th, after having read through the NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE, His Excellency makes the following observations:

     "To the healthy, all is healthy.

     "I doubt whether my patience would permit the further perusal of the large work: DE ARCANIS COELESTIBUS. Herr Swedenborg with much excellent material has erected a huge edifice upon drift-sand.

     "I remain in my old faith and conviction, 1st, Epistle to the Corinthians, Chap. 2, Verse 9: 'But it is written: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered inter the heart of pan, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

     The next day, March 26th, Tessin wrote the following Fable in French. (The Diary, as a whole is written in Swedish, with Latin sentences interspersed):

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     The Fable of the Man, and the Pendulum Clock.

     "A Man, hearing for the first time a Pendulum Clock striking, says, in his surprise: 'Ha! Ha! Since you possess the talent of speech, repeat a little of what you are saying.' The Clock, deaf to these orders, replied: 'Friend Man, the case is the same with my clockwork as with your brain; to produce a sound it is necessary that that which strikes me be within reach, [soit a ma portee].

     "We all have in us some sensitive string; as soon as this is touched, our Clock strikes.

     "Take, for example, Herr Swedenborg. He speaks intelligently on all other subjects, but as soon as the word 'revelation' is mentioned the Alarm goes off."

     The next extract is dated September 26th, 1760, when Tessin notes that he has

     "Received as a present from Herr Assessor Swedenborg:

     1. DE EQUO ALBO, etc.

     2. DE ULTIMO JUDICIO, etc.

     3. DE NOVA HIEROSOLYMA, etc.

     4. DE TELLURIBUS IN MUNW NOSTRO SOLARI, etc.

     5. DE COELO ET EJUS MIRABILIBUS ET DE INFERNO, etc.

     "I have before this expressed my thoughts concerning the Author and his Works. An Enthusiast Swedenborg is and remains. If he believes everything he writes he has many a contented hour; whereas if not, he is both wicked and unhappy. To mock with God's Word is a perilous game. Faith is the holiest thing of all, into which Reason is not given permission to enter."

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DOCUMENTS OF NEW CHURCH HISTORY 1916

DOCUMENTS OF NEW CHURCH HISTORY              1916

     THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA.

     The organic beginning of the New Church in Philadelphia took place just a hundred years ago, and it is of interest in connection with this fact to reproduce in our pages some early documents which indeed have been published before, but in rare and inaccessible volumes, and not generally known to the people of the present generation.

     The Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem was first announced in Philadelphia on June 5th, in the year 1784, by James Glen, a native of Scotland, who had settled at Demerara in British Guiana. Mr. Glen himself had received the Doctrine from a sea-captain while making a journey to London, in 1781, and in London he became acquainted with Robert Hindmarsh and his associates. Returning to South America, he decided to plant the seeds of the New Gospel in the newly United States of North America, and landed first in Philadelphia. Here he inserted an advertisement in the daily newspapers and delivered a lecture on "The Science of Correspondences" at Bell's bookstore and auction room on Third Street, near Market Street.

     The first lecture, of June 5th, was well attended, and Mr. Glen therefore delivered two other lectures, on June 11th and 12th. The majority of his hearers went away mystified, but a few became interested, among them Mr. Francis Bailey, a printer and publisher, and John Young, a lawyer. Mr. Glen soon afterward visited Boston, where he lectured in the "Green Dragon Tavern," and then returned to Demerara. It is to be noted that these lectures constituted the first public proclamation of the Heavenly Doctrine, by a living voice, in America or anywhere else in the world,-four years before the first New Church sermon was delivered in London.

     A few months later a box of New Church books arrived in Philadelphia, addressed to Mr. Glen by Robert Hindmarsh. The whereabouts of Mr. Glen being unknown, the books were sold at public auction and were bought by Francis Bailey and a few other interested persons, who now began to meet at the house of Mr. Bailey in order to read the Writings and converse concerning their wonderful teachings.

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     In 1787 Mr. Bailey published A SUMMARY VIEW OF THE HEAVENLY DOCTRINES,-the first New Church book printed in America,-and in 1789 an edition of THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. In 1792 the Rev. Ralph Mather, a former Methodist but now New Church preacher, settled in Philadelphia and began to conduct the meetings of a little circle of receivers until the year 1797, when he removed to Baltimore. In the meantime the circle had strengthened by the advent of the Rev. Jacob Duche, the famous Episcopal clergyman who had read the prayer at the opening of the Continental Congress in 1774. He Subsequently went over to the Tories and had to flee to England, where, through the Rev. John Clowes, he became an ardent Newchurchman. After his return to Philadelphia he opened his hospitable home to the little circle of New Church friends, among these the Hon. Jonathan Condy, an eminent lawyer, and the Rev. William Hill, an English New Church minister who, on June 2nd, 1797, married a beautiful and ardent New Church lady, Miss Esther Duche, the daughter of Jacob Duche.

     Mr. Hill remained the leader of the unorganized New Church circle in Philadelphia until his death, in the year 1804. He left behind him a lasting memorial in the first English translation of the APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED. For a few years after his death nothing is known of the history of the New Church in Philadelphia, but in the year 1809 the circle of receivers began to hold meetings for conversation in the school-room of Mr. Johnston Taylor.

     It is at this point that we connect with the first document giving a connected account of the organic beginnings of the New Church in Philadelphia. This document is in the form of a letter to THE NEWCHURCHMAN, (vol. I. pp. 162-167), published by the Rev. Richard De Charms, in 1841, and is from the pen of Condy Raguet, Esq., a Philadelphia banker and an eminent member of the New Church, being at that time the president of the "Central Convention," a body founded on what are now known as "Academy principles." The letter follows:

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     A LETTER BY CONDY RAGUET, ESQ.

     When I became convinced of the truth of the doctrine of the New Church; which was in 1811, as nearly as I can recollect, about a year after I began to read,-for I found great difficulty in receiving the memorable relations,--I frequented the meetings of the small society existing at that time in Philadelphia, which were then held in the school room of Mr. Johnston Taylor, a classical teacher, in the second story of a building still standing at the head of, and facing, Beaver Court, which runs north from Cherry Street above Fourth Street, between the houses now numbered 37 and 39. This building, from having once been a stable, had been converted into a school room, without reference, however, to the new use to which it was applied. The meetings at this room commenced, as I have reason to believe, as far back as 1808; but as there is possibly no person now living who can designate the precise period of their commencement from recollection, it cannot be ascertained, unless some members of the Church are in possession of letters, written about that period, in which it was mentioned.

     At the time of my first attending these meetings, I found the following individuals generally or occasionally present:

     Capt. ROBERT GILL, an aged and respectable retired ship-master.

     DANIEL THUUN, an aged gentleman, a native of Germany, and at one period of his life an extensive merchant in Philadelphia. He was married to the daughter of Mr. John Eckstein, also a native of Germany, a receiver of the doctrines of the Church, a distinguished sculptor, and who has left behind him a well executed bust of Swedenborg, copied from an engraved likeness, at the request of the late William Schlatter.

     JONATHAN W. CONDY, counselor at law, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, who had received the doctrines as early as about 1797, through a Mr. Hawkins, a musical instrument maker. He died in 1828.

     JOHNSTON TAYLOR, a native of Ireland, and a man of great amiability of manners and of highly respectable attainments. He had received the doctrines in the neighborhood of Abingdon, Virginia, from some member of the family of Campbell, several years before. He died in Missouri, many years ago.

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     JOHN H. BRINTON, a gentleman of fortune, retired from the profession of the law.

     FREDERICK ECKSTEIN, a native of Germany, son of John Eckstein, a merchant, and now residing in Kentucky.

     THOMAS SMITH, a native of England, book keeper in the first bank of the United States, and now living in Philadelphia, in comfortable retirement.

     MASKELL M. CARLL, principal of an academy for young ladies, subsequently ordained a minister of the New Church, and, since the decease of Mr. John Hargrove, the senior minister of the Church in the United States--now residing at Cincinnati.

     JOHN K. GRAHAM, a merchant, still living in Philadelphia.

     DANIEL LAMMOT, a merchant, now residing in the vicinity of Philadelphia.

     Of these ten gentlemen the first named five have been deceased a number of years since, and these are all that I can distinctly call to mind at the period referred to. The meetings were held on Sunday evenings, and were not attended by any ladies. The services consisted in reading, by some of the members, a portion of the Word and a selection from Swedenborg's writings, accompanied by the Lord's prayer, and closed by conversation. In this room the meetings continued to be held until the beginning of the year 1815, when it was resolved to have service in the day time, for the benefit of females as well as males. A room was accordingly rented for the purpose, in Norris's Alley, running east from Second Street above Walnut Street, in the second story of a brick house still standing on the north side, at the distance of about a hundred feet from Second Street, and every Sunday afternoon service was performed by Mr. Carll as a lay reader, there being at that period no minister in the United States but Mr. Hargrove at Baltimore. The form of worship was that of the Episcopal Church, with alterations designed to make the doctrines conform to those of the New Church as nearly as could be.

     In the beginning of 1816, the meetings were transferred to a more commodious and central situation, being Mr. Carll's school room, back of No. 229, on the north side of Arch Street, between Sixth and Seventh Streets.

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At this room service was Performed in the morning of every Sunday, and the meetings continued to be held there until the New Jerusalem temple, at the south-east corner of Twelfth and George Streets, was consecrated, which was on the 1st day of January, 1817.

     It is proper to observe here, that, at the same time that public service was performed in the day time at the places referred to, the Sunday, evening meetings were also kept up at Mr. Taylor's school room, up to the end of 1815. A few additions only were made to our numbers, one of which was that of the late WILLIAM SCHLATTER, an extensive importing merchant, and an intimate friend, from infancy, of the writer, and who became a receiver in 1814 or thereabouts. The important uses performed to the Church; by this gentleman merit an especial notice in THE NEWCHURCHMAN, and will, I hope, some day receive it. Another addition was in Mr. WILLIAM KNEASS, who, at the time of his decease in 1840, was engraver of the Mint of the United States.

     It was towards the close of the year 1815 that the society, although few in numbers, but Strong in zeal, resolved to organize itself into a regular association for propagating the doctrines of the Church. The date of that organization was the 25th of December of that year, under the title of "THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR DISSEMINATING THE DOCTRINES OF THE NEW-JERUSALEM CHURCH." At the first annual election for officers, which was held on the first day of January, 1816, the following gentlemen were chosen, viz:

President, Jonathan W. Condy.
Vice President, William Schlatter.
Treasurer, Daniel Thuun.
Secretary, William Kneass.
Corresponding Secretary, Condy Raguet.

     The first act performed by this body, was to issue a public Notice, under date of January, 1816, addressed to "The Readers of the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg in the United States," announcing to them the existence of this society, and inviting from them communications calculated to assist in the promotion of its views.

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This notice was published in all the daily papers of Philadelphia, between the first and fifth of January, and may be found at large, with two circulars, under date of 5th of January, and 1st of March, 1816, in the NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH REPOSITORY for January, 1817.

     During the year 1815 the late FERDINAND FAIRFAX, of Virginia, brother of Thomas, the present Lord Fairfax, now residing near Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, who is also and has for many years been a receiver of the doctrines, visited Philadelphia, and urged very strenuously upon the society the expediency of building a temple for worship. The pecuniary means of the members, however, not warranting such an undertaking, Mr. Schlatter, with a liberality indicative of his ardent zeal in the cause, resolved, in the year 1815, to undertake the construction of such an edifice out of his own private funds. A suitable lot was accordingly obtained upon ground rent, situated at the south-west corner of Twelfth and George Streets, [now called Sansom Street], the latter street being near to Chestnut Street, one of the most public and frequented streets of the city, and on that lot the corner stone of a temple was laid on the sixth day of June, 1816. The ceremonies attending this act are described in the NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH REPOSITORY for January, 1817.

     Having thus made preparation for public worship in a house dedicated to the Lord for that exclusive purpose, a committee was appointed to prepare a Liturgy for the use of the society, which, having been approved, was printed in 1816, under the title of "The Liturgy of the New-Jerusalem Church, being chiefly compiled from a Liturgy now in use in Great Britain, and respectfully recommended to the use of the Societies of the New Church in the United States." It was comprised in a small volume of 101 pages 18 mo., with a collection attached of 175 hymns, mostly selected from the hymn books of various Christian sects.

     On the fifteenth of October, 1816, a prospectus was issued for the publication of a magazine, to appear quarterly, commencing on the first of January, 1817, under the title of THE NEW-JERUSALEM CHURCH REPOSITORY," being the first periodical,-with the exception of a few numbers of a paper published by Mr. Hargrove at Baltimore,-issued in the United States, exclusively devoted to the advancement of the principles of the New Church.

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This work was continued to the last quarter of 1818, when it was discontinued for want of pecuniary support.

     On the thirty-first of December, 1816, Mr. Maskell M. Carll was ordained a priest and teaching minister, in the temple at Philadelphia, and on the first of January, 1817, the temple was consecrated, as above related. On this last mentioned day, the members of the Church assembled at Philadelphia from different parts of the United States, resolved to call a convention of receivers, "for the purpose of consulting upon the general concerns of the Church," to be held in that city on the fifteenth of May, 1817, which was accordingly held, being the first General Convention held in the United States.

     Having thus, Mr. Editor, brought down the history of the Church in Philadelphia from 1810 to 1817, I leave it for the present. From the last mentioned period to the present time, there are in the REPOSITORY, in the Journals of the various Conventions that have been since held, and in the records of the Philadelphia societies, sufficient materials for continuing the same, without the necessity of relying upon mere memory or tradition, and I doubt not that some one who has leisure to undertake the task will at some future day accomplish it.
     Your Brother in the Lord,
          CONDY RAGUET.

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     THE NEW CHURCH IN INDIA.

     In the October number of THE HEART OF INDIA the overly modest editor states that he "feels particularly unpleasant at the necessity of presenting for the most part a single man's work and vagaries before his readers. He dislikes this so much that he has decided to suspend the magazine if the Committee [of the Hindi Swedenborg Society] cannot make better arrangements for carrying it on."

     It would be a thousand pities should the movement in India be deprived of its only means of teaching and communication. The New Church in the rest of the world feels very different from Prof. Bhatt, for they would like to hear more, not less, from him. As yet he is the only one able to carry on this work, but it is evident that the movement is making progress. In the number before us the editor states that, "Some time ago there was only one English-knowing man among the students of the Writings in this country. At present there are several, for which THE HEART OF INDIA is profoundly grateful to the Divine mercy of the Lord."

     We learn that "a Reading Circle has been established at Santa Cruz, near Bombay, which promises to be very fruitful." And the editor reports that "though the sale of books [in Bombay] is slow, some of the younger members are showing greater activity and interest than what I had ventured to expect. The list of new members given above contains a name which is significant of much. I have not yet personally met Mr. Blaise Alexander D'Sylva, of Bandra, but he is the first Indian Christian gentleman to join us. A very earnest and interesting correspondence has commenced between us, and the results are likely to be far-reaching."

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     There is one note in the issue before us that is deeply touching: "O that a New Church Minister were here! The New Church in England knows our great need, and the ministers know. But nothing can be done while the War is going on."
OUR PECULIAR TREASURE 1916

OUR PECULIAR TREASURE       H. S       1916

     Love truly conjugial, such as existed in the Golden Age, such as is promised to the New Church, is solely a matter of the worship, in thought and in life, of the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

     No adoration of a divided Trinity, no worship of an invisible Father, can provide the conditions that make this love possible. And still less can religious atrophy provide it.

     Abundant provision has been made for other loves that will serve for the maintenance of orderly external marriage relations upon earth and for the provision of offspring thereby. But these are intrinsically mediate loves, lesser loves, serviceable (in themselves) only until "death do us part" as the old service reads.

     Not that the feeling which takes possession of lovers in their first state is different from the consciousness from Conjugial Love, far this inflows in some means into all at that time,-a true sacramental gift of a foretaste of those celestial joys which it is the will of our all-loving Creator to bestow upon us eternally. But with some this first love lives and grows by the aid of processes that depend upon the steadying action of an enlightened intelligence I while with others, lacking this interaction of the intelligence upon the feelings, there is a wastage and often a burning out of the fires of love, leaving only ashes and, at best, a few embers behind.

     With those still under the magic spell of the first love there is a ready affirmation of the teaching that love is eternal, high and holy above all other things in heaven and on earth. But to older minds, there come grave doubts, and at last denial. The "foretaste" passes, and is set down with a sigh, among the vain illusions and dreams of youth,-beautiful while they lasted, but unreal.

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     Here is where the New Church begins to make a big difference, for it teaches most particularly, as a revelation from God out of heaven, that the "youthful dream" is indeed the reality, the ultimate goal, of which such a foretaste is given only to initiate us into the gradual realization of heavenly joys, by a life of conquest over the love of self and the love of the world. This knowledge alone, even as a matter of faith, is certain to make a most far-reaching difference. It gives us the ever present feeling of a terra irredenta, of which we have had a vision and a foretaste, a holy land that is ours by right and only awaits the actual conquest. It is, indeed, our Land of Promise, a land "flowing with milk and honey," and greatly does this Gilead state exalt and ennoble all that is connected with married life, and its duties.

     But this love, so beautifully described in the Writings, as it is also in our Marriage service, is something new, something distinct from that which is understood and thus appropriated by the children of this age. It is offered, indeed, to all. It is sensed fleetingly by all; but it cannot be realized, and thus appropriated, without the help of the Lord, through the Word of Revelation, and a life in accordance thereto. This is a very practical matter, of daily effort, struggles, and resistance to all those influences that detract and destroy this holiest love, and that perfect union of minds which it demands and promotes.

     Let us never cease to seek it as the greatest of all possessions, both here and hereafter. In childhood we must seek it by clean habits; in youth by "shunning wandering lusts as the pools of hell;" in adult age, by choosing one who has come into the realization of the same spiritual ideals and who is likely to join in the pursuit of the same goal. And in later age, even to the last, by the daily work of conquest, which is indeed but another name for the worship of our Lord, who, as the visible God-Man, can be present in the ideas of our thought, can be seen in all our prayers, our Lord who loves us and listens to us, and joins Himself to us in a bond of ever growing conjunction, which is not vague, distant, or unreal, but is the most real and vital influence in all our lives. Naught but this can truly make one mind out of two minds. What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.     H. S.

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HEBREW LANGUAGE 1916

HEBREW LANGUAGE              1916

     A STUDY.

     (Concluded from NEW CHURCH LIFE, Oct., 1915.)

     8. CHARACTERISTIC SOUNDS OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE. In the spoken tongue the following chief peculiarities are to be noted:

     a) The predominance of guttural sounds, represented by the slender and scarcely perceptible throat-breathing in [Hebrew]; the decided aspirate [Hebrew], the sharp guttural [Hebrew], and the gurgling and at the same time nasal [Hebrew]. To these might be added [Hebrew], which was often rolled on the back of the tongue. The Hebrews employed these sounds more frequently than any other class of sounds, as is evident from the fact that in the Hebrew dictionary the four gutturals occupy considerably more than a fourth part of the whole volume. The reason for this predominance of gutturals may be found in the correspondence of the letter [Hebrew], (H), as signifying what is Divine, what is infinite and eternal," for H involves infinity, because it is only a breathing." (A. R. 38; A. 4594; DE VERBO 4.)

     b) The use of the very strong consonants [Hebrew], (tt), [Hebrew], (ts), and [Hebrew], (1), in the pronunciation of which the organ of speech is more compressed, and the sound is given forth with greater vehemence. These letters, also, are in frequent use.

     c) The aversion to clashing consonants without the interposition of some slight vowel sound. The Hebrews could not pronounce such English words as craft, crush, grind, strong etc., but would have said "keraft," "kerush," "gerined," "sterong."

     9. THE CONTINUITY OF THE SPEECH. This quality is another inheritance: from the language of Heaven.

     "Angelic speech is continuous; it has, indeed, terminations, but the antecedent sentences are there wonderfully connected with the succeeding, for the angelic ideas are very replete with things, and with innumerable things which are ineffable and incomprehensible to man when he is in the world. Hence the ends of preceding periods of speech are fully connected with the beginnings of following periods, and thus out of many series is formed one." (A. C. 7191.)

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     "In the original tongue one series is not distinguished from another by interstitial signs, as in other tongues, but it appears as it were continuous from the beginning to the end. Those things which are in the internal sense are indeed similarly continuous and flowing from the one state of a thing into another state, but when one state terminates and another succeeds, which is a marked [change], it is indicated either by "it was" or "it became" [fuit, vel factum]; and a change of state less marked is indicated by "and," on account of which these words occur so frequently." (A. C. 4987.)

     In the original Hebrew of the Word, when written without vowels, "words of names were not distinguished by large initials [capital letters], nor was there any distinction by commas and similar things, which are in languages in which the sense of the letter is attended to." (S. D. 2631.)

     "It is to be known that the Word in its original tongue lacks signs of terminations [of sentences], wherefore, in their place were such expressions as 'JEHOVAH said,' 'JEHOVAH spoke,' and in place of the signs of smaller endings or distinctions was the word 'and,' wherefore this also occurs so frequently." (A. C. 7191)

     "The speech of the Celestial angel's is also without hard [duris] consonants, and rarely glides from one consonant to another consonant except by the interposition of a word which begins with a vowel. Hence it is that the little word 'and' is so many times interposed in the Word, as may be manifest to those who read the Word in the Hebrew tongue, in which that little word is soft [mollis], and from both sides sounds from a vowel." (H. H. 241.)

     10. THE SIGNIFICATION OF SOME OF THE LETTERS IN THE HEBREW ALPHABET.

     "Every alphabetical letter in the Spiritual World signifies something, and the vowel, because it serves for the sound, signifies something of affection or love." (A. R. 29.)

     "Since each letter signifies a thing in the spiritual world, and thence in the angelic language, therefore David wrote Psalm cxix in order according to the letters of the alphabet, beginning with Aleph and ending with Tau, as may be manifest from the beginning of the verses there.

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Something similar appears in Psalm cxi, but not so plainly." (A. R. 38.)

     See also Psalms xxv, xxxiv, xxxvii, cxii, cxlv, and Lamentations, i, ii, iii, iv.

     "It was given me to examine the Hebrew letters from the beginning [of the alphabet] to the end, and certain words, and they said that there is correspondence." (S. D. 5620.)

     "The Lord describes His Divinity and Infinity by Alpha [A], and Omega [D]; by which is signified that He is the All in all things of Heaven and the Church." (A. R. 38.)

     "The angel who was with me said that from the letters alone he comprehended all things that were written therein [on the paper], and that each letter contained some idea, even the sense of ideas, and he also taught me what [Hebrew], what [Hebrew], and what [Hebrew] it signified. But what the other letters signified, it was not permitted him to tell." (S. D. 4671.)

     SIGNIFICATION OF THE LETTER H.

     "The angel explained to me what [Hebrew] and what [Hebrew] signify, separately and conjointly; and that [Hebrew], which is in Jehovah, and which was added to the name of Abraham and Sarah, signified the Infinite and the Eternal." (DE VERBO 4.)

     "Abram was called Abraham and Sarai Sarah, which was done in order that in Heaven by Abraham and Sarah these should not be understood, but the Divine as also it is understood. For H involves Infinity, because it is only an aspiration [a breathing]." (A. R. 38.)

     "Behold we have heard of Him in Ephrata, we have found Him," (Ps. cxxxii, 6); that these things are said of the Lord is manifest. We have heard of Him, and we have found Him, is in the original tongue expressed at the end [of these verbs] by the letter H, taken from the name JEHOVAH." (A. C. 4594.)

     THE INMOST SENSE PERCEIVED FROM THE LETTERS.

     "When the Word is read in the Hebrew text by a Jew or by a Christian, it is known in the third heaven what the letters themselves signify; for the angels of the third heaven have the Word written in such letters, and they read it according to the letters; they said that in the sense, extracted from the letters, the Word treats of the Lord alone." (DE VERBO 4.)

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     "A paper, written in Hebrew letters, was shown to me, and there was a certain spirit with me, who told me what the single things therein signified; not what the sense of the letter was, nor what was the interior or spiritual sense, but what the inmost or celestial sense was. This he saw not from the words, but from the syllables and their flections and curvatures; thus, as was said, from the apexes and little horns." (S. D. 5578.)

     "I read something in the Hebrew language without roughness, and passing quickly by the vowels, as being only sounding, and from the syllables alone the angles in the inmost heaven formed a celestial sense and said that there was a correspondence. I read, in the Hebrew Tongue, Psalm xxxii, 2, without rough accent, and almost without vowels, and they then said that they understood what it was from the sound, namely, this, that the Lord is merciful to them, although they do evil." (S. D. 5622.)

     A DOUBLE PRONUNCIATION OF CERTAIN HEBREW LETTERS.

     "They [the celestial angels] said that they do not pronounce certain consonant letters roughly [aspere], but smoothly [melliter], and that the rough [asperce] letters, such as [Hebrew] and [Hebrew] with the rest, do not signify anything with them, unless they pronounce them with a smooth sound, and that it is on this account that many rough [aspere] letters are pointed or punctuated within, which signifies that they are to be pronounced with a smooth [molli] sound." (DE VERBO 4.)

     "They do not express certain consonant letters roughly but smoothly [non asperae literae molliter enuntiatae fuerint], is that hence it is certain Hebrew letters are punctuated within, for a sign that they should be pronounced smoothly." (S. S. 90; T. C. R. 278.)

     "From experience, that the letters and syllables of the Hebrew Language in the Word correspond; also that the rough letters had been pronounced smoothly [aspera literae molliter enuntiatae fuerint], and that therefore they had a point in the middle." (INDEX S. D. MINUS, P. 46, ref. to S. D. 5620.) (INDEX S. D. MINUS, P. 46, ref. to S. D. 5620. See also S. D. 5620, DE VE1RBO 4.)

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SEXES IN PLANTS 1916

SEXES IN PLANTS       ARTHUR B. WELLS       1916

Editor NEW CHURCH LIFE:-
     I have been much interested in the recent discussion on the subject of sex in plants.

     A consideration of the following teachings of the Writings together with a consideration of certain undisputed phenomena of vegetative growth and reproduction may throw additional light on the subject.

     In CONJUGIAL LOVE, no. 32, we are taught: "The masculine on the male is masculine in the whole and in every part thereof; in like manner the feminine in the female; and there is conjunctiveness in all their singulars, yea even their veriest singulars." It is also known that the main function of sex is reproduction. In the light of these truths the fact that many, if not most, plants develop both oospheres and pollen grains in which are developed antherozoids, and the fact that much of their reproduction is vegetative--as when a strawberry runner Produces a new strawberry plant, or when a willow twig or grapevine cutting is planted and produces a new plant, or when a potato tuber produces new potato plants, or when pieces of begonia leaves are used to start new begonias--proves that though-there is an appearance of sexes in plants, there is really only one sex, the male, as stated in no. 585 of the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, and that "the earth alone, or the ground, is the common mother." The fact that some seeds go through the whole of their life history without ever touching the ground merely indicates to me that the Newchurchman must consider the carbon dioxide, moisture, and other vapors, in the air, as part of the ground, or at least as among the "effluvia" from the ground so often mentioned in the Writings.

     It is well known now, though it was not known in Swedenborg's time, that most of the solid pare of plants is taken, not from the soil directly, but from the air. With animals, the seed is an offshoot of the soul of the father, clothed in a single cell, and all further clothing is from the mother; but with plants, the seed is an offshoot of the soul of the parent plant, but clothed in many cells-yet, as with the seed of animals all its further clothing, after it leaves the father plant, is from the mother or the ground and its effluvia.

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In this connection it would seem that reproductive runners, tubers, leaves, etc., should be regarded, functionally at least, as seeds. The marvelous structural resemblance between the animal spermatozoon and the vegetable antherozoid and between the animal egg cell and the vegetable oasphere together with the apparently analogous phenomena of animal and vegetable hybridization, has led scientists to ascribe bi-sexuality to plants and nothing but Divine Revelation can show the fallacy of this ascription.

     Some of the illustrations in the Writings are taken from the false science of Swedenborg's time. The falsity of the illustration does not invalidate the truth of the doctrine so illustrated; but neither does the truth of the doctrine make the illustration true in itself. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life." John 6:63. The fallacious illustrations are vivified by the truths which they clothe as are such statements in the letter of the Word as that God is angry, repents, etc. For example, "the vegetation of cretaceous substances into corals in the depths of the sea" is given as evidence that minerals emulate plant forms. A. E. 1208. It is known now that corals are produced by animals, instead of by vegetation, as spoken of in A. E. 1208.
     ARTHUR B. WELLS.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. The celebration of "Founders' Day" eclipsed all other recent events. On the evening of January 14th all those organically connected with the Academy assembled in the auditorium to partake of a feast in commemoration of the day. The room was artistically decorated with cedars and fir trees, providing a soft back-ground for the many class banners. In the center of a hollow square of tables was the grand piano surrounded by palms and ferns, while at the end of the square stood a large Christmas tree, laden with "pointed" presents for some of the professors. The guests entered to the stirring strains of the "Academia March" and were all seated ready for the blessing ever the music ceased. The guests were delighted to find Prof. Odhner back in his time-honored role of toast-master, a task which he has steadily declined of recent years.

     The evening was in general divided into two halves; the first being devoted to "stunts" of a humorous nature,* the latter to a serious discussion of the "Mission of the Academy." First, its mission in general; second, to the New Church; third, to the Christian World, and, lastly, to the Gentiles. The responses were made by Messrs. Randolph Childs, W. H. Alden, Bishop W. F. Pendleton and L. E. Gyllenhaal. The speeches were all short, but nonetheless inspiring, surrounded as they were by lively song and spirit. Mr. Gyllenhaal, with great earnestness, brought home the problem of the duty of the Academy to our newly discovered friends, the Basutos.
     * The "presents" to the professors,-accompanied with appropriate verses,-evoked much laughter, as each represented some special hobby. For the toastmaster there was provided a coal-black doll baby, as a delegate from "the Gentiles."

     The only thing to mar the evening's joy was the absence of "Uncle John," who, though steadily improving, is still confined to his room.

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It was the first time he was absent from one of the "Founders' Day" banquets, and as "Uncle Walter" remarked, "It was like Hamlet without the Prince." Our first and foremost Academy bard, the only Founder present, then produced the following song in honor of Mr. Pitcairn:

"Our hearts are stirred, our glasses brim
     As, each as all and all as one,
We pledge our grateful love to him,-
     Our Academia's honored son;
May heaven's peace within him rest
     Through all the ages rolling on!
Here's life and joy and all things best
     To him we love,-to "Uncle John!"

     This was sung repeatedly, as some small expression of the Academy's appreciation of "Uncle John."

     But to return to somewhat more ancient history. At our Christmas celebration the children entered the Auditorium singing and marching, which always brings Christmas thoughts to mind. Father Pendleton, assisted by the Rev. R. W. Brown, conducted the service. The representations this year portrayed the intended sacrifice of Isaac, the purchase of a burial place from the sons of Heth, the betrothal of Rebecca, Gabriel's message to Zacharias, the annunciation to Mary, and, finally, the scene at the manger.

     Then came the holidays, full of joy and gaiety. Bryn Athyn was glad to welcome again many of her migrated sons and daughters. The young folks had a dance on the 27th of the month, which was hailed as a great success. The room was converted into a veritable Christmas garden by red and green lighting effects, coupled with red and green streamers around the room. To the rhythmic strains of a four-piece orchestra the dancers glided around until the wee, wee hours. The evening was interspersed with various stunts, chief of which was a little skit by Don. F. R., portraying in a clever manner the life of the telephone central who handles Bryn Athyn's calls.

     On New Year's morning we held a service in the Chapel, together with a breakfast in the Auditorium, to welcome in the New Year.

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Following the breakfast Mr. Frank Bostock favored us with a couple of violin selections, rendered, it seems to us, with actual genius. This paved the way for a series of four speeches on the various ideals with which childhood, youth, manhood, and old age look forward to the new year. The subjects were handled by Messrs. Raymond G. Cranch, Francis Frost, D. F. Rose and Bishop W. F. Pendleton, respectively. After the speeches the young folks danced to their heart's content. The affair was a pronounced success! K. R. A.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA. At the Christmas service a special offering was made, to be used for the furnishing of the chancel in our new church building. The children's celebration was held in the afternoon of the same day, those who have been attending the Sunday School rendering a number of recitations and responses from the Word and also songs in Greek and Hebrew from the School Hymnal. In connection with the usual representation a picture of the town of Bethlehem was thrown on the screen, making a striking background. At the proper moment in the reading of the story from Luke the angel appeared in the sky over the stable. After the services each child was presented with a Christmas stocking filled with "goodies," and a toy. The story of "The Other Wise Man," in a shortened and adapted form, was then read and illustrated with beautiful slides. The celebration closed with the hearty singing of a Christmas carol.

     On the evening of Dec. 29th, Mr. Knudsen treated the Advent Club to a sumptuous banquet at his home. The occasion marked a new departure in the activities of the Club. The guests for the evening were the Rev. C. Th. Odhner, Mr. Randolph Childs, Mr. Richard de Charms and Mr. Karl Alden. Professor Odhner, the guest of honor, delivered a most interesting and instructive address on "The Study of History in the Light of the New Church." This was followed by a general discussion in which every member and guest present took part. Great enthusiasm was aroused by a song to the Advent Club, composed by Mr. Eric Nilson and set to the music of a stirring old Finnish air, (the "Bjorneborg March"), which especially touched Mr. Odhner's Scandinavian heart.

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The climax of the evening was reached when, in response to a toast "To the Editor of the LIFE," all joined in a song-the product of local talent-to the Editor and his mighty pen.

     As, with a single exception, all of our young men are now married, we have been suffering of late from a lack of the baccalaureate element,-one "forlorn" bachelor to entertain about a dozen young ladies. Recently, however, this condition has changed, through the influx of a number of young men from Bryn Athyn and elsewhere, making the prospects of the social life more promising.

     GLENVIEW, ILL. Winter sports are now the fashion here; there are three favorite modes of recreation: skating, when there is smooth ice; sleighing, when there are smooth roads;-and all the time, no matter what the condition of ice and roads, looking at that classic, never-to-be-too-much-looked-at group of buildings in the center of the park. The slate roof is going on rapidly and the work inside is in such a forward state that the future beauty of the finished interior may be faintly estimated.

     There is no doubt that the trouble and work of the last year, the necessity of discussion, of comparison, of plans and details, and of work, have been both a responsibility and an opportunity the responsibility of seeing that the work was well done, for ourselves and for future generations, and a glorious opportunity for united work, for the cementing of friendship and the abolition of chronic grouches and the drawing together of the whole community in closer bonds of affection.

     We welcomed the New Year and bid good-bye to the old with appropriate ceremonies. At 9 P. M. we began with a sociable, with music, a play given by our local dramatic club, conversation and refreshments. Mr. Junge had charge of the arrangements; he arranged for four speeches, but owing to the epidemic of influenza, only two were able to fulfill their contract. Dr. King spoke on "Providence" and Mr. Seymour G. Nelson on "Increased Uses In Our New Buildings."

     We have had two "steinfests," one on "Waste" and one on "Conservation," both of which were well attended and of considerable interest.

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     Occasionally when winds are west and ways are foul with a zero temperature we are compelled to omit a Friday class or a Sunday service owing to the difficulties of keeping our commodious barn-where our services are held ad interim-at a comfortable temperature. This inconvenience affords an excellent opportunity for the cultivation of patience, forbearance and other Christian virtues.

     CHICAGO, ILL. It is to be regretted that the Sharon, church has not been represented more frequently in the News columns of the LIFE. We are still on the New Church map, however, and in a reasonably prosperous and active condition. We start the new year with all current expenses paid.

     There are about fifteen children in regular attendance at the Sunday School, and an average of about twenty persons at the adult services, a number which is almost doubled when attendance is good, as on the first Sunday of the new year. The Rev. David Klein is a valued assistant in the Sunday School work.

     We have had a number of visitors recently, among whom we should mention Mr. and Mrs. S. Wm. H. Schroeder, of Denver; Miss Celia Bellinger, of Pittsburgh, and Mr. Harold Lindsay, also of Pittsburgh.

     Our children's Christmas service was held at the home of the Messrs. Pollock. Copies of the Word or of HEAVEN AND HELL Were presented to all members of the older Sunday School class, the books being provided by the Ladies' Auxiliary.

     In December the ladies put much industry and energy into a bazaar and reaped a corresponding success. There were many visitors from Glenview, the usually "immutable Steinfest" being postponed so that the gentlemen might have the privilege of attending; and there were present also several members of the North Side Convention parish, friends of Mrs. W. W. Espy Curtis, the president of our Ladies' Auxiliary. A Profit of over $150.00 was realized, which has been devoted to the beginning of a fund for a permanent church home. We rejoice in this as a first step toward the "localization" of our far-scattered society. If we could sell our old property on Carroll avenue, now no longer usable for worship, or if, like our neighbors in Glenview, we were to be favored with a fire, perhaps we also could soon start upon building operations in a fairer section of the city.

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     Those who knew Mrs. David Klein will realize our sense of loss on account of her removal to the spiritual world. Although confined to her bed for a full year before her death, she still made her cheerful presence felt in our church life. She was zealous in every spiritual interest and social undertaking, often adding to the one by the expression of some thought, and to the other by some sparkling verse or song of local interest. She was the kind of person whom even her remoter friends hope to meet again on the other side. S. G.

     BERLIN, ONT. Notwithstanding the anticipation of the Ontario Assembly, a great deal of time and thought was spent in preparation for a very successful Christmas celebration.

     The Children's Service, on Christmas Eve, opened with the singing of a Processional, during which offerings were brought forward by young and old. The chancel was artistically decorated and prepared as a background for the presentation of tableaux from the Word. These Representations-which were appropriately chosen from the Old and New Testaments-formed, for the first time in our society, an actual part of the service, being introduced without delays between the singing of hymns by the children. The service was most impressive and created a profound sphere of reverence and worship. After the children had stopped to look at the table representation of the Lord's birth, all descended to the school room, where baskets of fruit were distributed, and the children presented their teachers with Christmas gifts.

     Although we had rather feared a slim attendance of visitors at the Ontario Assembly, owing to the stress of the war, we were quite agreeably disappointed the attendance at the banquet taxing the capacity of our building to the utmost.

     The Assembly banquet was a joyous and festive occasion. The banquet hall was appropriately decorated with flags, and tables were set in the hall and adjoining side rooms to accommodate the entire company.

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Rev. F. E. Waelchli acted as toastmaster. After the banquet dancing was enjoyed until the stroke of twelve, when all joined hands in singing "Happy New Year to All." After greetings had been exchanged dancing continued until morning.

     Bishop N. D. Pendleton's address on "The State of the Church" was, indeed, the central feature of the meeting. It seemed to bring a sense of comfort and relief and brought forth remarks of appreciation from almost all present.

     On Sunday a service was held in the morning and the Holy Supper was celebrated in the afternoon. In the evening we gathered at the school where an enjoyable "musicale" took place. This being the end of the Assembly, farewells were exchanged, and Mr. Craigie, of Toronto, on behalf of our visiting friends, offered a vote of thanks for an enjoyable treat, both spiritual and natural, and hoped he would see us all in Toronto next year. F. R.

     PITTSBURGH, PA. In our last report we tried to give some flavor of the District Assembly, but since then we have enjoyed another big success, namely, our Bazaar.

     Here, as elsewhere, in the General Church, there has been a lingering feeling against fairs or bazaars--partly on the ground that such methods of raising money are disorderly in themselves; partly on the ground of the glaring abuses that have attached themselves to such affairs in the world, chief among which are the gambling devices, the begging for donations, the importuning of victims, and the overcharging to complete the catalog of evils, attributable to Church Fairs, we might also mention the evil of undercharging, or selling valuable gifts or the products of much labor at prices far below their real value. In other words, as soon as the ruling idea becomes something other than the business-like one of converting values of various kinds into cash for the benefit of our church, we get into all the abuses that business itself is heir to. But it occurred to Father Pendleton, some fifteen years ago, that the abuse ought not to take away the use of a good, thing. Begging, importuning, gambling, and such disorders, are no more necessary adjuncts of a Church Fair than they are of any other kind of a Fair.

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There remains, then, the fundamental question of the use of such an affair, and of the propriety of connecting it in any way with our Church.

     From time immemorial, Fairs and Bazaars have served the purpose of bringing together buyers and sellers wherever the facilities do not make possible the maintenance of more regular and permanent marts or stores. Incidentally, however, they came to serve a far higher use, in their social effect as centers of intercourse, and also of the dissemination of knowledge. Hence, in the Word, marts and merchants signify such interchange. As to the wider human and social uses of Fairs, we know that in Russia and other Eastern countries, they are veritable centers of their civilization. Nor can we believe that shopping was altogether absent from the yearly pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and later to Mecca and other shrines. It will thus be seen that the Fair, as a method of doing business, has most excellent precedents.

     There remains, then, the matter of the connection of such trading with the Church and its support.

     This connection is to be found legitimately, it seems to me, in the fact that, as in ancient times, many offerings consist normally and naturally of goods rather than money, and that there is more than the mere cash benefit in bringing the actual work of loving hands to the outer courts of the Church, as were the free-will offerings of old, and especially those offerings of materials of all sorts for use in the construction of the Tabernacle and its appurtenances.

     There are many places where simpler conditions of living still prevail, where the offerings whereby the minister is supported consist largely of food-stuffs and fuel. Even in cities, there are no more welcome gifts than those made or prepared by living and grateful hands. And here is where the use of "the Fair" comes in.

     Our Fair this year was probably different from any of the others in the Church. It was more quiet and more business-like, with a careful elimination of all items of unnecessary expense, that would do credit to the best housekeepers. On account of the confusion of having general entertainment concurrently with the other business, this feature was entirely eliminated and left for other occasions.

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The people cannot do two things at once, and it is a mistake to line them up in the chairs, when they ought to be attending to the booths of lesser attraction,-while on the other hand, it detracts from the appreciation of the plays, and other public performances, to crowd them out of place, and make them feel as if they were side-shows or encumbrances. So we cut the gordian knot by doing one kind of things at a time. There was no admission fee, and for the rest only refreshments and the Fair itself. There were dainty girls in costume, each with a demonstration table, where desirable toilet and other articles, (obtained free or at special prices), were sold. There was a cake-and-candy counter, a fancy-work booth, a grocery department, and so on. Very business-like, as you see. Great care was taken to give good Value everywhere, and at the same time not to undersell real value, for this is as much an abuse as the other.

     So well pleased were those who patronized this bazaar that it is hoped that we may make it an annual affair. The net profits, for the benefit of our ancient Mortgage Fund, were also decidedly gratifying,-the total, so far, being nearly $300.00.

     But the greatest successful season was the Christmas Festival. Although the pastor seized this most inopportune time to indulge in an attack of the Grippe, the Rev. Walter Brickman took his place so acceptably, that the real spirit and most powerful effect of the Festival was not marred.

     The first Part consisted of the worship upstairs, where the chancel was beautifully decorated, and at one side was a very artistic Scene representing the town of Bethlehem and its environment. This scene represents much study upon the part of the ladies of the local Theta Alpha Chapter. For the second part, all marched down stairs, endeavoring so far as possible to preserve the sphere of worship. It was as if we had first been transported to the Holy Land, and had then been taken right into the place where the Incarnation took place. But I cannot undertake to describe the effect of these exquisitely beautiful tableaux. Mr. Robert Caldwell is a master artist, and he had certainly a most able corps of assistants. H. S.

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General Assembly 1916

General Assembly              1916




     ANNOUNCEMENTS.


     SPECIAL NOTICE.

     The Ninth General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., beginning Thursday, June 15th, and concluding Monday, June 19th, 1916.

     The Consistory will meet on Monday, June 12th, and the Council of the Clergy, June 13th and 14th.
     C. TH. ODHNER, Secr. Gen. Ch. N. J.



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LAMB OF GOD 1916

LAMB OF GOD       Rev. HOMER SYNNESTVEDT       1916


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Vol. XXXVI, MARCH, 1916          No. 3
     AN EASTER ADDRESS

     "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the silt of the world." John 1, 29.

     The Christian world at Easter is celebrating the Redemption effected by our Lord Jesus Christ, through the sacrifice of His blood upon the cross, whereby He is Said to have taken upon Himself our sins and suffered for us, in our place, in satisfaction of the debt we owed to the Divine Justice, by virtue of the Fall of Adam, and the consequent sinfulness of mankind. God the Father,-though filled with wrath toward the human race, was nevertheless willing that His only begotten Son should assume human nature and bring upon himself the full penalty of the Law, thus becoming a full satisfaction for all our sinfulness, in place of the many sacrifices offered before, which were only partial and very imperfect expiations of the Divine Wrath. But it is held that this means of reconciliation with the Almighty applies only in favor of those for whom the Son intercedes, who are said to be those who confess His merit and consequent power to secure the sinner's forgiveness and therefore petition God the Father in the name of His Son.

     The string of fallacies and falsities involved in this doctrine of a "vicarious atonement" is well-known to the New Church. In the first place, it is nothing less than blasphemous to conceive of our Heavenly Father as capable of such murderous wrath, or vindictiveness masquerading under the name of Justice, Revenge, or retribution, is no quality of Divine Justice, for God is Love itself,-most Human and ever compassionate,-not an inhuman monster of Vengeance.

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Moreover, no one can be changed from a child of sin, fit only to dwell with the infernals, into a child of grace, fit to live forever in some society of angels, by any suffering or sacrifice inflicted upon another. We do not correct the evils of one son by chastising another one in his place. A change in the way of life is what is demanded, not a mere arbitrary excusing, a covering of the eyes, whereby a thoroughly bad person might be admitted into the eternal company of the good. Heaven would soon become intolerable at that rate.

     From this fundamental error as to how salvation is acquired--namely, by mere grace through faith alone, apart from one's own way of life,--there has arisen a most deadly security, even so that men omit even to search out the real evils of their spirit, and much less to shun them, and the result has been once more the night and death of the Church. Phariseeism is rampant. In the Old Church there is much concern for the tithes of mint and cummin, much broadening of phylacteries, much cleansing of the outside of the cup and the platter, and an ever increasing tide of lusts and all uncleanness, growing unchecked, unacknowledged on the inside.

     So true is this in general, that the Christian name or profession is no guarantee whatever of either honesty, sincerity, or chastity,--a shameful fact known not only to Christians but also to the Gentiles.

     But there are always exceptions, even in the Old Church, as we are taught: "He who reads these words, 'Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world,'-and from these words believes in simplicity that the Lord suffered the cross for our sins, and that by this and by His blood He redeemed us from hell, is not hurt thereby, for it is an apparent truth which does not harm those simple in heart and in faith. But it does hurt to make a first principle of this and to confirm it to such an extent that he believes God the Father was reconciled and will be reconciled by this, and that by faith alone in this reconciliation man will be justified and saved without the goods of charity which are good works. If he is in this false principle not only in doctrine but also in life, it cannot be forgiven." (A. E. 778.)

     If, then, the old idea of a bloody sacrifice, and the atonement and removal of our sins in that vicarious fashion, is only an appearance, which upon enlightened scrutiny will not square with the truth, it remains for us to examine more deeply into the matter, with the aid of our crowning Revelation, and find what is meant,-for it is evidently our Lord Himself who is here represented as our Deliverer.

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     "Behold the Lamb of God, Who taken away the sins of the world." This was the promised Messiah, for whom John was preparing the way, and whom he thus announced to the world. Again and again the Lord is called a "Lamb," and those who follow Him are called His "sheep." What then is a Lamb?

     We are taught that animals of all kinds are nothing else than embodiments of certain affections, which they have in common with man. In other words, the soul of an animal is some affection existing among those human beings who are now living in the spiritual world, the region of causes. Everything that exists in this world has such an origin or essence or soul, by which it was shaped in the first place and through which it derives its continued existence in the same form or body, as long as it is not cut off from this spiritual source of all its vital force and quality. Men wonder what force is now driving the sap up into all the trees with such a headlong pressure. They are witnessing the effect, on the plane of dead matter, of a force inflowing from the Sun of the living world, acting through the ether, which is the medium of such well known phenomena as those of light and electricity. In the case of a lamb, however, the soul or essential portion or kind of life which is being embodied is the good of innocence, as is indeed evidenced by the creature's gentleness and docility, as well as by its usefulness and pleasantness to man. Evil and rapacious beasts have as their soul, we are told, some affection originating in hell. Now those animals which were used in worship as sacrifices all embodied, and thus signified, good affections of various kinds and degrees, such as would be pleasing to God. Some good animals, such as horses, were not used in sacrificial worship, because they are forms of the affections of the understanding rather than affections of the will.

     But in order to understand how a lamb could take away sins, if not as a price paid in substitution or atonement therefor, we must learn from the Heavenly Doctrines what is involved in the act of sacrificing them, in offering them upon the altar. The ancients, long before the time of Abram and his descendants,-indeed, from the time of Eber when such a mode of worship was first established, knew very well what they wished to symbolize and thus develop among themselves by these rites.

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They knew all about: correspondences, or the relation of things in this world to their causes in the spiritual world. Those from whom they derived this knowledge were frequent visitors on the other side, and the angels frequently conversed with them. So they even knew at first hand the particular human affection embodied in each creature. Each animal is a form of some one affection, nor can it change essentially. It can only be modified externally in adaptation to its environment, while man embodies all affections, and can change himself from a lamb even to a wolf, or vice-versa.

     Now our source of information as to what is signified by each victim used in the ancient sacrifices is the same as theirs, namely, revelation through one who frequented the other world. In the latest and most excellent Revelation, all the wisdom of the Ancients has been restored and more besides. Thus we learn that an altar is a plane of reaction and thus of reception of Divine Influx and immediate operation out of heaven. The wood used as fuel signified merit. The victim, whether of flock or herd, was a form of the affection that was being laid before the Lord, for His love to act upon. The fire, kept ever burning, was the expression of the Divine love itself,-the fire of the Sun of Heaven; and the burning signified purification thereby, since it removed all impurities, and converted the tissues into higher, more volatile substances or spheres representing what is more acceptable to Jehovah.

     Thus the leading idea of a sacrifice was not the giving up on the part of the victim of its life in satisfaction for the sin of some other being, (a most unjust and useless procedure), but Purification-the removal of impurities, in the affection and thus the reception of the Divine life into it, and its adoption by Him! How crude, and merely natural, in the light of this teaching, is the substitutive or vicarious idea of the Jews and of the unspiritual men of the present day, who have stamped even the very word "Sacrifice" with the vicarious idea of an innocent victim giving himself up for the sake of another! Not by such sacrifice, therefore, but by the conjunctive power of the affection which it represented, was; a lamb able to take away sin.

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     A lamb, as was said, signifies innocence, which, when purified, as is represented in temptations or sacrifice by, fire, is the Lord's Divinely provided means of taking away the sins of the world.

     Innocence is known to us mainly as it manifests itself in infants,-with whom, however, it is but a state or condition loaned to them from the highest heaven, until a beginning can be made toward acquiring something of rational good which can soften and finally displace the hard and wicked tendencies of their hereditary proprium. Meanwhile, the innocence of the child is his salvation; by it he is able to learn what is right and wrong, and to choose the one and refuse the other. Thus he is gifted, in time, with a free conscience and becomes capable of real charity.

     But there is a good even higher than charity, even as there is the celestial or highest heaven above the spiritual and the natural, and this is the good of mutual love in which there is the Innocence of Wisdom, directly from the Lord,-who is the Lamb or Innocence Itself! For true innocence is not merely the passive and ignorant docility of the infant, or of the lamb. These, upon the natural plane, do indeed represent it. But the soul or essence of Innocence is to be found in the quality of humility,-the acknowledgment that all power and all wisdom are not our own, but inflow each moment from the Divine. Those who make this acknowledgment must fully and unreservedly become so receptive of the Divine Innocence that they are said to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.

     These are "the mighty ones" of the universe, and in some places in the Word they are even called "gods." Not because they have or claim any divinity to themselves! Quite the reverse! But their power and influence and work are beyond description. To say that they can pluck up mountains and cast them into the sea gives but a very external idea of their strength, The radiance of their beauty, moreover, is beyond description, while even the tone of their voice so melts the heart that even the hardest of good spirits is reduced to tears. It is like love itself speaking! And all this is from their innocence, because they dwell in fullest humility and therefore in the full sunshine of the presence and love of Him who is "the Lamb of God,"-He who in His Human did most completely humiliate himself as to every affection and every thought before the Father, the Infinite Love whose very essence is to love others outside of itself, to will to be one with them, and to make them happy from itself. Such is our Heavenly Father.

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And the Human which He assumed in the world,-through the Purification which is represented by the fire and the sacrifice,-was finally made full partaker and being of the Divine Love itself, and thus One with the Father. No longer do we worship the unglorified human, the Son of Man, but God Man Himself, the very Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.
DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL LIFE 1916

DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL LIFE       R. B. CALDWELL       1916

     We are all familiar with the teaching that we are, even while in this world, associated together in societies in the spiritual world. We read in the Heavenly Doctrine that man in respect to his spirit is in societies in the spiritual world and that to them he is attached, as it were, with elastic cords which determine the space wherein he may walk. We are also taught that through these societies man walks free; but that he is led by the Lord, and that he takes no step into which and from which the Lord does not lead. The Doctrine further teaches that if man's affections are evil, he is conveyed through infernal societies, and that if he does not look to the Lord he is brought into these infernal societies more interiorly and deeply. And yet, we are taught, that the Lord leads him, as if by the hand, permitting and withholding as far as man is willing to follow in freedom.

     Another teaching is that if man looks to the Lord he is led forth from these societies and is brought by continual steps out of hell up towards heaven, and into heaven. (A. E. 1174.)

     Thus we may see from the Doctrine here given that this question of social life, or life in consociation with others, has regard to men as spiritual beings, for it is our spirits that consociate.

     We may also see that there are laws by which these consociations are regulated and that, as rational spiritual beings, it behooves us to know these laws, and to conduct ourselves accordingly. We can see, from the Doctrine quoted, that even at this time, while engaged in a social gathering here, we are sustaining certain definite relations with some society in the spiritual world;--that we are, in fact, being led by the Lord, as the Writings say, as if by the hand, as one might take a child by the hand and lead it.

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     Now it appears to me that if we reflect for a moment, we will be able to see that if this subject is a living and active one in the spiritual world; it is worthy of our most careful thought in this world, and that we should trot be indifferent as regards the important question of forming friendships. The Lord leads as if by the hand, permitting and withholding, as far as man is willing to follow in freedom. Here, I think, we have something to seriously reflect upon, when considering the choice of friends, or when we are in the act of forming friendships, or when we are about to determine for ourselves the question of our social life. The Lord leads. He permits. He withholds. He never interferes with our freedom. In a word, while He leads, while He permits, while He withholds, yet we can freely make friends of whom we please and freely enter into social life with whom we desire.

     With this idea before us we may be able to realize the great responsibility which rests upon each one in his choice of friends. From the Doctrine quoted we can see that if our affections are evil we are led through infernal societies; and if we do not look to the Lord, we are brought more interiorly and deeply into these internal societies. We see from this that though the Lord leads us, yet the choice rests with each one to decide whether this leading is to be a leading of Providence to heaven, or a leading by Permission to hell; whether it is to bring him out of the infernal societies up towards heaven and into heaven, or whether he is coming more interiorly and deeply into the infernal societies.

     Now, I think, it is a fair and inevitable conclusion, that if we find ourselves seeking the social life which is available outside of the sphere of the Church, if we find ourselves forming friendships without regard to the teachings given plainly and clearly by the Church,--if we find ourselves doing these things, we may correctly conclude that we have as yet no grounds to think that we are making progress away from the infernal societies, out of hell, and up towards heaven and into heaven. But as to how we stand in respect to this, no one has a right to judge of another. Each one must judge as to his own case.

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The Writings teach that no inference must be drawn concerning any one, from the appearances of marriages, nor from the appearances of the opposite, as to whether he has conjugial love or not. (C. L. 531.) This law applies to all social life; wherefore, Judge Not!

     In the Writings we are taught that all the thoughts and affections of man pour themselves forth into the spiritual world in every direction: spiritual thoughts, which relate to the Lord and to the truths and goods of heaven and the Church, pour themselves forth into heavenly societies, but merely natural thoughts, which relate to self and the world, and not at the same time to God, into infernal societies. (A. E. 1092.)

     Now, it remains for each one to decide for himself whether in the friendships which he is forming, or in the social life he is cultivating, he has regard to this law: that where there is a sphere of merely natural affections and thoughts, and not at the same time thoughts of God and spiritual affections, the associations in the spiritual world are with infernal societies.

     It is important that each one should pass judgment upon him- self, and it is likewise important that he have a clear conception of this truth in his mind: viz., that merely natural thoughts, which relate to self and the world, and not at the same time to God, pour themselves forth into infernal societies.

     We are taught that to shun evils as sins is to shun the infernal societies that are in them, and that man cannot shun these unless he actually repels them and turns away from them in ultimates as well as in internals. With regard to this, I think it is just to conclude that what is true of the societies in the spiritual world and the laws governing these and the individuals who comprise them, must also be true of our societies in the world; and that the law to shun certain societies, repel them and turn away from them, applies here as well as there.

     But, I repeat, we must all bear in mind that each one must see his duty in this respect for himself. Another cannot see it for him, and another should not attempt to do so. The charge has been made that this idea of distinctive social life has in it the evil of thinking one's self better than another, and for this reason shunning his society. Now the old contention that exclusiveness necessarily means thinking one's self better than another will not stand if investigated. A man may adopt principles of exclusiveness from various motives.

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The Newchurchman can have but one. His exclusiveness must spring from a desire to shun his evils as sins. If he find himself seeking social life outside the sphere of the New Church, he will find at the same time that he cannot be in active antagonism to his own evils, and that a retrograde movement in his regeneration must ensue.

     When the sons of Israel asked Pharaoh to let them go three days' journey into the wilderness, Pharaoh asked, "Why go three days' journey? Worship here in Egypt." Moses replied, No, that they would thus worship, the abomination of the Egyptians. Now, it was not that the Israelites were better than the Egyptians that they must separate entirely from them, for three days meant an entire separation, but the truth to be drawn from this is that they were to be given a chance to become better.

     So it is with the state of the Old Church, and the state of the New Church; between them there must be an entire separation both internally and externally. Not that the man of the New Church is better, but he may become better. The act of separation is the New Churchman's acknowledgment of his own evils and of his own inability to come out of these within the old environment.

     In DIVINE PROVIDENCE 294, we are taught that when a man knows an evil and wills to shun it and desist from it, he is taken by the Lord from the society which is in that evil and is transferred into a society in which it is not.

     Now this doctrine of distinctive social life may have the appearance of selfish exclusiveness, but in the Newchurchman who is sincerely fighting against his evils it merely means that he cannot get the mastery of these under the old condition of things and in the old social life, where merely natural thoughts which relate to self and the world and not at the same time to God, prevail.

     There is that in a good hard fight against one's evils that removes all disposition on the part of the man to boast. It is a victory and a defeat. It is a victory for the spiritual man, and the spiritual man does not boast. It is a defeat for the natural man, and he doesn't boast, either,--over a defeat! We see then that a man must be progressive in shunning his evils, and if in this he find it necessary to shun a certain kind of society, it does not necessarily follow that he is selfishly exclusive.

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     What we must dismiss from our minds is the idea that exclusiveness is in itself an evil. It depends altogether upon the conditions prompting the exclusiveness. As I have already stated, the Newchurchman may be exclusive, that is, may disassociate himself from worldly society on one ground only, viz., that the regenerative possibilities of his life may not be interfered with, and that unnecessary obstacles may not be placed in the way.

     The social life outside the sphere of the Church does interfere, and it does place obstacles in his way; and more, it obscures the truths by which he hopes for regeneration, by interposing a cloud. For we are taught that the angels of heaven cannot be attendant on man when, he dwells on earthly things; they then retire, and infernal spirits approach, who cannot be with him in heavenly things. (A. C. 5433)

     The delights of evil, which are hereditary in every man, make him susceptible to the contagion of wickedness.

     All evils are infectious. We are taught that the world of spirits is so full of subtle wickedness that it may be compared to a pool of water replete with the spawn of frogs. We are most thoughtful of ourselves in guarding against the contagion of bodily diseases, let us give ourselves the same tender care against the contagion of spiritual diseases. If we would not become infected we must take refuge in the Lord, for He says, "Abide in Me."

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NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG 1916

NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG              1916

     SOME LETTERS FROM AUGUSTUS ALSTROMER TO HIS BROTHER CLAS ALSTROMER.

     Among the little group of Swedenborg's personal friends in Gothenburg, headed by Beyer and Rosen; there appears the name of AUGUSTUS ALSTROMER. Until recently we have known of his connection with the New Church only through a letter addressed to him by Swedenborg, (Doc. II, pp. 378-9), who sends through him "kindest regards to Drs. Beyer and Rosen and to all the rest who believe in our Savior." The following group of eight letters, found among the "Bergius Collection of Letters" in the Royal Academy of Sciences, throw a very pleasing light upon the character of this man.

     Augustus Alstromer was the second son of JONAS ALSTROMER, renowned as "the father of Swedish industry." He was an intimate friend of the Swedenborg family and at one time "had a great desire to take Emanuel with him to England to show him much that would be useful to the country." Jonas Alstromer is noted for having introduced skilled labor from abroad into Sweden; he improved the manufacture of silk and woolen goods, and was the first to introduce that great material blessing,-the potato-into Sweden. He was also one of the founders of the Swedish Academy of Sciences.

     Like his father, Augustus Alstramerwas a merchant, and he lived in Gothenburg.* In the year covered by our letters (1770), he was, a young man of 35 and he died three years later. His wife, Anna Margaretha, was the daughter of the wealthy merchant, Nicholas Sahlgren. Possibly she is the "Margaretha Ahlstrom" mentioned in Wargentin's list of Swedenborg's letters found in London addressed to various persons, which were "probably the last written by Assessor Swedenborg's own hand." (Doc. II, p. 785.)
     * It is interesting to note that Swedenborg, in 1756,-ten years before he became acquainted with Dr. Beyer,-wrote in his DIARY that "the good Swedes," (there were some) in the spiritual world were "consociated in a city which is like Gothenburg." (S. D. 5036) But in the Gothenburg of the natural world it seems to have been otherwise.-ED. LIFE.

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     CLAS ALSTROMER, (1736-1794), was the third son of Jonas Alstromer. He continued his father's work of developing Swedish commerce and manufactures and was, in 1761, appointed Commissary in the College of Commerce. In 1770 he became assessor in the same Department, and afterwards Secretary in the Department of Justice and finally Councillor. During his foreign journeys he studied industry and farming and sent collections of seeds, fish, corals, etc., to Linneus, who, in return, immortalized his name by calling the lily Alstroemeria, Pelegrina after him. Clas Alstromer was a great patron of charities, devoting a large part of his fortune to public benefit. The one unfortunate incident of his career was connected with a plan to profit by the American Revolution, then raging, in order to enrich Swedish commerce. To this end he invested large sums of money in a mercantile enterprise, but owing to peace being declared unexpectedly the enterprise failed and he became involved in bankruptcy. Among other distinctions Clas Alstromer acted as President of the Royal Academy of Sciences. In 1778 he was ennobled, with the rank of Baron, bearing the lily on his coat of arms.

     In order to place our material in its proper historical setting it will be necessary to call to mind some of the chief features of the Controversy in the Gothenburg Consistory, where the faith of the New Church had gained two firm adherents and also many violent dragonistic opponents.*
     * For a complete discussion of this subject see the series of articles by Prof. C. Th. Odhner in the NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1910, pp. 153, 221, 618, 742.

     Dr. GABRIEL ANDERSSON BEYER, Swedenborg's intimate friend, a man whose sincere and gentle character is well illustrated in these letters, and Dr. JOHAN ROSEN, the brilliant professor of literature, were the two members of the Gothenburg Consistory who acknowledged the Divine light of the new Revelation. Dr. Beyer, too honest to keep silent with respect to the truths which he knew were given through Swedenborg for the salvation of the whole human race, introduced the new doctrines into his classes in the College. His lectures, on the evidence of some "Dictata" from a note book of one of the scholars, were branded as heresy, as was also a volume of SERMON-ESSAYS, published by him.

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This caused a great stir in the Consistory, where Bishop Eric Lamberg and Dean Olof A. Ekebom vainly tried by ecclesiastical authority to strangle such an assertion of freedom and rationality within the folds of official religion. While the fight was raging in the Consistory a man of odious character named Peter Aurell fanned the flame from without by publishing the Minutes of the proceedings and thus making it a matter for the general public. Letters were received from excited parents who refused to send their children to a school where Swedenborgian heresies were being promulgated, and everything was done to heap disgrace upon Dr. Beyer. The climax came when Dr. Beyer printed a letter written to him by Swedenborg. (Doc. II, pp. 305-9) This letter contains a statement about Dr. Beyer's wife who had recently passed away; Swedenborg here accused two clergymen who had attended her on her deathbed, (one of whom was Ekebom himself), of exerting an evil influence upon her, and he describes the spirits working through these men as being "so filled with hatred against the Savior, and consequently against God's Word, and against everything belonging to the New Church, that they cannot bear to hear Christ mentioned." The matter was finally reported by Bishop Lamberg on Dec. 3d, 1769, to the Ecclesiastical Committee of the House of the Clergy,-one of the four chambers of the Swedish Diet,-where it was decided to refer the case to the Chancellor of Justice.

     JOHAN ROSIR, the Chancellor of Justice, or Chief Justice, has gone down in history as "a born Judge," being cool, laconic and astute. "His very appearance, thoughtful, serious, almost stern, seemed to bid the lawyer lay aside his artfulness, and the jester his wit; his pure and steady glance seemed to convey a doom upon crime." The Chancellor's decision resulted in a Royal Letter being sent to Gothenburg commanding the Consistory to report on the nature of Swedenborg's doctrinal teachings. Each member then submitted a statement of his views, those of Drs. Beyer and Rosen (Doc. 245) being couched in the strongest terms in defense of their faith, while Dr. Ekebom's declaration stubbornly and stupidly upheld the orthodox dogmas. The height to which the spirit of persecution at Gothenburg had reached is recorded in a letter from Swedenborg to Dr. Beyer (Doc. II, p. 352), where he expressed "surprise at the reports which have reached Gothenburg from Stockholm to the effect that you and Dr. Rosen are to be deposed, deprived of office, and banished from the country."

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It was here Swedenborg's privilege to comfort Dr. Beyer in this distress with Divine messages of truth which have fortunately been preserved, and with the wish that bur Savior may sustain you in good health, preserve you from further violence and bless your thoughts." (Doc. II, p. 379.)

     The letters which now follow show that in the midst of the persecution there was a friendly influence secretly at work in Stockholm,-the influence of Clas Alstromer, who, as secretary in the Department of Justice, was intimately associated with Chancellor Rosir. Very likely it was owing to this influence that the Gothenburg Trial ended without more serious results, for it was decided to suspend judgment until the opinion of Theological Faculties such as those of Upsala, Lund and Abo, to whom the matter was referred, had been ascertained. Evidently these universities were unable to prove Swedenborg's writings either heretical or illogical for we have looked in vain for any trace of a final report from them. CYRIEL LJ. ODHNER.

     THE FIRST LETTER.

     Feb. 14, 1770.

     . . . The information you gave me about public opinion concerning Swedenborg is not quite as complete as I had desired. Since the House of the Clergy is now occupying itself about his doctrine, and since letters on this subject have been sent to the King and the Chancellor of Justice, and from them to the Consistory, the authorities could not help becoming concerned about the matter. Still; it is sufficient if they do not press it, but take care to let the matter rest until the Consistory's report arrives, and [in the meanwhile] suspend all quarrels about this doctrine. I should like to be informed in some way as to whether there is any such disposition among the learned. In two weeks or so the Consistory here will probably deliver their report on the Swedenborgian doctrine, but the various members of the Consistory are of very diverging opinions. Their votes will be well worth reading.

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It will then be seen who is in the right; this much I can say beforehand, that all those who have not read his writings condemn them, whereas on the other hand those who have had the patience to examine them, value them.

     SECOND LETTER.

     Feb. 17, 1770.

     . . . Today, or in the course of some post-days, the Consistory's report on Swedenborgianism is expected to be sent off to His Majesty. Judging from the usual outcome of Clerical persecutions, and the zeal with which so-called Heresies are punished, I am afraid that Doctor Beyer, who it is said openly defends Swedenborg's doctrine in his Vote, may run some risks, which would indeed cause me sincere regret; for it is a conscientious conviction on his part that causes him to abstain from doing what he might very easily have done on such an occasion, namely, employing some dissimulation or Subterfuge in order to save himself. Were I up [at Stockholm] myself, I should try to induce a favorable disposition towards him on the part of the Authorities; as it is I must ask you to do it, in whatever measure you are able. As a further argument I may add that although this Clergyman [Dr. Beyer] has never been counted as an adherent to any political party, still I regard him as an orthodox "Hat;"* for I know his sentiments on the question of the Constitution, and that he considered the report of the three Deputations very prudent. For the rest, in general, he holds the gentlemen in power in high esteem, as those having the better class of the people on their side. All the rest of our Consistory members, on the contrary, I consider to be "Caps," and especially the Dean, who id Beyer's most zealous persecutor. It would be well if both the Chancellor of Justice, [Johan Rosir], and his son-in-law, Councillor Stockenstrom, were given this information so that they would have sympathy for his case. . .
     * At this time Sweden was divided into two political parties; the military party, desiring to continue Charles XII.'s policy of extending Sweden's foreign possessions, by going to war, were known as "Hats," while the pacifists were derisively called the "night-caps" or "Caps. Swedenborg himself, although not a member of either party, was an upholder of the pacific policy.

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     THIRD LETTER.

     Feb. 24, 1770.

     . . . Thank you for the report of your conversation with Stockenstrom. I had an idea he was acquainted with Swedenborg's writings, in which case he could not condemn them. A week ago the Consistory's report on this Doctrine was dispatched, and it included a statement of opinion from each member of the Consistory. If you have time it will repay you to secure these papers and read them through, and then you cannot escape seeing who is in the right, Beyer or his opponents. Beyer has never sought to occasion any disturbance or annoyance, but this has all been aroused by the bitter spirit in which those concerned have attempted to persecute him and therefore they are the ones to be blamed for the whole trouble. My own opinion is that they ought to be forbidden to quarrel about it any more, since considerable time will yet be required before it can be established whether Swedenborg's books are objectionable or not. I do not know what particular statements Beyer is bound to retract. To deny the Light which, he believes he has received from Swedenborg's works he would consider a cruel apostasy, and therefore, if there be no other way, he says he must sacrifice his worldly welfare, although he is a very poor man. You are quite right in saying that nothing so easily causes schisms in religions and sects as persecution; and what is more, they then become fanatical and [their tenets] are adopted without examination; whereas on the contrary, if a new doctrine is allowed to be promulgated quietly it can never win [adherents] unless it has reason and a holy Light as Guide, and then, whatever the effects, they will never be dangerous. I again refer to what I have previously written you with regard to this matter and Beyer's private person, and I beg of you to make the best use you can of it all, in order to put a stop to this war of the priests.

     FOURTH LETTER.

     March 3, 1770.

     . . . I again refer you to my previous communications on the Swedenborgian question. You may wonder at my taking so much interest in this case, but I do so from two principles.

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One is for the sake of toleration, which I hope will be advanced,-and I know you are of the same opinion,-and the other is the fact that I know something of the works of this marvelous Author, and know that they do not deserve to be condemned, for his principles not only prescribe a sound Religion, but they also would produce the best and most useful citizens in a country, so that no country could ever be more happy than the one where his religious principles gained conviction among the people. But as things are going the public is concentrating all its attention upon his visions and do not look at what is the really essential.               

     FIFTH LETTER.

     March 17, 1770.

     . . . It makes me sad to see so little prospect of Beyer's retention [at the College], but I think, to begin with, that the situation might be helped in this way, namely, that Beyer, as a teacher of the young, be restrained from using Swedenborg's doctrine, and then that the matter be remitted to the Faculty for further examination. To speak more fully: neither Beyer nor Swedenborg denies the Trinity, but they say that the term "three persons" confuses the thought and in this contention the Symbolical-Books, [the Creeds], do not condemn them. In respect to the resurrection of the body, the resurrection of the flesh is indeed affirmed in the third Article of Faith, but in Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians, which treats largely of the resurrection, it is plainly stated that they would arise in a Spiritual Body, and Paul calls him a fool who thinks otherwise. The Symbolical Books should, of course, be understood in the pray that the Scriptures explain and confirm them, and therefore we do not depart from them in believing in the Trinity and the Resurrection in conformity with the Scriptures. I wish Rosir had let you read the whole of Beyer's explanation and that of our Dean; then you would have been able to see the contrast between them. I quite agree that those concerned ought to be on their guard, for I have not forgotten what Sirenius did during the Diet of 1760, in regard to Councillor Reuterholm.

     SIXTH LETTER.

     [Undated, but later than March 21, 1770.]

     Memorandum.

     . . . Since I informed Beyer of the slim chances he has, he has been quite worried, poor man, on account of his many children.

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He considers himself fortunate, however, under these circumstances, that he is a widower. To apostatize and deny a truth of which he is at heart convinced is never to be expected of him, but as I said before, he is obedient to the commands of his superiors, so that if Swedenborg's principles are forbidden, he will not introduce them in his official teaching. For the rest, I think it would be a transgression of Pars beneficia juris et processus, [the benefit of jury and trial], if Beyer should be convicted by the Council at the present time. The circumstances of the case are not such as to warrant the possibility of Beyer's being exiled from the country. In consequence of the ventilation of Swedenborg's works which has taken place, His Majesty has commanded the Consistory here to give an expression of their opinion of these writings. As a result of this command Beyer and Rosen, as well as the other members of the Consistory, have frankly stated their opinions according to their conviction. Would it be just to make this a criminal offense against them? In no wise I Rather, if His Majesty finds that they have been mistaken in their opinion, and if Swedenborg's writings are considered heretical, let this be a command for them to observe. If they offend after this, on the other hand, they do become criminal and the law defines their punishment; but the statement they have now made, at the King's command, can and ought not be looked upon as either a relapse from the pure Doctrine or the propagation of strange Doctrine. Hence, in trying to show the harmony of Swedenborg's Doctrine of the Trinity and the Resurrection with Scripture and the Symbolical Books, they act as impartial and rational judges should act, and they give evidence of having examined the case, whereas the other judges condemn without adducing reasons. I therefore consider it reasonable to expect that these two professors will not be convicted on account of the reports which they delivered at the command of the King. Against Beyer, however, there are two other charges. In the first place, in regard to his "Dictata," or lectures to the young, and secondly, in regard to his SERMON-ESSAYS. As to the first, although Beyer admitted that he derived a great deal of the condemned "Dictata" from a book by Swedenborg, nevertheless this does not prove that it is heretical.

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A person may be adjudged a heretic in respect to certain things, but this does not say that he is so in all things; and therefore it may be quite conceivable that Beyer's lectures were entirely correct and not in the least degree worthy of condemnation. I make the same observation as regards the SERMON-ESSAYS. That there is some resemblance in them to something which can be traced to Swedenborg's works, cannot possibly condemn them.

     In view of all these considerations I hope no difficulty will arise either with the Chancellor of Justice or with the authorities in power, in the exercise of clemency towards Beyer, since such clemency will not prevent their compliance with the Clergy in the repudiation of the Doctrine.

     But if, contrary to all expectation, it should happen that, in spite of the view of the case which I have just presented, the same harsh attitude towards Beyer should prevail, then, at least, he ought to be informed of the accusations which are made against him in order that he may be given an opportunity to explain his position in regard to them.

     I have advised him to make a journey up [to Stockholm], but in the first place he has no money for travelling, though he might be helped in that respect,-and secondly, he cannot get leave of absence for it before Pentecost, on which account, if no other favor can be extended to him, it would at least be something gained if the case could be suspended until that time. When questioned as to the journey Beyer moreover replied that he had no patron to whom he could address himself, and that he would not know how to comport himself with the aristocratic gentlemen who have his fate in their hands, and therefore he puts his trust in Psalm XXXVII, verse 3, where it is said: "Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed."

     SEVENTH LETTER.

     March 24, 1770.

     . . . As regards Eeyer, whom I so often write about, I must beg of you to put in a good word for him to the Chancellor of Justice. An Assessor named Aurell has been constantly plaguing Beyer, and has recently entered a suit against him at the Inn of Court on account of a letter of Swedenborg's which has been printed and which Beyer is suspected of having put to the press.

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In compliance with a letter from the Chancellor of Justice, the Court of Appeals has commanded the Inn of Court to make an investigation of the matter and the public prosecutor is ordered to conduct the case if Aurell,-who before this has acted as such,-would be the Public Prosecutor. Aurell seems willing to do so, yet he never appears in person, but empowers some other person as his proxy. Beyer insists that Aurell as Public Prosecutor should speak for himself and has no right to put another person in his place. This was also the decision of the Inn of Court, but Aurell now intends to put in an appeal against this decision to the Chancellor of Justice, and then it would be well if the resolution of the Inn of Court were sustained, since it would put a stop to a great deal of this miserable legal process, which is now being conducted by Aurell, in which he employs a method of serving warrants for witness to almost everyone he knows who speaks to and associates with Beyer, and puts a mass of questions to them which has no connection at all with the matter in hand. In a word: it would be a very good thing if this were to come to an end, for it is causing a great deal of annoyance.

     EIGHTH LETTER.

     [Undated, but later than April 26th, 1770.]

     . . . I am pleased to hear that the report of the Chancellor of Justice on the Swedenborgian case is so moderately and impartially written, and I hope it will be regarded in the same way by the Council. From what you cite of the contents, I note the following point: that the Chancellor of Justice, following the majority opinion of the Consistory here, holds that Swedenborg's doctrine must be condemned. I did not know that the Chancellor of Justice was altogether obliged to adopt their decision and make it a law for himself, especially when he sees from the proceedings that most of those who condemn the works admit that they have not read them. How, then, can they be considered as having reliably examined them? I therefore consider the addition which the Chancellor of Justice made,-viz., requiring the opinion of the Theological Faculty of Upsala and of other Consistories,-a very necessary measure before the doctrine can be altogether condemned as heretical and to be rejected.

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As concerns the SERMON-ESSAYS, I do not know whether the majority of the Consistory held that they must be repudiated, or were able to accuse them of heresy or not, although they called them dry and intricate,-that is to say they do not find them in the style of preaching which they themselves would have used. But they would never have been able to prevent their publication on any such grounds as that. Beyer and Rosen are forbidden to lecture on theology until the case is settled; but I think it would have sufficed if they had been forbidden to use Swedenborgian expressions such are not: to be found in the Symbolical Books. As concerns the anonymous letter, I do not wonder at all at the Chancellor of Justice receiving it, in view of the bitterness which is rife here among some of the people and which is in no wise characterized by any spirit of the Christian religion, although they pretend to be Orthodox and brand other pious people as heretics. Beyer does not hold any secret meetings whatsoever. He associates only with some of his relatives, and because these live together on confidential terms and perhaps think that he is in the right, such reports as this are spread abroad. As to how far Swedenborgianism has spread I cannot say, because I do not know more than a few persons who are acquainted with Swedenborg's doctrines; but even if people of a lower class have joined it, (which, however, I have neither heard nor observed), this could be attributed to no other cause than the quarrels which have arisen about it in the Consistory, and the Minutes published by Aurell. Nevertheless, I am rejoiced that you have been able to accomplish so much for Beyer's retention. I am well aware how delicate a subject this has been for the Chancellor of Justice, when we consider what clerical hatred means, and recall what Sirenius attempted to do to Councillor Reuterholm, in the Rutherstrom case. However, in the latter case such things as have to do with [political] party questions came into play, which do not exist in the present case. But I still believe that a most strictly orthodox person, if without preconceived opinions, must admit that there is much honey to be gathered from Swedenborg's writings, and that many difficult points in Theology, which [formerly] have been sustained only by a general imprisonment of the reason, are by him illustrated in a marvelous Light, and correlated through rational conclusions; and thus they win a foothold in our Faith.

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The visions may repel people, but they may be set aside, as well as the method of his revelations. There is a great store of riches in his writings. What I have gained by reading them is this: First, A profound reverence for the Word, especially as concerns the interior understanding or spiritual sense which Swedenborg, in a marvelous way, has made manifest; Second, A confirmation and conviction of the genuine truths of Faith, so that instead of a Faith of the lips, a Faith of the heart is gained,-a Faith which is embraced by the understanding, and before which it need not stand blind and mute; Third, A horror of self-love and an examination of one's own heart; Fourth, A conviction that we must be of use in the world, and that insomuch as this is done, we fulfill the will of the Highest; Fifth, Thus a striving for Christian virtues as well as civil virtues, for Swedenborg considers the love of country as a duty imposed by God. Such teachings as these I have gathered, while passing by much in Philosophy and the like which has not a direct bearing upon Religion. I close with a general remark: To the good, all things are good, to the evil, just the opposite. From the same flower one insect gathers honey, another poison.

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     Attention is called to the announcement concerning the General Assembly to be held at Bryn Athyn, June 15th to 19th, 1916. It is hoped that there will be a large attendance inasmuch as two subjects of great importance will be brought up for consideration, viz., the choice of a Bishop, and the possible development of an Assembly of representative delegates.


     The "Bulletin of Church Statistics" for 1916 reports for the General Church of the New Jerusalem a membership of 1,213, with 38 ministers and 22 societies and circles, showing a gain of 42 members. The General Convention is credited with a membership of 8,500, which is a fictitious number, stationary from decade to decade. The Journal of the General Convention for 1915 reports a membership of 6,363, with 96 ministers and 74 churches, instead of Io9 ministers and 129 churches, as represented in this year's "Bulletin."


     The VACCINATION INQUIRER, Of London, in its January issue, publishes an excellent portrait and a brief but correct biographical sketch of Mr. John Pitcairn, the President of the National Anti-vaccination League of America.


     The Rev. E. J. E. Schreck, in the NEW CHURCH WEEKLY for Dec. 25th, calls attention to the celebration of "New Church Day," and makes the following suggestion: "The Nineteenth Day of June falls on Monday in the coming year, and I suggest that in all the churches Sunday the eighteenth be made a day of special commemoration of that new work in the spiritual world, with its connotation of missionary work in this world. We might lay special stress on that day upon the need of extending such work in non-Christian countries."

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     THE YOUNG NEW CHURCH MAN for January published an additional list of twenty young members of the Church in Great Britain, who have recently fallen in battle. There is also an additional list of twenty-four "Casualties." The New Church in England is paying heavy toll, in proportion to its numbers, but what is lost by the Church on earth is gained by the Church in Heaven, and this will mean a stronger influx in times to come.


     Mr. John Henry Smith, of Washington, D. C., in the MESSENGER for Dec. 29th, speaks with a strong and clear voice on the subject of "Prohibition and the Holy Supper." To his mind the rejection of the Wine by the Catholic Church, and the modern substitution of grape juice by the Protestant churches, is an ultimate sign of the universal rejection of the Divine Truth in Christendom, and he concludes thus: "Prohibition means the elimination of wine from the Holy Supper and the destruction of the Sacrament; and it means the building up of the real New Church elsewhere in the world, far away from the infestations of Christians. 'What God hath joined together let not man put asunder.'"


     To those who have been long in the Church, or who have been born into it, there is always something inspiring in the enthusiasm of a new receiver. We quote the following from the MESSENGER for January 12th: "I read the book HEAVEN AND HELL, and human language is too poor to describe the full effect wrought in my mind by the perusal of this supreme book. Everybody in whom is Divine light must admit its Divine origin and unreservedly perceive by diligently searching its contents that following these doctrines is life eternal. I bless the hour when the Lord graciously transferred this work into my hand! It will be my greatest delight to widen the circle of readers of Swedenborg's Divine revelation. May the Lord bless His good work that you perform for Him. This one book [HEAVEN AND HELL] taught me more than hundreds of religious and philosophic books the vast studies of many languages and 36 years of life's experience." (Signed.) Wm. C. REITMANN.

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     From the "New Church Press," of London, we have received a series of attractive looking pamphlets. Two of them treat of the all-absorbing subject of The War. The Rev. W. H. Claxton's booklet on THE LORD, THE CHURCH AND THE WAR is a reprint from the QUARTERLY, and on the whole sums up the situation very well, WHY CHRISTIANITY FAILED TO PREVENT THE WAR, by the Rev. S. J. C. Goldsack, plainly states that (the Old) "Christianity is dead and is to be discarded by men; to be succeeded by a new religion," and the author then, in positive terms; presents an outline of this new religion, which is that of the New Church.

     Mr. Goldsack also is the author of A RE-STATEMENT OF CHRISTIAN TRUTH, Where we notice the initial statement that "the new Dispensation! of Divine Truth is slowly but surely permeating the minds of men throughout the world." There may be some doubt about the "surely," but none about the "slowly." Mr. Goldsack makes frequent reference to the establishment of the former Churches and the analogical establishment of the New Church, but he does not face squarely the fact that Christianity never permeated the Jewish Dispensation, nor did the Church of Israel permeate the corrupted Ancient Church, nor did the Church of Noah permeate the Antediluvian crew. In every new Church the remnant saved itself only by an actual flight from the Old Church.
ANDREW CARNEGIE'S CONNECTION WITH THE NEW CHURCH 1916

ANDREW CARNEGIE'S CONNECTION WITH THE NEW CHURCH              1916

     From time to time we have come across vague references-both in the New Church and the secular press-to some kind of connection between Mr. Andrew Carnegie and the New Church. We dimly remember having seen a very friendly reference to Swedenborg and the New Church in a book written by Mr. Carnegie, and once we received a letter from a gentleman in Pittsburgh asking for information concerning Swedenborg, because "I have heard that Andrew Carnegie became so successful in life by applying Swedenborg's principles to his business."

     Quite recently the N. C. MESSENGER published an obituary notice of Mrs. Mary Green MacBrantney, describing the manner in which she had received the Heavenly Doctrine, and this part was copied in the N. C. WEEKLY of London.

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It states that "at that time the mother and two aunts of Andrew Carnegie, the iron master, were living in Allegheny, Pa., in humble circumstances. One of the aunts, a Mrs. Hogan, utilized a room in the building occupied by them, in which to teach the truths of the New Church to all who would listen."

     Mr. Carnegie being an historical character, it may be of interest to place on record here the actual facts in respect to his early connection with the New Church, as stated to us by his cousin, Miss Maria Hogan, formerly of Pittsburgh, but now for many years a resident of Bryn Athyn, Pa., and as described further by Mr. John Pitcairn in a recent conversation.

     The story goes back to Dunfermline, in Scotland, where a young man named Andrew Aitken received the Doctrine of the New Church in the year 1540. He communicated the Light to his wife, Anna Morrison Aitken, who is affectionately remembered in Pittsburgh as "auld Auntie Aitken," who died in the year 1892. She and her husband came to America in 1840 and settled in Pittsburgh, where, on November, 16, 1841, they united with a few others in organizing the first Society of the New Church in that city, during a visit by the Rev. Richard de Charms.

     Mrs. Aitken, a few years later, introduced the New Church Doctrine to her two sisters, Katherine and Margaret, who had come over from Scotland. Katherine married Mr. Hogan, the father of Miss Maria Hogan and Mrs. Norris, while Margaret married Mr. Carnegie, the father of Andrew Carnegie. Mrs. Hogan and Mr. Carnegie became very earnest receivers, while Mrs. Carnegie,-though sometimes attending the services of the New Church--remained of a somewhat sceptical turn of mind.

     Of the three sisters Mrs. Aitken was the most active in the New Church, and it was she, (not Mrs. Hogan), who conducted (the New Church Sunday School mentioned in the obituary noticed above. Our informants do not know whether Andrew Carnegie was baptized into the New Church, like his brother, Thomas, but "Andy" attended this Sunday School all the years of his boyhood, and seemed so interested that "Aunty Aitken" often thought that he might become a New Church minister.

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But worldly interests and a tendency to scepticism prevailed, and though Mr. Carnegie occasionally attended the services of the New Church during the ministry of Mr. Benade in Pittsburgh, and, as late as 1873, presented a fine organ to the Pittsburgh Society,-long before he began his universal distribution of organs and libraries,-he gradually drifted further and further away from the Church of his childhood. The facts related above comprise all that is known of his connection with the New Church.
REV. FRANK SEWALL 1916

REV. FRANK SEWALL              1916

     The name of Frank Sewall is one held in high honor throughout the New Church. His death, on December 7th, 1915, removes from the Church on earth one of its most devoted, intelligent and active servants. As President of the Swedenborg Scientific Association, he remained for eighteen years the chief link connecting the sphere of the General Convention with the sphere of the Academy. Not only on this account, but also because of his strong, broad and useful New Churchmanship, it is a pleasure to place on record here our appreciation of his character and services, and-from the few data before us--to give a brief outline of his life:

     Frank Sewall was born at Bath, Me., on September 24, 1837. His father was William D. Sewall, one of the founders of the New Church Society at Bath, a man of culture and wealth and one of the most active members in the early days of the Church. The family has been distinguished also in the political life of the country. Arthur Sewall, the brother of Frank, in 1896 was the Democratic candidate for the, office of Vice-President of the United States, and other members of the family have filled diplomatic offices.

     In the year 1858 Frank Sewall graduated from Bowdoin College, after which he spent five years of study in European universities, at Tübingen, at Berlin, and at the Sorbonne in Paris. At Tübingen he was intimately associated with that eminent father in the New Church, Prof. Immanuel Tafel, of whom he ever spoke with the greatest veneration and affection.

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Immanuel Tafel was not only the greatest scholar in the Church, it was also a theologian of the soundest type, and there can be no doubt of his beneficent influence upon the mind of the ardent young student.

     Returning to America in 1863, Frank Sewall was ordained into the ministry of the New Church and served for seven years as minister of the society in Glendale, near Cincinnati, O. In 1870 he accepted the office of President of the Urbana University and pastor of the Urbana Society. Here he labored zealously for the establishment of a distinctly New Church institution of higher education. Many of his pupils became strong members of the Church, and a number of them entered the ministry; his most distinguished pupil is the present President of the General Convention. Urbana, however, always was a "mixed" school, with a great number of young people from the Old Church. Mr. Sewall's ideas of New Church education and of New Church distinctness differed in some respects from those of the founders of the Academy.

     His connection with Urbana terminated in 1886, when he accepted a call to the pastorate of the society in Glasgow, Scotland. Here he remained but one year, and then spent two years in Continental travel and study. In the year 1889 he accepted the pastoral office of the society in Washington, D. C., where he remained for twenty-six years, until the end of his earthly career. Here he was the chief instrument in building the present stately temple known as "the National New Church." In the year 1893 he was consecrated as General Pastor of the Maryland Association.

     Mr. Sewall was always deeply interested in Swedenborg's Scientific and Philosophical works. His interest in them may perhaps be traced to the fact that a "Swedenborg [Scientific] Association" was established in his home town, Bath, as early as 1845, and continued for several years to cooperate with Dr. Wilkinson's Association in London, in collecting funds for the publication of Swedenborg's Scientific and Philosophical works. (N. J. MAG., vol. 19, p. 76.) At Urbana Mr. Sewall introduced the study of the PRINCIPIA, and the Rev. Julian K. Smyth once told us that it was the enforced study of this work that first aroused his real interest in Swedenborg. In the General Convention Mr. Sewall labored for many years for a recognition of the inestimable value of Swedenborg's Preparatory works.

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We owe to him the translation, and the two fine editions, of Swedenborg's work ON THE SOUL, Or THE RATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, as it is also called, and he was striving with might and main to raise funds for a new edition of the PRINCIPIA when, in 1897, some of the members of the Academy joined with him and the Rev. L. P. Mercer and others in forming the present "Swedenborg Scientific Association."

     The first meeting of this body was held in New York, 1897, when Mr. Sewall was unanimously elected President, an office to which he was annually and always unanimously elected. It was at these annual meetings of the Swedenborg Scientific Association that many members of the General Church came to know and appreciate Mr. Sewall, his genial and charming personality, and his devoted, broad and unprejudiced New Churchmanship. It was a pleasure to meet him and listen to his presidential addresses, which were ways scholarly, philosophical and theologically sound. His enthusiasm for Swedenborg's Science and Philosophy, though actively shared by few in the General Convention, has not been without effects in that body, as is evident from the present membership of the Association.

     Mr. Sewall's pen was that of "a ready writer," and his contributions-for half a century-to the general literature of the Church have been almost innumerable, not only in the form of reviews, papers and notes on a great variety of subjects in the weeklies, monthlies and quarterlies, but also in the more individual form of tracts, pamphlets, and books. It may be of interest to enumerate here some of the more important of these volumes:

RELIGION AND LEARNING IN THE NEW CHURCH. 1868.
THE NEW CHURCH DIVINE, NOT SWEDENBORGIAN. 1870 and 1888.
SWEDENBORG THE PHILOSOPHER. 1880.
A DRAMA OF CREATION LOSS.
Is A NEW CHURCH POSSIBLE? 1884.
THE WORD AS GOD'S PRESENCE WITH MEN. 1886.
THE NEW METAPHYSICS. 1888.
CARDUCCI AND THE HELLENIC REACTION IN ITALY. 1892.
SUCCESSION IN THE MINISTRY. 1892.
DANTE AND SWEDENBORG. 1893
THEOSOPHY AND RELIGION. 1895.

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THE ANGEL OF THE STATE. 1896.
SWEDENBORG AND MODERN IDEALISM. 1902.
REASON IN BELIEF. 1906.
SWEDENBORG AND THE "SAPIENTIA ANGELICA." 1910.

     Mr. Sewall's numerous works in the science and art of Liturgics constitute a special series, of which we may mention the following:

THE CHRISTIAN HYMNAL. 1867.
THE NEW CHURCH MAN'S PRAYER BOOK AND HYMNAL. 1868.
THE MAGNIFICAT. 1893 and 1811.
THE NEW HOSANNAH. 1902.

     Mr. Sewall was a firm believer in Ritual as the orderly expression of religious devotion, but with him it was not mere formalism, but a supreme and heavenly Art, without which the worship of the New Church would be a bare intellectualism.

     Outside the borders of the New Church Mr. Sewall was probably more widely known than any other member of the Church. His literary and philosophical interest caused him to connect himself with many professional clubs and associations, in which he always, courageously but suavely, stood forth as distinctly Swedenborgian. As such he became known as the literary representative of our faith, and was consequently called upon by editors of new encyclopedias, etc., to write the articles on Swedenborg and the New Jerusalem Church. It is a cause for thankfulness and congratulation that such has been the case in many recent works of this character, where accounts written by Mr. Sewall, (and other New Church authors), have replaced old accounts by ignorant or prejudiced writers.

     Theologically and ecclesiastically Mr. Sewall differed on some points from the positions of the Academy and the General Church, but he was always a fair and honorable opponent. These characteristics never showed to better advantage than in the attitude which he assumed as one of the trustees of the Kramph Bequest. Nor did he ever join in the "policy of silence" pursued for so many years in regard to the Academy and the General Church. When, for some years, he was the literary editor of the MESSENGER, it was his habit to mention our branch of the Church freely, criticize freely, praise freely.

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This helped to produce an "era of good feeling," which, sad to say, came to an end in the year 1902.

     We desire to place on record also our individual obligation to Mr. Sewall for the sympathetic interest and active cooperation given by him in our work of compiling THE ANNALS OF THE NEW CHURCH. It was to him a matter of great regret that the publication of this work was discontinued in the year 1901, when we assumed the editorship of NEW CHURCH LIFE.
MORAVIAN CHURCH AND THE "APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION." 1916

MORAVIAN CHURCH AND THE "APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION."              1916

     In a communication to the LIFE for August, 1915, the Rev. E. E. Iungerich presented the suggestions that the Academy derived its "zeal for education," and the priesthood of the General Church a power of "apostolic succession," by way of the Moravian Church. These suggestions were by no means attractive to us, but we waited for many months in the hope that some other writer would subject the communications to critical examination in the pages of the LIFE. No one appeared, however, until we received a letter from Mr. James Waters, of London, from which we publish the following extract, dealing with this subject:

     In the paper, entitled "Spoiling the Egyptians," (N. C. LIFE, Aug., 1915), to my mind the whole body of the Church is nothing less than flouted, by being directed to the Moravian Church as a source and medium which confers upon the New Church gifts of power through apostolic succession. A section of the devastated Church "in arrogance and supereminence above all others," and holding "abominable concepts of the Lord's Human," conferring gifts of power upon the New Church! And, above all, by Apostolic succession! (See A. R. 802). And it seems that he would have the New Church arrayed in the filthy garments of the Babylonish Church. The Lamb's wife; to be polluted with the rags of the Mother of harlots, "from whom proceed the adulteration and profanation of every truth and good of the Word, and thence every holy thing of the Church"! (A. R. 729.)

     In the communication to which Mr. Waters refers, Mr. Iungerich writes, among other things, as follows:

     "It is noteworthy that since the New Church has introduced a reverent state of study of the Word in the Hebrew that there have not been wanting signs of a disintegration of Judaism unparalleled in the course of eighteen centuries.

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Something similar appears to have occurred in the Moravian Church from the time when one of its bishops, a believer in the heavenly doctrines, ordained his son and; that son subsequently joining the New Church became a bishop there and inaugurated a new order of priests. This new priesthood has been characterized by unusual cohesion and singleness of purpose; and the Moravian Church, as if it had no further gifts to transfer, as if the providential purpose that had kept its shell alive since the Last Judgment had been fulfilled, has suffered in the corresponding period of time a real dissolution as to its distinctive doctrinal purposes. The obvious gift transferred was a zeal for education under ecclesiastic auspices. The disciple of the educational ideals of Comenius was able to see the educational implications in the doctrines and to develop thence a New Church plan of education. It is not improbable that other benefits may have been transferred as well, seeing that with those of the Moravian Church 'an image of the primitive Church had been preserved.' (S. D. 3492.) For instance, some ultimate priestly powers and fervor connecting through apostolic succession with the power conferred on the apostles when the Lord ordained them may also have been communicated."

      THE MORAVIAN CHURCH.

     To quote the statement that with the Moravians "an image of the primitive Church has been preserved," without adducing anything further from the Writings, can hardly be called an adequate representation of the revealed teachings on this subject. The disclosures of the Doctrine concerning the Moravians fill eight columns in the SWEDENBORG CONCORDANCE and the Divine testimony against them is uniform and of a most frightful character. The single apparent exception is the statement quoted by Mr. Iungerich that "an image of the primitive Church has been preserved" amongst them, but it is self-evident that the meaning is that the Moravians claim to have preserved an image of the primitive Church.

     In the CONTINUATION CONCERNING TKE LAST JUDGMENT there is a very full account of the interior nature of the Moravians, but we have space only for a few extracts:

     With the Moravians, who are also called Hernhuters, I have spoken much. They appeared at first in a valley not far from the Jews, but after they had been explored and their nature exposed, they were taken away into uninhabited places. It was disclosed that they knew how to captivate minds cunningly, saying that they were the remains of the Apostolic Church, and on this account they salute one another as "Brethren," and as "Mothers" those who receive their interior mysteries.

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They also said that they teach faith more than others and that they love the Lord because He suffered the cross, calling Him "the Lamb" and "the Throne of Grace," besides other like things, by which they induce the belief that the Christian Church itself is among them. (n. 56.)

     After it was made manifest that they regard the Lord in the manner of the Arians, that they despise the Word of the Prophets and the Evangelists, and that they hold the life of charity in hatred, they were adjudged antichrists and were cast outside the Christian world into a wilderness which is in the extreme of the southern quarter, near the Quakers. (n. 88.)

     This spiritual location of "The Brethren," brings to mind their natural stronghold at Bethlehem and other towns in Pennsylvania, not far from Quakertown, Philadelphia, and other early settlements of "The Friends." But to continue:

     The Moravians utterly deny the Divine of the Lord and they make His Human viler than the human of others, saying that His conception was spurious, that He did not rise again with the body, but was carried off by the disciples or others, and that when He was transfigured it was a vision induced by some spirits, and they deny, pervert and profane many other of the things which are mentioned about the Lord in the Word. These nefarious secrets they have been compelled to divulge: in order that I might know of what quality they are; and therefore they were told that they are devils and even worse than the infernals, for in hell all dent the Lord but not in so nefarious a manner-by acknowledging and profaning-and therefore those who have confirmed themselves in accursed things so nefarious, are worse than those who are in the hells. (S. D. 5958.)

     It is to be observed, however, that the Writings tell us that there were many simple good people among the Moravians who had not been initiated into the esoteric abominations of Zinzendorf and the other leaders. We are told, in fact, that one-third of the sect did not know of the nefarious doctrines or had not confirmed themselves therein, and these persons therefore could be saved. (S. D. 5989.) It is true also that the extreme fanaticism emanating from the headquarters at Hernhut-or, rather, from the "enthusiastic spirits" in the other world,-was more or less broken about a hundred years ago and, as far as we know, no longer characterizes the Moravian Church, which at this day is an unimportant and mostly hereditary and traditional denomination. We do not know if they still persist in calling the Lord their "Elder Brother," but they did so as late as 1856, when they were denounced on this account by Bishop Andrew Benade in his letter Of resignation. (Henry's HISTORY OF LEHIGH VALLEY.)

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     When Swedenborg, in 1744, came into personal touch with the Moravians in London, they were at the height of their fanaticism, and later on he came to know their spirit still more intimately in the other world. It is of interest, in this connection, to quote the admissions of the late Bishop E. de Schweinitz, the editor of THE MORAVIAN, published at Bethlehem, Pa.:

     About the year 1745 there began to appear in the [Moravian] churches of Middle Germany a spirit of fanaticism, which spread to some other Moravian towns on the Continent, and even to Great Britain. Those in America were not affected. [!] It was a fanaticism which grew out of a one-sided view of the relation of believers to Christ. The Brethren spoke of him in a fanciful and antiscriptural style. A new religious phraseology, unwarranted by the Bible, gained the supremacy. The wounds of Jesus, and particularly the wound in his side, were apostrophized in the most extravagant terms. Images were used more sensuous than anything found in the Song of Solomon. Hymns abounded that poured forth puerilities and sentimental nonsense like a flood. This state of affairs, which, in Moravian history, is designated "the time of sifting," continued for about five years, reaching its climax in 1749. When Zinzendorf and his coadjutors awoke to a sense of the danger which was threatening the Church, they adopted the most energetic measures to bring back the fanatics to the true faith. By the blessing of God they succeeded. (McClintock and Strong, THEOL. CYCLOPEDIA, Vol. VI., P. 586.)

     Doctrinally and morally, there certainly is no basis for the claim of the Moravians that they have preserved an image of the primitive Christian Church. "They said that they were the remains of the Apostolic Church." But when confronted and examined by those who were actually of the primitive Christian Church, the latter "indignantly drove them away, calling them fanatics and not Apostolical." (L. J. POST. 294, 295.)

     THE APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION.

     Nor is there any real historical basis whatsoever for the claim of the "Moravian Brethren" that they are a remnant of the Apostolic Church or that their priesthood has preserved any so-called "Apostolic Succession." As a matter of fact their traditional and organic origin can be traced back to John Huss and no further.

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     John Huss, the famous Bohemian reformer, was the rector of the University of Prague and pastor of the Bethlehem congregation in that city. Having embraced the doctrines of John Wickliffe, the English reformer, he began to preach against the corruption of the clergy and demanded the restoration of the Sacrament in both elements, and on account of these offenses he was burned to death by the Council of Constance in the year 1415. His numerous followers in Bohemia now, rose in arms and after many long and bloody wars forced the pope and the emperor to grant them the cup in the Holy Supper. But they had then split into two parties. The "Calixtines," or moderate party, gradually returned to the Catholic Church, while the "Taborites," or radical party, were overwhelmed by persecutions, and were either exterminated or forced to flee to other lands. One remnant fled to Lititz, in Moravia, where they reorganized under the name of "Unitas Fratrum," and here they remained as "a hidden seed" until 1722, when renewed persecutions forced them to flee to Saxony, where they found a protector in the powerful Count von Zinzendorf. Here they built the town of Hernhut and, aided by the wealth of their new patron, began an active and remarkably successful missionary propaganda, which soon extended itself to various parts of Germany, Sweden, Holland and England. Colonies were planted also in North America, where Bethlehem, Pa., became the stronghold of the sect.

     Their claim to "Apostolic Succession" in their episcopacy has been made to rest on the fact that two members of the Waldensian sect in the year 1434 secured ordination as bishops by Roman Catholic bishops at the Council of Basle,--a Council which was condemned and dissolved by the pope. In the year 1467 a successor of these Waldensian bishops consecrated three Bohemian Brethren as the first bishops of the "Unitas Fratrum," and from this source, in unbroken succession, are derived the consecrations of the Moravian bishops up to the present day.

     It will be seen, therefore, that the "Apostolic Succession" in the Moravian Church is of Roman Catholic origin, and not of any independent primitive Christian derivation. As such, it is based on nothing more substantial than the claim of the popes that Peter had been the first bishop of Rome, and that he had transferred "the keys" of heaven and hell to his successors, etc.

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But no pope has ever been able to establish this claim by documentary or any other historical proofs. The records of the early bishops and popes of Rome are irrevocably lost, and there is not a shadow of evidence that peter ever visited Rome, or that he ever acted as bishop there, or that he ever ordained anyone as bishop there, or transferred to his successors a Divine power which he did not possess. The only evidence there is are the evident fabrications of Roman ecclesiastics in the Dark Ages.

     But even if it were possible to establish an unbroken succession of episcopal ordinations from the Apostle Peter down to Bishop Andrew Benade, of Bethlehem, Pa., how is it possible for any one in the New Church to suggest that through this or any other human source "some ultimate priestly Power or fervor connecting through apostolic succession with the power conferred on the apostles when the Lord ordained them," could have been communicated to the priesthood of the New Church? How is it possible to raise such a claim in the face of the distinct teaching of the Heavenly Doctrine that the Apostolic Succession is an invention of the love of dominion which is the devil (A. R. 802)?

     Ordination and Consecration, by the laying on of hands, does not mean a transferring of the Rely Spirit, for the claim of such a transferring Power is another invention of the love of dominion, which is the devil. (Ibid.) But Ordination, like Baptism, is essentially a setting apart into a discrete order, in the two worlds. In the natural world it is the actual introduction into the distinctive use of the order of the priesthood, with the consequent recognition thereof by the men of the Church. And it is, at the same time, a distinctive introduction into the order of priestly associations in the spiritual world,-societies of angels or spirits, who are in the priestly love, and this according to the three degrees of priestly uses,-the uses of teaching, of leading, and of governing.

     As the Baptism of the Old Church introduces a person into association with those in the spiritual world who are in the faith and the love of that Church, so Ordination into the priesthood of the Old Church will inevitably introduce him into association with the priesthood of the same Church in the other world.

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As in the case of Old Church Baptism, so in the case of Old Church Ordination, a sincere receiver of the Heavenly Doctrine may be able to fight his way out of his natural and spiritual associations, but certainly the rites themselves are never to be recommended, for they are never helpful but are terrible hindrances and handicaps, a fact that is proved by the personal experience of hundreds, if not thousands of Newchurchmen, both ministers and laymen.

     It is evident, therefore, that if the ordinations in the priesthood of the New Church had been derived through any "Apostolic succession" from the Moravian Church, or the; Roman Catholic Church; or any other branch of the Dead Church, it would mean nothing else than a most undesirable association in the other world with the priesthood of the Old Church,--in other words, an organic spiritual as well as historical connection with the organized forces of the love of dominion which is the devil. But the Lord's New Church is a New Church, and her priesthood is a new priesthood; and the New Church was not born from any Union of the Dragon with the Harlot, but came down out of Heaven from God.

     THE ORIGIN OF THE NEW CHURCH MINISTRY

     In the earliest days of the New Church, when a new priesthood was to be inaugurated, the complete newness and distinctiveness of this Church were clearly recognized by the founders, both in England and in America In both countries the first candidates for the New Church ministry were former Methodist preachers,-James Hindmarsh in London, and John Hargrove in Baltimore,-but they and their associates insisted that their Old Church ordinations should not be recognized in the New Church, for they realized that the New Church was as distinct from the Old Church as the primitive Christian Church was distinct from the Jewish dispensation. They asked for no gifts or benefits or priestly power or fervor from the Old Church, but they knew that the Lord, in any new work of creation, inflows from inmosts into ultimates and thus builds up intermediates and therefore the New Church in London, in the year 1788, and the New Church in Baltimore, in the year 1798, acted with great wisdom when in each case they set apart twelve laymen who laid their hands upon the candidates for the new priesthood.

     It is from this entirely new and distinctive origin that the priesthood of the General Church of the New Jerusalem is derived,-in common with the priesthood of the General Convention,-and we most firmly repudiate any Moravian or Roman Catholic derivation.

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John Hargrove ordained Adam Hurdus and others, and Adam Hurdus ordained Richard de Charms, and others, and Richard de Charms ordained William H. Benade, and Mr. Benade ordained William F. Pendleton and others. This line seems good enough for us for all doctrinal and practical purposes. No special virtue is claimed for this particular line except the accumulative inheritance of doctrinal acquisition, but we love to think that we are associated with spirits such as these and not with Moravian and Roman Catholic spirits.

     THE ACADEMY'S ZEAL FOR EDUCATION.

     Nor is the "zeal for education" in the Academy and the General Church a gift from the Moravian Church. The latter is not the ONLY denomination that has been distinguished in the past by a zeal for education under ecclesiastical auspices. Every sect in the world cherished this kind of education, some fifty years ago. In the New Church, both in England and in America, the ideal of New Church Education was raised long before Mr. Benade and his associates were able to establish the first successful New Church schools. And in the Academy of the New Church the aims, principles and methods--nay, the very love for New Church Education-are derived from a study of The Heavenly Doctrine, and not from the personal or ancestral predilections of any one of the founders. Mr. Benade had no more use for the Moravian Church than for any other branch of the Dead Church, and never raised any such claims as have been presented by Mr. Iungerich. Nor did Mr. Benade alone establish the ideals and principles of Education in the Academy. He had many associates and councillors and has had many successors, all of whom have striven all these years to look to the Divine Revelation alone for guidance in all their work. This has been the secret of their "unusual cohesion and singleness of purpose." With the Divine help it will so remain as long as they do not look for inspiration from any other source.

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WHY HAS THE NEW CHURCH MADE SO LITTLE PROGRESS IN GERMANY? 1916

WHY HAS THE NEW CHURCH MADE SO LITTLE PROGRESS IN GERMANY?       AXEL LUNDEBERG       1916

Editor' NEW CHURCH LIFE:-
     In commenting upon Dr. Frank Sewall's paper on "Germany's Part in the Growth of the New Church," as published in the MESSENGER for December 15, 1915, you make the following remark in your January issue: "It seems to us, nevertheless, that 'Germany,' as a Continental country, has contributed a very small part, indeed, to the Growth of the New Church," and you ascribe this fact to the "oppressive sphere of German autocracies, State Churches, official patriotism, militarism, etc."

     Permit me, Mr. Editor, to say that I believe the latter part of your statement, as here quoted, misleading and unfounded. In my early youth I spent three years studying in Germany, and found freedom of thought greater there than in any other country of which I know anything. The reason why New Church thought has not attracted any attention in the Fatherland of Kant, Schelling, Hegel, Strauss, Beck and others, simply is that Swedenborg, whether as a philosopher or a theologian, has never been presented to the German speculative mind in such a form as to be acceptable to or conformable to the German way of thinking. If this had been done in its proper time there cannot, to my mind, be the slightest doubt that New Church Philosophy and Theology would have been as firmly incorporated in German "Kultur" as the systems of the German thinkers just mentioned.

     Dr. Charles Byse, in his excellent work, LETTRE DU SYMBOLE, gives, among others, the following reason why Swedenborg has been ignored: "He was a Swede. And Protestant Theology was developed mainly in Germany, from whence it spread to England and later to the United States. Switzerland and France, no doubt, have done their share, but Germany has remained the headquarters until Holland took the lead in the movement, at least, so far as critique is concerned.

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Thus the great Scandinavian was side-tracked for the simple reason that he was a stranger, and without personal relations to the German Theologians."

     I believe that this statement of the well known Swiss scholar hits the nail on the head. Swedenborg has shared the same fate as another great Swedish philosopher, Christopher Jacob Bostrom, whose system has never been given full recognition in Germany simply on account of lack of proper representation to German students. Not to mention other independent Swedish philosophers, none of whom has succeeded or even attempted to establish a school of followers in Germany-the Fatherland of Philosophy and Theology.
     Yours respectfully,
          AXEL LUNDEBERG.
REPLY TO MR. GOSSETT 1916

REPLY TO MR. GOSSETT       F. M. BILLINGS       1916

Editor NEW CHURCH LIFE:-
     In 1792 there were good and sufficient reasons why conservative folk should fear lawlessness, for the French Revolution had again shown that mobs are ruthless.

     But the propositions supported in Easter week of that year by members of the Conference of the New Church went too far. They affirmed that all Civil Power and Authority is delegated by the Lord to those whom He has been pleased to appoint to the Kingly Office as Representatives of Himself; and they denied to the People the selection or appointment of those in Authority.

     The article in the January NEW CHURCH LIFE, entitled "Some Aspects of Sociology in the Spiritual and the Natural World," appears to the present writer to go too far in its criticism of Socialistic teaching, or, rather, morals; for its aim appears to be to show that Socialism is covetous rather than incorrect.

     The article assumes that individual ownership is absolute. In Old Testament times social problems were less involved than they are now, for carpenters and builders then owned their own tools, and there were neither Nasmyth hammers nor wood-working machinery worth the worker's weight in gold.

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     But what about the land! The laws of Moses interfered with its ownership, and in a way that would bring from the landlords of today cries of "spoliation." There was a Jubilee year. Every fifty years agricultural land reverted to the original holder or his living representative, and transfers were subject to this interference: Land was not private property, "for the land is Mine" is written in Leviticus XXV. 23.

     That is just what Socialists say about it; that ownership of land should not: be individual but collective; the State (in the larger sense of Country), in their wording, standing for the Lord or His Kingdom on earth; for they write from the economic and not from the religious side. It is otherwise in Leviticus, where the law for a people under Theocratic direction is stated. Under that law only the use, and not the ownership of land could be sold, and the duration, or term, of the sale of that use was only until the next Jubilee. One reason for this was to perpetuate the families who represented on earth the distinct functions of the church in the heavens; but on the economic side its effect was to extend the benefits of the land to a larger number, to restrain the covetousness of the rich and thus to hold somewhat in check the greed that was especially dangerous to the sons of Jacob. There are modern methods of interference with private property, which no longer arouse the criticisms of the wealthy, who now acquiesce in the innovations. The public school is such an interference. Countries or cities own trolleys and railroads; they supply gas, water, electricity; also breakfasts and dentists to the school children.

     The writer has heard and read statements by Socialists fully deserving the criticisms leveled at Socialism by Mr. Gossett, but he knows other and abler presentments that are, in my opinion, untouched by them. I know of advocates of political parties, of philosophic theories, and of church doctrines, who fall easily under similar condemnation. Economic thought demands a full measure of moral poise, of patient search, and deserves no accusation of greed or irreligion.

     In conclusion, let us turn to the peculiarly modern phase of the subject. Steam and water power have almost changed manufacture from a personal to a collective activity.

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And between competing plants or factories a few easily out-distance the rest and take to themselves superiority, and thus the bulk of the profits of a business;

     In the SATURDAY EVENING POST of Jan. 22d some of the incidences of ownership are illustrated A millionaire iron-master has but one child, a daughter. He agrees to her marriage with a foreign nobleman on the condition that the workman and the business shall become their chief care and that of their children. This is agreed to by the young people. But after a year in Europe they return and refuse to settle down to the life of duty proposed by the iron-master. A week later they are called to his study, and securities which pay twenty dollars a week interest are handed to the young wife. The works have been put into the hands of trustees for the benefit of the workers, after a small allowance had been set apart for the former possessor.

     Ownership has duties, it implies them. As long as owners are just, they may be able to dispense their surplus more wisely than any Government could, but owners have been known to waste wealth at Monte Carlo or on Broadway, while the morale of their country is being broken by poor food, by dwellings that are a pest and a disgrace to our cities. Law is needed, not for the just, but to restrain the unjust, whether they are rich or poor. F. M. BILLINGS.
LETTERS FROM BASUTOLAND 1916

LETTERS FROM BASUTOLAND              1916

     The Secretary of the General Church, on August 22d, 1915, addressed a communication to the Rev. S. M. Mofokeng, of Liphiring, Basutoland; the NEW CHURCH LIFE was Ordered to be sent regularly to him and four of his assistant ministers, and: also to the Rev. D. W. Mooki, of Krugersdorf, Transvaal. This letter, and the sending of the LIFE, met with very prompt reply,-a whole series of replies,--in which we are sure our readers will be interested our African brethren evidently feel that they have found friends with whom they wish to keep in touch. The quaint English of these letters is of a quality which peculiarly appeals to the affections, and we would not spoil this effect by retouching the diction.

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     From the Rev. D. W. Mooki we received a letter dated Oct. 21st, very gratefully acknowledging the receipt of the LIFE, and inviting further correspondence. The other letters are from the hand of Mr. Mofokeng:

     From the New Church, Liphiring, Nov. 6th, 1915
Dear Brother in Lord Jesus.
     I have received your letter of 22d Aug. 1915. Thanks for the books, . . . also the three NEW CHURCH LIFE. I have honor to inform you that Rev. F. E Gyllenhaal have visit us to see our work in Basutoland. I meet Mr. Gibson who handed me the NEW CHURCH LIFE, and he told me about the New Church, and he told about the Ancient Churches. He told me that the Lord made his second coming. I believe the New Church Creedings. I believe that unless the Lord had come again and established the New Church, no flesh could have been saved. Rev. 21:3. I believe the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. I believe that the New Church is the Crown of all Churches. About Rev. W. D. Mooki I know him, but I don't know about his work, he belonging to Transvaal, I belonging to Basutoland; is different countries.

     About establishing a library I can be very glad. I have call upon my white minister to come and help Basutos, taught them the truth of the New Church. I am weak in knowledge, so I have sent an application with my company to be governor by the General Church of the New Jerusalem and control by the said Church. Humble as I put the matter of the New Church in hands of Rev. Gyllenhaal to advise me. I wish you will be so kind to advise me.

     Special Meeting, Phuthiatsana, held at Nov. 30th, 1915.

     Brother.--We honor to be, Sir, we answer the letter of the 22d August. We real said to you we wish you to promote the New Church among us. We want you to help us in every sides. We humbly request you kindly to send us some one to come and make ordination from first and second degrees and to preside over the body. Please, we want to be under your Protection and Government. Humbly we want you to send one of your Bishops to come and preside over us. We thanks for your kindness to promise within your ability to promote the work of the New Church among Basutos, and we wish you to make any Books room in our country and printing press. We have translated the NEW CHURCH LIFE paper, [the "The New Church and the Gentiles," N. C. L., August, 1913], Mr. Mofokeng will forward it to you to be printed into Sesuto. We will be thankfully for Library, and we humbly request kindly to printe it.

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We have no printings here, rich and poor, but we are the members of the New Church of the Lord.
     (Signed.)
          S. M. MOFOKENG, Minister, chairman.
          SOFONIA MOSUANG, Leader, secretary.
          BETHUEL T. SERUTLA, Minister.
          DAVID R. KHAILE, Minister.
          DAVID M. MONYAKE, Minister.
          Z. R. LIPALE, Minister.
          JONAS A. MPHATSE, Leader.
          PETROSE HAKANE, Chief, his x mark.
          AZAEL MPARA SEPOLI, Chief, his x mark.
          JOEL KOLOI, Steward, his x mark.
P. S.--Some of our ministers they were not present in meeting.

     Liphiring, Dec. 7th, 1915.
     Kindly you may be so kind to me that I have translate the paper which you sent it to me and I re-sent it to you to be printed in Sesuto. I am deeply interest to hear that your 22d August, 1915, you will promote the New Church in Basutoland. I am very weak in knowledge. I want the General Church of the New Jerusalem to appoint one of your minister or Bishop. Be so kind to send this letter to the Bishop N. D. Pendleton for my request. Come. Come, and help African in Lord's work in New Church. Caught my hands and lift me up. I will be interest if you can do So. I will try to translate some of this books and send it to you for printing. I want you to receive my petition. I want you to come to establish Theology School, and come teach Basutos. Receive me under your protection.

     Liphiring, Dec. 18th, 1915.
     Having examined our Bible you point out chapter and verse. We find chapter, we cannot find verse. Please be so kind, to send us a few of your English Bible.

     In the same letter ii; enclosed the following "Church News" for the LIFE:

     Please put this document in your NEW CHURCH LIFE. I started from Liphiring on Nov. 25th, 1915, and arrived at Maseru on the 26th. From Maseru I accompany Bro. D. Khaile to Tweespruit, Orange Free State, visiting the members of the New Church. We caught the train at 7 o'clock in morning. At 11 o'clock in our usually we open the Word. After singing Psalm 100 in Sesuto, I baptized 4 infants and 7 adults. After baptism, sermon by D. Khaile. Caught St. Matthew 4:16. ["The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow and death, light is sprung up"]. Gathered people were about 84. He preached saying that light of the New Church has sprung up in Africa, has spread his rays among Africans; he add saying the New Church is crown of all Churches.

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At 3 o'clock afternoon 16 members attended Lord's Supper, conducting by me; benediction by me.

     I start from Phutheatsana where I held special meeting. I went to Bogate on horseback, arrived 6 o'clock in morning on 5th of Dec., 1915 At 7 o'clock in morning 36 members attend the Lord's Supper, conducting by me. At 11 o'clock our usually service take place, singing hymn 42 Sankey in Sesuto. The Word was open, prayer by me, first lesson was read, Psalm 96; second, Revelation 7:9. After singing Psalm 95, sermon, people sitting. Caught Revelation 21:3. Sermon by me. People gather, was about 99 from village to village. Benediction by me.

     I left Bogate to Liphiring, arrive on 9th inst. Invite the Rev. B. T. Serutla to come and conduct the Lord's Supper at 12th inst. At 7 o'clock in morning 46 members attended the Lord's Supper. 11 o'clock sermon by the Rev. B. T. Serutla. Caught I. Timothy 5:24. People gathered was about 100. S. MOFOKENG, Minister.
ELEVENTH ONTARIO:ASSEMBLY. 1916

ELEVENTH ONTARIO:ASSEMBLY.       W. F. PENDLETON       1916

     The friends of the General Church in Ontario once more met together to usher in the New Year with, an Assembly. The abnormal conditions produced by the war had made it impossible to call such a gathering last year; but those interests common to Canadian Newchurchmen, which events have stirred, made us sense the need of mutual encouragement and refreshment; and the general character of the Assembly was, therefore, one of simplicity in externals but of richness in spiritual blessings. The consciousness of the true and original purposes of our meeting was thereby brought: forward and the sphere of contentment in our temporary trials, and a sincere hope of the final triumph ruled throughout the meetings,-hope for the victory of peace in the church and in the world.
     The meetings were held in Berlin, Ont., from December 31st, 1915, to January 2d, 1916. The attendance at the Assembly numbered about 150.

     FIRST SESSION.

     The first session of the 11th Ontario District Assembly was opened with worship by Bishop N. Dandridge Pendleton, on Friday afternoon, Dec. 31st. Interesting reports were given by the ministers of the Ontario district.

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     The Rev. E. R. Cronlund, having served as secretary of the Ontario Assembly for a number of years, submitted his resignation, and after this had been accepted and appreciation shown him for past work, the body requested the Bishop to appoint a successor. The Rev. H. L. Odhner was appointed.

     The Rev. E. R. Cronlund then read a paper, "ON THOUGHT." Discussion followed:

     Rev. F. E. Waelchli voiced his appreciation, of the able presentation of a subject so inclusive in its scope. He warned against the idea that life was thought, for thought was only the first effect of life. Life was love, thought only that which evidences love. The real love can be known by the internal, rather than the external, thought, for the internal thought makes one with the love. Especially when man is alone in meditation does the real life come out. In shunning evils we must shun not only evil acts but also evil thoughts for then the lust is deprived of its power and thus the root of evil can be removed by the Lord and resistance become instantaneous.

     Much of one's life is detained in the thought and does not come out into acts. Within the imagination the real love is active without restraint, and pictures the scenes and acts which would give it delight. And when the body dies the liberated spirit acts in the spiritual world as he had imagined in this world.

     Rev. H. L. Odhner regarded the thoughts as the mirror of man's whole life. What is most centrally present and most continually active in the thoughts is that which rules the life. (A. C. 8885.) The injunction to "remember the Sabbath day" is the command to keep the Sabbath state continually active in the thoughts, as a centre of one's life. The thought is a mental world and displays all the forces of the mind. The knowledge of the mind or the thoughts are necessary in order to have the knowledge of the universe and see the things of external and internal life as to their true value.

     Spiritual rational truth, or doctrine, alone reveals to us this all important knowledge. For it reveals that the power of thought comes from influx-from spiritual influx; and by this we have free will to govern our thoughts, and are not mere victims of circumstance. By forming a basis of thought we may choose our spiritual environment and attract to us the unseen companions in the spiritual world which are to govern us unconsciously and mold our character. When this free will to think truths instead of falsities has been cultivated, and even ultimates or the lowest of sensual degrees of the mind can be formed into a regenerate order; then man has become celestial in his character and the infestation of evil thoughts have lost all power to tempt him.

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     THE BANQUET.

     On the evening of Friday we repaired to the school building. Tables had been arranged in four rooms on the lower floor, and after all had been safely installed in the somewhat crowded quarters, and the company had partaken of the plentiful provisions, the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, after a brief introduction, proposed the toast to the church, and the hall resounded with the strains of "Our Glorious Church."

     Mr. Waelchli noted that we are living in a time when the British Empire is passing through a period of grave trials,-one which is felt by the church; indeed, the General Church also is passing through the greatest trial it has ever known; But we are convinced that after the temptations have passed from both church and country, there will follow a state of greater order, prosperity and peace, with increased freedom and new illustration.

     The subject of the evening was suggested by a statement in the ARCANA COELESTIA, n. 6574 where states of temptation are spoken of: "The Lord Himself is present both immediately, and mediately by angels, with those who are in temptations, and resists by refuting the falsities of the infernal spirits and by dissipating their evil, so giving Refreshment, Hope and Victory."

     This, our gathering tonight, is an occasion of Refreshment from the anxieties of the past; an occasion of Hope for the restoral of peace; and a foretaste of the blessing of final Victory for the charity and faith of the Lord's New Church.

     The Toastmaster then proposed a toast to the Church and its Refreshment.

     Rev. J. E. Bowers, in speaking to the subject, remarked on the changes of state necessary in the life of a regenerating man, and especially on the functions of temptations. He compared them to the storms which must periodically clear the atmosphere when it becomes oppressive and laden with impurities. Such thunderstorms occur in the spiritual world when, judgments are there performed.

     The next toast was to "The Church and Its Hope;" after which the Assembly sung "O Lord, Our Help in Ages Past, Our Hope in Years to Come."

     Rev. H. L. Odhner brought out that hope was the mainspring of all progress. It is the character of youth to hope, and the New Church, now in its first youth, is cheered by hope to advance towards its final triumph.

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Every church has been led on by hope; the prophecies of the Ancients, the gospels of the Christians were but forms of hope. Indeed everything of our natural life,-our music and poetry, our language and arts and even sciences,-are suggestions rather than satisfactions. They are promises of a future advance. Thus we progress from hope to hope, and yet seem never able to satisfy the ambition which is visioned in our mind. So it seems; for when one past hope has been realized, a new and higher craving has sprung into existence and is waiting for its fulfillment.

     Pessimism and discouragement are the means whereby evil spirits open hell to man; and hence upon its gates is written, "He who enters herein leaves hope behind." Hope is what brings us together tonight. The Writings are the prophecy concerning the future New Church; they are the God-given hope that the ideal, some far-off day, will become a reality. On this hope our distinctive church work is founded. Civilizations may totter and fall, but no jot or tittle shall pass from the law of the New Church till all is fulfilled. The Lord is our hope.

     The toast to "The New Church and Its Victory" was followed by the 117th hymn.

     Rev. E. R. Cronlund noted, in response, that every man desires happiness,-the state where he may freely ultimate his cherished delights. But general happiness can be gained only by the combat against whatsoever opposes the love. "He that overcomes shall inherit all things." To gain heaven, man must conquer evil delights. Only if he struggles against these is there spiritual life in him. It is so with the body, which shows its strength when it endeavors to throw off the diseases which attack it. But this struggle to throw on disease is felt as pain. The absence of pain in the diseased body is-death.

     The Church-as an organized body-is subject to the same laws. When falsity arises the church must wage warfare against it, rather than succumb to it in death, as did the Christian Church. Falsities are permitted to infest that man may overcome them. If he struggles against them it is a sign that there is within him something of spiritual life, and that he may progress and acquire that life more fully, in victory obtaining peace.

     Although we are in the midst of a consummated church, the evils of which infest us from time to time, the Lord has furnished us with the heavenly doctrine as a means to victory. Let us then diligently study the message of those doctrines and obtain a love, of their truths. Love will then bring us faith and victory.

     The toastmaster brought, the idea of victory to bear upon the national life.

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Upon the victory of the church depended the welfare of all nations of the earth, because of the need of a specific church on earth. The hope of the final victory of the Empire prompted to the enthusiastic singing of "God Save the King." Impromptu toasts and speeches followed, relating to our New Church ideals and the cross of the allied armies.

     Bishop N. D. Pendleton then gave expression to a thought which had been uppermost in his mind while the conversation had drifted from the discussion of spiritual principles to the declaration of patriotic fervor. He spoke of the Church as a spiritual brotherhood and a communion with a bond stronger than that of racial and national unity.

     In wan there must necessarily be a partisan spirit,--without this there could not be good soldiers. But after the battle the spirit of the higher international fraternity should, exert itself, for that spirit knows no racial boundaries. The hope is that every nation and race should be reached by the New Church. The opinion had been expressed to the speaker that the "Swedenborgian" philosophy was too abstract and profound ever to become a religion. But the New Church faith, indeed, is primarily a religion, with a most simple creed--the confession and worship of the Divine Man. This is a universal truth, which can be comprehended by simple and learned alike.

     Toasts were honored to Bishop W. F. Pendleton and to Mr. John Pitcairn, whose presence had usually enhanced our interest in the Assemblies. Many speakers went into historical reminiscences and finally the toastmaster completed the program by offering the toast to the New Year-which was fast approaching. The tables were cleared away, while the gentlemen, on the toastmaster's invitation, retired into the "lower regions for a smoke. The young people soon emerged again, however, and spent the rest of the year at their favorite occupation,-dancing, although the terpsichorean muse was very limited for space in our narrow school apartments. At midnight, the year of 1916 was welcomed by singing and universal handshaking; but not until several hours had passed did the young people disperse.

     SECOND SESSION.

     The Bishop's address on the STATE OF THE CHURCH was the principal topic in the session held in the afternoon of New Year's day. We can here give only a brief outline of its contents.

     Bishop N. D. Pendleton stated in the address that he had thought well to speak to the meeting rather intimately on this subject, as recent events had tended to produce a state within the Church which might be characterized as abnormal and which had led to much speculation as to the future of the General Church, and to fears regarding its stability as an organized body.

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He now, for the first time, wished to express in public his views on certain phases of the situation.

     In an address delivered at the opening of the Academy Schools last September, I expressed certain views with reference to the present status of the work of "the higher New Church education." This phrase covered the questions which are now in controversy amongst us, and which have arisen from the efforts to correlate the truths of direct Divine revelation with the science and philosophy of the earlier writings of Swedenborg. In that address I expressed a doubt; as to whether a full solution of our difficulties could be, found at the present time, but made the confident prediction that such a solution would in time be given on the basis of our uncompromising loyalty to the Divinely revealed doctrines. I was of the opinion that the work of correlation which has been going forward for two decades was in Providence called to judgment. In support of this view I had in mind two things the first was the reaction against certain conclusions which had been presented to the Church as results of that work. This reaction, beginning definitely some three years ago, has steadily increased up to the time of writing the address. The second thing in mind which gave apparent conclusion to the first stage of the controversy was the entire repudiation of the faith of the Church by the chief worker and inspiring leader in that field. We need not know, we need not say a word with reference to the state of the lady in question, we need pass no judgment upon her spiritual or natural state of mind, but what she has done, her work, and what she has finally done, her repudiation of her work apparently in a state of sanity, is a fact of which intelligent minds will from now on necessarily ask themselves the significance. I believe that the shock of this amazing proceeding would be such as to call for some readjustment in the minds of all. As one of those who admired the genius of Miss Beekman and who placed a very high value upon her scientific research work, but who could not follow in all points the conclusions she arrived at because of their apparent contravention of the obvious teachings of the Writings, I could not but grant that her work was, by the manifest leading of Providence, called to judgment,-that re-examination would inevitably follow. But being convinced that many of the things she had written were based fairly upon the Writings, I could not but warn against a spirit of too great invalidation, lest that which was true should be rejected with the untrue. However, those on the one side of the present controversy hold that they do not propose to invalidate any teaching of the Writings, and those on the other that they do not propose to teach anything but what is in the Writings.

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As to purpose or intention no one would conscientiously invalidate the revealed truth in any part or portion, nor would sincere New Churchmen knowingly teach anything save that which is in the Writings or legitimately drawn from them. Yet we are all liable ignorantly to invalidate, and owing to some wrong conception, to misinterpret them.

     It is clear that the first thing' to do was to allow and encourage a full and free discussion of the points at issue, so that the truth might be brought out and convince all if possible.

     My thought was and is that the real settlement of our intellectual differences will require time, patient study, and some degree of removal from an atmosphere of disturbance. With this in view I am more concerned just now as to the things we ought not to do. . . We ought not to make a doctrinal pronouncement with reference to the bodies of spirits and angels, the Holy Supper, or any other question in dispute. Such an action would be contrary to all the traditions of our Church, which has from its beginning heeded the warning given to "beware of councils." ... I take the ground that a doctrinal pronouncement which will be taken as in any way the authorized view of the Church is equally objectionable whether it comes from a council or a Bishop. The whole point involved is that the Lord has spoken to us plainly in His Second Coming; the Church will not need an official or an authorized interpretation of the law revealed for the binding of the consciences of men. Enlightened interpretations of this law ought to be given, as by priests when in illustration. These interpretations are for instruction and advancement in knowledge, but no such interpretation, whether by priest, pastor, or primate, should be given or viewed au a doctrinal edict. And clearly the same is true of councils. This, however, does not render us powerless in meeting and coping with disorders in the Church.

     The law is expressly revealed that those who disturb the Church should be separated. It is stated in this form: 'He who differs in opinion from the priest (and the priest in the case of the General Church. is a Bishop or a General Pastor) ought to be left in peace, provided he makes no disturbance, but when such a person makes a disturbance, he must be separated; for this is agreeable to order, for the sake of which the priesthood exists.' I cannot imagine anything more foolish than for a priest to interpret this to mean that he should separate anyone who disagrees with him, if that disagreement should be given public expression. There are commotions within the Church which are no more than healthy growth-incidental phases of intellectual development. To suppress these signs by an episcopal pronouncement or by an order in council, would result in grave misfortune to the Church There is, however, another kind of disturbance, namely, that which involves the life or the continued well-being of the Church, as when an individual at variance with the priest is determined that his ideas or persuasions shall rule in the Church, then it is clear that if that individual is not separated or in some way quieted, he will, if his agitation progresses, separate the priest, that is, he will bring about a revolution and destroy the established order.

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The law given us is, in one form or another, universally recognized. The Church, or for that matter any organization, must have the power of preserving its life and well-being by some orderly process of elimination.

     Do not think that the church is powerless because its Priests, Bishops, and councils, refuse to issue doctrinal rescripts against this or that erroneous view. All the priests in the Church-including its Bishops-and all as well laymen, have the right to express their views of such errors or non-errors, as the case may be. But my thought is that wise governors of the Church will be rather more conservative in this matter than others, by reason of the responsibilities of judgment which in the end may devolve upon them. However, even they have a right to their opinion about matters in dispute and also the right to express them either in private conversation or in print.

     . . . In the New Church there is a new way of treating errors of doctrine whereby there will be deliverance from error, and that way is not by episcopal pronouncement or by resolution of councils. The new way is by teaching and instruction, and by opening the mind to the truth of Divine Revelation in order that the light may come. Light is given when the mind, in a state of freedom, is open to the Word of God as it is revealed. Only in the light and by it will all these things be reconciled. Our efforts should be to prepare the way for the Church to receive light, and when it is received it may then pass from one to another. This is the Holy Spirit. Let us look for the light, and it will be given if we in humility open our minds to the Source of light, to our
Lord as He has revealed Himself.

     All those who are not parties to a heated controversy will readily agree on the wisdom of a conservative attitude on the part of those in authority, so long as the controversy is not one which threatens the life of the Church. But if and when it does, action with a view to the protection of the Church becomes imperative. Let me give a conservative statement. The Church will not stand sponsor for Miss Beekman's views, (certainly not as such). The Church will not be surety for the "concepts" of any one. The Church will stand for the Writings simply and solely. Views come and go, one concept gives place to another, but the Writings abide. No theory that we may form will measure up to the revealed truth. Let us indeed form our concepts, express our views, propound our theories, but always and at all times exalt the Writings and humble ourselves before them.

     The subject was then opened for discussion:

     Mr. Sam. H. Roschman: I would like to thank the Bishop for one of the most wonderful pronouncements I have ever heard as regards the method whereby the Church must be built up. I consider it a really reassuring thing, and I think the principles laid down there, if lived up to, would make a wonderful difference in everyone's attitude towards the Church.

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     Mr. R. Carswell, now expressing his thanks to the Bishop, opined that the discourse had the right ring: Freedom1l Freedom of thought and trust in the enlightenment of our leaders are necessary if an agreement is to be reached. The Writings are the rock on which we must stand, and the time will bring us to see the harmony of truth. Space in the other life is an appearance and yet we see spaces there, just as in the natural world. He was satisfied that the Writings give us something to reflect on and something to have confidence in, even if we do not understand all its teachings.

     Rev. F. E. Waelchli: Two things stand out prominently in the address which the Bishop has just given us. First, the need of loyalty to the Writings of the Church and to them alone, and, second, the need of a charity. The Writings alone must guide us, guide us as a church, and guide us as individuals of the church. And it is for that reason that in our Academy and in the General Church, from the beginning, there has persistently been given the teaching and the advice that the members of the church read the Writings for themselves go to the source of our light and see for themselves what is the truth of the New Church. We have our teachers in the Church, the bishops, pastors and ministers. They teach; we hear what this one and the other one has to tell us, and we should be in an affirmative attitude towards that which is given to us. The Newchurchman can learn very, very much, if he comes to the services regularly and attends the doctrinal classes. He can receive a great deal there, but if this is all, there is something lacking. He needs to go to the Writings and see for himself, see directly from these books that that which is taught is true. He must find it for himself in these Writings In order that it may come with strength and force to him as the teaching of divine revelation. And when difficulties arise in the
Church, such as those of which the Bishop was speaking; when there is a variety of opinion, then there is need for the members of the Church to go to the Writings and decide for themselves what they teach. It need not be decided in a year, or several years, or in a life time. Yet let the desire be there, to see what it is that the Writings teach us. Read all that is said on the subject. It is well to read what has been said in the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE and the books which have been published on the subject; but after you have gone over these various arguments, go to the Writings themselves. This does not necessarily mean to go to them for a direct study of the subject, but to go to them having this subject in mind amongst others, and little by little light will come to you here and there in the course of your reading.

     I will say again, what the Bishop has heard me say several times, that it is always safe to stick to the letter of the doctrines; and especially is this true when there is a great deal in the doctrines on a certain subject.

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Hold firmly to this and you cannot go astray, for you are on safe ground.

     As to the other point, the spirit of charity which is necessary in the church. We in the New Church know what is meant by charity, that it does not mean winking at error and saying that they do not amount to any thing. But in our idea of charity there is the true idea of love to the neighbor, of having the neighbor's welfare at heart and, in fact, of thinking more of the neighbor and of his good than our own. This must be the spirit of our Church as a whole. This must be our spirit towards the individual members of the Church and if there is a brother in the church whom we believe to be in error we can at least believe in his honesty of purpose and can admire the courage he has in his convictions. There are men in our body who, I believe, are in great error; yet I cannot help but admire the great courage they have shown. Above all we must believe in their loyalty to the truth. If we should fall into any great error and afterwards come out of it would we not feel thankful for the attitude of charity which our brethren took towards us during the time that we were in that error? As we expect charity from others, so should we be ready to give it. But the one great thing for the whole Church is this, that we hold firmly to the Doctrines of the Church and that we read them and study them.

     Mr. Rudolph Roschman: During the past years it has appeared at times to the layman as if another standard was being put up almost equal to the Writings. We have felt that an attempt was made in some degree to raise the scientific writings of Swedenborg to the same level as the divinely revealed Writings themselves. The address this afternoon has certainly made it clear that the Church will have only one standard and this the standard of the Writings. It is all very well to study the scientific works and examine these statements and scientific teachings and measure these statements up to the statements in the Writings of the Church. If they measure up to that standard then we can accept them as true but if these statements should happen to be at variance with the general doctrines of the New Church I think it is well for us not to be hasty in acknowledging those scientific teachings as infallible. I think it is this which makes the church strong: that we hold the Writings as infallible. We should hold that what is there is true in this world and will be true to all eternity. I am sure every Newchurchman feels that the freedom of speech should be preserved. Only in this way can progress be made. In the discussion of any doctrinal question it behooves us to be very charitable. It behooves us to discuss all questions on their own merits and apart from the person who makes them. I am sure that if we have a common trust in the inviolable truth of the Writings themselves, the controversy can only result in the benefit of the Church.

     Mr. George Schnarr remarked on the use of Assemblies which was keenly felt at such occasions as the present one, when the head of the Church addresses those who are gathered together from the different centers.

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     Referring to Mr. Carswell's remarks, the speaker said:

     "We know and realize that the doctrines of the Church are the Second Coming of the Lord. We know them to be true, and therefore we know that those things--viz., houses, gardens and living forms of life,--do exist in the other world; but we do not need to believe it simply because it is so taught: we can also understand it from a rational idea; and thus there can be contentment in our minds."

     Mr. Theo. Kuhl: One of the previous speakers mentioned that the address this afternoon had the true ring to it. He used words which I would like to repeat. For my own part I should like to express the delight and satisfaction caused by the paper and the indication of the progress of the Church. I think that to most of us it Comes as a very great satisfaction. I think the statement of standing on the Writings of the Church as they are, has the old Academy ring to it and is the one thing that gives us hope of being able to look for better times in the church.

     Mr. Jacob Stroh was pleased that so many of the laymen have taken advantage of their opportunity to talk. The Bishop's paper had shown us "the way out" of a serious difficulty:

     "I have no fear, on my part, that the Church will suffer to any great extent; for men are now permitted to express themselves freely. Our former Bishop Benade used to stress that there should be toleration in the Church. On account of the immense variety of ideas there are many gates which enter into the New Jerusalem, and each one may enter into a gate from the direction that the Lord may see fit. I think the Lord will surely take care of the Church. But the Church has surely been given to us. If we cannot worthily keep it, it may just be possible that it will be taken away and handed over to someone else. So we should be careful lest it should be taken away from us. The paper this afternoon has brought the solution of the situation; and I think, Bishop, that we sympathize with your proposition.

     Mr. Rudolph Potts: "In Parkdale it is very general to hear our people speak of the bodies of spirits and angels. It has been quite a bone of contention in our little circle ever since the last assembly. We are still at the same place we were two years ago. The discussions do not seem to give us any clear light on the subject. We have been looking to Bryn Athyn for light and looking for someone to come out with plain doctrine on the subject. We wondered why the Bishop did not say something on it. We have read articles by various writers criticising Mr. Acton's position. We began to plan to have the center of the Church moved to Parkdale, as no one in Bryn Athyn seemed to come forward and clear away the mist that has been hanging before the Church. But after your able paper today which has so fully covered the subject and shown in the clear light of the New Church that the standard of freedom and charity should be raised in the Church, we feel sure it will be safe to leave the center of the Church still in Bryn Athyn."

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     Rev. J. H. L. Odhner: "I am sure that I voice the sentiment of all when I say that seldom has the Church heard an address that inspires so much confidence, and is so worthy to be pondered upon, as the one we have heard this afternoon. In former ages when an heretic had been spied, men treated him in a very ungentle manner with tar and feathers. It is just that very thing on a higher mental plane that we should look out for. Let us purge our mental attitude from any passionate and personal criticism and from any irreverence for the subjects which are discussed in this most grave and remarkable controversy.

     "The subjects under discussion are themselves holy. The knowledge which we derive from heaven through the Writings are the basis of the heavens themselves, and as such they must be kept in our minds, apart and sacred. And when I say apart I mean apart from individual interpretations and individual opinions. We should be able to regard the Doctrine as a sacred thing placed in our keeping, to regard every statement, every truth in the Writings as a sacred light and an altar in the temple of our minds. Then though our own opinions may change from time to time, the light on the altar will always be the same.

     "The progress of the Church comes by allowing individual freedom to the clergy. And it is that freedom which, I believe, the Bishop is preserving while leading the church through this temptation. The solution, as suggested by the Bishop, is very simple, if charity only gives us strength. The Church stands on the rock of Divine Revelation, and there it will continue to stand; for it is a rock which we are told fills the whole earth and cannot be broken down."

     Mr. Charles Brown confirmed the use of Assemblies. He further expressed the fear that Mr. Potts had revealed one of the weaknesses of the Parkdale Society, when he said that they had looked to Bryn Athyn for a solution of the difficulties; but there was some justification for this, when one considered that the trouble originated there. The light from Bryn Athyn did not fail, however: "We have been given the most excellent advice, that when troubles arise we should bear with them and light will come. There, indeed, has been a feeling for a considerable time past that it was strange that we did not hear any pronunciation from the Bishop, the leader in the Church; but everything comes in good time, and we in Ontario have had the privilege of hearing this address from our Bishop and are all thankful to him for the message which he has given us, for what he has done today to allay the fears which have arisen and to inspire confidence in the Church."

     Mr. George Scott was very pleased to hear from the Bishop's paper that no force was to be exerted in dealing with the matter. Mr. Acton's book had opened up a world of ideas to him. He knew that Mr. Waelchli and Mr. H. Odhner were opposed to the new position, but could find nothing in their teaching which convinced him of any error.

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In fact, he enjoyed Mr. Odhner's sermons very much because they had the effect of confirming him in the new views. He believed that the Church was not yet in a state to receive Mr. Acton's teachings, but was pleased with the address and trusted that the difficulty would be cleared up in time as people read more.

     With renewed hopes and increased confidence the meeting adjourned, feeling that a new state had been inaugurated in the Church.

     THIRD SESSION.

     A paper by the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, on LOVE OF COUNTRY, was read and a discussion ensued:

     Mr. Jacob Stroh told of his endeavors to insinuate true ideas of Patriotism while making recruiting speeches in the German-speaking districts around Berlin. It was his opinion that one should love the country where one has found one's home. An interesting fact is also that one may regard one's country as being in the wrong, and yet have a love for it. Many problems present themselves as to what our course should be in such a case.

     "One great feature in the freedom of a country is freedom of speech. We enjoy this privilege and I have been wondering how the New Church could exist without it. It seems that a country is practicing this idea so far as it gives to its citizens religious liberty, freedom of the press and freedom of speech. When a country gives these we think it to be the highest spirituality. We look to that for the preservation of the New Church. One cannot help but be interested in the Kramph Will Case. The New Church was wondering what the outcome would be; whether the State would interfere and say, 'You have no right to teach your doctrines as you, have them,' or whether freedom should be given us as we desired. In hearing the final decision a feeling of relief seemed to pass over the whole Church. It made us realize that the New Church was safe and was founded on something that it could not have enjoyed at an earlier period.

     "Now it is said that angels do not attack. I often use this remark on my recruiting trips, but say it in this way, 'Good men will not attack.' I think I am correct in this; I say that good men will not attack, but will defend. Newchurchmen, when they fight, fight for peace; and hope for the time when the swords again will be turned into ploughshares."

     Mr. Craigie reminded the meeting that while: the boys are fighting and dying for their country, the rest should remember that it is a good thing to live for one's country. The fact that men are amassing vast fortunes from "war-orders" at a time when sacrifices should cheerfully be made, seems almost incredible.

     The speaker then deplored that certain ministers from Old Church pulpits were pouring out hatred on the Germans and instilling the spirit of revenge into the men in Khaki.

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He felt that Germany's power for evil must be checked and eradicated, but her ability to perform her uses to her citizens and to her neighbors must not be taken away. Germany can be of great use with the wonderful power of organization which she has shown.

     Rev. H. L. Odhner: Whereas usually religious standards in different nations are seen to be quite different from each other,-customs and practices and even standards of morality,-yet in respect to patriotism, there seems to be a wonderful unity among all the nations of the world in their conception of its nature. The New Church doctrine can interpret this inward unity, because it gets at the root of the matter, and measures the very bottom of human nature.

     Mr. Waelchli has brought out how the patriotic feeling may sometimes become the means of a nation's salvation. In the same way I would like you to consider whether the present war is not permitted just for the sake of the state of the world as a test whether the nations of the world and especially those of the European civilization are worthy to continue their existence as nations. Perhaps it is just that which is being decided now. The real battle is being fought in the spiritual world, and in the minds of men, especially in the interiors of their minds. The real issue is a matter of the attitude towards the great spiritual virtues which are perpetuated in the man by the instilling of remains. The present crisis is, I think, the occasion for bringing out those remains, those virtues of zeal for the welfare of others, remains of the love of freedom and justice, mercy and charity, the realization and conception of duty and self-sacrifice.

     The world is now in such a state that it takes the most sensational happenings to interest people. So it is with spiritual things. To awaken interest they muse be presented with a force that, however regrettable, will yet leave a most decided impression in our minds, both the minds of this generation now living on earth and those of all future generations. I regard this war and all other wars as a permitted test whether the civilization in which we live is worthy of continuation.

     One thing seems to give us hope, namely, the presence and the growth of the abstract conception of justice. Instead of growth perhaps I should say 'larger publicity' of the conception of justice within the last few months. I think that the world is beginning to reflect on what liberty means. We often do not think about the blessing we enjoy until We are about to lose it. So it is with the world today. The abstract conception of justice is one of those vague things which is not thought about in ordinary life, but the threatened danger causes us to think about it.

     Mr. R. Carswell was struck with the universal feeling among the men of the country that one should volunteer because it is one's duty. Their thoughts are not of the mortal danger into which they go, but of the protection of their country.

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This love, thus expressed, seemed to the speaker to be genuine, and not prompted by selfishness, and a great hope seemed to lie in this fact.

     We know that wars are horrible. But they are permitted so that the two inward evils of mankind,--the love of dominion and the love of the world,--may come to the surface. These two loves have struck to the roots of almost every nation. In Germany and Austria the love of dominion on the part of the rulers seems to have the effect of making slaves of their own people. On the other hand, the speaker was satisfied that Britain seeks to "un-slave" many other nations.

     After some further discussion, the Bishop made the concluding remarks:

      Bishop Pendleton: I would like to say a few words in regard to the war from; the standpoint of the Church. I fully realize that the members of this District Assembly are in a state of war with another nation. I am not aware of all the needs that necessarily arise; the demands that have been made upon your patriotism to meet with the exigencies of this war. While I myself belong to another nation, yet I am one with you in a spiritual plane with reference to our Church. I would say no word but what would encourage you to make every effort to respond to your country's call. But there is one phase-of war concerning which I feel that I have a call to make, and I think you will understand me. War has its blessings and its grave necessities. War also has its desperate evils. Desperate evils that not only exist at the time of war, but are left as a terrible heritage for future generations to bear,-evils against which Newchurchmen should warn themselves. The great evil does not lie in the fact that many thousands of men are slain. It does not lie in the fact that Europe will be populated by swarms of cripples. It does not lie in the fact that the wealth and resources of your country will be wasted economically in all too late a measure. But the evil which remains and gives the most lasting scar is the evil of hatred of man to his brother. No matter how much the call for arms may stir us, (and it will and does stir us, and we should respond; and a man with any red blood in his veins is ready to do that; he is willing to give his life). . . yet we as Newchurchmen should always remember that as New-churchmen we are something more than citizens of our country. We have spiritual ideals! It is here that the Church has the right to make a call upon all men; and that call is to keep the spirit of hatred out of their hearts. Keep the spirit of hatred out of your hearts! Do justice to your enemies; even if you have to fight them, yet do them justice. The biggest thing a man call do is not to besmirch his enemies. Preserve the spiritual ideals and spiritual standards of the Newchurchman. Remember that the Lord has placed these people here. They all have their uses. Discipline must come to the evil. But when discipline has been administered then let each man go ahead to perform his true, destined uses.

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     I am a citizen of a country that fifty years ago was torn by terrible warfare. A fratricidal hatred resulted and with that hatred grievous misunderstanding. In the Southern part of our country we were raised to regard the Yankee with utmost contempt. As a youth I went to the North and there I came to realize that the South was considered as simply a lot of slave drivers,-nothing much more and nothing much less. It took fifty years for my own country to become healed of this grievous hatred,-fifty long years!

     Love one another! We are Newchurchmen, and as I say, we are such even when in the midst of war. The true soldier fights bravely and is ready for the call to battle. But when the battle is over he will stoop and lift his enemy to his feet--and give him a drink. That action represents the least spiritual standard that we of the New Church should live up to. Wheresoever we may be born and whomsoever we must fight we must remember that first, and above all, we are Newchurchmen.

     SERVICES.

     On Sunday, at the morning service, the Bishop delivered a discourse on "Naaman the leper." The attendance was large,_144 persons. In the afternoon service-the Holy Supper was administered.

     MUSICALE.

     Sunday evening a "musicale" furnished enjoyable recreation. The versatile program included: violin solos, by Miss Carswell, (who rendered the second movement of Grieg's C Minor Sonata to great effect); piano-solos, by Miss Vera Bellinger and Mr. Nathaniel Stroh, the selections being chosen from Grieg, Dede and Liszt; and vocal solos, by Miss Edith Cranch and Mr. Hugo Odhner. When the program was over, the audience joined in singing "O Canada." Shortly afterwards Mr. Craigie, of Toronto, with typical English eloquence, delivered the valedictory for the visitors.

     But the untiring Young People, averse to parting, spent yet a few pleasant hours together at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Theo. Kuhl. At midnight the party dissolved amid the well known strains of old school and fraternity songs, pledging their faith anew to "Our Own Academy."
     HUGO LJ. ODHNER.

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     POSTSCRIPT.-In reply to a telegram of greetings sent by the Assembly to Bishop W. F. Pendleton, the Secretary has received a letter of the following contents:

     "Will you please extend to the members my thanks for their greetings. It was a great pleasure to me to know that they thought of me and remembered me in this way. I look back to my visits in Berlin and Toronto as some of the greatest pleasures of my life; and the friends I found there I shall always cherish,-and expect to meet them in another world; if not again in this. It is a matter of great regret to me that I no longer am able to visit my friends in Canada. But we must all grow old some day, and-when the time comes can but accept it and give place to the younger people.

     I should like to express to the friends in Canada my sympathy with them in this terrible war. My heart goes out to the mothers and fathers who have given up their sons, and to the sons who are fighting for their country. If in Providence they give up their lives on the battlefield, their memories will be held sacred. If they return after the war is over, they will always be grateful for the privilege of having been a soldier,-for love of one's country is next to love of the Church.

     I did not intend to write so long a letter. I merely wished to send my love and affectionate greetings to all my friends, with the hope that the New Year will bring peace to all hearts and nations.
     Sincerely yours,
          (Signed.) W. F. PENDLETON.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. Another busy month. On January 22 the Younger Generation Club held a very spirited meeting, The speaker of the evening was Mr. Randolph W. Childs, who gave us a talk on "The West and What It Stands For." On the same evening, prior to the meeting of the Club, Miss India Waelchli, of New York, assisted by Mrs. R. H. Smith, Miss Creda Glenn and Miss Helen Colley, gave a much appreciated Sacred Concert in the Chapel for the benefit of a Theta Alpha scholarship fund.

     Swedenborg's birthday was celebrated by a School social in the evening of the 29th. The opening number on the program was a grand march, in which the schools marched in front of Swedenborg's picture, and facing about sung the song "O Prophet and Seer" in his honor. Then followed five speeches interspersed with music, songs, and dancing. All the speeches were made by students, and considerable promise was shown of future speakers for the Church. Probably the most impressive speech was made by Mr. Theodore Pitcairn in response to the toast "Swedenborg's Mission to the Universe." The celebration, under the leadership of Prof. Odhner, turned out a great success.

     On Sunday evening, February 6th, there was a Society banquet in celebration of "General Church" day. It was an inspiring occasion. The old Academy spirit of mutual love was clearly evident, especially so in the hearty way in which the songs were sung. Rev. R. W. Brown did the honors as toastmaster in a very pleasing way. His introductory remarks were short and to the point. The speakers were Bishop W. F. Pendleton, Mr. W. Whitehead, Rev. Homer Synnestvedt and Bishop N. D. Pendleton. All the speeches were handled in an inspiring way.

     On Friday, February 11th, Miss Carina Glenn became Mrs. Hubert Hyatt. The wedding was profoundly impressive, and the reception that followed was not only brilliant and festive, but was characterized by a distinctly spiritual tone. The Chapel was decorated in green and white in most artistic fashion, all the resources of the Cairnwood greenhouses being brought into play.

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One of the pleasantest features was the presence of "Uncle John" once more in his accustomed seat.

     The second week of February was given up to meetings of the Consistory, Council of the Clergy, and Joint Council meetings, where subjects of great spiritual and natural importance were fully and freely discussed, As visitors from other societies of the General Church, we had the pleasure of greeting the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, Rev. F. Waelchli, Rev. George De Charms, and Mr. Walter C. Childs, of New York, and Mr. Paul Carpenter, of Glenview.
      K. R. A.

     PHILADELPHIA. Swedenborg's birthday was celebrated by a banquet at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey L. Lechner. Our minister, the Rev. George de Charms, introduced as the subject for the evening "The Influence of Swedenborg's Theological Works on Present Day Life," and Messrs. Lechner, R. B. Hilldale, K. Knudsen, and Fred. J. Cooper responded to a series of toasts grouped about this theme.

     The church building is rapidly nearing its completion, and all our members are busily engaged in preparing for its dedication. A. E. S.

     GLENVIEW, ILL. The winter season has been fairly kind to us this year, for only one Sunday service and three Friday Suppers have had to be omitted on account of the weather.

     We celebrated Swedenborg's birthday on January 28th with a banquet followed by appropriate toasts; a number of visitors were present. The next evening a social was carried, through at which much merriment was displayed. The feature of this social was the Olympian games, consisting of various kinds and sorts of slow races-that is, races so handicapped that the assembly barn could be used.

     February 2d being the first Wednesday of the month was "steinfest" day. As it was a cold day the event was held at Mr. Junge's house, National Hymns being the subject for consideration.

     The ladies have been active of late: the Ladies' Guild, which is practically a general council of the ladies, had a very successful meeting on February 9th, at which many social affairs and much business was amicably despatched.

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February 10th witnessed a Theta-Alpha banquet at the Manse. Three papers were read, discussion followed: reporters were not admitted, but from such driblets of mirth as issued from the cracks in the walls, we are inclined to believe that a good time was had by all.

     As to the material progress we note our youthful Benedict, Mr. John Gyllenhaal, is building a home for himself and bride. It is located on the old school house lot, in southwest corner of the Park, the most retired and remote spot in our colony. Here, very "far from the maddening crowd," they will soon have a commodious and attractive home.

     TORONTO, ONT. On January 3d Bishop N. D. Pendleton visited our Society on his way home from the Ontario Local Assembly, in Berlin. We met together for supper and a social gathering, at the church, in the evening, when the Bishop delivered his Assembly Address. We are grateful to the Bishop for his splendid message. It opened up to us the possibility of this Last and Greatest Dispensation of Truth establishing upon the earth a religious liberty which has never prevailed on this earth since the fall of the Ancient Church.

     On January 16th the Rev. H. L. Odhner, of Berlin, preached for us.

     At this time, when our country is involved in the European conflict, it is difficult to avoid the subject of war, and hence it permeated our celebration of Swedenborg's Birthday. Mr. Craigie, clad in khaki, gave a rousing speech on "Swedenborg as a Patriot." Swedenborg said that those who did not love their country enough to die for it were but "cattle." Rev. J. E. Bowers spoke on "Swedenborg as a Seeker After Truth;" and our pastor, on "Swedenborg on the Relation Between Science and Theology."

     A simple but beautiful wedding was held in the church on Wednesday evening, February 9th. It was the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Izzard, the bride having recently been baptized into the church.

     The young people of the society decorated the church-room and reception-room. The floral decorations and the children attendants lent additional delight to the sphere of the occasion.

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After the ceremony, when we repaired to the supper room to offer the newly married pair our congratulations, we found a perfect transformation. Rugs, curtains, flowers, candles and shaded lights made a beautiful reception-room, which we scarcely recognized as the very Plain room where, on other Wednesday evenings, we meet for our weekly suppers. After a couple of festive hours we had to say good-bye to the bridal couple for, unfortunately for us, Mr. and Mrs. Izzard are not going to remain in Toronto, but have to make their home in Montreal. B. S.

     SWITZERLAND. The Rev. Gaston J. Fercken writes as follows concerning the Christmas services at Lausanne: "On Christmas morning, which, unfortunately, was warm and rainy, about thirty persons attended the services at 10 o'clock. The hall was artistically decorated with greens, brought by most of our friends, especially the young. The music was excellent, and the hymns, appropriate to the occasion, were heartily bung. I gave ah address on the subject, 'Pourquoi et comment la Divinite sest-elle incarnee?' The Communion service was so impressive, and the sphere of the glorified Lord was so powerfully felt, that many shed uncontrollable tears. There were nineteen, with myself, who partook of the Sacrament. Some of our friends, who, for the first time witnessed a New Church Christmas service, and attended a New Church Communion service, and they had never experienced anything so impressive."

     In connection with the news from Lausanne, published in the LIFE for December last, we stated that the pastor "is supported by the Extension Fund of the General Church." This requires correction, inasmuch as the pastor now serving at Lausanne is not supported by-that Fund, but by private subscription.
Preliminary Program of the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly 1916

Preliminary Program of the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly              1916




     Announcements



     SPECIAL NOTICE.

Monday, June 12th.
     3 p. m. The Consistory.
Tuesday, June 13th.
     10 a. m. and 3 p. m. Council of the Clergy.
     8 p. m. Theta Alpha and Sons of the Academy.
Wednesday, June 14th.
     10 a. m. and 3 p. m. Council of the Clergy.
     8 p. m. Council of the Clergy.
          Public Session.
Thursday, June 15th.
     10 a. m. and 3 p. m. The General Assembly.
     8 p. m. Dramatic Entertainment.
Friday, June 16th.
     10 a. m. and 3 p. m. The General Assembly.
     8 p. m. The Assembly Ball.
Saturday, June 17th.
     10 a. m. The General Assembly.
     3 p. m. The Corporation of the General Church.
     8 p. m. The General Assembly.
          Final Business Session.
Sunday, June 18th.
     11 a. m. Divine Worship.
     8 p. m. Sacred Concert.
Monday, June 19th.
     11 a.m. Administration of the Holy Supper.
     4 p. m. Pageant.
     6 p. m. Banquet.
Tuesday, June 20th.
     10 a. m. Council of the Clergy.
     3 p. m. and 8 p. m. Teachers' Institute.
          C. TH. ODHNER,
               Secr. Gen. Ch. N. J.



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CROWNING REVELATION 1916

CROWNING REVELATION        M. R. BHATT       1916


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Vol. XXXVI APRIL, 1916          No. 4
     AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF THE HINDI SWEDENBORG SOCIETY AT THE PRARTHANA SOMAJ GIRGAUM, BOMBAY, ON 31ST DECEMBER, 1915.

Friends and Fellow-Students of Divine Truth:-
     Allow me to offer you my hearty welcome to this first Annual Meeting of our Hindi Swedenborg Society, and my sincere thanks for the trouble you have taken in order to attend it.

     I may humbly remind you at the outset that, though our meeting appears to be and is insignificant in numbers, and is providentially debarred from all pomp of outward circumstance, the work to which we are devoting ourselves is bound to exercise almost profound and vital influence upon the future of India. For it so happens that the works of Swedenborg are not like the works of Plato or Aristotle: they do not contain the thoughts of Swedenborg as the REPUBLIC or the ETHICS contain he thoughts of their author. On the contrary, they contain revelations from the Lord, given for the benefit of humanity, that are of unimagined depth and priceless value. By the Lord is meant God.

     In the Introduction to the ARCANA COELESTIA Swedenborg says:

     "By the Divine Mercy of the Lord it has been granted me now for some pears to be constantly and continuously in the company of Spirits and Angels, hearing them speak, and speaking with them in turn. In this way it has been given me to hear and to see the stupendous things which are in the other life, and which have never come to the knowledge of any man, and not into his idea.

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I have been instructed there in regard to the different kinds of spirits; the State of souls after death; Hell, or the lamentable state of the unfaithful; Heaven, or the blessed state of the faithful; and especially concerning the doctrine of faith which is acknowledged in the universal Heaven."

     Later on in the same work he says:

     "It has been granted me to speak not only with those whom I had known when they lived in the body but also with those of especial note in the Word; and also with those who had been of the Most Ancient Church . . . and with some who had been of the Churches after that, in order that I might know that by the names in the first chapter of Genesis Churches alone are meant; and that I might know what was the character of the men of the Churches of that time."

     And towards the end he writes:-

     "As with most in the Church at this day, there is not a faith in the life after death, and scarcely any in Heaven, nor in the Lord as being the God of Heaven and earth; therefore the interiors which am of my spirit have been opened by the Lord, so that I may, while I am in the body, be at the same time with the Angels in Heaven, and not only speak with them, but also see them amazing things and describe them; lest hereafter also people should say, Who has come to us from Heaven and has told us that it exists, and of the things which are there? But I know that those who before this denied at heart a Heaven and a Hell and a life after death, will still harden themselves against them, and will deny them; for it is more easy to make a raven white than to cause those to believe who have once at heart rejected faith."

     Again, in the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, Swedenborg says:

     "Since the Lord cannot manifest Himself in person (to the world), as has just been shown to be impossible, and yet He has foretold that He would come and establish a New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, it follows, that He will effect this by the instrumentality of a man who is able net only to receive the Doctrines of that Church in his understanding, but also to make them known by the press.

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That the Lord manifested Himself before me His servant, that He sent me on this office, and afterwards opened the sight of my spirit, and so let me into the spiritual world, permitting me to see the heavens and the hells, and also to converse with angels and spirits, and this now continually for many years, I attest in truth; and further, that from the first day of my call to this office, I have never received anything relating to the Doctrines of that Church from any angel, but from the Lord alone, while I was reading the Word."

     Brethren, I have reproduced these extracts from Swedenborg in order that those among us that have not yet studied all his works may have a more accurate idea of his prodigious claims, and that all of us may study the Writings with that high seriousness which their nature demands. Let us remember the Word of the Lord in Isaiah: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." In the preface to the APOCALYPSE REVEALED the Lord's servant writes:

     "Every one can see that the Apocalypse could never have been explained but by the Lord alone, for the several words there contain arcana which could never be known without a singular illustration and thus revelation; wherefore it has pleased the Lord to open the sight of my spirit and to teach. Do not believe, therefore, that I have taken anything herein from myself, or from any angel, but from the Lord alone."

     And, certainly, the APOCALYPSE REVEALED is, as Dr. Wilkinson calls it, "a marvel of interpretation." I suppose but few here present are acquainted with that last work in the Bible,- the Revelation of Jesus Christ written by the beloved disciple. That wonderful and enigmatical work becomes grandly luminous in the New Revelation which has been sent from above for our own times.

     It is certainly allowable to question the credibility of these things and to demand proofs. I may reply that the proofs are contained in the Writings themselves and nowhere else. I know that as yet only a few members of our Society accept Swedenborg's own testimony concerning has Writings. The majority in our ranks have only discovered some striking truths in the works, and therefore think it advisable to spread a knowledge of them in India.

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I would request such brethren to read more, and try to get a comprehensive view of the system presented for their acceptance. The Writings invite and welcome our examination, and they are meant to satisfy our reason. It is said in the Apocalypse: "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, Come. And Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." The road to the acceptance of the Revelation of the Second Advent may appear to be easy for those who already believe in the Bible as the Word of God, and in the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Experience, however, has shown that the falsities prevailing in the various Christian Churches at the present day have induced a blindness of vision in many, which prevents them from seeing and understanding the verities of the New Jerusalem.

     For the rest of us, Parsees, Mahomedans, and Hindus, the journey is likely to be long and various according to the various points from which we start. It may be that some of us will never reach the promised land on account of want of faith or want of charity.

     But even though all the members of our Society may not accept the disclosures of the Lord's Commissioner in their entirety, I am confident that they will find many things which they can accept with pleasure, and many which will throw a rare flood of light upon the creeds of their respective religions. Our Brahman friends would understand their "Gayatri Mantra" better if they knew what Swedenborg was commanded to reveal about the Sun of the Spiritual World. Our Parsee compatriots would understand the significance of their fire-worship better if they learned what Swedenborg has to say about the correspondence subsisting between Spiritual and natural things. Our Mahomedan brethren would hail the magnificent array of considerations advanced in favor of the Unity of God in the beginning of the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. And all of us should receive with joy the glad tidings of there being marriages in Heaven. There are things in this crowning Revelation to suit all sorts and conditions of men. They illuminate all ancient records and oracles.

     I am aware that a new awakening is observable among the votaries of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and Islam for some time past.

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It is supposed to be patriotic to sing the praises of one's own religion. The Hindus extol their own scriptures, the Parsees theirs and the Mahomedans those that have accumulated since the Koran was delivered to their prophet. To prefer an alien religion to one's own is commonly looked upon as wrong and dangerous; and any one who ventures to do so must expect to be denounced by the thoughtless multitudes as a person ignorant of his inheritance, and misled, and wanting in love of country and community.

     But can truth ever be alien? Can truth ever be other than Divine, and therefore common to all mankind? If we think a little, we must perceive that there is no merit in continuing to believe in ancient opinions when they happen to be falsehoods. And surely it must be allowable to learn truths from all quarters where we can find them. We do so in the various sciences and arts. There is no valid reason why we should not do so even in religion and philosophy.

     An open and receptive attitude like this, however, is not likely to be popular in these days of cheap sentiment: and false enthusiasm; and yet it is the only attitude worthy of a rational man. And if you examine our recent flood of so-called patriotism, you will find that there are many unworthy and degrading elements in it. I have heard men honored as great patriots vilifying other countries gratuitously in order to establish the superiority of their own. I have read the writings of men supposed to be deeply reverent and eminently just which are full of prejudices and hasty judgments in the criticism of different beliefs. As an instance I may mention the late Mr. Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade's review of the REFLECTIONS UPON THE WRITINGS OF SWEDENBORG, penned by the late Mr. Dadoba Pandurung.

     It is not enough for a man simply to love his country. He must, also know what things are good for that country, and must make attempts to secure them. The other day I was privileged to hear the remarkably devout, strong and statesmanlike address of Sir Satyendra Prasanna Sinha, the President of our Indian National Congress. Our political leaders know what is good for their poor country, and have been trying their best for a generation to lead us towards national liberty and self-government. But it seems to me that nothing is more important to a country than a true idea of God, of the life after death and the history of God's dealings with mankind.

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And if Swedenborg's works contain revelations on these subjects higher and deeper than all previous revelations, as I believe they do, no service to India can be more important than that undertaken by the Hindi Swedenborg Society.

     I see that our progress, both internal and external, is slow, very slow. But: how could it be otherwise? 'We are taught through the prophet Jeremiah that "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked;" and that applies to our own hearts as well as to those of our brethren. We cannot coerce the free will of our friends and neighbors; and most of us are not used to deep and sustained thinking. Many of our friends say, like Nathaniel, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" And we can only answer with Philip, "Come and see I" What was said of Jerusalem by the prophet Isaiah is true of our own country today. Let us hear him for a while:

     "For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath He covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, for as much as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear towards Me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvellous work, and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."

     Has not such a state of things come about in our land at present? If it has, it explains the small progress we have been able to make.

     But let us hear the Word of God still further. The prophet Isaiah is again the bearer of the message:

     "Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

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     That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the Law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us."

     Please remember that there is an Israel within all of us, and the Spirit addresses that Israel. The Bible would not be the Word of God if there were only local and temporary things in it. The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years. This means that progress in the path of regeneration is bound to be slow. Our spiritual failings cannot be cured at once. This truth is taught to us figuratively in Exodus: "I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land."

     Significant signs are not wanting. I was agreeably surprised the other day when Dr. Nilratna Sarkar, President of the All-India Theistic Conference, in opening the proceedings, in this very hall, prayed to God as "Redeemer, Revealer, and Inspirer." Remember what: the Lord Himself has told us:

     "The hour cometh when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

     This hour of spiritual liberty has come for India at last, as for the rest of the world. The new liberty is visible in many and various uses and; abuses. Since A. D. 1757, When the Last Judgment was accomplished in the world of spirits, a new era has begun in the world, and in India it synchronized with the battle of Plassey.* We may rest assured that if we do our work properly, we shall be joined as we go along by unexpected friends and lovers of divine truth.
     * The battle of Plassey, on June 23, 1757, when Clive defeated Surajah Dowlah, and secured the foundation of the British Empire in India.-ED. N. C. L.

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     I have not thought it advisable, brethren, in this my first address to you, to single out any particular teaching of the Heavenly Doctrines for consideration. But you will find that they are all competent to shed a wonderfully clear light on all questions that are likely to arise in our journey through life. Read and consider the Doctrine of the Lord, of the Sacred Scriptures, of Faith, of Life, and of Charity, and you will be astonished at the wealth of practical wisdom of which they are full.

     An impression seems to prevail in some quarters that our Society has some program of religious or social innovation to be taken up hereafter. I therefore think it necessary to declare that as members of the Hindi Swedenborg Society we have no such program in contemplation. The

     Society's work is simply educational, or propagandistic, if you prefer to call it so. The importance of that work cannot be overrated, and I do earnestly request everyone of our brethren to spread a knowledge of the Writings among his friends and acquaintances to the best of his ability. We care too much for real unanimity to attach any undue importance to mere outward conformity; and accordingly we deprecate such movements as the "Aryan Brotherhood" and "Cosmopolitan dinners" composed of heterogeneous elements.

     And now, brethren, I have done. What I should say to you on this occasion has been a matter of some anxious deliberation to me; and the result is now before you. Pray, examine all that I have said, and hold fast that which is good. "May the Lord bless your thoughts!"

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SYMBOLISM IN THE NEW CHURCH 1916

SYMBOLISM IN THE NEW CHURCH       C. TH. ODHNER       1916

     A STUDY

     II.

     THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM.

     As the Animal Kingdom, as a whole, corresponds to the human man with its living affections, so the Vegetable Kingdom, as a whole, corresponds to the human understanding with its intellectual perceptions, thoughts and knowledges.

     In the Writings the subjects of the Vegetable Kingdom are generally divided into the three classes of trees, shrubs and herbs, corresponding to celestial perceptions, spiritual ideas, and natural knowledges. Or, more conveniently, they may be divided into the three classes of trees, herbs, and grasses, since "shrubs" may easily be divided among trees and herbs.

     Beginning with the first class, the TREES, we find that these are further divided into three classes: fruit trees, corresponding to celestial perceptions; trees of foliage, shade and beauty, corresponding to spiritual perceptions, and trees of useful wood, corresponding to the perceptions of natural goods; and truths.

     The fruit-trees, again, may be divided into two kingdoms, with a trinal division in each, according to the following diagram:

     Celestial.                     Spiritual.
Fruits of meat and oil.           Fruits of juice and wine.
The Olive.                              The Pomegranate, Orange and Grape.
The Palm.                          Stone fruits such as the Cherry, Plum, Apricot, Peach.
The Fig; also Nuts.                Apple and Pear.

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     A. THE FRUIT TREES.

     1. The Tree of Life. Supreme among trees, though no longer flourishing in this world, is the Tree of Life, which grew in the midst of the Garden of Eden. It corresponds to the celestial perception of Divine Love. As to its form we have no idea, but Swedenborg beheld it in Heaven, where it was bearing fruits of transparent and edible gold, and was shrouded in leaves of silver edged with emeralds. Beneath its branches little children were playing. (C. L. 13.)

     2. The Olive. Next: to the Tree of Life comes the olive tree, the unrivaled representative of the celestial perception of the good of love, being the richest of all trees in pure sweet oil. The tree itself is not especially beautiful, but its yielding twigs are graceful, and its willow-shaped evergreen leaves,-dark olive green above, and silvery beneath-together with clusters of olives, lend themselves to lovely representation in connection with scenes descriptive of the Most Ancient Church, the celestial heaven, the celestial degree of conjugial love, or anything else celestial. They would be especially fitting on the platter for the sacramental bread. In Solomon's Temple the two cherubim within the oracle were made of olive wood overlaid with gold, and also the doors and posts of the oracle or adytum itself, to represent "a guard lest the Lord be approached otherwise than by the good of love." (A. C. 9277.)

     3. The Palm, bearing fruits rich both in meat and oil, belongs to the celestial side of fruit-trees; but on account of its wealth of feathery leaves and fronds, it corresponds to the spiritual of the celestial,-"spiritual good, which is the good of faith," (A. C. 8369); the good of the second heaven, which is the good of charity, (A. E. 277); and, in the supreme sense, the Divine wisdom of the Lord, when the olive represents the Divine Love itself. (A. E. 458.)

     "As palms signify spiritual good, and as all joy of heart is from spiritual good,-for spiritual good is the very affection or love of spiritual truth,-therefore in ancient times they testified to the joy of their hearts by carrying palm-branches in their hands." (A. E. 458:5) Hence, also, palm-branches were spread before the Lord when He entered Jerusalem, to signify confession of the Lord from spiritual good. (A. R. 367.)

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     In a most ultimate sense the Palm-tree signifies the Divine Wisdom in the sense of the letter of the Word, and it was on this account that "cherubim, palm-trees, and flowers were canted on the walls of the Temple, to signify the Providence (cherubim), the wisdom (palm-trees) and the intelligence (flowers), which are from the Lord, thus all things which are of Heaven." (A. C. 8369; A. R. 367.)

     In the arboreal avenues of Heaven, the palm-trees signify the spiritual degree of conjugial love, (C. L. 270), and with them there are always associated laurels, to signify the truths corresponding to that good. (C. L. 56, 77, 183; A. R. 875)

     The palm-tree, therefore, can and should be freely used in the symbolism of our church, especially in connection with the capitals of the pillars, (in the simple yet beautiful style of Egyptian architecture), and in any place where the spiritual good of the celestial kingdom can be fittingly represented. Together with the grape-vine, the palm-tree belongs to the Church of Noah, the Ancient Church, the Church of the Orient, and to the Spiritual Heaven which was formed from that Church.

     4. The Fig-tree, also, on account of its sweet and meaty fruit, belongs to the celestial kingdom of fruits, but, on account of its comparative dryness and abundance of small hard seeds, it is relegated to the natural degree of the celestial kingdom, ''the external good of the celestial Church," (A. C. 9277), "the good of life in the internal and at the same time in the external form,"
(A. E. 403:19); "exterior goods and truths, which are also called moral ones," (A. E. 635:20), "the good of the natural," (A. C. 4231). The "Sycamore" sometimes mentioned in the Word, is a special kind of fig-tree. (A. E. 815.)

     The Fig-tree can be used as a symbol of the Israelitish Church, and of the Celestial-Natural heaven, and of natural-moral good, in general. Its leaves are large and coarse, but ornamental; cluster of figs are handsome, and a good artist: can, no doubt, use them representatively with good effect.

     Lowest in the scale of trees of the celestial class comes the NUT-TREES, such as the Almond, the Hazelnut, the Walnut, the Chestnut, etc. Of these the Almond corresponds to the perception of interior natural goods, (A. C. 5622); whereas the Pistacia nut or "Terebinth" corresponds to the perception of exterior natural good.

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The Hebrew word for "almond" also means "watchful" and the almonds that blossomed from Aaron's rod for the tribe of Levi, signify the Divine watchfulness over the Church by means of that form of interior charity which is the essential principle of the priestly office. (Ibid.) The blossoming almond rod would therefore be a fitting symbol of the tribe of Levi, or of the priestly office.

     The Hazel corresponds to "exterior good and truth." (A. C. 4013.)

     Among the nut-trees we may also count the Beach, the Chestnut, and Oak, which are mentioned together in the Memorable Relation in C. L. 78. The Beech is also mentioned in C. L. 270, where the palace representing conjugial love is described as surrounded by olive trees, palms, and beeches,-the olive representing the celestial degree of that love, the palm its spiritual degree, and the beech its natural degree, like the dove, the bird of paradise, and the swan. The oily triangular little nuts of the beech, always growing in pairs, bear out this correspondence.

     The correspondence of the Chestnut has not been given, but it is mentioned next after the Beech in C. L. 78, and would seem to correspond to external domestic good, such as, perhaps, the love of home and children, as indicated by the bur, warmly lined within, and prickly without.

     We come now to the other general class or kingdom of trees, the fruits of which are characterized by an abundance of sweet yet acid juices, corresponding to the perceptions of spiritual good, just as the oily fruits correspond to the perceptions of celestial goods. Here we are on more uncertain ground, as the correspondences of these fruits are not definitely given in the Writings, but only suggested.

     As the highest of these we would place the Orange tree, which, with its immense and perennial fruitfulness, and with its evergreen shroud of glossy leaves and fragrant flowers, bearing blossoms and fruits simultaneously, seems to correspond to the marriage of good and truth. The orange tree is frequently mentioned in "Conjugial Love," in such ways as to indicate a correspondence with this love, and it is probably from a common perception of this correspondence that orange blossoms are everywhere regarded as the appropriate bridal wreaths.

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     The Grape Vine has its place in the middle or spiritual degree of the spiritual kingdom, and I need not present any arguments for its well known correspondence to the perception of spiritual truth, and to the Spiritual Church itself. In the class with grapes I would place also the whole order of juicy stone-fruits, such as the cherry, the plum, the apricot and the peach, though the exact correspondence of these fruits has not been given in the Writings. Josephus tells us that one of the Ptolemies sent some magnificent gifts to the Temple of Jerusalem, and renewed the Golden Vine,-the symbol of the Jewish nation, of which the Treasury had been, robbed. And Jewish traditions relate that in the Temple,-above and around the gate, seventy cubits high, which led from the porch to the holy place,-a richly carved vine was extended as a border and decoration. The branches, tendrils and leaves were of the finest gold; the stalks of the bunches were of the length of the human form, and the bunches hanging upon them were of costly jewels.

     The Apple would seem to belong to the lowest or natural degree of the spiritual class, being of more solid flesh than the other juicy fruits. The only place where ifs correspondence is given is in A. E. 4587, where we are told that as a palm-tree signifies joy of heart from spiritual goad so an apple tree signifies joy of heart from natural good thence. In mythology the apple is often associated with the goddess of love, and probably signifies the natural degree of conjugial love. With the apple: must be associated, also, the pear.

     The Pomegranate, in, worked representations in blue, purple and scarlet, adorned the hem, of the robe of the ephod, (Exod. 28:33), where these fruits signified "knowledges of good" in the ultimates of order, (A. C. 9552.). Carved figures of the pomegranate adorned also the tops of the pillars in Solomon's Temple, where they probably signified the same. In Joel 1:12, we read of "The Vine, the fig, and the pomegranate," where "the vine = the spiritual good and truth of the Church; the fig-tree = the natural good and truth thence derived; and the pomegranate = the sensuous good and truth, which is the ultimate of what is natural." (A. E. 458:7.) This would seem to give to the pomegranate a very low correspondence, but the meaning is that of a most ultimate heavenly good, pellucid with interior goods and truths even as the pomegranate is pellucid with ruby-like pips, in beautiful arrangement.

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Conjugial love, in its own ultimates, is such a good, the seed-house of all heavenly virtues, and it was on this account that the angels of the heaven from the Golden Age,-as the symbol of conjugial love with them-presented to Swedenborg a pomegranate, in which there was an abundance of seeds of gold. (C. L. 75)

     Leaving the Fruit-trees, we come now to a second-class of trees, which flourished in the Garden of Eden, and are called "trees pleasant of sight," signifying in general perceptions of truth, or spiritual perceptions.

     B. TREES OF FOLIAGE.

     Within this class we place all the trees which were given to refresh the human mind by their beautiful form and foliage, or by their fragrance or spicy taste, according to the following tentative diagram:

     Good.                         Truth.
Cassia. Myrtle.                         Laurel.
Aloes. Linden. Elm.                Poplar. Plane-tree.
Myrrh. Box.                         Willow.

     Of these the Cassia, Aloe and Myrrh, form a series of aromatic shrubs, rather than trees,-the Cassia signifying inmost good, of the third or highest degree, and the Divine Truth itself which proceeds immediately from Divine Good, (A. C. 10258); while Aloe signifies good of the second degree, and Myrrh good of the ultimate degree, (A. E. 684:17). These plants, however, are of inconspicuous appearance, and may not be of striking value in ecclesiastical symbolism.

     I pass by the Myrtle, the Linden tree, and the Elm tree, as their correspondence is not definitely given. Of the Box tree we learn that it refers to celestial-natural things, (A. C. 2162), and its use for borders and hedges hence seems quite fitting.

     The Laurel or Bay tree signifies "the affection of truth," (H. H. 520), and it was on this account, undoubtedly, that the victors in any intellectual competitions were in ancient times crowned with wreaths of laurel.

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The little tree, and its fragrant leaves, are highly ornamental, and can well be used for symbolic purposes.

     The Poplar, the Plane-tree, and the Willow signify "the lowest goods and truths of the natural man, which belong to the external sensual," (A. E. 458); the Willow, particularly, corresponds to "sensuous truth, which is the most external truth." (A. C. 7093.) Hence their habit of springing up along brooks and water courses. The weeping willow, perhaps the most graceful of all trees, is the willow upon the branches of which the captive Jews hung their harps by the ruins of Babylon, and hence is always associated with grief, perhaps from a Perception that, since the willow corresponds to the last boundary of truth, beyond it truth ceases.

     C. TIMBER TREES.

     We now come to the third class of trees,-those of useful wood,-which are of a great variety but from which we select the following as representative types:

     Good.                         Truth.
Beech.               Cedar.
Chestnut.          Arbor vitae.
Oak.               Pine, fir spruce.

     Of the Beech and the Chestnut trees we have already treated, under Nut-trees.

     The Oak is of a very distinct symbolic character, on account of its majestic aspect, hardness, toughness, and durability; and all its qualities show that it has a very ultimate correspondence, for all strength resides in ultimates. The very name of the oak, in the Hebrew, comes from a root which means "to be strong." Hence, in general, it corresponds to "sensuous scientifics," (S. S. 18); but; being at the same time a tree bearing nuts, it corresponds more particularly to "the scientifics of the celestial man," (A. C. 1443), or "sensuous good," (A. E. 1145). Thus, as the olive corresponds to the perception of the love of God in the inmost of the mind, so the oak corresponds to the perception of this love in ultimates, whether it be in the book of nature, the book of written Scripture, or in the book of life.

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     It is interesting to note, in this connection, the use of the acid of the oak-gall, in the preparation of ink; and the use of the bark of the oak in the tanning of leather. Both the ink and the tanned skins of animals found their highest use in the everlasting fixation of Divine Truth in the written Word, and we conclude, hence, that the Oak is a special representative of the letter of the Word. It was probably from a perception of this correspondence that the Oracles of the ancients, among the Greeks and also among the Druids, were placed in oak groves. And because the oak lives to an indefinite old age, it came to represent also what remains perpetually, or to eternity, (A. C. 4552, 4562), even as the Word of the Lord in the letter will remain forever in heaven and on the earth.

     The Cedar is the highest representative of those timber trees which correspond to the spiritual perceptions of the natural-rational mind. As the palm corresponds to "spiritual good," so the Cedar corresponds to the genuine truth of that good. (A. E. 458, 294.) Like the Lebanon Mountains it signifies the highest rational truths, and the reason for this correspondence is easily seen in the great height, straight stature, horizontal stratified branches, pointed ever-green leaves, and enduring aromatic wood of that tree, as represented by the ancient cedars of Lebanon or the present cedars in California and in the Himalaya mountains. Hence the pillars in Solomon's Temple were made of Cedar, to represent the rational foundations of the genuine church, and for the same reason the Temple was lined throughout with cedar wood. The Cedar can be used also to represent "the spiritual-rational church such as was the church with the Ancients after the Flood." (A. E. 1100.) Nay, it may be used to represent the crowning revelation given to the New Church, as indicated by the Cedar-table in heaven, on which volumes of the Writings were seen resting. (A. R. 875)

     The Shittah wood, or Acacia of the desert,-which was so extensively used in the construction of the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, the table of show-breads, the altar, etc.,_was, according to the Writings, "the wood of a most excellent kind of cedar," (A. C. 9472) It was "a tree on Mount Sinai, or at its base, a most noble cedar. It is a mountain tree, excellent above other trees from its aromatic oil, thus from its odor and purity." (Adversaria 3/1298.)

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And as such its wood represented "spiritual good; the good of the Lord's merit," (A. C. 9472); "the very good proceeding from the Divine Human of the Lord," (9491); "the only good which reigns in heaven and supports it." (9635.)

     Somewhat lower than the Cedar comes the Cypress, which by the ancients was regarded as an emblem of immortality and hence was always planted in and around grave-yards. In this class, also, belong the Juniper and the Almug or Thyine wood, which latter is represented by the Arbor Vitae and which corresponds to "good conjoined with truth in the natural man." (A. R. 774.)

     Lower still in the class of ever-greens come the Fir tree and the Pine, both of them corresponding to the rational perceptions of most ultimate natural truth, (A. C. 2162, 2708; A. R. 936); but the Fir corresponds to higher natural truth, and the Pine to lower natural truth. (A. E. 730:24.)

     D. HERBS AND GRASSES.

     Leaving the order of trees we come next to the great order of SHRUBS, but of their correspondence little has been revealed and we must therefore pass them by, at present. The HERBS, too, are innumerable, and have not been treated of in the Writings, except as to a few representative types. Among the Flowers we have the Rose and the Lily, as types of inmost celestial and spiritual perceptions. The Rose undoubtedly corresponds to the perception and affection of celestial good-especially the good of conjugial love. And the Lily seems a perfect symbol of the spiritual affection of truth. Among the lilies the Lotus flower can be beautifully represented on walls and pillars, (as was done in Egypt), as corresponding to the perception of spiritual truth in the scientific truth of the literal sense.

     The great order of edible vegetables must similarly be passed over, since it is not likely that we will seek for ecclesiastical symbols among beans and peas, cucumbers, onions, and cabbages. But among the GRAINS we may represent: ears of Wheat as corresponding to celestial good, Rye to spiritual good; and Barley to natural good.

     REEDS and RUSHES may also be represented as signifying "lowest scientifics from the Word in the letter." (A. C. 9372.)

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The Egyptian Papyrus would be an especially graceful representative of the Written Word itself, and could be used at the base of the Repository.
MORNING OF THE NEW DAY 1916

MORNING OF THE NEW DAY       Rev. ALBERT BJORCK       1916

     AN EASTER ADDRESS

     In the ARCANA COELESTIA, NO. 2405, we read this statement:

     "As 'the morning' in the proper sense signifies the Lord, His coming, and thus the approach of His kingdom, it may be evident what it signifies besides, namely, the rising of a new Church; for this is the Lord's kingdom on earth; and this as well in general as in the particular, and even in the least particular; in the general when any Church on the globe is being raised anew; in particular, when any man is being regenerated, and becoming new-for then the Lord's kingdom is rising in him, and he is becoming a church; in the least particular as often as the good of love and faith is operating in him, for in this is the Lord's coming. Hence the Lord's resurrection on the third day n the morning involves all these things even in the particular and the least particular, as to His rising again in the minds of the regenerate every day, and even every moment."

     This statement throws a wonderful light on the meaning of events connected with the resurrection of the Lord as they are narrated in the Gospels. It shows us plainly that these events are representative of what shall take place, when the Church has died and a new Church is to be raised up. In other words, they foretell what shall take place spiritually at the Lord's Second Coming.

     With the aid of this light, we shall endeavor to follow some of the events described in the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John, and to see their prophetic meaning.

     In connection with this let us remember that the events connected with the Lord's passion, as that "He was betrayed by Judas; that He was seized and condemned by the chief priest and scribes; that they buffeted Him; that they smote His head with a reed; that they set on His head a crown of thorns; that they divided His garments and cast lots upon His coat; that they crucified Him; that they gave Him vinegar to drink; that they pierced His side; that He was buried and rose again on the third day, represented the state of the Church as to the Word." (DOCTRINE OF THE LORD, 16.)

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     The same things take place spiritually whenever a church repudiates or denies the truth of the Lord, and these events are therefore also representative or prophetic of what should take place in the Christian Church in its latter days. They describe the way the Christian Church in a later age would receive and treat the Spirit of the Lord, present with men in His Word, and teaching them through it.

     We know that the teaching of the Lord in His human life on earth was not dissipated with His death, but preserved alive in the minds of the disciples, and resurrected and present with men of the Christian Church in the written Gospels. In them His love and wisdom speaks to men; through them men are told how He in His human life, by obedience to the Father's will, overcame temptations and all the tendencies to evil that human nature is heir to; through them the Lord's power to remove evils in men, if they will obey His teaching, is revealed; in them men are shown that the Lord's teaching is not the teaching of a man, but of God Himself; and how the spirit of love, speaking through the man the words of eternal life, is God Himself. The Gospels therefore were the Word of the Lord to men; indeed, they were the Lord Himself resurrected with men, His spirit of love and truth present with them and teaching them.

     The High Priests and the Scribes of the Christian Church treated the Lord as the Word, the Son of Man, in the same way as He had been treated by the Jewish Church. They obscured, falsified and adulterated the truths of the Word by their interpretation and traditions, dispersing the truths of the letter, cutting them to pieces and pulling them out of their connection with each other, just as His outer garments had been cut to pieces; and finally they crucified and killed the spirit of eternal love and truth from Him within themselves. Then spiritual darkness and death spread its pall over the Word, and it became a coffin in which the Lord and His Church were buried.

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     The spiritual darkness that came over the Church on earth through men's denial of the spirit of love and its teaching in the Gospels, is represented in the literal story by the darkness that enveloped the land when the Lord was crucified; and the death of His Spirit within the Church by the night when the Lord Jesus lay in the grave before the resurrection. The stone that the Jews rolled before the opening of the tomb, and which they sealed and set a watch to guard, represents the desire of evil and natural minded men, priding themselves with holiness, while filled with self-love, to rule over the minds of men in the Lord's place, and to have the key to heaven and hell, which desire leads them to seal up the spirit of love and charity in the Word. They closed the Word with quotations from its letter, quotations from the Lord's own truth, which seemingly uphold their man-made doctrines, and impress upon it the seal of their own interpretation with the whole authority of the Church, so turning the Word into a grave for the spirit of the Lord. The day of the Truth is at an end, and night is over the world.

     And then comes the story of the morning of the New Day, the first day in the week, and the resurrection of the Lord, told in slightly varying ways in the different Gospels. These variations in the literal story represent variations in the reception of the Lord in His Second Coming in different classes and states of minds. The story in the Gospel of John, which is written by the disciple that Jesus loved, portrays the reception of the message from the opened Word by the remnant of what is good in the will of men, the remnant of the affection for truth, of faith, and of charity in the will of men within the church, the remnant from which a new and heavenly church shall be raised up among men on earth; the spirit of the Lord's love shall again be vivified in them; and the Word of God, instead of being the grave of Jesus, be the embodiment of the spirit of the Living God, our Lord and Savior, through which He again is present with and speaks to men,-speaks to them of the death of the natural and selfish life, and of the resurrection of life from His love in men, by which He can come and reign among men on earth as He does in heaven.

     We are familiar with the story. Mary Magdalene comes to the grave very early in the morning when it is yet dark.

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She finds the stone rolled away; and, troubled in spirit, thinking that they have taken away her Lord, she runs to tell Simon Peter and John. They hasten to the grave, find the stone rolled away, see the grave-clothes in their places, but the Lord is not there, and then they return to their own homes. But Mary tarries, hears the message of the angels, and sees and finally recognizes the Lord Himself, and brings the message to all the disciples.

     The Lord took to Himself a human through a woman called Mary; Mary Magdalen was, according to John, the first to see the risen Lord. The affection of the truth that tells about the good God in heaven is the first means by which the Lord can be born in children's lives, and later teach them to walk in His ways. When children leave His paths as they grow up, sin against Him, and walk in their own ways, the Lord's life in them dies, but it can be resurrected, born again, if they feel the need of forgiveness for their sins, and there remains within them the affection of the truth that saves from sin.

     In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark and Luke two Marys are said to be at the grave, waiting for the dawn of the new day to embalm the body of the Lord. In the Gospel of John it is said that Mary Magdalen was alone. It would seem to represent the fact, that in some minds the affection of the truth that tells about the Lord is inseparably united with and has, so to speak, become one with the affection of the truth that saves from sin. And that affection is most fitly represented by Mary Magdalen, out of whom the Lord had cast seven devils.

     We know that Peter represents faith, and when he is mentioned by his two names, "Simon Peter," he always represents the faith that is implanted in the will, and not only lives in the understanding, for Simon means hearing, or spiritually, obedience. And John, the disciple that Jesus loved, represents Charity, or love to the Lord, expressing itself in the doing of good toward others.

     With this in mind, we can readily see that the narration of the events connected with the Lord's resurrection prophetically tell us of the presence of the Lord in His Second Coming in the opened Word, and His reception by the remnant which will be the nucleus of His New Church.

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     It is very early in the morning. In fact, it is still dark on earth, though the sun is approaching, when Mary Magdalene comes to the grave and finds the stone rolled away.

     The Lord has risen; the judgment is accomplished in the spiritual world; the seal of the Church's authority has been broken; men's false interpretations of the Divine Truth have been set aside, and the teaching of the Word concerning the Lord's life and the life of heaven from Him is in the world. But the Church is ignorant of it. It is yet dark. Even the remnant of what is good in the Church does not know it.

     The spiritual affection of the truth that saves from sin is bound up with the love of the man Jesus, born of Mary, and with the teaching that is suffering and death constitute payment for the sins of men. When it finds the stone rolled away on approaching the new teaching of heavenly truth from the opened Word, that affection is troubled in mind. The new teaching seems to remove the Lord from human knowledge, understanding and association. What it has relied on and embraced with affection seems to be taken away. To the affection of truth represented by Mary Magdalene the teaching of the opened Word does not at first bring any message from the Lord or heaven, but awakens fear that enemies of the Lord have rolled the stone aside and taken the Lord away, and it hurries to what is left in the Church of faith and charity to consult with them.

     Aroused by the affection of truth the faith in the Lord and the love for the good of men that is yet alive in the Church, hasten to examine the new teaching. Those that have any faith in the Lord left in their will go to the opened Word to see for themselves if the stone really has been rolled aside, or in other words, if the interpretations of the Old Church have been set aside by Divine Truth out of the Word. Simon Peter runs to the Grave.

     But the love of the eternal welfare of men is swifter and out runs the understanding of truth, eager to find that which can eternally profit men. John outruns Peter to the grave, but when they come there, Simon Peter first enters in.

     It is always the spiritual understanding of man that first enters into the teachings of the Word, for the love for men which shows itself in working for their welfare, even if it has what is eternally good for them in view, can do nothing except by means of the truth that teaches what heavenly life is, just as love for making men's existence here on earth better and happier can accomplish nothing without an understanding of the natural truths and means that can lead to better and happier conditions.

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     Simon Peter first entered into the grave, which now stands for the opened Word and its teaching of heavenly life. He saw the grave-clothes lying in their places; i. e., the remnant of faith in the Lord's Word enters first into and examines the new teaching, and sees truths from the Lord there, truths both internal and external. Then John also enters, saw and believed. When the understanding has seen, the love for men's welfare accepts the truth of what the understanding has seen. But neither Peter nor John then saw any angel from the Lord. They heard no Divine message, nor did they see the Lord Himself. They accepted what they saw, and, combining it with their remembrance of the Lord's words, they were satisfied with that and returned to their own houses.

     We can see instances of this in the Christian world around us. But the affection for the truth that can save from sin is not very often or commonly such that it comes to the opened Word, or that it invites the faith and charity among men to examine the teachings of the Lord in His Second Coming. And those who do come and find some of the truths taught these, do not often as yet see in them any message from heaven, nor do those truths lead them to see the Lord Himself in His Divine Humanity.

     They are satisfied with what they have found. It appeals to them in a way. The truths, for instance, that religion is of life, and consists in the doing of good, harmonizes with their understanding of the Lord's teaching in the letter of the Word, and they are satisfied with that, and return to their own houses, without any new vision of the risen Lord, or good of life from Him; they retain in the main the conceptions of the faith they were in before, and keep on in the same old methods and work from the same old principles for what they consider the good of men.

     If in the New Church we think of the Christian Church as being regenerated and made new by the inflowing spirit of the Lord from the new heavens, it is surely still "very early" in the morning of the new day.

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The message of the Lord has not yet been heard, nor the Lord seen. Truths, internal and external, are seen by men around us, and we can trace their source from the opened Word. Those who call themselves "Christian Scientists" believe in an internal or spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures, but if we want a most striking illustration of the teaching that the knowledge of correspondence and the spiritual interpretation of the Scriptures from that knowledge cannot lead men to heavenly life with the Lord without true doctrine, we can certainly get it by observing that movement, and inquiring into their belief.

     If they are led to the opened Word by a desire for the truth that saves, it would seem that it is the affection for truth that can save from bodily ailments and make life in this world as long and as pleasant and free from worries as possible, that has led them thither. If there is any affection for the Lord united with that desire, it would seem to be for the man Jesus of Nazareth, "the great teacher of Christian Science," and the great healer of men's bodily sicknesses. The Lord Jesus Christ as God, the Life from which we all have life, they reject, and substitute for Him their own thoughts and their own will power. That is their God, and there is none else to them. They only need the will to think that there is no evil and no sickness, and that will of theirs, which is their God, will do the miracle now as the will of Jesus of Nazareth did long ago.

     Movements among men, corresponding to the Christian Science of our days, and the allied New-and Never-and Newest Thought there have been in all churches. It is the sons of God taking to themselves the daughters of men; it is the attempt by men to reach heaven by building a tower of strength on the basis of their own earthly affections; it is the magicians of Pharaoh doing the same miracles as Moses did; it is Simon Magus and his followers, who, in the early days of Christianity, drew the attention of the multitudes by the wonderful miracles they performed, and who, at one time, threatened to usurp the power of God and become the religion of the world.

     But if the Daylight from on High never reached the zenith in the first Christian Church; if darkness spread over the world with the formal denial of the one-ness of God at the Nicene Council, we know that the light from the Lord in His New Church shall never set, but shall shine in constantly greater splendor.

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It is yet early in the morning of the New Day, the first day of the week, whose seven days are the whole of all time to eternity.

     In the story of Mary Magdalene, staying at the grave weeping,-after Simon Peter and John had returned to their houses,-and finally stooping down to behold the angels of the Lord, hearing their message, and later seeing the Lord Himself, even though she did not at first recognize Him, and in her bringing the news to all the disciples, there is hope and comfort.

     The stone has been rolled aside from the grave. The true doctrines of the Word have been made known; the Lord is risen and revealed as our Father in heaven. There is among men in the Christian world remnants of an affection of the truth that saves from sin, which can not be satisfied with the doctrine of the sole efficacy of the suffering and death of Jesus, or with the momentary stirring of emotions by pleadings and more or less sensational methods of so-called revivalists, whose preaching of religion generally have very little, if anything, in common with the religion of the Lord our God and Savior Jesus Christ. This small remnant has been, and is being led to humble itself, to stoop down and examine the teaching of the opened Word. Like Mary Magdalene it has and will hear the message of the Lord, and will finally behold and recognize Himself in His glorified Divine Humanity, and bring the message to all the disciples, to all that remains of the truths of the Lord in the Christian world.

     Meanwhile men in the Christian world are becoming gentilized. The greater freedom, brought to men on earth through the Last Judgment in the spiritual world, is doing the work among men whose spiritual degree of life is neither closed nor shut. They are more and more commonly losing all faith in any religion, and more and more commonly thinking and living simply as men of this world, doing what life here seems to their natural understanding to require of them, and this even if they retain the name of Christians and nominally belong to some Christian denomination. Jesus Christ to them is a natural man like they themselves, and they can learn things from him about this life.

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The talk about his Divinity they do not heed or understand, and the Scriptures to them are the records of how men have lived here on earth in times gone by, and contains many things good to know and to think about.

     But the time will come when the Risen Lord will send His disciples into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature, the Gospel of the one God, our Lord and Savior, and of heavenly life from and with Him.

     We are taught that the Lord alone knows who those are which really belong to His Church. But we also know that the Lord always seeks to inflow with His wisdom into the understanding of men, and when we see the representative character of the Gospel story, we are enabled to see things from the Lord, and therefore to judge of the state of the Church in the world and in ourselves in a truer way than before.

     We all need to examine ourselves in the light, to see where we stand, in what degree we ourselves individually can be said to be spiritual units of the Lord's New Church. For the fact that we are members of the external organization that constitutes the visible New Church on earth does not make us spiritual members of it.

     If the affection of the truth of the Lord's life, the truth of His goodness that can save us from sin and teach us to live from Him, is not living in us; if the Lord has not spoken to that affection in us out of His opened Word, we may be sure that our relation to His Church is as yet of a very external kind depending perhaps on external circumstances or training alone, or in intellectual understanding alone. If we really are in the affection of the Lord's truth, we must be eager to learn about it in the Revelation from Him, which tells us that He is Love Itself. If we are in the affection of the truth that saves from sin, we must first feel the need of being saved from sin, feel that we in ourselves are evil, and that He alone is good, feel the need of learning the truths of His life that can save us from evil if we obey them.

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We shall be eager to read about the life of the Lord in a human life like ours, and how He kept sin away from His human and overcame the evil, removing every tendency to it, so glorifying His human and letting us behold a Divine Human life.

     We shall love to learn His commandments and strive to obey them, because they are the way of salvation, and we shall love to learn about the life in His heavens where those who have been saved from sin live in His love, guided by His wisdom.

     We shall not rest satisfied merely to learn the spiritual significance within the letter of the Word and with the intellectual enjoyment such knowledge can give us, and then return to our own houses, keeping on thinking and doing as we have done before we saw these truths, but we shall be in the constant endeavor to understand the doctrines of the opened Word, to think and to act from them, because they are the doctrines of heavenly life, leading to happiness and peace with the Lord in His heaven. And we shall see that the greatest work of charity which we can do for our children and others is to lead them to a knowledge of these doctrines, and to imbue them: with a love for them, so that when they themselves come to feel the need of knowledge of eternal life and the salvation from sin, they may know where they can find the Lord of Life and His salvation.
DOCUMENTS OF NEW CHURCH HISTORY 1916

DOCUMENTS OF NEW CHURCH HISTORY              1916

     "THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR DISSEMINATING THE DOCTRINES OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH."

     Mr. Condy Raguet, in the preceding letter, describes the organization of a society in Philadelphia under the above-mentioned lengthy name. It was the first regularly organized Missionary Society in Philadelphia or in the United States, and it is therefore of interest to reproduce here, in connected form a full account of this Society, by Mr. William Roberts, an old member of the New Church in Philadelphia, greatly interested in the history of the Church. The beginning of this account appeared in the NEW JERUSALEM MESSENGER for Jan. 16th, 1878, and the rest was published, piecemeal, and in very small installments, in the same journal, in the course of several months.

     Mr. Roberts writes:

     I have before me the Minute book of one of the oldest New Church organizations in the United States. The manuscript from which I quote, reads as follows:

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     "Minutes of the American Society for Disseminating the Doctrines of the New Jerusalem Church, established at Philadelphia on the 25th of December, A. D. 1815."

     So much for the title, which is then followed by the minutes and the names of the readers of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg then and there present. On Christnias day twelve gentlemen, readers and receivers of the Heavenly Doctrines, met at the schoolroom of Johnston Taylor, Cherry street above Fourth, organized, after religious services, and adopted a constitution.

     The members present were:

Daniel Thuun                    John K. Graham
Wm. Schlatter                    John Hunt
Johnston Taylor               Condy Raguet
Wm. Kneass                     Chas. Beynroth
Maskell M. Carll               John Sterling, of Glasgow
Job Harrison                    William Bantun, of New York

     At, the following meeting, held January 1st, 1816, in addition to the above, we find the names of Francis Bailey, Daniel Groves, Frederick Eckstein, and William Strickland, recorder.

     The following gentlemen were duly elected officers:

President, Jonathan W. Condy
Vice-President, William Schlatter
Treasurer, Daniel Thuun
Secretary, William Kneass
Corresponding Secretary, Condy Raguet

     Subsequent meetings were held at Mr. Carll's school-room, back of No. 229 Arch street, (old number. The location is between Sixth and Seventh streets). At the one held on the 5th of January, 1816, Mr. Raguet reported that he had caused to be published in all the daily gazettes of the city, eight in number, an address declaratory of the establishment of this society. The address is entered at large upon the minutes, ordered to be printed, and, with a, circular, to be sent to all individuals of the New Church, distant from Philadelphia.

     At the meeting held in February, 1816, the venerable Francis Bailey sent a communication, giving an account of the first introduction of the Doctrines of the New Jerusalem Church in Philadelphia.

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     Mr. Schlatter informed the Society that he had printed, for gratuitous distribution, 500 copies of the DOCTRINE OF THE LORD, 250 copies of Sermon on the Second Advent by Rev. Joseph Proud.

     Mr. Taylor informed the Society that he had printed for gratuitous distribution, 1,000 copies of Hindmarsh's SEAL UPON THE LIPS.

     The donors asked the acceptance of the Society to the balance of these works to be applied agreeably to the original design. They were accordingly accepted, and an appropriate resolution
adopted.

     The corresponding secretary reported that he had sent circulars to a number of persons in different parts of the United States, and that he had received a letter from Rev. John Hargrove, of Baltimore, and one from Dr. Robert Magwood, of Charleston, S. C.

     Twelve copies of CONJUGIAL LOVE were presented to the Society by Rev. Mr. Hargrove.

     In the stated meeting in March, 1816, we find the name of Jonathan W. Condy in addition to those before recorded. Mr. Raguet reported letters from Judge Young and Stephen Ozier, Pennsylvania; J. N. Taylor, Washington, and James Barker, Charleston.

     In the subsequent meeting of April and May, letters were received and read from Hugh White, Albemarle, Va.; Thomas and Mary Newport, near Lebanon, Ohio; Lewis Beers, Danby, N. Y., and Isaac Waters of Rocky Fork, Paint Greek, Ohio; also a communication from Charles J. Doughty, Corresponding Secretary of the New Jerusalem Church of New York, on the subject of a common liturgy. A donation was made to the Secretary for distribution by Mr. F. Bailey, of six copies of the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, Six copies of CONJUGIAL LOVE, six copies of SUMMARY VIEW, and a similar donation for the Society at New York, and for the Society at Baltimore.

     The minutes of the June meeting relate principally to the laying of the corner-stone of the new temple, which will make the subject of future communication.

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     The following interesting intelligence was communicated to the Society at its stated meeting in June: "On the 6th day of June, 1816, the corner-stone of the First New Jerusalem temple to be built at the S. E. corner of Twelfth and George streets, was laid at 8 o'clock a. m., in the presence of a number of members of the Church."

     The service and prayers on that occasion were read by Maskell M. Carll officiating as lay-reader of the Society.

     The reader commenced with the Lord's Prayer, in form as follows, varying somewhat from our common version in its rendering: "Our Father who art in the Heavens-Sanctified be thy name-thy kingdom come-thy will be done as in Heaven so also upon earth-give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil-for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ages. Amen."

     Then following a number of passages from the Word, the corner-stone was laid, and the following form of words used:

     "In the name and the honor of our ever blessed and adorable Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom alone we acknowledge to be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in essence and in person indivisibly and eternally one-this stone is laid." After laying the stone the speaker continued: "This stone is laid as the first or principal corner-stone in the foundation of a New Jerusalem temple now to be erected, and hereafter to, be dedicated and devoted to the service and worship of the same only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who in his most Holy Word has declared himself to be the one omnipotent, omnipresent and everlasting God of Heaven and earth. Amen." A number of passages from the Word were then read, followed by a prayer and benediction.

     At subsequent meetings letters were read from James Barker, of Charleston, S. C.; Charles Aug. Tulk, Esq., of London: John Young, of Greensburg, Pa.; William Grant, Steubenville, O.; David Powell, Steubenville, O.; Rev. John Hargrove, Baltimore; Rev. Hugh White, Albemarle, Va.; Josiah Espy, Bedford, Pa.; Rev. Robert Ayres, Brownsville, Pa.; Rev. John Clowes. Manchester, Eng.; Richard Gee, Charlestown, Va.; Charles Doughty, Esq., New York;

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Dr. Louis Beers, Danby, N. Y.; Robert Campbell, Abington, Va:; Thos. Fairfax, Fairfax Co., Va.; Samuel Worcester, Newton, Mass.; Nathaniel Shelmerdine, Salford, Eng.; Rev. Edward Madely, Derby, Eng.; Eben Newcome, Bristol, R. I.

     At the meeting in August a circular was received and read from Charles J. Doughty, Esq., Secretary of a Society in New York named "The Association of the city of New York for the dissemination of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem Church." The circular bore date of April 28th, 1816. The letter from Rev. Robert Ayres, Brownsville, Pa., dated Sept. 19, 1816, stated that a Society had been formed in that place, of which he was appointed Corresponding Secretary.

     At the meeting held Dec. 6th, a letter was read from George Billberg, of the Society "Pro Fide et Charitate," of Stockholm, Sweden, giving a very interesting account of the New Jerusalem Church in Europe, dated July 31st, 1816.

     At the meeting held Jan. 3d, 1817, a letter was received from Mrs. M. H. Prescott, of Lancaster, Mass., on the subject of a small work to be published by her, entitled RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY UNITED. A letter from Thomas Fairfax, Esq., dated near Prospect Hill, Fairfax Co., Va., offering to the Society twenty-five copies of the Baltimore edition of HEAVEN AND HELL, as a present. Accepted with thanks to the donor.

     At the stated meeting held Oct. 4th, 1816, a resolution was adopted that a periodical publication devoted to the Lord's New Church, be issued quarterly, under the direction of an editing committee, to be appointed by this Society, and to be entitled THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH REPORITORY. Messrs. Raguet Carll, and Thuun were appointed.

     A friend has reminded me that the name of a town in Virginia spelled in a former communication "Abington," should be Abingdon. It was as copied from minutes of the Society. Abingdon, Va., was the early seat of a New Church Society.

     That the new temple was approaching completion may be learned from the following resolution adopted at the stated meeting held by the Society in December, 1816:

     "Resolved, That the next annual election be held in the vestry room of the New Jerusalem temple at the southeast corner of 12th and George streets, at ten o'clock in the morning, on the first day of January next."

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     The meeting was held as resolved, and the officers were all re-elected. The next stated meeting of the Society was held at Mr. Carll's school-room, when a number of letters were presented, addressed to the Corresponding Secretary, some of which were published in the Society's organ, THE NEW CHURCH REPOSITORY. A member (Mr. Thuun) stated that the New York Society had agreed to take 150 copies of the liturgy and hymns lately printed. At a stated meeting in March, Mr. Raguet, from the Printing Committee, reported that 750 copies of the first number of the NEW JERUSALEM REPOSITORY Were published in the early part of January last. He also informed the Society that, agreeably to the unanimous invitation of the members of the New Church in Philadelphia, Mr. Maskell M. Carll had been ordained a priest and minister of the New Jerusalem Church, by Rev. John Hargrove, of Baltimore, on the 31st of December, 1816, and that the new temple, situated at the corner of Twelfth and George streets, was consecrated on the first of January, by Rev. Mr. Hargrove, assisted by Rev. Mr. Carll. At the stated meeting of the Society, held April 4th, 1817, Mr. Raguet reported that an invoice of books had been received by the way of New York from England, and was now in the hands of Mr. Thuun, consisting of 8 copies of the ARCANA COELESTIA, 6 copies of the APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED, and other New Church books, amounting to L105, 12.0 sterling.

     The following resolution was adopted:

     "Resolved, That the thanks of the Society be tendered to Mr. Strickland for the handsome engraving of the New Jerusalem temple, presented by him for the second number of REPOSITORY, and to Mr. John Kneass for his present of good impressions of the same."

     Mr. D. Thuun stated that he had opened a book store for the sale of New Jerusalem writings, at No. 12 South Sixth street. At a stated meeting of the Society, held at the temple, Nov. 7th, 1817, it was stated that Mr. John Eckstein, a member of the Society-a native of Prussia, and formerly sculptor to the king-had died at Havana, Cuba, on the 27th of January last, aged 82 years.

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     The death of Francis Bailey, aged 73, was also noted. He was one of the earliest receivers of the doctrines of the New Church in the United States. Mr. Bailey published the following works in Philadelphia in the last century: A SUMMARY VIEW OF THE DOCTRINES, 1787; TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, 1789; CONJUGIAL LOVE, 1796.

     Rev. Mr. Carll stated that he had received an interesting letter from J. Espy, of Bedford, Pa., informing him of the death of Lavinia Murdoch, who had within the last year become a zealous and intelligent receiver of the Doctrines of the New Church. It was, on motion, resolved that biographical sketches of Mr. Eckstein and Mr. Bailey be inserted in the REPOSITORY, also that the letter of Mr. Espy relating to the death of Miss Murdoch be published in the same periodical. (See obituary notices in NEW CHURCH REPOSITORY, pages 323, 326-329.) At the stated meeting of the Society, held at the house of Mr. Schlatter, Chestnut street, no business seems to have been transacted except the reading of letters-one from Mr. Robert Campbell, of Abingdon, Va.; one from Mr. James Magwood, of Charleston, S. C.; one from Wm. Grant, Steubenville, O., and one from John Savelle, Gardiner, Dist. of Maine, Then we have the following entry on the minute book:

     There was no meeting of this Society in consequence of being no particular business to transact until Friday evening, April 3d, 1818. A stated meeting was held at Mr. Thuun's book store, Mr. Condy in the chair. Present: the Rev. Mr. Carll, and Messrs. Schlatter, Thuun, Smith, Raguet, Sterling, and Parr."

     Two letters were read and the meeting adjourned. The minutes of this last meeting are signed by Condy Raguet, Secretary pro tem.

     The records of the Society close with this meeting. No reason is assigned, no formal dissolution is announced, and it is only left to conjecture the cause of so abrupt a termination. That the Society performed important uses is evident-its correspondence with receivers in this country and England, its publications, its dissemination of New Church writings, and its establishment of a periodical journal.

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     But the church as formed in Philadelphia superceded the society, performed its duties, and did what a society like this could not do. It was therefore useless to continue a work that could be done so much better by the Church Society at large. Hence its dissolution.

     As all who are successors to these pioneers in, the good work of disseminating the heavenly doctrines of the New Jerusalem are interested in their labors, I close with a full list of members' names as found on record:

W. Condy, President
William Schlatter, Vice-President
Daniel Thuun, Treasurer
William Knease, Secretary
Condy Raguet, Corresponding Secretary.

Messrs.:
Taylor
Carll
Graham
Harrison
Hunt
Beynroth
John Sterling, of Glasgow
William Barton, of New York.
J. Eckstein
F. Eckstein
Bailey
Groves
Strickland
Beath of Boston
I. Smith
J. Parr
S. Sellers
D. Lammont
T. Espy, of Bedford, Pa.
J. Phile
C. Sontag
Dr. Canby

     Twenty-seven in all who now, with one exception, have departed to the Spiritual World.

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     Our Scandinavian contemporary, the NORDISK NYKIRKELIGT TIDSKRIFT, in its most recent quarterly issue, begins the translation of the documents concerning the New Church in Basutoland, which appeared in NEW CHURCH LIFE for December.


     The "BULLETIN of the Sons of the Academy," under its new management, has become a very lively young people's magazine. It has greatly improved in appearance and regularity, has increased in its number of pages, and is furnishing very interesting reading.


     Mr. John Stuart: Bogg, of Manchester, died on January 21st, at the age of 77 years. He was one of the most active and prominent members of the New Church in England, and was the author of a number of valuable works of distinctly New Church interest, the last of these being his GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND PHRASES USED BY SWEDENBORG, which was issued just before his death.


     THE NEW CHURCH EVANGELIST-the monthly tract published by the Rev. John Headsten, of, Chicago, is keeping up its good work, and is deserving the support of the Church. The price is but 50 cents a year, and the editor should be encouraged to continue the publication. In his last three sermons Mr. Headsten has been treating in an original and instructive manner of "the Adamic Church," and in each issue there is a page of trenchant editorial comments.


     DE GODDELIJKE ZENDING VON EMANUEL SWEDENBORG TOT HET GELUK VON HET MENSCHDOM. "The Divine Mission of Emanuel Swedenborg for the happiness of Mankind" At a guess we so translate the Dutch title of Mr. G. Barger's most recent contribution to the growing New Church literature of Holland.

230


It is an interesting-looking booklet of 72 pages, published by the Swedenborg Genootschap voor Holland en Belgie. 's-Gravenhage. 1915.


     The intended publication in bookform, of the new translation of SWEDENBORG'S DIARY AND DREAMS, of 1744, which appeared seriatim in the LIFE, has been delayed on account of the decision to publish together with it Swedenborg's preceding Journals of Travel, (known as the ITINERARIUM), the whole volume to be issued under the title, "Swedenborg's Journals." This has involved a revision of Dr. R. L. Tafel's translation of these Journals, as published in the DOCUMENTS; this work' is now progressing, and the volume will undoubtedly appear before many months.


     Commenting on the New Church movement in Basutoland, the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY for January says: "The signs are that 'the Academy' will have the honor of being the pioneer in New Church missions to the Gentiles, unless the Conference bestirs itself quickly. It is to be hoped that our Academy brethren will not be allowed, by our supineness, to be before us in India also, as they seem likely to be in Africa." If these words should help to arouse the General Conference to do something for the Gentile world, we are sure the "Academy brethren" would welcome any such activity. There is plenty of room for all in these vast new fields, where there is so much to be done and so few to do it.


     In the January number of the NEUKIRCHENBLATT, the editor,-the Rev. F. Muhlert, of Brooklyn, describes a visit to him by the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, and adds the following reflections, which we take the liberty to translate into English:

     "If the members, and especially the ministers, of the two great organizations of the New Church,-the General Convention and the Academy-could more frequently come into personal touch with one another and express themselves in peace and charity respecting the doctrinal views on which they differ, we believe that the apparently insuperable obstacle to a united co-operation for the growth and welfare of the Church would gradually disappear.

231


Where there is a will, there is a way. No one can deny that a vigorous and harmonious co-operation of the two bodies would be attended by results rich in blessings for the development and extension of the New Church. Is not such a prize worthy of an effort?"


     The Rev. John Whitehead, in the MESSENGER for February 26th, reviews very favorably Bishop W. F. Pendleton's recent work, THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION. The reviewer recognizes that this work "treats of a number of principles little touched upon by previous writers in this fertile field of New Church thought," and concludes as follows: "The SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION is replete with valuable suggestions to ministers, students, and others bearing on the exposition of the Word, sermon writing, and instruction in the Word in general. Particularly is the treatment of the Series of the Word, and in general of the principles of exposition to be commended. . . . Mr. Pendleton has gathered here the results of many years of study of the exposition of the Word. It is largely non-controversial in character and will be a valuable addition to the literature of the Church in this field."


     WHAT AND WHERE IS THE NEW CHURCH? This is the title of a pamphlet of 35 pages, by Mr. J. Haward Spalding, of London, originally published as an article in the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY Of 1912. In the preface the author says: "It is well known that in some sections of the external New Church the severe things said by Swedenborg about the 'consummated' Church of his day are freely applied to the Christian Church of today. The aim of this paper is to submit the assumption which underlies this attitude of mind to a careful and impartial scrutiny, with a view to discovering whether any authority for it is to be found in the Writings themselves." In other words, the author essays to prove from the Writings that the "severe" things said in the Writings do not apply to the present state of the Christian world.

     As an extreme instance of the "assumption" referred to, Mr. Spalding points to the statement: on the inside cover of NEW CHURCH LIFE: "The old or former Christian Church is consummated and dead, with no hope of resurrection, nor can there be a genuine Church except with those who separate themselves from it."

232


Mr. Spalding, on the contrary, holds that "we know nothing about the spiritual state of the Christian world in the present day, and therefore ought not to make any assertion about it on grounds of doctrine," the subject being "known to the Lord only."

     The revealed doctrine being thus eliminated, the writer appeals to his personal experience among the Old Church people of his acquaintance, as a source of information on this unknowable subject. The secret of his confusion in regard to the present state of the Christian world, and as to the nature and whereabouts of the New Church, is disclosed in his statement, near the end of the pamphlet: "No one who has any intimate acquaintance with sincere and good Old-Churchmen (so-called) can believe that their state can be" such as described in the Writings.
WORD, IN A "RESTRICTED" SENSE 1916

WORD, IN A "RESTRICTED" SENSE              1916

     In a paper in the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY for January, 1915, the Rev. W. H. Acton expressed the conviction that the Writings of the New Church, "although indeed inspired, and thus interior Divine Truth, cannot rightly be called the Word, because they are not Divine Truth in ultimates, thus in the fulness, perfection and power of Divine Wisdom."

     In a paper on "The Writings as the Divine Rational," published in the LIFE for March, 1915, we reviewed at length Mr. Acton's arguments, which were also answered by the Rev. G. C. Ottley in the QUARTERLY far July, 1915. And in the QUARTERLY for January, 1916, Mr. Acton presents a rejoinder to Mr. Ottley, in which he calls attention to an admission made by him in his paper of January, 1915,-an admission which seems to have escaped the notice of Mr. Ottley as well as the LIFE.

     Mr. Acton, in the statement to which he calls attention, says:

     "So far, indeed, as the Writings are regarded as the revelation of interior Divine Truth from the Lord, they make one with the Internal Sense which is the very life and soul of the Word; and in that restricted sense may, indeed, be called the Word, and thus the Lord Himself, who is the Divine Truth."

233


And in his most recent paper Mr. Acton places further emphasis upon this admission, in his concluding statement: "As I have already pointed out, I do not deny that there is a sense in which the Writings are the Divine Truth, and thus the Word."

     But though in his first admission he grants that, in a certain "restricted" sense, the Writings "may, indeed, be called the Word," (italics ours), his main objection now is against so calling them: "I deny, most emphatically, on the dearest and oft repeated testimony of the Writings themselves, the propriety of referring to them by the same expression as that which is used to designate the fullest, most perfect and most holy-because most ultimate-form of the Divine Truth, the Word in its Letter."

     It is rather difficult, then, to define the exact object of Mr. Acton's contention. We know of no one who, in ordinary discourse, is in the habit: of referring to the Writings as "the Word in the Letter." The Divinely-given name of the crowning Revelation is "Doctrina Coelestis,"-"the Heavenly Doctrine," and for the sake of distinction we always refer to it under this designation, or as "the Writings." But if, with Mr. Acton, we believe that the Writings are the Word, there can be no possible objection to so calling them, when the object is to call attention to the fact that it is the Lord Himself, and no finite man, that is speaking in them,-as when in worship the lesson from the Writings is announced as "the Word of the Lord in the Heavenly Doctrine."

     But the issue is too sublime and important to be belittled by quibbling about designations and references. The one essential thing is the recognition and acknowledgment that the Heavenly Doctrine is the Word of the Lord in His Second Coming, and therefore of Divine Authority in our faith and our life. Any form of such acknowledgment, however slight, is welcome, for it opens the way to a full acknowledgment. What the LIFE has been opposing all these years has been the denial, (embodied in the Resolution of the General Convention of the year 1902), that the Writings are the Word in any sense whatsoever.

234




     Mr. W. H. Acton, in the QUARTERLY, admits that the Writings are the Word,-but he qualifies this admission by stating that they are the Word in a certain "restricted" sense. The admission places all his other arguments,-apparently to the contrary of this admission,-hors de combat, and therefore they need no further consideration. There remains only the question as to the "restricted" sense in which he admits the Writings to be the Word.

     From his own words we learn that he considers them the Word in the "restricted" sense of being "the revelation of interior Divine Truth from the Lord" "one with the Internal Sense which is the very life and soul of the Word," "and thus the Lord Himself Who is the Divine Truth."

     This is the "restricted" sense in which he admits the Writings to be the Word. Could anything be more un-restricted, more unbounded, closer to the Infinite? It is a truth, which no one in the New Church will venture to deny, that the higher we ascend in the scale of degrees, the less restricted and the more universal do things become. It is known that the Lord Himself, as the Infinite Divine Truth, is the Word in the most universal and unbounded sense. And hence the celestial sense of the Word, which treats of the Lord alone, is the Word in a more universal and less restricted sense than the Word in the lower spiritual sense which treats of man and his regeneration. And the internal sense as a whole is the Word in a more universal and unrestricted sense than the Word in this world which treats of times and places and individual persons.

     And similarly, in the series of written revelations that have been given to men on this earth, the Writings of the New Church-which are one with the Internal Sense, and thus the Lord Himself in His Second Coming-cannot possibly be regarded as the Word in a more "restricted" or limited sense than the earlier and more external and ultimate revelations. On the contrary, it is the Word in the letter that is the Word of the Lord in the most restricted sense,-the most literal, strict and technical sense of the term.

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MORE FROM BASUTOLAND 1916

MORE FROM BASUTOLAND              1916

     The most recent news from our friends in Basutoland is contained in the following letter:

     Liphiring, Dec. 13_1915.
Brother

     The site is given by the Paramount Chief, Letsie: II at Qhuqhu for everything the New Church business; is not builds yet. We wish to appoint one your minister to come and teach us in same place as head Quarter and to establish Theologe school and press, library, Book room, to sell them.
     Yours truly,
          S. M. MOFOKENG,
          B. F. SERUTLA,
          DAVID METSING MONYAKE,
               Committee.

     We understand from this letter that the Paramount Chief, Letsie II,-great-grandson of Mosche, and hereditary patriarch of the Basuto nation,-has granted a tract of land to be used as central headquarters for the New Church in the country, but that no buildings have been erected there as yet. And our brethren desire that one of our ministers be appointed as resident missionary in Basutoland to establish a theological school, New Church press, etc. We can only express our regrets that the man and the means for this purpose are not yet in evidence. The Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal is needed at his post in Durban, Natal, and there is no other minister as yet foot-free and prepared to enter upon missionary work among the Gentiles. In the meantime, Bishop N. D. Pendleton has responded to the request of our Basuto friends for official recognition, and a suitable collection of New Church literature has been sent to them.

     We have received also a translation into the Sesuto language of the letter which, as Secretary of the General Church, we addressed to the Rev. S. M. Mofokeng, on August 22, 1915. This was a surprise, and we regret that our friends did not select something directly from the Heavenly Doctrine as the first thing to be translated into their native tongue. But we understand that they desire this letter to be printed here, (since they have no press of their own), to be distributed in their country. As the easiest means to this end we have decided to publish the letter in the LIFE, and to have copies struck off from the type.

236


The setting of this document will be a difficult task for our printers, but it will give our readers an interesting sample of the Sesuto, and may induce some one to take up the study of that tongue.

     THE LETTER IN SESUTO.

Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Phato 22, 1915

Rev. Samuel M. Mofokeng.
Liphiring, Basutoland.
Ngoaneso ho Jerusalema e Mocha:-

     Ebile makalo e kholo, le thabo, ha ke bala mangolo a neng a ngoletsoe morena mobishopo, ke Rev. F. B. GyIlenhaal maloka le ho hohola ha Kercke Encha Lesotha.

     Swedenborg Boolceng ea hae, ea T'senolo ea nzoea, pale ea tsona 4777: "A bua a re Kercke ena ha e senyeha mona Europe, etla kiongoa moo Afrika," le ii bakeng tse ling T'senolo ea bo profeta ba buka ea Thuto ea leholimo, bo tla amokeloa ke ma-Afrika, ba tsuanang ie ba memuoa botteng, eseng ha yoalo ka ba mahareng a bobe, ba ttetseng bolotsana, yoalo ka moloko oa khale oa Makhooa.

     Ho fetile lilemo tse le kholo, maloko a Kercke Encha Europe le Amerika ba ntse ba tatimile qaleho oa Kerck'e Encha hara ba Lichaba. Ha ho fitile lilemo Tharo, ebile moo re qala ho hoa uttoa ho tsamaea ha Kercke encha k'uana India; joale pelo tsa rona li ttetse le thabo, le tsepo, le ho khothala, le mattafetse, ke litaba tsa Jerusalema e mocha e qalehile ruri ho theoka ho Molimo, maholimong ha'ra ha bacha le Lechaba se ratekang Semahla hoa ha se hdo mefuteng ea Afrika. Re leboha Morena ea aumeletseng ha bona letsatsi la phetha-halo ea boprofeta ha hae.

     Re balile tsa mosebetsi oaMohlomphehi Godfrey Lagden BASOTHO; le ile a thabisoa haholo tsa lona bohale ba lona le botsepehi ba lona le mafolofolo a lona. Mosebetsing oona, le libugeng tse ling, ke tta ngola tsa fatsa la lona le batho bi lona, ha nako e se efihlele ea here Mr. Gyllenhaal ha hlahisa tsa leeto la hae Lesdho.

237




     Morena mobishopo N. D. Pendleon le maloko oohle a Kercke encha ba thaba haholo mosebetsing oa lona, re tta le phetihela ntho tsohle, ka matta a rona re tta etsetsa pele ho holisa Kercke par Basotho. Taba ea pele ke ho et;sa ntlongana ea bokello ea libuka tsa Kercke lencha lefatsing lona, ka ho rcmella sehlotsoana sena sa libuka, seq Moren ho tteng ha hae ha la bobeli secr ngotsoeng ke mohlanka a hae Emanuel Swedenlrorg ka paballo. Bokello eena ea libuka ebe makareng, here ebe mo leseli la leholimo le ttalahlehla mahlaseli a lona befatseng la lona. Ba bang ba lona ba ka bala buo ea Senyesemane, ka buka tsena ba tt;a ithuta ha hole ii makatso tsa nete ea leholimo la thuto ea lona. Ke ile ka uttoa here le na le lildlo tse lokileng. Moo ho ithutang ba bacha ba bangata ho bala le ho bua ka Senyesemane.

     Ke maketse ha ke uttoa here o amohetse BOPHELO BA KERCKE ENCHA,-ha, ke homang-me ke bele ke thabile uttoa hoo le rata le rata libuka tsa rona, hoo ho tta le etsa "matta le matta" tumelong ea: Jerusalema ea Mocha. Ke suabile ha sale le sa amohele libuka, ho hlaheng ha ntoa eena e kholo, empa pe tta lokisa here ke romelle ho lona tse sa lefioeng ka khoeli le khoeli. Ka taelo ea Mr. Gyllenhaal le na ke tta kopa BOPHELO here bo romelloe ho battatsi ba hao ba baruti, kantte ho tefo, David Khaile, Epainetus Myaredi, Bethuel Serutla, le Zakiea Lipale.

     Ke thaba ho romella limpho ea libukanyana tsa ka e bitsoang, LILEMO TSA THABO, eo eleny taba ea Kercke tsa Khale, tse bitsoang Adama; le tsa BOPI-IELO BA SWEDENBORG, tse ngoletioeng ba bacha; le libuka tsa mongolo o mokutsoanyane trsa maiukutto, ea JERUSALEMA E MOCHA, tse tta sebeliesoa ke ba romuoa mesebetsi oa lonp. Laeba le rata libukanyana tsena, ke tta le romella tsona.

     Ke ho romella BOPHELO BA KERCKE ENCHA ba khoeli ea Phato 1913, moo o tta fumana litaba tsa "Kercke Encha le Baiichaba;" tse hlahisoa ha moho ka Tsenolo ea Swedenborg maloka le mekhoa ea ba lichaba le tsoelo pele ea Kercke Encha ha ra ba. Mohlomong o ka fetda lipampiri tsena ka buo ea Sesuto. Ho na le buka engoe eo ka ho thabasang; e bitsoang
HO.KRISTE RA NETE BA AFRIKA LE THUTO EA BONA LE KHOPOLO EA HAE TEMEKNOA; tse hlahisotoeng ke mokolo-holo ea Kercke Encha mongoli, Ngaka Wilkinson. Ke tta le romella buka eena London.

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     Hara mangolo a romeletsoeni ke Mr. Gyllenhaal ho no ho ena le mangolo a Rev. D. W. Mooki a Krugersdorp, Transvaal, moruti motso ea amoketsing thuto ea leholimo. Na tsebang ka eena ka mosebetsi oa hae re?

     Salebeletse lengolo le tsuang ha Mr. Gyllenhaal le tta hlahisa hante toa leeto la hae Lesotho, ke ka ngola ho tsoela peie nakong ea joale holima ha lona ngoanesa. Ea ratehang, oa mo-Africa, Morena mohaung o hlahisetse hlonepho e khlolo hoba lesole la Kercke Encha har'a ma Afrika, oa ho qala har'a mangata ba se nang pale ba ka nako ettang'ba tta phetha teboho ea lipelo mantsoe a Morena oa rona: "bathe ba lutseng lefifing ba bone leseli, la ba lutseng meriting oa lefu, ba bone leseli le beng etsa hole." (Isaiah 9:23; Matth. 4:13.)

     Ke ho lakaletsa mahlonolo a le holimo le bohle banabeno moo Lesotho, ke tsepa here tta ngolla ha ngata ka to koloho ho rona.
     kea ema
     ngoaneso moreneng Kerckeng Encha
     C. TH. ODHNER
     Mangoli oa Kercke ea Kopano
     ea Jerusalema e Mocha.

Translated by
     Bethuel Isibele Serutla
     David Metsing Monyake.
Corrected by Samuel M. Mofokeng,

Liphiring.

     For the sake of comparison we publish also the English original of the letter.

Rev. Samuel M. Mofokeng.
Liphiring, Basutoland.

My Brother in the New Jerusalem:-
     It was with the greatest surprise and pleasure that I read the documents sent to our Bishop by the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal concerning the growth of the New Church in Basutoland.

     Swedenborg, in his SPIRITUAL DIARY, number 4777, states that "the Church which is now perishing in Europe, will be established in Africa," and in many places the Revelator prophecies that the Heavenly Doctrine will be received by the Africans, who are like virgin soil and not filled with interior evils and falsities like the old European nations.

     For more than a hundred years the members of the New Church in Europe and America have been looking for a beginning of the New Church among the Gentiles.

239


It was only three years ago that we first heard of a New Church movement in India; and now our hearts are filled with joy and our hope and courage strengthened by the news that the New Jerusalem has indeed begun to descend from God out of Heaven in the midst of a young and noble nation of the great African race. We thank the Lord that we have been permitted to see the dawn of the fulfillment of His prophecy.

     I have read Sir Godfrey Lagden's work on the "The Basutos," and was deeply interested in his account of your brave, upright and industrious nation. From this work, and some other books, I shall write a description of your land and its people when the time comes to publish Mr. Gyllenhaal's report of his visit to Basutoland.

     Bishop N. D. Pendleton and all the members of the New Church here are deeply interested in your work and we shall do everything within our ability to promote the growth of the Church among the Basutos. The first thing to do will be to establish a little New Church library in your land by sending you a collection of those books which the Lord in His Second Coming wrote through His inspired servant, Emanuel Swedenborg. Such a library will be a center, from which the light of heaven will spread its rays in your land. Some of you are able to read the English language and will from these books learn more of the wonderful truths of the Heavenly Doctrine, which they can then communicate in your own tongue to the rest of your brethren. And I have read that you have good schools, in which many of the young people are learning to read and speak English.

     I was surprised to learn that you had received the NEW CHURCH LIFE,-I know not from whom-and it made me very happy to hear that you like our journal, and that it had made you "stronger, stronger" in the faith of the New Jerusalem. I am sorry that you have not received the journal since the outbreak of the great war, but we will now arrange to have it sent to you, free of cost, every month. At the recommendation of Mr. Gyllenhaal we will also send it to your assistant ministers, David Khaile, Epainetus, Nyaredi, Bethuel Serutla, and Zakiea Lilpale.

     I take pleasure, also, in sending you as presents some little books of mine: THE GOLDEN AGE, which is a history of the Most Ancient Church, called Adam; a BIOGRAPHY OF SWEDENEORG, Written for young people; and ten copies of A BRIEF VIEW OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, for use in your missionary work. If you like this little book we can send you more copies.

     I would call your attention to the NEW CHURCH LIFE for August, 1913, where you will find an article on "The New Church and the Gentiles;" it brings together many of the things revealed through Swedenborg concerning the character of the Gentiles and the prospects of the New Church among them. Perhaps you cduld.translate the paper into the Sesuto language. There is another book in which you will he interested; it is called THE AFRICAN AND THE "TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION" HIS MAGNA CHARTA, and it was written by our grand old New Church author, Dr. Wilkinson.

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I must order a copy of the book for you from London.

     Among the documents sent by Mr. Gyllenhaal there were some letters from the Rev. D. W. Mooki, of Krugersdorp, Transvaal,-a native minister who has received the Heavenly Doctrine. Do you know anything about him and his work?

     As we are still waiting for the letter in which Mr. Gyllenhaal will give a full account of his visit to Basutoland, I will not write further at present. Upon you, my dear African brother, the Lord in His mercy has bestowed the great honor to become the pioneer of the New Church among the Africans,-the first among countless millions who in time to come will repeat with grateful hearts the words of our Lord: "The people which sat in darkness have seen a great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up." (Isaiah 9:23; Matthew 4:13.)

     Wishing every blessing of heaven upon you and upon all the other brethren in Basuto-land, and hoping that you will write often and freely to us, I remain, Your brother in the Lord's New Church, C. Th. ODHNER, Secretary of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
MODE OF SELECTING A BISHOP 1916

MODE OF SELECTING A BISHOP       N. D. PENDLETON       1916

     A LETTER FROM BISHOP N. D. PENDLETON TO MR. RAYMOND PITCAIRN.     

     Bryn Athyn, Pa.,
     February 17, 1916.

Mr. Raymond Pitcairn,
     Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Dear Raymond:-
     At a recent meeting of the Joint Council of the General Church, called to consider the mode of procedure in selecting a Bishop, two propositions were laid before the meeting, one by yourself and the other by Mr. Alden. Both of these proposals had in view some provision whereby the members of the Executive Committee should take part in the deliberations which of necessity should occur prior to the naming of a Bishop before the General Assembly. And both of them, I believe, in some degree recognize that the initiative in the naming of a Bishop should be with the Clergy, though Mr. Alden's proposition was more definite on that point.

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     As the discussion progressed I made the suggestion that we adopt neither plan as stated, but agree that a meeting of the Joint Council be held prior to the Assembly in order to make the final arrangements for placing the name of the chosen candidate before the Assembly. In explaining the meaning of this suggestion, I said that it would give opportunity for considering the suitability of the candidate from the standpoint of the layman as well as from that of the priests. It appeared to me obvious that the judgment of representative laymen, and especially of those intimately associated with the priests in the work of the Church, should be heard in this matter; that it should be granted its due influence on the ground that laymen are qualified to judge of the qualities which will make a man a suitable Bishop of the Church from their viewpoint; and that for this reason occasion should be provided in order that such judgment might find expression. In this case judgment would be given and counsel interchanged between priests and laymen in a more intimate way than is feasible on the floor of a General Assembly. With this in view, as something altogether in order and quite in harmony with the modes and principles of our ecclesiastical government, I suggested calling a Joint Meeting for this purpose, and expressed the thought with reference to the final arrangements that it would be well if a priest in the name of our ministerial body place the name of the chosen candidate before the Assembly, and that this naming be seconded by a member of the Executive Committee in the name of that Committee.

     You will recall that my proposal was adopted, there being one vote in the negative and one vote withheld. The negative vote was cast as a protest against yielding anything of the priestly prerogative, it being held that the "election" of a Bishop is a purely ecclesiastical matter to be attended to by the priests. It is hardly necessary for me to say that I do not agree with this view, nor to add that I am not yielding any priestly prerogative. I am not "yielding" anything. A just request should not be "yielded" to, but freely granted as of right, and provided for. In so far as I perceive a request to be just and of order it is my duty to take part in that request. This expresses my attitude.

     Another vote was withheld on the ground that my proposal allowed for just the process in the mode of selecting a Bishop which Mr. Alden's proposal essayed to provide, namely, it gave opportunity for the Council of the Clergy to exercise the initiative and select a candidate, and yet opened the way for the consideration of the suitability of such candidate by the members of the Executive Committee in joint session with the ministers, before the naming in open Assembly.

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It was said that I was allowing by "indirection" that which Mr. Alden would have arranged by a positive and definite provision. I have some complaint against the implication in the word "indirection," inasmuch as the purpose in my suggestion was obvious to all and quite fully explained. It was obvious that the calling of a Joint Meeting would allow of some such process as Mr. Alden's plan definitely proposed. Why then did I offer my suggestion as a substitute for Mr. Alden's "plain and straightforward provision?" He wanted to do two things "straight out in the open." He wanted to provide for the preservation of the initiative with the Clergy, and for consultation with members of the Executive Committee, before the name went to the Assembly. I was in sympathy with Mr. Alden's intention in both of these matters but I held that the initiative belongs to the Clergy.

     Let us suppose that Mr. Alden's proposal, or the one presented by you had been offered as a resolution and adopted. In that case the mode of procedure would have become obligatory. Under such a resolution the initiative would have been conferred upon the Council of the Clergy. To this I objected on the ground that it has been with them from the beginning of our Church as a power derived from the priestly office. The form of our church government is episcopal. The Bishop carries the full powers of the priesthood, ordains all priests and names all pastors. No one-priest or layman-has questioned this; it is acknowledged by all. This acknowledgment is based on the apperception that our form of government is drawn from the Divinely revealed statements that the priests are the governors of the Church, and that there must be order and subordination among priests; also from the doctrine delivered in CORONIS 17, concerning the perfection of a trine in just order, as in the church where there is a "primus infulatus," parish priests, and curates under them. The Bishop carries the full powers of the priesthood and therefore represents in his administration the whole use of the priesthood.

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It is on this ground that the Bishop alone, of all the priests, ordains into the priesthood and names the pastors of the churches, the people of the churches choosing one from among those named. If then it is agreed to by all that the Bishop alone should ordain and nominate pastors,-if this is important, if it is vital to the proper exercise of the episcopal function in the Church, (and the term Bishop would be a mere name if the office were stripped of these powers)-how then about the ordaining and naming of a Bishop? That the ordination of a Bishop should be performed by a Bishop is freely granted. But according to our long established custom the Bishop also nominates the pastors of the churches. Is not then, the naming of a Bishop of a Church also an episcopal function? If we had a number of dioceses and several bishops, it would doubtless be agreeable to our order for the primary or initiatory nomination to come from the House of Bishops. But where such a House is lacking the episcopal function of naming must devolve upon the priesthood as a whole, since the priesthood as a whole has episcopal power, and must be able to exercise it on occasion. This power is, as I have said, that of naming. It is, if you please, a wise limiting of the field of choice. It is so in the case of a pastor, where there is a placing of the name of one or more suitable candidates before the church for acceptance.

     You see I hold that this naming is an episcopal function whether it be exercised in the case of naming a bishop or a pastor, or whether its exercise be by a Bishop or by the whole priesthood. But in my opinion there is a difference between naming and actual choice. No Bishop can place a pastor whom, the people have not chosen. He may for a time install a minister, but such a minister is not the pastor of that church. Nor can the whole body of the Clergy seat a Bishop of the General Church without the assent of the Assembly. But they can and should name the candidate, one or more, to the Assembly, with which body,-as standing for the whole Church-lies the ultimate choice. But our Assembly as it is now constituted is in the nature of a mass-meeting,-its reaction is necessarily very general. Its floor is not a fitting place for those intimate consultations which should be interchanged not only between priests, but also between priests and leading laymen, with reference to the fitness of a candidate for the office of Bishop of the Church.

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Such consultations ought to be provided for. In this way the abruptness of a direct passing of a name or names to the mass-meeting of the Assembly will be mitigated and an intelligent and very useful intermediation will be given. This intermediation is, in my opinion, agreeable to the principles laid down in the Doctrines, and I am convinced that it is in harmony with the spirit of our traditions as a Church, though we have no direct precedent for it. Let me note here that it is rather the spirit than the letter of our traditions which we should endeavor to carry forward; and if there is one of our traditions concerning the modes of government that is stronger than others it is that we "should not legislate for the future." Now if we should not legislate for the future but act intelligently for the time being, it can hardly be expected that we should unduly bind ourselves by the letter of legislation of the past. Certainly we may do that which now seems best. It is a cardinal principle with us that the priesthood is a medium, and in order to be a medium it must be adjustable. An intelligent body of laymen called to consult with a body of priests in the matter of the Bishop who is to preside over them all appeals to my mind as an exceedingly satisfactory arrangement, and the principle involved is not unknown in our episcopal practices.

     When in Pittsburgh, acting for Bishop W. F. Pendleton, I first placed the names of the pastor candidates before the council of the Society. I assure you that in that case this was quite necessary, and was attended with the best results. I have reason to believe that a like mode of procedure has been followed on other occasions. And this is that which we propose in the case of the choosing of a Bishop for the General Church, that is, to place our ministerial nomination before that joint body which stands as a general council for the Church and intermediates for the Assembly.

     With us the choosing of a Bishop is more a process than an election in which there is a counting of votes. The candidate, before taking office, must be raised to the third degree of the priesthood; that is, he must be a priest holding full power by the whole priesthood; he must receive the nomination from the hands of his brother priests; he should also have the favoring approval of the leading laymen in consultation with the priests; and finally he must be given an affirmative vote by the members of the Church in Assembly.

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Not, however, until this ultimate ratification by the Assembly is he the Bishop in permanency, fully commissioned and duly authorized to govern the Church.

     It may be said that I lay much stress upon the point that in this process of selecting a Bishop the naming must be by the Council of the Clergy, the priest body. I do, for I regard it as vital to our order in itself and to its standing in the Church. Consider this-the Bishop must be a priest, he must have risen through the three grades, he must stand forth from the priesthood as a body, as a leader of the priests, to serve the whole Church. By what power does he thus stand forth? Certainly by no power of his own, nor is he called by the Church as organized apart from the priesthood, in any other sense than as pastors are called by their societies. There is usually given a selective power to societies, but limited by the Bishop's nominations. The naming of a Bishop, when done by action of the whole priesthood, organized into its three distinct grades, is an episcopal action. I ask from what other source can a nomination of a Bishop of a Church be derived, if it is to bear any analogy or likeness to the mode of nominating pastors? If our societies should call their pastors without regard to the Bishop's nominations, a fundamental bond of our episcopal government would be broken, and the immediate effect would be a reversion to the Congregational form. I think it most important that this should be clearly seen and recognized by all priests and leading laymen.

     I note that in your proposal you say that "the Council of the Clergy shall hold a meeting to suggest "candidates." If I understand the meaning of the word suggest, I am willing that anyone should do this. If I understand a "suggestion," I may not only reject it but may take another suggestion from an entirely different quarter. If the Bishop only suggested the names of pastors the Bishop's power would be only suggestive. No, the idea is that a society may not in order go aside from the Bishop's nominations, and to my knowledge no society in the General Church has ever done so.

     Apparently a difficulty arises in the matter of choice when but one candidate is named.

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But this is not a real difficulty in case the unity of the priesthood bespeak a unity of mind in the Church. It simply means that there will be little excitement in any of the final stages of the proceedings. In such case there will be no excitement, no contest, not even in the body of the clergy when sitting for the purpose of nominating. If, however, the priests should force upon themselves an artificial unity by the application of some binding unit rule, for the sake of forcing through a candidate of a majority faction, then we should have excitement and contest in the Ministers' Council, in the Joint Council, and even on the floor of the Assembly. It is my opinion that such an effort would not met with success.

     I have spoken of the candidate in the singular for the sake of convenience and brevity. I hold that the priesthood should name one or more candidates. In case of more than one, each should receive the nomination of the whole priesthood. That is, they should not be presented as majority and minority candidates, as would be the case if the Ministers' Council acted simply as a nominating committee. In a word, the priesthood, acting as one, should place a name or names before the Church for its choice and acceptance in much the same spirit and manner as the Bishop of a church nominates pastors for the local churches. This should not be by the adoption of a binding unit rule for the sake of forcing through a majority candidate, but instead we should hold to our longstanding unanimity rule. This with us has never meant the forcing of the will of the majority upon the minority, but rather a spirit of patient waiting until all could see together. In my opinion, the naming of a pastor or a Bishop is an episcopal act which may on occasion be undertaken by the whole priesthood of a church acting as one. This being so, a majority or minority candidate would not answer the requirements. Of course, we know not what may arise in the course of our human affairs. I am speaking of the ideal to which we should look.

     A final word in regard to the part played by the Joint Council in this process of selecting a Bishop, and especially by the lay members of that body. The whole body of the Clergy acting as a unit cannot seat a Bishop of the General Church without an affirmative ratification by the Assembly, and such affirmative action will to a large degree depend upon the attitude of the leading or representative laymen.

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Having in the Church a body of such laymen, a consultation is called. Meeting in joint council, the Clergy say in effect: Gentlemen, this is the name of our candidate. What do you say? Is he, in your view, suitable, and is the Church ready to receive this nomination? If the answer is yes, then we may go forward. If no, then it will be the part of wisdom for the Clergy to withdraw, and either reconsider, or await the time when agreement can be reached.

     This letter is long, but I hope you will find time to read it. Sincerely yours, (Signed.) N. D. PENDLETON.
GEORGE A. MACBETH 1916

GEORGE A. MACBETH       HOMER SYNNESTVEDT       1916

     IN MEMORIAM.

     George A. Macbeth, one of the pillars of the New Church in Pittsburgh, and a member of the Corporation of the Academy of the New Church, passed into the spiritual world on February 11th, 1916.

     Mr. Macbeth was born at Urbana, Ohio, in the year 1845. In his youth is family, of Presbyterian stock, removed to Springfield, Ohio, and it was here that he and his sister, Helen, through their acquaintance with the Williams family in Urbana, began to study the Writings of Swedenborg, at first surreptitiously. It was a great day for them when the brother and sister discovered that both of them were reading these wonderful books.

     Mr. Macbeth was a chemist and a salesman of druggists' supplies, and in the course of his studies he became interested in the making of glass. His name is now, and has long been, a household word in this country in connection with lamp chimneys and lighting fixtures of all kinds. But this was only an incident in a career which was devoted to the production of glass for any and every purpose. Although the business grew very large and factories multiplied, Mr. Macbeth never gave up an active share in the solution of new glass problems as they arose. He studied this subject from every angle, historical, artistic and scientific points of view, and became one of the foremost authorities on glass in this country.

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     For many years all of the best optical glass had to be imported from France or elsewhere. This fact was humiliating to Mr. Macbeth's patriotic pride, and after much experimenting he finally succeeded in producing an equally good glass in this country, and in securing government contracts for supplying lighthouses and other optical uses,-the most difficult and complicated work in this field. It was one of his greatest delights in later years that Uncle Sam no longer had to go abroad for anything in the glass line.

     We led the way in the production of heat-resisting glass, such as is used in chemical laboratories, and he was the original producer of the Alba glass, which has revolutionized electric lighting. Largely through this development of glass, the proper lighting of buildings has become a special branch of engineering science. His son, George D. Macbeth, who took a course in the Academy Schools at Bryn Athyn, has been prepared to carry on this work.

     Mr. Macbeth was also prominent in Library work, and was for many years a director of the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, which has done so much for the wonderful modern development of the Library use. He was himself an enthusiastic collector of rare books and engravings, and his library, where he was almost always to be found of an evening, was a famous place. It was here that a number of very important meetings of the Councils of the Church were held, in the days when Bishop Benade was in his prime, and it was at such a meeting that Mr. Macbeth himself first proposed that the General Church of Pennsylvania should sever its connection with the General Convention in order to be free to develop its uses according to the teachings of the Heavenly Doctrine.

     When those who remained loyal to the principles of the Academy separated from the old Pittsburgh Society, then worshiping in Allegheny City, it was Mr. Macbeth who was the most active in securing for the new society the present property in the East End. In recent years, also, he did much for the enlargement and improvement of the church building, and last year it was his encouragement, as much as anything, that enabled us to secure a second teacher for our parish school.

     When a member of the Church such as Mr. Macbeth is removed from our ranks, his place is not easily filled, and we shall doubtless feel is absence in many ways for some time to come, but the work that he has done, so far as it had what is of the Lord and his-service within it, cannot be lost.

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It is built into the substance of our society and of its-members. His son and his two married daughters,-all of them taught in the schools of the Academy,-are still with us, to continue the line founded by his whole-hearted faith in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.
     HOMER SYNNESTVEDT.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. We made rather novel use of the extra day granted to us this February. An energetic committee of ladies gave a feature dance to the Society. The feature was that the ladies invited their own escorts, and the whole evening's fun was based upon the leap-year custom of "women's choice." The whole affair was carried out with good humor and merriment. The young people danced late into the night to the sweet harmony of Seaman's orchestra.

     The resident ministers are engaging in a series of monthly meetings to talk over theological matters that have been disturbing the Church. The general tone at these has been very encouraging for it will only be by such frank discussion that the difficulties of the hour can be squarely met and thrashed out.

     On March 4th the "Younger Generation" met, and in the absence of Mr. Whitehead Mr. Gyllenhaal presided. The meeting was unusually successful, the evening being devoted to the discussion of our newly assumed responsibilities as members of the Bryn Athyn Burrough.

     The month's activities included two theatrical performances. The first was the play, "Tom Pinch," produced by the Civic and Social Club, under the direction of Mrs. George Heath. It was a great success both financially and from the standpoint of furnishing healthy entertainment. All the actors deserve hearty praise for their keen interpretations of their parts.

     The second performance was the comic opera, "Pinafore," by Gilbert and Sullivan. The Schools undertook this task under the direction of Mrs. R. S. Smith. Probably the most elaborate scenery ever produced upon a Bryn Athyn stage was arranged for this event. Mr. D. F. Rose and Mr. L. Price were the architects and engineers who pushed the scheme through, while many of the school boys made it possible by their faithful work. They made the stage into a veritable ship, with mast, serviceable rope ladders, and prow extending to one side.

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Sails, cannon and port holes all lent a touch of the realistic, which made the scene a complete success.

     The rendering of the opera itself was fine. It was full of the joy and happiness of youth, which, combined with the intrinsic wit: of the verses and the catchiness of the tunes, made it doubly enjoyable.

     During the past month the Bishop has instituted the practice of Sunday evening services at which, every other week, the theologues have a chance to hold forth. The evening services for this closed March 19th.

     "At last we are discovered!" The inhabitants of San Salvador are reported (by Bill Nye) to have exclaimed thus as Columbus landed on its shore. And so did the dismayed inhabitants of Bryn Athyn as they read Mrs. Bosman's sensational write-up in the Sunday edition of the PUBLIC LEDGER for February 27th, 1916. The account of our community was doubtless well intended, but is bristling with inaccuracies, exaggerations, and phantastic inventions, which would be amusing did they not drag in our womenfolks-literally by their "wonderful hair." The dear public is informed that our girls marry "at 16 or 17 usually," and that they "want to marry!" And "woman's place in heaven, they consider, is in direct ratio to the number of little souls she has brought into the world and prepared for eternity!" No effort has been made to correct these and other misleading Statements, for an answer in the LEDGER would only produce more newspaper notoriety. K. R. A.

     GLENVIEW, ILL. One of the most elaborate social entertainments we have had this season was on Washington's Birthday, under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Lee. The barn was beautifully decorated with flags; one enormous flag covered the ceiling almost completely. The entertainment consisted of patriotic songs, tableaux vivant and the exhibition dance of the minuet. As this was too advanced for the children, they were delighted by an afternoon party given the same day at the Manse.

     There was also a Valentine's Day party on the 14th that was well attended and very enjoyable. The uncertain weather has been somewhat of a handicap to these events.

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     The approach of spring is betokened by the appearance of birds of passage; thus a horned owl made a short stay en route for the north. Robins have come and grackles are occasionally seen. That: unpleasant accompaniment of the spring-bad roads-is with us. One meeting that should have been mentioned sooner was a very harmonious one of the whole society for the purpose of receiving reports of work done on the buildings, authorizing a continuance of the same and considering the uses of various rooms in the new buildings.

     REPORT OF THE VISITING PASTOR. On the 19th of December I visited MILVERTON, Ontario, and conducted services at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Doering. Six persons were present, all of whom partook of the Holy Supper.

     The 20th to the 23d of January were spent with the Circle in CINCINNATI. TWO evening doctrinal classes were held; at the first the subject was "Man's Relation to Both Worlds," at the second, "Influx." On both occasions the interest was so active that, after two hours' conversation, the evening could be brought to a close only by breaking off abruptly. One afternoon was given to a Children's Service, at which six children, representing three families, were present. Services were held on Sunday, the 23d, at which eleven persons were present. At the Holy Supper there were six communicants.

     On the 24th I arrived at MIDDLEPORT, Ohio, to spend ten days with the Society there. Notwithstanding adverse conditions,-two families were under quarantine, and the roads so bad that the friends in the country could not come in,-the Society was as zealous as ever in desiring to derive all possible benefit from the pastoral visit, as is evident from the fact that during the ten days there were held two doctrinal classes, two ladies' meetings, two men's meetings, a celebration Of Swedenborg's Birthday, and two services. At the doctrinal classes, the subjects considered were "The Degrees of Worship and of Doctrine" and "Entrance into the Spiritual World." At the ladies' meetings, the principles of New Church education were presented. Several persons, not. of the Church, were present at both meetings, and manifested considerable interest. The subject at the men's meetings was "The Origin of Conjugial Love."

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The celebration of Swedenborg's Birthday, held in the evening of the 28th, was most delightful. Eighteen persons were seated at the banquet. Toasts appropriate to the occasion were proposed and responded to. Then followed conversation, continued late into the evening, on various subjects of doctrine. Services were held on Sunday, January 30th. In the morning there was an attendance of eighteen, of whom thirteen partook of the Holy Supper. In the evening a missionary sermon was given, the subject being "The Divine Trinity." Thirty-one persons were present, of whom, fifteen were strangers. Some interest, we hear, was awakened.

     The next point visited was ERIE, Pa. Here a doctrinal class was held on Saturday evening, February 5th. There was an attendance of fifteen persons. At the classes here "Divine Love and Wisdom" is being read. The next day services were held, including a baptism and the administration of the Holy Supper. The attendance was twenty-four, and the number of communicants sixteen.

     The week from February 29th to March 6th was spent with the three Evens families at PENETANG and RANDOLPH, Ontario. I officiated at three baptisms -and a marriage. On Sunday, March 6th, services were held, but on account of unfavorable conditions only six persons were present. Of these, four partook of the Holy Supper. F. E. WAELCHLI.

     LONDON. Since our last appearance in these columns military liabilities have pressed closer than ever. Inasmuch as these are altering the phase of our society life a better idea can be given of the change if a brief outline be given of one of the methods by which the manhood of the country has been organized for war duties.

     During last autumn Lord Derby's scheme for the formation of an Army Reserve was brought into operation. This involved the division of eligible civilians into "Groups." Each Group was numbered according to age. Groups 1 to 23 constituted the unmarried men between the ages of 19 and 41, while Groups numbered 24 to 46 included the married men of the same ages. It was then possible for one to enlist (under the voluntary principle) either directly into the Army or into the Reserve and await to be called up at a later date in order of the rotation of the Groups.

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     In consequence of the evident new societary duty the following members of our circle presented themselves for attestation:-Messrs. Harold Ball, Edward Boozer, D. Elphick, Felix Elphick, Edward Morris, D. Mckay, W. H. Stebbing, Edward Waters and J. E. Waters. Some were rejected on medical grounds, but the majority await their respective calls. Mr. R. A. Stebbing, whose firm is already in connection with military work, is recognized as on War Service.

     Since our last report Mr. Elrad Acton has joined the Royal Engineers; Mr. Geoffry Morris has been drafted to the Front, and Messrs. Fred. and Alan Waters are serving in the Medical Corps in a London Hospital. Messrs. Leon Rose and Karel Acton have undergone some terrible experiences at the Front, and no news has been received from Mr. Osmond Acton, who was in connection with the Dardanelles expedition.

     With all these several anxieties it is quite natural that energy has been diverted from Doctrinal Classes, Music practices and Socials. The fortnightly Services, however, keep us together, while the School Social on December 22d, and the Celebration of Swedenborg's Birthday, on February 6th, were two enjoyable breaks in our long spell of silence.

     The details of the School Social we have already forwarded to "The Bulletin." The program for the Celebration held on the 6th was in the good hands of the Rev. A. Czerny.

     With great convenience to the friends, Service was held at 4 p. m., instead of the usual morning hour. Following this all were accommodated for tea, and after a congenial tea-table talk, Mr. Czerny introduced the subject for the evening-"Divine Revelations."

     The first set of papers dealt with the Descending Series, or successive veilings of Divine Truth. With quotations supplied by Mr. Czerny, Mr. Anderson dealt with the "Adamic Revelation," Mr. Waters the "Noatic," and Mr. Howard the "Mosaic Law and Prophecies." The second half of the program consisted of the Ascending Series, or successive unveilings of Divine Truth.

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Mr. Rose took the First Christian Revelation, while the Second Christian, or Immediate Revelation given in the Writings of the New Church was considered in its "Doctrinal," "Descriptive" and "Prophetic" forms. The first two were included in a reading of passages from the Writings themselves by Mr. Archie Stebbing, and the third or Prophetic form was embodied in a paper by Mr. D. Elphick.

     The series afforded a very pleasant evening and the reunion was concluded by the singing of the hymn "God Bless Our Native Land"-a hymn, we may add, which was phrased in accordance with the universal faith of the New Church. F. W. E.

     FROM OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

     UNITED STATES. The Rev. Samuel S. Seward died at Pittsfield, Mass., on February 22d, 1916, at the age of 78 years. Mr. Seward entered the Ministry in 1869, served as pastor of the New York Society from 1878 to 1897, and as President of the General Convention from 1900 to 1911.

     The Men's Club of the Pittsburgh (Convention) Society reports in the MESSENGER for February 23: "The most important use of this body is the apparent fact that it is likely to be a channel through which we may interest the outside world in our beloved doctrines. During the month we had the pleasure of a very intellectual address by the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, of the Pittsburgh Academy Society."

     Work on the new church building of the Detroit Society has progressed so far that worship and Sunday School are now held regularly in the Sunday School room. Dr. Gustafson is well enough to conduct the morning service every Sunday.

     The Rev. J. S. David has resigned from the pastorate of the New Church Society in O'Farret St., San Francisco.

     The General Convention is to meet at Chicago, June 13 to 20.

     The New York Society celebrated its centenary anniversary on January 30th, 1916. We quote the following from a sermon by the Rev. Julian K. Smyth commemorative of the occasion (MESSENGER, Feb. 23): "Edward Reily, a Newchurchman from England, came to New York in 1805. . . . The ANNALS declare that 'soon after his arrival he began a search for those professing the doctrines of the New Church' . . . and 'considered himself fortunate in finding two Persons who were readers and felt an interest in the works of the Church-a Mr. Mott and a Mrs. Gallon:' Their faith and interest were contagious.

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Others became interested." So from this little center the work grew until there were sufficient believers "to organize themselves as a New Church Society," which took place on January 27th, 1816, with "twenty-six male members." The ladies, it seems, were not counted in those days.

     A letter from a receiver in Salt Lake City, Utah, to the Swedenborg Printing and Pub. Society, is quoted in the MESSENGER for February 23: "I have a class in Swedenborg. That is the reason for my ordering two sets. Usually I have the people order themselves. The orders coming from Salt Lake are from my class. Formed a class to study Swedenborg from his works. It is going very well. It always appeared to me that the teaching of Swedenborg from his own works was more clear. Also wish to tell you that among the people in the class many told me that life and the world is more clear to them since the study."

     GREAT BRITAIN. From a private letter from the Rev. E. J. E. Schreck to the editor of the MESSENGER We publish the following items:

     "We feel the war more and more. The taxes are very high indeed. I am simply unable to pay mine in the time assigned, but the tax collector is willing to wait. The streets are darkened at night; lights, shaded, are to be seen only at street corners. The slightest infraction on the part of shops or residences, of the lighting orders, are instantly punished by heavy fines. Our church looks rather dismal in the evening service, and even then, to step out on to the street, seems like stepping into black darkness. Mrs. Schreck and I visited the scene of one of the air-raids. It is dreadful the way that innocent, and mostly poor people, have been injured by the air-raid. But it makes people all the more determined to fight the war to a finish.

     "Our church activities [in Birmingham] continue as before, but attendance has been greatly diminished by the enlistment of fifty-eight, while others are detained from many meetings by work on munitions or other war work, and by service in the home defense, as special constables (even the wealthiest take their part in this) and the like.

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Great Britain never was as much in earnest as in this war. Let us hope that: it will mean a pause in warfare for a very long time to come.

     "The strain is telling on Mrs. Schreck. I am sending her to the Cotswolds this week to recuperate. There she will be far from 'war's allarums.' "
ORGANIZATION 1916

ORGANIZATION       R. B. CALDWELL       1916




     Announcements.





NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XXXVI. MAY, 1916           No. 5
     In the work, entitled DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, we are taught that "love consists in this: that its own should be another's: to feel the joy of another as joy in oneself. This is to love. But to feel one's own joy in another, and not the other's joy in oneself, is not to love, for this is to love oneself; whereas the former is to love the neighbor."

     If the organization which we are to consider at this time was to be effected between men and women who comprehend and practice the doctrine that love consists in feeling the joy of another as joy in one's self, the subject could be easily disposed of. In other words, if we had to deal with men and women from whose lives all selfish aims and unworthy ambitions had, by regeneration, been eliminated, then organization for beneficent purposes would be a simple matter. But we find the parts of which we are to form a unit, heavily cumbered with loves fixed for personal aggrandizement, with passions, ambitions, and strong desires for selfish gratification, and little or no thought of feeling the joy of another as joy in themselves. And, this being the case, we can hope to organize for common good, only by each one taking these conditions into his serious consideration and meeting the requirements in the way suggested in Bishop W. F. Pendleton's address on "Law, Obedience and Organization" (N. C. LIFE, 1914, p. 65.)

     By familiarizing ourselves with the law and by bringing our lives into obedience to it, organization must follow as a natural sequence. The Bishop has placed Law first in the order, then Obedience and Organization.

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In our unregenerate state we find ourselves strong in opinions which have only our prejudices as a basis. Opinions based upon prejudice are the ones we usually stick to with the greatest tenacity; they come to be part and pared of our proprium, and this is unfortunate because when we once obtain the consent of our will to a proposition, we have great difficulty in changing,-the will being not only obstinate and tenacious but always wrong with the unregenerate. It is therefore of the very greatest importance that when the will's consent is obtained it be for a proposition that is true, for if true it will be for the best for the common good.

     The law to the Newchurchman is the Divine Revelation given for the New Church, and therefore his obedience must be to the Doctrine of life given in this Revelation. As already intimated, if the lives of the men and women who form an organization, or are about to attempt organization, were regulated by an intelligent conception of the doctrines given to the New Church and by a desire on their part to live these doctrines; then organization would give us no anxious concern; but we all know from experience that much ground must be covered by every one before it call be said of him that he is prepared for organization, or in other words, is prepared to work in harmony with his neighbor for the common good.

     Organizations of men and women for various purposes have existed ever since men first appeared upon earth. History tells us of the rise and fall of Governments, Empires and Nations, and it has been throughout the ages. Organizations formed for the purpose of accomplishing the ends of this world only, brought into existence to bring about only selfish and worldly aims, in their very nature sooner or later come to an end. Organizations of this kind have in them all the elements of disruption. With such, disruption is at all times only in a state of postponement. Union with such is an appearance, the continuation of which rests upon the Unstable basis of hope of worldly advantage; when this may no longer be hoped for, the internal state of conflict becomes external, and the end is at hand. Worldly advantage as an end, and a spirit of union upon an interior plane (which alone has the elements of perpetuity in it), cannot exist at the same time with the same persons any more than the faith of the New Church and the faith of the Old Church can be accommodated by the same mind.

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An attempt of this latter we know results in delirium.

     The importance of having our organizations based upon the truths of the Revelation given to the New Church, may be seen clearly from what we are told of organization in the other life, which have self-gratification as an end. We read in A. C. 1322 that evil spirits are arranged into Societies and that there is a sort of common tie whereby they are kept united; but when this common tie is dissolved, one rushes violently against another, and it is their delight each to torture his companion. This must eventually be the case with all organizations where the individuals composing such have self-gratification as their end.

     It will be seen then, that if an organization is to continue and be of use, and a source of spiritual comfort, it must have to guide it something better than that which has in the past guided the associations of men and women and that for which they associate at this day in the world. As already intimated, it must be guided by that revealed truth,-unique to the New Church but unknown in Christendom,-that revealed Truth which teaches that a man must shun his evils as sins. 'Tis a truth as simple as childhood, as clear as sunlight, and stronger to bind men together than the electric belt that binds the earth; yet how difficult it is to get the man of the world to comprehend and believe it.

     If a man has regard to his own defects and assumes an antagonistic attitude towards these, he will come into a state of consideration for the short-comings of others. The mutual struggle against evils, each of us against his own, will produce in each a state of charity attainable in no other way. A spiritual brotherhood may be established and be conducive of good and comfort, if, in our relations with each other, each one places his own evils before himself for scrutiny and judgment, instead of giving his neighbor's life this prominent position.

     Whether an organization of men and women is to be productive of good, rests upon this apparently small matter of each passing judgment on his own evils instead of each one making it his care to judge his neighbor's evils. We may be enabled to measure correctly our duty and responsibility with regard to our neighbor's evils by giving heed to the fact that the Lord permits our neighbor to have evils, and that it is better for our neighbor and his regeneration to find out his own evils for himself than to be told of them by others.

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     Organization, like every other good work, must have regard to perpetuity. The Writings teach that that alone which is Eternal can be said To Be. Everything else ultimately passes away as a dream. The operations of the Divine Providence for man's happiness here and hereafter begin in the womb, continue to the grave, and last to Eternity. In this respect man may be compared to a tree; the progress of the formation of the new man may be likened to the seed, the sprout, the sapling, the trunk, the branches, the leaves; the flowers, the fruit, the new seed. So will an organization, actuated by spiritual good, have in it also the element of reproducing its like, and the emanating sphere from such will ever be a perennial source of spiritual reproduction. This cannot be said of ordinary worldly friendship, or of anything that has for its end merely worldly advantage. That friendship, like the grave, draws all things to itself and gives nothing back. Man should be a radiant, not an absorbent; that is, he should be willing to take part in the services of life as well as in its benefits. He should feel the joy of another as joy in himself.

     By the order of our creation we are mutually interested in and reciprocally dependent upon each other. Any undertaking amongst us which does not make this relationship a condition in its plans cannot have mutual love as its spring. Man was not born for himself alone. Everything preaches this. It is a self-evident truth that we have all been placed in this world to be of service to the neighbor from a love of being useful. The man who for any reason shrinks from this condition of his birth has yet to learn his true origin and destiny. The greatest of all sources of content and peace in this world is to be found in doing one's own part well, or to the best of one's ability, with no end in view but to be useful.

     Then it follows that man, being so constituted, to accomplish his true destiny must resist the tendency to make himself the center, and must adopt some rule of life by which he may contribute his share, along with the rest, to a common center, and this he best accomplishes by making his own evils the subject of his enquiry instead of marshaling his neighbor's evils before him for inspection.

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     We can easily see how impossible it would be in a body of men and women to organize for a common end, when each one is bent upon having his own way, or is actuated by a desire to set other people right.

     In a sermon by Bishop W. F. Pendleton, published in the LIFE, (1913, p. 645), we are told that "a religious freedom such as never existed, is to become the heritage of men. The individual is to become responsible to the Lord alone in what he says and does. He is not to be subject to the will and command of another in the things of a religious and moral life, nor even in the things of civil life, so long as he lives according to the laws of order. And in separating from: the Old Church, one of the fundamental things to lay aside, to shun as a sin against God, is the desire and wish to control the actions of others; to dictate what another shall think or what another shall do."

     We read in H. H. 220, that every one in hell wishes to rule others; but of the angels we read in S. D. 4427, that while they are most powerful and able to subdue hell, yet notwithstanding, they are such that they desire to rule over no one. The angels practice this love of leaving others in freedom to the extent of declining to give specific advice of instructions. In the work on DIVINE PROVIDENCE 321, we read that certain inquiring ones in the other life are told that if they act wisely they will be wise, but if they act foolishly they will be foolish; this is the extent of the advice given them. Abraham Lincoln expressed his idea of Government in this way: "When the white man governs himself, that is self-government, but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government,-that is despotism."

     It would be well, therefore, for us in contemplating organization, to reflect, and like the angels restrain the inclination to advise. We can hope to get the best thought and action of the others, with whom we are to form an organization, only by allowing the others to think and act for themselves.

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In this way, it appears to me, we shall be finding the joy of another as joy in ourselves, and when we have accomplished this important vantage, we shah have made a long stride toward a happy and delightful organization.

     Man may assist himself greatly in forming an idea of his duty toward his fellow men by keeping before himself the doctrine that the end of creation is to form an angelic heaven out of the human race. We can see that this involves the work of each man examining himself, discovering his evils, and shunning them. For the work of forming a heaven out of the human race must begin in forming a heaven in each individual, and this can come about only by each individual' shunning his evils as sins against the Lord.

     Every man is born to become an angel. No man is born for himself alone, but for others. Man is a social being and must associate with his fellowmen. He must, however, discriminate; that is, he must shun evil associates, or rather, if he is in charity, the selfish will shun him, for there's a daily beauty in the life of charity which is not congenial to the selfish. Therefore, it might be said that a man is known by the company he attracts. One must ever keep in mind that he cannot, by any effort he may make, judge rightly of his neighbor until he has judged rightly of himself. He must take his own case into judgment, get the beam, (not the mote), out of his own eye, and then on the principle that that which he must hate in himself he cannot love in another, he withdraws from association with the evil in another. He does not withdraw from the good in another, but the evil; for neither his neighbor, nor he himself, would derive any spiritual good from an alliance between each other's evils. The Writings teach of evil spirits in the other life, that they are organized into Societies, but that the common tie which keeps them together is self-worship. So far as they can partake of self-worship, they adhere, but so far as they cannot partake, or have hope of partaking, they are disunited (A. C. 1322). In other words, so far as the love of self prevails, they have the common tie of love of self; but the love of self has no enduring power, and eventually collisions and quarrels ensue, as we all know from experience.

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     Let me quote from Daniel Webster: "If we work upon brass, time will efface it; if we work upon marble, it will perish; if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon our immortal minds, if we imbue them with principles, with the just fear of God and a proper regard for our fellow men, we engrave on those tablets something which will brighten to all eternity."

     If, then, we would be of mutual aid and delight to each other, and bound in an internal bond of spiritual brotherhood and ever find our meetings a source of spiritual good and comfort, let us carefully bear in mind these teachings from the Writings: "Those who are in charity scarcely see another's evils, but observe all that is good and true in him.... Such are all the angels, and this they have from the Lord, who turns all evil into good" (A. C. 1079) And that "it is the will of the Lord that all things good should be communicable, and that all should be mutually affected by love, and so be happy" (A. C. 1388).
COMPLETE ACKNOWLEDGMENT 1916

COMPLETE ACKNOWLEDGMENT       Rev. GEORGE DE CHARMS       1916

     "And He saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is near." (Revelation 22:10.)

     There are discrete degrees in the understanding of the Word, ascending from the ultimate sense of the Letter even to that inmost and highest sense which treats of the Lord alone. As these degrees become more interior they at the same time become successively more universal; and as thy descend toward the purely literal sense, they become more fixed, limited, and prescribed in their application. Thus the Word may be conceived of as a great telescope, with its point upon the earth. When extended to its full length, it becomes focused upon the Lord alone as the Divine Man, the Center and Source of all things, Eternal, Immutable, Infinite. So regarded, the Word treats solely of the Lord, the God of Heaven and Earth. All things of time, and space, and person are stripped from, it, and there remains a revelation of the Divine Love and Wisdom, of the Divine Mercy and Providence, of all the attributes of Infinite God, existing forever the same through all time, through all space,-coming alike to all people of whatever planet or race or nation,-falling without distinction upon the just and upon the unjust, upon the righteous and upon the wicked,-causing all things in the entire realm of Creation, by His Own Divine Power, to be and to exist every instant of time.

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     If however the telescope be shortened, if the Word be looked upon as to its internal sense, rather than as to its inmost sense, then also the range of vision becomes narrowed. The eye becomes focused, not upon the Lord as He is in Himself, but upon the Lord as He is received by man. We look not now upon the Infinite and Eternal apart from creation, but rather upon the Infinite and Eternal as reflected in the things of Heaven, in the things of the spiritual and internal mind of man. Thus we do not now see the Lord directly as a Divine Man, but our attention is fixed upon the Gorand Man of Heaven, Universe-wide, including all men that ever were, or ever will be created, yet finite, and created into an ever more perfect image and likeness of God Himself. A contemplation of the nature, the structure, the inmost form and constitution of this Gorand Man, reveals the laws of regeneration that apply to all men everywhere. It sets forth to view those universal principles that govern all spiritual growth, and pays bare each state successively through which a man must pass in order to be raised up from earth to heaven. It enables us to see the whole Heaven as a unit, as one man, measuring "an hundred and forty and four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel."

     And if we shorten our vision still more, descending to a contemplation of the Word as to its internal historical sense, then do we descend from heaven to earth. Our range no longer includes the whole universe, but is limited to our own little planet. We begin to be bounded by the things of time. We are not now looking upon the Lord as He is in Himself, nor yet upon the Gorand Man of Heaven. We are contemplating rather the race of men upon our earth, seeing that whole race as a single man, who grows from an infant into manhood before our eyes. We see now the successive churches that have existed upon the earth.

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We see how one part of the Word treats specifically of one church, while another part treats of another. We see how the Lord was received at one time, as compared with the way of which He was received at some subsequent time. Here we find the laws of regeneration and of reformation more fully differentiated, more particularly described, more especially applied to specific times and seasons and states of life.

     And lastly, focusing our attention upon the outmost or literal sense of the Word, wherein persons, places, and historical events are described, we find the Divine Laws treated of with Infinite minuteness. In the Representative characters, in the things they did and said, in the laws, customs, habits of life that are related concerning them, in even the least curves of the original Hebrew Letters, we are taught about internal states of life with minute detail. Every least change of state, every alteration of the substances of the internal man, every moment of spiritual growth, from the cradle to the grave, and beyond to the final goal of Heaven itself, is described in the correspondential representatives of this literal sense, in order that the universal laws contained in the Word may be applied with exactness to the circumstances and conditions of every man who may ever be born upon the earth.

     Thus the Word is adapted Divinely to the needs and requirements of men, reading them on, from a contemplation of their own little world, and of the states of their own infinitesimal life, to a vision of wider compass, of more universal application, of higher and more interior conceptions, and of more perfect wisdom and delight, until they are drawn even to the Lord Himself, that He may enter into their hearts to form them and to mold them into a complete finite image and likeness of their Creator. And since the Word is written with an internal historical sense, in which special churches, special stages in the development of the race, are more particularly treated of, therefore, that we may receive special illustration with regard to our own age, our own church, we naturally turn to those parts of the Word which are devoted, in this proximate sense, to a description of the New Church, its birth and its development.

     That part of the New Testament which treats most especially of the New Church, is the Book of Revelation. This book, in the internal historical sense, treats solely of the First Christian Church at its end, of the Coming of the Lord, of the Last Judgment, and of the formation and establishment of the New Church.

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It is called the "Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him." It was dictated by the Son of Man as He is pictured in the first chapter, and by Angels who are described in various ways. Thus it is the Revelation of the Lord in His Divine Human Glorified, which revelation is none other than that which is at this day made to the New Church in the Writings of the Second Advent. Further, the revelation was made to John, who represents all those within the Church who are in charity and in its faith, thus who represents all in the whole earth who will receive the Lord, and who will acknowledge Him at his Second Coming. And while the revelation was made representatively to John, it was not given for the First Christian Church. Its meaning could be deciphered by none; it was a book that was sealed with seven seal's, and no one was found worthy to open the book, or to loose the seals thereof except the Lamb,-except the Lord Himself who has now manifested the spiritual meaning and interpretation of the prophecy, through His servant Emanuel Swedenborg.

     In this book, then, we find teaching from the Lord that applies specifically and particularly to ourselves, and to our present state. In its internal historical sense, we find a description of the state into which the world has at this day actually fallen. We find in it a revelation of the true internal character of the dead Christian Church in the midst of which we dwell. We see there a description of the Lord's Coming, and of all that is actually described as taking place, as seen and heard in the Spiritual World by Emanuel Swedenborg, Servant of the Lord. We find there a representative picture, minutely worked out as to every detail, of the New Church, as the Holy City, now descending from God out of Heaven. Here the Lord is speaking to us, in a special sense, accommodated peculiarly to our needs and to our circumstances.

     With this in mind, let us examine what is meant by the words of the tenth verse in the twenty-second chapter of this book: "And He saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near."

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This command is uttered by one of the seven angels who had the seven vials containing the last plagues. It was this same angel who had appeared to John, had shown him, the Holy City New Jerusalem, with its gates of pearl, the twelve foundations of its walls of precious stones, the walls themselves of jasper, and the city within of pure gold, like unto clear glass. It was immediately after the vision of all these things that the angel commanded John, in the words of our text: "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book." By the angel here is meant the Lord as to His Divine Human Glorified, inflowing through the inmost of Heaven. The inmost of Heaven, with every man, is the inmost plane of the mind, the plane of internal perception and delight. By that which is said by the angel, then, is denoted that which is perceived in the inmost of the human mind. And because the angel is speaking to John, by whom is represented those who are to receive the New Church, therefore this perception is revealed only to those who have acknowledged the Lord in His Second Advent. Such a perception from the Lord is necessary that the New Jerusalem may be built up upon the earth. Before the Church can be ultimately formed as an organization, it must be seen internally as a spiritual reality. Before men have seen, from internal perception in the Word to the New Church, that the old Christian sects are dead; that a judgment has been effected upon them, that a New Heaven and a New Earth are being formed, because the first heaven and the first earth have passed away; and that a new City of Doctrine and life is about to descend from God out of Heaven, before all this has been internally perceived and recognized, no new Church on earth can be formed. If we are to form a distinct organization, with our own peculiar beliefs, our own peculiar forms of worship, our own particular modes of life, that will distinguish us internally and externally from the world around us, then must we see that the New Church to which we belong is indeed a "New Heaven and a New Earth" and that "the first heaven and the first earth have passed away." It is this perception which must precede the establishment of the Church that is internally involved in all that has preceded the words of our text in the Apocalypse.

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It is only after John has been carried away in the spirit into heaven, where he has seen the throne set for judgment, the little book sealed with seven seals, and the Lamb who alone is "worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof;" it is after he has witnessed the results that follow the breaking of the seven seals, and the pouring out of the seven vials containing the last plagues; it is after the Dragon who persecuted the woman, has been shown to him, and he has seen the fall of Babylon the Great; it is after he has perceived the revelation of the New Jerusalem as the Holy City descending from God out of Heaven to become the Bride, the Lamb's wife; it is only after all these revelations have been made that he hears the voice of the angel commanding: "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book." By the "sayings of the prophecy of this book" are meant the truths of Doctrine now revealed to the New Church. By "this book" in the literal sense, is meant the revelations made to John. But internally, as we have seen, the revelations made to the New Church are referred to, and in this sense, "this book" is none other than the Word to the New Church, the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, the rational revelation made by the Lord at His Second Coming.

     "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Hold not back, keep not Secret, withhold not from the world nor from yourselves the Divine Truths that have now been made manifest for the upbuilding of the New Church in the hearts and minds of men. "For the time is near." By "time" in the Word is meant state; and here by "time" is signified that state which; is specifically treated of in the Apocalypse, namely, the last time of the Church, the state of total devastation and judgment. By "near" is not meant nearness of time, but nearness of state. The words here written were uttered to John in the isle of Patmos, a few years after the Lord's resurrection. The first Christian Church had scarcely arisen. It had to pass through its successive stages of morning, midday, and evening, before the state here referred to could be reached. Its course was destined to comprise seventeen and a quarter centuries, before, in time, the prophecy here continued would actually be "near." But to be near when spiritually considered is to be near in state,-to be destined with absolute certainty. The state of devastation treated of in the Apocalypse was sure to come.

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The Judgment there described most take place. And the formation of a New Church will certainly follow. And that devastation, Judgment, and new formation are destined surely to come, not only to the race as a whole, but to each individual member of the Church. And the one way in which we can be counted among those that belong to the New Jerusalem, and not among such as fall with the Dragon or with Babylon the Great, is to heed the Command of the Angel: "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near." The importance of this injunction in its bearing upon the formation of an external New Church on earth, has been seen and recognized by a few Disciples of the Lord in His Second Advent. It has been acknowledged that "the sayings of the prophecy of this book," the truths that are revealed to us In the Heavenly Doctrines, the Divine Revelation that has been given from the Lord out of Heaven for the upholding of an everlasting Church among men, must be declared to the world in its integrity. The New Church cannot be built by men. It cannot be formed from the imperfect ideas which they may conceive. Its light must not be the candle of mere human intelligence, nor its temple the work of human hands. "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it;" We cannot pick and choose what we shall teach and what we shall withhold. We cannot present part of the truth revealed in the Writings, hiding the rest carefully within ourselves that it may not appear before men. For so doing we deprive the teaching of its Divine character, infill it with our own finite personality and make it human. The Lord has given a Divine Revelation, Infinitely adapted, in His Wisdom, to the work for which it is intended. It is this revelation, and this alone, in its entirety and in its integrity, that can form the New Church upon the earth. By this alone can the Lord work to establish His presence anew in the hearts of men. And this revelation is given into our hand with the express admonition "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near," and with that other solemn warning: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book, and if any man shall take away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book."

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The grave responsibility thus imposed upon men, to teach and declare to the world the Doctrine of the New Church, without fear, and without reserve, has been seen and acknowledged by a few. And under the inspiration of this evident commission from the Lord, the work of establishing the Church as a separate and distinct organization has been commenced. And by the Lord's Divine Mercy, it will advance slowly, imperfectly at first, but none the less surely, to the final upbuilding of the Holy City among the nations of the earth; for "The time is near."

     But there is another work more internal than this, without which this external establishment of the Church is impossible, and the efforts to make it truth spiritual and permanent are vain. There is another understanding of the words of our text, which necessarily follows from the first more general perception alluded to above, and which sets for us a task even harder than that to which we have just referred. This task has relation to the establishment of the Church in ourselves, and involves the responsibility thrown individually upon each of us by the command of the Angel: "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near." Every man is a microcosm, a little world, and the establishment of the Church in the world is but the complex of its establishment in the individual mind and heart. And it is just as true that, with each of us, it must be built by the Lord and not by ourselves, as it is that it must be so built in the world at large. The present state of almost universal indifference to spiritual things; the civil freedom in religious matters that has been so widely recognized; the abolition of the spirit of persecution on account of religious principles,-all these have made the external entrance into the Church, even an entrance that involves the total and unreserved acceptance of the Writings, a comparatively easy matter. But the entrance into the external organization of the Church is only the gateway. If we are to lay bare the inmost meaning of the truths of the Heavenly Doctrine, looking upon them irrespective of our surroundings, irrespective of the natural loves and desires that fill our hearts, unblinded by the persuasive sphere of the dead Christian Church, with its false standard of morality and its utter ignorance of those things that have to do with the life of heaven, we will find ourselves confronted with a far harder task.

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Such an acceptance of the teaching of the Writings involves a complete change in our mode of thought and life. It means that we shall reject all the reasonings that come into our minds from the selfish loves into which we are born, and will recognize the truth of the Doctrine in its purity, as it has come to us from the very hand of God. It means that our whole life, our whole love, our whole effort must be to establish this truth, this doctrine, in our lives, in some ultimate and concrete form such as will constitute a permanent upbuilding of that doctrine within us as part of our very being. It involves a readiness to do, in some form, in some way, however incomplete and imperfect, that which the Lord reveals to us in the Word of His Second Advent, without exception, and without regard to the mere external consequences. It necessitates our allowing the Lord to reach into the very inmost recesses of our most secret thoughts and deepest ends to mold and order all things according to His Divine Law, The mere outward acceptance of the Writings, as an abstract teaching, entirely separate from the practical problems of our lives, is so easy, that we do not, perhaps, appreciate how difficult the life of those teachings really is. It is so easy to accommodate them, to close our eyes to that part of them which offends our natural ambitions or desires, to remold them in our own minds to accord with our selfish tastes and appetites, that we scarcely enter, even though we have spent all our life within the walls of the external New Church, into spiritual temptation such as will reduce us to the state of despair and self-abnegation which alone can lead to the Lord's eternal presence with us in heaven. And yet we have before us the unmistakable command of the Lord: "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book for the time is near." Be not content with a mere superficial view of the Doctrines such as may still allow you to dwell in the courts of wickedness. Accept not part of the Divine teaching as it is seen to apply to your life, while the rest is rejected and cast aside, because it is found to interfere with some worldly desire and ambition. Take the Word as the Lord has given it, in its Very Divine form, and follow the Lord as He there appears, even though it be into prison and unto death, that He may in truth become your God, and that ye may be His people.

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Stand ready at all times to obey His voice, looking neither nor the right hand nor to the left, doubting not His Divine Providence, and turning not aside to the ways of man. Only thus can the New Church be truly established within us. If we only partially follow the Lord, taking one thing that He has revealed, and rejecting another; obeying His will at one time, and at another inserting our own will as the guiding principle of our life,-if the choice of our path is to be our own, and the pattern of the walls of the New Jerusalem to be our own design, then are we of necessity deprived of the Lord's guidance; and that which is built as a result of our life will be of human, and not of Divine origin. We cannot in this way truly enter into the New Church, for by "adding or taking away from the words of the prophecy" our part shall be "taken away out of the book of life and out of the Holy City." We will take to ourselves the power that belongeth unto God, and we will make His temple in our hearts a den of thieves.

     Such is the explicit teaching of the Lord, a teaching so vital, so far reaching, so fundamental in its effects that it must become the very corner-stone of all genuine New Church life and faith. To make it such leads inevitably to spiritual temptations, to spiritual persecutions, even to the death of all our merely natural loves. But with the death of these, the Lord gives us a new and spiritual love, a love for the things of heaven, a love for the inmost keeping of His Commandments. And when this love has come to be the highest desire of our lives, we are brought into a state of heavenly peace and joy impossible to any other state. Once the real, the genuine establishment of the Church with us, in all the beauty of holiness, has become the deepest love of our life; once this is given first place in our affections, overshadowing all external desires, however attractive they may seem in the light of natural reason alone; once we have been brought to subject our own will, that the Lord's will may be done on earth as it is done in heaven; then can the Lord truly enter to bless us with His eternal presence, and to build in us the New Jerusalem, that Holy City which hath no need of the sun of mere human affection, neither of the moan of external reason to shine in it, for the Lord God will lighten it, and the Lamb will be the light thereof. Amen.

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DIVINE HUMAN FROM ETERNITY 1916

DIVINE HUMAN FROM ETERNITY       Rev. C. TH. ODHNER       1916

     A STUDY

     In heaven and on earth the supreme of all the doctrines of the Church is the Doctrine of the Lord. As revealed in the Writings this Doctrine in its general outlines is so definite and clear as to be within the grasp of every simple-hearted reader, but at the same time it involves Divine arcana hidden to the deepest thinkers in this world, nay, transcending even the inmost perceptions of the most sublime angelic minds.

     It is no wonder, therefore, that from the earliest days of the New Church there has been some perplexity and divergent views among our theologians in regard to certain profound aspects of the Doctrine of the Lord, subjects such as the Divine Human from eternity, the process of the Incarnation and the Glorification, and the nature of the Resurrection Body or Glorified Human of the Lord. The natural difficulty for earthly minds to enter upon an interior study of these recondite subjects is greatly increased by the sphere of Old Church thought which in both worlds surrounds the nascent thought of the New Church, and which is ever seeking to confuse and devour it, especially when that thought is directed to the Divine Human of the Lord. And this adverse sphere of the dragon operates not only upon our conscious understanding but also upon our unconscious will, through the very blood inherited from uncounted generations of Christian ancestors who, systematically and persistently, have been taught to divide the Godhead into three persons in their faith, and to separate the Divine from the Human in the Lord Jesus Christ.

     These are some of the psychological and we may even say physiological reasons why the interior things of the Doctrine of the Lord have been so difficult to grasp, but these reasons nevertheless must never deter the students of the Church from ever renewed, studies in each succeeding generation. It is our duty to go forward and not rest content supinely in the conclusions of our fathers. If the truth does not advance in our minds, the opposite will be sure to do so.

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That such a danger is not an imaginary one seems evident from certain recent theological developments concerning the nature of the Divine Human and its relation to the elements of the Holy Supper,-theories which I cannot but regard as separating the Divine from the Human of the Lord, and as tending directly to the Church of Rome.

     Much confusion, I regret to say, has emanated from that one work which, (outside of the Writings), has been regarded as the greatest authority on these subjects, the work on DISCRETE DEGREES, by the Rev. N. C. Burnham. Though this work represents the life-work of an eminent specialist, its teachings were never received with perfect satisfaction by the other early leaders in the Academy, and the late Bishop Benade often criticized not only the methods but many of the conclusions of the author. His theories concerning the Divine Human from eternity and the state of the Lord's human at the birth are especially open to objection, and on this account it seems necessary to introduce the present study with an analysis of his teachings on these subjects.

     DR. BURNHAM'S HYPOTHESIS.

     Dr. Burnham begins his treatment of the subject by teaching that "the Lord before the assumption of the Human in the ultimate from the Virgin was as it were clothed with a certain higher or interior human formed by His proceeding Divine in the angelic heavens as a complex man. This was then the Divine human of the Lord and from it flowed in with man in the world the Spirit of the Lord in ancient times." (p. 113.) After quoting the references to "the former human" and "the two prior degrees," (D. L. W. 221, 233), Dr. Burnharm asserts positively that these "'two prior degrees' are not the essential Divine called Jehovah or the Father in distinction from the Human or the Son, but are the two higher degrees of His Human, and are the same as the 'former human.' (n. 221 of the same work.) "The Lord from eternity," (n. 223), means not merely the Essential Divine, but the Lord in His former human" (p. 114). The author then proceeds to state that "the Lord at that time by means of the heavens as a whole had their two prior degrees in actuality and their third degree in potency," (p. 114); these "two prior degrees in actuality which the Lord had in the heaven before Incarnation, and the whole natural human which He held in potency, He took upon Himself at the Incarnation." (p. 116. Italics ours.)

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     In the next chapter, on "The Degrees of the Human, and whence taken," we are informed that the Lord at the Incarnation "descended through the heavens, (from which He took His spiritual mind), into and through the world of spirits whence He took a degree below that from the heavens and above that from Mary," (p. 119), and the author bases this surprising conclusion upon an analogy with "the descent of the Word through the angelic heaven, and thus through the world of spirits, till it reaches man. (A. C. 1887, S. D. 3020.)" And this analogy is the sole foundation for the following remarkable account of the "State of the Human at Birth:"

     1. THE STATE OF THE "SPIRITUAL MIND" AT BIRTH. According to Dr. Burnham, the Lord at birth had "the three degrees of His spiritual mind taken from the angelic heavens" and "the three degrees of His natural mind taken from the world of spirits." (p. 119) "The spiritual mind of the Lord at birth was assumed from the whole angelic heavens, and was equivalent to the aggregate of the virtues and powers of those heavens, which were composed of finite but genuine good and truth." "'Inasmuch as the Lord took on the good and truth of the whole angelic heaven, His spiritual mind was at birth immensely developed." (p. 126.) "When this vast complex of angelic good and truth constituent of the heavens, is called the former divine human, and the divine human from eternity, the term 'divine' is used in a qualified sense, and means the inflowing divine as appropriated by the angels." (p. 127)

     It was "qualified," indeed, for according to the same authority, "the amount and excellence of this good and truth, though strictly finite, and in relation to the Divine within, impure, still vastly transcends human conception." (p. 126.) Nay, it was not only "impure," but something far worse than this, for we learn from the same source that "inasmuch as His spiritual mind was at birth from the heavens, whatever of weakness inhered in it, was, of course, from the created substances composing the organic forms of the heavens from which it was assumed, and whatever of impurity adhered to it, was from the proprium of the angels." (p. 129.)

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The proprium of the angels, it should be observed, is no better than the proprium of the devils in hell.

     2. THE STATE OF THE "NATURAL MIND" AT BIRTH. As to this Dr. Burnham teaches that the Lord's "natural mind, (including His spiritual body), was composed of inferior spiritual substances taken from the world of spirits." (p. 123.) "The evils of this degree were not inherited from the mother," (p. 124), but "His natural mind was tainted with evils derived from the great mass of spirits in the world of spirits at the time of His Incarnation. It was also stored with all the good and truth possessed by the spirits there, which good and truth, from a taint of evil and falsity, were, in the main, not pure and genuine till cleansed and elevated." (p. 128.) "His natural mind at birth was filled with evil and falsity, clothed with apparent good and truth." (p. 122.) "His natural or external mind was assumed from the world of spirits and was evil and false within, but apparently good and true without." (p. 123.) "His spiritual mind was clothed with the natural from the vast mass of spirits then in the world of spirits and not yet judged, who were mainly evil and false within, but apparently good and true without. Such was the state of His natural mind at assumption." (p. 122.) And the evil thus assumed, according to Dr. Burnham, was not "hereditary evil, but evil loosely adhering and mixed with good and truth not yet genuine." (p. 131).

     And both of these degrees or minds, with all their goods and truths and evils and falsities, "were the Son of God by assumption, not by birth" from the virgin, (p. 124); they "were not inherited from the mother," but were "assumed from the great spiritual mother, the heavens." (p. 130.)

     AN IMPOSSIBLE HYPOTHESIS.

     The mind gasps at conclusions such as these, which ever since their first publication in the year 1887 have been permitted to remain unchallenged.

     Leaving aside, for the present, the question of "the two prior degrees," I must take issue with the whole theory that the Lord assumed from the angelic heavens any angelic human of His own or was born a Divine Angelic Man.

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There is no doctrinal warrant whatsoever for these ideas and expressions, nor for the notion that He assumed a human "mind" from the world of spirits. He took nothing from either angels or spirits,-nothing from their good and truth and nothing from; their proprium. They, individually or collectively, had nothing at all to do with the process of Incarnation, for this was a work purely Divine. The whole unfortunate misconception has arisen from mistaking the "angelic heavens" for "the Divine in the heavens."

     Dr. Burnham's idea seems to be that the Divine-when in ancient times assuming the "former human"-descended through the atmosphere of the successive heavens, there gathering to itself an organic human form from the exhaling spheres of all the angels, and then descended further into the world of spirits, there gathering a still more ultimate human form from the sphere-particles of all the spirits there, and that this was the usual manner of His appearance in the spiritual world, except when on occasions, ("sometimes," "frequently"), He in addition borrowed the organic human of an individual angel or spirit. What became of the "human" thus gathered, does not appear, but we infer that it was dissolved into its component elements after each appearance, except on the last occasion, when He assumed it permanently, and "superinduced" over it the ultimate human from Mary.

     This idea, however, is mystical and unintelligible, because postulating an inorganic process, devoid of every organic medium. It is, moreover, contrary to the plain and unanimous testimony of the Writings, which everywhere teach that whenever the Divine appeared in the Heavens, it did so by means of individual angels and spirits. The inorganic process is not to be found in the Writings.

     The analogy with the "descent of the Word," upon which Dr. Burnham founds his whole hypothesis, does not apply to the Incarnation of the Lord for in the passages adduced for support of his theory, (A. C. 1887; S. D. 3020), We are simply taught that Divine Revelation was given-by means of angels in heaven and by spirits in the world of spirits, until it reached a man on earth. But at the Incarnation, the Word did not reveal itself as Speech, but as Flesh, and It did not descend into the womb of Mary by means of a series of inspired angels and spirits, but the Divine took unto Itself a Divine SEED, formed out of its own Proceeding Divine.

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This is "the Divine in the heavens," and this divinely human Seed is what the Lord "took upon Himself" at the Incarnation, without the intermediation of angels or spirits.

     The theory that the Lord took from the angels a "spiritual mind," and from the spirits in the world of spirits a "natural mind" and a "spiritual' body," is contrary to the universal teachings of the Heavenly Doctrine. The mind, whether spiritual or natural, is something which does not exist with any human being at birth, but it is built up in after life through the gradual influx of the soul into the body and through the afflux of sensations and knowledges from, the outer world. The planes upon which this mind may be built up, exist in the cortical substances of the brain, but these planes, at first dormant and unconscious, cannot as yet be called a mind. Moreover, these substances are not taken from the angelic heavens or the world of spirits, but from the father and the mother of the individual conceived and born. And the Lord had but one Father,-His own Divine,-and but one mother,-the virgin.

     The idea that the Lord, in assuming the human, assumed at the same time the aggregate of "the good and truth of the whole angelic heaven,"-"the vast complex of angelic good and truth," while at the same time He assumed the impurity of the "proprium of the angels," nay, the combined "evil and falsity" of all the spirits in the world of spirits,-is equally without warrant from the Writings, and is as irrational as the ancient heresy of the Old Church that the actual evils of the whole human race were transferred in body to the human of the Lord, while the good of His merit is transferred bodily to those who have faith in His "vicarious atonement." It is difficult enough to imagine how "truths and falsifies" could have been transferred to the unconscious brain of the newborn infant in the manger, but it is still more difficult to imagine how "goods" not done by Him, or "evils" not committed by Him, could be assumed by any transflux through the heavens and the world of spirits. For Dr. Burnham states that these evils were not hereditary tendencies assumed by birth from the human mother, but some other kind of evil,-which if not hereditary, must have been actual,-taken on "by assumption, not by birth."

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     Now, if the Lord could have assumed from the spiritual world even the tendency to evil and falsity, there would have been no necessity for Him to be born by a woman on the earth, for the some reason for this birth was that He might assume hereditary evil, and by means of it,-without any actual evil,-be able to meet the forces of Hell, conquer them in His own human, and thereby redeem the human race.

     But, according to the work on DISCRETE DEGREES, these "evils'' were "assumed,"-not inherited,-from "the great spiritual mother, the heavens." It seems to me that, from this point of view, the "world of spirits" should also be included in this great spiritual motherhood, and why not also the whole spiritual world, including the hells? For the "propriums of the angels" and the hypocritical spirits who were "good and truth without, but evil and falsity within" are in themselves nothing but infernal. The Lord did, indeed, inherit hell itself in His human, but as a tendency of that human towards hell, not as a state of actual damnation. But all these tendencies He assumed only by the way of heredity from the earthly mother, for only in the earthly ultimate could they be actually assumed.

     What need for any other "mother?" Why call heaven or the spiritual world the "mother," since the Lord was not born there, and did not assume anything hereditary from it that He did not at the same time assume from the virgin? Where, in the Writings, is heaven called His "mother?" Where, in the letter of the Word, is the Lord called "the Son of heaven?" We know of the "Son of God" and the "Son of Man," but we do not know of any "Son of heaven."

     The Lord in His human did not have two mothers, any more than He had two fathers. Dr. Burnham terms heaven "the great spiritual mother." Others have taught that the Lord assumed from the heavens something which took the place of that which "constitutes the Paternal with other men." This will not do, for it involves the idea of human paternal inheritance with paternal hereditary "imperfections," which is but another term for paternal evils.

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If the Lord had assumed anything of this kind, the Glorification would have been impossible, for the hereditary evil from the father can never be entirely put off. It may be subdued, but it remains for ever in the conquered but still adhering proprium of the angels. The whole idea of any angelic "motherhood" or "fatherhood" is altogether untenable.

     THE DIVINE HUMAN FROM ETERNITY IN ITS ESSENTIAL SENSE.

     We may now return to the "two prior degrees," mentioned in DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, n. 233, of which Dr. Burnham states that they are not identical with the essential Divine. This, however, is exactly what they are! The "two prior degrees" in the Divine Human from eternity are the Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual, the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, the Father and the Son, thus the two essentials of the Divine Essence.

     Before proceeding to prove this identification, it will be necessary to present a brief introduction to the subject.

     As to the essentially Human quality of the Divine essence, it is most important to remember that this was, from all eternity, infinitely coexistent with the whole nature of God. The Infinite Itself, as the inscrutable Divine Esse, is most essentially Human, because it is nothing but Divine Love, which is the esse of all that is human, the source of all that is human, and therefore has made itself known as the Father, an essentially human term.

     The Divine Existere of this Divine Esse, the Infinite Form of this Infinite Substance, is also most essentially and eternally Human. In all its manifestations the Existere of this Esse has stood forth such as it is in itself, a Divine Man. When in the beginning God created man, He created him in His own image and likeness, and this before heaven was inhabited or the Maximus Homo formed. This eternally Human form of the infinitely Human substance of God, has been revealed as the Self, the Only-begotten of Eternity.

     This Only-begotten was the Word of God by which all things were made, the whole universe created, in the human image and likeness of its Maker, for the whole universe, from first to last, breathes forth nothing and tends to nothing but the human quality and form. And, therefore, "the idea of the Divine from which is the universe is not to be perceived otherwise than as of a Divine Man in firsts, who is Life itself, whose Divine Love appears as a Sun above the heavens, whence are all things." (ATH. CREED, 120.)

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While God was not yet "Homo natus" He was from eternity "Homo in conatu seu in fieri." (Man in endeavor or in becoming. S. D. 4847.)

     This "Homo in conatu" is the "Nexus" between the Infinite and the finite, the Divinely Human Seed in which the universe, man, and the ultimate Divine Man, were present "in fieri," in the state and act of "becoming." This is the "Logos," immediately proceeding out of the Infinite Itself,-in itself infinite, yet forming the beginning of finition. It is Divine because It is nothing but the Infinite Itself standing forth. It is Human because it is nothing but the conatus of the Divine Will, the Divine end or purpose pointing to Divine Uses.

     As to the meaning of the terms "celestial" and "spiritual," it is to be observed that the qualities expressed by these words do not commence with the celestial and spiritual heavens, but with the essential Divine which makes these heavens. The "celestial" means whatever is of esse, substance, love, and good; and the "spiritual" means whatever is of existere, form, wisdom, and truth. The Divine Itself, the Father, is the inmost, supreme and infinite Celestial, and the Word, the Son, is the inmost, supreme, and infinite Spiritual. The image of these two Divine essentials is reproduced, with an unfailing exactitude of alternations, in the whole series of Divine manifestations, finitions, and creations, down to the ultimates of nature.

     The Lord alone was born a spiritual-celestial man, because He alone had for His Soul the Infinite Spiritual (the Word) of the Infinite Celestial, (the Divine Love itself). This is the reason given in the Writings for the statement that He alone was born a spiritual-celestial man. It was not because of any supposed assumption of an intermediate human taken from the good of the celestial heaven and the truth of the spiritual heaven. "THE REASON why the Lord alone was barn spiritual-celestial, is that the DIVINE was in Him." (A. C. 4592.)

     Bearing in mind these universal principles, it may not be impossible now to dissolve the mystification with which good men and true have surrounded the teaching concerning the "two prior degrees" in the "former Human" of the Lord, spoken of in the DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, n. 233.

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     The teaching reads:

     "It has been told me from heaven that in the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, before the assumption of the Human in the world, there were the two prior degrees actually, and the third degree in potency, such as also are with the angels; but that after the assumption of the Human in the world He also superinduced the third degree, which is called the natural, and that by it He became a Man similar to a man in the world, with this difference, however, that this degree, as the prior ones, is infinite and uncreate, while these degrees in angel and in man are finite and created. For the Divine, which filled all spaces without space, (n. 69-72), also penetrated to the ultimates of nature; but before the assumption of the Human the Divine influx into the natural degree was mediately through the angelic heavens, but after the assumption it was immediately from Himself; this also was the reason why all the Churches in the world before His advent were representative of spiritual and celestial things, but that after His advent they became spiritual natural and celestial natural, and that representative worship was abolished." (D. L. W. 233)

     When this much-disputed passage is studied carefully, and in connection with the whole chapter of which it is a part, it will be seen that by the "two prior degrees" is meant the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, or the Infinite Celestial and the Infinite Spiritual, which constitute the purely Divine Essence. The heading of the chapter reads: "That the three degrees of altitudes are infinite and uncreated in the Lord, and that the three degrees are finite and created in man," and the opening number, (230), states, "That in the Lord the three degrees of altitude are infinite and uncreated is because the Lord is Love itself and Wisdom itself," the Divine of Love being the Divine Celestial, and the Divine of Wisdom being the Divine Spiritual. These are the two prior degrees which were actually "in the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah." There is not a word said here about the Lord assuming the two prior degrees from the heavens, but it is said that they were actually "in the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah." From eternity means always, before there were any heavens.

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     Some of our students may have been misled by the added statement: "such as also are with the angels," as if this meant that the Lord from eternity had these degrees such as they are with the angels, that is, the angelic celestial and the angelic spiritual; but the evident meaning, clearly stated in the passage itself, is that the angels also have these degrees, but finite and created, while with the Lord they were from eternity, infinite and uncreated. And common sense can recognize that the finite and created heavens could not possibly bestow any infinite and uncreated degrees upon "the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah."

     The teaching, therefore, explains itself, but if additional testimony is desired I need but quote the following teaching in the NINE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE TRINITY, n. ii, which in slightly different language presents exactly the same doctrine as that given in D. L. W. 233. It is strange that this passage has never been quoted, either by Dr. Burnham or by subsequent writers on this subject:

     "The Lord from eternity, or Jehovah, was Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, and He then had the Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual, but not the Divine Natural before He assumed the Human; and as the rational is predicated solely of the Celestial and Spiritual Natural, therefore Jehovah, the Lord, also put on the Divine Rational. Before the assumption of the Human, He had a Divine Rational, but by influx into the angelic heaven and when He manifested Himself in the world by means of an angel whom He filled with His Divinity; for the Purely Divine Essence which, as was said, was the Purely Divine Celestial and Divine Spiritual Essence, transcends the rational, both angelic and human, but it was given by influx."

     This purely Divine Essence, therefore, was the Lord from eternity, not from the Lord, nor assumed by the Lord through any finite medium. It was the same as the two Divine Essentials, the Divine Esse and the Divine Existere, the Father and the Son, the Infinite Itself and the Word. This was the Divine Human from Eternity in its supreme and most essential sense, and it was this inmost Human, as the Divine Soul, that He clothed with a natural Human at the Incarnation.

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     As to the third degree, which also was with the Lord from eternity-not yet actually but only in potency the natural human of a Divine Man,-it refers to the natural quality of the Logos, or the Nexus, as the seed of the natural universe. This, also, was in itself infinite and uncreated, filling all space without space, and penetrating even to the ultimates of nature. It was essentially divinely human, but it was only in potency the natural human of a Man born on earth. It was such a Man in conatu and in fieri, but not yet in actuality, and, therefore, we are taught that. "Before the Incarnation there was not any Divine Human except a representative one by means of some angel whom Jehovah the Lord infilled with His Spirit; and because it was representative, therefore all the things of the Church at that time were representatives, and, as it were, shadows. But after the Incarnation the representatives ceased, like the shades of evening or night at the rising of the Sun." (NINE QUESTIONS n. 15.)

     THE DIVINE HUMAN FROM ETERNITY, IN A REPRESENTATIVE SENSE.

     Thus far we have considered "the Divine Human from eternity" in its essential sense, as being the Divine Existere of the Divine Esse or "the Word which was in the beginning with God." We arrive now to the study of the Representative Divine Human before the Incarnation, or the Divine Human as presented to view by representative angels when Divine revelations were given by the Lord through heaven to men on earth.

     "Before the Incarnation there was not any Divine Human except a representative one," for the human by which the Lord was then represented, was not a human of His own but it was as it were borrowed from individual angels on special occasions and for special uses. (N. Q. 15; T. C. R. 109; ATH. CR. 119.)

     Beside the purely spiritual substances composing their spiritual body, the angels possess also a "limbus" or border of "the purest things of nature," and by virtue of this natural ultimate they are able to serve as organic vessels to receive and retain the inflowing Divine; and by virtue of it also they are able to serve as media whereby the Divine can be communicated to men in the natural world. And thus, before the Incarnation, all the angels; or heaven as a whole, could serve as a collective and potentially natural human, of which the Divine was the common Soul.

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     For "before the coming of the Lord the Divine Human was Jehovah in the heavens, for by passing through the heavens He presented Himself as a Divine Man before many on the earth." (A. C. 6000.) "It was the Divine Human that the ancient churches adored, Jehovah also manifested Himself among them in the Divine Human, and the Divine Human was the Divine Itself in heaven; for heaven constitutes a man which is called the Maximus Home. This Divine in heaven is nothing but the Divine itself, but in heaven,-as a Divine Man." (A. C. 5663) "From first creation He was in a Human from Himself, viz., in the universal heaven which in the complex refers to one man." (ATH. CR. 119.)

     Nevertheless, though heaven as a whole is a Maximus Home, let us by all means remember that it is not actually one single individual, like an individual man, spirit, or angel. For throughout the Writings we are taught that heaven is a Maximus Homo only in a relative sense; it refers to one man, has relation to one man, represents one man; and the Divine in the human of this Maximus Home is therefore only a representative Divine Human, a human representing the Lord. "For the Lord is the only Man, and Heaven represents Him." (A. C. 2996.) Being thus only representatively but not actually one man, the angelic heaven could not possibly act either as a mother or a father to the inflowing Divine, to clothe it with an actual human.

     We must distinguish also between the universal presence of the Divine in the heavens, and its transflux through the heavens. The former was and is a permanent presence, but the latter was only an occasional occurrence, which took place when a Divine Revelation was to be given; and it is then called a "transflux" because the Divine then flowed through even to men on the earth. (A. C. 4060, 1925, 6982.)

     On such occasions the Divine at the same time manifested Itself as a Divine Man, flowing through the heavens in general into the ultimate human form of an individual angel, for angels are the only organic human vessels of the Lord in heaven. In His own Divine Person He is never seen in heaven among the angels there, but only above the heavens in the Sun of the Spiritual world. And before the Incarnation He would not be seen even in that Sun, in His own Divine Human, for He had not yet assumed that Human.

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     "When the Lord appears in heaven, which takes place very often, He does not appear girded with the Sun, but in an angelic form, distinguished from the angel's by the Divine which shines through; for He is not there in person, for the Lord in person is constantly encompassed by the Sun, but He is in presence by aspect." (H. H. 121.)

     "The Lord is not there in Person, because the Lord in Person is constantly encompassed with the Sun; but He is in presence by means of aspect; for in heaven it is a general thing that they appear as present in the place where their aspect is fixed or terminated, although it may be very far from the place where they actually are. This presence is called the presence of the internal sight." (Ibid.)

     If we compare this statement with the one in A. E. 412, we find that this "presence by aspect" simply means the presence by means of an individual angel, for "He fills an angel with His aspect, and thus His presence, from afar."

     The statements that He could have assumed a human without birth, (A. C. 1573, 3030), as He did "sometimes" and "frequently," does not mean that He assumed an actual or permanent human of His own out of the combined spheres of the angels, for in each of these two passages it is said that this assumption "without birth" occurred "when seen," "when He appeared to men," and the universal teaching is that when He thus appeared and was seen, it was by means of an individual angel, thus organically. Nor are the statements that He thus appeared "sometimes" and "frequently," to be taken as if they meant that sometimes He appeared without such a medium, for the Lord in every revelation acts by media and organically.

     The Lord, even now,-though possessing a Divine Human of His own,-never appears in heaven in His own Divine Person, for no finite being could sustain His personal presence, but He still always appears through the veiling and accommodating human of some angel infilled with the Divine. (A. R. 938; D. P. 96) How much less reason, then, to suppose that the Divine, before the Incarnation, could have appeared in Person in heaven, through a Divine Human of His own, assumed from, the Maximus Homo or the spheres of the angels without the medium of an individual angel.

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The thought is inconceivable, because involving the mystery of some inorganic process.

     This manifestation of the Divine by means of an individual angel was the Divine Human from eternity, the Lord from eternity, but still it was only a representative Divine Human, for the angel only represented the Lord,-was not the Lord Himself in His own Human; and that which the angel represented was the Lord who was to come. "By means of angels God manifested Himself to the sight of the ancients in the human form, which form was representative of God incarnate."
(CANONS. Redemption. viii:9.)

     "That the former churches have not been in this verity, is because the Most Ancient Church, which was before the Flood, worshiped the invisible God, with wham no conjunction is possible; the Ancient Church, which was after the Flood, similarly; the Israelitish Church worshiped Jehovah, who in Himself is the invisible God, but under a human form, which Jehovah God put on through art angel, in which form He was seen by Moses, Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Gideon, Joshua, and when revealed to the prophets; and this human form was representative of the Lord who was to come; and because this form was representative, therefore also all and single things of those churches became representative." (T. C. R. 786.)

     When the Word was to be given the Divine descended through the heavens in their order, by means of intermediating angels. In each successive heaven an angel was filled with the Divine, and was thus inspired to utter or write the Word, the last mediation being through the spirit who was present with the man on the earth who was to act as the prophet or scribe. Thus in each heaven the Divine was accommodated to the state of those who were to receive the revelation thus given. (A. E. 1073, 1074; A. C. 6996.)

     The angel thus serving as the medium of revelation, was filled with the Divine "from afar," the Divine taking complete possession of all the faculties and organic forms of the angel. The things which were his own were lulled to sleep, so that he no longer exercised his own consciousness.

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He was no longer himself, but to all intents and purposes was Jehovah in human form, and was distinguished from the other angels by the Divine which shone through. Hence they were also called "Jehovah." (A. C. 9315)

     The angel himself, when in this state, did not know what it was that Jehovah spoke through him, and thus it was actually Jehovah, and not the angel, that was speaking. As soon as his mission as a medium was ended, the angel returned into his own consciousness, and recognized and acknowledged that he was only an angel. (A. C. 1925; A. R. 943; A. E. 1228.)

     The Divine Human thus revealed by means of angels was not so completely one with the Divine itself as was the Human which the Lord glorified when on earth, but it was as it were distinct from the Divine itself. It could not be a purely Divine Human, because heaven, and the celestial kingdom itself, was not completely pure. No absolutely pure medium could be found, until the Lord assumed a human of His own. (A. C. 6000, 6373)

     When, therefore, mankind fell, and in the degree that men and angels became more and more external, heaven itself became more and more weak, and the representative Divine Human in consequence became less and less effective; And when mankind, which is the foundation of heaven, finally subverted and destroyed an order, the former Divine Human was no longer strong enough or sufficient to sustain all things in Heaven and the Church. (A. C. 8273, 5663; A. E. 148; H. H. 101.)

     In the fulness of time, therefore, it became necessary for Jehovah Himself to assume a human of His own by birth through an earthly woman. And when He had made this Human in Himself Divine, the former, or representative Divine Human, ceased. "For previously the Divine transflux through heaven had been the Divine Human; it was also the Divine Man which was presented to view when Jehovah so appeared; but this Divine Human ceased when the Lord Himself made the Human in Himself Divine." (A. C. 6371.)

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NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG 1916

NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG              1916

     A CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN JOHAN GOTHENIUS AND C. C. GIORWELL.

     The following series of extracts from letters by Lector (Professor) John Gothenius, of the Gothenburg College, to C. C. Giorwell, Librarian of the Royal Library at Stockholm, have reference to the history of the Gothenburg Controversy, and are now published for the first time in English, some of them having previously appeared in Swedish in Wilhelm Berg's SAMLINGAR TILL GOTEDORGS KISTORIA, (Guthenburg, 1891) They are preserved in the Royal Library, and the extracts are found scattered through a series of autograph letters to the Librarian from various prominent men.

     JOHAN GOTKENIUS, Doctor of Theology and Professor of Logic and Metaphysics, was "a man of rare scholarship, based on a most thorough and profound study of the older classical literature, and enriched by an extensive knowledge of the literature of his own times." (Bexell: HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE OF GOTHENBURG.) He was a man of liberal but somewhat skeptical form of mind, and was a keen but rather canical observer of men and motives, as freely depicted in his intimate correspondence with the royal librarian Giorwell. It was Gothenius more than anyone else who assisted Dr. Beyer in the compilation of the HOUSEHOLD SERMONS (or "Sermon-Essays").

     Gothenius, during the earlier part of the trial, consistently voted with Beyer and Rosen, but he was by no means a receiver of the Heavenly Doctrine; and finally, disgusted with what he regarded as the "superstitions of the Swedenborgians," he went over to the majority, but was never rancorous. He died in 1809.

     CARL CHRISTOPHER GJORWELL was born in 1731. This name is among the foremost in the history of Swedish learning. Returning to Sweden, after extensive foreign journeys, he began, in 1755, to publish the SVENSKA MERCURIUS, (The Swedish Mercury), which was the first critical literary journal ever issued in Swedish, and he now gathered about him, an enthusiastic group of literary men.

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As Librarian of the Royal Library at Stockholm he worked zealously to collect and preserve historical works and documents, and edited periodicals and publications amounting to over two hundred volumes. In various of his journal's there occur notices and reviews of Swedenborg and his works. His most important contribution to this subject is the record of his personal conversation with Swedenborg. (Doc. 282, 3.)

     Giorwell's merit as a literary man consisted mostly in his making foreign authors known in Sweden, especially those of Germany, and in his zeal for the improvement of science and letters, more than in being himself a great author who influences his age by the novelty and breadth of his ideas and style. He died in 1811. CYRIEL LJ. ODHNER.

     I.

     August 17, 1765.
My Dear Librarian.
     ......Swedenborg was here and ate daily on the matter.* Forgive me, this was somewhat hastily said; what I meant to say was that he was continually invited out. He afterwards departed by boat for Holland. Opinions among us vary greatly concerning him. [J. GOTHENIUS.]
     * Referring to the interest awakened in Gothenburg in Swedenborg's doctrines. Swedenborg, on this occasion, was passing through Gothenburg on his way to London, and one day was invited to dine with Dr. Beyer in company with Dr. Rosen. They listened eagerly while Swedenborg explained the truths of the New Revelation and "the next day, on meeting Beyer, he told him with visible emotion, 'My friend, from this day the Lord has placed you in conjunction with His heaven, and His angels are at the present moment surrounding you.'"

     II.

     Gothenburg, April 8, 1767

     ......Our Dean [Ekebom] needs to learn to know himself; that man has all the ignorant people among us as his worshipers. A superficial man, even in his chief subjects, which are Dogmatic Theology and Poemics. Let judgment overtake his Synodal Disputation of 1765, and all other ignorami! [J. GOTHENIUS.]

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     III.

     Gothenburg, May 28, 1767.

     .....Tomorrow the 12th sheet of the HOUSEHOLD SERMONS will issue from the press. The first volume is to contain 14 sheets for the sake of convenience in binding. At the first opportunity I shall send a copy to you and to Mr. Strickers: Nota bene, on fine paper. [J. GOTHENIUS.]

     IV.

     Gothenburg, February 4, 1767.

     .....Kindly present the Court Preacher my humble thanks for the request, and please ask him that the Sermons which are being published here, called NYA PREDIKO-FORSOK may, for various reasons, be published entirely anonymously. I was the very last to give a thought to these Sermons, or to interest myself in their behalf... J. Gothenius.

     V.

     [Gothenburg, 1767.]

     .....I had thought of apply for the lectureship of Theology at Carlskrona at the beginning of this year... But what I want is a professorship in Theology to encourage the taste for Bible studies at some University; as a schoolmaster, I am, to be sure, unqualified for it, but I cannot enter into explanations now, but will merely ad this: that I wish to be where liberty of opinion is not too strictly circumscribed, as is the case, for instance, at Lund, where I certainly should not wish to be. The condition of servitude there is so great that Dr. Benzelius, that honest man, received a calling down from one Engerstrom, because he possessed a few volumes of Swedenborg's work. Farewell! I remain, with everlasting esteem and veneration, Sir, your most humble servant, J. Gothenius.

     VI.

     Gothenburg, April 30, 1768.

     Quite a remarkable improvement has taken place in the most important subjects of study here, through the present [teachers], my friends Roempke and Beyer, who have access to my private papers and manuscripts, books and oral guidance.

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The last mentioned [Beyer] is not altogether free from a suspicion of Swedenborgianism, which is strange. He has been this way a couple of years. He possesses penetration and is distinguished both in speculation and in holding fast to an opinion. The ambition of being considered unique seems to be somewhat of a weakness with him. He is my old comrade from childhood, and I now speak candidly about this to you, dear Sir, who ought to understand the [various] temperaments here, and will be lenient with me, who can hide nothing from a Giorwell..... J. GOTHENIUS.

     VII.

     Gothenburg, June 17, 1769.

     In the Consistory there appears each time, represented, Assessor Aurell, (who removed hither from the country half a year ago), with memorials and libels against the NEW HOUSEHOLD SERMONS, which he accuses of advocating Swedenborgian views. He has mentioned in particular Lector Doctor Gabr. Beyer, and has submitted a lot of "dictata" [notes] full of Swedenborgianism, which Beyer is reported to have presented and explained to the youth of the Gymnasium, Beyer, on the other hand, declares that they are loose notes upon which his name has been scribbled. This much is true and certain: those copies which I have seen are so full of gross mistakes in spelling that it is impossible to get any sense out of 2 or 3 lines at a time. Aurell; however, offers to extricate the meaning by comparing them with Swedenborg's books, which he runs through like lightning. The secret purpose of it all is to have Beyer removed from his post, which several have been at work on for a long time, but hitherto in another way.

     This way, however, seems to be the best of all; but Beyer thinks there is no danger in it, so long as he enjoys the protection of the law. Aurell is having the Consistory Proceedings on the subject printed; the fourth sheet is already published and the fifth is soon to appear. He is the brother of Secretary Aurell, of the College of Exchequer, an amiable and friendly man, but irascible and zealous against those whom he does not find to his pleasure. To me he is unusually gracious.

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He is unmeasured in his praise of Gothenius, even when other Lectors are present, and they would never be able to forgive me for it, were it not that they know he is fond of a joke... J. G.

     VIII.

     August 23, 1769.

     Herewith I enclose the collection of acts published here concerning Swedenborgianism. The tenth sheet is soon to issue from the press. You will now be enabled by the perusal of these papers to inform yourself of the connection of things.

     The "dictata," which are so often alluded to, and on account of which Dr. Beyer has been declared incompetent, (see sheets 8 and 9) are said to be totidem verbis copied from Swedenborg's books. Aurell (who is the brother of Secretary Aurell of the College of Exchequer, my faithful comrade at Gattingen), is the wicket man who is determined upon vexing Doctors Roempke and Beyer. This Consistory has never found favor in his eyes. Dean Ekebom and he are friends, and his love for me is so blind that he speaks of me, even in the presence of my colleagues, as an incomparable man in this place, in the way of learning and other similar small matters, and when I think it over carefully the only reason for it is that I do not make any show of my qualities as he thinks a great many others do of theirs. He is also affectionate and faithful as a friend. He furthermore possesses a high degree of penetration; from early childhood he has imbibed Hebrew from his father, the Rev. Aurelius, still reads his Bible and is continually having philosophical combats with our fellows as often as he can get at them..... J. GOTHENIUS.

     IX.

     Gothenburg, September 16, 1769.

     Yesterday, my dear Sir, I sent you by a student, the son of the Rev. Jeurling, Representative from the province of Bohus, the following documents:

     1. The first sheet of the Swedenborgian acts.

     2. The last sheet published of the same, and

     3. Dr. Roempke's Synodical Disputation, "De Reprobatione," which is not free from considerable suspicion of Swedenborgianism.

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For this reason Assessor Aurell, who has appeared quite satisfied with it, last Wednesday submitted to the Consistory an announcement of his intention to translate this disputation into Swedish and have it printed, together with his own remarks.

     There is an anecdote concerning this disputation which is deserving of repetition, but, as usual, sub rosa silentii:

     Last year, when I returned home from Finland and Stockholm, just after the session of the Clerical Assembly, it happened that Roempke and Aurell chanced to meet here at my rooms. Aurell at once began to bring forth arguments against [the disputation], and Roempke to defend himself, as being the one best able to judge of his own book. At this juncture the Bishop arrived, and the discussion was continued. The Bishop then said, as he then is going to have me against him. I have censured it nomine CONSISTORII; I have approved it for printing, and I intend to defend it." Then Aurell took the Bishop into another room, as if to tell him in confidence that this heterodox disputation has recently been reported to the Chancellor of Justice and that legal procedure is to be taken against it. This he described together with numerous particulars. The Bishop then took to considering the matter and at last he comes in to us others, and says: "Good Sirs, I have, indeed, censured this work alone, but afterwards I submitted it to the Consistory's supervision; now, inasmuch as the Consistory declared itself satisfied with my measures in the matter, it follows that not I alone, but the entire Consistory, are equally responsible for it." Nota critica: can it be possible that he who before spoke only of himself, has allowed himself to be intimidated into making the matter one of common concern? J. GOTHENIUS.

     X.

     [1769], Dec. 16, Gothenburg.

     Do not believe of Gothenius that he is a Swedenborgian or the pupil of a dreamer. But it is against his nature to do the man injustice, by storming at him without actually showing wherein the gentleman has erred against our confession of Faith. It does not take a great deal of cleverness to shout "Swedenborg is a Socinian," but it would probably be quite an embarrassing proposition for many a one to refute him, for in order to do this, one must as least be acquainted with his opinions.

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I find him entirely different from Socinus on important points. He repeatedly says that Christ was glorified after His resurrection from the grave, and that He alone ought to be worshiped as God, and addressed in prayers. To quote his words more exactly: "Humanum Christa Jesu Domini fuit vel factum est Divinum, cum ad vitam e sepulchro rediret." [The Human of the Lord Jesus Christ was or has been made Divine, when He returned to life from the sepulchre.] He is so little an indifferentist that he even excludes the Socinians from eternal blessedness, in saying: "Qui negaverunt Divinum Domini, et agnoverunt solum Humanum Ipsius, ut Socinian, illi similiter extra Celum sunt,_ac in proundum demittuntur." De Coelo et Inferno pag 5. [Those who have denied the Divinity of the Lord, and have acknowledged only His Human, as have the Socinians, are likewise excluded from out of heaven, and are let down into the depths. HEAVEN AND HELL, page 5.] One ought not to do the Man an injustice, and charge him with more or other faults than those of which he has made himself guilty, which, are numerous enough to convict him as a fanatic and even a heretic. He, on his part, does the Lutherans an injustice in so often accusing us of putting faith in mere knowledge and of making it only a work of the memory, and of despising love, good works, and Christian virtues. I most certainly intend to explain our doctrine, through the press, section by section, in opposition to the Swedenborgian. In doing so I shall quote Swedenborg's own words, comparing them with the Bible in a philological manner, since I find that a deficiency in philology has contributed greatly to his having been led astray. But more of this another time.

     (To be continued.)

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     "A so-called 'Swedenborgian's' inner life and faith are almost always exceedingly unobtrusive, and wholly free from the odd and bizarre, closely cloaked, indeed, in conventional commonplace and decorum." (Rev. A. E. Beilby, in the N. C. MAGAZINE for March, 1916. The author adds to this dignified picture of New Church people the further statement that "they are not occulists,"-which is an awful blunder of the printer's).


     "Among the professed disciples of the New Church, as visibly organized, we may, without much effort, discern a lack of continued interest toward a steadfast development in spiritual knowledge, and a consequent apathy in the uses of the church. The history of many societies connected with the New Church shows a lamentable inconstancy on the part of its young men and women whose fathers and mothers had been founders and supporters in its early days. When it is understood that there ought to be a systematic up-building of the visible church, beginning with the children of the Sunday School, and continuing through a period of increasing study and knowledge of doctrine in its application to life, we naturally expect to see results contributing by these means to the establishment and increase of the Lord's New Church before the world. Why, then, the apparent failure of our hopes in this direction." (A. H. C., in the MESSENGER for March 29.)


     It is with deep regret we hear that the publication of THE HEART OF INDIA has been suspended, at least for some time to come, on account of financial and other difficulties. Only thirty-five subscribers were secured in India, and a few elsewhere. From the Report of the first annual meeting of the Hindi Swedenborg Society we learn that the Society numbers at present thirty-four members, an increase of eighteen since the end of 1914.

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Among the new members mention is made of Mr. H. D. Chokd, a distinguished teacher in the Baroda State Service; Mr. Blaise Alexander D'Sylva, the first accession from the Indian Christian Community, and Mr. Mathura Das, of Lahore, who for some years has been a devoted student of the Writings. Mr. A. E. Penn, the only English member of the Society in India, was elected President for the year, and Prof. M. R. Bhatt, Vice-President.


     From Prof. M. R. Bhatt we have received a very handsomely bound volume, entitled BRITISH AND HINDI VIKRAM, a "Weekly War Magazine, published by command of H. H. Maharani Shri Nandkunvarba, C. I., of Bhavnagar, and distributed free of cost. Vol. I. Dec. 1914 to Nov. 1915." With the exception of the title-page, preface, and table of contents, the whole volume is in the Gujerati language, and is furnished with a profusion of excellent portraits and illustrations. In an accompanying note Prof. Bhatt informs us that he is the editor of the paper, which is published at the expense of Her Righness the Maharani (or Queen) of Bhavanagar, and he adds: "Being a work written under New Church influences, I have thought that it might be deemed worthy of your library." The volume has been deposited in the Academy's Library.


     In the January issue of the NEW CHURCH REVIEW there is a very friendly review of the Academy edition of CONJUGIAL LOVE. The reviewer says in part, "The desire for an edition wholly free from annotations did something to inspire this one, no doubt, yet in itself it comes very near being distinctly warranted. Editions of the theological works are so frequent that there is a proper tendency to hold a new one to strict accountability, and force it to show plain advance on others. It hardly seems to us that the present edition shows a distinct enough advance; but the reviser, whose painstaking and affectionate interest are everywhere manifest, and the Academy of the New Church, whose imprint it bears, are to be congratulated, nevertheless, upon what is a most handsome and excellent edition of this precious book of the Church.

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     It has been charged, again and again,-and quite recently in the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY,-that "the practical tendency" among those who acknowledge the Writings as the Word of God "has been to neglect the study of the Letter of the Word, and to emphasize the study of the Writings." But what are the actual facts in the case? For some forty years it has been the universal custom among the people thus accused to read a chapter of the Sacred Scripture, daily, in the family worship, while reading at the same time a lesson from the Heavenly Doctrine. Can this in justice be termed a "neglect" of the letter of the Word?

     In all the parochial schools of the General Church, and in all the departments of the Academy Schools, from the Kindergarten to the Theological School, the study of the Hebrew language has always been an essential and distinctive feature. What is the study of the Hebrew but a study of the letter of the Word in its most ultimate form? And in the thirty-five volumes of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and in other Academy journals, past and present, the letter of the Word has been the subject of minute and systematic study in almost innumerable articles,-the history, geography and ethnology of the Word, its languages and style of composition, its inspiration, authenticity and preservation, etc., etc. no these facts support the charge that the practical tendency among those who acknowledge the Writings as the Word, has been to neglect the study of the literal sense?

     It is not to be denied that far more of such study is highly desirable, that a more direct use of the literal sense in doctrinal instruction would be beneficial, and that as a whole our Church has merely begun to realize the beauty and power and holiness of the Word in the letter. But, we may ask, however much we may have been at fault, what evidence is there that the letter of the Word has been studied more in those quarters of the New Church where the Writings are not acknowledged as the Word of God, and where, in consequence, the study of these Writings are not so much emphasized!

     Surely, the Lord in His Second Advent has not come to dissolve the Law and the Prophets, but to establish them. Every reader of the Heavenly Doctrine knows that this is "the practical tendency" of the new Revelation. If so, the practical tendency among the lovers of this Doctrine must necessarily be the same.

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DECLINED BY THE "QUARTERLY." 1916

DECLINED BY THE "QUARTERLY."       G. C. OTTLEY       1916

Editor NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     The readers of the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY in America are aware that a discussion has been proceeding in the pages of that magazine on the ever recurring subject, The Relation of the Writings to the Word. The discussion was initiated by the new ideas propounded by the Rev. W. H. Acton in his fourth article published in the QUARTERLY for January, 1915. In criticizing them in the issue for July, 1915. I drew the reader's attention en passent to the fact that on this vital question Mr. Acton's present position was in hopeless conflict with the one he held many years ago when he published a very thoughtful and instructive article in the NEW CHURCH LIFE for Oct., 1886, on the suggestive subject-The Word.

     In his rejoinder in the QUARTERLY for January, 1916, Mr. Acton denies in a categorical manner that there has been any repudiation on his part of the position for which he once so conspicuously stood. In a footnote he makes the following statement: "Mr. Ottley refers to an article published by me nearly thirty years ago. He will no doubt be pleased to learn that I by no means repudiate the position then taken. That article was written at a time when there was a tendency, stronger than there is even now, to regard the Writings as Swedenborg's works, rather than as an immediate revelation of Divine Truth by the Lord! My purpose in writing it was to show that the Doctrines now given in the Writings are interior Divine Truths, and it was in the restricted sense referred to in my last article in the N. C. Q. that I claimed that they are the Word. The idea that the Writings are in any sense a literal form of the Word, and an integral part of the Letter, was an innovation first introduced and developed in the pages of THE NEW CHURCH TIDINGS, for Oct., 1892 (see p. 63, ital)."

     As Mr. Acton's denial of a change of attitude or front on a subject of such exceptional importance was a virtual challenge of the accuracy of my statement, I deemed it right to lay before the readers of the QUARTERLY Clear proof of the absolute correctness of my charge.

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The editor of the QUARTERLY, however, decided to rule out this portion of my reply on the grounds that as the article under notice was published in the LIFE, it was there, and not in the QUARTERLY the reply should appear. Under the circumstances, I trust you will kindly extend to me the hospitality of your columns to enable me to show by actual quotation from the LIFE how the fact stands as I stated it.

     This is what Mr. W. H. Acton wrote in the NEW CHURCH LIFE for Oct., 1886:

     "Some might object to our classing the Writings of the New Church with the Word, even those who believe their having been inspired by the Lord. That they are from, the Lord no one can doubt who believes in the Lord's Second Coming. For we read: The Advent of the Lord is the revelation of Himself and of the Divine Truth which is from Him, in the Word by the internal sense. Nowhere else does the Lord reveal Himself than in the Word, nor otherwise there than in the internal sense.' (A. E. 36; H. H. 1.) 'And to this end He has now opened the internal or spiritual sense of the Word which everywhere treats of Heaven.' A.E.870. (See also A. E. 594, 635.)

     "Where is this spiritual sense of the Word to be found thus revealed save in the Theological Works or Emanuel Swedenborg? to whom that sense was dictated. (A. C. 65, 97.) Hence we read in the preface to the APOCALYPSE REVEALED: 'Every one can see that the Apocalypse can by no means be explained but by the Lord alone. . . . Do not believe, therefore, that I have taken anything herein from myself, nor from any angel, but from the Lord alone.'

     "And further: 'It was not allowed me to take anything from the dictate of any angel, but from the Lord alone.' (DE VERBO 4.)

     "Acknowledging the Writings to be from the Lord, we must also acknowledge them to be Divine. For 'The Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is the Divine itself in the heaven and in the Church.' (A. E. 228.) 'And what proceeds from the Lord is also Himself.' (A. E. 392.)

     "Since the Divine is not divisible, and, therefore, cannot admit of comparison, the Writings must be all Divine or in no respects Divine.

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Hence: 'The Word inasmuch as it is a revelation from the Divine, is Divine in all and singular things: for what is from the Divine cannot be otherwise.' (A. C. 1032.) 'What the Divine has revealed is, with us, the Word.' (A. C. 10320.)

     "Thus, then, the Writings since they are a revelation from the Lord are the 'WORD WITH US,) also, as being the spiritual sense of the Word, they constitute its essential life." (A. C. 64.)

     Now I ask the question, Is the position taken thirty years ago by Mr. Acton in this article identical with the position now taken by him? Are not the two positions in glaring conflict? But this is no solitary article in which Mr. Acton took so strong and unmistakable a position. Two years later, (1888); in a "Letter from England" to the NEW CHURCH LIFE, after attending a session of the General Conference, he wrote as follows:

     "It was positively painful to hear how the Divine Writings were spoken of as the "Writings of Swedenborg' in which 'is to be found the great means of introducing men into the spiritual sense of the Word, but certainly inferior to the Word.' As the speaker uttered these words I wondered whether he had forgotten the Lord's words, 'Who shall swear by the temple sweareth by it, and by Him that dwelleth therein.' (Matth. xxiii:16-22.)

     "The Writings of the Church-are not an 'introduction to the Spiritual sense,' nor is it right to speak of them as did another priest as 'illustrating the Word.' If they are anything they are THE SPIRITUAL SENSE ITSELF and the Word as understood by the angels of heaven and the Letter is holy only because it contains in perfect fulness those Divine Writings." (see p. 157.)

     The italics and capital's are Mr. Acton's. While here he tells us that "if they, (the Writings), are anything they are the spiritual sense of the Word," he now says, twenty-eight years later, "Neither do the Writings claim to be the internal sense of the Word !" (N. C. Q. p. 42.) Which of these two diametrically opposed statements are we to believe?

     Eleven years later-1899-when Mr. Acton was minister of the Colchester Society-he dealt again with this important subject and showed in language which was as clear as it was emphatic that his convictions had not then, undergone any change. He wrote:

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     "It is manifest that those who fail to see that the Writings are the Word of God no less than the Letter of the Word of the Sacred Scripture, and who yet admit that they are a Divine Revelation and the Word as to the internal sense, dwell in mere externals and fail to understand clearly the true nature of any Divine Revelation, and hence the Word and the Writings. It seems as though they tried to see spiritual things in mere natural lumen.

     "It appears to me that those who refuse to acknowledge the Writings as being the Word do so because they worship not the living but the dead Letter. It is like one who admires another on account of his body and clothing who nevertheless admits when asked that the body lives only from its spirit or soul, but yet does not regard the spirit or soul himself and is unwilling to let others do so either. Do not the Lord's words apply to this state of the Church! 'Ye worship ye know not what;' and again: 'If I have told you earthly things and ye do not believe, how will ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?'"

     Time, it is said, changes all things, and seventeen years seem to have had this effect upon Mr. Acton's convictions on a subject of great importance. In my opinion it is the most complete volte face which it would be possible to imagine. The evidence of this he supplies himself in the concluding words of his recent article:

     "As I have already pointed out, I do not deny there is a sense in which the Writings are the Divine Truth and thus the Word; but I deny most emphatically on the dearest and oft repeated testimony of the Writings themselves [?], the propriety of referring to them by the same expression as that which is used to designate the fullest, most perfect and most holy-because most ultimate-form of Divine Truth, the Word in its Letter." (N. C. Q., Jan., 1915, p. 53)
     G. C. OTTLEY.
FROM AMONG FEW TO AMONG THE MANY 1916

FROM AMONG FEW TO AMONG THE MANY       E. E. IUNGERICH       1916

Editor NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     The prediction that the New Church after abiding among a few and in the wilderness is to become a world-wide Church and be received by the many has always kindled the imagination of Newchurchmen and excited speculation as to when and how this is to be accomplished, and what signs they are to look for so as to know the time is ripe for co-operation towards this greatly desired end.

305


Like the predictions of an Ancient Word that is to be searched for in Tartary, and of revelations made to Africans to protect them, from Christian missionaries and safeguard them for the New Church, the prophecy of the future existence of the New Church among the many always arouses keen interest and enthusiasm with those who have a love of the human race greater than the love of their country, and who realizes that its salvation will eventually depend upon the coming to them of the Lord in His Second Advent.

     But before the New Church can exist among the many, a cohesive and distinctive nucleus must be made among a few. As the great mixed multitude of Israelites had to be inaugurated about the revelation given from Sinai and molded and drilled by forty years of severe experiences in the desert, and until all save two of the original generation who had left. Egypt had perished, before their descendants could be led into Canaan and begin the struggle for the dispossession of its former inhabitants; as the apostles were instructed to abide first in Jerusalem for a season prior to their receiving the gift of tongues and being endowed with power from on high; so the apostles of the Lord in His Second Advent were first to make a complete cleavage from Old Church surroundings and be molded into a new and independent nucleus about the Writings of Swedenborg so that when the time for expansion among the many came there would be no risk of disintegration and of separation from the life-giving source in any of the vicissitudes attendant on the projection of the lines to a distance from the centre. During the stage of cohesive nucleus formation there is also to be developed a discriminative attitude towards the Old Church and the rest of the world so as to recognize the salvable religious states of the simple there; and implications are to be seen in the Writings that will make the nucleus flexible and sympathetic to the Peculiar religious qualities of this simple remnant who in an age to come will be in intimate relation to the central heart and lungs.

     In the wisdom of Providence the New Church nucleus began among the simple good who had been preserved among those of a Protestant quality of religion, and it is not difficulty to see the reason why, since among the Protestants alone there had been preserved a complete access to the Word of the two previous dispensations and since they alone possessed freedom of thought and speech and a perception that the safe-guarding of the freedom of the individual man is of greater importance than his belonging to a religious organization designed to secure for him access to the means conducive to salvation.

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But be it noted that the extension of the New Church from among few to among the many is not likely to be just an increase of the Protestant quality of Newchurchmanship and of institutions peculiar thereto, but the adjunction of the qualities of the simple good of all other religions about the Protestant quality of the nuclear simple remnant; and this can only come about by a gradual tempering or flexible and sympathetic molding so that what is jangling and discordant in their diverse qualities may be resolved into a harmonic measure under the united attitude to the authority of the Writings and to public worship as their universal bonds.

     How much a Protestant quality of thought dominates our present day Newchurchmanship, and acts even detrimentally to the development of certain uses which will need the quality of a different religious mold for their enhancement, is rarely noted by us as we are accustomed to regard all our institutional New Church activities as pure, unsullied developments from the Writings, with the qualities from our original Protestantisms entirely eliminated and extirpated. The following remarks of a minister, writing to me in appreciation of my article, entitled "The Spoiling of the Egyptians," is one that should give us, therefore, much food for thought: "It solves for me a problem I have thought vaguely about for a very long time. To me it meets the case precisely. I have long thought that our externals of public worship do not, except in a very crude or meagre sense, at all correspond to the beautiful yet withal practical truths the Church of the Lord has to impart or disclose. Our hindrance to a reform in this respect is, generally speaking, due to a strong Puritan prejudice, out of which some of our adherents have come. Indeed, strange to say, this same prejudice is equally strong in those of even the third or fourth generation of Newchurchmen, due possibly in their case to the old Puritan influences around them in their daily avocations, and perhaps not a little due to the skeptical attitude to religion generally in the present generation."

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     In my article referred to by the writer just mentioned, I called attention to the existence in the Old Church not only of the simple good but of certain states of acknowledgment of truth which they fancied were endorsed by the doctrines there; that so long as those simple good remained in the Old Church they lent it their support causing its shell to continue as an active factor in the world; and that the development in the New Church of a similar state of religious appreciation to that which kept the simple in their old environment would bring the simple out of that environment and make its perpetuation purposeless, and, therefore, bring it quickly to an end as a religious factor. As some seem to have a difficulty in seeing what I meant here, and have even imputed to me the desire to introduce consummated features of the Old Church or to imply that the New Church did not owe its vigor or vitality to the Writings solely, but was dependent on what the consummated Old Church had to give it, it will be in order now to cite the careful qualifications I made and which have been apparently unnoticed by those who impute such a desire to me: "My contention is that if the New Church can develop an external holiness of equal ultimate power with that which exists as a mere shell in the Old Church, and do this without infection from the internal desolation there, that then much blessing will accrue to the New Church. . . . I do not believe that ultimate benefits from the Old Church can be directly transferred to the New Church without a remodeling. The mode of transfer must be in the nature of an illustration to see in the heavenly doctrines principles that will lead to the formulating of an equivalent ultimate: [As an instance in point, a convert from Moravianism], the disciple of the educational ideals of Comenius was able to see the educational implications in the doctrines and to develop thence a New Church plan of education." (N. C. LIFE, Aug., 1915.)

     My point in these declarations is that the Writings contain in themselves all that will be needed to bring the New Church from among a few to among the many, but that it will require minds trained in different molds of religious experience and sensitive to the needs of the simple in those particular fields in order to detect in the Writings the features necessary to align their qualities of religious craving with the nuclear qualities of the already organized New Church.

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With regard to the benefits transferred to the New Church by the Lord through the channel of Moravians, though entirely apart from: their corrupt and consummated character, I was especially struck by the concluding phrase of the following unqualified declaration of the Writings: "But I remembered what also came into [my] thought, that these [spirits] were not of the primitive Church, but of the Moravian Church; so that it is now said they were of the Moravian Church, with whom has been preserved the image of the primitive Church." (S. D. 3492)

     One writer has expressed himself as of the opinion that this latter phrase is to be understood as being merely the opinion of Moravians but not the plain truth in the matter, and bases his contention on the teaching given elsewhere that the Moravians boast most preposterously and without foundation whatsoever that they are "the remains of the Apostolic Church." (J. Post. 297.) In reply I would remark again that the passage of the DIARY cited just above is entirely without such qualification; and that the preservation of the image of the primitive Church is quite a different matter from the assertion that a group of people are themselves the remains of the Apostolic Church. The image of a Church can be preserved among an evil race who have scarcely anything of the Church within them and who deserve the terrible denunciations the Writings give the Moravians. Such a race can yet have the image of a Church preserved among them and thus serve the Lord as an instrumentality to transmit certain virtues to a future race that will have the Church inwardly in them. The signal historic example of this is the Jewish Church which bridged the gap between the Ancient and Christian Churches; and continues even today in order to preserve the appreciation of the Word in the Hebrew. It is not improbable also that the insistence of the Moravians about their being the remains of the Apostolic Church may have had something to do with the preservation of that image among them. For it is said of the Jews that the Lord permitted a representative of a Church to be established among them "because they had obstinately insisted" upon being His people. (A. C. 10396, 10430, 10612.)

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     The same writer seems to think that the existence of eight columns in the Potts' CONCORDANCE that are mainly condemnatory of the Moravians should deter anyone from thinking anything of value could have been transmitted through them by the Lord to the New Church. But if Weight is to be attached to an argument of this sort, we would have to ask how it came about that the author of the CORRESPONDENCES OF EGYPT could wish us to accept his favorable deductions as to the truths involved in the mythology of that country in the face of the still more appalling fact that there are not eight but thirty-seven columns in the Potts' Concordance that are mainly condemnatory of Egypt. Are we through fear of the suspicion that we may be construed to favor the introduction of corrupt and consummated features, to deny that the Lord has stored up in Egypt things that the study of the Writings will enable us to use? Are we also to deny that the Jewish race was preserved to the present day to bridge over and make a continuity of appreciation of the Word in the Hebrew; from fear we may be accused of ascribing some virtue to corrupt Judaism, when it is the Writings that enable us to develop a similar appreciation? Yet had there been no continuity prior to such development from the Writings the havens resting on the ultimate appreciation of the Hebrew would have suffered.

     In characterizing this image of the primitive Church preserved by the Lord among the Moravians and their predecessors since Apostolic times, I used the expression "Apostolic Succession," which drew from the same writer last referred to a useful disquisition upon the evil motives that inspired the similarly named Christian theory and the lack of authentic historical proof to establish the early links of succession in the chain. In all this I most heartily concur even to the point of adding that I might have chosen a more felicitous phrase than one that has aroused so many unpleasant associations. But while on this point let me remark in passing that there is scarcely an expression used in the phraseology of the Old Church about which the simple good there do not have such thought obscurely suggesting doctrines that may be found in the True Christian Religion, (INV. TO N. C. 2, A. E. 1102), and which are definitely associated with the letter of the Word.

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I am not unaware that the Christian theory of the Apostolic Succession is condemned in A. R. 802 as involving the transmission of the Holy "from man unto man," and as having been formulated as a device to strengthen the Babylonish love of rule. But in spite of this condemnation it yet can be seen to involve obscurely a truth set forth elsewhere in the Writings as follows: "That the Holy, which is meant by the Holy Spirit, is not transferred from man unto man [condemned also in A. R. 892], but from the Lord through man unto man." (CANONS S. S. iv:5.) This discrimination between a transference (1) from the Lord through man unto man, which is correct; and (2) from man unto man, which is incorrect, is precisely that which was the basis of the controversy between the two presidents of the Royal Academy, (D. L. W. 344), one hiding correctly that there was a continued force inflowing from God into nature, and the other, incorrectly, that it was inscribed in original matter and transferred from form to form since then.

     As to what was involved in the preservation of an image of the primitive Church among Moravians, I suggested it was something that made for greater ultimate cohesion, imparting greater "priestly power and fervor." Priests of a consummated Church come also into a fervent zeal while preaching, and exercise thereby a power for holding the simple, which power may continue in an Old Church long after its consummation. This power which is then subservient to evil spirits with the priests, can yet enthrall the good spirits attendant on the simple good and so keep the latter in that environment. I am inclined to think that the simple as a means to being delivered from that thrall, will need to see that fervor decreasing in the Old Church environment and developing in the New Church in a heavenly manner. My opinion about the mode of preservation of the image of the primitive Church among the Moravians and their predecessors to be finally conveyed to the New Church, is that in the Lord's Providence a certain society of simple Christian spirits continually replenished by those dying was associated with a line of Christian priests, and imbued them with a sphere of holy ultimate worship; there being a transmission not unlike that from the Lord through Elijah to Elisha, (cf. 3 ADV. 2186-92), but without reflection on the character of the individual so long as there was no external behavior of a scandalous character.

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Having ceased to be Christian in essence, it was necessary that the being "Christian in name" should be preserved. (T. C. R. 668.) Since the Last Judgement, the associations of simple spirits about their co-religionists on earth were made brief with individual spirits, though there continues to be a daily replenishment by those passing out of our world. Yet means are being provided even for this to cease. This we are told was already the case with all Quakers, (C. J. 85), since they reject the sacraments; and with Mohammedan children. (S. D. 344.) It is probably the case now pretty widely in many Protestant Churches including the Moravians, who are suffering doctrinal disintegration and becoming coalitions for the promotion of ethical culture apart from religion.

     I have spent a great part of this paper so far in answering objections and so have postponed coming to the specific point in view. I would above all things most firmly emphasize the point that the authority for all growth and development in the New Church comes from the Writings of Swedenborg; but that once there has been developed a strong nucleus having unswerving loyalty to the Writings, that then the Lord begins to confer on that nucleus all virtues and treasures He has stored in the world among all races by means of the simple preserved there, by means of their states of religious acknowledgment and by means of their spiritual associations with the angels of heaven. But the men of the New Church are not to look upon such apparently accessory blessings as something apart from and grander than the Writings; since all these things are involved in the Writings, though in order to be evolved from the Writings they need to be seen in the time appointed by those who from a special quality of acknowledgment and love will have their eyes opened to see them there. Surely no one can deny that benefits will come to New Church thought and life from the future association of the simple remnant elsewhere! To deny this systematically will only mean that this will be made difficult of realization and be probably postponed to a far distant time. The concluding point of my paper is then that by the growth of the New Church from among few to be among the, many, is meant not only the bringing of the simple good of all religions into organic touch with the organized New Church; but the growth among Newchurchmen to perceive in the Writings all the states of religious acknowledgment which these simple have and to unite all such qualities of appreciation so that the New Church may come to fulfill the requirements of a world-wide Church which is composed of "the men of many religions," (D. P. 326, cf. H. H. 56, 57), that is, of the simple remnant who have different religious qualities which blending harmoniously can cause a concentration of varieties into a one.

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The New Church will not leave the wilderness to fulfill this ample destiny until its nucleus is strong enough to resist infection from consummated Churches and discriminative enough not to make one pottage of the evil influences and the simple good remnant there. E. E. IUNGERICH.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. On the Saturday evening, March 25th, the Younger Generation Club held its annual dinner. Many of the "old guard" were there to help us enjoy our evening. The general subject of the speeches was "The War," and with Mr. Randolph Childs in the toastmaster's chair the affair could not fail to be a success. However, before the serious part of the evening began, there were a number of carefully prepared spontaneous speeches, on "The Complexity of Our Social Life," "The Future of Esthetic Dancing," "New Church Drama," and "Early Rising." These speeches were well handled, in the spirit in which they were meant, and together with the quips of the toastmaster, caused much laughter. But turning to the serious side of the evening, we found an endeavor to deal impartially with the whole subject of the war. Mr. Charles R. Pendleton gave the case for the "Central Powers." Mr. Whitehead spoke for the Allies, whilst Mr. Gyllenhaal brought out the duty of the neutral nations. Mr. Paul Synnestvedt gave us a careful resume on "The International Law Involved," and Bishop N. D. Pendleton brought the evening to a close with a speech on "The New Church and the War." He ended his remarks with a stirring appeal for loyalty and support to our President, which evoked an enthusiastic response from his auditors.

     It seems as though Bryn Athyn has set itself a record of one marriage a month, at least so it seems to him who has penned these notes, for every time the task comes for more news notes, a wedding is sure to go in them. This time it was the wedding of Miss Rosalba de Anchoriz to Mr. Maurice Joy, of New York. The chapel was decorated with Easter lilies. The children of the Elementary Schools formed the procession and entered carrying flowers and singing a Hebrew song. Bishop W. F. Pendleton performed the service, which closed with the administration of the Holy Supper. A private reception was held at the home of Bishop W. F. Pendleton. The date was March 26th.

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     The College Club was entertained twice during the past month. The first time was at a tea given by Miss Venita Pendleton, at her home. The subject for discussion was New Church "culture." The occasion was most pleasant. The second time was a tea given to the Club by Miss Alice Grant. The subject was "Preparedness For Teaching." All who were present felt that they had received a treat intellectually, as well as spending a pleasant social afternoon.
     
     The Civic and Social Club has been active this month,-I might add, as usual. It conducted a very spirited dance on the night of April 7th. On Saturday evening, April 15, the Club met in debate the Pennsylvania State College team. The subject was: "Resolved, That the Administration policy of armament increase is demanded by the best interests of the U. S." The battle was a royal one, but the local team was nosed out of victory by a 2-1 vote of the Judges in favor of State College. The following members represented Bryn Athyn: D. F. Rose, K. R. Alden, R. W. Childs and R. N. Bostock, alternate. K. R. A.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA. During the month the Theta Epsilon entertained Mrs. Roydon Smith, from Bryn Athyn, who gave them a very interesting talk on "American Composers," illustrating her subject with musical selections. Mr. Walter Cranch, in a talk before the Advent Club, proved conclusively not only that Isaac Pitman was a Newchurchman, but that he had embodied many New Church principles in the development of his system of shorthand writing. On Washington's birthday; Mr. and Mrs. Donald Edmunds, costumed as George and Martha Washington, received the society at their pleasant home in West Philadelphia. The tone of the whole evening was one of patriotic enthusiasm.

     We were surprised by a visit from an old time member of our Society, Fraulein Schneider, of Yalesville, Conn.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA. The Advent Church. The one event which overshadows all ease in the life of our Society this month, is the Dedication of our new Church building. After the months of patient toil and anxious expectation which preceded it, the great day, when we were to actually enter into our new home, and to solemnly consecrate it to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Proclamation of His Second Advent in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, came at last.

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After strenuous efforts on the part of every available member of the Society, and with the help of a Providence that appeared almost miraculous, the building, with its inside furniture and hangings, was completed on the evening of Saturday, April 8th, and Sunday morning found everything in readiness. The chancel was appropriately decorated with palms, ferns, and roses. In the Chapel, the seating had been arranged to accommodate ninety-eight persons, and the assembly room had been cut off from this by curtains, Shortly before eleven o'clock, our friends from Bryn Athyn arrived, about thirty in number, and together with the members and friends here; filled the Chapel to overflowing. Bishop Mr. F. Pendleton had prepared a beautiful service, and although, much to the regret of all, he was unable to be present, the thought of his wise counsel and guidance in the past, as a result of which the present success was made possible, filled the minds of all present. Bishop N. D. Pendleton delivered a memorable sermon and performed the ceremony of Dedication. The Rev. George de Charms assisted him in conducting the service. Every one was impressed with the strong sphere of worship that pervaded, fittingly inaugurating the building into the use for which it was intended.

     After the services, the guests were entertained in the various homes as far as our facilities allowed, and we were delighted indeed to have them with us, though we fear they were shamefully neglected during the afternoon, as preparations had then to be made for the evening banquet. Seven o'clock found the Assembly Room changed into a banqueting hall. Tables accommodating ninety-eight Persons had been tastily spread, under the direction of the ladies. The walls were decorated with banners which had been presented by the Sunday School children, red and white roses decked the tables, while the palms and ferns added a final touch of beauty to the room. Every seat was occupied, and although there was not room for the waiters to pass between the tables, Mr. Edmonds, who had charge of this part of the work, organized a "bucket brigade" in whose hands the dishes were miraculously spirited away, as soon as they had been emptied of their contents.

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     The intellectual part of the evening opened by a toast to the Church, and the singing of "Our Glorious Church." The Rev. Alfred Acton presented the address of the evening, speaking most impressively of the meaning of Dedication, with special reference to that dedication which had been solemnized in the morning. Mr. Acton's remarks were followed by the reading of three communications which had been received,-one from Miss Minnie Thomas, who, having met with an automobile accident, was lying in the hospital. She expressed her regret in being unable to be present. The following telegram was received from Pittsburgh:

     "Congratulations from the Pittsburgh Society. May this place be to you the House of God and the Gate of Heaven. Homer Synnestvedt, Pastor." And finally a communication from Mr. John Pitcairn,-stating that he wished to cancel the loan made by him to the Advent Church, and expressing the hope that the Lord would bless the work of the Society,-raised a veritable storm of cheers, which made the building shake to its very foundations. Coming as it did as a perfect surprise to all, and as the culmination of a long period of earnest effort, it filled the heart of every member and friend with feelings of gratitude which it is impossible to express in words.

     Much to our regret, the Bryn Athyn friends were forced to leave early on account of the train service. We managed, however, to retain a few of them, Mr. Walter C. Childs among the number. In fact, after a series of speeches from our various members and friends, we gladly turned over the rest of the evening to this representative of the Founders of our beloved Academy, and he rounded off the evening with such entertainment as he alone is able to provide.

     At a late hour, the meeting broke up with appropriate songs, and each departed with new strength and determination to face and meet the problems that must confront the society under the new conditions which it has now assumed.
     G. DE C.

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND. War-burdened England is receiving a patriotic response to the call to the colors from our young Newchurchmen. Our society here in Colchester has practically given up all its youth and young men. A list of their names and of the regiments they are serving with may be of interest here:

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Mr. Norman Motum, Army Ordinance Corp, (now in France).
Mr. John F. Cooper, Royal Engineers, (signal section).
S. W. Appleton, Royal Flying Corp, (now in Ireland).
W. Rey Gill, Artists Rifles, (at present in London).
Mr. Philip Motum, attested in Derby Group.
Mr. A. J. Appleton, attested in Derby Group.
Mr. Alan Gill, Royal Naval Division.

     You can well imagine what the loss of these young men means to our Church and social life.

     On Jan. 6th Mrs. W. Gill was the hostess at a very pleasant children's party. Of course the number of children is few, but there were also quite a number of adults present who made up a goodly party.

     We celebrated Swedenborg's birthday on Jan. 30th, and the meeting was very well attended. The subject, Divine Revelation, was arranged in two series. The first half dealt with the revelation that was given prior to the Advent, and the second half dealt with the Advent, and the crown of revelations, "The Writings." The treatment of the four subjects was well handled, and the guests felt that they had gained just a little deeper insight into that truth of truths that leadeth unto all truth. Before leaving a toast was offered to Mr. and Mrs. Motum, who for a period of 25 years have uninterruptedly provided the banquet for these occasions.

     For the present our pastor has deemed it advisable to discontinue the doctrinal classes. F. R. C.

     FROM OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

     UNITED STATES. The Pittsburgh Society ended, Thursday, March 16th, a very successful series of lectures, founded on Swedenborg and the Writings. The first lecture was given Thursday, March 2d, by Rev. Julian K. Smyth, of New York City, official head of the New Church. His subject was "The Life of Swedenborg." Mr Smyth's pleasing manner of delivery, together with the very interesting subject, pleased the audience immensely.

     This lecture was not given in the church, as in former years, but in the Lecture Hall of Carnegie Library, the attendance being close on to two hundred people, one-third of whom were strangers.

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     The second lecture, given at the church was delivered by Rev. Homer Synnestvedt of the Pittsburgh Academy Church, his subject being "The Practical Saving of Soul's," a philosophic and scientific treatment of the subject of Regeneration. Mr. Synnestvedt's experience as teacher and lecturer in the General Church Academy at Bryn Athyn made it possible for him to deliver this deep subject in a very simple and comprehensive manner, using a large blackboard to illustrate the deeper points. This lecture was not only attended by our own members, but also by a large delegation from the Academy Church, as well as not a few strangers. Everybody was apparently pleased and no doubt greatly benefited by this delightful discourse.

     The third lecture, ending the series, was held at the church, March 16th, and was delivered by our own Pastor, Rev. Wm. G. Stockton, whose subject was "The relation of the Natural and the Spiritual Worlds." This was a most interesting subject and was delivered in a most pleasing manner, within comprehension of all. Mr. Stockton also used a blackboard to illustrate the deeper points of his discourse. This lecture covered such an interesting field, also a subject much discussed at the present day, and was so well received by the audience, that we feel that we should go further and offer this lecture to our societies in distant cities. We would, therefore, be pleased to give any of the societies within the jurisdiction of the Ohio and Pennsylvania Associations an opportunity to hear same. The Committee on Lectures would be glad to entertain any call from the other societies to do so, as we feel confident that we could induce Mr. Stockton to deliver this lecture abroad, in spite of his modesty in such matters. (MESSENGER, March 29.)

     The Rev. L. G. Landenberger reports in the MESSENGER for March 15th on the results of his advertising the work on HEAVEN AND HELL in various secular and religious periodicals. We quote the following: "In this morning's mail I am in receipt of a letter from a man in Ouitsha, Southern Nigaria, Brit. West Africa, who saw the little ad in the "HOMILETIC REVIEW" and requests HEAVEN AND HELL and DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM.

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He says he is a Sunday School superintendent and is preparing for the ministry. This morning's post also brings a letter from Mr. P. A. Egozene, of San Juan, Porto Rico, who is now purchasing the ARCANA COELESTIA, a volume at a time. He requests the fourth volume and says: 'I continue as ever reading Swedenborg's works and the Bible.' And the hopefulness of the novitiate is expressed in this next sentence: 'Time is not far when everybody wil1 do the same,' adding, 'I am sure.'"

     GREAT BRITAIN. The Rev. Jas. F. Buss has been given three months' leave of absence by the Kensington Society in London. Some months ago he developed a severe attack of influenza, from which he recovered with the greatest difficulty and which left him so weak that it was feared he would utterly collapse unless he had a long holiday. In order to recuperate he has gone on a voyage (on the steamer "Saxon") to Durban, Natal, where he once ministered, and where he has two married sons.

     The following excerpts from the annual report of the Rev. E. J. E. Schreck to the Birmingham Society are of more than local interest:

     The nature and world-wide extent of the European War are having a markedly sobering effect upon our Church community, as on all other people. Nor is this lessened by the darkened streets, and the recent shaded lighting of the church, both of which are apt to diminish the attendance at the evening services. And yet there is much of a heartening nature in the year's history of our Church. Gloom and cheer often come very close to each other, thereby setting each other off in sharper contrast. Thus, while we deplore the war and its attendant evils which we are made to feel sorely, yet we rejoice that it has demonstrated how intensely burns the fire of patriotism and of love of righteousness in the hearts of our constituency. I believe that there is not a man of military age and fitness, not on war work, who has not offered his services, and if need be, his life, to his country. A very few, much to their own great disappointment, have been rejected as physically unfit for the arduous life of a soldier. Yet the spirit animating our men is exemplified in the case of one such, who, with quiet determination took special physical exercises, and then offered himself again, with the result that he was accepted; and in the case of others who have not yet reached the military age, but who have nevertheless succeeded in entering the forces, and are proving themselves worthy of the best traditions of a British soldier.

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When compulsion comes, the officers will not find a single man in our Church and Sunday School to impress into service. And it is not only the young men, afire with the enthusiasm of youth, who, in the hour of Britain's need, have shown that their love of country far surpasses the love of self and of ease. The older men, with mature deliberation of the grave responsibilities involved, have entered the ranks of volunteers, as recruiters, as Home Defence Guards, as Red Cross workers, as special constables, and the like; and the women, old and young, have become nurses, women volunteers, or are otherwise helping, directly or indirectly, the workers in the trenches, in the munition works, and in the hospitals. We may truly say that the whole Society and Sunday School are aglow with patriotism. This condition leads us again and again to recall what is said in the Divine revelations which the Lord has made to His New Church through His servant Emanuel Swedenborg, that "He who loves his country, and from good-will benefits her, in the other life loves the kingdom of the Lord, for there the Lord's kingdom is his country." No one will ever be able to sum up the amount of money, time and labor that is being devoted by members of our church and Sunday School entirely aside from any official duty or taxes for the benefit of their loved country, and, what is still more noble, for the cause of international liberty and honor. It is profoundly moving to witness the surrender of business interests, of family ties, of personal pleasure, and their submission to the higher interest of country and humanity. It is true, that, so far as workers in the Church and Sunday School are concerned, the situation has tended to handicap us seriously. Yet the spirit that has brought this about will eventually bless the Church the more. In my report of last year, I dwell upon the falling off in church attendance that had been steadily taking place for a number of years past, as lamented by both of my predecessors, and I suggested that, while the changing surroundings of the church were largely the cause, yet so far as such falling off was due to the young people of the church taking no interest after childhood, this could be remedied by a more thorough religious education in the principles of the New Church.

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Experience had shown that young people who had been thus carefully nurtured, in an interested appreciation of the beautiful, deep, and practical truths of the New Church, were much less likely to stray from the Church, than those not so thoroughly trained in our most excellent religion. I also announced that I was then engaged in efforts in the direction of a new and improved instruction of the younger, beginning with those children of our Church who were not, at that time, receiving the benefit of Sunday instruction. I am now happy to report that, owing to the munificence of the father of some of the children, who, with a modesty like that of others just referred to, desired that his gift should remain anonymous, I was able to devote the sum of ?15 to the accumulation of necessary material for the more interesting teaching of children. It has involved much time and correspondence to ascertain the various sources of supply in England and America, some of them quite out-of-the-way. But the results are gratifying. One of the first purposes was to decorate some of the bare walls. Large framed pictures of Biblical stories have been hung in the class rooms. Several of the frames have movable backs, enabling the teachers to show the picture of the day's lesson in a glazed frame, making it more refined and attractive. Pictures large and small, Biblical models, specimens of materials, charts, maps, books, slides, sand-tables, hymn books, etc., have been brought together.

     PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. Among the students taking a correspondence course in the New Church Theological School in Cambridge, Mass., there is a native of the Philippines, Ildefonso Agulo, a Tagalog, 27 years of age, who is very ambitious to spend the doctrines of the New Church among his fellow countrymen. As he speaks very little English, it became necessary for the School to correspond with him in Spanish, In a recent letter he writes: "I desire to ask you people over there, when will arrive here a companion to work with me in the propagation of the 'New Gospel' of the Lord Jesus, or if you have any plan of sending a missionary of the New Jerusalem for the Philippine Islands?"

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Program of the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly 1916

Program of the Annual Meetings of the General Assembly       C. TH. ODHNER       1916




     ANNOUNCEMENTS.



     SPECIAL NOTICE.
Monday, June 12th.
     3 p. m. The Consistory.
Tuesday, June 13th.
     10 a. m, and 3 p. m. Council of the Clergy.
     8 p. m. Theta Alpha and Sons of the Academy.
Wednesday, June 14th.
     10 a. m. and 3 p. m. Council of the Clergy.
     8 p.m. Council of the Clergy.
          Public Session.
Thursday, June 15th.
     10 a. m. and 3 p. m. The General Assembly.
     8 p. m. Dramatic Entertainment.
Friday, June 16th.
     10 a. m. and 3 p. m. The General Assembly
     8 p. m. The Assembly Ball.
Saturday, June 17th.
     10 a. m. The General Assembly.
     3 p. m. The Corporation of the General Church.
     8 p. m. The General Assembly.
          Final Business Session.
Sunday, June 18th.
     11 a. m. Divine Worship.
     8 p. m. Sacred Concert.
Monday, June 19th.
     11 a. m. Administration of the Holy Supper.
     4 p. m. Pageant.
     6 p. m. Banquet.
Tuesday, June 20th.
     10 a. m. Council of the Clergy.
     3 p. m. and 8 p. m. Teachers' Institute.
          CTH. ODHNER,
               Secr. Gen. Ch. N. J.



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INCARNATION 1916

INCARNATION       Rev. C. TH. ODHNER       1916


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Vol. XXXVI      JUNE, 1916           No. 6
     A STUDY

     In the Gospel of Luke we read these words of the angel Gabriel in announcing to Mary the Incarnation in her of that Word which was in the beginning with God: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; and therefore the Holy which shall be born shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35.) And in the Gospel of Matthew we read that Mary "was found with child of the Holy Spirit." (Matth. 1:18.)

     It has been revealed to the New Church that the Holy Spirit which came upon Mary signifies the Divine Truth, and that the power of the Highest which overshadowed her signifies the Divine Good from which the Divine Truth stands forth, and that both as one coming upon her signify the Divine Proceeding. (T. C. R. 88, 139, 140; CANONS. Redeemer, IV.)

     The subject of the present study is the question how the Divine, which is Infinite, could descend into the finite vessels of the virgin and through her assumes the flesh. The Divine Good, even in its form of Divine Truth, is far above the heavens and cannot be received even by the angels of the highest heaven without a series of successive veilings or accommodations. It is evident, therefore, that the Divine Soul could not descend into Mary without the same mediating accommodations. What then, at the moment of the conception, was this veiling medium, which in the Word is called the Power of the Highest and the Holy Spirit?

     I. By the Holy Spirit or the Divine Proceeding is meant the Divine Life operating in and through the atmosphere proceeding from the Sun of the spiritual world.

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     1. "No angel and still less any man can bear the very presence of the Lord such as He is in Himself or in His Essence, and therefore He appears above the heavens as a Sun." (A. R. 465.) The Lord Himself, however, is not a Sun but the Divine Man, and the Spiritual Sun is in itself the first thing created by Him and consists of the first substances of finition.

     2. Being finite they are not Life in itself, yet being immediately from God, they are still too full of the Divine life or activity to be as yet received by human or angelic beings. And therefore a third successive was created, by means of which the first two are accommodated to angelic reception. The first two successives appear above the heavens as two radiant belts or solar circles surrounding the Lord Himself, and the third successive, called "the Divine Truth which is in heaven," appears as and is the universal atmosphere or first aura proceeding from the Sun of heaven. (A. C. 7270.)

     3. The first degree of these successive finites by their intense activity produces the heat of heaven which in its essence is the Divine of Love or Divine Good. The second successive finites, relatively passive, temper the heat, and are the origin of spiritual light which in its essence is the Divine of Wisdom or Divine Truth. And the third,-the atmosphere which is produced by the combination of the first two, and which is their common containant,-in its essence is the Divine of Use, for it accommodates the Divine of Love and of Wisdom so as to render them receptible and thus useful to angels and men.

     "There are in the Lord three things which are the Lord: the Divine of Love, the Divine of Wisdom, and the Divine of Use. These three are presented in appearance outside the Sun of the spiritual world,-the Divine of Love by heat, the Divine of Wisdom by light; and the Divine of Use by the atmosphere which is their containant." (D. L. W. 296.)

     "The Divine Proceeding is what, around the Lord, appears to the angels as a Sun; from this proceeds His Divine through spiritual atmospheres, which He created for the transmission of light and heat, down to the angels, and which He accommodated to the life of both their minds and their bodies, in order that they may receive intelligence from the light; and also in order that they may see and breathe, according to correspondence; for the angels breathe like men." (DIV. WIS. XII.)

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     4. The sphere of first finites, proceeding immediately from the Lord, corresponds to the Divine Celestial, or good from the Divine; and the sphere of second finites, derived from the first, corresponds to the Divine Spiritual, or truth from that good. (A. C. 5307, 5331.) This correspondence will be seen to be complete in view of the teaching that: "the actives of life are called celestial things, and the passives of life are called spiritual things," (S. D. 1741), and that truths or passives become goods or actives when man acts according to them. (A. C. 4984.) We are taught, moreover, that these first forms of good and truth are "finite and created," (CANONS. Trin. IV:5) ;that they are "outside" the Lord as a Sun, (D. L. W. 296); that "those things which constitute the Sun of the spiritual world are from the Lord, but are not the Lord, and therefore are not Life in se," (D. L. W. 294),-all of which proves that these forms of good and truth, which constitute the Divine Proceeding, are substantial and corpuscular forms, and not any purely abstract entities of thought.

     5. As the Infinite Celestial, or the Father, is Life itself, and as the Infinite Spiritual, or the Word, is Life thence, so the first successive or first finite is active in relation to the second successive or second finite. And it is the first successive that inflows as the principal thing in the celestial heaven, while the second successive is the principal thing in the spiritual heaven, (A. C. 1001, 3969, 4286, 8827), just as the first finites are also the actives in the first aura, and the second finites active in the second aura. And, finally, the celestial natural heaven receives influx from the third or celestial heaven, while the spiritual natural heaven receives influx from the spiritual heaven, (H. H. 31), just as the third aura or ether receives influx from the first aura, and the fourth aura or the air receives influx from the second aura,

     6. These two finites are specifically called the Divine Truth, but, taken together with the universal spiritual aura, they are called the Divine Proceeding. (A. E. 726.) For "the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of the Lord is not to be conceived of as speech and its influx into the air, but as a sphere from the Sun, which, as it recedes from that Sun, decreases in ardor and splendor, and at last is so tempered that it is accommodated to the reception of the angels.

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Within this sphere, but far from the sun, is the angelic heaven." (A. C. 9498.)

     "The Divine Proceeding is that which is extended into the universe, and is the Divine Truth. It was afterwards formed successively into spheres, of which the ultimate is the atmosphere of the natural world." (ATH. CREED 191.)

     7. The first and universal atmosphere consists of nothing but goods and truths, so arranged that the goods or actives are enclosed within an elastic shell of truths or passives, (A. C. 1001; A. E. 594; D. L. W. 296), leaving, however, many actives to play freely in the interstices around them. For "truths live so far as they have goods within them and also around them." (A. C. 9151.) Thus these spheres of good and truth are finally so tempered as to be accommodated to the reception of the angels, (A. C. 9498), by being formed into an atmosphere of elastic bulla, enclosing and veiling the ardor of the good by shells or coverings of truths rendered passive by the yielding multitudes of their combined forms. In this manner the angels are mercifully protected from immediate contact with the good itself, and are actuated by it only mediately by the truth in which they can live and move and have their being. And thus it is that the Divine Truth is the all in all in the heavens. This first aura is "a celestial and spiritual sphere which is full of the Lord." (A. C. 2551.) "For the light and heat which proceed from the Divine Sun cannot proceed into a nothing, . . . but into a containant which we call the atmosphere; and this takes it up in its bosom, and carries it to the heaven where the angels are, and then to the world where men are, and thus presents the presence of the Lord everywhere." (D. L. W. 299.)

     And thus it is from the Lord, by means of His aura, and not because of the angels, that "heaven in the whole complex is the Lord, because it is His proceeding Divine." (A. E. 1166.) And, again, it is stated that "By the Lord, here, as elsewhere, is meant the Divine which proceeds from Him as a Sun of heaven, from which and through which all things in the universal world have been created."

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     8. And since this aura is the Divine Proceeding, it is also the Divine Human proceeding, for God from eternity was Divinely Human, and nothing but what is human can proceed from Him. "The Divine in Heaven before the Advent of the Lord was the Divine Human, and on this account everything proceeding from the Divine then was in a human form, so that this form was the existere of Infinite love from the esse of love." (S. D. 4846.) From this Divinely Human quality and form of the Aura it is that "everything of heaven conspires to the human form." (A. C. 5110.)

     And "in the heavens all things which proceed from the Lord, in greatest things and in leasts either are in the human form or have relation to the human form." (A. E. 1119.) "This Divine Human is that which inflows into heaven and makes it; before the Advent of the Lord this form of heaven was the Divine Human, which is the Lord from eternity, thus the Divine itself or Jehovah in heaven." (S. D. 5775.) "For from the Divine there, the universal heaven is like one man, and from this, at that time, was the Divine Human; and though Jehovah appeared in the human form as an angel, it is evident that nevertheless it was Jehovah Himself, and that. that very form was His, because it was His Divine in heaven. This was the Lord from eternity." (A. C. 10579.)

     9. As the first Divine Essence was essentially and from eternity a Divine Man,-"man in conatu or in fieri, so also the Aura immediately proceeding from Him, was also "homo procedens," the Divine Human proceeding,-not as yet from "home natus," but from "homo in conatu." (S. D. 4847.) And this conatus, this endeavor to produce the human form in actuality, is so implanted in the divinely human aura, that it aspires and conspires to nothing but the human form, breathes forth nothing but the Breath of God-Man from eternity.

     It was this breath that God breathed into the nostrils of the image made from the dust of the ground, and from this breath man became a living soul. And it is this same breath that the Lord breathes into everyone of His human images and likenesses, for the soul of everyone of us is formed "from the substance of heaven," (THE SOUL 4; E. A. K. 11:217-219),-that is, the "human formative" substance of the first aura.

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When, therefore, we read of the "transflux of the Divine" through the angelic heavens, it is most necessary and important to remember that the Divine which flowed through was the Divine which makes heaven,-the Divine Proceeding, or the Divine Truth which is the divinely human Aura. (A. C. 6720.) It is this aura which inflows especially into that third heaven but "at the same time it inflows without successive formation down to the ultimates of order, and there, from the First, rules and provides each and all things also immediately; thus the successives are kept together in their order and connection." (A. C. 7270.)

     "The universal angelic heaven consists only of the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord, the reception of which makes the angels. The Divine Truth in the highest heaven appears like the pure aura which is called the ether; in the lower heaven it appears as an aura less pure, almost like the atmosphere which is called the air; in the lowest heaven it has a thin watery appearance, above which there is vapor, like clouds. Such is the appearance of the Divine Truth according to degrees in its descent." (A. E. 594.)

     II. At the Incarnation the Word or the Divine Human from eternity clothed itself with a finite Seed taken from the aura proceeding from the Sun of heaven.

     1. In the CANONS OF THE NEW CHURCH we read: "Since God the most High, who is the Father, by His Divine Proceeding which is the Holy Spirit, beget the Human in the virgin Mary, it follows that the Human born of that conception is the Son, and the begetting Divine is the Father, and that both together is the Lord God the Savior, Jesus Christ, God and Man. It follows also that the Divine Truth, which is the Word, and in which is the Divine Good, was the seed from the Father, from which the Human was conceived. The soul is from the seed, and by the soul is the body." (CANONS. Trin. IV:3, 4.)

     2. It will be seen from this teaching that the Divine Incarnation seed was from the Divine Itself, but by the Divine Proceeding which is the Holy Spirit. And the Divine Proceeding, as has been shown, is the Divine in the heavens and-in its first finite receptacle-the atmosphere proceeding from the Sun of the spiritual world.

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     3. It would not be possible to understand how the Lord assumed the inmost of His finite human from this atmosphere, unless it had been revealed in what manner the inmost of our own human is taken from the same source. In general we are taught that "the soul is from the father, and the body from the mother; for the soul is in the seed of the father, and this is clothed with a body by the mother; or, what is the same, everything spiritual that a man possesses, is from the father, and everything material that he has is from the mother." (T. C. R. 92.)

     4. It is self-evident that this "spiritual," which is our soul, is not derived from the angels of heaven; they had nothing to do with the shaping of its human quality or form, for it was created by God alone and dwells with Him above the angelic heavens, in the "heaven of human internals," in the atmosphere of the "supra celestial heaven." Every man "has heaven in his human," but this "heaven" does not mean the heaven of angels, but the "successives" which proceed from the Lord as a Sun and which make heaven to be what it is. For we are taught that "man, because he is a little heaven, has also successives in himself corresponding to the successives in the heavens; and in his natural, as the ultimate, the successives are in simultaneous order." (ATH. CR. 114.) These "successives," as has been shown above, are, first, the sphere of first finites proceeding from the Sun of heaven; second, the sphere of second finites; and, third, the atmosphere or first aura, resulting from the combination of the first two successives. It is from the substance of this aura that our soul is formed, and out of it our soul descended, "in a perfect human form," into the seed of our fathers. (C. L. 183)

     5. The contents of the human soul are described most clearly in the following passage from the little work called THE MECHANISM OF THE SOUL AND THE BODY:

     "That the rational soul consists of the actives of the first and second [finites]; that these form little spaces, and around them there are surfaces of passives or finites. The soul is most highly active, not otherwise than the first element, in which are enclosed actives of the first finites; but the actives by themselves can form nothing unless they are enclosed in spaces.

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Therefore the soul must enjoy a surface; the surface cannot be other than of second finites. The actives thus enclosed and formed into a surface cannot but colligate themselves on the surface, and make an extense, so that the surfaces are not alone and free, but they make an extense; therefore there will be a meninx or as it were a most subtle membrane, in which the actives will lie enclosed; thus we have the soul, which is of this consistency in the whole and in every part. Such a membrane cannot but be most highly active and most highly elastic, for the enclosed actives make the elasticity; no otherwise than in the elements. There is the same effect; therefore it is most highly elastic, and in it there lies hidden as it were the very first of elasticity. (MECH. SOUL AND BODY 12.)

     6.     Remembering that by first finites are meant goods or what is celestial and by second finites truths, or what is spiritual, we may gain a substantial idea of the following teachings:

     "Celestial and spiritual things form the internal man," which is the same as the soul. (A. C. 978.) "As to the celestial and spiritual things which are of the Lord alone, man is an internal man." (A. C. 1015.) "The inmost with man lacks a name, because it receives immediately the Good and Truth which proceed from the Lord." (S. D. 4627.) "Love and wisdom proceed unitedly from the Lord, and in like manner inflow unitedly into the souls of angels and men." (INFLUX. 14.) "The conjugial of good and truth has been implanted from creation in the soul of everyone, and also in the sequents from the soul." (C. L. 204.) "The very origin of conjugial love resides in the inmost with man, that is, in his soul." (C. L. 238.) "The first of man is spiritual, being the receptacle of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom." (DIV. WIS. VIII:5.)

     7. That these "goods and truths" of which man's inmost soul consists, are not abstract propositions, but concrete realities, is clearly shown in the following teaching in the CANONS, which also most strikingly exhibits the difference between our own souls and the soul of the Lord in His human: "The spiritual origin of all human seed is truth from good, yet not Divine Truth from Divine Good in its own essence, infinite and uncreate, but in its own form finite and created." (CANONS. Trinity. IV:5.)

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The same difference is shown in the statement in the APOCALYPSE REVEALED that "the Itself, which is Love Itself and Wisdom Itself was the Lord's soul from the Father; thus the Divine Life, which is Life in itself; whereas in man the soul is not life, but the recipient of life." (A. R. 961.) For the first substances of creation, being finite and created goods and truths, cannot be life in se, but receive all their life or activity from their first source, the Divine Conatus or the Word itself. The Lord alone, as the Only Begotten, had "life in Himself," but the inmost life of any finite being is only a derivative life.

     8. This derivative life of the first finites, or goods, supremely and unceasingly active in our inmost soul, is always clothed and tempered by the elastic shells of second finites passive, that is, by the forms of truths, and it is in these truth-forms that the soul descends into man and creates his seed. "In man, the most general universal, which contains the singulars, is the soul. Thus it is also the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord; for this continually inflows and causes the soul to be such." (n. C. 6115.) "Virile semination is from a spiritual origin, being from the truths of which the understanding consists. Nothing is received by males from the spiritual marriage, which is that of good and truth, but truth and that which relates to truth; and this, in its progress into the body, is formed into seed; and hence it is that seeds, spiritually understood, are truths.... The masculine soul is truth, and therefore when the soul descends, truth descends, and when this takes place, the entire soul forms itself and clothes itself, and becomes seed." (C. L. 220.)

     9. But in clothing itself and becoming seed in a human masculine mind and body, the soul is enveloped with something that is not purely spiritual, but natural in its origin and quality. For the soul is not the same as the masculine seed, but exists in that seed. "The seed of a man is conceived interiorly in his understanding and is formed in his will." (T. C. R. 584) "in the seed of a man is his soul in perfect human form, covered over with substances from the purest things of nature." (C. L. 183) "In the seed of every one there is a graft or offset of the soul of the father, within a certain envelope of elements from nature." (T. C. R. 109.)

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"The soul in its descent, when it becomes seed, is veiled over with such things as are of the man's natural love. From this springs hereditary evil." (C. L. 245.) "The seed is the first form of the love in which the father is; it is the form of his ruling love, with the nearest derivations which are the affections of that love." (D. P. 277) What that ruling love is, with all of us, has been very plainly revealed.

     10. With the Lord, as with all other men, the soul was from the father alone, and the body from the mother, but with Him the Father was His own Divine. And this Divine Soul descended into the virgin by means of a Seed which also was from the Divine itself, alone, but formed by means of the Divine Proceeding. Through this mediating Seed He was able to be conceived by the virgin, and this Seed formed in her ovum a first finite human internal, which was "the human in which His Divine was able to be." The teaching reads:

     "The Celestial of the Spiritual is the good of truth in which is the Divine, or which is immediately from the Divine. This, viz., the Celestial of the Spiritual in which is the Divine was with the Lord alone while He was in the world, and was the human in which His Divine was able to be, and which He could PUT OFF when He made all the Human in Himself Divine." (A. C. 5331.)

     11. With every finite man the "celestial of the spiritual," or the first finite, is the inmost of the sed and of the human internal, but the Seed of the Lord differed from merely human seed, in that it consisted of ('the celestial of the spiritual IN WHICH IS THE DIVINE, or which is immediately from the Divine." That is to say, with Him alone the Divine Esse descended in the form of the Divine Existere or the Logos itself, clothed with His own proximate and first finite compass, whereas with a finite man the soul-propagation begins in this proximate compass. But with the Lord alone "the Divine Truth, which is the Word, in which is the Divine Good, was the Seed from the Father from which the Human was conceived. From the seed is the soul, and through the soul is the body." (CANONS. Trin. IV:4.)

     12. The finite veiling of this Divine Seed He formed for Himself,-as He forms the inmost of all human seed,-out of the aura which proceeds from Himself as the Sun of Heaven.

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This is what formed "the internal human of the Lord, which was the celestial of the spiritual, and this was truth from the Divine, or the first clothing of the Divine itself in the Lord; and the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, proceeded therefrom." (A. C. 5689). Thus "He put on that very thing which was with the angels of the celestial kingdom." (A. C. 6371.) He did not put on the angels of that kingdom nor anything from the angels, but He put on that which was with, those angels, i. e., the celestial of the spiritual, or a first membranous precipitation formed out of the celestial aura, in which is the Divine with the celestial kingdom and which makes that kingdom.

     13. This is what is meant by the statement: that "the Lord had heaven in His human," for "heaven" here means "the successives" which present the Divine in heaven.

     "Man, because he is a little heaven, has also successives in himself corresponding to the successives in the heavens; and in his natural especially, as the ultimate, the successives are in simultaneous order. And because the Lord had heaven in His Human, thence out of heaven in Himself He disposed all things in order in the heavens and in the hells." (ATH. CR. 114.)

     14. It is self-evident that by "heaven," here, is not meant the "angelic heavens," but the Divine in those heavens. Of course, being Infinite, His Divine Soul also included the angelic heavens, and the whole universe, but these neither constituted nor contributed anything to the formation of His own human internal. It is more proper to say that the Lord had the angelic heavens about Him and associated with Him. "The Lord when He made the Human in Himself Divine, also had societies of spirits and angels about Him; for He willed that all things should be done according to order. But we associated with Him such as were of service, and changed them at His good pleasure. He took from them, and applied to Himself, nothing of good and truth, but from the Divine. Thus, also, He reduced into order both heaven and hell." (A. C. 4075.)

     15. His Seed being thus derived from His own Divine, without the intermediation of any finite father,-angelic or human,-there was with the Lord no other Paternal heredity than that of His own Divine,-His own Divine Esse, His own Divine Existere, and His own Divine Procedere.

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Hence there could be with Him no paternal hereditary evil. "All men whatsoever have no other seed but what is filthy and infernal, in which and from which is their proprium, and this is from that which is inherited from the father," but with the Lord alone "the seed itself was celestial, because He was born of Jehovah, and therefore He was the only one who had this seed in Himself." (A. C. 1438.) With Him alone, therefore, the celestial of the spiritual could act in the fulness of its heavenly intensity, in complete obedience to the impulse of the Infinite Celestial of the Infinite Spiritual,-unimpeded by any paternal hereditary evil, and obstructed only by the hereditary evil derived from the mother,-an evil which could be put off.

     16. This Divine Seed, when conceived by the maternal ovum, immediately began to weave "the human internal of the Lord,... and the spiritual of the celestial, which is the intermediate, proceeded therefrom," (A. C. 5689), even as with man the simple fibre proceeds from the inmost celestial cortex of the cortical land. The conception itself was from the Divine Celestial through the first finite, represented by Abram,-and the birth was from the Divine Spiritual, through the second finite, represented by Sarai. (A. C. 2629.) The same fibre, extending itself from the human internal, wove also the organic substances constituting the Lord's "interior man," or the organic cerebral plane in which could be developed the intermediate rational mind. This also, "as to celestial things,"-as to the interior contents of the fibre, or the hereditary ruling love from the Father,-"was from the very birth adjoined to the internal man." But as to its "spiritual things,"-as to the coating of the fibre, infilled by substances from the mother,-His interior man was adjoined to the external man from the mother, and was like that of any other man, (A. C. 1707),-that is, subject to education, temptation and glorification.

     17. As to His internal man, therefore, and also as to the essence of His interior man, He, and He alone, "was born into Good, nay, into the Divine Good itself, as far as from the Father," (A. C. 4644), so that even in the natural He was from the very birth "hungering for good and thirsting for truth." (A. E. 449.)

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As to these planes and degrees of His human He could not be tempted by evil, but by means of them He "disposed all things into order in the heavens and in the hells," (ATH. CR. 114), by first disposing into order all things of His own external human. Even so, in a finite measure, the human internal or the soul of every man,-formed from that supreme aura which is Order itself,-ever strives to dispose into order all things in our own human.

     18. Then, when the finite human internal with the Lord had performed this service, He "put off" even this first finite medium, (A. C. 5331), and "mounted above it, and became the Divine Good itself or Jehovah as to the Human." (A. C. 5307). For by obeying all Truth and thus fulfilling the whole Word, He turned all Divine Truth into Divine Good. All the passive forms with Him thus became actives, and by the descent of the Infinite into all degrees of form, all were successively rendered Infinite. Thus He glorified and rendered Infinite the whole of that finite human internal which He had assumed from His immediately proceeding but finite aura.

     And thus, in His own Divine Human, the Divine Proceeding, equally with the Divine Existere, became one with the Divine Esse. "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Col.2:9.)
BLESSING AND A CURSE 1916

BLESSING AND A CURSE        W. F. PENDLETON       1916

     "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way, which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." (Deut. XI:26-28.)

     The sons of Israel were chosen to represent the true spiritual church of the Lord; hence all that is said of them in the Word is representative not of spiritual states of life as actually existing with them, but of the true spiritual states of an internal church which was yet to come on earth.

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     States of spiritual life, of spiritual love and wisdom, as these exist with the angels of heaven, and such as ought to exist with men on earth, cannot appear on the sensual plane of life except in such things as clothe them, except in such appearances as represent them, which are thus no longer themselves-no longer spiritual-but which are veiled in things which correspond to those which are spiritual and celestial. All activities, all forms on the sensual visible plane, are thus but representative of and correspondential to the things of heaven and the heavenly life; even as words which are sounds are not thoughts but represent them, and as the gestures of the body are not affections, but represent them to the outer world, to the sensual view of men, even as words and gestures are not thoughts and affections, but the visible instrumentalities or vehicles of conveying them to the senses of others, and through their senses to their minds. The only way, therefore, for what is spiritual to appear in what is natural, especially in what is sensual, is by representation in it through the things there which correspond.

     The Jews were sensual men above all others then upon the earth, thus were of all men the most suited to represent the things of celestial love and wisdom, and of conveying them, as through sensual media, to all others of the human race; they were of all men the most suited to become the medium by which the Word could be written in a sensual, correspondential, representative form, which would thus become the Divine Truth adapted and accommodated to the minds of children and the simple in all nations. For the sensual man, especially in childhood, is not necessarily evil. He is at first neither good nor evil; but he will become the one or the other, according to his afterlife. It is therefore necessary that the Divine should reach him, should be brought down to him, should be accommodated to his capacity to receive early in life, that he may be led out of his sensual state into rational and spiritual states of truth and good. In order that the Divine Truth might be so accommodated, that even children might receive it, a nation was chosen which could act as a medium of communication to the simple and childhood states of men, and that nation was chosen which was the best adapted of all nations to this purpose.

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Thus we see throughout the Old Testament the Jews were always treated as a nation of children. They were rewarded as children, and punished as children, and nothing was said to them or commanded them, except such as is suited to the mind of childhood, or to men who are in states similar to the states of childhood. This was because the Divine work of salvation must begin in childhood, and the Divine Truth must therefore be accommodated to the states of childhood, must be clothed in forms to reach the states of childhood, that is, must be clothed in sensual appearances which are appearances of truth, or in forms which correspond with the truth on the sensual plane, otherwise the states of childhood could never be reached or approached by the Divine Truth, and the children and the simple could never be saved. This was the use which the Jews were led to perform for the human race.

     The Jews were therefore always addressed as children, and there was always held before them the hope of reward, or the fear of punishment, the hope of natural worldly reward and the fear of natural worldly punishment, if they did not obey the commandments of the Lord their God. Therefore Moses said to them, as recorded in the text, "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way, which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known."

     It was not a spiritual blessing that was set before them, but a natural blessing, natural reward which would be theirs if they kept the commandments of the Lord, and natural punishment if they disobeyed. If they did as they were commanded, they were to be rewarded with plentiful harvests, riches in abundance, much of this world's goods; but if they did not obey, these things would not be given them, or they would be deprived of them if already given; thus they would be under a natural curse if they refused to obey the commandments of the Lord their God.

     This is the state of children.

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For in childhood, as in all sensual states of life, it is the blessings and rewards of natural life, of the natural world, that are appreciated, wished for, sought for and loved; and there is keen distress if these are not obtained, or if there is a deprivation of them; and as every man is led by his delights, so children, as it was with the Jews, are led by their pleasures or bodily delights, and they regard themselves as blessed when they obtain them, and cursed or under severe punishment when they are lost or taken away from them.

     It is indeed a general law or fact of human life, that a man considers himself blessed in receiving that which he loves above all things, in which he takes delight above all things, and cursed in losing it, in being deprived of it. There is no greater punishment to any man than to take away from him that in which he places the greatest delight of his heart, or no greater reward than to give him that which he most ardently desires. And as all men do not have the same ruling love, so the idea of blessing and curse is as various as loves are various or as the men in whom loves reign are various in state, disposition, and character. Loves are even opposite, as men are in opposite states to each other. What one man regards as a blessing, another man in an opposite state will regard as a curse, and what the former regards as a curse, the latter will regard as a blessing. It is by this that men learn to lead or drive one another. Find what a man values above all things, or what he fears, and you possibly have in your hand the means of controlling or compelling him to subserve your will. This is the secret of all administration or government by rewards and punishments, whether in children or adults, whether in this world or the other. If you are able to give a man or a child what he really values, or deprive him of what he really loves, you are in a position to compel or lead him according to your will or judgment. It is thus that the Lord governs all men, not by compelling but by leading every man according to his love, or by the delight of his love; and when we realize the infinite knowledge of the Lord, His Omniscience, we may in some degree realize His exquisite leadership of every man that is born into the world.

     The Lord knows the heart of every man, He knows what every man values and loves above all things, and He leads him by it. He knows that what the natural man values and loves, is not what the spiritual man values and loves, that the loves and the values of the natural and spiritual man are opposite to each other, and He leads each accordingly.

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     What the natural man regards as a blessing, the full and free indulgence of all his natural loves and desires, the unlimited and unrestrained activity of his natural delights, the spiritual man regards as a curse. For to the spiritual man the free indulgence of all the desires of natural love, of the loves of self and the world, is the very curse itself of hell, and when he perceives it to be such he shuns it, strives against it with all the might and energy of his soul.

     On the other hand what the natural man regards as a curse, namely, to be placed under the necessity of restraining the delights of evil loves, the spiritual man regards as the beginning of every blessing-to voluntarily restrain and bring under subjection the loves which go forth into the commission of those things which are forbidden in the commandments and contrary to the order of heaven. This the spiritual man regards as the open door to every blessing of heaven.

     It was thought by the Jews that blessing consisted in receiving from the Lord an abundance of natural possessions-gold, silver, plentiful harvests of corn, wine and oil, flocks and herds in great number, slaves to do their bidding, the spoils of war, the plunder of nations, and dominion over their enemies. Whenever they obtained an abundance of these things they considered themselves prosperous, happy, blessed; but when they did not obtain them, or lost them when they had been once possessed, they considered themselves as under the curse or punishment of God; and this is what blessing or reward, what curse or punishment, meant to them as recorded in the Word, as in our text, "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; and a curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way, which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." When Moses spoke these words to them, they understood what he said in no other sense than what is purely natural; they understood by his words that they were to receive natural wealth and prosperity if they obeyed the Lord in keeping all things of His law as given to them, or they would be punished by being deprived of it, if they did not keep the commandments of the Mosaic law and ritual.

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     Now when we compare the state of the Jews with the present or prevailing state of mankind at large, of men as we know them, of men as they manifest their states of love and faith, their sentiments and belief, we find but little difference. The ruling love now, as it was with the Jews of old is the love of the world; the ruling delight is the delight of that love, and the ruling idea of happiness and blessing consists in the persuasion and belief that he alone is blessed who has much of what the world has to give, and that he who has it not has no real blessing but is under a curse. There is no other thought in the mind of the average man, than that blessing consists in receiving much of this world's goods; and with the same man the converse of the proposition also holds that not to receive and possess an abundant supply of the goods of this world, or to be deprived of them, is to be in a state of curse, and indeed we often hear the curse of poverty spoken of as that which is above all things the most undesirable. This is because the wealth of the world is loved more than all things else, and it is believed that life is scarcely worth living without it.

     We have then before us this universal principle of human life, that a man always considers himself blessed when he receives an abundance of what he loves, and takes delight in, and cursed when he has not or is deprived of it.

     We would here note one of those wonderful things of the providence of the Lord,-He gives to man that which man himself considers a blessing, as far as it is possible to do so, consistent with order and the general good of mankind in both worlds. The Lord gives even to the evil their blessings, what they regard as such, so far as this may not be to the detriment of the good, so far as it may not be to the injury of the order of His kingdom. He wills that no man live in misery, He is kind to the unthankful and the evil.

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     A man is in misery when he is without what he loves, when he does not obtain what he desires; and it is not the will of Providence that a man should be without what he loves, that he should not obtain what he desires, that is, it is not the will of Providence that any man should live in everlasting misery, except so long and so far as it may be necessary as a Divine permission that he may be finally brought under the wholesome restraints of order, and to a wholesome recognition of the rights and goods of others.

     Why are men, therefore, deprived for a time of that which they hold dear, that which they love supremely in their hearts? First, for the reason which we just mentioned, namely, that they may not use the blessings of God to the injury of others; they are therefore deprived for a time of the exercise of the delights of their loves, until they are ready and willing to tone down and temper their lusts of natural love, and to act, even though unwilling, according to the laws of order which require a due balancing of the rights and privileges of all. Second, that the mind may, if possible, come to see the vanity of earthly things, and thus be weaned away from an inordinate love of them, and thus be turned and induced to seek and love the blessings which are enduring and eternal. For the necessity is supreme with every man, that he should cease to consider the things of this world, the things of time, the pleasures of the senses, the indulgence of the bodily appetites, as the only and the chief of all blessings-the necessity of ceasing to lust for them as the chief and only blessing to man; and the Lord by wonderful ways is ever seeking to lead him and wean him away from the persuasions and lusts that bind him to the belief that worldly blessings are the all of human life, which all men are at first disposed to believe.

     Children so believe, and as yet they know no better. It so appears to them-it appears to them that the pleasures of the body and the senses are the chief end of man, the highest good, and contain in them all that is essential to human happiness. This is the same with men who are yet children it was so with the Jews, it is so now with the mass of mankind. They are still children in their love of the pleasures of the body and of the world, in their belief that in such pleasures are to be found the highest, yea, the only good.

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This state of childhood has continued with them into adult age, and thus has become confirmed. They still believe that natural pleasure, natural blessing is the highest good, and it is now nearly impossible to lead them away from it. This is indeed the origin of all evil and all falsity, all heresy, namely, the confirmation in adult life of the fallacies, the appearances, the evils of childhood, the confirming of the persuasion that the pleasures of the love of dominion and love of the world are the only real blessings of human life-a confirmation that closes the spiritual mind, and makes it impossible for any other perception to enter-any perception that there is a higher blessing and a higher good, which is the only real blessing and the only real good, a highest blessing and a higher good than that which their world has to give.

     Children must be led away gradually from this state, while they are yet in the period of childhood and youth, by being led to see that there is a higher good, a real blessing which is permanent, and eternal, and which is provided for those who begin early to deny themselves, to take up their cross and follow the Lord by keeping the commandments of His word.

     To begin early to deny oneself the indulgence of the inordinate lust of worldly pleasure opens the only road for passing out of a state, which if confirmed in adult life becomes a curse; for this is what is meant by a curse in the text and generally in the Word of God-the confirmation of the lust of natural love, a lust that is innocent in the beginning of life, but whish if afterwards confirmed introduces a state of curse, which is separation from all angelic consociation and disjunction with God. Man begins life in a state of blessing-every man-because his state is then innocent, because he is then in the sphere of angelic association, in the sphere of the Lord's presence with men. But this state of innocence passes away, natural loves which were at first innocent are confirmed as the only good, and there is a fall from heaven, a removal from angelic association, a disjunction with God, a passing over from a state of blessing to a state of curse.

     But it is not necessary that such a change as this should take place it is not necessary that any man should pass out from a sphere of blessing to a sphere of curse, from the blessing of heaven of the curse of hell.

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The first states of every man, the states of childhood and early youth are neither good nor evil; a sphere of innocence from heaven is present, but there are also present evil tendencies which look toward hell, and by virtue of these two, an equilibrium is established in which there is free choice, and man may rum the one way or the other. And as the Jews were told to choose, so the Lord invites every man, even in childhood and early youth, to choose between good and evil, between a blessing and a curse, between an innocent love of pleasure of the world and a confirmed inordinate love of them, "For behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; and a curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." Therefore, "choose ye this day whom ye will serve.

     One of those remarkable reactions, notably in history, took place when in the early Christian Church asceticism arose, and the same thing appears in the rise of modern Puritanism, the appearance of the doctrine of the total depravity of man-a doctrine which taught that all the delights, of the natural man, all the pleasures of the body and the world are wholly and altogether evil, to be suppressed and rooted out, even in childhood and early youth, or otherwise man cannot be saved. In the light of the Revelation which has been given to the New Church, such a teaching cannot stand; in the light of this heavenly doctrine there is no such thing as the suppression of the delights of the natural man in the sense of annihilation. The heavenly doctrine calls aloud to us, not for the suppression and actual rooting out of any natural love or any natural delight, but for bringing into order and subordination that which ought to be made subservient, and thus instrumental to higher good. For all things of the natural man are for service and not for rule. The natural man is not to rule bur to become the servant of the spiritual man, and thus the delights of the natural man are to be held and kept in their place of service; and we are only to beware that they do not rule and govern, after the period of childhood and youth is passed.

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For not even in adult life are the pleasures of the body, and of the world, to be extirpated and destroyed; pleasures remain to man even in heaven itself, as the servants of his spiritual life, as instrumental and for recreation, but not as ends of life.

     At first, as in childhood, they are loved as the chief and only blessing, but this state is then innocent and not harmful to spiritual life; but if this state remains it becomes harmful and injurious, positively hurtful, because that which is the last and the lowest is made the first and the highest thing of life; the whole order and nature of man is perverted; that which should serve and which is intended only to serve, usurps the chief seat in the human mind and rules when it should obey. This is the state which in the text is called a curse, from which we are rescued, and can be rescued only by a life of regeneration, which is by keeping the commandments of the Lord our God, by not turning aside out of the way to go after other gods which we have hitherto not known.

     We see then what is meant by blessing and what is meant by curse in the letter of the Word, as accommodated to the state of the Jews, and as accommodated to the state of all natural men, accommodated to what they regard as a blessing and a curse, and at the same time accommodated to the state of children. We have also seen that the Jews, and indeed all the men like them, are addressed by the Lord in the Old Testament as children and treated as such, rewarded as such, and punished as such. The Old Testament will thus serve us a guide, not only in all natural government, but especially in the government of children-not too much of reward, not too much of punishment, but a proper and just balancing of both according to the needs, conditions and states with which we have to deal. Some children need more of punishment and some more of reward; neither is to be used to the exclusion of the other. Judgment is therefore to be exercised in the administration of both, as to whether reward is to be used, or punishment to be used in the government of the child. The Lord does this in His dealings with all men, that is, every man is punished or rewarded according to his needs; some men receive much of punishment, and some men receive much of reward, adapted in an infinitely just balance by a merciful and Omniscient God.

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     Now the Jews were addressed as children because they were sensual men, and could only be so addressed and so led; and hence like children, having no spiritual intelligence or spiritual affection, they could represent only what is spiritual. They thought only of sensual or worldly things when the Lord spoke to them. This is the state of children, and to this state is the letter of the Word addressed, especially the Word of the Old Testament. The Jews had no other idea of a blessing and no other idea of a curse than what is purely natural and sensual, of the world and of the body, nor have children any other idea. The Lord would have led the Jews out of this state, had it been possible to do so, but they stubbornly adhered to their natural and worldly loves, as men generally do now-the Lord would have led them out of this state, even as He said to them when in the world, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate."

     The Lord would have led the Jews out of this sensual natural state into a state of spiritual intelligence and wisdom, even so that He might establish an internal or spiritual church with them, but they would not! It was not possible to lead them against their will out of a natural idea of blessing into a spiritual idea of the same. They choose the curse rather than the blessing and their house was left unto them desolate.

     But if a spiritual church is to be established among men, there must be somewhere on the earth a region, a state, a people, where the children who are born within the church can be led by the Lord out of natural into spiritual states of intelligence and wisdom, out of a natural into a spiritual idea of blessing; where they will freely choose the blessing rather than the curse; where they will obey the Lord in the conduct of their life by beginning early to keep the commandments of His Word,-the commandments which He has set before them this day, the day of childhood and of youth, the day of early manhood, the day which is now,-that they may not pass over to the service of other gods, the gods of the nations, the gods of this world, the gods of the flesh, the demons of natural lust and desire, in the serving of which they voluntarily choose for themselves a state of disjunction with God, calling down upon them the curse of God, who has promised and would give them from the fulness of His Infinite Love a blessing, even life forevermore.

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DAY OF DAYS 1916

DAY OF DAYS       MADEFREY ODHNER       1916

Why sweeter breathes the rose
     Her perfume unbidden?
Why sighs the wind that blows
     Of Eden long hidden?
'Tis June, 'tis June, Nineteenth of June!
     All nature knows the hour,
And to receive the Bride and Groom
     Makes ten times sweet her bower.
And sweeter breathes the rose
     Her perfume unbidden,
And brings the wind that blows
     The Eden long hidden.

Why now reveals the eye
Fond graces deep hidden?
Why halts the heart, ah, why,
     To worship, unbidden?
'Tis June,' tis June, Nineteenth of June,
     Divinest nuptial hour!
The earth and sky, and sun and moon
     Have framed the Marriage bower,
And Salem, like the rose,
     Has sweetened unbidden.
Kissed by the wind that blows
     From Eden long hidden.           -MADEFREY ODHNER.

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SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION 1916

SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION       Rev. ALFRED ACTON       1916

     REVIEW

     THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION AS DRAWN FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE NEW CHURCH. By William Frederic Pendleton. Academy of the New Church. Pp. 456

     By those who have listened to his preaching, Bishop W. F. Pendleton has long been regarded as one of the foremost expounders of the Scriptures in the New Church. His sermons cannot be said to be of the peculiarly "doctrinal" type, nor of the peculiarly "affectional." They are simply expositions of the Word, the setting forth of what the research of the student has found to be the teaching of the text, and these expositions have rarely failed both to enlighten the understanding and to move the affections.

     But to do a thing well and at the-same time to describe clearly and intelligently the means by which it is done, are gifts that do not always go together. That the Bishop possesses the latter gift as well as the former will be evident to anyone who has perused the work now before us, THE SCIENCE: OF EXPOSITION,-a work wherein are set forth in orderly sequence, and with clear explanation and demonstration, the means whereby can be unlocked to the student the treasures of the Divine Word. "The Word (says Bishop Pendleton) is the Divine Mind, which is omniscient and omnipresent, revealed in the form of a book for the instruction of men, and thus for their eternal salvation" (p. 387); and the supreme end of the New Church sermon is to "enter into the mysteries of the Word." This, of course, has always been recognized by New Church expositors; but little attention has been paid to a study of the means by which this end may be attained. Indeed, with the exception of the book before us, we know of no publication in the whole vast literature of the New Church, that deals in any way with this subject. There are commentaries and expositions such as the works of Clowes, Bruce, Maclagan and others, but these consist largely of direct quotations or summaries from the Writings; and in those cases where verses are explained that are not mentioned in the Writings, the commentator in no case gives the means by which he arrives at his exposition, though a knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrine, and of correspondences is presumed.

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As a consequence the reader is led sometimes to doubt whether the true exposition has been reached.

     The same applies to the New Church sermon,-and even to a greater degree. For the commentator who is expounding a book of the Word verse by verse, has before his view a whole series, and cannot but be guided more or less by the orderly sequence of truths in the internal sense. But the sermon writer very frequently, if not mostly, has chosen some isolated text, and in the absence of any "science of exposition," or at best with a very fragmentary knowledge of the principles of exposition, he is often at a loss to know the true spiritual sense of the particular verse before him. One does not have to search far in the expository literature of the Church, to find evidences of this fact. A great number of New Church sermons are little more than the setting forth of some lesson that has been suggested to the preacher by the general meaning of the text, and that might indeed have equally well been set forth in connection with many other texts. Even the better class of sermons are sometimes rather a setting forth of the general doctrine contained in the text, than an exposition of the text itself, that is, an exposition that can belong to that particular text and to no other. The most conscientious and studious of preachers must frequently have wished for a greater abundance of indications, to point to the genuine internal sense of the text of his study.

     It is here that Bishop Pendleton has made his signal and unique contribution for the enriching of the New Church. He has shown that the Writings lay down certain definite rules of exposition. These rules he has drawn out and set in order like so many witnesses to bear testimony with unanimous voice to the internal sense of each book and chapter and verse of Sacred Scripture. As, in the Jewish law, nothing could be established except at the mouth of two or more witnesses, so, says the Bishop, the internal sense of a text cannot be determined with any certainty unless it be established by more than one rule of exposition.

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Merely to know the correspondence of the words of a text is by no means sufficient, for with nothing more than this the preacher might indeed preach a useful sermon, but it may not be in exposition of the text.
     
     Other rules of exposition must be applied,-such, for instance, as the teaching of the chapter or series in which the text occurs, the consideration of what precedes, and of what follows, etc. When the text has been examined in the light of several of these rules, the minister can feel considerable confidence that their unanimous testimony will point to the genuine meaning of his text. By the application of these rules, to quote Bishop Pendleton, he "will put into the sermon only what he finds in the text," and will place himself "in a position to be taught of the Lord, and led by Him, or led by the spirit of truth to all truth" (p. 251). And, what is also of great importance to the teaching of the Word as the Divine Truth, this same application will "make clear to the understanding of the hearer that the truths set forth are contained in the text and are not mere human inventions" (p. 277).

     The rules of exposition are by no means presented as the only, nor even as the most important of the requirements for exposition. The three great requirements as laid down in the Writings are, the doctrine of genuine truth; the knowledge of correspondences; and illustration from the Lord. The Bishop assumes the existence in the priestly reader, of the last two of these requirements. He indeed gives some useful reflections bearing on illustration from the Lord, but with this exception his book is devoted to showing the means by which the doctrine of genuine truth is to be drawn from the Letter of the Word. "The principles of exposition do not, (he observes), add another essential (to the requirements far exposition), but they serve to make the three essentials more effective in their operation and application" (p. 3), and are "aids to the light of doctrine" (p. 195) whereby the preacher may 6ecome like that householder "who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old," that is, the genuine truths of the internal sense, as well as those of the Sense of the letter (p. 282).

     The first suggestion of there being many leading principles of exposition came to Bishop Pendleton from Bishop Benade, who had pointed out to him "the value and use of sermons in a series, and the importance of noting what is first said in a chapter of the Word, and of what is last said in the preceding chapter."

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From this suggestion the author was led to examine the Writings with a view to ascertaining whether there were not other and equally important rules of exposition. The result is the present work, the fruit of many years of study and reflection.

     The rules thus set forth are distinctly taught in the Writings, especially in the expository Writings. They are not, however, put forth as rules, but rather are mentioned, as though incidentally. In reading, one accepts them naturally, not-as principles for general application, but rather as incidental statements giving the reason in some particular case-frequently where the spiritual sense is deeply concealed in the Letter,-why such and such is the sense of the passage under consideration. And yet it is these apparently incidental statements that present the means whereby Swedenborg, endowed with the doctrine of genuine truth, the knowledge of correspondences, and illustration from the Lord, was enabled to expound the Word for the use of the New Church.

     Thus in the exposition of Genesis VI we read the following in the ARCANA:

     That by seven days is signified the beginning of temptation, has been shown above; and it refers itself to what precedes, namely, that this temptation, which was of his intellectual things, was the beginning of temptation or the first temptation. (A. C. 753.)

     That by they is signified in general the man of the Church, or everything which was of this Church, is evident from the fact the word refers to those who have been just mentioned.-Noah, Shem, Ham and Japeth,-who although they are four, still together constitute one. (ib. 773.)

     That wild beast signifies spiritual good, may not indeed appear at first sight; but it can be evident from the series of thinys. (ib. 744)

     Each of these passages gives a distinct rule of exposition, namely, (1) What precedes in the chapter must be studied. (2) The names of persons must be carefully examined. (3) The series in which the Word or text occurs must be in mind as the controlling general or universal. Yet these three principles of exposition are stated in a way so apparently incidental, that their importance is apt to escape notice; though to one searching for them, they become at once apparent and luminous.

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Certain it is that, although a few of the rules drawn forth by Bishop Pendleton from passages such as the above, have been known in the church and by some ministers, and have been applied to the exposition of texts, most of them have not been known or only vaguely known, and still less have they been applied to the expounding of a text, or assembled together and arranged into a "science of exposition,"-a science, not exact as mathematics is exact, but exact in a spiritual way as giving to the properly prepared student a clear intuition of the spiritual truths contained in the words to be expounded.

     The rules or principles that have been thus "drawn from the Writings of the New Church" by Bishop Pendleton are seventeen in number, though others are indicated, and we hope will receive the attention of further students in this almost unexplored realm of study. Stated briefly the seventeen points or rules for the study and guidance of the expounder of Scripture:

     (1) The general sense of the Letter.

     (2) The first, and (3) the last thing mentioned in a given series.

     (4) The preceding, and (5) the following series.

     (6) The name by which the Lord is called.

     (7) The names of persons.

     (8) The person who speaks.

     (9) The place where, and (10) the time when the events of the text occur.

     (11) The numbers occurring or involved in the text.

     (12) The aspect of duality, and (13) trinality involved in every verse of Scripture.

     (14) The element of covenant or contract.

     (15) The affection expressed or implied.

     (16) A comparison of the words and of the text itself, with other parts of the Scripture.

     (17) The opposite sense.

     A separate chapter of Bishop Pendleton's work is devoted to a complete development of each of the above principles, the general plan of treatment being: First, the establishment, by quotations from the Writings, of the principle itself.

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Second, the pointing out of the importance of the principle, and its unity with the universal laws of creation. Third, the application of the principle to numerous chapters, series, or verses from the Word.

     It would be beyond the scope of this review to enter into any detailed examination of these chapters. Moreover the chapters themselves must be read, to get any full idea of the value of the principles which they set forth.

     Not all these principles are of equal importance. Indeed the author places particular emphasis on the sixth, eighth and ninth as being "among the most valuable signs placed in the literal sense of the Word pointing and leading to the generals of the internal Sense" (p. 115).

     Nor is it necessary that all the principles be applied to each text. As the Bishop frequently points out, it is often the case that the application of two or three of the rules will be sufficient to determine with certainty the spiritual sense of the text; indeed time would hardly suffice for the examination of a text under the guidance of them all. Besides, in many cases, the application of several of the rules will be obvious to the well trained and educated student. Again, in certain cases, the application of a given principle may not be clear,-as is particularly apt to be the case in the rule as to the affection expressed in the text; in which case other principles may be applied. There is no hard and fast rule about the matter. It is the end to be attained that is the principal thing. The rules are merely means, and Bishop Pendleton, with characteristic broad-mindedness, shows that these means are to be used according to the judgment and needs of the student.

     Following the chapters on the specific rules come several chapters in which the rules are applied first to two whole chapters of the Apocalypse and then to a single verse. We note that these applications are confined to parts of the Word which are specifically explained in the Writings,-indeed, as we recall, throughout the work under review there is but one passage of the Word explained by the Bishop in the light of the principles of exposition, that is not explained in set terms in the Writings. We refer to the Lord's words, occurring several times in the New Testament. "Let them tell no man."

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By an application of the rule concerning comparison of the text with similar texts in other parts of the Word, the Bishop gives a beautiful demonstration of the "science of exposition," showing that the text in question teaches that the Lord was not known and could not be known until the hells had been subjugated and the Human glorified (p. 200). But we would have welcomed more of such applications of the rules to texts not directly explained in the Writings. It is, of course, important, especially in the exposition of a whole chapter, that the portion chosen for illustration shall be some portion of the Word already explained in the Writings; for thus the student may see for himself that the application of the rules of exposition leads to the same exposition as is given in the Writings. But to us it seems that other illustrations, drawn from portions of the Word not so explained would have added value to this part of the Bishop's treatise. Of course the student can do this for himself, but some examples from so high an authority as the Bishop would be enlightening.

     The SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION is not confined merely to the rules noted above. Indeed among the most interesting chapters are those on The Sermon and The Text, where the rules of exposition are brought in only as one part of the whole treatment.

     The author holds that the sermon ought to be addressed to the most intelligent of the congregation, and the reasons given for this opinion are not only convincing in themselves, but, alas! have received much illustration in the history of the New Church, where men, especially of the younger members of the Church, continually hearing little more than elementary or missionary sermons, have found their interest to dull. If the minister speaks to the circumference only, says the Bishop, "a famine will result that may in the end lead to disintegration and dissolution."

     While insistence is not placed on the point, yet the general conclusion drawn from THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITTON is decidedly in favor of Sermons being written in Series according to the order of the Letter of the Word. This is the model given in the great expository works of the Writings, and it has a spiritual value, which, though not perhaps clearly seen by us in its effects, is nevertheless clearly indicated in the Writings. Every verse of the Word communicates with some society of heaven; groups of verses with larger societies; and chapters and books with great and complex societies.

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"A minister in truly expounding a verse is giving general expression to the living thought of an entire angelic society; and the thought of that society is stirred by his meditation as a mother is stirred when her little one asks for food" (p. 293) Thus the sermon is the means for the fuller communication of angelic with earthly societies, and if that communication is effected according to the order of the Divine Word, there would seem to be no question that it will be more ultimate, and full and powerful. Certainly there will be in the mind of both preacher and congregation a richer and better ordered ultimate for the reception of influx from heaven and enlightenment. The chapter on The Text lays down nine rules to be applied preparatory to the writing of the sermon. They are (p. 241):

     1. A literal translation of the words of the text in the order of the original. Stress is laid on this and some striking examples are given in illustration.

     2. An examination of the root meanings of the words.

     3. and 4. A study of the explanation of text and words as found in the Writings.

     5. Where indicated, a study of Swedenborg's earlier works, and especially the ADVERSARIA. Interesting applications of this rule are given on pp. 248, 264, and 356.

     6. An examination of Commentaries, etc.-favorable mention being made of Clarke's Commentary.

     7. Application of the rules of Exposition.

     8. Reading in the Writings on the general doctrine involved in the text.

     9. Reflection.

     The list looks formidable, and indeed to an uninstructed clergy it would be formidable. The whole of Bishop Pendleton's book shows the necessity of an educated and intelligent priesthood. For while this work will be of the greatest value to all who are engaged in the study of the Word, yet for the full application of its many rich suggestions, there will be required a priesthood trained in the doctrines of the Church, in the Letter of the Word, in the Sacred languages and in the earlier works of Swedenborg.

355




     The reference to the study of Swedenborg's earlier works as a means to the expounding of Scripture, will come to some as a surprise. And yet it will not be a surprise if we reflect that the Divine Word is the storehouse not only of Theology but also of Philosophy, and that philosophy itself is but the handmaid of religion. Nay the Writings themselves continually confirm the exposition of the spiritual sense by the teachings of philosophy, and frequently, if we examine carefully, by philosophical teachings, the details and fullness of which are to be found only in the Philosophical Works. As the Bishop truly observes, "Neither the Sacred Scriptures nor the Writings can be fully understood without a knowledge of the wonderful philosophy contained in these early works. This is especially the case where a word or phrase involves the elementary Kingdom, and where mention is made of some part of the human body. For example, there is a rational unfolding of what is meant by searching the heart and the reins in the chapter on the kidneys in the ANIMAL KINGDOM" (248).

     Particularly instructive as to the new ideas that may be awakened by examination of these philosophical writings, is the illustration given in the exposition of the text "Blessed are they who do the commandments." Blessed in its root meaning is not dead. To quote the Bishop, "Now Swedenborg teaches in his philosophy that when anything is said to be dead the meaning is that it has no active center, but is merely acted upon from without. It does not even act but merely resists action. Man is said to be dead when there is in him no active center or regenerate internal. But when he has this he is not dead, because he has in him life from the Lord. The text is predicated of all such. Not dead are they who are doing the commandments" (p. 264).

     As in the case of the rules of exposition, the Bishop points out, that it will not be necessary for the minister to follow up and still less to endeavor to exhaust all the lines of enquiry which he describes. Frequently the following up of two or three will provide the student with a perception of the internal sense, and with a rich store of material for the sermon. Indeed the conscientious minister "will nearly always gather for his sermon more material than he can use.

356


Yet it cannot be said that what is left over has not been of use. It has been of use to him for his mental growth, and for a store to be drawn upon in the future; also for the implantation of affection. If he knows more than he can express,-if he has been inspired by affection,-he has a strong reserve, and hence a sphere in the delivery of the sermon; for after all it is not the truth that teaches, but the affection of truth and the sphere which affection engenders" (p. 256). Surely, every minister will appreciate the truth of these words, and they will awaken in others also, suggestive reflections.

     All this study for the true exposition of the Scriptures requires time. A sermon properly constructed is a work of art,-a work which so presents the heavenly harmony of Divine Truth, that at once the mind is lifted into the light or heaven and the heart affected by heavenly heat. "Happy is it for the minister, and also for his congregation, if he has at his disposal enough time for the preparation of material for his sermon and is not burdened by the pressure of other work. For such preparation and for the writing of the sermon an entire week is needed with no other absorbing occupation" (p. 253).

     It is not only that time is needed for the actual study, but it is needed also for repose and quiet reflection on the material that has been gathered. "Without this (as the Bishop justly observes) the sermon will probably be lacking in the important elements of conclusion and application, and there will be wanting a complete kindling of the fires of inspiration and enlightenment" (p. 254). Such reflection is necessary to a stale reactive to the studies that have been made, a state of willingness to be led by what the Lord reveals in the text, and not by some notion of one's own. The minister should not enter into a consideration of his text "with a preconceived idea in his thought. His mind should be in a state of readiness to be taught by the Lord, and not by anything of man's own intelligence. He will thus be introduced into the stream of the Word, and will be led to expound only that which is in the Word. Without this prior state of loyalty neither doctrines nor rules of exposition will be of any use" (p. 280). But for the enjoyment of this state repose is necessary.

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"Repose of mind having its basis in physical rest, is one of the essential elements of worship. Not only should the minister prepare his sermon in a state of repose, but he should go to the church and enter into the service in a state of rest of body and mind; and the people should be encouraged to do the same" (p. 25).

     The last sentence is worthy of particular attention. All conscientious men engaged in daily toil, are careful that they be fresh for their work each day; and this thought is frequently active in their mind as a guide to their conduct. But it is not so often that we think with like prudence concerning preparation for the Sabbath. And yet the Lord has asked of us but one day out of seven. This is a matter which will necessarily and wisely be left: to each one for his own consideration and action. But it is well to reflect on the importance of external and public worship, and of due preparation for its right conduct. Perhaps then there will be fewer sleepy moments in church, and fewer regrets that one was too tired to fully benefit from the sermon.

     We have taken so much time in a review,-which is yet bet cursory,-of the first part of Bishop Pendleton's book, that we can but briefly notice the second part,-which is second in interest and importance only to the first.

     The book is not thus formally divided, but nevertheless it actually consists of two distinct parts. The first part consists of the Science of Exposition as applied to the Sermon to a New Church adult congregation. The Second part consists of a discussion of the instruction of children and the young, and the use of the Science of Exposition in this work and also in work of a missionary character.

     For the proper carrying on of the work of religious instruction there are required others besides those of the ordained priesthood. This is manifestly the case with little children whose first instruction must come from their mothers' lips; and the work of teachers to the younger grades is simply an extension of this first instruction. In all the old churches it has also been manifest in the case of adults, so far as work of a missionary character is concerned; and as the Bishop points out (p. 429) there is no reason why there may not be a similar field of use in the New Church.

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Ordination looks to the pastorate; but there may he men who while having no desire to exercise the full ministerial function, are eager and able to do elemental or missionary work. It may be a question whether such men should be ordained into the first degree of the ministry, or whether it would be sufficient to authorize them as licentiates, lecturers or evangelists; but none can justly dispute that they should be properly instructed and that they should be under the general direction and authorization of the episcopal office" (p. 429).

     In the chapter; Children and the Young, which opens the second division of the work, the author premising that the spiritual sense is for adults and the literal sense primarily for children, proceeds to enquire whether there is not in this latter sense a threefold degree corresponding to the three stages of infancy, childhood and youth. He finds his answer in passages which enumerate the threefold sense of the Letter as historical, prophetical and doctrinal, and the threefold truths of the Letter as sensual, scientific and doctrinal. He concludes therefore that a comprehensive course in the Word would cover the historical portions for little children, the prophetical for older children and the doctrinal, together with the memorabilia of the Writings for young persons. The historical portions are actual happenings or sensual experiences, characteristic especially of the earlier books of the Old Testament. The prophetical portions include mainly the prophets, which treat "of the spiritual moral: state of the church, especially of its aspect, and relation to the advent of the Lord" (p. 385), and which, consequently, contain the internal historical sense (p. 385). The doctrinal portions are especially the New Testament.

     These conclusions are something entirely new to the church; for the usual conception has been that the prophetic Word,-excepting those parts thereof which, like Daniel and Jonah, are largely historical,-is hardly adapted for children. It is indeed recognized by some teachers of religion that there is the threefold quality of instruction spoken of by the Bishop. But whether the prophetical books can be used in this connection, or whether the internal historical sense should be taught mainly on the basis of the historical portions of both Old and New Testament, and the doctrine for young people on the basis of the New Testament and the Writings, is a matter which later judgment and experience may determine.

359


Certainly, the suggestion "to include the entire literal sense of the Word in a plan of religious instruction" is attractive. But to carry it out will require much thought; and probably it is only gradually, as we are led by experience, that we shall see more clearly wherein the plan can be carried out, and wherein, possibly, it should be modified. As the Bishop says, "It is worthy of a serious trial, but there should be thoughtful and serious preparation. A hastily prepared plan might fail; but one carefully digested and matured to which sufficient time has been given is sure to succeed in the hands of a teacher who loves the work" (p. 324.)

     But whatever the course adopted in the arrangement of instruction in the Letter of the Word, no teacher can afford to be without the guidance in this portion of THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION. We cannot go into the many invaluable teachings and suggestions given by the author in his chapter on the Analysis of the Literal Sense,-teachings which, in the following chapter, are illustrated by practical application. The rules of exposition are shown to be equally applicable here, though in a somewhat different way; and to them are added some new principles to be applied in teaching the Letter, namely, the examination of the lesson with a view to developing such references as may be made to the kingdoms of nature, and especially to the human kingdom, with its habits, customs and religious life. It may suffice to mention the pithy mnemonic aid suggested to the teacher as a preliminary to his examination of the portion of the Word which he is preparing for a class, namely, that he ask himself Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? We would also direct special attention to the invaluable suggestions which are made in this part of the Bishop's work, as to the teaching of spiritual truths by means of the phenomena of the spiritual world. A field of study is here opened up for development that will richly repay cultivation.

     The work closes with chapters on Planes of the Word, Natural Truth, and The Doctrine of Genuine Truth.

     The first of these chapters shows that the Word contains four planes or degrees of truth, any or all of which may form the subject of the New Church Sermon.

360


In the next chapter the Bishop shows that the plane of interior natural truth "is essential to the formation of the youthful mind as it draws near to adult age; is the final means of approach to the pure spiritual truth of the Word" (p. 388), and should therefore be studied and understood by the priesthood and by all who are concerned in the religious instruction of the young.

     As regards the priesthood, their duties lie not only in religious instruction of the young, but also in the preaching of sermons especially adapted to this age, and which also will be adapted to the simple. "If children and the young are to be taught religion in a conversational way in the class rooms (says the Bishop), why not do the same in the form of sermons accommodated to their plane of thought, drawing on the immense store of sensual, natural and doctrinal truth in the literal sense of the Word? Short sermons to the young, suitable to their age, in a general setting of music and ritual, would be a decided advance on the old Sunday School methods, being a more effective means of entering the understanding by stirring the affections" (p. 393)

     The last chapter of the work is more purely a theological enquiry into the nature of the doctrine of genuine truth,-a term so frequently used in the Writings. The chapter is among the most, interesting in the book, but our perusal of it awakened in us a desire that the learned and venerable author had added one more chapter devoted to the relation between the Old Testament,
the New Testament and the Writings.

     It seems, however, ungrateful to ask for more, when the book before us is so full of teaching, so rich in suggestion. It is a book which, primarily designed for ministers and for all others who are concerned in religious instruction, deserves also the earnest attention of New Church parents who are concerned in cultivating in their children that reverence for the Word which is the ultimate and basis on which is to be built their whole future religious life. And indeed we cannot imagine that there is any intelligent Newchurchman who will not profit by the reading of this work,-profit, in that it will more fully open his eyes to the wisdom and beauty of the Divine Word, and prepare his mind to receive more fully and with a sense of greater delight, the instruction given in Divine Worship.

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NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG 1916

NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG       J. GOTHENIUS       1916

     A CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN JOHAN GOTHENIUS AND C. C. GIORWELL.

     X.

     (Continued from our issue for May, p. 297.)

     I am sending you herewith the 12th sheet [of the PROCEEDINGS]: the 13th is to appear within a few days, and in it the letter itself is condemned.* Dr. Beyer was up before the Inn of Court yesterday at 10 o'clock, on the summons of Assessor Aurell through his Brother, since it is not fitting that the Assessor be present in person at a lower court. Dr. Rosen was there also, in the capacity of the Consistory's attorney. I have not heard what took place this time. I suppose it consisted mostly of preliminaries. All the world at home here is bitter against Beyer, with the exception of a few who are entertained by these revelations. Dr. Roempke is a reliable man and it is certain that he never read Swedenborg while he was engaged on his Synodal Disputation. Whether or not he was side-tracked by Dr. Beyer's sedulous discourses and spirit of (propaganda) is another question. Dr. Rosen is still making himself an object of suspicion and seems to be purposely intent upon participating somewhat in Swedenborg's system; nevertheless he draws back from time to time. The Rev. Kullin's holy zeal consists in a desire to get Beyer out of the way and off the held so that afterwards he himself, being the oldest Lector of Philosophy, may secure the prebendial pastorate which is the perquisite of a chair in Theology.
     * Swedenborg's letter to Dr. Beyer, Oct. 30, 1769, which Beyer printed in Gothenburg.

     See now, how open-hearted I am between four eyes! I am sending 4 copies of the Swedenborg letter. All unsold copies have been sequestered, at the Consistory's suggestion to the Printer. In the following 13 sheets, is related how the Consistory's Beadle, who had copied the extract, admitted in Consistory that he had done so at Dr. Beyer's instigation.

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Dr. Beyer denied this orally, with the restriction that [he be granted] reconvention, until he proved his case: Beyer was declared incompetent one day, and, after further reflection, was declared competent the next day. The extract from the letter was disallowed: a couple of letters received from Bishop Lamberg were read..... I remain, continually, JOH. GOTHENIUS.

     XI.

     Gothenburg, March 14, 1770.

     It may be known to you that His Majesty, in consequence of the Memorial of the Chancellor of Justice, has demanded an answer from this Consistory on various points relating to Swedenborgianism, and the Minutes reporting the votes with regard to it. Each Member has drawn up a rather extensive exposition of his views, especially Dr. Beyer and Dr. Rosen. The former absolutely professes Swedenborg's Theology as being in all its articles Divine and Heavenly; the latter seeks to reconcile it with that of Paul and the Bible. Aurell made the remark that Beyer had written ex solido, Rosen, ex stolido, and the Bishop informed Rosen of it, with some warmth, at a social gathering last week, although the people here who have read it greatly admired its eloquence and learning, in numerous points. The Bishop at the same time was kind enough to express a favorable opinion concerning my deductions, without mentioning anything about those of the others who, for the most part, were present. The Royal Letter and the Memorial will shortly be printed as well as the Minutes regarding the voting. As soon as the printed sheets appear, I shall have the honor of sending them to you, section by section: those now sent may for the most part be regarded as prattle, excepting Bishop Filenius' letter and a few similar portions.

     I have had no time to get together anything to send to the PUBLIC NEWS, [Allmanna Tidninger, published by Giorwell at Stockholm]. But as soon as I have less to do and have some spare time I shall present a translation of something from the Bible, and officially review the Book DE AMORE CONJUGIALE, which is beautiful in some parts, but either crazy or ridiculous in others.

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This is one of my chief interests which I neither ought nor would neglect were [my time] at my own disposal. J. GOTHENIUS.

     XII.

     Gothenburg, March 17, 1770

     The 2 sheets published today are herewith dispatched to you, as were the 4 previous ones-last Wednesday. Since His Majesty has graciously expressed his opinion concerning Swedenborgianism on the basis of our reports, these latter also are to be published, unless further reports are received from some other Consistory in the meanwhile. Thus a whole volume is brought forth into the world. Why the Consistory did not report the matter to the King in the first place is easy for me to answer and explain. I was not a Member after the year 1766 when I applied for leave of absence, and I resumed my place there in the month of May, 1769. A circular letter, issued by command of Royal Letter, was sent from the Consistory to all the Clergymen of the diocese containing an admonition for the Priests to beware of heterodoxy in religion. This caused a great debate in the Consistory, on account of an addition which had been inserted in the Draft by the Dean, [Ekebom], namely: "the stifling of the Swedenborgian errors." Beyer, Rosen, Roempke, and Wallenstrae refused to sign it, since these words do not occur in the Royal Letters. But are they not, indeed, in essence included in the Letter? It was impossible to send out a circular letter to the Dean's parish, signed only by himself and three others. When the Bishop returned [from Stockholm] he bellowed out that he himself would sign it and thus expedite the matter, but as he was reminded that these words did not expressly occur in the Royal Letter, it still remains undispatched. Nevertheless, a majority in the Consistory regarded Swedenborg's theology as heretical even before that time, and in a letter to the Clergy they confirmed the King's opinion by their own. J. GOTHENIUS.

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     XIII.

     Gothenburg, June 9, 1770.

     ......A very large and comprehensive act which has cost the Consistory a distressing amount of trouble is now ready to be dispatched at the first opportunity to His Majesty, in causa Swedenborgiana. It is said that the heretics Beyer and Rosen have already appealed to the King on account of the harshness or want of consideration with which the Consistory has treated them, The "Cap Engestrom, who mixes himself up with everything that goes on down here, is also assisting them. Think of almost making a political party question of religion. There are "Caps" in the Council! It is believed that if these are numerically strongest the majority of votes will be in Swedenborg's favor J. GOTHENIUS.
DOCUMENTS OF NEW CHURCH HISTORY 1916

DOCUMENTS OF NEW CHURCH HISTORY              1916

     THE FIRST PLANTING OF THE NEW CHURCH IN AMERICA.

     In view of the approaching centennial of the New Church in Philadelphia, the following document will be of timely interest. It was first printed by the Rev Richard de Charms in THE NEW-CHURCHMAN for January, 1831, pp. 70-73. The writer, Miss Margaret Bailey, was the daughter of Francis Bailey, the Philadelphia printer, and editor of THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL, who was the first known receiver of the Heavenly Doctrine in America.

     A LETTER FROM MISS MARGARET BAILEY TO MR. CONDY RAGUET.

To C. Roguet Esq.
     Dear Sir:-You requested me to make a note of my earliest recollections of the establishment, or introduction, of the New Jerusalem Church in this city. On taxing my memory, I find the information I shall be able to give, will be very trifling, and that principally from what I have heard, rather than any recollection of the occurrences.

     Your are already informed that the Writings of the Hon. Emanuel Swedenborg were first introduced by a certain Mr. James Glen, in or about the year eighty-five.*

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     * In "The Pennsylvania Gazette," for June 2, 1787, and the "Independentent Gazette, or The Chronicle of Freedom," for June 5th, 1784, two weekly papers published in Philadelphia at that period, may be found the following advertisement:
     FOR THE SENTIMENTALISTS
     A DISCOURSE on the extraordinary SCIENCE of Celestial and Terrestrial Connedions, and Correspondences recently revived, by the late and Honorable Emanuel Swedenborg; will be delivered by Mr. James Glen, an humble Pupil, and Follower of the said Swedenborg's, at eight o'clock on the evening of Saturday, the fifth day of June, 1784, at Bell's Book-Store, near St. Paul's Church, in Third Street, Philadelphia. Where tickets of admission may now be had. Price, One Quarter of a Dollar.
     The sublime Science teaches us from every Object in the World of Nature to learn things Spiritual and Heavenly; it is the most ancient and excellent of all Sciences, being that whereby the Holy Scriptures were written; according to which the highest Angels form their Ideas, and through the; medium of which the earliest of the Human Race held Converse and Communion with these blessed Beings. The Knowledge of this useful Science has for many Ages been lost to the World. The Egyptian Hieroglyphics, the Greek and Roman Mythology, and the Modern Free-Masonry being the last remnants of it. The honorable Emanuel Swedenborg, the wonderful Restorer of this long lost Secret, thro' the Divine Mercy, for the last twenty-nine years of his Life, had the most free and open Intercourse with Spirits and Angels, and was thus taught this Science of Heaven. From his invaluable Writings and Conversations with Gentlemen who have studied them, the Discourser hopes to convey some Idea and Taste of this Science of Sciences, to the wise and to the good of every denomination.
     According to the following Divisions.
     Definition of the Science of Correspondences, Scriptures, Human Body, Diseases, Remedies, Marriage, Natural Philosophy, Sun and Moon, Air, Earth, Metals, Vegetables, Animals, Jewish Manners and Customs, Hieroglyphics, Mythology, Free-Masonry, Languages, Character of Nations, Character of Individuals, Future State, The Application of the Science of Correspondences.
     N. B.-A few copies of Swedenborg's Theosophic Treatise on the Nature of Influx, as it respects the Communication and Operation of Soul and Body-May now be had at said Bell's Book-Store, in Third-Street,-Price, Two thirds of a Dollar.
     In the "Pennsylvania Gazette" of the next week, Mr. Glen put another advertisement, in which he proposed to lecture on the same subject, "at Half past Seven on the Evening of Friday; also at the same Hour, on the Evening of SATURDAY the 11th and 12th of June, 1784," at the same place as above. From the above advertisement we ascertain the interesting fact for historical record-that the Doctrines of the New Jerusalem were promulgated by public lecturing in America first in Philadelphia, on Saturday evening, the fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord's first advent, 1784._ED. NEWCHURCHMAN.


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He was born, I believe, in Scotland, though he had resided many years in England. On his arrival in this country he asked and obtained permission to deliver a course of lectures in Bell's auction room, adjoining St. Paul's Church, on Third Street. The time and place being mentioned in the public prints, they were pretty well attended. He there, for the first time in America, presented to the public the fundamental doctrines of the Church. When he began to speak of Swedenborg's intercourse with the spiritual world, and the doctrine of correspondence, many of his hearers concluded he must be an enthusiast or madman, and left the house; others remained and became interested. Among the last mentioned were my father, Myers Fisher, and a Captain Lang.

     Mr. Glen remained but a short time in Philadelphia. Soon after his departure, a box of books, principally the Writings of Swedenborg, reached this city, consigned to Mr. Bell for him. On the death of that gentleman, which took place shortly after, these book's were offered, with his other effects, at public sale. My father being present when the box was opened, caught eagerly at the contents, hoping to find some elucidation of mysteries of which he had caught but a glimpse from Mr. Glen's lectures. At the sale, Mr. Fisher possessed himself of several Latin works, and my father procured copies of all the English ones. He perused them diligently and spoke of them in his family. He spoke of them, indeed, to anyone and everyone disposed to listen. In a few months, my mother and a Miss Barclay, who was in our family, received the doctrines they contained; and shortly after, Captain Lang, (a Revolutionary officer), his wife, a Mr. Thomas Lang, (a Scotch gentleman), and, I think, Judge Young, of Greensburg, received them. All those persons I recollect well to have seen.

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They often met at my father's house, and conversed on the doctrines. I know there were others, but their names have faded from my memory.

     The next that I recollect having heard of, who were favorably disposed toward the writings, were the Messrs. Sellers, old parson Schlatter, and a Peter Libert, of Germantown.

     In the years eighty-nine to ninety-three or four, several interesting foreigners, attached to the doctrines, visited this country. The first was the Col. Julius Vahn Rohr-by birth a Swede. He had seen Swedenborg, and was well acquainted with many members of his family. He possessed all the Writings of Swedenborg, philosophical as well as theological. He remained two years in this country, and was much in our family, accompanied by a slave whom he had liberated and instructed in the doctrines of the Church. He left America, for Africa-that Julius, his friend rather than servant, might, with his assistance, instruct his countrymen, as he had been instructed. Col. Vahn Rohr promised to write when he reached his destined home, but my father received only one letter,-and that was written a few months before the Colonel left this country, on the eve of his embarkation.

     Shortly before Col. Vahn Rohr left this country, he introduced to my father a Mr. Chalmer, or Charing, a Danish gentleman. I think he came to this country in a diplomatic capacity. He was a full receiver of the doctrines. My parents were much pleased with him. He told my mother, that, when quite a boy, he had accompanied his father to Stockholm, and had seen Swedenborg walking in his garden. Of this gentleman's appearance I have a very distinct recollection.

     In ninety-three, Captain Byard, a French gentleman, with his family, fled to this country. He introduced himself at our house by asking for a copy of the writings in French, or Latin. One small work was all my father had which Captain Byard immediately purchased. My father lent him one or two in Latin, and asked him to call again. From this time until they were recalled to France, they were much with us. Indeed, the first grief I recollect ever to have experienced, was in being separated from their children.

     In ninety-three or four, Mr. Duche's family, I think, returned to this country.

368


About the same period, or rather later, Mr. Ralph Mather and family came to reside in this country. The little society now began to gather some strength, and assume a form. Mr. Mather was a teacher, as well as a receiver of the doctrines; and regular meetings were held every Sunday evening in a ware room, in an alley, running as well as I can recollect, from Arch to Race Street, and between Second and Third, but do not remember its name; Mrs. Hargrove, then Mrs. Mather, no doubt could furnish it, if desirable. These meetings were pretty well attended; but I do not recollect any of the ordinances, except baptism being administered.

     Mr. William Hill, an English gentleman, afterwards married to Miss Duche, came to America about the year ninety-eight or nine. His whole life and deportment were a practical comment on the doctrines he had embraced. He was much attached to my parents, and made our house his home until his marriage. From this period, until our little society commenced meeting in Mr. Carll's school-room, I know little or nothing, having lived principally in Lancaster county.

     I hope I shall be pardoned for saying, I believe our late highly valued friend William Schlatter, and my father have done more for the spread of the doctrines in this country than any other two individuals in it. My father by publishing and distributing-Mr. S. by erecting a Church as well as by publishing and distributing the writings. My father, after publishing, always presented copies to colleges, libraries, etc., but principally confined himself to Pennsylvania-Mr. Schlatter sent the writings to the far West and South, where their benign influences are now felt. Between the years eighty-seven and ninety-six, my father published the Theology, [T. C. R.], Conjugial Love, with all the smaller works, more than half of which were distributed gratis.

     I know not whether I have imparted anything that you were not previously acquainted with; but I have the gratification of knowing that, as far as was in my power, I have complied with your request. And now, with my sincere wishes for the best interests of the church, believe me to be your obliged friend. (Signed.) MARGARET BAILEY.

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     Exceedingly appreciative reviews of Bishop W. F. Pendleton's Work, THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION, have appeared in the NEW CHURCH MESSENGER, the NEW CHURCH REVIEW, the BOTE DER NEUEN KIRCKE, NYA KYRKANS TIDING, and THE NEW AGE.


     From the Rev. Albert Bjorck, of San Francisco, we have received a pamphlet of sixteen pages on THE WINE OF THE HOLY SUPPER, being a reprint of his article on this subject, printed in NEW CHURCH LIFE for January, 1915. The immediate reason for its reproduction in separate form has been the recent agitation in the NEW CHURCH MESSENGER On that perennial issue,-the Wine Question.


     Pastor C. J. N. Manby announces the publication of his new Swedish translation of the APOCALYPSE REVEALED, a labor of considerable magnitude. It is the first complete edition in Swedish, and appears also under its original Latin title, which is quite comprehensible to most Swedes. The Swedish title, "Uppenbarade Uppenbarelseboken," is justly described by Mr. Manby as "rather heavy," and the translator hopes that henceforth the work will be referred to as "A. R.,"-a reference understood the world over.


     From THE NEW PHILOSOPHY for January we learn that the last of Miss Beekman's "Physiological Papers" will appear in the issue for April, and that in the same issue the editor will commence the publication of a new translation of the invaluable collection of brief treatises by Swedenborg known under the collective name of "Posthumous Tracts." We are happy to learn of this return to the original policy of the Swedenborg Scientific Association.

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     A new subscriber, commenting on our editorial on "The Word in a 'Restricted' Sense," makes these observations: "I do not understand how any one can say that the Writings of the New Church 'are not Divine Truth in ultimates.' All Truth, whether on the natural or spiritual plane of thought, must be in ultimates; otherwise we should never be able to perceive it. If the revelation of the spiritual sense of the Word had not been presented to us in the ultimate form of writing, and portrayed by things of this natural world, how could we ever perceive the spiritual truth contained therein!"


     The Rev. G. C. Ottley, in the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY for April, calls attention to a significant historical analogy:

     "It is, indeed, strange how history repeats itself. In the course of the first century of the Christian era the Word of the New Testament was written. What now was the attitude of the early Christians towards this new Word of God! They said that it was not the Word, and some even went so far as to add that it was blasphemous to so designate it; that the Old Testament alone was the Word, and that the New Testament made no claim to be the Word. To all appearance the attitude seemed justified, since it is nowhere definitely or positively stated in the New Testament that it is the Word. It was only in the second century that it was acknowledged as such, and then only on the basis of inference. The early members of the infant Christian Church were too simple-too ignorant or too steeped in natural thought-the chief characteristic of Jewish Christians, to grasp the idea that there may be several forms of the Word; that the Divine Truth which is the very essence of the Word can assume a most external form as that of mere history, or a more internal form as appealing to the reasoning faculties of man. Both were Words of the Lord, but on different planes-the Word of the Old Testament on the sensual plane; the Word of the New Testament on the natural-rational plane. It is precisely the same at this day, the second century of the Church's existence. Newchurchmen, many of whom are not yet fully
emancipated from old Church ideas, cling with irrational tenacity to the idea that the Word can only be such as it is in the Letter-that is, as it is in the Bible-so-called!

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They close their eyes or ignore the oft-repeated teaching of the Writings on the degrees in the Divine Truth-the essential Word of God-and hence fail to see how the Writings are the Word on an interior plane, the plane of the internal sense, which is 'the MOST ESSENTIAL WORD in which the Divine proximately dwells.' (A. C. 3432.)"

     In a footnote Mr. Ottley quotes the following from Dr. Samuel Davidson's CANON OF THE BIBLE: "The earliest fathers ... believed the Old Testament books to be a divine and infallible guide. But the New Testament was not so considered till towards the close of the second century when the conception of the Catholic Church was realized. The latter collection was not called Scripture or put on a par with the Old Testament as sacred and inspired till the time of Theophilus of Antioch (about 180 A. D.)"


     In the Journal of the eighth annual meeting of the California Association of the New Jerusalem, the report of the Los Angeles Society expresses dissatisfaction with certain conditions which have long retarded its progress, and says among other things:

     "The great need in Los Angeles is a permanent pastor and a suitable location and house of worship, attractive through the library and social conveniences to safeguard our splendid corps of young people that they may seek guidance in the true doctrines of religion, and try to have their affections directed and molded by their teaching which the New Church alone can give. Some of our young people-on account of the natural attractions-attend other churches whose teachings have nothing to do with the interior state of the will and understanding." (Italics as in the report.)

     It is certainly true that every New Church society will have to seek to provide natural attractions in the way of social life and amusements within the sphere of the Church, if they expect to keep the young people within that sphere, for the young are natural, and with rare exceptions they will seek for natural attractions,-outside the New Church, if the Church will make no efforts to provide these things.

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But in well established New Church societies, with abundant social attractions, another danger arises, viz., an excess of such things within the sphere of the Church, by which an external, frivolous and Worldly sphere may be introduced. The MESSENGER for May 3d, speaking of the Report from Los Angeles, utters some warning words, which may well be taken to heart also by the societies of the General Church:

     "If we may speak a guiding word which may be of help to all our societies, as based upon what is said in this report, it would be not to make the mistake of giving amusement too prominent a place in connection with our activities. Energy that might be turned to better account is often wasted by going to extremes in planning for this or that entertainment with the desire to attract, whereas there is abundant drawing power in the Doctrines themselves to hold together those who feel their need. Amusements will not build up the church. Consecration to its high ends will alone avail. The church entertainment should invariably be the expression of what the church stands for, refreshing body and mind with a view to greater steadfastness in learning of and serving the Lord."


     In the NEW CHURCH MAGAZINE for April there is a review of a recent work by C. E. Housden entitled "Is VENUS INHABITED?" In view of the revelations of the Writings of the New Church on this subject, the following will be of interest:

     "We are assured that Venus turns only once on its axis during its annual revolution round the sun, thus always presenting one side to the sun. There are no alternations of day or night, so that the sunlit area must be intensely hot, while the dark hemisphere must be colder than any part of our earth's surface. Dr. Lowell, who has made a long and careful study of the planet, says that the amount of water vapor that can be spectroscopically detected over the sunlit area is very small, and that the atmosphere is cloudless, but probably a dust-laden one, the latter being a deduction from the enormous amount of light reflected. He argues that all we know on earth as life is, for the above reasons, unlikely thereon.

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With respect to Mars, however, Dr. Lowell has declared his opinion that there is much evidence in favor of its being inhabited.

     "Mr. Housden using the same observations arrives at a different conclusion with respect to Venus. He discusses the movements of the atmosphere on the planet and shows that all water on the sunlit area will be carried off by evaporation and deposited on the dark side near the terminator or boundary between the two surfaces. There would thus be in the planet's dark hemisphere a vast ice field, with a more or less connected series of glaciers along its outer edge, and at no great distance from the planet's bright face. These glaciers would have a face length of nearly 24,000 miles. But the ice of these glaciers under the hot current of descending air would be melted and flow down toward the sunlit face. If it be assumed that the planet radiates heat like a 'dark body' the temperatures at points near the terminator can be calculated. The water flowing from the dark to the bright hemisphere would not get more than 30" within the sunlit face. Next to the melting ice, then, there would be a strip of land 24,000 miles long and 1,000 miles wide, or an area of 24,000,000 miles on which water would be, available and the temperature of which would range from 32" F. to 122" F. On this strip of the surface life would be possible. In this connection it is to be remembered that a very small part of the surface of our own earth is habitable, for the Arctic and Anarctic regions and certain great deserts do not support life.

     "It is well known that there are on the planet Mars lines of so peculiar a character that they have been called canals, and it has been speculated by some great astronomers that they have been cut or formed by intelligent beings. There are on Venus also certain markings and other phenomena that have led Mr. Housden to think that they are evidences of intelligent effort. It is, however, impossible to usefully discuss this part of the subject, interesting as it is, without the use of the diagrams with which the book is illustrated. He thinks that intelligent beings would probably find a way of carrying water from the neighborhood of the terminator to a considerable distance over the sunlit area, thus extending the area of habitable land."

     It would be interesting to know if astronomers, in Swedenborg's time, had any knowledge of the fact that Venus always presents one side only toward bur earth.

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Swedenborg always speaks of this as if it were a well-known fact, but according to our recollection this fact was first discovered by Schiaparelli in the year 1888. In the extract from Housden, quoted above, it is stated that in Venus "there are no alternations of day or night, so that the sunlit area must be intensely hot," etc. But in the SPIRITUAL DIARY, n. 1450, we find the statement "that those who dwell there do not associate during the daytime, but at night, on account of the intense heat; and therefore they have lived in darkness, and [yet] they see." Evidently, there are things yet to be discovered by the astronomers.
ISSUE OF THE WAR 1916

ISSUE OF THE WAR              1916

     (Of all the New Church literature on the subject of the present War, we have seen none more searching than the paper here reproduced from the NEW CHURCH WEEKLY for March 4th, from the pen of the Rev. E. J. Pulsford, an English New Church minister.-ED. N. C. LIFE.)

     What is the real issue of the great war in which so many of the nations are plunged? The immediate political issue, as we and our allies see it-and, probably, as the enemy also sees it-is whether or not in years to come German power, German policy, and German ideals are to dominate the world. And this we consider a sufficient reason for our nation bearing its part in the struggle.

     But every thoughtful mind is aware-feels, perhaps, rather than sees-that a deeper issue is involved, one that transcends the world of politics, and that concerns the spiritual life of the nations. The war is the outward expression of a great conflict of principles that is raging in the minds of men in all the nations, the contending forces being nothing less than the powers of good and of evil striving for the mastery in the life of humanity. Respecting the actual nature and significance of this inward conflict, the instructed Newchurchman is privileged to hold a clear and definite view.

     One age in the spiritual history of the race has come to an end, and a new age is dawning.

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One Church, divinely appointed for the enlightenment and salvation of men, has come to its end, and a New Church is being raised up. The Christian Church, which nineteen centuries ago superseded the effete Jewish Church as the Lord's witness in the world, has itself become effete, has reached its old age, its midnight darkness, its death, and is superseded by another Church, the Lord's New Church, signified by the New Jerusalem. The Lord has accomplished His promised Second Coming "in great power and glory," not a reappearance in bodily form to the bodily senses of men, but a revelation of Himself in His omnipotent, omnipresent Divine Humanity, made by the opening of the interior senses of His Word, through the instrumentality of His servant Swedenborg. And the present state of the world and the terrible happenings in it have in very truth the "dispensational significance" that they are so generally felt to have.

     Only a few years ago the statement that the Church which the Lord established among the apostles had in these days become "dead" was resented as a gross libel and breach of charity. Today the utterances of many leaders in the Churches amount virtually to a confession that such is indeed the case. The statement is one that needs to be understood; it does not mean that there is no spiritual life in the members of the countless sects that represent the Church; it does mean that such genuine spirituality as there is in them has been attained by the practical repudiation of the very dogmas on which they are founded; and that this is so, probably the majority in the Churches will agree.

     The present disordered state of the Christian world is the outcome of the evils and falsities that have brought death to the Church, and that have accumulated in intensity and power in the time of its end. And in its last analysis, the inward conflict which is raging beneath the war of the nations is being waged between these evil's and falsities on the one hand, and on the other the good and truth which belong to the New Church and the New Age.

     We have the definite assurance that the Lord's New Church, which is "the crown of the Churches," will never pass away. Its establishment and extension is the Lord's supreme provision for the blessing of mankind.

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We cannot doubt that the course of the world-war is being, and will be, overruled to promote and hasten this end. And in this connection, what we are taught concerning the reasons for which wars are permitted is very suggestive.

     In DIVINE PROVIDENCE, NO. 251, we learn that the great reason for the permission of war is that inward corrupting evils cherished and indulged in the recesses of men's hearts may come forth into the outward life where their real deadly quality may be realized, and that, realizing this, men may be willing to desist from them. In war, many such evils are laid bare for all to see; war does not directly effect their removal; it rests with men, having had the real horrible nature of them thus revealed, to determine to put them away.

     Unquestionably, the present war is effecting such a laying bare of the grievous evils prevalent in Christendom; and the real issue of the war is nothing less than this-whether the nations of Christendom:, having had their evils thus revealed to them, are going to be willing to put them away, together with the falsities that are allied to them, and so prepare the way for the reception of the truth and good of the Lord's New Church.

     That we may realize how momentous, for Christendom, is this issue, let us go back, in thought, nineteen centuries, to the time when the First Christian Church was the Lord's new Church in the world. The Lord established that Church among the Jews. The disciples were Jews; their first mission was to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" the first converts were Jews, But, for ah this, the Jewish nation, steeped in falsity and prejudice, did not receive it. It quickly passed to the gentile world.

     Now mark well the present-time parallel. The New Church has been in the world for upwards of a century. It has been started among Christians. Great efforts have been made, by the living voice and the press, to proclaim its truths far and wide. The time would seem to be ripe, now if ever, for such efforts. Destructive criticism has battered and shattered the old fabric of belief until there is not one stone left standing. Surely the Christian world will turn with eager joy to the new light! But it does not. The organization which represents the New Church has to struggle hard to keep itself in being.

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Prejudice and prevalent evil cause its appeal to fall on deaf ears. The light shines in a darkness that comprehends it not-as was the case nineteen centuries ago. And while Christendom, like ancient Judaism, shows itself so unreceptive of the new truth the Lord has given, there is the great gentile world-as also there was nineteen centuries ago-free from the prejudices and falsities and wickednesses of the modern Christian world, hopeful ground for the reception of the new seed of truth. The Lord has again chosen the first apostles of His New Church from the nations of the Old Church; but is the New Church going to remain with those nations, or once again to pass to the gentiles? Many things point to the latter; there are indications that the gentile races of India, China, Japan, Africa, not having to unlearn perversions of Christian doctrine, are going to be, when the new gospel is put fairly before them, as receptive of it as the Christian world is unreceptive. And if this proves so, it may well be the death-knell of European civilization as a factor in the progress of the race.

     In its present fiery ordeal Christendom is being tried, as to whether it is to be able to take the leading part that is offered to it in establishing the New Jerusalem, or to sink into spiritual deadness, and, perhaps, even to disappear from the face of the earth. There are not wanting hopeful signs in our midst; the spirit of the new age is abroad; there is a quickening of conscience and of charity. But the forces on the other side are terribly strong. There is all the wickedness that has come out in the violence of war. There are a host of other evils that are striking at the very foundations of society. To mention only one of the most deadly, there is the degradation of marriage, the abuse of sex relationships, leading to what is known as "race suicide," seen in the falling birthrate everywhere-an evil which is accentuated by the fact that the populations of Christian countries are being recruited chiefly from the classes that are the least fit, physically, mentally, and morally. And when we think of the hundreds of thousands of the finest young men of the various Christian nations who, instead of becoming fathers of families, are being slain in war, we may well wonder whether Christendom will survive the suicidal influences that are at work. And this is the real issue of the war. The evils of Christendom are laid bare for all to see; is she going to renounce them, and arise, purged and recreated, or to fall under them, and be no more?

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     The Lord will protect His New Church, and will establish it. Of this we can have no doubt. It will extend, and in time cover all the earth; but whether this is to be by the regeneration of Christendom, or by the suicide of Christendom, is what remains to be seen.

     Jesus concluded the solemnly impressive parable of the wicked husbandman, by asking, "When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?" and the answer was, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons." And then Jesus went on to apply the parable to the faithless Jews. "Therefore, say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Has the time come for this to be enacted again? This is the issue of the present conflict.

     In the Writings of the New Church we are taught that when a new Church is raised up by the Lord, "this is rarely, if ever, effected with those with whom the old Church has been, but with those with whom there was no Church before, that is, amongst the gentiles" (A. C. 2986). And the reason is stated to be that the gentiles "have no principles or falsity contrary to the truths of faith" (ibid.). Angels told Swedenborg that they had but "slender hope of the men of the Christian Church, but much of a certain nation far distant from the Christian world." (L. J. 74). Side by side with such teaching may be set the assertion of Swedenborg in a letter to Dr. Beyer: "I am certain of this, that after the appearance of the book referred to (the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION), the Lord our Savior will operate both mediately and immediately towards the establishment throughout the whole of Christendom of a New Church based upon this Theology." (DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG, vol. 2, p. 383). It is to be noted that this last statement is in no way inconsistent with the former two. These do not say positively that the New Church; will not be established in Christendom, or in any part of it, neither does the last-quoted say definitely that it will be so established.

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We have the assurance that the Lord is operating "both mediately and immediately" towards its establishment in Christendom, and also a warning that, despite such Divine operation, its aim may fail of achievement. The position is, that the Lord is doing all He can do to establish His New Church in Christendom, and that it remains to be seen whether Christendom will receive it.

     The issue of the war is not merely whether in years to come Britain is to be on top of Germany, or Germany on top of Britain and the rest of the world, but whether the deadly evils that afflict the Christian nations, and that now are laid bare, shall give way before the truths of the New Jerusalem, or shall prevail even to the destruction of those nations. It is, Can modern Christendom be made serviceable in the establishment of the Lord's "Kingdom which shall never be destroyed?" If so, it will survive; if not, it will die! The war will prove an instrument either of its regeneration, or of its suicide.

     We fervently hope that the sun of prosperity is not about to set for ever on our beloved country and on Christendom. The one thing that can avert this is the conquest of the evil's of Christendom; and the only power that can effect such a conquest is the power of the Lord Jesus in His Second Advent. Here is the grand mission and the great opportunity of the New Church at this crisis. Christendom is in peril; it care be saved; and its hope of salvation lies in the reception of the New Church! Here is a cause in which to unite our forces to the utmost, to put forth all the zeal and devotion, and energy, and treasure that we can command! Love of country must mean for us whole-souled loyalty to the Lord's New Church. If Christendom is to be saved, this alone can save it. Spiritual indifference now must be accounted by us as treason. Our foremost duty is to concern ourselves with the life which the New Church requires, unswerving loyalty to the Commandments Who knows but that the Lord will spare the city for the sake of the ten righteous men that may be found there? And, beyond this, we have to use all means in our power to bring the truth, in which is the world's salvation, to those who are thirsting for it, helping them to put away their prejudices, and openly avow the Lord Jesus in His Second Coming as the only God.

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     If Christendom can be saved, surely it is worth the effort to save it! We are assured that the Lord is making this effort; and we, whom He has led to membership of His New Church, must feel that we are called to co-operate in so great a purpose. It is the issue that is at stake in the great world-conflict; and our part in the crisis is to render the utmost loyalty, and bear the most faithful witness, to the New Church of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Title Unspecified 1916

Title Unspecified              1916

Editor NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     My attention has been called to the following quotation from a letter by Swedenborg to Prelate F. C. Oetinger, which, as far as I am aware, has never before been referred to in connection with the "bodiless angel" theory.
     JOHN PITCAIRN.
          Bryn Athyn, May 2d, 1916.

     ". . . You suggest a doubt in respect to 'Christ's having power given Him over all flesh, when yet the angels and the inhabitants of heaven have not fleshy, but shining bodies.' To this be pleased to receive kindly the following reply: In the above passage by 'all flesh' are understood all men, wherefore in the Word in various places mention is made of all flesh, which signifies every man. With respect: to the bodies of angels they do not appear shining, but, as it were fleshy; for they are substantial though not material, and substantial things are not translucent before the angels. Everything material is originally from what is substantial; and into this every man comes after he has laid aside his material coverings by death. On this account man after death is a man, but purer than before; comparatively as what is substantial is purer than what is material. That the Lord has power not only over all men, but also over all angels, is evident from His own words in Matthew, "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth.' (RXVIII, 18.)
     "Your most faithful servant,
          "EM. SWEDENBORG.
"Amsterdam, November 8, 1768."
          (Doc. 238; Vol. II, p. 269.)

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. It was our turn to suffer a misfortune during the past month. It came in the form of a fire near our young cathedral building. About 1:45 a. m. on Saturday, April 22d, many of us were awakened by the sounds of roaring flames and hissing steam. Several persons claim the distinction of being the first to discover the fire. At any rate, when they arrived, the whole southeast side of the blacksmith shop, where the monometal workers had their forges, was aflame. Mr. Gustave Glebe was unable to reach the top of the flames with the hand fire extinguisher that he carried to the fire from his nearby home. Soon the tar paper roof caught, and from its intense heat the great timbermen's shed, which stood close by the blacksmith shop, caught the flames. Although the night had been a rainy one, the dry interior contents of the building soon became a roaring mass of flames. When the fire had reached this stage the local fire apparatus began to arrive. But the lack of water greatly handicapped their effectiveness, as the fire was far beyond the power of the chemical engines to extinguish. However, by means of these engines, and bucket brigades that were composed of local talent, we managed to save the office and architect's building.

     The fire was a great loss not only of money, but of time. One workman told me that some of the oak wood-work, that he had done more than a year ago, was destroyed. All the great oak roof rafters for the north isle were completely ruined, together with two of the complete spans, that were to extend the entire width of the nave. Beside the wood-work that was destroyed, all the models were ruined, including models of the west entrance, and of the south porch, which were very valuable. The building also contained numerous sets of valuable tools, which were all spoiled. The exact loss has not been divulged, but it is known that the insurance carried did not begin to pay for it.

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     But the sheds have now been completely rebuilt, and every effort is being made to catch up the time that was lost.

     Bryn Athyn is beginning to look forward to the Assembly in earnest. The various committees are having frequent meetings, and the place is beginning to buzz with the future expectation of the great event!

     One of the festivities of the month was the Junior Ball. There seemed to be a very united spirit among the juniors, all of whom came to the dance in costume. They sang songs of farewell to the seniors, and songs expressing their own modest estimate of themselves.

     Mr. Roland Smith and Mr. Randolph Childs gave a patriotic banquet for Major Louis Tafel, of the Pennsylvania National Guard, the young men of the "Church Militant" in Bryn Athyn being invited to attend as guests. The Major began his talk by telling us how he had received his first elements of the soldier's training under "Homer," as he affectionately termed Mr. Synnestvedt, away back in the old Wallace Street days. His speech was calculated to show the value of military training upon the development of a young man. It was very well, received. K. R. A.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA. After the strenuous times incident to the dedication of our new house of worship, the past month has been one of comparative rest. The work on the exterior of the Church building has been continued and the grading of the surrounding property has begun. Walks have been constructed in front and at the side, and the stone-work pointed.

     The average attendance at the services has somewhat increased, and we have been pleased to have with us a number of visitors. The doctrinal classes have been held in the new building, and the Sunday School has been resumed there. The meetings of the Theta Epsilon, of the young folks' classes, and of the Advent club have continued, as usual, in private homes.     F. A. D. S.

     BERLIN, ONT. Our social life has been considerably affected this year by the military spirit.

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One by one, eight of our young men have donned the king's uniform and are preparing for service overseas. Khaki has become quite the style for young men, and young ladies who previously considered it "old-maidish" to knit, are now industriously knitting socks for the soldiers. On two occasions the ladies of the society sent a shower of preserves and, cookies to the soldiers stationed in the city. Very shortly the Berlin Battalion will have moved to the training camp at. London, Ontario, and we shall miss our soldiers very much.- Not only shall we miss their daily parades with band and bugles, their manly figures, and their trim uniforms, but most of all, shall we miss "our own boys," in the religious and social life of the Church. We shall always think of them and wish them good luck, God-speed, and safe return.

     The names of our New Church warriors are as follows: Sergt. A. Bond, now at Bramshot, England; Q. M. Sergt. Sam. Roschman, Armourer Sergt. Harold Kuhl, Q. M. Sergt. Fred. Stroh, Corporal Arthur Schnarr, Pte. Rupert Kuhl, Pte. Nelson Glebe, and Pte. Victor Waelchli.

     On Easter morning, at 9:45, a children's service was held in the chapel. During the Processional the children laid flowers on the altar, which added a delicate touch to the Easter decorations and brought with it a delightful sphere of springtime and the resurrection of all nature to life. The Rev. Hugo Odhner delivered an address on The Resurrection. At the Easter service the baptism of Laurence Theodore, the first child of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Izzard, took place.

     Our annual entertainment and bazaar on Easter Monday was, as usual, a success. The decorations were of a vernal Japanese nature, consisting chiefly of "hand-made" cherry blossoms, which were indeed effective. After supper had been served, a varied program of recitations, songs, and a flag drill by the children provided entertainment. When the booths were opened it was but a short: time before everything was "sold but," proving the excellency of the goods offered. The evening closed with dancing, "as usual."

     The regular Young People's classes have closed for the season. During the later part of the term Mr. Odhner commenced a series of lectures on "The History of the Christian Church," which will be continued next year.

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Our classes in the "Rational Psychology" are still continuing.

     In the Friday classes Mr. Waelchli is at present taking up the subject of "New Church Education."

     REPORT OF THE VISITOR PASTOR. The General Church circle at CINCINNATI was visited April 1st to 5th. During this visit there were Sunday services, including the Holy Supper, two doctrinal classes, and a children's service. Although the circle is weak in numbers, it is strong in the affection of truth, and our gatherings are, therefore, always most delightful; especially is this true of the doctrinal classes.

     Ten days were spent at MIDDLEPORT, Ohio, from April 6th to 16th, and every day there was a church gathering of some kind, either afternoon or evening. On the two Sundays there were services morning and evening. The morning service on the second Sunday was an Easter celebration; although a week earlier than that festival. The chancel was tastefully decorated with plants and flowers. The Holy Supper was also then held. Both evening services were evangelistic, and each time several strangers were present. On the 7th there was a most enjoyable supper and social at the house of Mr. and Mrs. DeMaine, at which twenty-eight persons were present. There were held also three doctrinal classes, two ladies' meetings, a men s meeting, and two children's services. I called twice on Dr. W. A. Hanlin, and his many friends throughout the Church will be delighted to hear that he is recovering from his long and serious illness.

     April 19th and 20th I was with our General Church family in CLEVELAND, Mr. and Mrs. William Parker and their two daughters. During the afternoon of the second day I had the pleasure of a call from the Rev. Mr. Hunter, the pastor of the Cleveland Society, and we passed an enjoyable hour talking over the life and work of the Church. Mr. Hunter is doing excellent work with the young people of his society. That evening there was a gathering at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Parker, at which three persons, besides the family, were present. A short service was held and a sermon read.

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Then followed conversation on the doctrines, which was continued until a late hour and much enjoyed by all.

     From here I went to ERIE, Pa., where, in the evening of April 21st a social was held at the house of Mr. and Mrs. George Evans. An interesting feature of the program was a question box, into which quite a large number of questions on doctrinal subjects had been placed by the members, which it took the pastor an hour to answer. But the members, far from considering it out of place to occupy so much of the time of a social in this way; were so much pleased that they decided to do this again at future social gatherings at which the pastor is present. On Easter Sunday, the 23d, services appropriate to this festival were held, and the Holy Supper administered. In the evening there was, as usual; a doctrinal class.

     The evening of April 24th was most pleasantly spent with seven members of the New Church at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Grebenstein, at BUFFALO. The entire evening, from 8 to 11:30, was given to conversation on the doctrines, in the course of which many questions were asked and answered.

     On the following evening, April 25th, an address on Church Extension Work, given before the members of the Olivet Church, Toronto, Ont., brought the work of this tour to a close.
     F. E. WAELCHLI.

     FROM OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

     UNITED STATES. The Rev. George S. Wheeler, pastor of the Society in Providence, R. I., has been called to the pastorate of the Church of the New Jerusalem in Brockton, Mass., to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the Rev. Paul Sperry.

     The New Church Society in Detroit, Mich, on March 26th, dedicated their new house of worship. The building is said to be a very beautiful structure. It is described as a "cathedral in miniature." The Rev. Julian K. Smyth preached the dedicatory sermon and officiated at the dedication exercises. As part of the service the Rev. F. A. Gustafson was installed as pastor of the Society, Mr. Smyth presenting him the stole of office.

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     The dedication of this Church "was a great event in the history of the Detroit Society and of much significance to every member of the New Church in Michigan. The work of the New Church in Michigan has received an impetus which cannot fail to carry it on to the realization of greater achievements than have been dreamed possible."

     In the MESSENGER for May 3, 1916, we notice an account of the golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Randall, of Boston. A celebration of the occasion was given to them by the Boston Society. An interesting feature of the event was that it took place in the same Church building where they were married, fifty years before. The Society presented them with a purse of $250 in gold as a more ultimate expression of congratulation. Mr. Randall, with much feeling, spoke of his joy and that of his wife in their long association with the Boston church friends, and told how much they were touched by the welcome and the gift of the evening.

     We have already noted in these columns that the General Convention for the year 1916 will be held in Chicago, Ill. In the MESSENGER for May 3d, we have the following announcement as to the Convention of 1917: "Whereas, the first meeting of the General Convention was held in the city of Philadelphia from May 15th-17th, 1817, and it stems fitting that the centennial meeting of the Convention should be held in the same city where the organization first met, therefore, Resolved, That the Pennsylvania Association hereby extends to the General Convention a cordial invitation to hold its 1917 session in the house of worship of the First New Jerusalem Society of Philadelphia, the opening meeting to be held Saturday, May 14th, 1917, or on such other date as the officers of Convention may deem advisable."

     ICELAND. From the NEW CHURCH WEEKLY for April 8, we learn that a little reading circle exists in the city of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Danish and Swedish translations of Swedenborg's Writings are read at the meetings, which are held at the home of Mrs. Valborg Einarson, the daughter of Mr. A. Helleman, who, in 1877 and 1878, was the leader of the New Church society in Copenhagen. The Heavenly Doctrine was first introduced into Iceland by Professor Jon Hjaltalin, principal of the University of Reykjavik.

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He was a warm friend of the late Dr. J. J. Garth Wilkinson, and translated the DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM into the Icelandic. The population of Iceland is intensely Lutheran and conservative, and the progress of the New Church has been exceedingly slow in the island.

     EAST INDIA. From the First Annual Report of the Hindu Swedenborg Society we quote the following items of interest:

     "A book depot: containing the writings of Swedenborg and other collateral works of the New Church is maintained by our Society. The Swedenborg Society of London made to us a munificent grant of its publications worth ?100. In their letter of 13th June, 1914, they write: 'The Council unanimously resolved to make a grant to your Society of one hundred pounds worth of its publications, Hindi, Japanese, Arabic, and English translations being available. If you can sell them, the proceeds will go to the funds of your Society. In addition to these, the New Church Press of London sent us their publications worth Rs. 215 to be sold by us or to be returned in case of non-sale.

     "From these works we have been able to sell five copies of Divine Love and Wisdom, eight copies of Heaven and Hell, two of Divine Providence, three of The Evening and the Morning; three of The Wreath and the Ring, two of The Nature of Spirit, two of The Compendium, two of The Sexes Here and Hereafter, and other works.

     "We have been able to attach a small library to our Society, wherein some books were placed from those granted by the Swedenborg Society of London, while others were presented by Mr. Saklatwalla, Rev. Gyllenhaal, and Mr. M. R. Bhatt. Some of the members and other gentlemen have made good use of the Library, the number of books issued during the year 1915 being fifty-eight, as against thirty-four during 1914."

     As to our late Hindi contemporary, THE HEART OF INDIA, the Report mentions that it "was kindly reviewed in the leading New Church journals in England and America, and brought to us sympathetic letters with donations from Mr. Carswell, of Toronto; Mr. Stygen, of Washington, United States; and Mr. Richard Morse, of Sydney, Australia."

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NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1916

NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY              1916




     ANNOUNCEMENTS.



     JUNE, 1916.

     The Bryn Athyn Society extends a cordial invitation to attend the meetings of the Ninth; General Assembly of The General Church of the New Jerusalem, to be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., June fifteenth to twentieth, nineteen hundred and sixteen.

     Kindly notify Miss Olive Bostock, Bryn Athyn, Pa., so that provision may be made for your entertainment.


     PROGRAM.

Annual Meetings and General Assembly.

Monday, June 12th,
     3 p. m. Annual meeting Theta Alpha.
     3 p. m. Annual meeting Sons of the Academy.
     8 p. m. Annual meeting Alumni Association.

Tuesday, June 13th,
     10:30 a. m. Council of the Clergy.
     3 p. m. Council of the Clergy.
     3 p. m. Annual Meeting Theta Alpha.
     3 p. m. Annual Meeting Sons of the Academy.
     8 p. m. Banquet Theta Alpha.
     8 p. m. Open meeting Sons of the Academy.

Wednesday, June 14th, 10 a. m. Council of the Clergy.
     3 p. m. Joint Council.
     8 p. m. Public Session Council of Clergy.
          Annual address Rev. C. E. Doering.

Thursday, June 15th,
     10 a. m. Assembly. Address, Bishop N. D. Pendleton.
     3 p. m. Assembly.
     8 p. m. Dramatic entertainment.

Friday June 16th,
     10 a. m. Assembly. Address, Rev. W. B. Caldwell.
     3 p. m. Assembly.
     8 p. m. Assembly Ball.

Saturday June 17th,
     10 a. m. Assembly. Address, Rev. F. E. Waelchli.
     3 p. m. Corporation of the General Church.
     8 p. m. Assembly. Address, Rev. H. Synnestvedt.

Sunday, June 18th,
     11 a. m. Divine Worship.
     4 p. m. Sacred Concert.
     8 p. m. Lecture, Mr. Raymond Pitcairn.

Monday, June 19th,
     10 a. m. Holy Supper.
     5 p. m. Pageant.
     7 p.m. Banquet.

Tuesday, June 20th,
     10 a. m. Council of the Clergy.
     3 p. m. Teachers' Institute.
     8 p. m. Teachers' Institute.



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DIVINE HUMAN 1916

DIVINE HUMAN       Rev. C. TH. ODHNER       1916

     
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Vol. XXXVI      JULY, 1916           No. 7
     A STUDY

     "The Supreme of Divine Truth is the Lord's Divine Human, and therefore the supreme among the doctrinal things of the Church is this, that the Human of the Lord is Divine." (A. 4687.)

     Being thus the supreme, the doctrine concerning the Divine Human is also the most transcendant, the most difficult for finite minds to grasp. "The Divine states which the Lord had when He made the Human in Himself Divine, do not fall into any human apprehension, and not even into any angelic one." (A. 4237) And most especially difficult to men of the Christian Church is the apprehension of the truth that the Human of the Lord is Divine, altogether and absolutely Divine, for "they think naturally and sensually about the Human of the Lord, and hence in the idea of their thought they set the Divine of the Lord above His Human and thus completely separate the Divine and the Human of the Lord." (E. 735)

     While the men of the Lord's New Church have acknowledged as the very palladium of their faith the fundamental truth that the Human of the Lord is Divine, yet even they are in constant danger of infestation in regard to this truth, for they live in the midst of the Christian world and are surrounded by "the spheres in the spiritual world that flow forth and propagate themselves from the Christendom of today. One of these spheres is the one respecting the Lord; this breathes and pours itself forth from the southern quarter, where the learned of the clergy and the erudite of the laity reside. Wherever this sphere goes, it secretly insinuates itself into the ideas, and with many takes away faith in the Divinity of the Lord's Human, with many weakens it, with many makes it seem foolish; and this because it brings in with it the faith in three gods, and thus produces confusion." (T. 619.)

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     The theological origin of this confusion is the ancient Nicaan doctrine, which not only divides the Godhead into three persons, but also "teaches that there are two essences in the Lord: the Divine Essence and the Human," and that these two are One in Him: "'One, not by conversion of the Divine Essence into the Human, but by a taking of the Human Essence into the Divine; one altogether, not by confusion of essence, but by unity of Person.'" (E. 1104:2.)

     And the revelator of the Heavenly Doctrine continues, speaking directly to the readers of the Writings:

     "Listen, my Reader! When you read these things you may think that you have never in thought separated the Divine of the Lord from His Human, nor therefore the Human from the Divine; but, I pray, examine your thought, when you have directed it to the Lord, and see whether you have ever thought that the Divine of the Lord is in His Human as the soul in the body; or whether you have not thought, instead,-nay, if you please, whether you are not even now thinking,-of His Human separately, and of His Divine separately?" (E. 1104:4.)

     Is there anything in these searching questions to be taken to heart by the men of the New Church! To my mind these questions are most especially directed to us, and the need of self-examination is evident from the century-long disputes and controversies in the New Church itself on this very subject.

     In the preface to the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION We read: "And afterwards in His Human He united the Divine Truth to the Divine Good, or the Divine Wisdom to the Divine Love, and thus He returned into His Divine in which He was from eternity, together with and in the glorified Human," (T. C. R. 3),-a statement which we find also in the BRIEF EXPOSITION 117; A. C. 2288, 3736, and other places. In reading these and similar statements, has not the thought occurred at times that the Lord, when ascending into heaven, took with Him into His Divine a new substance or essence, or something which He had not before,-something human, additional and secondary,-Divine, indeed, but not quite as Divine as the Divine Itself?

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     And yet the very first idea of God is that He is Infinite and Eternal and Unchangeable; that to Him nothing can be added and from Him nothing can be taken away. "Such as God was before creation, such He is after it; and such as He was from eternity, such He is to eternity." (CANONS. Holy Spirit II:1.) From eternity to eternity He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, and no ultimate lower than the Last can possibly be added unto Him. This fact is a fundamental and incontrovertible truth which mush never be lost sight of in any consideration of the doctrine concerning the Divine Human. No interpretation of the doctrine call be true that in any way runs contrary to this axiomatic principle.

     The purpose of the present study has been to collect all the leading teachings of the Heavenly Doctrines in respect to the process of the Glorification and the nature of the Glorified Human, and to arrange them according to their own evidence. From the consensus of these teachings it will be seen that the Incarnation, and the Glorification of the Human, produced no change whatsoever in the Divine; but did produce a fundamental change in the relation of the Divine to man. And two very simple but essential truths stand forth from these teachings: I. That the Human of the Lord is altogether Divine and Infinite; and II. That the Word of God is the Divine Human of the Lord in relation to angels and men.

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I. THAT THE HUMAN OF THE LORD IS ALTOGETHER DIVINE AND INFINITE 1916

I. THAT THE HUMAN OF THE LORD IS ALTOGETHER DIVINE AND INFINITE              1916

     1. That the Glorification of the Human of the Lord, like the regeneration of man, was effected by means of two processes first, an ascending process, by means of which He made His human the Divine Truth itself; and, second, a descending process, by means of which He made this Divine Truth the Divine Good itself.

     A. "The glorification of the Human of the Lord is the pattern of the regeneration of man." (A. 5688.) And "the regeneration of man is the image of the glorification of the Lord." (A. 7193.) "As the Lord glorified His Human, so He regenerates man." (A. 10047.) "The process of regeneration can fall into man's idea, but not so well the glorification of the Lord." (A. 4353.) "The glorification transcends the human understanding, but may be explained by its image, the regeneration of man." (A. 10021.)

     B. "'And behold, the angels of God ascending and descending.' (Gen. 28:13.) This signifies infinite and eternal communication and consequent conjunction, and that from what is lowest there is as it were an ascent, and afterwards, when the order is inverted, a descent. . . . Thus that by those truths which were the truths of man's infancy and childhood, the angels of God had ascended as by a ladder from earth to heaven; but afterwards, by the truths of his adult age, the angels of God descended as by a ladder from heaven to earth." (A. 3701)

     "The natural of man, on the one hand communicates with the sensuals of the body, and on the other hand with the rationals of the rational mind; by means of these intermediates there takes place as: it were an ascent from the sensual's which are of the body and are open to the world, to the rationals which are of the rational mind and are open to heaven; thus also a descent from heaven to the world." (A. 4009.)

     "When the Lord was in the world, He first made His human Divine Truth, which is the same as the Divine Law; and afterwards He completely glorified His human, and made it Divine Good." (A. 6864, 4577, 8127, 8724.)

     "From the Good, which is of Jehovah, He united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence; and from the Truth He united the Human Essence to the Divine." (A. 2025.)

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     "The externals are opened by the things of the world, and the internals by the things of heaven." (A. 9279.)

     "Intellectual things are opened by means of truths, and voluntary things by means of goods." (A. 9279.)

     2. That in the ascending process of regeneration the exteriors and afterwards the interiors of the mind are successively subjected and opened to heaven by means of truths, and by temptations according to the truths with men. Thus also the Lord, by means of Divine Truths and consequent temptations, rendered all things of His mind and body correspondent with the Divine Soul and open to it.

     A. "After birth the sensuous mind is first opened; then the natural mind: then, as he studies intelligence, the rational mind; and, as he studies wisdom, the spiritual mind." (E. 1056.)

     "These regions of the mind are successively opened; the ultimate region from infancy to childhood, by means of knowledges; the second region from childhood to adolescence, by means of thoughts from knowledges; and the highest region from adolescence to manhood, by perceptions of truth." (T. 42)

     "From childhood to adolescence the communication to the interior natural is opened. From adolescence to young manhood the communication between the natural and the rational is opened; and in proportion as he then imbues goods through truths, the Rational is opened." (A. 5126.)

     "The three degrees can he successively opened, and as they are opened, the man is in the Lord, and the Lord in him." (W. 236.)

     "The internal man is opened and given to man through temptations." (A. 10685, 8367.)

     "In prayer there is an opening of the man's interiors towards God." (A. 2535)

     "The ascription of all things to the Lord opens the interiors of man towards heaven." (A. 10225)

     B. "With the Lord the Internal was Jehovah, to which His human was united after He, by temptation-combats, had purified the maternal." (A. 1793.)

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     "With the Lord alone there was an infinitely perfect correspondence of all things of the body with the Divine; hence there was a union of bodily things with Divine Celestial ones, and of sensuous things with Divine Spiritual ones." (A. 1414.)

     "With Him the interiors were celestial thins which adapted the vessels for the reception of cognitions; so that the cognitions might afterwards become vessels to receive the Divine." (A. 1460.)

     "What was born of Mary the Lord expelled. Thence He assumed a human corresponding to the Divine; and thus He united the Divine, which means that the Divine took to itself the Human." (ATH. CR. 150.)

     "When the maternal human was expelled then succeeded those things which are concordant with the Divine. The Lord, whose soul was the Divine itself, made His body correspondent with the Divine Itself in Him." (ATH. CR. 192.)

     3. That in the descending process of regeneration a new and angelic human is actually born in man by the influx of heavenly good from the Lord through the soul into the opened truth-vessels of the natural mind. With the Lord the Divine Human was actually derived and born by the descent of the Divine Good, which was the Divine Soul, into all things of the natural human.

     A. "When mention is made in the Word of advancement in age, and of old age, the angels who are with man can have no other idea than of the state of life in which the persons are, and in which men are while passing through their ages even to the last; namely, that they thus successively put off what is human and put on what is heavenly." (A. 3016.)

     "For as the Lord made His human Divine from Divine Love, so by heavenly love a man becomes an angel after death." (A. 4735.)

     "When the internal has been opened by regeneration, good from the Lord inflows through it." (A. 9184.)

     "Both good and truth are called the soul, but still good is principally the soul." (A. 3299.)

     "The good which is charity enters through the soul; truth through the hearing," etc. (A. 7756.)

     "Unless, as to the spiritual life, man is conceived anew from the Lord, born anew, and educated anew, that is, created anew, he is condemned." (A. 8552)

397




     "Man is thus made new not only in this that a new will is given him, and a new understanding, but also a new body for his spirit." (D. WIS. IV. 2.)

     "The soul clothes itself with the body, and thus receives to itself that which is called the human." (ATH. CR. 30.)

     "For the inmost of life of every man, which is called the soul, is from the father, and this continually wills to make the external, which is from the mother, an image of itself." (A. 6716; T. 8.)

     "The life which inflows with man from the Lord is from His Divine Love. This Love, or the life thence derived, inflows and applies itself to the vessels which are in man's rational, and to those which are in his natural. In consequence of the hereditary evil into which man is born, and of the actual evils which he acquires, these vessels are in a contrary position within him relatively to the inflowing life; yet in so far as the life which flows in can dispose the vessels to receive it, it does so dispose them. These vessels in the rational man, and in the natural, are what are called truths, but in themselves they are merely perceptions of the variations of form of these vessels, and of the changes of state according to which in diverse ways these variations come forth, being effected in the most subtle substances by methods inexpressible, (n. 2487). Good itself, which has life from the Lord, or which is life, is that which flows in and disposes.

     "When therefore these vessels, which are to be varied as to form, are as before said in a contrary position and direction in respect to the life, it is evident that they must be reduced to a position in accordance with the life, or into compliance with it. This cannot possibly be effected so long as the man is in that state into which he is born, and to which he has reduced himself; for the vessels are not obedient, being obstinately resistant, and have hardened themselves against the heavenly order, according to which the life acts; for the good which moves them, and with which they comply, is of the love of self and of the world; which good, from the gross heat that is within it, causes them to be of such a quality; and therefore, before they can be rendered compliant and fit to receive anything of the life of the Lord's Love, they must be softened.

398


This softening is effected by no other means than temptations; for temptations remove all that is of the love of self and of contempt for others, in comparison with self, consequently all that is of self-glory, and also of hatred and revenge on this account. When therefore the vessels have been somewhat tempered, and subdued by temptations, they begin to become yielding to, and compliant with, the life of the Lord's Love, which continually flows in with man.

     "Hence then it is that good begins to be conjoined with truth; first in the rational man, and afterwards in the natural; for, as before said, truths are nothing else than perceptions of the variations of form according to states that are continually being changed; and these perceptions are from the life which flows in. This is the reason why man is regenerated, that: is, made new by temptations; or, what is the same, by spiritual combats, and that he is afterwards gifted with another nature; being made mild, humble, simple, and contrite in heart. From these considerations it may now be seen what use temptations promote, namely, that good from the Lord may not only flow in, but may also dispose the vessels to obedience, and thus conjoin itself with them.

     "But as regards the Lord, He by the most grievous temptation combats reduced all things in Himself into Divine order, in so much that there remained nothing at all of the human which He had derived from the mother. So that He was not made new, as are other men, but altogether Divine. For the man who is made new by regeneration still retains in himself an inclination to evil, and even evil itself; but is withheld from evil by an influx of the life of the Lord's Love, and this with a force exceeding great; whereas the Lord utterly cast out all the evil that was hereditary to Him from the mother, and made Himself Divine, even as to the vessels, that is, as to the truths.
This is that which in the Word is called 'Glorification.'" (A. 3318)

     B. "The Divine Good with the Lord made His soul, and the Divine Truth His body." (CANONS. Red. IV:6.)

     "The derivations of the Divine Good into which the Lord was born are what came forth in His human when He made it Divine, and by these He glorified it." (A. 4644)

399




     "The Lord's Divine Rational was born from the Divine Itself, and the Divine Natural from the Divine Rational." (A. 3279)

     "The Divine Human of the Lord was not only conceived of Jehovah, but also born of Jehovah." (A. 2628.)

     "The Lord separated from Himself and put off that which was merely human, namely, what He had derived from the mother, until at last He was no longer her son, but the Son of God, both as to conception and as to birth." (A. 2649)

     "The Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like the human of another man, and thus material: and He put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial; from which the Human also was made Divine." (D. LORD. 35)

     "He put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human." (E. 205:6, 1108:2.)

     "As the soul of Christ is from His Divine Essence, it follows that His body is also." (INV. 15.)

     "He who had Jehovah Himself for a soul, could have no Human but a Divine one." (A 4727.)

     "The Father can be in no other Human than that which is from Himself, and thus in His own Divine Human." (ATH. CR. 118.)

     4. That with the regenerating man the beginning of the descent of the soul takes place in the rational, which is the only thing really human with man; and thence the lower degrees of the mind are made new by the soul. With the Lord the descending Divine Soul first made the human rational Divine, and thence it glorified all the lower degrees of the natural human mind and body.

     A. "The Human itself consists of the Rational, which is the same as the internal man,-and of the Natural, which is the same as the external man,-and also of the body." (A. 3737)

     "The Rational is the Human itself." (5 Mem. 1.)

     "The human begins in the inmost of the Rational." (A. 2106, 2625:4.)

400




     "The Rational is that in which the human begins, and thus the Rational is that from which and through which is the human." (A. 3704.)

     "For man's human is interior, namely, in his Rational; the good which man has above animals is the love of God and the neighbor; all human good is thence." (A. 3175.)

     "When man is being regenerated the new soul which he then receives is the end of good, which has its beginning in the Rational." (A. 3570.)

     "The internal natural man is first to be regenerated, and through this the external. But to regenerate the internal through the external is contrary to order." (T. 593.)

     "When man is being regenerated, he is regenerated as to the Rational before he is regenerated as to the Natural." (A. 3855.)

     "The Rational is regenerated before the Natural, because it is nearer to the Divine." (A. 3493)

     B. "The human with every man begins in the inmost of his rational; so also the Human of the Lord. That which was above it was Jehovah Himself." (A. 2194.)

     "The Lord was unlike any other man in this that His interior man, as to celestial things or goods, was Divine, and from very birth was adjoined to the internal man. The internal man, together with this interior man, was Jehovah His Father." (A. 1707.)

     "In making all the human with Himself Divine, He first made the Rational itself Divine from its inmost." (A. 2194.)

     "After the expulsion from the Rational of the worldly and hereditary things, there was born the Lord's Divine Rational, which is represented by Isaac; and this not by an exterior way,-which is that of sensuous things, as was the former rational [Ishmael],-but by an internal way from the Divine Itself." (A. 2632.)

     "The Rational, in which the human begins, chastized and expelled all in the Rational that was merely human, or the maternal human." (A. 2767.)

     "The Lord completely exterminated His first Rational, for the merely human and the Divine cannot be together." (A. 2657.)

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     "All things, both in the Rational and in the Natural, were by Him made Divine." (A. 3153.)

     "The Lord from eternity, or Jehovah, was Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, and He then had the Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual, but not the Divine Natural before He assumed the Human; and because the Rational is predicated solely of the Celestial and Spiritual natural, therefore Jehovah, the Lord, also put: on the Divine Rational. Before the assumption of the Human He had a Divine Rational, but by influx into the angelic heaven and when He manifested Himself in the world by means of an angel whom He filled with His Divinity: for the purely Divine Essence, which, as was said, was the purely Divine Celestial and Divine Spiritual Essence, transcends the rational, both angelic and human, but it was given by influx." (NINE QUESTIONS, IV.)

     5. That as the Lord by temptation-combats overcame and expelled all the evils and infirmities inherited from the mother, so the Divine Soul could gradually descend into and take possession of all degrees of the natural human. And thus the Lord successively put off the finite nature of the human, and put on instead the Divine and Infinite Human.

     A. That the Lord by temptation-combats overcame and entirely expelled the hereditary or the human from the mother, see A. 2159, 2288, 2574, 3048, 4641, 9670, 10057.

     "Jehovah, who is the Lord as to the Divine Essence, descended and assumed a human which by conception was Divine and by birth from a virgin was such as that of another man. But this He expelled; and by Divine means made the human so born, Divine." (A. 3061.)

     "With the regenerate, hereditary evil is not exterminated.... But the Lord completely removed from Himself, expelled and cast out all the hereditary evil from the mother I and He had no hereditary evil from the Father." (A. 4564)

     "All the human which He took on from the mother He rejected from Himself by temptation and lastly by death." (E. 899.)

     "By His death the Lord rejected all the human which was from the mother." (ATH. CR. 106.)

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     B. "To be glorified signifies to put off the human and to put on the Divine. To be glorified means to put on the Divine." (A. 2112.)

     "As He put off this [the maternal] human, He put off the appearances also, and put on the Infinite and Eternal Divine Itself." (A. 3405)

     "With man the prior forms are not destroyed [by regeneration], but only removed; but with the Lord the prior forms, which were from the maternal, were completely destroyed and extirpated, and Divine forms were received in their place. For the Divine love does not agree with any but a Divine form; all other forms it absolutely casts out. Hence it is that the Lord when glorified was no longer the son of Mary." (A. 6872.)

     "The Father can be in no other human than that which is from Himself, and thus in His own Divine Human." (ATH. CR. 118.)

     "When the Lord was in the world, His Divine Essence which in itself is Infinite and Life itself, rejected the finite nature and its life from the mother, and thus made Divine His Human, conceived and born in the world." (CONT. L. J. 75.)

     "That the Lord from eternity, or Jehovah, superinduced this third degree [the Divine Natural] by the assumption of a Human in the world, was for the reason that He could not enter into it except by a nature similar to human nature, thus not except by conception from His own Divine and by birth from a virgin. For thus He could put off a nature which in itself is dead and yet was a receptacle of the Divine, and put on the Divine." (D. L. W. 234)

     "The maternal human was the Infirm which adheres to nature." (ATH. CR. 192.)

     "In the Lord all these degrees [the Divine Celestial, Divine Spiritual, and Divine Natural] are infinite; in angel or man they are finite." (W. 235)

     "The Lord came into the world and assumed the Human, in order to put Himself into the power to subjugate the hells, and to reduce to order all things as well in the heavens as in the hells. This Human He superinduced upon the former Human. The Human which He superinduced in the world was as the human of a man in the world; each Human, however, is Divine, and hence is infinitely transcending the finite human things of angels and of men." (W. 321.)

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     6. That the Human Essence was thus glorified not only in general but in every particular, so that the very organics or corporeal vessels, down to the flesh and bones, were rendered Divine and Infinite, being no longer vessels receptive of Life, but the Divine Life itself.

     "The Lord utterly cast out all the evil that was hereditary to Him from the mother, and made Himself Divine, even as to the vessels, that is, as to the truths. This is that which in the Word is called 'Glorification.'" (A. 3318.)

     "The exteriors of the: natural are what are properly called the corporeal things, or the sensuals of both kinds together with the recipient organs, for these together constitute what are called the body. The Lord made the very corporeal in Himself Divine, both its sensuals and their recipient organs; and He therefore rose again from the sepulcher with His body." (A. 5078)

     "The Lord glorified His very body, even to its ultimates which are the bones and flesh." (A. 10125.)

     "His Divine in ultimates was His Human, which He made Divine even to the flesh and bones, which are the ultimates." (E. 66:3, 41, 513:19, 619:15)

     "The Lord disclosed to the disciples that He had made Divine the whole of His Human even to its natural and sensual, which is signified by the hands and feet, and by the flesh and bones which they saw and felt." (E. 619:15.)

     "Ultimates are meant by 'flesh and bones,' and even these were made Divine by the Lord when He was in the world. This was the accessory; and this is now to God, the Divine Human." (E. 1112.)

     "When the Lord had made His whole human Divine, His flesh was nothing but Divine Good, and His blood nothing but Divine Truth." (A. 5576:5.)

     "After the Lord had expelled hereditary evil, and thus purified the organic, of the Human Essence, these also received Life; so that the Lord, as He was Life as to the internal man, so also became Life as to the external man." (A. 1603.)

404




     "The merely human is an organ of life, and thus has not life itself. The Lord's Human, when made Divine, was no longer an organ of life, or a recipient of life, but was Life itself, such as is that of Jehovah Himself." (A. 2658.)

     7. That the Lord, therefore,-differently from any finite man-arose after death with His whole body fully glorified, and left nothing of His Human in the sepulcher.

     "With the Lord all is Jehovah, even the body itself, and therefore He alone arose again into heaven with the body also." (A. 1729.)

     "His whole body was made Divine, as may be evident from the fact that He alone arose again from the dead as to the body." (A. 2083.)

     "No man rises again with the body with which he was encompassed here, but the Lord alone did so, because He made His body Divine while He was here." (A. 5078:6)

     "The Lord left nothing of His Human in the sepulcher." (A. 10044; E. 581:12.)

     "The soul of the Lord, being from Jehovah, was infinite, and was nothing else than the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and consequently after glorification His Human was not like the human of a man. For this reason the Lord took up into heaven all His Human glorified, that is, made Divine from Himself, and left nothing of it in the sepulchre, otherwise than is the case with man." (A. 10125.)

     "That the Lord arose with the whole body which He had in the world, differently from other men." (A. 10252, 10738, 10825-26; H. 316; L. 35; W. 221; T. 109.)

     "After the resurrection the Lord appeared as to the body which He had in the world, but angels appear as to the body which spirits have, which are in the human form, but not as the Lord's." (DE DOM. 14.)

     "That the Lord put off all the maternal in the sepulcher, and rising therefrom glorified Himself; for in the sepulcher all such was to be dissipated." (ATH. CR. 161.) "That the Lord in the sepulcher, and thus by death, rejected all the human from the mother and dissipated it,-(from which He underwent temptations and the passion of the cross, and whereas this could not be conjoined with the Divine Itself),-and that so He assumed the Human from the Father, thus that the Lord, rightly and clearly glorified, arose with His Human." (ATH. CR. 162.)

405




     "The Lord, from the Divine in Himself, expelled all the evil which was from the mother; wherefore He arose with His whole body. He retained the infirm while He was in the world, because in no other way could He be tempted, and least of all on the cross: there the whole maternal was expelled." (ATH. CR. 192.)

     "That part of the body, which with those who are born of human parents is rejected and putrefies, was with Him glorified and made Divine from the Divine in Himself; and He arose with this, leaving nothing in the sepulcher, altogether otherwise than, what takes place with every man." (J. POST. 87.)

     "He was not born a man like any other man, since He was not born from a human Father, but from the Father Jehovah, and by a virgin, and that thus He was unlike any other man; for a man's soul from a human father is a recipient of life, but the Lord's soul from the Father Jehovah is Life itself, which gives life to all; and the difference is as between the human and the Divine, and the finite and the Infinite or the create and the uncreate; and because He was such as to His soul, it could not be otherwise than that His body should become like His soul, after He had rejected that of the body which He had taken from the mother; and that therefore He arose as to His whole body, nor did He leave anything of it in the sepulchre, as is the case with every other man, who rises only as to his spirit, and never as to his material body. And further, the Divine Itself, as it is in Itself, which is Infinite, could not have done otherwise than to REJECT THE FINITE which was from the another, and PUT ON THE INFINITE from the Father, thus the Divine." (J. POST. 129.)

     "That in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead (as Paul says), is evident also from the words of the Lord Himself, that all things of the Father are His, and that the Holy Spirit speaks from Him, and not of itself; and finally, that when He arose He took from the sepulcher His whole human body, both the flesh and the bones, unlike any other man." (T. 170.)

406




     "That the Lord made the Natural Man in Himself Divine, in order that He might be the First and the Last; and that He might: thus enter with men even into their natural man, and might teach and lead it from the Word. For He arose with His whole natural or external man, and did not leave anything of it in the sepulchre; on which account He said that He had bones and flesh, which spirits have not; and hence it is that He ate and drank with His disciples of natural food, and in their sight. That He was Divine, He showed by passing through doors, and by becoming invisible, which never could have been done unless His Natural Man itself also had been made Divine with Him." (INV. 56.)

     Note.-He "left nothing in the sepulchre." This oft-repeated teaching by itself disposes of the notion that His material body was dissolved into an impalpable powder or some kind of gas,-for such would have remained, at least for some moments of time, "in the sepulcher." But the teaching that He "left nothing in the sepulchre" means that He left nothing material, finite, or unglorified, either there or anywhere else in the material universe.

     8. That the Lord, therefore, arose from the sepulchre not in a material body, but in a Divine Substantial Body, consisting of the Infinite Substance itself.

     "From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like the human of another man, and thus material, and put on the Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, from which the Human also was made Divine.... Since His fore came in to the disciples while the doors were shut, and after He had been seen He became invisible. . . . Since the Lord, with the Divine and Human united, in one, ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God, by which is signified Divine Omnipotence, it follows that His Human substance or essence is as His Divine." (D. LORD. 35.)

     "Since He was such [i. e., Infinite] as to His soul, it could not be otherwise than that His body should become like His soul. . . . The Divine Itself, as it is in Itself, which is Infinite, could not have done otherwise than to reject the finite which was from the mother, and put on the Infinite from the Father, thus the Divine." (J. POST. 129.)

407




     "From this is evident what was the quality of the body, that is, the quality of the Human, in the Lord, namely, that it was as the Divine Itself." (A. 10823.)

     "Whatever is in the Lord is Infinite, because it is Divine." (A. 6482.)

     "With the Lord all is Infinite." (A. 1590)

     "In Jehovah or the Lord there is nothing except what is Infinite." (A. 2803.)

     "In the Lord and in His Divine Human everything is Infinite." (A. 4715.)

     "Communication and consequently conjunction cannot be predicated of the Lords Divine and Divine Human, unless at the same time they are called infinite and eternal; for in the Lord everything is infinite and eternal: infinite in relation to esse and eternal in relation to existere." (A. 3701.)

     9. That by the Resurrection-body of the Lord not being a material body is meant that it no longer consisted of the angular forms or saline matters arising from the soil of the earth, and thence existing in the blood and tissue of the body.

     "Ultimates are each and all things of the mineral kingdom, which are matters of various kinds." (W. 65, 158.)

     "The (spiritual) atmospheres at last became so compressed and inert, that they became substances at rest and, in the natural world, fixed, such as are in the earths and are called matters." (W. 302.)

     "The first forms of the mineral kingdom are the substances and matters from which are the earths, in their leasts." (W. 313.)

     "That the blood nourishes itself from the air, etc. is evident from the immense abundance of salts of various kinds, which are in the waters from the earth." (W. 426.)

     "The very forms of the members, organs, and viscera, are fixed through substances and matters such as are in the earths, and from the earths in the air and the ether. This is effected by the blood." (W. 370)

408




     That by "matter" is meant, in a most definite sense, the inert, dead, and measurable chemicals of the mineral kingdom, which afford the most ultimate basis of all things through their service of fixation, see W. 315, 3401 344; E. 1211, 1218; D. WIS. VIII.

     10. That since nothing of the Lord's material body was left in the sepulcher, (or anywhere else), but the whole of His body arose glorified,-that is Divine and Infinite,-it follows that the most ultimate or angular forms, like all the higher natural and spiritual forms, were opened and resolved into the Infinite by the descent of the Infinite Soul into the ultimates of the body.

     Resume.

     A. Concerning the opening of all things of the Lord's human mind and body by truth acting from without, and good acting from within, see paragraph 2.

     B. That with the Lord the very organics and vessels of the body were rendered Divine, Infinite, and Life itself, see A. 3318, 5078, 1603, 2658.

     C. That the prior forms, which were from the maternal, were put off, and Divine forms received in their place, see A. 6872.

     D. That finite nature was rejected and infinite nature assumed, see CONT. L. J. 75; W. 234, 235; J. POST. 129.

     E. That the part of the body which with men putrefies in the grave, was with Lord glorified and made Divine, see J. POST. 87.

     Addenda.

     That, with the regenerate there is what is open even from the Lord. A. 99, 8456, 9707.

     That intellectual things are opened by the things that relate to truth, and voluntary things by those which relate to good, A. 9279; H. 33.

     That when the interiors are opened, love and wisdom inflow into the interiors of the mind, and the heat and light of heaven into the interiors of the body, W. 138.

     That the diaphanous forms of the mind, which are the receptacles of love and wisdom with man, "are not opened, except when spiritual heat conjoins itself with spiritual light; by such conjunction these diaphanous forms are opened according to degrees." W. 245.

409




     That love truly conjugial opens the interiors of the mind, as it opens the interiors of the senses, and with these, the organics of the whole body. C. L. 211.

     Notes.

     As spiritual heat thus opens the interiors of man's mind and body, in a finite, i. e., limited measure, so the descent of Divine and Infinite heat,-the Divine Good of the Divine Love, which was the Soul of the Lord,-in an infinite measure opened all things, all degrees, and all forms of His natural mind and body.

     "All forms" include the angular or most ultimate form, and such angular forms existed in His bones, in the globules of His blood, and throughout the tissues of His body.

     If these angular forms had been separated from the body, as is done by the putrefaction of our material body in the grave, it would mean that all these forms would have been "left in the sepulcher,"-but nothing was left.

     It follows therefore that these angular forms also were opened up by the Infinite Divine and resolved into the Infinite form and substance.

     This return of the most finite form into the Infinite is no more impossible to the Divine operation, than was the process of finiting the Infinite Substance in the original work of Creation.

     "This is in agreement with the wisdom of the ancients, according to which each thing and all things are divisible to infinity." (T. 33.)

     "There is no end to science, still less to intelligence, and least of all to wisdom; for there is infinity and eternity in the fullness of these things from the Infinite and Eternal from Whom they are; hence this philosophical axiom of the ancients, that everything is divisible to the infinite; to which it should be added that it is likewise multiplicable." (C. L. 185.)

     "Know, then, that everything when divided is more and more manifold, and not more and more simple; because what is divided and again divided, approaches closer and closer to the infinite, in which all things are infinitely. (C. L. 329.)

     11. The Process of Glorification illustrated by Swedenborg's Doctrine of Forms.

     The following application of Swedenborg's Doctrine of Forms to the process of the Glorification of the Human Essence of the Lord is offered only as a tentative but suggestive illustration of the manner in which the Divine and Infinite Soul could open and render Infinite each successive degree of form in the finite human of the Lord's mind and body.

410




     As is known, Swedenborg, in his great philosophical Doctrine of Forms, describes seven discrete degrees of form:

     1. The Divine Form.

     2. The Spiritual Form.

     3. The Celestial or Astronomical Form.

     4. The Vortical Form.

     5. The Spiral Form.

     6. The Spherical or Circular Form.

     7. The Angular Form.

     These degrees of form Swedenborg correlated with the following degrees of the human in God and man:

     The Divine Form-the Nexus, Logos, or God-Man.

     The Spiritual Form-the human soul.

     The Celestial Form-the intellectual mind.

     The Vortical Form-the animus.

     The Spiral Form-the external sensories.

     The Spherical Form-the body and blood vessels.

     The Angular Form-the bones.

     He observes, moreover, that each lower degree of these forms is formed by the successive withdrawal of that which is perpetual, and continuous, or, in other words, of that which is eternal and infinite, and that thus forms become more and more finite, until the angular or most finite form is reached, where nothing is perpetual, continuous or infinite.

     Returning from this lowest form, he notes that the Circular form is a perpetual or continuous angle and thus the infinitely angular form; the Spiral a continuously and infinitely circular form; the Vortical a continuously and infinitely spiral form; the Celestial a continuously and infinitely vortical form; the Spiritual a continuously and infinitely celestial form; and the Divine a continuously and infinitely Spiritual form.

     Now, in the Glorification of all finite degrees of substances and forms within the human of the Lord, it is manifest that the Divine Soul in its descent opened each lower successive degree in its minutest parts, added the Divine or Infinite to it, and thus rendered each degree Divine and Infinite.

     Thus the finite Spiritual form,-which was that first finite plane with the Lord which corresponds to the "human internal" or the soul of finite man,-was the first to be infinitely opened; it was filled with the Infinite Divine, and became Infinitely Spiritual, which is the same as to say that it became the Divine Substance and Form itself, or the Logos, the Word.

411




     As this Infinitely Spiritual or Divine Substance and Form next descended into the plane of the Celestial form, the plane of the intellectual mind with the Lord, this plane also in its most minute substantials and forms was infinitely opened and filled with the Infinite Divine; from being finitely Celestial it became Infinitely Celestial and Infinitely Spiritual, which is the Same as to say that it became the Divine Substance and Form itself, or the Word.

     In its further descent into the plane of the Vortical form, the plane of the human animus, the finite vessels constituting this plane were similarly opened and filled with all that which was above, so that these vortical substances and forms also became Infinitely Vortical, that is to say Celestial, but now at the same time Infinitely Celestial and Infinitely Spiritual,-in other words, Divine Substance and Form, or the Word

     Everything above the purely material plane with the Lord had now become filled with the glory of the Divine, and it was the mere shell of the body and its sensual organics, that still remained finite and visible to the natural eye. And by the last temptations,-the agony in Gethsemane and the passion on the cross,-the Lord in this human essence so overcame its last resistance that it gave up the whole of its own life, and finally died.

     And then, in the sepulcher, the remaining finite forms,-the spiral forms of the external sensories, the spherical forms of the flesh and the blood-vessels, and the angular forms pertaining to the blood-globules and the bones,-were likewise opened in their minutest parts and thus rendered Divine and Infinite, until nothing finite remained in the tomb. The spiral forms had become infinitely spiral, the spherical forms infinitely spherical, and the angular forms infinitely angular, and since all the higher forms had been rendered one with, the Infinite Substance and Form itself, the lowest forms likewise were rendered similar to the higher and the highest, and thus on the third day the Lord arose from the sepulcher with the whole body fully glorified on every plane,-the Divine Esse and the Divine Existere, God and His Word on every plane.

412




     12. That in making His Human Essence Divine and Infinite the Lord did not reduce it to nothing, nor did He commingle it with the Divine, but made it the Divine subrtantial body and form of the Divine Itself.

     "To man the Infinite appears as not anything, because man is finite and thinks from what is finite." (W. 29.)

     "As there is no ratio between the Infinite and the finite, let everyone beware of thinking of the Infinite as nothing. The Infinite and the Eternal cannot be said of nothing." (D. WIS. XII:4:2)

     "The Infinite appears to man as nothing, because man is finite and thinks from what is finite; therefore, if the finiteness which adheres to his thought were taken away, he would perceive the residue as if it were not anything. But the truth is that God is infinitely all." (T. 29.)

     "It is said that the two natures were not commingled, but that the Divine took to itself the Human. Neither are soul and body commingled with any man, but with everyone the soul clothes itself with the body, and thus takes to itself that which is called the human." (ATH. CR. 300.) "And consequently there is not commixture, but union, like that of the soul and the body." (ATH. CR. 188.)

     "As the doctrine of faith which is called 'the Athanasian Creed' teaches, that He did not transmute His human nature from the mother into the Divine essence, nor commingle it with it; for the human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled with it." (D. Lord, 35.)

     Note.-"The human nature from the mother" was not transmuted into the Divine, but put off, when the Infinite Human from the Father descended into the finite human and thus was "born" in it.

     (To be continued.)

413


GROWTH BY PURIFICATION 1916

GROWTH BY PURIFICATION       Rev. W. B. CALDWELL       1916

     "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." (Matthew 3:8.)

     The words form part of a proclamation of the advent of the Lord made by John the Baptist. His opening words, "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," were an announcement that the Lord had come to re-establish His heavenly kingdom; upon earth, to raise up a church wherein He would be present; and men were exhorted to repent, that they might receive the Lord to remove their evil by repentance, that the Lord might be present with them, to impart the blessings of the spiritual life, and thus to establish and increase a new church in the world.

     This exhortation was addressed to the men who were to constitute the beginnings of the Christian Church; and it now comes anew to those who are to constitute the New Church of the Second Coming. "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." The general subject of this text in the letter is the Growth of the Church by means of repentance, in the internal sense the Growth of the Church by means of purification from evil. The signs of this growth are the fruits that man bears; after repentance,-the good works that he does after he has been purified of evil by the Lord in the life of regeneration. The Lord alone produces these fruits,-the good works that a man does, and the truths that he speaks, after he has shunned his evils as sins, after he has conquered in spiritual temptation. The Lord is then received by him, and imparts a new state of spiritual love and faith, from which proceed the goods of charity and the goods of piety as the fruits of repentance.

     In the measure that man is producing these fruits, in the measure that he receives the Lord in new states of spiritual life after repentance, in that measure he bears the spiritual fruits of increase in the regenerate life. The life of the church is growing in him, and the church itself grows in the world according to the number and quality of such men,-men who are bearing the fruits of repentance to the glory of God and the increase of His kingdom on earth and in heaven.

414


"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." (John 15:8.)

     The primary thing that is essential to the growth of the church is the presence of the Lord therein,-His presence in the Word, wherein He reveals Himself at His coming, and His presence with men in their understanding of the Word and life according to it. When the Lord is thus present with men, the Divine Love and Wisdom, Life Itself, the only Source of growth, is present and, operating in the minds of men, increasing the spiritual life that makes the internal of the church, and thence infilling and blessing the worship and works that constitute the external of the church. The Divine is then present in both the internal and the external of the church, present in fulness and power, to promote the growth and final establishment of the church as His dwelling-place in the world, for the salvation of men and the perfection of heaven. "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." (John 19:5.)

     The second thing essential to the growth of the church is that men prepare themselves to receive the Lord, to provide for His presence with them, which is done when the Lord's Word is known and believed, when it is understood, and when there is worship and life according to the Word. This is to "abide in Him, that His Word may abide in them," and bring forth the fruits of spiritual increase.

     Now this preparation on man's part involves not only reception of the Word in faith of understanding, and in doing the works of charity and piety, but it involves also the doing of the works of repentance, of self-examination and resistance to evils, that they may be removed from the thought and will, and that goods may enter in their place,-goods from the Lord, producing their fruits in outward act and word. Indeed, the works of repentance are the first duty of the man of the church, if he would prepare the way for the Lord's entrance to abide in him, if he would remove that in himself which cannot be a receptacle of the Lord's life. When a man repents, by averting himself from the evil acts, the evil thoughts and intentions, that become known to him in the light of the Word, then the Lord can enter to purify him, to remove the evil and impart the good.

415


This is a Divine work, performed only in the man who prepares himself by repentance. And so John the Baptist exhorted to this repentance, as the first means to the establishment of the church, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord; repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance."

     The first fruits of the Christian Church were to be the fruits of repentance. For the first words of our Lord's public preaching were of like import to those of John. We read that "after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and, believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:14, 15.) It was necessary that men should first repent, turning from their evil ways and evil thoughts, before they could receive the gospel; nor it is otherwise at this day of the Second coming, when men must repent before they can receive the Heavenly Doctrine in faith and life. And so the first fruits of the New Church also are the fruits of repentance. The man of this church is to purify himself so far as he is able, that the Lord may enter to purify him thoroughly, removing evil and falsity from the vessels of the mind, to the end that the Divine Good and Truth in all their purity may abide in that man, cleansing him from the hidden origins of evil, and: producing in him the fruits of everlasting life. This, on man's part, and that on the Lord's part, are meant by the words of John following the text, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I; He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire; whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matt. 3:11, 12.)

     These words describe the purification performed by the Lord in the regeneration of man, by the operation of the Holy Spirit or the Divine Truth, and by the fire of the Divine Love, proceeding from the Lord and inflowing with man through the atmospheres of heaven.

416


Just as cleansing by water is superficial as compared with cleansing by wind and fire, so John's baptizing with water represented the washing or cleansing of the external of the natural man, producing the good works and fruits of man's voluntary repentance, while the thorough purging that was to follow represented the after-purification performed in man by the Lord Himself, the cleansing of the internal of the natural man, the removal of the origins of evil there, effected actually by the purifying breath or sphere of Divine Truth,-the Holy Spirit, the "wind that bloweth where it listeth," and by the searching fire of the Divine Love.

     All that man can do is to repent of the evils of the external natural, which alone are conscious to him,-to suffer his acts, words, thoughts and intentions to be rectified in the light of the truth of the Word, and by diligent effort, which is to suffer himself to be "baptized with water unto repentance." This doctrine is fully set forth in the Writings, as where we read, "That the internal cannot be purified of the desires of evil so long as evils in the external man are not removed, because these grow and obstruct." (P. 111.) "That evils in the external man cannot be removed by the Lord except with man's co-operation" (P. 114), and that when this is given, "The Lord then purifies man of the desires of evil in the internal man, and from evils themselves in the external." (P. 119.) And this is just the teaching involved in John's words, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire."

     And then the simile is changed, and this same Divine purification of man in the regeneration is likened to the threshing of wheat by winnowing or fanning, which blows the chaff away from the grain, and represents how evils and falsities, like chaff in the mind, are dispersed by the Lord after man's repentance; while goods, like the precious grain, are preserved and stored up by Him as the residue and fruit after this purification, even by "Him whose fan is in His hand, who will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner, but burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." And a like thing is meant by the prophecy in Malachi, concerning the Lord's advent to raise up the church, "And who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap; and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and He shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (3:2, 3.)

417


And it was to prepare men for this Divine coming that John the Baptist, as the Lord's messenger, was sent before to exhort men to "bring forth fruits worthy of repentance."

     This truth of the text is now manifest, that the Lord's advent and presence with men to establish and increase His Church cannot take place until He has purified them. He cannot become spiritually present: in the individual man, to promote his growth in the regenerate life, to impart and increase the genuine good of love and charity, and the genuine truths of wisdom and intelligence, unless He first purify man of evils and falsities. These are obstructions to the Lord's presence, and the enemies of man's spiritual progress in the regenerate life, enemies to the growth of the church itself which is accomplished only by the regeneration of men. As the primary means of growth is the presence of the Lord, so the primary thing with men is to provide that chief receptacle of influx from the Lord, which is the good of love and charity, and this good is implanted and increased in the degree that evil loves are removed by repentance, in the degree that man brings forth the fruits of repentance.

     It is indeed an important truth that is here brought before us, that the growth of the church begins in man's repentance, that the Lord will be present, and prosper the church internally and externally, if men sincerely repent, removing that which prevents the Divine operation. The good that man does before repentance is not genuine good; it is from self, not from the Lord. The increase of such good with men is not a true growth of the church; it is a forced and artificial growth under the stimulus of self love. The Lord cannot be inwardly present in such spurious good, even though He may use it as an indirect means to the real upbuilding of His kingdom, which is effected through the genuine good of love, imparted by Him ten man after he has done his part in humble repentance, after he has brought forth fruits worthy of repentance.

     That the good of love and charity from the Lord is the genuine origin of the spiritual growth of the church is set before us in these words of our Doctrine:-

418


"With the regenerating man nothing is multiplied, that is, nothing of good and truth takes increase, except it be an effect of charity. Charity is like heat in the time of spring and summer, which makes all things in nature grow. Nothing grows or is multiplied with a man unless there be some affection. The delight of affection not only causes a thing to take root, but also to grow fill things come about according to the aspiration of affection. What a man loves, that he gladly seizes upon, retains, and guards. Such as is the affection, such is the multiplication. With the regenerating man it is the affection of good and truth springing from charity, with which he has been gifted by the Lord. Whatever favors this affection of charity, he seizes upon, retains, and guards," that it may grow and increase. (A. C. 1016.)

     The church will grow, therefore, in the measure that there is with men a growth in the internal affection of love to the Lord and charity, and from these a growth in the delights of worship and the performance of uses and benefits to the neighbor, growth in the affection and appetite for truths, in spiritual hunger and thirst, in the knowledge and understanding of spiritual things, and also growth in the knowledge of natural uses and ability to perform them. Growth in all these things is a means to the growth of the church, taking its origin in a genuine affection of love and charity from the Lord. But this genuine affection cannot exist in a man unless he is purified of the opposite affections,-the evil affections of self-love and love of the world, of hatred, envy, avarice, and the rest, with their derivative false imaginings He must be purified of these evils and falsities, even by earnest repentance, if the seed of good affection, and its fruits, are to be implanted and brought forth in him by the Lord. The thorn and the thistle are to be plucked up that they may not "choke the Word, that it becometh unfruitful."

     We have now seen that there are in general three essential means to the growth of the church: (1) The presence of the Lord with men in their understanding of the Word, by which truths are multiplied. (2) The presence of the Lord in the good of love and charity, by which goods are fructified and increased.

419


(3) The presence of the Lord in the life of repentance, without which there can be no purification from evils and falsities, and no genuine growth in spiritual goods and truths, no bringing forth of the fruits of repentance.

     And we may add that the church grows by these three means because the individual man grows by them, namely, by learning truths, by doing goods, and by repenting of evil. As a correspondence of this mode of spiritual growth, the body itself grows by three means,-by food, by exercise, and by continual purification. In like manner the mind or spirit grows in strength and fruitfulness by receiving new truths from the Word, by active thought and work in the light of them, and by purification from evil and falsity in repentance.

     This third means of growth is meant in the text by "bringing forth the fruits of repentance," and that we may expand somewhat our thought upon the subject, consider how universal in creation is the process of purification as a means of growth. It is the process whereby evil is separated from good, that good may be set free to grow and increase. The Divine judgments in both worlds are Divine purifications, always followed by growth in the good of Divine order. In the civil affairs of men and nations, these purifications are manifested under many and various forms of disturbance to normal conditions, which are the indirect means of external reform, and thus of cleansing the body politic. After every such cleansing there is renewed growth in order and production. In the spiritual world the heavens themselves are periodically purified, that they may be increased in wisdom and love by a fuller presence of the Lord. The world of spirits undergoes frequent purification, evil spirits being separated and cast into hell, that the good may be gathered into heaven, that the "wheat may be gathered into the garner, while the chaff is burnt with unquenchable fire."

     And so the church is raised up and established by successive purifications, chiefly by the regeneration of individual men, by their deliverance from hell, their purification from the falsities of evil, that they may be gifted with the goods of heaven in ever-increasing abundance.

     The Lord Himself glorified His Human by a successive purifying of the infirm human, by an alternate emptying out of evil and an entering in of Divine Good.

420


By this process the Divine Human was put on by degrees, and as it were grew, in the measure that the assumed human was put off. This was taking place even in the Lord's childhood; for it is said of Him, that "the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." And also it is said, that "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (Luke 2:40, 52.)

     That we may still further confirm the truth that purification is essential to all growth, consider how nature is ever purifying herself, how a Divine spiritual influx is ever operating in all nature to purify, to remove the conditions that prevent the growth and development of forms of use in the kingdoms of nature. Storms and winds remove impurities from the atmospheres that prevent the operation of heat and light in growing forms. The human body is continually purified by a natural operation, as in respiration, perspiration, and digestion. These are involuntary and natural, not subject to the will of man, but they are types of what the Lord operates in the mind to purify man of evil, when man has done his small part to cleanse himself by voluntary repentance. Man may indeed "wash himself with water unto repentance," but the Divine purging from evil is by the power of "the Holy Spirit and with fire."

     Even in the mineral kingdom there is an image of this free-will repentance and purification. "In every metal and stone and grain of sand, there is an analogue of free-will. For each of these freely absorbs the ether, breathes out the things native to itself, rejecting what is obsolete, and restoring itself with new things." (T. 499.) Again we read, "I have heard from the angels, who are in clear perception of such things, that there is no part within man, or without him, that does not renew itself, which takes place by solutions and reparations, and that thence is the sphere which constantly waves forth from him." (C. L. 171) This solution being a loosening up and casting out of worn out substance, and reparation, the bringing in of fresh material to repair the loss. And again we are told that "regeneration itself is represented by the continual renovation of all things in the body by means of the chyle, and by means of the animal spirit, and thence the blood, whose purification from things obsolete, whose renovation, and as it were regeneration, is perpetual." (T. 687.)

421




     These teachings bring to view the reason why purification is a means of growth. In the process something is removed and something added; something taken away, that something may be given,-a discarding, elimination, casting out of that which no longer is able to be a receptacle of life, which indeed is destructive to life, and the bringing in of that which is able to be a receptacle of life, of new production, of growth. A vacuum is everywhere impossible. A mind wholly occupied by evil cannot be a receptacle of good, and it receives good in the measure that evil is removed. What remains after purification is what causes growth. "When He has thoroughly purged His floor, He gathers the wheat into the garner."

     The good that remains with man after he has been purified of evil is what causes his spiritual growth, because the Lord has added it to his life after his free-will repentance. "Whatever is received by man in freedom remains, because the will of man adds that to itself and appropriates it, and because it enters into his love, and love acknowledges it as its own, and forms itself by it. So every plant, when heat opens its interiors, spontaneously receives its own nourishment, retaining what is suitable, and thus growing. So every beast chooses and eats what it desires from the love of nourishing itself, and this adds itself to its body, and thus remains. What is suitable constantly adds itself to a body, because all things that compose a body are perpetually renewed." (T. 496.)

     So the love of man's spirit or mind retains and adds to itself whatever nourishes it, and thus grows. It is true that an evil love does this, but evil has within itself the seeds of its own destruction, being contrary to order, use, preservation. And so evil must be checked and limited by the laws of Providence. We know that no evil is permitted in either world that is not the means to some good, to a greater good than the evil permitted. It is permitted in man to the end that he may see and acknowledge it, may desire to be purified of it, may actually be purified of it by acts of repentance, that good may be implanted in its place, and that this good may grow and take strength even by resistance to evil, that evil may diminish and good increase.

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This power is in every good imparted to man by the Lord, who is the only Giver of all good, the only Purifier and Regenerator of man. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away I and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you." (John 15:2, 3.)
CALL TO BRYN ATHYN 1916

CALL TO BRYN ATHYN       WALTER C. CHILDS       1916

Now gladsome ride the heralds forth
To east and west, to south and north,
Bearing the faithful of the earth
     A message from Bryn Athyn.
And hamlet, town, and stately hall
Rejoice to hear the herald's call:
"Come faithful hearts, come one and all,
Assemble at Bryn Athyn."

On distant peaks full many a night
The beacon fires are burning bright,
And this the message of their light.
     "Assemble at Bryn Athyn."
Nor Academia calls in vain;
From hill and vale and fruitful plain,
They come in many a joyous train,
Uniting at Bryn Athyn.

On battlement and towering wall
The blazoned banners rise and fall,
"The pealing bells and trumpets' call,
     Are speaking at Bryn Athyn.
While noble salves, deep and free,
Their thunders roll triumphantly,-
For thus are welcomed royally
     Her guests by fair Bryn Athyn.

423




In banquet halls of dazzling light
There feasts superb the guests invite,
For hospitality in might
     Prevails at fair Bryn Athyn.
Still rarer far the sustenance
Drawn from those founts of eloquence,
Wit, wisdom, and intelligence
That flow at fair Bryn Athyn.

But human speech is powerless
In fitting language to express
A picture of the loveliness
     Distinctive of Bryn Athyn.
Her matrons so surpassing fair,
Her beauteous maids beyond compare,
And kids galore, so debonaire,
Abounding at Bryn Athyn.

On earth, alas, good things must end;
Grief follows joy, friend parts from friend,
And o'er her guests the thoughts impend
     Of farewell to Bryn Athyn.
But homeward as they wend their way,
One hope within each heart holds sway,
A hope to hear some future day,
     The call to fair Bryn Athyn.

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NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG 1916

NEW DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG       J. H. LINDEN       1916

     FROM THE CORRESPONDENCE AND DIARIES OF PROF. J. H. LIDEN.

     Dr. R. L. Tafel, in his collection of Documents concerning Swedenborg, includes a letter' by Prof. J. II. Liden to the royal librarian, C. G. Gjorwell, which was published by the latter in the ALLMANNA TIDNINGAR, of Stockholm, for July 5th, 1770, in which the writer mentions among other things that he had called on Swedenborg several times in London during the summer of 1769. As Prof. Liden was a very prolific writer it occurred to me that further investigations of Liden's literary remains might prove fruitful. I consequently went through his correspondence with Gjorwell and others, preserved at the Royal Library in Stockholm, and afterwards looked up his Diaries which are kept at the University Archives in Upsala. As a result some interesting documents came to light, which are here presented in English.

     JOHAN HINRIC LIDEN, (1741-1790), was professor of history and librarian of the University of Upsala. During a journey abroad in 1769 he made the acquaintance of Swedenborg in London, but, as will be seen, was not very favorably impressed by the aged "New Jerusalem gentleman." Eighteen years later, in 1757, his hostility to Swedenborg and the New Church manifested itself in some pamphlets in which he made common cause with the poet, Kellgren, in ridiculing Swedenborgianism in general and the Exegetic-Philanthrophic Society in particular. The latter, unfortunately, had become mixed up with Magnetic and Spiritualistic practices, which brought great and long-enduring ignominy on the New Church in Sweden. CYRIEL LJ. ODHNER.

     PROF. LIDEN TO BARON TILAS.

     (BARON DANIEL TILAS was Swedenborg's successor in the College of Mines, and has left some letters in which he describes his acquaintance with Swedenborg. (See Doc. II:1154.))

     ... I can not understand how it was that the letter of the Royal Secretary Schanberg came to me open at the sides and yet the outer cover unbroken; nor have I any opportunity to question our apocalyptic historiographer, Assessor Swedenborg, about it, since he left for Paris a few days before my arrival here. . .

425



     JOHAN HINRIC LIDEN.
          Amsterdam, May 2, 1769.

     II.

     PROF. SAMUEL ALF TO PROF. LIDEN.

     (SAMUEL ALF, (1727-1796), professor of Latin Eloquence, Arch-dean of Linkoping, etc., was the stepbrother of J. H. Linden, and is famous as one of the greatest classical scholars of Sweden. He was the son of Prof. Peter Elvius, one of Swedenborg's teachers at Upsala, and he married a grand-niece of Swedenborg. His correspondence concerning Swedenborg with Count A. von Hopken is published in NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1898, pp. 107-109.)

     Linkoping, May 17, 1769.

My Dearest Brother,
     . . . . As to my Uncle, Assessor Swedenborg, I assure you I know him more [intimately] than per visiones and correspondentias angelicas. So this pater mirabilis is now in France! You should try to meet him there and arrange for me to become his heir, for I am greatly in need thereof, and moreover I have in my theological bookcase his APOCALYPSIS REVELATA, which in himself gave to me. His days must be hastening [to the close]. I only hope he will get safely home! Tomorrow I shall send your letter to His Excellency, Count von Hopken, to please him also with news of the old gentleman.

     Deus Tecum, optime et carissime frater! Vale. Your most faithful servant, FRATER.

     III.

     EXTRACT FROM PROF. LIDEN'S DIARY.

     Amsterdam and Serdam,

     May 22, 1769.

     . . . . I spent the remainder of the day at Herr I. Schreuder's book store. He is one of the principal book dealers in Amsterdam, and is a very intelligent man.

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Here I saw for the first time the latest works of our apocalyptic historiographer, the Swedish Assessor Swedenborg, published here.

     1. Delitiae Sapientiae de Amore Conjugiali, post quas sequentur Voluptates Insaniae de Amore Scortatorio, ab Eman, Swedenborg. Sveco. Amstelod. 1768, 4:0, pag. 316, besides an Index.

     2. Summaria Expositio Doctrinae Novae Ecclesiae, quae per novam Hierosolymam in Apocalypsi intelligtur, ab Eman. Swedenborg, Sveco. Amst., 1769, 4:0, pagg. 67.

     IV.

     EXTRACT FROM PROF. LIDEN'S DIARY.

     Leyden, June 3, 1769.

     . . . . Professor Schultens, a thoroughly good and amiable man, whom I greatly esteem for his good, peaceable and fair views on theology, . . . asked me very eagerly for news of Bishop Lamberg, who during his sojourn in Leyden had private conferences with him in Hebrew.

     He also told me various things about our Assessor Swedenborg, among other things that he has quite lost credit at the Hague, in the following way: It had been stated in the newspapers that Voltaire had died, and they asked the Assessor if he had spoken with him in the world of spirits, whereupon he answered, "Yes," and added various circumstances; shortly afterwards this unfounded rumor of the Poet's death was contradicted in the newspapers, and the public was assured that he was living and feeling quite well.

     V.

     PROF. LIDEN TO LIBRARIAN GIORWELL.

     Amsterdam, June 17, 1769.

     .... Our Swedish apocalyptical historiographer, Assessor Swedenborg, left for Paris the day before my arrival here. His last incomprehensible works just published here are: 1) Delitiae Sapientiae de Amore conjugiali, etc. 2) Summaria Expositio Doctrinae Novae Ecclesiae, etc.

     [From Tidningar om Larda Saker, (News from the Learned World), Stockholm, 1769.]

427




     VI.

     PROF. LIDEN TO LECTURE SAM. T. ALNANDER.

     (S. J. ALNANDER, the author of a work entitled "Anvisning til et Utvaldt Theologiskt Bibliothek," (Aid towards the formation of a select Theological Library), Stockholm, 1763, in which Swedenborg for the first time is named as the author of the Writings published anonymously by him. (Doc. II:977.))

     . . . . . A few days ago Swedenborg arrived here from Paris. I have spoken with the old gentleman, who is now disordered in his head; I have to laugh aloud at his absurdities. London, July 4, 1769.

     VII.

     EXTRACT FROM PROF. LIDEN'S DIARY.

     London, September 10, 1769, Sunday.
     I preached today in the Swedish Church on the Evangelical text for the XVIth Sunday after Trinity. The subject of my discourse was: "The Dauntlessness of God's Children in Death." Among my listeners I must make special mention of Herr Assessor Emanuel Swedenborg, the illuminated apocalyptical historiographer.

     Shortly afterwards the Herr Assessor traveled by sea to Stockholm.* This man, on account of his remarkable doctrines, will surely come to occupy a unique place in the History of Learning of our times. I have learned to know him for the first time here in London; I often visited him during his short sojourn here, besides which we sometimes chanced to meet in the public walks. At such times I have quite politely, and with all the respect due to a man of eighty years, spoken with him concerning his System. But the old man is rather unclear; he stutters a little and expresses his confused thoughts in an equally confused manner; he always refers you to his published works, and at every objection the old gentleman spryly comes but with "Sensus Spiritualis," which has been revealed to him alone.
     * The following note was written in later, in the margin: "He afterwards returned to England and died in London, 1772, March 29th, in the 85th year of his age."

428




     On every other subject the old gentleman talks quite rationally, but as soon as you begin to mention Spirits he becomes quite crazy; wherefore, to the best of my understanding and conviction, the old gentleman is not altogether right in his head. I have taken dinner with him and on that occasion he was quite merry and full of fun.

     The old gentleman lived far off in the outskirts of the city, associating with hardly anyone; he was rather dirty, and his clothing soiled; his face and hands looked as if they had not been washed for many years. Otherwise he is a pious man and does nobody any harm; has a high opinion of his Sublime Doctrines; regards himself as actually a Great Prophet of God; is a trifle parsimonious, which is a fault of old age rather than a personal fault. The old gentleman has presented to me everything he has published during his late sojourn in London; of which I here copy the titles:

     1. A Brief Exposition of the Doctrine of the New Church understood in the Apocalypse by the New Jerusalem;* wherein is also demonstrated, that throughout all the Christian world the worship of Three Gods is adopted from the creed of St. Athanasius. By Eman. Swedenborg, a native of Sweden. London, 1769. pag. 1591 in large octave.
     * In the margin is written: "An Englishman to whom I lent this book afterwards always called the old gentleman on this account, 'The New Jerusalem Gentleman,' a well found name."

     This is nothing else than the Latin work printed in Amsterdam last spring: "Summaria Expositio Doctrina Novae Ecclesice. . . ." in quarto, which the Herr Assessor has now had translated and printed in English. I do not know whom he employed for the translation, but he himself has not the [requisite] command of the language.

     2. De Commercio Animae et Corporis, quod creditur fieri vel per influxum Physicum, vel per Influxum Spiritualem, vel per Harmoniam Praestabilitam, ab Emanuele Swedenborg, pag. 23, in 4:0. (Without any separate Title-page.)

     This is an entirely new work, recently completed in London, but just as incomprehensible as all the rest.

429




     On page 20 there occurs a rather entertaining "Memorabile," to use the Assessor's own word, to wit: He asked Our Lord to allow him to speak with one of the disciples of Aristotle, one of Descartes, and one of Leibnitz, in order to hear and, compare their Thoughts on this subject. His prayer was heard and the Assessor was permitted to be present at the discussion here described.

     3. An Answer to a Letter written to me by a Friend.

     This is only 4 pages in 8:0, and contains a short Account of the Assessor's Life; which I am inserting here* as such a small paper may easily get lost in time. One certainly does not weep in reading through it, least of all when the old gentleman tells about his being a member of "the Angelical Society!"
     * This document is inserted between pages 484 and 485 of the third volume of the Diary.-TR.

     Through my conversations with this remarkable old man I have become convinced of what Voltaire says quite fitly in one place: "il n'y a rien a gagner avec un Enthousiaste; il ne faut point s'aviser de dire a un homme les defauts de sa maitresse, n'y a un plaideur le foible de sa cause, ny des raisons a un illumine."*
     * There is nothing to gain with an Enthusiast: one must never be so bold as to tell a man the faults of his mistress, nor a pleader the folly of his cause, nor must one talk reason to an Illuminated."

     VIII.

     PROF. LIDEN TO SAM. J. ALNANDER.

     . . . . Old man Swedenborg has been here and put to press new insanities. We often had discussions together. When I preached in the Swedish Church last month I had the old man among my audience. London, October 20, 1769.

     IX.

     SAMUEL ALF TO PROF. LIDEN.

     1769, [before Dec. 27.]

     Dilectissime Viventium!

     . . . . Old Man Swedenborg is now in trouble on account of his Writings which have infected, among others, a Lector Gothoburgensis, Dr. Beyer who, it is said, has on his own authority been promulgating them among the youth of the Gymnasium. I can not write everything.

430


Horrenda Dictu! Sed inter nos, quicquid id est, non Religio sibi tuta videt. (Horrible to say! But, between you and me, whatever it is, Religion does not regard itself safe.)

     You will probably hear of the old gentleman in France. He has recently, in a printed letter, refuted a story that was being circulated of his having been ordered to leave Paris, and he calls on our Envoye in that city to witness against it. . . .

     X.

     BARON K. G. SILFVERHJELM TO PROF. LINDEN.

     (Baron K. G. SILFVERHJELM was the most zealous of the "magnetic healers" in the Exegetic-Philanthropic Society.)

     [1787]

     Various rumors concerning [Animal] Magnetism and my connection with it have been spread about, and I have no doubt they have reached your ears, Herr Professor. The Inledning [till Forklaringen om den Animala Magnetismen,] which I have published anonymously, will probably serve to illustrate the idea of Magnetism, and also my views on it. I submit my little Opus to you, Herr Professor, for examination, and I remain with the greatest esteem, etc., etc.

     XI.

     PROF. LIDEN TO BARON SILFVBRHJBLM.

     [Dated] The Sick-bed in Norrkoping, Nov. 1st, 1787.*
     * As the consequence of a chill when he was overheated Liden contracted an illness which kept him bed-ridden for 19 years. His sick-room was a favorite meeting-place for literary men.

     It was a great delight to me to perceive from your welcome letter, recently received, and its enclosure, that I still retain a place in your remembrance; I hasten to express my hearty thanks for this two-fold courtesy. I have, indeed, heard discussions on Animal Magnetism, that much disputed subject I had already read the "Introduction" you sent, as it was sent to me by mail from Stockholm immediately after leaving the printer, bound together with another article which attempts to explain the marvels of Magnetism from Swedenborg's writings.

431


I must frankly confess that these pamphlets do not have any convincing effect upon me, although I have read them both with pleasure on account of their style, and also on account of the neat and able History of Magnetism which they contain. The subject is far from being strange to me inasmuch as I am probably the first Swede to have any knowledge of it.

     In 1774, was staying at Aix-la-Chapelle for my health; Mesmer had shortly before begun his wonder-cures in Vienna. All this sounded gratifying indeed to a cripple, for such I was even then; wherefore I made haste to further acquaint myself with it. The result of my investigations was that Mesmer was a great charlatan, a fact which is still further proved by his behavior of recent years. Subsequently, I read a great deal that has been written both for and against it in Germany and France. But as I have never had the opportunity of seeing and investigating the facts for myself I am bound to desist from passing judgment on it, continuing only to doubt. It is possible that there actually is something in it, but it will always be impossible and ridiculous to attempt the explanation of a physical effect from the conceits of Swedenborg and the world of spirits.
When the first enthusiasm has passed, the experiments call probably be continued in a more cold-blooded fashion and the results will then be more reliable. If anything of use to suffering humanity can thereby be gained, it must needs be a joy to everyone who has learned to appreciate the needs of the neighbor.

     And you can easily understand that in this case I shall not remain indifferent. I had supposed that you would have very little time to give to this new Science, Particularly as I had heard with pleasure that you were occupied at Upsala with the older sciences and those more closely allied to your future new position in life.* I supposed it was only my good friend, Captain Silfverhielm, who honored me with a visit on his return from France, that was the one who magnetized.

432


On the contrary, rumor tells me that you find pleasure in,-indeed have even adopted-the tenets of Swedenborg. I am inclined to doubt even this, and find it impossible to imagine how you can wish to explain the effects of Magnetism by Swedenborgianism, and still more incomprehensible does it appear to me that in such a case you can, with a clear conscience, become a Lutheran teacher. All the respect, friendship and love which I have for many years borne for you, induce me to earnestly wish, hope and pray that you will further examine and reconsider everything before taking the important step which I have been told you are soon to enter upon. Be a Swedenborgian, by all means, if it is necessary, but in such case do not enter the Ministry! How can an enlightened and honest man believe in the Bible and in Swedenborg's visions, at one and the same time? And how place the latter on a parallel with the former? If I am mistaken in my judgment, convince me of it. But do not mistake or misinterpret my candor, which does not arise from love of heresy-hunting but from love of truth, which I have always sought and loved. I can neither flatter nor deceive myself. A person does neither of these things on the brink of the grave, where I now already stand. Think not that I judge without having examined. I have read more of Swedenborg's writings than many of his followers. During one whole summer I was intimately associated with this remarkable man, during our simultaneous residence in London, in 1769. He presented me with a great many of his works published up to that time.
     * Silfverhjelm was then about to enter the ministry.-TR.

     I highly respected and loved him; I often discussed with him on Theological subjects but always received the same unclear and unsatisfactory answers which are characteristic of his writings In general. He was a pious and honest man, no deceiver, but most certainly himself deceived by his exaggerated and sickly imagination, an unfortunate inheritance from his well-meaning, learned and god-fearing, but somewhat super-fantastic father, Bishop Swedborg, who also had visions in his day. I could orally relate to you various conversations which we had, among them a rather remarkable one which I immediately committed to writing in London,* and which completely convinced me that the honorable old gentleman certainly was no Divine Messenger, but a weak, deranged man, as soon as there was any talk of the world of spirits.

433


However, I have already said both too much and too little in case you are already infected with this epidemic fanaticism. Excuse this expression, harsh, perhaps, in your ears. I write as I think. Truth and conviction impel me to make the statement. I have, thank God, learned to distinguish between Persons and Opinions. I am able to love the former without approving of the latter. I freely leave everyone in liberty to think according to his own conviction, for I myself wish to be granted the enjoyment of the same reasonable freedom.
     * We have thus far been unable to lay our hands upon this interesting document.-TR.

     I have found virtuous persons among all sects, and do not know of a single sect where I do not have some friends.

     From this, my dear Baron, you may judge whether I am intolerant or not. Excuse both my voluminosity and my open-heartedness; let the latter be a testimony of my friendship for you, and the former a witness of my old age. The day of my trial is nearing its close, and soon the longed-for day of rest will arrive. We may perchance never see one another again in this world, where we need not necessarily think alike, but must needs love one another. However differing here in matters of thought, we shall nevertheless meet again in a better, more perfect and more certain life, where all dissensions will cease, all Error disappear, and where we shall all be eternally united in God's blessedness and praise.

     I remain, my beloved Baron,
          Your most humble servant,
               J. H. LINDEN.

434


HAVING A GOOD TIME 1916

HAVING A GOOD TIME       G. A. MCQUEEN       1916

     "We have had a very good time" is a phrase frequently used to describe the delight experienced from being present at some social meeting or entertainment. Like many other forms of expression, there is involved in it more than appears on the surface. It may be that the time described as "good" was so designated because of its giving pleasure which was in agreement with the particular affection operating at the time with the person speaking. We know that what a man loves he calls good. It therefore follows that both the evil and the good can say they have had a good time, and yet be referring to distinctly opposite states. In the light of the Heavenly Doctrine we know that time signifies state,-state as to affection and thought. The true test as to whether we have really spent a good time will be found in a knowledge of the quality of the state which ruled in us during the time called "good." Was the source of the enjoyment in agreement with what we know to be right? Or was it based upon principles which would not bear inspection in the light of Truth? These are questions that are not likely to disturb the ordinary seeker after a "good time," but to the Newchurchman, aiming in all things to be guided by the light of the Word, such questions will frequently demand an answer.

     In caring for the spiritual growth of the Church, our leaders will no doubt be confronted with many problems in the effort to direct the external life of the Church into proper channels. The sphere of opposition to internal things is so powerful in the world at large that it becomes more and more an important function of our organization to so train the minds of its members that they can enjoy only those things that are good and true.

     In our New Church societies and communities there must be various kinds of social meetings and entertainments for the recreation of the members, and the outcome of all such meetings should be a good time. However, a "good time," like the "pursuit of happiness," should not be sought as an end in itself.

435


Socials should not be provided just to kill time, but for having a "good time."

     It should also be understood that good times are not limited to socials and entertainments; and that in a real progressive New Church society, every kind of meeting will be a good time. The best and most highly valued of all times will be the hour of worship, when it becomes possible to attain a state of delight which finds its true ultimate in the exclamation "How good are thy tents O Jacob, thy tabernacles O Israel." When a society consists of members who value above all other instrumentalities the uses of Divine Worship, good times will be sure to result in all the subordinate uses of the Church. If the state is right, even the business meetings of the Church will be good times. Good, because the business is to provide means for the growth of the Church. There is no other object in the business of the Church. The essential thing is that in all the activities of a society of the Church, the endeavor be made to ultimate the Heavenly Doctrine; making all agencies subservient to this end.

     This subserviency to the spiritual things of the Church is described in the Writings where we learn that "Feasts, both dinners and suppers, took place in ancient times within the Church in order that the members might be consociated and joined together as to love, and that they might instruct each other in the things of love and faith, thus in the things of heaven. Such at that time were the delights attending meals, and such the end for the sake of which dinners and suppers were instituted. The mind and the body were thus nourished concordantly and correspondently. Hence they had health and long life, and hence they had intelligence and wisdom; hence also they had communication with heaven, which in some cases was with angels visibly. But as all internal things in course of time vanish and pass into externals, so did the ends of the entertainments and meals which at this day are not for the sake of spiritual association but for the sake of worldly association, for the sake of gain, for the sake of the pursuit of honor, and for the sake of pleasure, from which the body has nourishment, but the mind none."

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     Even the world appreciates people of refined tastes, and members of the New Church above all others will be of such a quality because they will possess the affection of knowing and growing wise. To gain this refinement of taste, they must "Taste and see that the Lord is good."

     Observe that the dinners and suppers were held in order that the members might be joined and consociated together as to love, and that they might instruct each other in the things of love and faith, and thus in the things of heaven. Such at that time were the delights attending meals and such the ends for the sake of which dinners and suppers were instituted. Such spheres of spiritual brotherhood have pervaded our Academy meetings because of the mutual rejoicing in the reception of new truths from heaven, and a desire to impart them to others. Such a state must ever prevail with us in our Church meetings on every plane; otherwise, the internal things in the course of time will vanish and we will reach that condition described above, when our bodies will receive nourishment, but our minds none. Individually and collectively we can be preserved from the latter sad condition by seeing to it that our "good times" originate in good states,-states which can come from no other source than Good Itself,-the Lord.

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     The Ninth General Assembly has passed into glorious memory. A full account of this memorable meeting will be published in our August number. Here we can report only that the Assembly was the largest ever held; that the sessions were in every way harmonious, enthusiastic and delightful; that there was a wonderful concentration of the "Academy" sphere from all parts of the world; and-as the most important action of the Assembly-that the Rev. N. D. Pendleton was unanimously chosen Bishop of the General Church.

     As an Echo, conveying something of the joyous sphere of the General Assembly, we publish in this issue a poem by our ever youthful bard, Mr. Walter C. Childs, which was read at the close of the Banquet on the Nineteenth of June, where nearly five hundred persons were seated at the tables.


     CHRISTIAN CERTAINTIES OF BELIEF, by the Rev. Julian K. Smyth, is an attractively bound volume of 120 pages. The last two chapters dealing with "Salvation" and "Immortality," appeal to us as the dearest exposition of New Church doctrine in the book. The general tenor of the Work is evangelistic, seeking to influence the outside reader by citations from literary men, and by natural reasoning, rather than by doctrinal arguments.

     The book is well written and should perform a considerable use for those whom it is intended to interest. We cannot help taking issue, however, with the author's apparent persuasion that the truths of the New Church are gradually permeating the minds of the men of the dead Christian Church, and that the doctrines of tri-personality, etc., "are fast passing from men's minds."

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NEW CHURCH AMONG THE AFRICANS. 1916

NEW CHURCH AMONG THE AFRICANS.              1916

     Our readers will remember that among the documents from the New Church natives in South Africa, published in the NEW CHURCH LIFE for December, 1915, there were a number of letters to the Durban society written by the Rev. D. W. Mooki, of Krugersdorp, Transvaal, who was actually the first native starting some kind of a New Church movement among the South African natives.

     The correspondence of Mr. Mooki with Durban broke off in Nov., 1914, after which nothing further was heard from him. We ordered the LIFE to be sent to Mr. Mooki as well as to the ministers in Basutoland, and received in response a brief but very courteous acknowledgment. In reply we sent to him a friendly letter of inquiry as to the origin and present condition of the New Church in Transvaal, but thus far no direct answer has been received.

     On May 14th, however, we were surprised by a letter from our friend, the Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom, of Stockholm, enclosing a number of documents from Mr. Mooki. Pastor Baeckstrom and his Circle in Stockholm had been deeply interested in the account of the New Church movement in South Africa, and at a meeting on Swedenborg's birthday of the present year they addressed messages of greetings and good will to Mr. Mooki, of Transvaal, and to Mr. Mofokeng, of Basutoland. Three months later a reply was received from Mr. Mooki, who seems to labor under the impression that the LIFE is published by Mr. Baeckstrom in "Stockholm, Europe," for it is addressed to him as "Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE."

     From Mr. Mooki's letter, which is dated Krugersdorp, Feb. 26, 1916, we print the following extracts:

"Dear Sirs:
     "We humbly beg to acknowledge the receipt of your kindest letter dated Jan. 29th, '16; I am glad to learn of your good feeling in part of work in South Africa. Sure I feel strengthened and couraged and may assure you I will endeavor of my level best to improve the work in my charge. Although like anybody else, have rivals, yet I have confidence in God above all, my fellow Africans and brotheren have burning love of the work and ever wish its success.

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     "As you say, Yes, our work was flourishing far and wide to both old and new, enthusiasticly spotting nearly every colony in South Africa; full of life and energy the Gospel Chariot was moving through Transvaal, Orangia, Durban, Natal and Basutoland. I am glad to say it is still moving through these by our God's aid, for what manner of resistance can man do against the will of God? No! Yes! No, of course, none! Say Why? I suppose. Well, there you are."

     Mr. Mooki does not state how or when he first became acquainted with the New Church, but mentions his correspondence with some of the ministers of the General Conference in Great Britain in 1910, and with the New Church society in Durban, Natal, and concludes with hearty greetings to Bishop N. D. Pendleton.

     Among the enclosures to Mr. Baeckstrom there is an elaborate "statistical table" representing the present state of the native societies and circles of the New Church in Transvaal, Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony. The principal missions are situated at Krugersdorf, Benoni, Johannesburg, Hartebestfontain and Sterkefontain, but there are a number of other places, the names of which we cannot safely decipher. From this table it appears that the general mission under Mr. Mooki's jurisdiction numbers 253 adults, with 583 junior members. The whole movement is organized under the rather doleful name of "The Lamentation Annual Conference," which claims a ministerial list of no less than 32 ordained clergymen!

     We have also received several letters from the Rev. S. M. Mofokeng, of Liphiring, Basutoland; in one, dated March 19th, 1916, he expresses his gratification that "the Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem has taken us in his government, to be governed by it. We are Gentiles. We have no power and strength, but our hearts are strong to our Lord's work in the New Church, to preach the Second Advent. Poor we are, but strong in our hearts; weak in knowledge but strength in spirit."

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     In another letter, dated April 19th, he makes grateful acknowledgment of a big box of New Church books in English-the gift of the Academy of the New Church, and asks us to reproduce a primer of their language: "Sesuto, step by step," a copy of which he has sent for this purpose, but which we have not yet received. The reason for this request will appear from the following extract from his letter: "Please, brother, I have day schools. I need maps and chalks and slate-pencils; also slates. Things are very hard for us here in Basutolandi for we are poor society. Please, brother, we need the education books for schools. Brother, ask kindly to print the Sesuto books from No. I to VI. These things are not given free. We cannot get anything from these missions, which are closed to us; they don't sell any things to us. I want the General Church of the New Jerusalem be so kind to help us with thing mention above."
NEW CHURCH MISSIONARY TOUR (N. C. M. T. FOR SHORT) 1916

NEW CHURCH MISSIONARY TOUR (N. C. M. T. FOR SHORT)       Various       1916

Editor New CHURCH LIFE:
     Inasmuch as the Bishop of the General Church has authorized candidates Theodore Pitcairn and Karl R. Alden to undertake a missionary tour this summer, it has been suggested that we give some account of our trip to the readers of the LIFE.

     The object of this trip is to make the Heavenly Doctrine known in places where it has never before been preached, or at least not in recent years. While we have adopted some of the methods used by the famous "New Church Van" in England, we have also added some new features. To begin with, instead of a Van we will have a Franklin touring car, provided for the trip by Mr. John Pitcairn, and adapted for swift departures.

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On one side of the car we will have a sign, 3x9 ft., with the inscription "The wonders of Heaven and Hell as described by Emanuel Swedenborg." On the other side a similar sign will convey the information, "New Church Bible and Book Car." By means of these signs we hope to attract enough attention in the smaller towns that we pass through to assemble a crowd around us, and we will then make addresses and endeavor to sell literature. In some of the larger towns we expect to stay about three weeks and conduct a regular series of lectures in a public hall. Aside from, these public lectures, which will be advertised in every way we can, we have prepared a house-to-house circular, which will be distributed to as many persons and houses as we are able, everywhere trying by personal conversation to; interest people in the New Church.

     Active operations really began on June ad. "To be fore-warned is to be forearmed." With this proverb in mind we made our first trip to Philadelphia, to get first-hand literature from the various Old Church bookstores.

     The first store visited was that of the Baptists. A young, angelic-looking man waited upon us. When T. P. asked him for some literature defining the Baptist creed, the clerk looked at him in wonder. At length he replied that the Baptists had no creed. "But haven't you something that tells what you believe?" The clerk looked very doubtful, then turning upon us he asked, severely, "Are you Baptists?" We assured him in the negative, and from that moment he viewed us with suspicion. We finally obtained a copy of the Baptist confession of faith and departed.

     The Methodist bookstore was invaded without suspicion or incidence.

     In the Lutheran store we were given a copy of the Augsburg Confession, reprinted in 1913, and were informed that the Lutheran Church was based firmly upon this Confession. In this we considered ourselves fortunate, for Swedenborg reviews this very document at length in T. C. R. and elsewhere. Those who think that the Old Church no longer holds the doctrines that the Writings condemn, should visit a few of the denominational bookstores.

     In the Presbyterian book room we were waited on by a pleasant clerk of the fair sex, with whom we soon entered upon theological conversation.

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We asked if she could tell us whether the Presbyterian Church still teaches Predestination? "Indeed, it does," she answered without a moment's hesitation. "It is the foundation of the Church." We told her we were making a first hand study of the creeds of the various Denominations. It gradually developed that we did not believe in any of them, but that we were getting them for the purpose of refuting them. This naturally led her to ask us what we did believe. She had never heard of either the New Church or the New Jerusalem, or Swedenborg, so we asked her if she believed in three Divine persons in the Trinity, to which she answered, "Certainly!" "Well, there is only one person, as Paul says: 'In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.'" This struck the clerk as an entirely new idea, and, turning to another clerk', she exclaimed, "These Gentlemen don't believe there are three People in God!"

     We pressed on: "If God is 'three people,' where does the Oneness of God come in?" Our poor victim appealed to the other clerks for help, but they all became confounded and said they didn't know; nevertheless they kept repeating, "Three people and One God,"

     From this start we developed the idea of the life after death, the resurrection, and the second coming. On all these points we found equal confusion and contradiction. Finally the clerk said, "You make me feel as though I didn't know what I believe." Then, as an after thought, "I wish some of the ministers were in to talk to you." We answered that we wished so, tool We spent about an hour talking in that store, and became pretty well convinced that Swedenborg's diagnosis of the Old Church is still up to date, and that there is plenty of room for missionary endeavor. With the kind consent of the Editor we will keep you informed, from time to time, as to the success of the N. C. M. T.
     THEODORE PITCAIRN.
     K. R. ALDEN.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. There has been one most prominent thought in the minds of all Bryn Athynites during the last month, and that thought was "Assembly." Looking forward to it with joy and anticipation, we have not spared any effort to make it a real success.

     An event of especial interest to the schools was the time-honored "senior ball." The class of 1916 is to be heartily congratulated for the spirit that showed in this affair. They proved that the scholars had energy and push enough to make their crowning social event a big time. The room was decorated in lavender and citron, in a very tasteful manner. The graduating class entertained the audience with catchy as well as serious songs. Among the latter, one especially deserves mention because the music and words were both written by members of the class, Mr. Harold Sellner writing the former and Mr. Francis Frost the latter. Dancing, of course, was prominent in the evening's good time.

     On June 3d the Younger Generation Club held its annual election of officers. The outlook for the coming year is a promising one since we have several prospective new members who will give their share of activity to the club.

     About 3 p. m., June 6th, the cry was heard around the College buildings: "No more lessons, no more books," etc. Classes were over. Commencement was here.

     Wednesday, June 7th, the Elementary School had its closing exercises. The address was made by the Rev. George De Charms, and seemed to find a sympathetic reception both with pupils and parents.

     On Thursday the Senior Class had their class day exercises. The occasion was opened with worship conducted by Bishop N. D. Pendleton, after which Mr. Doering introduced the various speakers. Miss Winfrey Glenn read a paper on "The Illustrating of Children's Books."

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The paper was a fine specimen of what the Seminary training can accomplish. Following this paper Mr. Harold Pitcairn read a paper on "The Balancing Devices of Aeroplanes." He dealt with his subject in a very practical manner, and showed that he had an actual as well as a technical command of his material. Miss Elsa Synnestvedt was the valedictorian for the young ladies: after reading a very able payer on "Music in Poetry" she delivered extemporaneously her valedictory in a most inspiring manner. Mr. Frank L. Doering, the valedictorian for the boys, read a paper on "Preparedness" which was good, both from a patriotic and a spiritual point of view.

     On Friday, June 9th, Commencement exercises took place. There were sixteen graduates in all from the Seminary and Boys' Academy. The pupils entered in a procession singing, closely followed by the dignified ranks of the Board of Directors and Faculty. The service was opened with Divine worship, followed by the annual address. This year's orator was Mr. Paul Carpenter, of Glenview. The substance of his address was "The Academy Graduates Men and Women Who Can Think." Although this was not the official title, it is the sentence that will remain in the minds of all who heard the address; and though, (or, perhaps, because), he treated his subject in a somewhat lighter vein than is customary, he succeeded in holding his audience from start to finish.

     Of the girls, special mention was given to Miss Elsa Synnestvedt and Miss Winfrey Glenn, for their meritorious work throughout their course. Of the boys, Mr. Harold Sellner received the Phi Alpha Upsilon gold medal for general scholarship and manliness, whilst Mr. Bertram Smith had his name inscribed upon the Sigma: Delta Phi honor roll, for general improvement and progress, as well as useful influence in the school. K. R. A.

     YALESVILLE, CONN. For the third time the "Four-Sisters-Society" has enjoyed the presence of a New Church minister, the Rev. T. S. Harris, of Arbutus, Md., who, on his way home from, Abington, Mass., (where he pays quarterly visits), stopped over to minister to our needs.

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Although we read and most heartily enjoy the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and the weekly sermons which the Rev. George De Charms generously sends up, yet the living presence of a minister of the Church brings with it a stronger New Church sphere and "flow of soul." This last time especially, we had important points of doctrine made clear to us, the understanding of which has added much to our happiness. On May 11th we had, at the home of Mr. Charles Dexter, in Meriden, a jovial supper with Mr. Harris, with toasts to the Church, the Academy, and the Advent Society; and on the following day the Holy Supper was celebrated. We are now looking forward to the next visit of our missionary, three months hence. F. S. S.

     TORONTO, ONT. On May 15th Mrs. Frank Longstaff, Senior, passed into the spiritual world after a brief illness. Mrs. Longstaff had been associated with the Parkdale Society almost from its beginning and, though in delicate health for a number of years, was faithful in attendance till the last.

     On May 17th, at a social held in his honor, we wished Mr. Frank Wilson God-speed on his departure for the summer camp from which his battery will go overseas to the front. Mr. Wilson has been one of our most active members and takes with him our unanimous hope that this war for human liberty will soon be won, when he may return to our midst and his usefulness here.

     On April 29th Mr. Waelchli visited Toronto and gave a talk on "Church Extension Work." It was interesting and encouraging to hear Mr. Waelchli's account of his work in connection with this use.

     The rumor of the early part of the year became a fact when we received invitations to the wedding of Miss Olive Bellinger and Mr. Reginald Anderson to be held on June 6th.

     The church was daintily decorated in evergreen, smilax and white lilac, while, in the reception room downstairs, purple lilacs were everywhere and formed a pergola under which stood the wedding party.

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The bride was attended by Miss Vera Bellinger and Miss Lillian Wilkes, and Mr. Anderson by Mr. Stanley Anderson. In the wedding procession were two tiny flower girls, Doris Schierholtz in pink and Betty Cronlund in blue, and they seemed like the personification of Innocence as they scattered rose-leaves from little baskets, in the path of the newly-wedded pair.

     Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have grown up together in the church and we are all glad they are going to remain with us.

     During the evening, while speeches and songs were in order, Mr. Cronlund presented the bride with a copy of the Word from the society, also a handsome clock, in recognition of her capable services as our church organist for the last three years. A sphere of confidence and joy permeated the whole gathering and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson enter upon their married life with the good wishes of all the society.

     The School Closing was held on Friday evening, June 9th, when the children showed, in reading their little compositions, how thoroughly they are being taught the Lord's Word. After the program was over Mrs. Hyatt had a little ice cream treat ready for all the children present and each child went home carrying a bright colored toy balloon.

     All interest is now centered on the General Assembly in Bryn Athyn. A goodly number are going from Toronto. Here's to its success! B. S.

     REPORT OF THE VISITING PASTOR. On Saturday, May 13th, I went to WINDSOR, ONT., together with Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Roschman, of Berlin, Ont., parents of Mrs. Alfred Bellinger, of Windsor. On Sunday morning services were held, and the attendance, though not large, represented four localities, Windsor, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Berlin. The infant daughter, the second child, of Mr. and Mrs. Bellinger, was baptized and the Holy Supper administered. In the evening another service was held for the dedication of the house of Mr. and Mrs. Bellinger. Formerly, it was a usual custom in the General Church to dedicate a new home, but of recent years this has, I believe, fallen into disuse.

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It is to be hoped it will be revived; for every home is a Church and the house a temple of the Lord, where He is to be served, both by a life and by an external worship which draw their inspiration from love truly conjugial. A formal dedication, including the placing of the Word and the Writings in the sacred repository, establishes a strong ultimate basis on which this service of the Lord can rest. The sphere at this dedication was most delightful. On Monday evening a devotional class was held, at which the subject was Heaven as the end of education, both in the home and in the school. Tuesday afternoon and evening were spent with the family of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Cook, of Detroit, and their three children were baptizer.     F. E. WAELCHLI.

     STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. During the winter the services on Sundays and the lectures on Wednesdays have been kept up regularly, the average attendance having somewhat increased since the last communication. A few persons have, more or less completely, joined our little body, which seemed to be growing steadily though slowly. Many receivers in this country seem to have no interest in forming societies, or to have need of public worship. They read the Writings for themselves and speak with the greatest admiration of their wonderful teachings. But that is the end of it; they have no actual desire to associate with like-minded persons. It may be this condition has been created, to some extent, by the confused conditions that have prevailed for so long a time in the Church is Sweden.

     During the Christmas holidays we had several parties in the several homes. At one of these, on New Year's Day, we signed our application for recognition by the State. At other meetings we read, among other things some articles from the LIFE, especially those about the Basutos. The articles, arousing the greatest enthusiasm, inspired us to send an address to the Rev. D. W. Mooki and the Rev. S. M. Mofokeng. Mr. Mooki has already answered in two long letters, telling us about the conditions of the Church in Transvaal.

     The first social in our new place was held on January 29th and proved a great success. Twenty-four persons were seated at the long table.

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After the supper papers were read about "The History of the New Church in Sweden during its First Period," "The Church Building in Bryn Athyn," (partly a translation from the articles which have appeared in the public papers), and an account of Swedenborg's visit to General Tuxen of Elsinoer in 1770. Snoilsky's sweet little poem, "The Swedenborg's Garden," was recited by one of our members, and an original poem by another. Toasts to the Church to the Academy and to our friends in America were proposed. The animated atmosphere was increased by the visit of Mr. Bronniche, who once more was with us. Next day he delivered the sermon and administered the Holy Supper. On that occasion two of our members, the Baroness Emy von Kothen and Miss Senta Centervall, were baptized by Mr. Backstrom. Miss Centervall, a teacher of languages and gymnastics, is to make a journey to Bryn Athyn next fall to take a course in the Academy schools.

     On March 27th the "Providentia Association" held its annual meeting, which was followed by a supper. "Providentia" is a small corporation, which, by annual subscriptions, now for 15 years, has brought together a little fund, intended to be used for New Church schools, when the time is ready for the realization of such grand plans. SOPHIE NORDENSKJOLD.

     THE HAGUE, HOLLAND. Mr. Barger writes that the mobilization of the army of Holland has interfered somewhat with the activity of the little circle at the Hague, two of the young men having been called away. On Easter day thirteen of the friends assembled and partook of the Holy Supper. "The last advertisement of our most recent publications has resulted in more replies and gives more hopes. A review of my last pamphlet appeared in a Protestant Church paper published at The Hague; it was very friendly, but met with opposition from one of the ministers. In answer to his questions I have sent him a reply, in which I have explained the Lord's words on the cross, 'My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?' in harmony with the doctrine of the Unity of God. I wonder if the other Rev. Editors will pass my reply, which is heresy to them.

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     "The translation work is going forward. THE LAST JUDGMENT will be in print at the time of your General Assembly the CONTINUATION is in the hands of the printer. The translation of THE WHITE HORSE is completed, and that of THE EARTHS IN THE UNIVERSE has begun. The Swedenborg Society in London has kindly loaned me the Latin originals. I feel the importance of this work of translating, and I cannot sufficiently thank the generous friends in Bryn Athyn, whose broad love of the Church-embracing distant lands-has made this work possible.''

     "The account of the 'Basutos' in the LIFE has interested me highly. I have written to Mr. Mofokeng and Mr. Mooki, and have sent them the FOUR DOCTRINES in Dutch. It is possible that some of them speak the Dutch language."

     BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. The Rev. Ernst Deltenre is still prevented from communicating directly with his friends in America, and is not even permitted to receive any mail from abroad, and this now for nearly two years! He has been able, however, to communicate briefly with Mr. Gerrit Barger, of The Hague, through whom we learn that Mr. Deltenre and his family are well and that the Mission in Brussels is doing constant work. The little chapel is often filled with people during the Sunday services. At the Easter celebration, April 20th, the Holy Supper was administered, and two new converts were received by baptism into the New Church,-Mr. Nestor Strebelle and Mrs. Regina Voet.

     LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND. We had a very beautiful and impressive service on Easter Sunday, which was attended by 27 worshipers. Our hall was tastefully decorated with greens and flowers by the young ladies of our Circle. The subject of the sermon was "Mary Magdalene," from John 20:1-18. Nineteen persons partook of the Lord's Supper. At this service Mlle. Florence Gianoli was confirmed, and for the first time partook of the communion.

     The lectures in Geneva are always well attended, some twenty persons being generally present.

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The last time I was in Geneva I lectured on the subject "A Personal God." Everybody was much interested, as the idea that God is Esse and Existere, Being and Manifestation, Substance and Form,-and this the Human Form,-was altogether new and comforting. G. J. FERCKEN.

     AUSTRALIA. The holiday season which democracy decides shall not be infrequent, affords golden opportunities for visiting our isolated New Church families. The five and a half million of this great Continent are mostly distributed on the vast circumference of its ocean-lapped shores; consequently pastoral visits involve the expenditure of considerable time and money,-a fact which American New Church friends can readily appreciate, but not so well those in the little sea-girt and crowded isle of Great Britain.

     On June the 7th and December the 20th I visited Mr. and Mrs. Jones, at Lithgow, 95 miles west from Sydney. It is a spiritual treat to be in the company of these devout members of the Church. Their lives have grown more and more into one with the passing years, and the Lord in His Revelation is their all in all. Mr. Jones, it may be remembered, was elected Leader of the one-time small Society of Lithgow, at the inauguration meeting thereof, held on November 28th, 1908, which was presided over by the late Rev. W. A. Bates. His knowledge of the Writings is extensive; but better than that is the willingness of both himself and wife to incorporate their teachings into their lives, and this willingness has led them, very gradually, into the acceptance of the Heavenly Doctrine as the very spiritual Word of the Lord in His Second Advent.

     The Easter season just passed afforded opportunity to come personally into contact with two families living at considerable distances north from Sydney,-Dora Creek, 79 miles, and Newcastle 104 miles. The word "Creek" is a misnomer, for it is a placid and beautiful arm of Lake Macquarie, possessing ample facilities for fishing, swimming and boating. In this visit I had the pleasure of the company of two of our members, Miss Taylor and Miss White. Traveling by the early morning train on Good Friday, we arrived at Dora Creek before mid-day and found Mr. and Mrs. Wyld waiting to give us welcome.

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Mr. C. W. Morse, (with whom I may claim only spiritual relationship), came from Newcastle to join us. In the afternoon, at 2:30, a service of worship, was held suitable for the day. Late in the afternoon we accompanied Mr. Morse to his home in Mayfield, for he would not hear of our staying at a hotel as was intended. Subsequently I was glad of this change in the plan, for it enabled me to better understand these isolated New Church people. Mr. and Mrs. Morse are a devoted couple, who have applied for membership in the General Church. They have had fourteen children, of whom three are in the other world. A children's service was held on Easter Sunday morning, and there was no lagging of interest throughout the reading of and talk upon the Story of Joseph and his brethren. In the afternoon, at half past three, a full worship service was held at which fourteen were present. The service opened with the baptism of three of the children; and the Sacrament of the Holy Supper, which was administered to eight' communicants, concluded a service at which a delightful sphere prevailed throughout. A beautiful incident occurred as the Holy Supper service proceeded. A dove entered the room and walked across the floor in full view of those assembled, touched my robes, and then settled behind my chair during the remainder of the service.

     The manifest delight which our visit gave to the family, and the correspondence since received from several of its members, indicate very clearly the leading of the Lord's Divine Providence, and I shall expect spiritual growth as a result of the visit. Writing to Miss Taylor and Miss Whyte, Mr. Morse says:

     "I have to thank you for your company at our little home at Mayfield. From the tone of your nice letters to my little Partner and Ivy you make it appear that you got all the pleasure of the visit. That is not so, as the time sped all too rapidly, and left us with a feeling of loneliness when you all left. It has occurred to me that if all the truth New Church people got together, even this world would not be far removed from heaven. As a matter of fact it is only when we begin to bustle to make other people happy that we experience some inner satisfaction and pleasure which do not pass away in a day."

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     Mr. Morse is desirous of sending to the Rev. S. M. Mofokeng, of Basutoland, a set of the Swedenborg CONCORDANCE and will do so after hearing from him as to the correct address.

     In June I hope to visit the friends in South Australia, and to participate in the celebration of the Silver Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. John F. White, on the 28th of that month. The visit will involve a railway journey of over 2,000 miles.

     It only remains to say that, in Sydney, our usual Sunday services and Wednesday and Sunday evening doctrinal class meetings are regularly held. Also that a sum of L60 ($290) has been invested in the Australian Commonwealth War Loan at 41/2 per cent. for ten years. This is the nucleus of a fund with which -some day-we hope to build a church. RICHARD MORSE. May 10th, 1916.

     FROM OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

     UNITED STATES. The ninety-sixth annual meeting of the General Convention was held in the temple of the Kenwood Parish, Chicago, May 16-23, and was attended by 35 ministers and 72 delegates. It seems to have been a quiet and happy meeting, pervaded by an "undercurrent of missionary fervor." The Rev. Julian K. Smyth was re-elected President of the Convention and a vote of confidence was unanimously passed, expressing deep appreciation of his services which have resulted in "a new devotion, a new solidarity, a new missionary zeal, and a new consecration."

     The Treasurer of the Convention reported, in connection with the Publication of Swedenborg's Manuscripts in Stockholm, that "large payments had been made during the past year in partial settlement for that work, and that the entire Photolithographic Fund would be used up before the work planned in 1910, and already contracted for, should be completed; and he stated that he thought no further appropriation should be made at this time, since the General Council would be able to take such action as might seem best. The matter is a complicated one, and the cost had been greater than anticipated."

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     The former "Pacific Coast Association" was finally declared defunct, the present California Association having long since taken its place. Of the former body there remained only the Lyon Street Society in San Francisco, and the Society in Portland, Ore. While the Lyon Street Society, (formerly under the Rev. Joseph Worcester, and at present under the Rev. Albert Bjorck), remains affiliated with the General Convention, though not an integral part thereof, the Portland society was at the present meeting received as an independent society of the Convention.

     Mr. Clarence W. Barron, of Boston, seems to have been the "live wire" at the recent meeting, as he is much in evidence in the MESSENGER'S Convention number. Though personally a strong supporter of the Allied cause, he defended the MESSENGER'S attitude of neutrality: "I maintain that it is not the function of our church or of our church publications to give the natural interpretation of spiritual truth in our political or business life. That way leads to popery. I believe the editorial page of the MESSENGER should give forth living, spiritual truth, and leave the application to the man on his natural plane." ("Applause," in which the LIFE joins.)

     We cannot, however, applaud the following sentiment expressed by Mr. Barren in the same issue of the MESSENGER: "I care not how large a church may be that is quarreling over forms and ceremonies and is grinding finer the edge of the sword of truth. The more truth, the more division. The more helping service, the more unity; and in unity and not in truth will be our strength."

     While Mr. Barren probably means that there is no strength in faith, alone, his disparagement of "truth" is unfortunate, since the Divine Truth is the only source of spiritual strength and unity and life in the Lord's Church. In "popery," for instance, there is plenty of unity and strength, and no end of "helping service," but it is not genuine, it is not spiritual, because it is not of truth.

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TRIBUTE TO MR. JOHN PITCAIRN, SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 1916 1916

TRIBUTE TO MR. JOHN PITCAIRN, SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 1916              1916




     ANNOUNCEMENTS.




NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XXXVI AUG.-SEPT, 1916          No. 8-9
     Speaking at the Memorial Service, held in the Chapel, Bishop N. D. Pendleton said:-

     I desire to offer, in the name of all who are here, and in the name of the whole Church, a tribute of respect, affection and gratitude to Mr. John Pitcairn. A tribute of respect for him as a man and a Newchurchman;-a man of unusual powers and notable deeds, of great ability and large achievements;-a Newchurchman of abiding faith and singleness of purpose in his long life of unceasing labors for the establishment of the Church.

     For these qualities he is held in universal respect by all Newchurchmen, especially by those who look with favor upon the work the Academy has done for the past forty years. But the respect of those who have been engaged in this work, who have labored hand in hand with him,-was sustained by a deep affection for him as a man of strong spiritual character, of intense devotion and uncompromising loyalty to the standards of thought and conduct required by the Principles of the Academy drawn from the Writings. For these he stood firmly, steadfastly, to the end, with unquestioning faith.

     For these qualities he commanded the affectionate regard of all who knew him.

     Respect alone is formal and cold, it does not signify deep values in the relations of men. Affection when joined with respect is the true medium of that interchange between men, of those spiritual gifts which pertain to the kingdom of heaven and the church on earth, and which it is the design of the Heavenly Father that angels and men should possess from Him and impart one to another,-gifts of thought of the truth, and offerings of the affection of love these are of eternal value.

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The Lord gives them to all who will receive, and who in receiving give as they are given to.

     Respect is formal, it is based on the admiration of truth, on regard for power, on the appreciation of ability. Affection is warm and living, it is enkindled by good, it joins intimately, and opens the way for the life and the love of one to pass over to another, and this calls into being a third state, which when genuine, when aroused by spiritual gifts, is heaven itself. This third state can best be described by the word gratitude. Respect without affection counts for little of spiritual value. Affection without gratitude is a selfish desire. How often it is said that the angels are grateful! A gift is that which excites gratitude, whether in heaven or on earth. The angels are grateful to the Lord for His unceasing gifts of love and mercy, which they receive both immediately from Him and mediately through other angels. We cannot think of an angel as without gratitude. And here is the wonder of the heavenly kingdom,-to each one is given peculiar forms of love and wisdom to be imparted to others as gifts. So it is with the men of the Church, in so far as they are regenerated. The imparting of those gifts is the very joy of spiritual life, this, and the grateful recognition and acknowledgment of the gifts of others.

     At this time we are thinking of one who has gone from us, and we think of him not only with respect and affection, but also in a marked degree with gratitude,-gratitude for his gifts. I speak not primarily of his generous benefactions to the cause of New Church education, nor of his large gifts for the sustainment of the other uses of the Church;-for these indeed the Church is grateful, for these his name will long be remembered-but I speak of something more truly and intimately belonging to the man himself, something of which his natural benefactions were but ultimate signs and symbols, namely, his own strong characteristic love for the Church which manifested itself in his never failing interest in all its affairs, whether in this country or in other lands. This interest was always joined with a desire to sustain. This was his manifest love,-a desire to sustain the Church, and it is always love that sustains.

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     For this great love of the Church we love him; this love is his spiritual gift to us all, and for it we offer our tribute of gratitude.


     At the grave, on Monday afternoon, the Bishop made the following additional remarks:-

     At the memorial meeting, last evening, a tribute of respect, affection and gratitude was paid to Mr. Pitcairn as a man of unusual powers, great ability, and large achievements in the world's affairs, and as a Newchurchman of unquestioning faith and intense devotion. It is not necessary to repeat that tribute here. Then we were still thinking of him as a man in the world. The man of affairs. The man of many cares and great responsibilities. . . . But now, as we stand here . . .we know that he is not here . . . for this is the third day. . . .     The Lord hath raised him . . . only the body is left, the internal parts of which have now grown cold. The vital substances have all been separated by the efficacy of the Lord's mercy-by a living and mighty attraction-so that not the least that is vital or spiritual remains.

     Our beloved friend has indeed passed through the great experience,-the valley of shadow-and he now stands forth, cleared of all that is earthly, a spirit-man in the great and wonderful world of the Spirit. A world so like this, in outward appearance, that the uninstructed after death know not that they have left the world of nature. But he will know. The opening marvels of the spiritual world will find him prepared with an understanding mind and an appreciative heart. To him they will be none the less marvels because anticipated by years of thought and reflection upon the spiritual phenomena as they have been revealed. We may all follow him in thought, we can imagine his pleasure, we can rejoice in his joy in the life eternal now for him beginning.

     This day the celestial angels are with him, serving him in everything that pertains to the holy resurrection, the covering has been removed from his eyes, the light has broken, the light of the eternal sun, and he, our beloved friend, now stands upon the ground of heaven,-even as all men so stand before they go down into the world of spirits to take up the thread of their life anew.

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     It is a pleasure to follow him in thought, not only because we rejoice in his joy, but we know so well whither he will go, the way of his spiritual turning. We know those whom he will first seek, and his delight in finding them.

     The world to which he is gone is not a world of flitting specters, of phantasmagoria, nor yet of perennial song and praise. It is an intensely human world, more human and more real than this world. Here by far the greater part of our human thoughts and loves are held inbound within ourselves. They are either suppressed, or we are unable to express them. There they all flow forth livingly, spontaneously, and with power for good or evil.

     It is a world of wonders, but an intensely human world. There the strong man is stronger, the good man has multiplied powers for good, and the evil are more potential in evil; every joy is increased a thousandfold. All this because dead nature, which weighted down the spirit of man, has fallen away.

     So it is with our friend this day. He is not here, but there, in the land of eternal realities. As we stand beside the grave of his body, we are told to think of the resurrection of his spirit, and we see him in very truth not dead, but living, more alive than he has ever been since the day of his birth,-alive and in personal communion, face to face, with those celestial angels who have aided in his resurrection and who are serving him in ways to deeply touch and move his heart. I think he may recall the story of that spirit, just resurrected, who, on receiving the service of the celestial angels, was deeply moved to gratitude, and said to himself, What can I do ill return for so many and so great kindnesses? The gratitude was a sign that this spirit was good in heart, and would find his way to heaven.

     In conclusion I desire to testify before you all,-and for you all,-to our love and our gratitude to Mr. Pitcairn,-for all his many services, his many and repeated kindnesses. His services and his kindness were expressions of his love for the Church which we also love, and we pray that the Lord's mercy which so fully surrounds him this day, the day of his resurrection, may ever continue with him in all the ways of his going in the life now opening before him.

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CHURCH EXTENSION 1916

CHURCH EXTENSION       Rev. F. E. WAELCHLI       1916

     (Read at the Ninth General Assembly, Bryn Athyn, Pa. June, 1916.)

     The Church is the Lord's Kingdom in and with men. All that constitutes it is from Him and is His. Its growth, spiritual and natural, is given by Him. He watches over, guards, and provides for it, leading it, step by step, towards and into its destined glory. This He does from infinite Love by infinite Wisdom, and in His Wisdom He bestows His gifts in accordance with the ability of the Church to receive. He cannot bestow beyond this, for should anything be so given it would not be rightly used, but abused and even profaned. It is, therefore, necessary that men dispose themselves to receive, which they do when they as of themselves co-operate with the Lord in what pertains to the establishment and growth of the church. According to the measure of this co-operation is the measure of the prosperity of the church. The Lord permits the appearance that the welfare of the church depends upon the efforts of those who constitute it, and ordains that they should labor in accordance with this appearance. He is the Lord of the harvest, but He tells those of His church to pray Him that He send laborers into His harvest. "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest."

     By the "laborers" are meant those who teach from the Lord. In a specific sense they are those whose life's use it is to teach the truths of the Word, thus the clergy. We must not, however, confine our thought to this specific idea, but extend it to that which is wider, and according to which all who are of the church, both the clergy and those co-operating with them, are the "laborers," having their duties to fulfill in order that the work of the harvest may be accomplished.

     The organized church is a divine institution, established by the Lord by means of men acting as of themselves. He has established it in order that by it He may provide what is divine among men, that is, a knowledge and an acknowledgment of the truth, and worship in accordance with the same.

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Only by means of men, constituting a church, can He thus provide; for it is a law of His order that the good that is to come to men by an external way, on the civil, moral and spiritual planes of life, shall come by means of men, whom He leads to the doing of it as of themselves. The church is a man, to whom a work to be done is given by the Lord. I, that work the Lord is the active, and the church is the passive which cooperates by so disposing itself that the Lord may act in it and by it; and it so disposes itself when as of itself it enters upon the doing of the work. If it does this from the love of the salvation of souls, and in accordance with the Lord's Will, it will grow and prosper. The reason why the growth and prosperity of such a church are assured is that, because of its performance of use from love, it is progressing into an ever fuller and more interior acknowledgment of the Lord. In that acknowledgment there is life, and in its increase there is increase of life. The acknowledgment of the Lord inflows into man from within, taking form according to the knowledges he possesses; but in order that it may be truly received, there is another thing also inflowing from the Lord that must be received at the same time, and this is the Lord's love towards mankind. If the church receives this love and evidences it in uses performed for the salvation of souls, its acknowledgment of the Lord and consequently everything of its life, will grow internally and externally. The growth of the church thus comes from the Lord by an internal way in accordance with the degree in which it performs uses from love. And yet this growth is something for which the church must strive as of itself, in order that it may be given. In its performance of uses it must have growth as its end.

     The growth of the church is of two kinds, internal and external. Internal growth is the growth of those who are of the church in good and truth, which constitute the church. Growth in good and truth is increase in goods and truths, a constant multiplication of them, from which comes perfection; for each new good and truth acquired fills a place which was not before occupied, except in a most general way.

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That there may be such growth and thus perfection, the church must perform the use of so teaching the truth, that those of the church be led, step by step; more interiorly into the arcana of divine revelation, and be able to see the application of truth to life. This is the prime work of the church, which must be provided for and done. A church in which this is not done, cannot endure; for when this growth and perfection cease, decay begins.

     If internal growth takes place, external growth, which is increase in membership, can follow; for a strong, firm, living center has been established, which can reach out and bring to itself the material necessary for such growth, and not suffer injury to its own state from the crudities of that material, but purify it and make it an harmonious part of itself; moreover, by virtue of the' perception which comes with internal growth, true principles will be seen, which must guide in the work that looks to increase in numbers; among these principles the first is, that the children of the church are the most fruitful field for such increase.

     Internal growth thus establishes a state which makes external growth possible; yet the latter will not flow from the former of itself, or spontaneously, but work must be done which will bring it about. The children must he instructed and educated, the truth must be made known abroad, and the ministrations of the church provided in accommodation to various states.

     This is the work which the church must do for its own preservation and perpetuation; for the church must increase in membership, not merely hold its own, but increase, in order that it may live. We have said that when internal growth ceases, decay begins. The same is true of external growth, and for the same reason, namely, because so long as there is increase of numbers the church is being perfected, and when that increase ceases, the perfecting ceases, and with this comes the decline.

     That the church is perfected by increase in numbers is evident from the fact that the same is true of heaven. Concerning this we read:

     "It is worthy to be mentioned, that the more there are in one society of heaven, and the more they act as one, the more perfect is its human form for variety disposed into a heavenly form makes perfection; and variety is given where there are many.

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Every society of heaven also increases in number daily, and as it increases it becomes more perfect; thus not only the society is perfected, but also heaven in general, because societies constitute heaven. Since heaven is perfected by increasing numbers, it is manifest how much those are deceived, who believe that heaven may be closed from fulness; when yet the contrary is the case, that it is never closed, and that a greater and greater fulness perfects it. On this account the angels desire nothing more than that new angelic guests may come to them." (H. H. 71)

     Let us note particularly the closing words of this teaching: "The angels desire nothing more than that new angelic guests may come to them." Like them, there is nothing that we should desire more than that new guests may come to the church, and this for the same reason which actuates them, which is, that the church may be perfected. The angels do not, however, merely rest in their desire for guests, but are active in the work that may bring them. There is not a society in the whole of heaven whose uses do not include the leading of men, both in the world of spirits and on earth, to heaven. "There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth." And so, with us of the church, should there be the constant and unremitting effort to LEAD new, guests to the church.

     Again we read:

     "The reason that perfection in the heavens increases according to plurality, is, that all there have one end, and all unanimously look to that end. This end is the common good, and when this reigns, there is also from the common good, good to each one and from the goods of each there is good to the whole community. This is so, because the Lord turns all in heaven to Himself, and thereby make's them to be one in Himself. That the unanimity and concord of many, especially from such an origin, and in such bond, produces perfection, any one from reason in any degree illustrated, may clearly see. (H. H. 418)

     An important principle of perfection by increase in number is here given.

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Increase can bring perfection only when all look to one end, which is the common good. The common good of a heavenly society is its ability and power in the performance of uses. The same is true of the church. To this common good all must look with unity of purpose. Such a state can be brought about only in one way, which is indicated in the doctrine read. All must be willing that the Lord turn them to Himself, which willingness exists when those of the church as of themselves endeavor to look to the Lord as He reveals Himself in His opened Word, and to follow. Him as there revealed. This alone can bring unity. If it cannot exist from this source in vain do men strive for it by external adjustments of things inharmonious. Were in again appears the principle that internal growth is essential to external growth, and must be the primary end in the work of the church.

     Let us hear one more teaching on the subject of external growth:

     "That the perfection of heaven increases according to plurality, is evident from its form, according to which the consociations therein are arranged in order and its communications flow, as the most perfect of all forms; and in a most perfect form, the greater the numbers are, the greater, is the direction and consensus to unity, and the closer and more unanimous is the conjunction; consensus and thence conjunction increases from plurality, for everything is here inserted as an intermediate having relation to two or more, and what is inserted confirms and conjoins. The form of heaven is like the form of the human mind, the perfection of which increases according to the increase of truth and good, whence it has intelligence and wisdom. . . . The human and angelic mind is such that it can be enriched to eternity, and as it is enriched, so it is perfected; and this is especially the case when man is led by the Lord, for he is then introduced into genuine truths which are implanted in the understanding, and into genuine goods which are implanted in the will; for the Lord then disposes all things of such a mind into the form of heaven, until at length it is a heaven in least form. From this comparison, of what is of the same nature, it is evident, that the plurality of the angels perfects heaven.

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Moreover, every form consists of various parts; a form which does not consist of various parts, is not a form, for it has no quality, and no changes of state. The quality of every form is from the arrangement of the various things in it among themselves, and from their mutual respectiveness, and from the consensus to unity, by virtue of which every form is regarded as one. Such a form is the more perfect, the more parts there are so arranged within it, for each one, as said above, confirms, strengthens, conjoins, and thus perfects. (L. J. 12.)

     This teaching brings before us forcibly the great importance of the unit, or of each single member of heaven and thus also of the church. Each has a certain place to fill in the uses performed by the whole; and as uses look to growth, each has his duty to fulfill that there may be growth, and in so far as he does this, in harmony with the whole, in so far is growth promoted; while in so far as he fails to do so, in so far growth is retarded.

     All must labor together for the growth of the church. It is not sufficient merely to desire it, merely to pray for it. We are indeed to pray the Lord of the harvest that He may send laborers into His harvest; but we must also manifest the sincerity of that prayer by going forth ourselves into the field, either as teachers or as those who co-operate with them. The Lord sends us all, the entire church, forth into the work, giving the admonition, "Freely ye have received, freely give." Upon the church rests this duty. But it should be more than a duty; for every heart should be stirred with the love that the blessings of the church may come to others, and that at the same time the spiritual good of all may be promoted by virtue of the perfection of the whole. There must be zeal for the growth of the church, zeal inflowing into us and animating us from Him who from Divine Zeal longs for the increase of His Church. In the heavenly doctrines we read: "The Lord from Divine Love, and thence from Divine Zeal, calls and invites all who are in the spiritual affection of truth, and think of heaven, to the New Church, and to conjunction with Himself, thus to life eternal." (A. R. 531.) In so far as we are truly of the church we will receive that zeal from Him, and with all the heart and soul and thought and strength co-operate with Him, so that men may hear the call and invitation, and be led to the New Church and more and more interiorly into it, and there find salvation and eternal life.

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     Zeal in its going forth into act must pass through the halls of wisdom. Zeal that is not wise will not accomplish its ends, and often works more injury than good. One of the first principles of wisdom that zeal for the growth of the church must learn is that conservation is the beginning of extension. The church must hold that which it has; and not neglect and to a great extent lose this, in its efforts to gain accessions from without. This is not only a wise policy, but a duty. It is the duty of the church, first and foremost, to provide for those who are of the church, so that with them there may be internal growth. Together with this there can always be something of external growth, and indeed considerable, resulting from the instruction and education of the children of the church. When internal growth with the members and-external growth from the children has been provided for, the way is open for further work in other directions. We are not advocating that work which looks to internal growth should reach a certain stage of perfection before that which regards external growth is undertaken, but that provision for the former be first made and then for the latter, after which the two can go forward hand in hand.

     Conservation is the first duty. And yet to be so conservative as not to be progressive would be a calamity, even as it is a calamity to endeavor to be progressive without being conservative. Conservation, or the preservation of that which is established, and progressiveness, or the entrance upon new fields not before developed, are two elements in human character. With some persons the one quality predominates, with others the other. Often parties in the State and in the church are divided along these lines. The ideal state is that where the two are properly balanced. An individual in whom this is the case is a well-balanced man; and a church, as a larger man, should be thus well-balanced. The church must be conservative, jealously preserving that which it has from loss, waste or injury; and at the same time it must be progressive, eager for new fields of development.

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     In the Church which, under various names, has, during forty years, held the principles of the Academy, there have been the two elements of conservation and extension, with the former as primary. The Academy was organized in the year 1876, and its membership was constituted of the very few throughout the New Church, who held its principles. These few were strengthened in that which they had. This was the work of conservation and of internal growth. From this center began the work of extension, by means of the living voice and the press. The fullest reception of these efforts was in what was then called the Pennsylvania Association, to which most of the members of the Academy belonged; but there were also receivers in other places, particularly in the Illinois and the Canada Associations of the General Convention, and in some localities in England. All possible was done to provide for these the means of internal growth. That which was gained was conserved. A theological school was established, so that there might be a clergy which would teach in accordance with Academy principles. Then a further work of extension was undertaken by the establishment of schools for the children of the church. Changes came. The Pennsylvania Association became the General Church of Pennsylvania, and this in turn was succeeded by the General Church of the Advent of the Lord, into which were gradually gathered those who held Academy principles in various parts of the world. From strongly conserved centers the work of extension, especially among the young, was done, and that which was thus won was consolidated with the centers, adding strength to the internal growth, and giving fuller power for further extension. It was during this time, in the era of the General Church of the Advent, that a most important work of church extension was done by the Academy, aside from its work of educating a new clergy and providing higher education for the youth of the church, namely, the maintaining of schools for the education of the children in various centers, such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Glenview, Berlin, Toronto, and London, having in this the co-operation of those centers after some years this was discontinued by the Academy, and the societies themselves maintained and administered their schools.

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We wish here to record the opinion that, if it be at all possible, it would bet well if there could be a return to the system which was discontinued. It is a fact that in most, if not all, of the centers that are maintaining schools, the burden of so doing is heavier than the Societies can bear, and interferes with the support of other vital church uses which hold the affections of the people. In two of our Societies there has recently been much uncertainty whether the efficiency of their schools could be maintained during the coming year, though in both cases the difficulties have been overcome for the present. Nevertheless, we have herein an indication that our church in several of its centers confronts a situation wherein what is our most vital work of church extension is threatened with decline; and thus that conservation is also threatened, the conservation of a most important use. The situation is serious. It has been decided and wisely, that the Extension Fund of the General Church, of which we shall speak later, should not be applied to the support of schools. This decision was reached by the Joint Council at the time when application was made by one of our Societies for aid in the establishment of a school, in which there would have been about twenty-five children. The only solution would therefore seem to be that the Academy return to the system of former years. Whether this can be done is solely for the Academy to decide, and it might be that the way could open for an affirmative consideration, should there be formed an auxiliary body, constituted of all throughout the General Church who are deeply interested in New Church education and aiding in its support. Another thing of great importance to our educational work which could then be accomplished, would be the bringing of all our schools into organic connection with the Academy and under the supervision of the able educators in the center.

     But to return to the history of the development of the work of the church: The General Church of the Advent was succeeded by the General Church of the New Jerusalem. In the new body the same uses were performed as in that which preceded. Conservation and extension went along hand in hand. The church had its internal and its external growth. But the realization grew that something more must be done in the way of extension, and in June, 1909, at the meeting of the Joint Council, held at Toronto, this need became strongly evident in the course of the discussion of the subject of Aid to Small Societies.

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Afterwards a meeting of the Executive Committee was held, and it was decided that a fund for Church Extension be established and that a Committee be appointed to administer the same. It is interesting to note that the discussion in the Joint Council, which led to this action, centered not so much in extension as in conservation, the holding of that which we have, the small societies not receiving the care which they should, and by that conservation bringing about extension. Thus the principle, already alluded to, was observed, that conservation is the first duty of extension.

     The Fund was established, the Committee appointed, and the work instituted. Year by year we have had reports of what was accomplished. At the Eighth General Assembly, held at Glenview, in June, 1913, the announcement was made of a gift by Mr. John Pitcairn of one hundred thousand dollars as a permanent endowment fund for the use of Church Extension. From the income of this fund and some additional contributions by members of the General Church, the use is now sustained. During the past year the following societies of the General Church have received aid from this fund: The Arbutus Society, the Rev. T. S. Harris, pastor; the Sharon Church, Chicago, the Rev. G. H. Smith, pastor; the Chicago Mission, the Rev. John Headsten, pastor; the Brussels Mission, the Rev. E. Deltenre, pastor; the Philadelphia Advent Church, the Rev. George de Charms, minister; the Stockholm Society, the Rev. G. Baeckstrom, minister; the Paris Society, the Rev. F. Hussenet, pastor. A number of other societies and circles, eleven in number, are ministered to at stated times by the Visiting Pastor, the Rev. F. E. Waelchli; of these the principal ones are Cincinnati and Middleport, Ohio; Erie, Penna., and Rosthern, Sask., Canada. The Abington Society receives regular visits from the Rev. T. S. Harris. Thus nineteen localities in all are benefitted by this use. In this wide-spread activity all members of the Church will rejoice.

     The record of extension work by the General Church would not be complete without the mention of two instrumentalities not supported by the Extension Fund, which are rendering most excellent service in this use.

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The one is NEW CHURCH LIFE, which, month by month, carries its message of sound doctrine throughout the Church; the others is the Missionary of the General Church, the Rev. J. E. Bowers, who has now for so many years faithfully ministered to the isolated.

     The Extension Work of the General Church can be divided into two classes: (1) The sustaining of weak societies and circles, and (2) the building up of new societies 1 or, (1) conservation looking to extension, and (2) extension looking to conservation and thence to further extension.

     To the former class belongs most of the work at present done. A number of our societies receive aid enabling them to have a resident pastor. There are however several of the societies ministered to by the visiting pastor, which should receive similar assistance. Three of these we have especially in mind. Their members are loyal, earnest New Church people, longing for the ministrations of the church and making the fullest use of the little that is provided for them. You who are here gathered that are members of societies having resident pastors, and are provided throughout the year with regular worship and instruction, if you will in thought place yourselves into one of the societies in which these things are lacking, know how much you would miss and how greatly you would long for that which you are now enjoying; thus you can know their deprivation. These societies, provided with pastors, could be built up internally and probably also externally. We know there can be the internal growth, the conservation, and this in itself is sufficient reason for doing all in our power to aid them. But not only of these societies, but of all circles of the General Church, and of all isolated receivers, can it be said, that they should receive all the benefits of church ministrations that can possibly be given them. We should be in a position that wherever on earth there is a member of the General Church, we would be able to reach him, to go to him and give him by living contact that which it is the mission of the church to impart. This the duty of conservation demands. The day when we can do this will probably come.

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It cannot be done at present; there are a number of places, where there are several members or families, that we are not able to reach, except by the printed page; regretfully, we must leave them to do what they can for themselves, cherishing the hope that in time we can provide for them.

     The second class of Extension Work, that of building up new societies, is being carried on in the two missions, in Chicago and in Brussels. Both Mr. Headsten and Mr. Deltenre went into new fields, settled there, and began the work of proclaiming the Gospel of the Second Advent. In both cases there have been gratifying results. Mr. Headsten has succeeded in building up a considerable society. Mr. Deltenre was fairly on the way to do the same, when, because of the war, it became necessary for him to devote himself, for a time, principally to the conservation of what has thus far been gained. We believe that these missions are examples of the true method of church extension into the Old Church. Place a man in a field, sustain him, and let him give all his energies to external evangelization and the conserving of what is gathered. Probably this method of work is the only one that would be really successful even where there is a regularly established society. The use should be a separate department of our work, carried on by some man other than the pastor, and in some locality other than the regular place of worship and instruction. Opportunities for work of this kind are limitless. The whole world is the field; and we can enter upon it in so far as there are the men and means for it.

     It is my opinion that the chief external growth of the General Church, other than that which comes from our children, will be from the Old Church, and not, as some may suppose, from other general bodies of the New Church, such as the General Convention and the English Conference. Moreover, the General Church never has considered and does not now consider these organizations as fields from which we should seek to win members. At the same time it is our desire that all New Church men, whoever and wherever they may be, and in whatever organization, should know the principles for which we stand, and have the opportunity either to accept or to reject them.

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For this reason we endeavor to extend the circulation of our official organ as widely as possible. If those principles are accepted by members of other bodies, we are highly gratified, for we believe that they have espoused what will be of great benefit to themselves and to the societies to which they belong; and the greater the number of those outside our body who do accept them, the more pleased we are. We are not solicitous that they should become members of our body, nor do we invite them, yet if they themselves feel that they would find a more congenial home with us, and apply for membership, we receive and welcome them. There will without doubt be those who from time to time will take this step.

     The privilege of the printed page of carrying its message wherever it will, does not pertain to a person carrying a message by the living voice. This fact should be recognized in our work. It would not be in accordance with professional ethics for a minister of the General Church to seek out the members of a society of another general body with the end of advocating our principles amongst them. On the other hand, he is free to respond to any invitation that may be given him by an individual or by a group of individuals of any church body to come to them and render to them such services as they may desire of him. He may think it better in some cases not to respond, but this does not take away his right to do so. In the rendering of such service his end would be, as in the case of the distribution of our periodical, not the winning of members for our body, but the upbuilding of the New Church in the minds of men in accordance with the principles which we believe are vital to such upbuilding.

     The consideration of the Church Extension Work which lies before us to do, both within our body and in the world around us, should cause us to realize how earnest should be our efforts to promote the good of that use, so that its benefits may be farther and farther reaching. And yet, though with our greatest efforts we can do but little of that which ought to be done, let us not fail to be most thankful for what we are able to do. A great work has been instituted among us, a work granted unto us by the Lord; for He in His providence has provided the instrumentalities, the men and the means.

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And if we manifest our gratitude for this mercy by our devotion to the use, doing all in our power to promote it, He will prosper it under our hands, so that it will grow both in quality and in quantity. The Lord calls us to the labor of extending His church. We are to strive, as of ourselves, for the increase of our numbers. But this endeavor should not have numbers as its end merely for the sake of numbers. A higher end should actuate us, which as we have already seen, is the perfection of the church with all who are of it. And within this there must be a motive higher still, as the interior source of all our efforts, namely, zeal for the salvation of souls, which is zeal that men may be led to good. The Lord has made His Second Coming and instituted His New Church to the end that men might be led to good by His Word now opened. It is granted unto us to co-operate with Him in the fulfilling of this end by doing the work of our stewardship as members of the church truly and faithfully. In so far as we avail ourselves of this wonderful privilege, the Lord will grant unto us the happiness which ever flows from service in His Kingdom, and this will abide with us forever.
FEASTS OF CHARITY 1916

FEASTS OF CHARITY       Rev. WILLIAM B. CALDWELL       1916

     Many interesting and important things are revealed in the Heavenly Doctrines concerning the use and significance of dinners and suppers in the church, which are called feasts of charity. We are told that "dinners and suppers of charity are only with those who are in mutual love from a similar faith" (T. 433); that in the primitive Christian Church "they were instituted that they might be gladdened from the heart and conjoined." (Ibid.) And further, that "suppers, because they were held in the evening, signified consociatian and conjunction in the first state of the church; but dinners, held in the day time, signified the second state, when the church had been established." (Ibid.) The underlying difference is that the first state of the church is one of truth not yet conjoined to good, which state is relatively obscure, and was represented by the evening when suppers were held, while the second state of the church is one of the conjunction of truth and good, and of clear perception, represented by the daytime when dinners were held. (A. C. 3832, 3.)

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     The Latin term for such a feast is "Convivium," involving the idea of "living together" or "dwelling together'' in charity, a state that is ultimated by the members of the church eating and drinking together. The Greek term used by the early Christians was Agape, or love-feast. They also applied the term "Convivium" to the Holy Supper, to express the idea of the Lord's dwelling or abiding with them. (A. C. 2341.) But we should here note a distinction between the two kinds of feasts mentioned in the Old Testament. The feast (festum) was properly a holy festival of worship and rejoicing before the Lord. Such were the Feast of the Passover, the Feast of First Fruits, and the Feast of Tabernacles, as the three great festivals of the Jewish year. They included the eating together of the sacrifices, and also forms of consociation such as are involved in the feasts of charity, but the latter were also held at other times, in private and public, and so we find them frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, as we shall presently observe. Indeed the institution came down from the ancient churches.

     The early Christians derived the custom of holding feasts of charity from the teachings of the Lord, who in parables compared the kingdom of heaven to feasts, to which many were invited. We read in Luke that Jesus said to "one of them that sat at meat with Him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. . . . A certain man made a great supper, and bade many; and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready." (14:15-17.) And again He said to His disciples, "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom." (Luke 22:29, 30) From these and like sayings of our Lord the primitive Christians derived the custom of holding dinners and suppers, to which all were invited who called themselves brethren in Christ.

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Hence we read in the ACTS, "And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread at home, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." (2:44-46) Thus their feasts were "consociations of charity because of their spiritual brotherhood; and at such times they consoled one another on account of the adversities of the church, rejoiced together over its increase, and also enjoyed recreations from their studies and labors." (T. 434.)

     In the Christian Church, however, the feast of charity was but a revival of the customs of the Ancient Church, where feasts (convivia), which were dinners and suppers, were held for like purposes, namely, that the men of the church might be consociated and conjoined in their mutual love for the spiritual things of the church. In the Ancient Church they knew what such feasts involved and represented, and what their spiritual use and benefit was. For all their customs, like their rites of worship, were in correspondence with their spiritual states, and thus represented and signified them. All their acts were outward signs of the love and charity reigning within, and truly represented it. Thus their feasts of charity signified their initiation into mutual love, their nuptial feasts initiation into the conjugial, their birthday feasts initiation into the state of the new birth or regeneration, and their holy feasts initiation into celestial and spiritual love. (A. C. 3596, 3832, 5161.)

     We read in the ARCANA that in ancient times "feasts in general, both dinners and suppers, took place within the church, in order that they might be consociated and conjoined as to love, and that they might instruct one another in the things of love and faith, thus in the things of heaven. Such at that time were the delights attending their eating together, and these spiritual delights were the end far which the dinners and suppers were held. Thus the mind was nourished, and also the body, unanimously and correspondently. From this they had health and long life, and intelligence and wisdom; also communication with heaven, some manifest communication with the angels. But as all internal things in course of time vanish away, so also the purpose of feasts and eatings together, which at this day is not for the sake of any spiritual conjunction, but for worldly conjunctions, namely, for the sake of gains, ambition for honors, and also pleasures, thus for the nourishment of the body and not of the mind." (A. C. 7996.)

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     Many of the customs of the Ancient Church had come down by tradition to the patriarchs of Israel, and among them the custom of giving a feast on certain occasions, though they did not know and perceive the internal significance, nor reap the spiritual benefits as their forefathers did. Thus Lot made a feast for the two angels who came to him in Sodom; Abraham made a feast when Isaac was weaned; Isaac made a feast for Abimelech; Laban made a feast for Jacob when he married Leah; and so in other instances recorded in the Old Testament. In all of these was involved the idea of consociation and conjunction in love and friendship.

     The festivities later commanded-in the Jewish Church included the custom of eating together according to tribes around the tabernacle, representing the order and conjunction of the heavenly societies. The Passover especially, observed in remembrance of their beginning as a nation and a church, was the chief bond of union among the tribes. For among all ancient tribes and primitive peoples the feast held first place as their uniting bond. In the Christian Church the Lord's Supper superceded the Jewish Passover, and became the bond of union in that church, representing and ultimating their conjunction with the Lord, and introduction into the communion of saints. In that church also, as we have seen, the feast of charity was revived, together with a knowledge of its significance, and the enjoyment of its internal benefits, which had been lacking in the Jewish Church, and even from the time of the Ancient Church.

     How the early Christians came into the enjoyment of the internal uses of their feasts of charity is now revealed in the Heavenly Doctrines for the sake of the New Church, which is to come even more fully into those uses. We read that "at table on such occasions there were conversations on various subjects, both domestic and civil, but especially concerning such things as were of the Church; and because they were feasts of charity, charity with its joys and gladness was within in their talk about everything; the spiritual sphere reigning in those feasts was the sphere of love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor, which exhilarated the mind of everyone present, softened the sound of his speech, and brought festivity of heart upon all their senses.

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For from every man there emanates a spiritual sphere, which is of the affection of his love and his thought thence, and this interiorly affects his companions, especially at feasts.... "Such was their spiritual consociation.... The conjunction itself was represented by their breaking bread and distributing it, and by drinking from the same cup, and passing it to another." (T. 433)

     At this day the giving of dinners and suppers is a universal custom. They are given for various purposes, sometimes for good natural ends, as for hospitality and friendship, for business and political ends, but often for gain and reward, for corruption and gaining the adherence of others; "with the great they regard honor, and at the courts of kings, splendor." (T. 433.) By means of invitations to feasts various consociations and conjunctions are effected. "The one who invites intends something that will contribute to some end, which regards the consent and friendship of another. Much mote the invitations which have spiritual things as an end." (T. 727.) In the Ancient and Primitive Christian Churches they were especially invitations to feasts of charity, in which "one strengthened another, to the end that they might abide in worship of the Lord from a sincere heart." (T. 727.)

     From the teachings we have brought forward from the Doctrines we may now see the use that feasts of charity are to perform in the New Church, wherein the internal life of the Ancient Church is to be restored. As in the best times of former churches, so in the New Church they are to be initiations into mutual love, consociations and conjunctions by mutual love from a similar faith; they are means of confirmation in the good of the church, and of mutual encouragement to abide in worship of the Lord from a sincere heart; and also they are means of mutual instruction by conversations upon the things of the church, as well as upon domestic and civil matters. Moreover, they are recreations and diversions, conducing to health and long life, because in feasts of the church there is a conjunction of spiritual and natural nourishment.

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By means of them there is interior consociation with the angels of heaven and conjunction with the Lord.

     All of this is the language of the Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church. And from this teaching has been derived our established custom of holding feasts of charity in the church, either in private among a few, or as public gatherings in the form of banquets, with instructive speeches, or as weekly suppers, followed by a class for instruction in the things of the church, which may be regarded as a spiritual supper, providing nourishment for mind and soul, the reception of which is prepared for by the supper preceding, and the sphere there prevailing.

     We may remark here that for the most part our feasts of charity as public gatherings have been suppers rather than dinners, although the teaching already cited indicates that dinners have an important use and significance. Doubtless modern conditions have influenced our custom in this matter. But we would offer the suggestion that a Sunday morning service, closing with the Holy Supper, and followed by a dinner, as a feast of charity, would make a very complete occasion. Or the Holy Supper might come in the evening, after the dinner, as was often the case in the early Christian Church.

     Now we are also informed by the Doctrines as to the interior reason and-cause for the great use of the feast of charity, namely, that its ultimate power and effect is from the conjunction of spiritual and natural nourishment at such times. Men of the church are nourished spiritually when they are eating together in a sphere of mutual love and affection, and when there is an interchange of thought in conversation or other form of instruction. There is then an actual communication of spheres emanating from each one present, which affects others. By this the interiors of the mind are opened, quickened, and thus prepared to receive influx of light and warmth from heaven, thus to be instructed and spiritually nourished. No doubt this is why the feasts of ancient times are said to have been "initiations" into spiritual states of love.

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     But this spiritual effect is not attained at feasts given for natural ends alone, or where the body alone is nourished; nor when one eats alone. Concerning this we are told further that "to be nourished spiritually is to be instructed and imbued, consequently to know, understand, and be wise; that unless man enjoys this nourishment together with the nourishment of the body, he is not a man but a beast; and this is why those who place all delight in feastings and banquetings, and daily indulge the palate, are dull as to spiritual things." (A. E. 617.) For "food and drink nourish the body better and more effectively when man at supper or dinner is at the same time in the delight of conversation with others concerning such things as he loves, than when he sits at table alone without company. In the latter stage the vessels that receive the food are constricted, but in the former the same vessels are opened; the correspondence of natural food with spiritual effects this." (A. C. 8352; D. 3566.) From which we may see clearly the underlying causes for the twofold use and benefit, spiritual and natural, that attend the feast of charity; why, with the ancients, they not only contributed to health and long life, but were also an opening of heaven to them.

     At the feasts in heaven, which are described in the Writings, we find that the partaking of the meal was followed by instruction. On one occasion, when the ten visiting spirits were entertained at a heavenly banquet, it is said that after they had eaten to "middle satiety, the prince addressed them." (C. L. 16.) At the angelic feasts all are nourished by the goods and truths inflowing from the Lord, and from each recipient angel there goes forth a sphere of his thought and affection, which is perceived and felt by all present. This is the spiritual nourishment of heaven, to which correspond the forms of food and drink with them,-the choicest viands and sparkling wines, which appear when the time of the feast arrives, and disappear when they have been satisfied. But their taste and enjoyment of the food is not for appetite's sake, but from its correspondence with the nourishment of their minds and souls. It is thus that "they are blest who eat bread in the kingdom of God."

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And to the end that men may be prepared for that heavenly feast, it is provided that they may eat the heavenly bread during the earthly life, may be instructed and thus spiritually nourished from the Word of the Lord. "For man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God doth man live."

     Lastly, we would speak of the nature of that charity which is to reign in the feast of charity in the New Church. In treating of this subject it is said in the Writings that "there are not yet consortings, or social gatherings, of charity, because in the consummation of the age, that is, at the end of the church, 'iniquity will be multiplied, and charity will grow cold,' the cause being that the church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Savior of heaven and earth, and gone to Him immediately, from whom alone genuine charity proceeds and inflows. But where there is not a friendship that emulates charity to conjoin minds, the consociations are nothing but simulations of friendship, and false testifications of mutual love. ." (T. 434.)

     Evidently there is a form of charity to come in the New Church that is little known in the world today, that is to come when men "acknowledge the Lord as God of heaven and earth, from whom alone genuine charity proceeds and inflows." This charity cannot be a merely personal, sentimental love of the neighbor, which may be from natural good alone, a cloak for secret love of self and the world; but it is a spiritual charity, which in its essence is a love of the neighbor for his spiritual qualities, his faith in the Lord, his spiritual intelligence, his charity. We are told that "to love the neighbor is to love the truth of the Word." And such a charity is only possible among those who have a common love for the truth of the Word, who are "in mutual love from a like faith;" for this is to love the Lord, from whom alone is genuine charity or love towards the neighbor.

     And the sign of the existence of this genuine charity in the church will be the love of the Lord's truth above all things, a love shared in common by all, a love reigning in the church. Then will there be the true basis of mutual love, not from self but from the Lord.

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What is then loved chiefly in the neighbor is his love of the truth, his willingness to have the truth govern supreme. And from this there will be an acknowledgment and appreciation of his qualities of good, of intelligence, of faith.

     The word "charity" means to hold "dear" what is another's, thus to put a high price upon, to value, esteem, and appreciate what is another's, and this applied to spiritual charity is to value and love the good and truth in the neighbor, especially his good of love to the Lord. In heaven "everyone is esteemed according to the good and truth, and according to the mercy of the Lord in which he is." (A. C. 451.) In heaven a person is loved, esteemed, and honored from his use, and in the degree that he does not ascribe his use to himself but to the Lord. "Spiritual love, esteem, and honor is nothing but the love, esteem, and honor of the use in the person. And he who regards men from spiritual truth does no otherwise." (H. 390)

     Thus spiritual charity, which is love of the neighbor conjoined with rational judgment and wisdom, is both impersonal and personal. It does not love the person apart from his spiritual qualities, but it loves these qualities in the person, and the person from them. If it were merely personal it would partake of the unhealthy sentimentality or false friendship which secretly harbors hatred, "for sinners also love those that love them." But, on the other hand, if spiritual charity were entirely impersonal, or coldly intellectual, it would lack the glow of genuine love and friendship, the delight of consociation with the neighbor in mutual love from a similar faith, the real touch of affection and sphere, all of which are essential to that fine conviviality that is to reign in the feasts of charity in the New Church.

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ASSEMBLY NOTES 1916

ASSEMBLY NOTES              1916

     As this Journal goes to the press we have to add the news that MR. JOHN PITCAIRN, on Saturday, July 22d, at 7 a. m., was released from the illness from which he had suffered for more than ten months. A glorious Newchurchman has passed into a glorious world.


     The Ninth GENERAL ASSEMBLY Of the General Church of the New Jerusalem now belongs to the History of the New Church. It was a memorable Assembly, the largest meeting ever held in the General Church, and it was harmonious, enthusiastic, and delightful throughout. Bryn Athyn was at her fairest, the weather on the whole favorable, the papers and the discussions were of a practical nature, the services uplifting, the social occasions lively, and the banquet on the Nineteenth of June most inspiring.


     The chief actual business accomplished at this Assembly was the CHOICE OF A BISHOP for the General Church. There was but one candidate for the office, the Rev. N. D. Pendleton, who, on account of his evident qualifications and his work as Acting Bishop, was unanimously regarded as the only possible choice. The only difficulty was the method of procedure, and for some time there was a certain degree of confusion in regard to this subject in the various councils of the Church.

     Gradually a light was seen; it was first suggested in the letter of the present Bishop, published in the April LIFE. The point there made was that since a Bishop is a General Pastor, the naming of one or more candidates for a Bishopric, like the naming of pastoral candidates to a society, was essentially an episcopal function which normally will belong to a Council of Bishops, when such a Council shall have come into existence. In its absence, however, the naming of candidates for the episcopal office is an episcopal function belonging to the priesthood as a whole.

     The logic of this analogy carried the day.

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The Clergy named but one candidate; the Executive Committee unanimously concurred with the Clergy; the method of procedure was freely discussed at a Joint Council on June 14th, and the Rev. Nathaniel Dandridge Pendleton was unanimously chosen the Bishop of the General Church by a rising vote of the General Assembly.

     The first action of the new Bishop, after the Assembly, was to appoint a CONSISTORY as his Chief ecclesiastical Council. The members are the same as in the Consistory of the retired Bishop, viz., Rev. C. Th. Odhner, Rev. F. E. Waelchli, Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, Rev. Alfred Acton, and Rev. Charles E. Doering.


     The meetings of the organizations of the younger generation in the Church are, at each successive Assembly, assuming wider interest and greater importance. The ALUMNI ASSOCIATION held its annual meeting on the evening of Monday, June 12th, when Mr. Randolph W. Childs was elected president. The meeting was almost wholly occupied with the consideration of plans for raising funds for scholarships, i. e., enabling young persons of small means to receive a New Church education. It was announced that an anonymous donor had offered $100.00 towards a full honor scholarship, and that Dr. F. A. Boericke had offered three half working scholarships.


     The SONS OF THE ACADEMY met on the same evening, Mr. Robert B. Caldwell being elected president. It was decided that their lively and enterprising organ, THE BULLETIN,-which now has become self-sustaining, (a unique condition for a New Church Journal),-is now to be published monthly, with the exception of two summer months, at a subscription price of $1.00. A later session of the SONS, on Tuesday evening, June 19th, resolved itself into a general "Men's Meeting," but after some notable speeches and rousing toasts and songs the men got tired of themselves and gladly accepted an invitation to join the ladies of the "Theta Alpha" after their banquet.


     In interest and attendance the annual meetings of the THETA ALPHA (Greek initials for "Daughters of the Academy") this year surpassed anything known before in the history of this organization.

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The meetings were opened with an address on "Freedom," by the Rev. E. S. Price, on Monday afternoon, June 12th. At the business session, the next day, the subject of Scholarships gave the chief inspiration. It was earnestly realized that the best efforts should be devoted to increase the number of pupils in the schools, and a step in advance was made in raising means to enable three scholars to attend next school year.

     The presiding hostess of the annual Theta Alpha Banquet, Miss Eo Pendleton, had issued previous mobilization orders to each of the Chapters, calling for a mustering of all the "fun" at their disposal; and the Banquet, in consequence, was a very jolly affair, two hundred "daughters" being present at this feminine collective. But the deep, warm motive of the common and serious aim, was ever the undercurrent, and this was especially realized when the troops of masculine reinforcements came marching in, to the "Academia" time, at their head "Uncle Walter," now the sole surviving "founder" of the Academy, still remaining in our midst.


     THE COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY met on June 13th, and subsequent sessions were held on the 19th and the 20th. The roll of attendance included twenty ministers and three candidates. The Rev. J. S. David, who recently resigned from the General Convention and joined the General Church, was present by invitation. The subjects discussed by the Clergy this year were all of a practical nature. The ever recurring discussion on the need of text books for Religious Instruction was of special interest.

     The public session of the Council of the Clergy was held on Wednesday evening, June 19th, when the Rev. Charles E. Doering presented a paper on "Higher Education," which will be published in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION. Here we can report but one feature of the paper, the one dealing with the value of Swedenborg's Preparatory works in the field of higher New Church education. Some had challenged these works; others went to the opposite extreme. Neither of the extreme views had been beneficial to the Academy. It was a mistake to elevate natural truths unduly. Yet Swedenborg's philosophy is to be the means of educating the New Church in natural truths.

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The paper led to a very interesting discussion, in which many useful points were brought out by Mr. Synnestvedt, Mr. Acton, Mr. Charles R. Pendleton, Rev. J. S. David, and others.


     The General Assembly itself opened on Thursday morning, June 15th. The full proceedings are published in the present Journal. In the evening of the same day a note of gaiety was sounded in the DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENT Offered by the boys and girls of the Academy Schools, in the performance of the good old opera, "Pinafore," which had been so successfully rendered on March 11th. The main purpose in repeating the performance at the Assembly was to afford some light recreation for the guests, but it was also of more lasting value in showing the results of the training in singing, music, elocution, dancing, and physical training, given in the Schools under the able direction of Mrs. Royden H. Smith and Mr. F. A. Finkeldey.

     While the sympathetic and responsive audience was an inspiration to the young people on the stage, the crowning satisfaction to them was the substantial result in the collection-basket at the door,-$115.24,-which means a half-scholarship for some pupil in the Academy schools, another boy or girl to swell the throng when school opens in the fall.


     THE ASSEMBLY HALL seemed like a great and beautiful dream. (It is a young enthusiast that is reporting for us.) It came,-it lasted a few hours,-and it went. Never has a place been so quickly and thoroughly transformed as was the immense carpenter's shed at the new church building. From a great bleak shell, full of gigantic timber and littered with shavings and all manner of timbermen's equipment, it was changed in the process of a day or two into an almost endless and dazzlingly beautiful hall. The whole roof was made into large white panels, bordered with Nile green. Intersecting these panels were equally large trusses, from which dropped delicate green and white screens. Thus the sides of the room were made into many cozy little booths, well fenced off from the 4,500 square feet of planed and polished dancing floor.

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In these booths sat the elders,-among others "Uncle John;" it was his last appearance among these young people who owe so much to him.

     It is estimated that nearly four hundred persons attended this ball, a new record for New Church entertainments. But in spite of the numbers there was plenty of room for all who wished to dance, in perfect comfort.

     Refreshments were served to the entire attendance without causing more than the ordinary interruptions, and even this period was not without its terpsichorean pleasure, as Mr. Finkeldey and a number of young ladies gave an aesthetic dance of faun and nymphs which was greatly appreciated.

     Encouraged by a seven-piece orchestra the dancing and merriment lasted until 2 a. m., when all were content to stop, and so ended the largest entertainment of its kind in the history of Bryn Athyn.

     Three days later, immediately after the banquet, every sign of festivity had been removed from the place, and the shed was once more just the big carpenter shop, working for-the Church.


     On Sunday afternoon, June 18th, a SACRED CONCERT was given in the Auditorium. The "program naturally divides into three parts, a Mass, by Gounod, sung by the choir of the Bryn Athyn Church, a group of solos given by musicians from the various societies and finally the Forty-seventh Psalm, sung by all present.

      Four numbers of the Mass of the Sacred Heart were sung, the "Kyrie," the "Gloria," the "Sanctus" and the "Agnus Dei." The choir numbered 36 and there were g in the assisting orchestra, under the able direction of Mr. Leroy S. Wells. The audience was deeply interested in this work and many commented on the splendid attack and fine shading of the chorus.

     An interesting violin trio, a Terzetto by Dvorak, was played by Miss Creda Glenn, Mr. Karl Alden, and Mr. Francis Bostock. Miss Helen Colley sang "Hear ye Israel," from Mendelssohn's oratorio, "Elijah," and all enjoyed her interpretation of those stirring words.

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Mr. Francis Bostock played a Ciacona,-Church music of the eighteenth century, by Vitali, with admirable tone and execution. Miss India Waelchli, of New York, sang exquisitely "O Divine Redeemer," by Gounod. The blending of the violin obligate with the voice of the singer gave intense pleasure. A portion of the Beethoven Sonata, Op. 26, was played on the piano by Mrs. Royden H. Smith, the Variations and the Funeral March: "The Death of a Hero." The Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, now of Kitchener, Ont., sang "Show me, Almighty," from the oratorio, "St. Paul," by Mendelssohn, in a manner worthy of the dignity of this great composer. The Forty-seventh Psalm is truly an Assembly Psalm. It had been prepared by the people of the various societies in the General Church, and the sphere was a powerful one when all joined in singing this as the closing number.
LECTURE, ON SUNDAY EVENING, JUNE 18TH. 1916

LECTURE, ON SUNDAY EVENING, JUNE 18TH.              1916

     Mr. Raymond Pitcairn, who now for more than two years has devoted practically his entire time and talents to superintend the erection of the first New Church cathedral, which is now being built in Bryn Athyn, on Sunday evening favored the General Assembly with a most interesting lecture on the plan and history of this noble structure, illustrated by numerous lantern slides.

     The plan of the church was explained, particular attention being devoted to the chancel, which is three-fold. The inmost chancel, or sanctuary, is to represent the Lord- s the Word, and is to contain a shrine or sacrarium for the Word; the middle chancel is to represent Worship, and will be devoted to the sacraments; the outer chancel, representing Instruction, is to be furnished with the pulpit and lecterns for the reading of the Word and the Writings. The choir is placed on both sides of the outer chancel. Above the pulpit is the tower and belfry; bells representing evangelization. The floor of the entire church slopes up imperceptibly to the sanctuary which contains the Word, the ascent to which is heightened by a series of twelve steps commencing at the great chancel arch and dividing the various portions of the chancel. These steps will be slightly curved, and other portions of the building, such as the clerestory walls and the columns in the nave and chancel, are not built on geometrically straight lines, but on curved lines.

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     Pictures of four complete models of the church were shown. These models succeeded one another from time to time as they were criticized, changed, and finally abandoned, as the idea of the building grew from month to month, from its first conception up to the final model. Photographs of a large model of the chancel were also thrown upon the screen.

     In addition to models made at small scale, plaster models or casts were also made of all the important details of the building, which included full sized columns, the chancel column, for example, made up of twelve columnettes, was modeled four times at full size.

     The history of the building itself was also traced from the opening of the quarry in Bryn Athyn down to the present time. Views of the huge corner-stone, which is an unhewn rock, were particularly interesting, and showed the history of the stone from the time it was taken from its cradle in the woods where it had weathered for ages, until it found its sacred use in the church. The corner-stone of the Advent Church, completed this spring in Philadelphia, was cleft from the same stone, separated by a natural seam in the rock. Pictures of the sample walls were also shown.

     A pictorial history of the timber roofs showed the great white oak trees, from which the timbers were cut, standing in the forest; and, after they were felled, arriving at the church site, and being hewn by hand into the various portions of the roof. The oldest of these trees dates back prior to the founding of the first settlement in this country at Jamestown, and started growing one hundred years before Swedenborg was born. The trees were cut a dozen miles from Bryn Athyn. This section is the finest white oak section in the United States. Great tie beams will span the entire width of the chancel and nave of the church. The largest tree was a trifle over six feet in diameter at the base where it splayed out slightly. The roofs are constructed of solid timbers. Nothing in the nature of veneer is tolerated in the church. The timbers are all mortised and tenoned and pinned together without the use of nails.

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     Pictures of beautiful tracery windows for various portions of the church were shown. The windows after being cut were set up for criticism and revision. The great west window contains five lights in which will be represented the five successive Churches that have existed on this earth. The Most Ancient Church will be represented by Adam; Noah will represent the Ancient Church; Moses will appear as representing the Israelitish Church; John with the book of the Apocalypse will represent the Christian Church; and the New Church will be represented by the Woman clothed with the sun and with the moon under her feet.

     The wonderful evolution of the building was shown graphically by photographs of the various models and drawings of the building, showing its development from beginnings which now in many instances appear crude and inadequate. The whole building has improved tremendously in its proportions from the first conception, which was low and without transepts, to a more dignified and stately church. It has acquired a soaring quality, breathing a sense of aspiration, lacking in the original design, while from within it has assumed a more distinctly religious and elevating atmosphere. The photographs of the chancel were impressive, and gave promise of a church which will indeed be full with the sphere of worship.

     Among some of the most important features of the building that have been added during its evolution are the two porches. The three-arched portal at the main entrance was suggested by Mr. Winfred Hyatt, and has developed into a most dignified and satisfactory entrance, which will complete the west facade of the church.

     The lecturer also mentioned briefly the stained glass for the church; this glass is being made in the garden house at Cairnwood, where a small kiln has been installed, and is designed and executed by Mr. Winfred Hyatt and Mr. Rowley Murphy. Mr. Conrad Howard, of London, was also one of the stained glass artists, but was obliged to leave not long ago to take his part in the great war. The windows give promise of being among the most successful things in the church, and it is a pleasure to have a New Church artist directing this work.

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     The lecturer ended with a series of slides showing six different studies made for the shrine or repository, which will contain the Word. It is to be arranged so as to represent the Son of Man in the midst of twelve golden candlesticks. The shrine or sacrarium stands upon a platform of three steps, its spire reaching toward a beautiful vaulted ceiling composed of twelve parts.
PATRIOTIC AFTERMATH. 1916

PATRIOTIC AFTERMATH.              1916

     The great success of the Assembly Banquet was due in no small measure to our genial Toastmaster, Mr. Randolph W. Childs, the son of Mr. Walter C. Childs.

     It is of interest to note that after presiding over the greatest banquet ever held in our church, Mr. Childs the very next day was called to the colors, as a member of the National Guard, and is now on border duty at El Paso, Texas. At the same place there are also four others of our young men, who had been present at the Assembly: Mr. Rowland Smith, the son of Charles S. Smith; Mr. Madefrey Odhner, the son of Rev. C. Th. Odhner; Mr. Gerrit Barger, the son of our New Church pioneer in Holland, and Mr. Allan Pendleton, the son of Bishop W. F. Pendleton. Quite a list of New Church warriors, and over them they have Major Louis Tafel, the son of the late Rev. Louis H. Tafel. Still another recruit, for a more immediate field of danger and honor, was Mr. Fred. Bellinger, of Toronto, Ont., who also was a guest at the Assembly and is now in training in Toronto.
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE 1916

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE       L. E. GYLLENHAAL       1916

     An extended report of the administration of the external features of the Ninth General Assembly would require considerable detail and a large number of statistics. It is hardly necessary to attempt such a minute report, but it may be of interest to other societies of the General Church to know that a record of such details is being kept and may be obtained for the use of any society planning to entertain a future Assembly.

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     The Ninth General Assembly proved to be the largest meeting the General Church has thus far held. The Bryn Athyn Society, at these meetings, entertained about two hundred and sixty guests. Of this number many coming from Philadelphia and other nearby points did not stay over night; in fact, only two hundred and ten were entertained in the Academy Dormitories and the homes of Bryn Athyn. However, this number was some fifty more than we had anticipated and about sixty more than were here at the last General Assembly.

     In preparation for the Assembly the undersigned was appointed as manager by the pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society, and he appointed the following members as heads of various committees to carry out the details of entertaining the Assembly:

Miss Olive Bostock, Entertainment of Guests
Mrs. R. H. Smith, Music
Mr. R. H. Smith, Catering Committee
Mr. Edwin Asplundh, Committee on the Assembly Ball
Mr. Fred. Finkeldey, Committee on the Pageant
Mr. C. R. Pendleton, Committee on Concessions
Mr. Donald Rose, Secretary and Manager of the Dramatic Entertainment

     These heads of Committees chose others to help them carry out the details of their work. In this way the work as well as the responsibility was divided so as to obtain the cooperation of as many of the members of the society as possible.

     Miss Bostock, by correspondence with members of the General Church and other guests intending to come to the meetings, arranged for their entertainment during the Assembly, and saw that guests were met at the trains and directed to the places prepared for them.

     Mrs. R. H. Smith, as head of the: Music Committee, prepared the program of the Sacred Concert, presented the opera, "Pinafore," by her pupils of the Academy Schools, and arranged for other music during the Assembly.

     Mr. R. H. Smith organized the Catering for the Assembly. This work was not turned over to a professional caterer. Mr. Smith bought the food necessary, and hired a kitchen crew to prepare the meals.

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He organized students of the Academy Schools as waiters. It has been found in recent Assemblies that this plan assures better food and more agreeable service.

     Mr. Edwin Asplundh, with the assistance of a number of the younger men, not only planned the program of the Assembly Ball and arranged for such details as refreshments and entertainment, but had; the more difficult task of turning a large work shed into a most attractive ball room.

     Mr. Fred. Finkeldey, in consultation with Bishop W. F. Pendleton and others, planned the scenes of the Pageant. With the assistance of Miss Helene Iungerich he worked out the costuming of the performers; and in addition organized some hundred and thirty men, women, and children to carry out the action as planned.

     Mr. C. R. Pendleton arranged for the transportation of the guests' baggage, and also took charge of the sale of ice cream and other refreshments. These concessions were given the Bryn Athyn Civic and Social Club, and Mr. Pendleton represented both the Assembly Committee and the Club.

     Mr. Donald Rose, as secretary of the Assembly Committee, attended to the printing of various programs used by the different Committees and managed the staging of the opera Pinafore.

     The work of carrying out these various activities of the Assembly was done by the young folks of the Bryn Athyn Society. Much of the work was done by pupils of the Academy Schools, and for some of this work compensation was given. With all the advantages we have in the way of buildings and conveniences, the meetings were so large that a great deal of work was necessary to prepare various rooms and buildings for meetings and social events. Rooms used for meetings had to be rearranged for services, and furniture had to be moved from place to place.

     In fact, as this was the largest Assembly that the General Church has held, it was also the most expensive. Moreover, our expenses ran considerably over our appropriations as planned. This was due partly to the fact that we had not anticipated so large a meeting, and partly to the fact that we did not charge enough for the meals during the meetings, especially for the Assembly Banquet.

492


The Assembly cost the Bryn Athyn Society over eleven hundred dollars. About three hundred dollars of this amount, however, represents added equipment that the society has obtained for future use.

     However, future Assemblies, even with a greater increase of number, can be managed with less, of a financial burden than the Bryn Athyn Society assumed this time; The catering can be made self-supporting, though, of course, prices of meals will have to be raised. Other features of the Assembly can be less elaborate and still be none the less enjoyable.
     L. E. GYLLENHAAL,
          Manager.

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JOURNAL OF THE NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE General Church of the New Jerusalem 1916

JOURNAL OF THE NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE General Church of the New Jerusalem       Various       1916

     HELD AT BRYN ATHYN, PA.

     From Thursday, June 15th, to Monday, June 19th, 1916.

     THURSDAY-JUNE 15.

     Morning Session.

     1. The Assembly was opened at 10 a. m. with worship conducted by the Acting Bishop, the Rev. N. D. Pendleton.

     2. On motion, the reading of the Minutes of the Eighth General Assembly was dispensed with, the Journal of that Assembly having been published in NEW CHURCH LIFE for August, 1913.

     3. The Acting Bishop appointed Messrs. Arthur Synnestvedt and Kesniel Acton as a Committee on the Roll of Attendance.

     4. The Acting Bishop read the following Report:

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     REPORT OF THE ACTING BISHOP.

     During the summer of 1913, as representative of the Bishop, I visited centers of the General Church in Europe, as follows: London, Colchester, Stockholm, The Hague, Brussels, and Paris.

     In February, 1914, I resigned the Pastorate of the Pittsburgh Society and accepted a call to assist the Bishop in the work of the General Church, the Theological School, and the Bryn Athyn Society. In June of the same year I was appointed Assistant Bishop of the General Church. As a part of the duties of that office I visited several centers of the Church in this country and Canada.

     In June, 1914, I was elected President of the Academy, on the retirement of Bishop Pendleton from that office. Since that time I have taken active charge of the administrative work of the Academy Schools.

     On the retirement of Bishop Pendleton in June, 1914, I became Acting Bishop of the General Church. I have presided over the meetings of the Consistory, the Council of the Clergy, the General Council, and all Joint meetings. In addition I became ex-officio Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, Bishop Pendleton continuing in charge of the worship and instruction of the Society.

     I visited Berlin, Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, for the holding of district and local assemblies.

     In November last I called a meeting of the Joint Councils of the General Church to consider the state of the Church.

     In December I performed the ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone of the church built by the Advent Society of Philadelphia, and in April dedicated the building, assisted by the Rev. George de Charms. N. D. PENDLETON. June, 1916.

     5. The Secretary of the General Church read the following Report:

     REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.

     1. The General Church of the New Jerusalem numbers, at present, 1,272 registered members, showing a net increase of 59 persons over the membership reported in June, 1915. Altogether 76 new members have been received since the last report; while, on the other hand, 3 persons have resigned, and 14 have passed into the spiritual world.

     2. RESIGNATIONS. The following have resigned:

Miss Lillian Beekman, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Locke, Colchester, England

     3. DEATHS. The following members have died since the Report last delivered:

Mr. Samuel B. Wright, of Washington, D. C., Oct. 13, 1915
Madame M. H. Lucas, Paris, France, Dec. 1, 1915

495



Mrs. Jane F. Robinson, Toronto, Ont., Dec. 18, 1915
Mrs. David H. Klein, Chicago, Ill., Dec. 21, 1915
Mrs. Julia Grant Boggess, Middleport, O., Dec. 26, 1915
Miss Laura Walls, Dover, Del., Jan. 2, 1916
Mrs. Elizabeth Putnam, Albany, Ore., Feb. 8, 1916
Mr. George A. Macbeth, Pittsburgh, Pa., Feb. 11, 1916
Mrs. Lutie Tenley, Belleview, Ky., Feb. 12, 1916
Mr. Sobieski C. Smith, Bryn Athyn, Pa., Feb. 16, 1916
Miss Christina Frydenborg, Bryn Athyn, Pa., March 8, 1916
Mrs. Harriet S. Leonard, Chicago, Ill., March 10, 1916
Mrs. Joanna J. Null, Pittsburgh, Pa., March 30, 1916
Mrs. Leah Wunderlin, Columbiana, O., April 22, 1916

     3. NEW MEMBERS. The following new members have united with the General Church during the past ecclesiastical year:

     I. IN THE UNITED STATES
     Chicago, Ill.
Mr. John Pearson Anderson
Mrs. John Pearson Anderson
Mr. George G. Fraga
Mrs. George G. Fraga
Mr. Edgar V. Holm
Frank Wesley Young

     Glenview, II.
Mr. Adolph W. Reuter
Mrs. Adolph W. Reuter

     Arbutus, Md.
Miss Elsie Harris

     Bryn, Athyn, Pa.
Miss Roena Acton
Mr. Gerrit Barger
Miss Clara M. Davis
Miss Dorothy Davis
Mr. Edward H. Davis
Miss Louise Davis
Mr. Egbert Glebe
Miss Hilda Glebe
Miss Winfrey Glenn
Miss Ruby Hickman
Mr. Kenneth E. Hicks
Mrs. Otho W. Heilman
Mr. Alan Pendleton
Miss Florence A. Schwindt
Mr. Arthur Synnestvedt
Mr. Hubert Synnestvedt
Miss Elsa Synnestvedt

     Denver, Col.
Rev. Joseph Stevens David
Mrs. J. S. David

     Erie, Pa.
Mr. Eugene T. Cranch

     Jamison, Pa.
Miss Christiana Schill
Miss Mina Schill

     Pittsburgh, Pa.
Miss Elizabeth M. Horigan
Miss Evangeline Synnestvedt

     Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mr. Geoffrey Stafford Childs

     Mason, Wis.
Mr. Andrew F. Bergman
Mrs. Lena M. Bergman

     II. IN CANADA.
     Arnprior, Ont.
Miss Eva Campbell
Miss Jessie Campbell

     Berlin and Waterloo, Ont.
Miss Olivia Doering
Mr. George H. Kuhl

     Windsor, Ont.
Mr. Walter E. Bellinger

     Toronto, Ont.
Mrs. Margaret E. Axton
Miss Florence W. Bellinger
Mr. Fred. Hubert Bellinger
Miss Dora Brown
Miss Gladys A. Brown

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     Chaplin, Sask.
Mr. Jacob Hiebert
Mrs. Jacob Hiebert
Mr. Heinrich Loeppky
Mrs. Heinrich Loeppky
Mr. Peter H. Rempel

     Herbert, Sask.
Mr. Heinrich Wiebe
Mrs. Heinrich Wiebe

     Rosthern, Sask.
Mr. Johan Lemky
Mrs. Johan Lemky

     Myleen, Alberta.
Mrs. Wm. A. Evens

     III. IN SWEDEN.
     Gothenburg.
Mrs. Joseph E. Rosenqvist

     Stockholm
Miss Senta Centervall
Miss Jenny Liden

     IV. IN SWITZERLAND
     Geneva
Madame Helene Delientraz-Bourquin
M. Louis Gianoli

     Lausanne.
Madame E. M. de St. Fern
M. Jules Martin
Madame Anna E. Nicolet
Mlle. Helene B. Nicolet
M. Jean A. Nicolet
Mlle. Ednee Rouillard
Mlle. Gilberte M. Rouillard

     V. IN AUSTRALIA
     Mayfield, Maratak, N. S. W.
Mr. Charles W. Morse
Mrs, Charles W. Morse

     VI. IN SOUTH AFRICA
     Durban, Natal.
Mr. Alfred S. Cockerell
Mrs. A. S. Cockerell
Mr. George E. Pemberton
Mrs. G. E. Pemberton
Miss Agnes E. Pemberton
Miss Irene H. Pemberton

     Of these 76 new members, 29 were at one time connected with various denominations of the Old Christian Church; 15 have come from other organizations of the New Church; 32 are from our own young people, and of these 28 have attended the Schools of the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn.
     Respectfully submitted,
          C. TH. ODHNER,
               Secretary.

     6. The Rev. F. E. Waelchli presented the following Report:

     REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY.

     During the past year the Council of the Clergy has held two meetings: a special meeting, February 5th to 8th, at Bryn Athyn, and the regular annual meeting, June 13th and 14th, preceding this Assembly. At the annual meeting twenty members of the Council were in attendance. The reports of the ministers, which were presented, show that during the year ministers of the General Church have officiated at ninety baptisms, twenty confessions of faith, ten marriages, twenty-one funerals, and eighty-nine administrations of the Holy Supper.

497


The reports further indicate that in all our Societies under the charge of resident pastors or ministers there has been an encouraging Church life.

     The report of the Rev. N. D. Pendleton, Acting Bishop, will also be presented by him to the Assembly, and therefore need not be given here. Some of the points of especial interest in the reports are the following:

     The Rev. W. F. Pendleton, on June 22d, retired from the office of Bishop of the General Church, continuing in charge of the worship and instruction of the Bryn Athyn Church. He visited Glenview and Chicago for the District Assembly and New York for the Local Assembly.

     The Rev. J. E. Bowers, Missionary of the General Church, visited members and friends of the New Church in thirty-seven places in Ontario and in five States. Twenty-two places were visited once and sixteen twice. The Holy Supper was administered six times to a total of forty-three communicants.

     The Rev. F. E. Waelchli, Visiting Pastor, visited fourteen localities, ten of these once, two twice, one three times, and one four times, making a total of twenty-one. The length of the visits varied, being, in some cases, a few days, in others a week or more, and in one case six weeks.

     The Rev. John Headsten, in charge of the mission in Chicago, reports progress in the work. During July and August he made a useful missionary trip through Minnesota and Wisconsin. THE NEW CHURCH EVANGELIST, which he began to publish last July, is performing a useful work. So far the list of subscribers has only sixty-four names.

     Mr. William Evens, Colporteur, has, during the year, sold forty-four copies of the Writings, seventeen of these in Barrie, Ont., and twenty-six in Western Canada.

     But two reports of the work abroad, those of Mr. Baeckstrom and Mr. Fercken, have reached us.

     The Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom has found the work in Stockholm, Sweden, encouraging, and looks to the future with confidence. At services the average attendance has been twenty-two, and at the Sunday evening missionary lectures thirty-six. The number of the lectures was seventeen. Doctrinal classes were also held.

     The Rev. G. I. Fercken has, since July 9th, conducted service at Lausanne, Switzerland, the average attendance being twenty-one. Besides the services, doctrinal classes are held and lectures are given. Interesting work has also been carried on in Geneva, where every other Thursday evening about twenty-five persons gather to hear the heavenly doctrines. At present the General Church has sixteen members in Switzerland.

     At the session of the Council, held Tuesday afternoon, June 19th, the following resolution was passed unanimously:

498




     "Resolved, That the Council of the Clergy declares Bishop N. D. Pendleton as its choice for Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem."

     Thereupon the following resolution was adopted:

     "Resolved, That this body inform the Executive Committee that the Council of the Clergy has named Bishop N D. Pendleton as its choice for Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem."
     Respectfully submitted,
          F. E. WAELCHLI, Secretary.

     7. Mr. Paul Carpenter, Secretary of the Executive Committee, read a Special Report, announcing that the Executive Committee unanimously concurred with the Council of the Clergy in the choice of the Rev. N. D. Pendleton for Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     8. On motion, the reading of Reports was suspended in order that the Assembly might now proceed to the election of a Bishop for the General Church.

     Rev. C. Th. Odhner: "Brethren of the General Assembly:-

     It is known to you all that after eighteen years of faithful and eminent services, our beloved and venerable Bishop,-the Rev. William F. Pendleton,-a year ago found it necessary to retire from the office of Bishop over the General Church of the New Jerusalem; and it is also known to you that the Rev. N. D. Pendleton has since then filled the office of Acting Bishop.

     The Council of the Clergy has now reported that it has unanimously named the Rev. N. D. Pendleton as its choice for Bishop of the General Church; and the Executive Committee has reported its unanimous concurrence in the initiative thus taken by the Clergy.

     In view of these facts I now therefore place before this Assembly for final action the name of Nathaniel Dandridge Pendleton for the office of Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     Mr. John Pitcairn: I take pleasure in seconding the name of Bishop N. D. Pendleton for Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     Mr. Odhner. The name has been seconded. As Secretary of the General Church I now therefore put the question: Are you ready for the final action of electing a Bishop?

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     If so, I shall ask all the members of the General Church, present at this General Assembly, to signify their choice of Bishop N. D. Pendleton by a rising vote.

     The choice is unanimous. In the name of this General Assembly, I therefore declare Bishop Nathaniel Dandridge Pendleton the duly appointed Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     9. THE BISHOP: "Mr. Secretary and Members of the General Assembly: Your action is imperative. I must indeed assume the great responsibilities which you have placed upon me. I cannot stand alone. I therefore earnestly ask for your help and I pray that the Lord may give me the light to see and the strength to walk in the way which I should go. From my heart I thank you for this confidence you have reposed in me."

     10. THE BISHOP then delivered the following address:

     ADDRESS BY BISHOP N. D. PENDLETON.

     The Ninth General Assembly, now in session, is notable as the first to be held subsequent to the retirement of Bishop W. F. Pendleton. The eight former Assemblies, covering a period of nineteen years, took place during his episcopal administration. The first of these marked the beginning of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, as distinguished from the former General Church of the Advent of the Lord. These two organizations, the one following after and, taking the plate of the other, demarked two successive stages of the Academy movement, in so far as that movement ultimated itself in the form of an external Church.

     The Academy as an educational institution and as an "internal Church," from the beginning maintained a separate organization distinct from any of the Churches with which, it was associated. As a propaganda of certain distinctive doctrines, the movement traces its origin back to the earliest time of the New Church. It was, however, definitely organized on the nineteenth day of June, forty years ago.

500




     I shall not attempt to trace the history of this movement, either before, or after, its organization in the year 1876, but refer only in a general way to the two successive stages of its development under the leadership, respectively, of Bishop W. H. Benade and Bishop W. F. Pendleton.

     The true history of a Church or of a country is not the history of its administrations, but of those living movements which arise from time to time under the leading of! Providence, in fulfilment of certain growing human needs. The Academy was such a movement in the New Church. The need in this case was long felt. The new revelation had been given to the world, and the Church founded upon it was slowly forming. But there was much falling away from a spirit of loyalty to the truth as revealed, and this because the Divinity of the revelation was not clearly seen. To develop within the Church the perception of this Divinity, the Academy was called into existence. The spirit of the movement can be summed up in the well known phrase "the Divine Authority of the Writings." It was necessary that the Church should have a supreme authority, and that this authority should be none other than the revelation itself. But the authority of the revelation could not be accepted as supreme unless the men of the Church were brought to a realization of the fact that the Second Coming was accomplished, not by a vague influence from the other world gradually qualifying the states of men, but by the giving of the written revelation at the hand of Swedenborg. So true was this held to be that men could with verity and by virtue of a Divine command say, These books are the coming of the Lord. That is, they constituted His coming, not in Person, but by a revelation of Himself in His glorified Human, as veiled in the letter of Scripture, and as forth standing by a process of unveiling in the Writings of the Church. These Writings were therefore to be regarded as a Divine revealing of the Human glorified, and as such they constituted the sole means by which His Second Coming could be brought about.

     The Lord comes to man when He is seen and the means of seeing Him is the instrumental cause of His coming. Literally, this is what the Writings as books are,-the means of rendering the Human glorified visible to the intellectual sight of man.

501




     They are not in material fact that Human glorified, nor yet its revealing. In this sense they are not the Second Coming of the Lord. If so, they as books would be the Lord. They are not the Lord any more than the books of the Sacred Scripture are God.

     When Swedenborg wrote on the cover of the BRIEF EXPOSITION: "Hic liber est Adventus Domini," he directed the thought to the written book as a finite instrument containing an accommodated manifestation of the Human glorified, in itself Infinite. All revelations are expressed in forms of ultimate finitions, such as written letters, words, and ideas. When under the influence of interior perception the mind loses sight of the letters, the words, and the natural ideas, still that which remains apperceptible is the Divine accommodated, and Divine accommodation is a form of spiritual finition. This Divine is in itself infinite, yet it puts on apparent finition for the sake of accommodation, adaptation, and application to human minds.

     To perceive the Infinite in and by means of the finite is the function of spiritual thought. Natural thought Sees and recognizes the finite only. Lest spiritual thought should fail, and men come to regard the Word as natural and human only, the internal sense which approximates more nearly to the Divine, was revealed. Even this sense is given as a finited manifestation of the Divine; but in this case the finition is by means of intellectual ideas. For in no case and under no conditions can the unveiled Divine be seen. Some veiling by forms of finition must always be given, and these forms when so employed are characterized as Divine. With this in view Swedenborg wrote on the cover of the BRIEF EXPOSITION: "This book is the Advent of the Lord."

     The perception of this, that is, of the Divinity of the Writings, imparted to the Academy movement not only the highest purpose, but also a spiritual elation of a unique kind which constituted at once the power of the organization and the joy of its members. This spiritual elation was especially manifest in those early Academy meetings when the movement was in its infancy. The state at that time can be rightly understood only when it is known that those first members of the Academy were faced with the discovery of something of supreme value to mankind.

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     The Academy movement, by opening the minds of Newchurchmen to a clearer and more rational perception of the Divine in the Writings, resulted in a renewed Study and a deeper grasp of their contents; hence also in a fuller realization not only of the method, but also of the fact, of the Second Coming of the Lord.

     In the beginning every movement which fills an important need is closely identified with the character and labors of its leader, or leaders, those who livingly voice the call for its establishment, and who, by life-long devotion and steadfast service, willingly make every sacrifice for its advancement.

     In such a case the man and the movement are as one, and the story of the one is the history of the other. Such a movement was the Academy, and such a man was Bishop Benade, "Father Benade," as he was affectionately called by his associates and pupils. We can hardly imagine one by native gifts and mental training better qualified for the work Providence brought to his hand. He was a man of impressive personality and scholarly attainments of a high order. He was truly a great man. That he did a most important work in a great way is acknowledged by all, especially by those who knew him personally and enjoyed the privilege of laboring with him. His ideas, his teachings, were all constructive, yet he was called to divide and to separate, to make a distinction, between those who acknowledged the Divine Authority of the Writings, and those who did not. In this he was often put to severe test, and was never found wanting. A man of rugged strength and of uncompromising disposition was the need of the hour. His critics have claimed that he mistook a spirit of personal conciliation for compromise. If so, it must be said that one given to conciliation could hardly have accomplished the work which be was called upon to do.

     It was of first necessity that the judgment should be accomplished, that the division should be clearly made, and the separation and reorganization effected. This required a leader of indomitable purpose, and Providence well endowed Bishop Benade as a fitting instrument of Its will.

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It would be a pity if one unacquainted with our first great leader should note this crude estimate and think of him as a stern or harsh man. He was quite the contrary. Many of us, now after the passing of twenty years, think of him with peculiar affection, and we may be pardoned for feeling that those of you who knew him not have missed something great in your lives. Certainly he made an indelible impression upon the plastic minds of his students. He taught them to love the principles for which he stood, and to place this love above every personal affection. It was their love of these principles, and their determination to save the results of his work, that in the end made them stand even against him. At least this they understood to be the motive of their action in that last great conflict, a conflict between Father Benade and his own people. There is no thought at this time of entering upon an extended consideration of the cause of the trouble which led to a breaking of relations with him in his old age. It is here referred to only as marking the close of the first period of the history of the Academy, and to indicate the strained and torn condition of the Church when Bishop Pendleton was called upon to assume leadership.

     The Journal of the first General Assembly presents in fullness and from several standpoints, the causes and interpretations of the difficulties with which the Church was then beset. Many of you who are present here today will recall that notable meeting, and the immediate events leading to it. You know now, as you realized then, that the Church, founded by the Academy, was in danger of total wreck. You will recall that on the afternoon of the fourth day of the Assembly Bishop Pendleton read his "Notes on the Government of the Church," Providing ground upon which all could unite. The suggestions contained in that well remembered address were not all formally carried out, yet the principles expressed, and especially the spirit which entered into it, have characterized the government of the General Church for the past nineteen years. The disturbing question at the time was one of government and had especial reference to the powers of the "High Priest." At a meeting of the ministers about a year prior to the culmination of the disturbance, Bishop Benade had suggested the propriety of the Bishop's naming his successor.

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There was favorable comment on the part of the ministers, with the understanding that such a naming should be regarded as a nomination and not as an appointment. There was also, if my memory serves, some adverse comment. The matter went no further save that the account of the meeting published in the LIFE, Written from a standpoint sympathetic to Bishop Benade s view, added to the disturbed feeling. Other utterances of the Bishop during this period increased the tension, especially certain expressions which looked in the direction of the "sole responsibility" of the chief executive in the exercise of his official duties. But these utterances for the most part were capable of different construction from that placed upon them at the time. If they had been delivered in a different atmosphere of thought, if a purely academic consideration could have been given them, they might not have led to such disastrous results. The underlying difficulty, that which gave point and force to all that was said, was the fact that for a time there was no calling of assemblies, and councils had been abolished.

     Bishop Pendleton perceived this as the real cause of the trouble. The cry was for a repudiation of the "sole responsibility doctrine," and for the placing of limitations upon the high priest. Especially was there insistence upon a provision for the removal of a Bishop in case of need in order to avoid the destruction of the Church organization.

     In the midst of many clamors Bishop Pendleton firmly resisted every effort to define, by legislative enactment, the powers or time of service of the head of the Church. He saw that if this step was taken with regard to the high priest, a like step would be insisted upon with reference to pastors of Churches, and indeed all priests. The place and position of the priest with his people would be changed and all that had been gained in this respect by the labors of Bishop Benade would be lost. For many years that great leader contended with democratic tendencies in the Church. He maintained that the Pastor was not an employee of his society; that although, as to his means of living, he was entirely in the hands of his people, yet that he should come to them as an ecclesiastical governor, bringing with him by virtue of his office a commission and powers not of their granting; that is, the commission to preach the everlasting gospel, and the powers of administering the Divine law and worship.

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     We are, I believe, sufficiently removed from the contentions of twenty years ago, for me to say without being misunderstood, that there is a true doctrine of "sole responsibility" for the high priest, the priest, and for every man in his work or profession. If a high priest fails he alone will be held responsible. It should at least be recognized by all that every man's power should be equal to his responsibility, otherwise there can be no free or adequate performance of duties. Here it must be said that while both Bishop Benade and Bishop Pendleton resisted the defining of the powers of the head of the Church by legislative enactment, neither of them ever claimed unlimited, or rather, uncontrolled power for that office, neither of them ever held that all should be "under the law" save only the high priest.

     The famous statement in the Writings concerning the mode of inquiry in the heavens, quoted by Bishop Benade to illustrate the manner of government in the Church, gave, however, apparent ground for the charge that the high priest was not under the law. It is recorded that the less wise amongst the angels, when in doubt, inquire of the wiser, and these of the wisest, who in turn make inquiry of the Lord. Should we say that all the angels in a society are under the law save the wisest? It might with equal pertinence be said that all in the country are under the judicial law save the judges of the Supreme Court.

     Wherever law and government exist, whether in heaven or on earth, the power of final decision must be lodged somewhere, in some official, some representative body, or in-the whole organization. The principle has been held in our Church from the beginning that ecclesiastical affairs,-those pertaining to the administration of the Divine law and worship,-should in the last resort be referred to the head of the Church for judgment. But it ought to be known that the head of the Church is as much under the law as anyone, not only under the Divine law, but under the organic law of the Church. For although we have no written constitution, we none the less have a well defined organization composed of principles of government and customs universally recognized and accepted as the prevailing modes binding alike upon bishops, pastors, priests, and all officers of administration.

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     Bishop Benade and Bishop Pendleton were opposed to legislative enactments limiting the powers of the high priest or of any priest. They favored an unwritten organic law which should be gradually evolved from the enlightened application of priestly perception to the needs and uses of the Church. They held in effect that the laws and customs thus drawn and developed would not only more readily and efficiently meet actual needs, but that they would be more directly expressive of the government of the Church by the Lord, in that the governing law would be derived through the priestly office which the Lord Himself has placed in the midst of the Church. This claim for the place and use of the priesthood in the Church and the government established therefrom, is not invalidated by criticisms leveled at the imperfections of the men holding the sacred office; it is not even invalidated by abuses of the office. Imperfection is a part of every man's estate, and abuses will arise. The question for Newchurchmen is whether the doctrine of the priesthood, developed in the Academy, is as to its essential characteristics fairly founded upon the teaching given in the Writings. If so it should be sustained.

     At the close of Bishop Benade's administration the confidence of the members of the Church in the high priest was sorely tried. Many were earnest for decided limitations by some form of legislation. Bishop Pendleton perceived that the real difficulty arose, not from the failure to bind the Bishop by a written instrument, but because council had been abolished and assemblies were allowed to lapse. He presented this view to the first Assembly in his "Notes on Government" and proposed the re-establishment of these two institutions. You will recall the remarkable coming together of all in that Assembly, and the enthusiastic agreement to go forward with the new organization which was then being called into existence. It was perceived that the re-establishment of council and the re-calling of Assemblies opened the way not only for needed reform, but that the simple fact of council and assembly was itself a guarantee of limitation.

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That was nineteen years ago. Since then Assemblies have been held from time to time, and councils have been called frequently and with regularity. There has been no disturbance over the matter of Church government, no serious questioning of the episcopal prerogative.

     As a leader Bishop Pendleton brought to the work of restoring confidence and rebuilding the Church, an exalted spiritual vision, intense earnestness, long enduring patience, and a marvelous tact in dealing with men. It is a pleasure to think of those two men, Bishop Benade and Bishop Pendleton, as doing a work each apart, the one complementary to the other. Certainly it is a cause for congratulation that two such priests stood in the forefront of the life of our Church, especially in its beginning, when the fundamental mould was formed and characterizing principles were established.

     Bishop Pendleton's administration began in the midst of the wreck of a former Church. He was eminently successful in the work of re-building, and in giving the Church a firm organization. I am not the man and this is not the time to make a comprehensive estimate of his labors. You all know him well. He has gone in and out amongst you for many years. I shall only note the fact, which brings a feeling of sadness to all, that now, after nineteen years of leadership, he has, because of failing strength, laid aside the cares and responsibilities of his office. This he was compelled to do in spite of the fact that the Church at the time was in a disturbed state of more, than usual severity.

     In the early days of Bishop Pendleton's administration a decided impulse was given to the study of the scientific and philosophical works. From the beginning Newchurchmen had noted in these earlier writings doctrines formulated, such as those of degrees and correspondences, which were later given in the theological works as truths of revelation. It appeared as if Swedenborg had, by means of scientific investigation, discovered certain fundamental laws concerning the structure of the universe and the human organism, basic to an understanding of both earth and heaven, which afterwards received confirmation by revelation.

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Yet the identity of teaching was generally regarded more as a matter of curious interest than as a fact of deep import to the Church. There was no general systematic study of the earlier works, and the disposition was to regard them as exceedingly profound but out of date. There were some exceptions to this,-men of learning and sterling Newchurchmanship such as Augustus Clissold, Rudolph L. Tafel, and J. Garth Wilkinson, who performed notable service to the Church in translating and editing the scientific writings. But so far as the body of Newchurchmen were concerned, there was little or no realization of the extent or significance of the agreement between the revealed laws and those seemingly discovered by Swedenborg prior to the reception of his commission as a revelator.

     Sufficient weight was not given to Swedenborg's statement concerning the nature of his preparation by the Lord for the fulfilment of his mission. It was not realized that in his case there was a providential unfolding of the structural law of the universe and of the human organism, and that this law was concordant with revealed truth. It was not clearly seen that unless his mind had been thus instructed and constructed according to the true form and order of the universe, he could not have received or imparted in a rational manner the truths of the final revelation. These truths, however, in their turn, were given not primarily to expose the structure of the universe, but to manifest the God thereof, the Human glorified. Although these things were but obscurely seen, if seen at all, yet it should be recorded that Newchurchmen very generally have regarded the earlier works of Swedenborg with grave respect, if with but little familiarity.

     With the beginning of the Academy and the founding of its educational institution, the study of the scientific works was encouraged. It was freely prophesied that wonderful things would come forth from a comprehensive investigation of these works by one profoundly versed in the Doctrines. No one spoke more often, or more earnestly of this prospect than Bishop Pendleton, then a Professor in the Academy Schools. He keenly regretted that his many labors debarred him from making this field his life work, but he was ever ready to give sympathetic encouragement to others.

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Shortly after he became Bishop of the General Church an awakening of interest in "Swedenborg's Science" occurred in the Church at large. Clubs were formed for study in several dissociated quarters, and a general scientific association was formed under the leadership of the late Rev. Frank Sewall. The movement, as a whole, was not inspired by any one person; it arose spontaneously in several places as if in response to a need of the time.

     Twenty years ago the Power of material science was at its height. Darwin, Huxley, Spencer, and other master minds overshadowed the religious world. The New Church was not unaffected. Although Newchurchmen for the most part tenaciously held to the heaven and the theology revealed to them, they were not a little oppressed by the prevailing cloud of pessimistic thought. They were distinctly conscious that the world of nature as known and interpreted was not a fit resting place for the heaven of revelation. Some of them were convinced that if the New Church did not develop a scientific armament of its own, it would not be able to meet the intellectual demands of the day.

     Groups of Newchurchmen were formed here and there for the study of the philosophic system of Swedenborg. The definite and well founded hope was entertained that his system might prove adequate even at that late date,-certainly that it would develop more accordance with the revealed truth.

     The Academy and its leaders were ready to aid and, in every way possible, to encourage these studies. It is hardly necessary to recount the rest of the story. For a time it seemed as if the hope entertained was being more than fulfilled. Marvels began to develop; startling conclusions were advanced; old ideas were overturned, new conceptions took their place in rapid succession. It seemed as if heaven, which before appeared detached and remote, had actually come down and met in an intimate embrace a new earth forming. The PRINCIPIA atmospheres which before seemed to be a stilted series of artificial devising, became vital molding forces in a new and true world. All organisms, human and animal, were correlated with these atmospheres according to their orders and degrees.

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The doctrine of infilling spheres opened for the mind a way of thought which, I think, will not be closed.

     These marvels came rapidly. We in the Academy formed into groups to read, to consider, to affirm, or to criticize. The first formed groups were broken up by differences, they were re-formed and again were broken as new concepts were advanced. On the whole the new views gained ground. It may be said that though the voice of opposition was never quite stilled, well-nigh all favored them at some time and in some degree.

     In the course of time something like a stable opposition developed, especially with reference to the more startling of the new teachings. This opposition increased steadily Strictures appeared in the organ of the General Church. This led to a public discussion which lasted for several years. Finally councils were called to consider the state of the Church, but the differences appeared to be accentuated rather than healed.

     It is not my intention to deal at length with the present state, primarily for the reason that it would call for a repetition of the things said in a recent address delivered at the Ontario Assembly held at the beginning of the present year. In that address, parts of which were published in the March issue of the LIFE, the present crisis in regard to the scientific development in the Church was noted and commented upon. I held that the General Church would not stand sponsor for the views of the leading worker in the scientific field, yet a warning was given against a spirit of too great invalidation, lest the useful be destroyed with the spurious. I asked for time in order that our difficulties might be settled by a normal process. It seemed to me that justice to individuals, and also a due regard for the preservation of our institution and its continued usefulness, required this. Justice to individuals meant time and opportunity for all to readjust themselves in freedom to a rapidly changing state of the Church. I felt convinced that the maintenance of a proper mental equilibrium would accomplish this, and that in such case the Church would be in a position to go forward with its legitimate work of investigating the scientific writings of Swedenborg, with a view to their rational correlation with the teachings of revelation.

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     Of course, if the scientific movement has developed only a seed of evil sowing, then indeed we must erase the mark placed upon us by years of laborious Study and revert to the ideas and standards of twenty years ago. If it be needful, I hold that we can do this only by a slow process, and maintain our sanity. This would surely be so of all those who, during the past years, have sympathetically followed the movement. But in any case it is necessary for us to recur to the fundamental teachings of the Writings, and in their light test these theories by a closer and more painstaking examination than before. If we do this with an open mind and humble spirit, the truth will be revealed and error exposed. In the end we shall find that the Writings are consistent with themselves, and also that the great laws given in the scientific works will agree with the teachings of Divine revelation, that the cosmos and the human organism of the earlier works will co-ordinate with the heavens and the immortal spirit revealed in the Writings. This is that which the scientific movement has brought to our realization, and this, I believe, is true. I cannot think that this movement as a whole is devoid of all uses, or that it was put upon us by Providence solely as a trial of our faith. The Lord does not so deal with His Church, Yet it must be clear to all that as to certain phases the movement has come to grief. In some respects it ran to excess and encouraged extravagance of thought. It evinced a tendency to subject revealed doctrine to the rule of scientific conception, In its later stages it developed a tone of finality which brooked no opposition, which in the end put the Writings on trial. This the Church could not tolerate. Spiritual faith must rule; science must yield in order that it may become a useful servant rather than a master. But subordination is called for, not destruction.

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The Church must have its science. Our schools must have a body of external cognitions in agreement with the revealed truth. Indeed it possesses such a body in the earlier writings. But until recent years these books were all but closed. Now that they have been opened and many have entered upon the study of them, it would be a pity to recede, and to fall back in discouragement.

     The need of the time is for a calm judgment and rational discrimination, in order that the true may be distinguished from the false. I am convinced that if we in patience renew our studies of the Writings in the light of the doctrine of the Divine Authority established with us from the beginning, we shall be led out of our present distresses, the Church will pass triumphantly through the crisis that is upon it, and we shall see with ever greater clearness our Lord in His glorified Human, revealed in the sacred Writings. In so seeing Him we shall be drawn nearer to that heaven of His which He has prepared for all those who worship Him in simplicity and sincerity of heart. He is present in His heaven and also in His Church,-neither the one nor the other is in any real danger. Though the passions and the conceits of men may for the moment veil the one, and overshadow the other, yet only for a brief time will this be allowed. The end will come, the light will break through. This we do believe, and in believing let us act according to our belief by banishing all doubtful spirits from our minds.

     The Academy has known troubles in the past. It is experiencing trials at the present time. It will encounter temptations in the future. But this should not discourage, but rather encourage us. But without these signs and tokens we could not regard the Academy as a growing spiritual man.

     We know not the ultimate fate of any organization. But we may rejoice in the knowledge that the Academy as we have known it represents an undying principle. It stands for that unconquerable spirit of the Church which in one form or another will pass on from power to power through the coming ages.

     And now I can only pray that the Lord may guide the deliberations of this General Assembly.

     11. Dr. Felix A. Boericke, referring to the retirement of Bishop W. F. Pendleton, spoken of in the Address of Bishop N. D. Pendleton, presented the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr. E. C. Bostock and unanimously adopted by a rising vote:

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     "WHEREAS, Bishop William F. Pendleton has been the Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem since its inception in 1897; and

     "WHEREAS, Since the last General Assembly of the Church Bishop Pendleton, in 1915, withdrew from the office of Bishop of the General Church; be it therefore

     "Resolved, That this General Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem records its deep appreciation of Bishop Pendleton's loving and faithful services.

     "In his leadership of the General Church he has at all times shown patience, forbearance and wisdom. At a time when we were in the midst of great trials, his respect for the freedom of others, his patience in the presence of conflicting views, his insight into the needs of the hour, and his constructive leadership, have contributed in a most conspicuous degree to the growth and unity of our Body. It is therefore with a peculiar and heartfelt sense of gratitude that we pay this tribute to that good judgment, and that wise leadership from which the General Church has so greatly profited under the guidance of Bishop William F. Pendleton."

     12. Discussion of Bishop N. D. Pendleton's Address followed:

     MR. RAYMOND PITCAIRN: This Assembly has had the privilege to listen to a great address, an address which I believe will go down in history. I think that the members of this Assembly feel deep thankfulness to you for giving it to us.

     MR. JOHN PITCAIRN: Bishop and Friends: I wish to express my hearty appreciation of the address we have just heard from Bishop N. D. Pendleton. I would like to comment for a moment upon the recent disturbance we have had in the Church, and I will precede my remarks by a statement made by me during the recent controversy in our body: "Swedenborg has given to the world the greatest system of science and philosophy that ever emanated from the mind of man." That my position might not be misunderstood, I emphasized this fact, at the same time calling attention to the error some had fallen into that is, in elevating the science of Swedenborg to the plane of Divine Revelation. As the Bishop has expressed it, there was a tendency "to subject Revealed Doctrine to the rule of scientific conception."

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The fact is that, from Swedenborg's science, nothing could be known of spiritual creation; of the existence of spiritual creation by means of the spiritual sun, terminating in spiritual atmospheres, in spiritual waters, in spiritual earths,-this fact was unknown to the world. The great error, I repeat, was in making the Divine Revelation subordinate to science. Another serious error was committed in insisting upon correlating the scientific works of Swedenborg with the Divine Revelation, even where the scientific writings are in error; in other words, correlating error with Divine Revelation. Now, if the principles enunciated by the fathers of the Academy had been adhered to, we would not have been on the verge of destruction, as we were for a number of years. If the article on "Science and Revelation" in WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH had been read occasionally, and had been taken to heart, the Church with us would never have fallen into so serious a condition as to be shaken to ifs very foundations. Happily the conditions have changed; a new spirit exists, and we may well go back and profit by what was taught in the article on "Science and Revelation" in WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH. No one demands that we should discontinue the study of Swedenborg's science; but we insist that it be put in its proper place, and that attention be paid to what Swedenborg himself says with regard to his ignorance of the conditions of spiritual creation. Neither do we undervalue progress in more interior views of our doctrines; but let the progress be in the light of heaven which is now vouchsafed to us, and not in the delusive light of science.

     There has been so much evidence of dogmatism in the enunciation of the so-called "interior views" that their sensual and scientific origin and nature, making them the very opposite of "interior," has not been fully realized. In this connection I have written the following paper which I will now ask Mr. Waelchli to read:

     CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL BODY.

     There seems to be a lack of clearness as to the spiritual body, and the following reflections are submitted for consideration, with the hope that the study of the subject may bring into clearer light a question so vital to an understanding of our future life.

     Paul says there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body, but only in the Revelation to the New Church may we know what the spiritual body is. That prior to Swedenborg's intromission into the spiritual world he had no knowledge of spiritual creation he fully admits in A. C. 1533, where we read: "Before my interior sight was opened my idea concerning the innumerable things which appear in the other life differed little from that which the generality of people entertain, namely, that life, together with objects of sense, could by no means have existence there.

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This idea was formed in consequence of the prevailing imaginary conceit of the learned respecting immateriality, upon which they so much insist in their disquisitions on the nature of spirits and of all things relating to the life of spirits: from which no other conception can be formed, than that, being immaterial, their state must either be so obscure as to fall under no idea or else that it is a mere nonentity, for this is implied in the notion of such immateriality. Nevertheless, the very reverse is the truth: for unless spirits and angels were organized substances it would be impossible for them either to speak, to see, or to think."

     In recent considerations as to the spiritual body it has been affirmed that it is identical with the limbus, but as the limbus partakes of nature and as the spiritual body is an organized spiritual creation, this would materialize the spiritual body, which is contrary to what is now revealed to the Church.

     Spiritual creation by the spiritual sun, terminating in spiritual atmospheres, spiritual waters, spiritual earths, etc., is entirely discrete and different from natural atmospheres, waters and earths.

     The limbus gives the spiritual body fixity, but it is not the spiritual body itself. The spiritual body is a creation by the Lord of organized substances in the human form and shape. It is, and always remains, in the society in which the man is as to his interiors. If this is a heavenly society he is in the fullest enjoyment of all his faculties. He is in the greatest freedom. He is in his home, and is associated with those who are in similar affections. Even while living in the natural world, he is, as to his interiors, or as to his spiritual body, in some society in heaven or in hell, where he sometimes even appears when thinking deeply or abstractedly. On such occasions, we are told, he "goes about meditating and in silence, not looking at others, and apparently not seeing them. As soon as any spirit speaks to him, he vanishes." (H. H. 438, see also D. L. W. 252.)

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     If an angel has occasion to visit another society, or planet, or world, he does so by intellectual changes of state, his spiritual body always remaining in the society with which he is interiorly connected.

     The changes of state which enable an angel to visit any part of the spiritual world for the performance of uses, is explained in S. D. 5646, 5647, where two methods of walking or traveling are described, one by intellectual changes of state, the other, where there is no separation of the intellect from the will. It is important to discriminate carefully between the two states here described.

     We may get some idea of the first instance, that is, when walking is effected by intellectual changes of state, when we bear in mind that in the spiritual world there is no time and space, such as exist in the natural world. In the spiritual world sight and hearing can take place irrespective of distance, and we may have all the conditions of presence in any place to which the thought may be projected, the spirit's body always remaining in one place, that is, in his own society. In the second instance we are told that there is no separation of the intellect from the will, and "when they walk, they walk with their whole being, and where they then come, there they wholly are, appearing there as respects place and actually there as respects the state of their life, which is the state of the affection which is of love, consequently of the will."

     Mr. Pitcairn continued: Bishop: In view of your address, it seemed proper for this paper to be presented at this time. I wish again to repeat that there is no disposition, so far as I know, to discredit the scientific writings of Swedenborg, but there is insistence that they be put in their proper place and relation. The error has been in forcing correlation where correlation is impossible, for where the science of Swedenborg is in error, correlation is impossible. There is where the mistake was made. We can correlate any natural truth with Divine Revelation. We can correlate Newton, that "star of the learned world" so greatly admired by Swedenborg; we can correlate Newton's scientific writings just as well as we can correlate the scientific writings of Swedenborg, if we bear in mind all the time what I said in the beginning, "that the system of science and philosophy given by Swedenborg, is the greatest that ever emanated from the mind of man, and that he was prepared from his earliest infancy for the great work which he performed."

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The danger, I repeat, that existed, from which there is now a reaction, was the attempt to correlate error with Divine Revelation, There is no other danger. Keeping the scientific works in their proper place and relation, we may now go on in the study of these subjects from the standpoint of Divine Revelation.

     REV. ALFRED ACTON: Bishop: It is with a heart full of gratitude that I rise to express my appreciation of the Address you have delivered this morning. Words fail me to properly express my delight, and I think I can do no more than to repeat the short but feeling words of Mr. Raymond Pitcairn, that we have this morning been privileged to hear a wonderful address; I will add that the reflection, the thought, the patience, the moderation which are manifested in that Address give promise that under your guidance, under the Lord's blessing, the Church will prosper.

     Bishop, we have just heard also from one of the founders of the Academy, a man to whom the Academy and General Church owe very much. He has spoken a word this morning which but repeats his earliest efforts in the Church forty years ago or more, in founding the Academy, to uphold the authority of the Writings, to uphold the doctrine then almost unknown in the Church, that the Writings, the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, are the sole law and order of the New Church. This is the word which he has now uttered. And I see in it the same spirit that led him to join with Father Benade in founding the Academy.

     As you, Bishop, have said in your Address, there has been a new development in the General Church, and that development seemed to some to open heaven. It gave a certain joy and delight, which all experienced, more or less, and at times like that, there is always danger of enthusiasm leading to conclusions and statements, that afterwards must be modified. We know that in the early days of the Church, under Hindmarsh, the great enthusiasm that was then felt by a small body of men: made them also to feel that heaven had been opened to them. They stood for a great doctrine, the doctrine of the authority of the Writings,-a doctrine that has stood in the New Church and that is the basis of the strength of this General Church,-but they were also led in that enthusiasm to come to certain conclusions which later years have somewhat modified. But the primary thing for which they stood still endures. So in the early days of the Academy, to which you so eloquently referred, there was a feeling that a new state had come, a state of something entrancing, and then also we were led to conclusions which in some respects have been modified. But the doctrine of the authority of the Writings, the one great thing for which the Academy stood, this has endured. This doctrine is the one thing that is to be maintained in the whole Church,-the Divine authority of the Writings.

     The philosophic works of Swedenborg are the works by which he was prepared for his mission.

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They are nothing more. But the mission itself was the revelation given in the Theological Writings of the New Church. It is these Writings that are authority; and as one of the early pupils of the Academy, I repeat the words uttered by Mr. Pitcairn, that the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg are to be our supreme guide in determining every question. If anything goes against those Writings, it is to be rejected. If anything appears to go against those Writings, it is either to be rejected, or to be held in abeyance, for the Writings alone are the supreme authority in our Church.

     At a time like this, patience is needed. Not only patience with each other, but also patience with ourselves. Many difficulties, many disturbances occur to men, to every man who reflects on important matters, and it is important that we hold our mind in poise, and not let it be carried away with enthusiasm to conclusions not properly weighed. It is important that we have this patience, especially at a time when there is great controversy, or great dispute; that we hold our mind in a state of calm and in that state we may trust to be guided by the Lord to see what is the truth. But let me repeat, to be guided by the Lord is to be guided by the words of Divine revelation in the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, which are our law, and which are the Lord speaking in our midst.

     REY. HOMER SYNNESTVEDT: I can only say that I appreciated the Bishop's Address as much as anyone who has spoken, and I wish to record my belief that the Church is again to be carried forward in perfectly capable hands by the Lord's merciful provision. It is the Lord Himself who provides for these things when the time arises an instrument best suited to do His work, a fallible instrument, perhaps, but serviceable in His hands for an infallible work. It is the Lord's own work, rebuilding a Church from scattered fragments, and He alone is able to snatch the salvable remnant from the, ruins of a decadent civilization. We wait upon Him and do not force our own preferring, and take a prayerful attitude, He will bring us to the land and lead us in the orderly relation to Himself. I feel very grateful to the Lord because of a Church organized as ours, recognizing the highly centralized leadership and responsibility which give us tremendous power and great protection, and carries us through a great many difficulties that are experienced by those who have the opposite order. It was a highly significant occasion this morning, when every one here, male and female, rose in response to the call for a vote completing this rite of choosing a Bishop, where it meant the reciprocal relation of every individual of the Church to the head of the Church representing the Lord in His work of the priesthood. You might not think it so important, so momentous,-it went through almost like a steamroller, you did not even ask for those opposed. When the whole Church had waited so long and had talked it all out, we were obviously unanimous.

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It has been so each time we have chosen a Bishop.

     A word about Mr. Pitcairn. I see in his speech this morning, and in his conclusion, the spirit perennial which we saw in the founders of the Academy, and which I hope will continue to reproduce itself in the Academy itself. When the temptation comes and the persuasions and clouds of falsity take a fall out of us, it is refreshing and cheering to see these men land upon their feet and come forth ready to start all over again. That is the spirit of youth and that is the spirit of the Academy. That is the very source of youth, and that is repentance, a willingness to face conditions, to lay all before the Lord and to start over again when we are called. upon, that is what renews youth, and keeps us ever ready to follow the Lord, not to settle into certain things of our own providing and insist upon that, which is the decadence of the old Church.

     Now I would make a suggestion. There are always new young people growing up and joining the Church. They perhaps do not realize that when they come upon this floor they come in the great fellowship of the Church; that they are equal citizens here with us all, with the privilege of raising their voice and being heard, or of asking questions. Here the Church breathes and comes into full and direct relation with the Bishop and with the other administrative officers. One thing I have admired in the British Assembly. The young men get up and have their say. They are not afraid nor ashamed to do it. It seems to be a custom there and the young men there cultivate it. That seems useful, and I would like to hear in this Assembly more from the younger men.

     REV. W. B. CALDWELL: I wish to express my deep appreciation of the address. If anything was needed to inspire the younger ministers to follow the leadership of the new Bishop, that address would have given it. We are ready and anxious to go forward with you in the new states that will come in the Church. We have already assured you of that, and I wish to renew it now. The change has not been altogether an easy one for us. It has come about gradually, and that has helped us. Most of the younger ministers were brought up, theologically speaking, by the retired Bishop, and his leadership has meant to us something more than we can now express. I for one am thankful, I wish to say it now, for one thing that has characterized the former Bishop's regime, that it has brought forward the value of Swedenborg's philosophical works. With me this has been the means of my taking a great delight in the Writings, and it is this that constitutes their great value, that they have thrown, an increasing light upon the Writings. In his address last evening Mr. Doering quoted a letter from Swedenborg, in which it was said that the spiritual truth now revealed to the New Church is to be taught rationally and naturally and for that purpose the Lord had introduced him into the natural sciences from an early age, from the year 1710 to 1744.

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That remarkable statement should indicate to us that the use of natural truth in the New Church is of the highest importance. In other words, this characterizes the teaching of doctrine in the New Church, and so we find it in the setting forth of the doctrines throughout the Writings, which are reinforced and illustrated and confirmed everywhere by the natural truth that was in a way taken over by Swedenborg from the earlier works. I wish to express my appreciation now for having been kept in an affirmative attitude toward those works by the Bishop, which kept me from rejecting what I have now found to be of such great value. We expect him to be with us for years yet, in honorable retirement, and to be of great use to the Church. It cannot be with us "off with the old and on with the new." But we are now ready to follow the new leadership, and to express our deep gratification for the inspiring words you 'have given us this morning

     REV. J. E. BOWERS: I was one of the earliest members of the Academy; and wish to express my intense interest in, and my heartfelt gratitude for, the proceedings of this first session of this Assembly. I remember the day of small beginnings, in the various important uses of the Academy. There are others here who remember them; and for some years we have had cause for gratitude to the Lord, for such a movement as the Academy. It came at the right time; and such an educational institution as the Academy has become, and we believe is to be in the future, is certainly a necessary means for the permanent establishment of the Lord's New Church in the world. The need of New Church education was seen, with this end in, view, by the founders and organizers of the Academy.

     When I think of the small numbers in our beloved Church forty years ago, and of the steady increase since then, till now we have such an Assembly as this,-well, I find myself unable to express in words my thoughts at this time.

     MR. GERALD S. GLENN: First, I want to say in defense of the young men of the Church in this country, that they have here two bishops and numerous well trained ministers to talk in our meetings, whereas the young men in Great Britain have only two pastors.

     Personally, I wish to say, I have never listened to a paper which so deeply affected me as has this address to which we have just listened. Two or three years ago, I remember, a number of boys in school and some out of school lamented the fact that in their days no valiant battles were being fought, no history being made, that we could only study what other people of the past had done. Now the most horrible and most valiant of wars is in progress, and if we but stop to realize it, right here at this meeting there is history being made, greater, even, than the war.

     It seems to me that it behooves all to realize that every one of us has a part in this greatest history that has ever been made in the world.

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The greatest thing on earth is, we know, the Lord's New Church. A Bishop to lead the Church has now been installed into office and each one of us, has a part to play in greater or in lesser degree in supporting the Bishop and in the active work of the Church. There is something for every one to do. One thing, at least, we can all do is to control our own propriums. If we cannot actively help, we can at least see that we do nothing to hinder the progress.

     It is only so far as the individual shuns his evils that the Church, as a whole, can go forward.

     REV. F. E. WAELCHLI: Several of the speakers have referred to the truths of Divine revelation as resting upon human science. Mr. Pitcairn would like to call attention to the principle that the truths of Divine revelation in the internal sense of the Word, presented in the Doctrines of the New Church, rest upon the letter of the Word. The science of the letter of the Word and not anything of human science, is the Divine ultimate there given.

     MR. ROBERT CARSWELL: I wish to congratulate the Assembly. We have heard from the new Bishop a discourse which must give unity and pleasure to all who have heard it. I have been thinking since I came here what a promise this meeting holds out. About fifty years ago I was led in Toronto to read the Writings of the New Church, and it was the greatest delight I could conceive of. They made me feel that if I were a beggar in this world and had those Writings, I would he a rich man, and so I counted that the world was nothing compared to them. That was my earliest acquaintance with the Writings. About twenty-five years later I was introduced into the Academy. Not far from this place I was invited by Mr. Pitcairn to stop at his house, at that time near where Mrs. Glenn lives, at an old farmhouse, and at noon my wife and r were taken to the knell where Mr. Pitcairn's house now stands. All about were orchards and farms. There were less than twenty in that small gathering. Now what have we today? The Secretary has reported a membership of 1,272 in the General Church. The hearts of all beat as one with the Doctrines of the New Church. If all this has grown from that little kernel and is still only the beginning of the Church, what will it be twenty-five years from now? The Lord is taking care of the Church and it will prosper. I congratulate you again on the delightful things we see around us.

     REV. GILBERT H. SMITH: Bishop: This meeting is of such a character as to affect us very strongly and makes it very difficult to express what is in us. So much has been said about the address that I do not wish to add to that. Everybody knew in the beginning that it was going to be a good address, but the point I wish to emphasize is not so much the fact that you have given us the address, but that now we have got you. You may not have to consider yourself an employee of the General Church, but we have got you nevertheless,-and, on the other hand, I think you have got us.

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So the burden of my speech is to voice the jubilant feeling that rises and springs eternal in our breasts, the fact that we are to be congratulated on what has taken place here, that we wish to feel something of the joy of the old Academy at this crucial moment.

     REV. F. E. WAELCHLI: Our first Bishop, Bishop Benade, received his education in the schools of the Old Church, then received the doctrines of the New Church. He attended no Theological School of the New Church except that which he provided for himself. Bishop W. F. Pendleton, who followed him, received his education in the schools of the world, afterwards attended the Theological School of the General Convention, and later came into contact with Bishop Benade. And be who has become our Bishop today has received his entire education except for a few years in early life, from the Academy of the New Church. He is the first Bishop of our body who has had that education and that training, who is in an eminent sense a son of the Academy and of this General Church. These are facts worthy of being noted. That able address which he has given us today is the result of all that growth and that education within our own body.

     MR. S. G. NELSON: Bishop: As one associated with you in the first work you did for the General Church I desire to say a few words. This occasion carries me back to the time when in a very able speech you accepted the pastorate of the Immanuel Church in Chicago. The speech at that time voiced the sentiment you have today expressed and carried to that Society the same sphere of loyalty to the truth and devotion to the cause of the New Church. Then as now you pledged yourself to be guided only by the Lord's Divine truth in the carrying on of the work of the Church and then as now your audience was thrilled with the address which you gave us. I believe that I use the right word when I say, we were all thrilled with delight to hear the address which promised so much for the future of our work.

     13. The hour of 12:30 p. m. having arrived the meeting adjourned, to re-assemble at 3 p. m.

     Thursday Afternoon, June 15th.

     14. The Assembly came to order at 3 p. m.

     15. The Rev. Charles E. Doering presented a Report of the work of the Academy of the New Church, speaking in substance as follows:

     THE REPORT OF THE ACADEMY.

     MR. DOERING, in presenting the Report of the Academy, prefaced his remarks by stating that Mr. Acton would present the report of the Theological School and Mr. Bostock the Report of the Treasurer, which would include in detail the work of phototyping, which had been done under the agreement entered into with the London Swedenborg Society and other contributing bodies of the church since the year 1910.

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     Since the last Assembly the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION has been developed from an Annual to a Quarterly, presenting the aims and policies of the Academy and offering opportunity for publishing reports of the work of the Academy from time to time, as also articles and papers by the professors and teachers, which may be of use in furnishing material from which New Church text-books may later be written.

     Last year the President, Bishop W. F. Pendleton, on account of increasing infirmities, declined to serve any longer in that capacity, and Bishop N. D. Pendleton was elected to that office. This brought with it something of a reorganization of the work and the departments, the most notable of which was that of the College under which the Normal School was made a department of education. So that now students can continue their education after completing their secondary studies without having to go to old church colleges for it. The number of students in the College so far has not as yet been large, but we expect as we become more thoroughly established that the Church will more fully appreciate and support it.

     A point emphasized by Mr. Doering in his report was that of scholarships. Thus far the Academy had twenty-four applicants. The president had considered the ways and means with the Board of Directors and with the General Faculty, with the result that the Board of Directors have agreed to give opportunity for work to every student, to the extent of one-half board charge, and the teachers have agreed to supervise it and to give instruction so as to make the work at real educational value to the pupils. There remains then one-half the board charge to be provided for from the various scholarship funds. In accordance with this conclusion Mr. Doering wrote to each one of the parents a statement of the plan and calling attention to the fact that its success depended largely on the willingness of the student to work. Three factors entered into the success of such a plan: 1st, The Academy remitting tuition and furnishing work for one-half board, as well as supervising and directing the work; 2d, The various scholarship funds contributing one-half the board, which seemed very probable, as all those in charge of the funds had expressed their approval of the plan and a willingness to heartily support it; and 3d, The willingness of the student to do the work allotted to him.

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     16. A Report of the Theological School was presented verbally by the Rev. Alfred Acton, Secretary of the Theological Faculty:

     Before the organization of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, the Theological School was still under the independent direction of the Academy of the New Church. But in the year 1898, eighteen years ago, the Academy passed a resolution placing the charge of the religious instruction and all the ecclesiastical work of the Academy in the hands of the Bishop of the General Church. The religious instruction includes also the teaching of Hebrew. In the study of the Writings the books are not read consecutively, but are taken as the basis of instruction in class and certain passages are assigned for reading. In addition there are two interesting subjects in the senior year. One is the teaching of the "PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY." This is very useful, not only teaching the principles upon which we are founded, but also gives opportunity to state something of the growth of those principles in the church, something of the interior history of the Church. It will always be necessary to review our past principles because we find our children are not born into the knowledge of them nor of the reasons for them, and so it is necessary to again and again review. Special emphasis is: laid on the first two principles, namely, the authority of the Writings and that the New Church is a New Church and the former Church, Christian in name only.

     In Hebrew the object is not to teach Hebrew to the extent that the student may be able to read it as a theological student would do; the aim is to cultivate some interest and delight in repeating the Hebrew, and this is accomplished with the little children in the elementary school by recitations and singing, although they do not have much idea of the meaning, except that it is the Word. I have been teaching in the elementary school and my object has been not so much to teach the meaning as to impress upon the mind the occasion and spirit of the singing. When they sing, for instance, in Hebrew, "Who is like unto thee among the gods?" to impress the picture of the occasion when the words were sung, when the Israelites had just been rescued from the Egyptians at the Red Sea; to impress that picture so that the children when singing it realize that they are singing a song of praise to the Lord because of His deliverance. In the Seminary and Boys' Academy we also keep up this work of recitation, but here we hope for some advance in the knowledge of the Hebrew, so that we will be able to cultivate something of the intelligent use of the Hebrew language in singing. In the Writings there is much said about the Hebrew and about the influence of the Hebrew, as read by children, what a great influence it has in the other world, that the angels are in more illustration when the Word is read in the Hebrew. That teaching so often repeated in the Writings is not given for nothing.

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It is given because it has some place in the work of the Church and inasmuch as it has to do with children it has a very important place in the work of education. Therefore from the very beginning Hebrew has been a very important feature of our education. We have to cultivate an affection for it. You cannot force a thing like that, but if it is taught in the shape of delight in it, then an affection for it will be cultivated and that affection in itself by storing up states in the other world will be a great education.

     Now as to the theological school. At the time that the school was placed under the charge of Bishop Pendleton three students had been graduated: Mr. Klein, Mr. Cowley and Mr. Stebbing. Since that time we have had in all twenty-six students, and also one, Mr. Harris, who attended for one session, and three special students. Of these twenty-six have taken the course of two or three years. The three special students represented the beginning of our College work. We had at that time no education higher than that of the secondary schools and so these students were entered as theological students. Of the twenty-six who took the full theological course sixteen have been ordained, or, in those cases where they had been already ordained in the General Convention, recognized and received as ministers of the General Church. Of these sixteen, thirteen received the degree of Bachelor of Theology. Ten students completed, or nearly completed, the course, but were not ordained, two of whom have remained candidates and have also received the degree of Bachelor of Theology.

     We have now in the ministry of the General Church 33 ministers and four candidates. Of these 37 only 6 have not studied in the Academy Theological School. Two of them have been licensed as lecturers, one in England, one in Canada. Thirty-one of our ministers have studied in our Theological School. Two have come directly from the Old Church. Seven of them have been Convention ministers. Three have left the Convention to join the General Church and afterwards became ministers of the General Church. Thirteen of our present ministers have had almost the whole of their education, in the schools of the Academy, and five of them have been born in the Church and have received their education from their earliest years in the Academy. That makes eighteen of our ministers who have received practically the whole of their education in the schools of the Academy or in schools in the sphere of New Church education established by the Academy.

     The course in the theological school includes Theology, Philosophy History, and the Sacred Languages. Theology naturally takes the largest part, and there is a good deal of reading done by the students at home. As a result of their work several of the professors have very extended notes on the subject which they have taught, which has in one case led to the publication of a book, Bishop Pendleton's SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION.

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     Two new subjects have been introduced within the last two years, one, Comparative Religion, the other a course in the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, which has, during its first year, simply given a survey of the doctrines of the New Church. In Philosophy we have the Doctrine of Creation, and in Physiology, Swedenborg's work on THE BRAIN and the ANIMAL KINGDOM.

     With us, Church History is something unique, as is our Theology, because we include the history of the Most Ancient Church and of the Ancient Church, which are not known by the world to have existed at all. But Mr. Odhner, in the light of what the Writings say, brings a great many of the statements of the Writings into vivid light by teaching the history of the nations that are known to history as decadent nations of the Ancient Church.

     Both of our present students have received the greater part of their education in the New Church. Both were born in the New Church. These two young men have done a very successful year's work, and show considerable energy, so much energy that they are going to carry it on during the summer and try a little original missionary work.

     17. The Rev. Wm. H. Alden presented the following Report:

     REPORT OF THE MANAGER OF THE ACADEMY BOOK ROOM.

     The report was prefaced by extracts from the report rendered to the Academy in June, 1915, and published in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION for October, 1915, in which the uses of the Book Room are outlined, and the need for a special publication fund indicated. The uses during the past year have been essentially the same as before and have been carried on by the Manager with the same efficient assistance of Mrs. Frost, to which reference was made in the last report.

     A year ago reference was made to the publication needs of the Book Room. It had been hoped, during the last year, to publish Swedenborg's DREAM BOOK, previously published in the LIFE, in book form. But the publication has been delayed by the decision; tot include with the DREAM BOOK the full series of Swedenborg's ITINERARIA, or Journals of Travels, of which, the DREAM BOOK, so-called, forms an integral part, the whole to be published under the title "SWEDENBORG'S JOURNALS." This awaits the revision of the major portion of the work, which has thus far only appeared in the Tafel DOCUMENTS, now long out of print. Bishop W. F. Pendleton's notable work on THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION has been published and is finding wide approval and many readers, not within the bounds of the General Church alone but throughout the New Church. Means have not been found for the publication of Mr. Iungerich's translation of the MARGINALIA Of the SCHMIDIUS BIBLE and expository portions of the INDEX BIBLICUS.

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Application was made to the American Swedenborg Society but without success, and as the Academy is without means available for its publication, the work must wait. Bishop W. F. Pendleton's SERMONS ON THE BLESSINGS also wait for its opportunity; the SOCIAL HYMNAL is Still in preparation. Swedenborg's work on THE FIVE SENSES, translated by Mr. Price, has been published, with full Index, by the Swedenborg Scientific Association, in style uniform with the work ON GENERATION.
Beyond these no other work worthy of mention here has been published in the New Church either in this country or abroad.

     By a change in its financial year, the Financial Report of the Book Room was made up for the year ending Dec. 31, 1915. This report shows an apparent net loss for the six months. This is due in part to the fact of a salary paid for assistance in the Book Room and in part to inflated valuation in the preceding report, due to certain books being rated at actual cost instead of at a rate commensurate with their sale price as was done in the last report. The preceding report showed an apparent large gain as the result of previous year's business, due in large part to inflated valuation above referred to, and in part to the fact that the cost of publishing the new edition of CONJUGIAL LOVE was borne by private contribution and the whole presented to the Book Room. The account shows on hand from the sale of the work on COSMOLOGY, $344.32; and of MICHAEL SERVETUS, $75.55. The cost of publication of these books was borne by Mr. John Pitcairn, but it has never been determined how the proceeds shall be distributed.
     WM. H. ALDEN,
          Manager.

          18. On motion, the reading of Reports was now interrupted, in order to hear the following Messages from abroad which were read by the Secretary:

     FROM ROSTHERN, SASKATCHEWAN.

     At the request of the members of the General Church at Rosthern, I am extending hearty greetings to the General Assembly.

     We all feel deeply indebted to your body for the support given us during the past three years, and acknowledge that our spiritual existence is due to it.

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     Hoping that the Assembly will be a successful and useful one,
          I remain,
               Fraternally yours,
                    JOHN HAMM.
Rosthern, Sask., June 9th, 1916.

     FROM LONDON.

     The Rev. A. Czerny, (pastor), members and friends of the General Church in London send a hearty message of greeting to the Ninth General Assembly at Bryn Athyn.

     May the reunion be a truly happy one and graced throughout with the spirit of unity in variety.

     May its deliberations also conduce to a patient, open-minded and charitable exchange of ideas on all subjects or New Church interest; thereby gaining an encouraging glimpse of the length, breadth, height and depth of angelic love and wisdom as revealed in the Heavenly Doctrines.

     It is true that we, on the English side of the Atlantic, are still under the shadow of the sword, but we trust that in the good time of Providence the days of peace will be again restored, so that we, too, may go forward without interruption in developing the many uses of the Church. In the meantime, however, we keep the flame quietly burning, and whether our services in the world-war be "civil," "military," "home," "foreign," or "naval," each and all extend warmest greetings to "our friends across the sea."
     On behalf of the London Society,
          Yours faithfully,
               FRED. W. ELPHICK,
                    Secretary.
London, 174 Peckham Rye, S. E., May 15th, 1916.

     FROM COLCHESTER.

     Colchester sends affectionate and hearty greetings to the General Assembly at Bryn Athyn.

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     Separated as we are by space, and in the threes of a great and terrible war, yet distance does not separate us spiritually, and we shall look, and not in vain, for that sphere of strength that shall come to us as a result of your deliberations. And our confident hope is, that the states of temptation and combat that have assailed the Church may by the exercise of charity and forbearance enable the Truth to shine with increasing lustre, leading again to Unity and Progress.
     On behalf of the Colchester Society.
          F. R. COOPER.
Colchester, 11 Hospital Rd., May 9th, 1916.

     FROM STOCKHOLM,

Friends in the New Church:
     You have come together in a time of war and trouble. Christians are murdering one another in deadly hatred. The kingdom of the Old Church on earth is divided against itself and is brought to desolation; it will not stand. As in the other world, it has already fallen.

     A new light has been given to man, but man did not understand what it was. Coming from utter darkness to clear sunshine he tried to make the darkness light, the dead a living man; he opened the door of the New Church inviting the Old one to come and be one with him.

     But there were some few who saw the danger and remembered the words: "Behold, I make all things new!"

     Now you are assembled and the doors are shut. Be assured, brethren, that the Lord will be in your midst, saying: "Peace be unto you." And that peace you will give to the world with the tidings of great joy.

     The ninth Assembly! Nine means conjunction or that which is conjoined. Three times three,-a full state, or what is complete even to the end.

     Far away in the north, in the land of the midnight sun, we are here only a small outpost, but though there are oceans of water between us, there is also an ocean of conjoining affections and thoughts.

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     You are the center in the big battle we still have to fight before the promised peace will be ours, and we are only one of many little circles in the great circumference. Africans, Brazilians, English, French, Dutch, Belgians, Swiss, Swedes, wherever we may be throughout the world, we look to you for guidance and help. The Africans cry to you: "Caught my hands and lift me up!" We say as they do. Lead us on in the fight-the struggle against ourselves and the world.

     We are with you in spirit. We feel with you, we think with you, we love with you. However different we may be in many external ways, from different nations of the earth as we are, yet we feel that we are one and hope that we will become so more and more fully.

     We may increase in number, we may differ in matters of personal opinions, yet we are one and will remain one, believing in the same God as He has revealed Himself to us in the letter of the Word and the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
     "Peace be unto you!"
          THE NEW CHURCH CIRCLE IN STOCKHOLM.
Stockholm, April 28th, 1916.

     FROM THE HAGUE.

     We send our united greetings to you all, assembled in Bryn Athyn, and our best wishes for a happy and blessed meeting, at which the spirit of love for our Church, the crown of all Churches, and charity among each other, may be strengthened and flow out as a strong current to all the distant parts of the Church. Yours very affectionately, GERRIT BARGER. The Hague, May 5th, 1916.

     FROM PARIS.

     (A letter to Bishop N. D. Pendleton, translated by Mrs. Regina Iungerich.)

     I am sending you a report of the situation of the French Section of the General Church during the terrible events we have passed through the last two years.

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It was not without deep concern that we faced the uncertain future, and circumstances impelled us to resort to unusual measures for the protection of our Society in this violent upheaval. However, all our members remained steadfast, being imbued with the same thought, viz., to place ourselves under the protection of the Lord and to let His Divine Providence guide us. For various reasons it would have been most difficult to continue holding services in our old locality in Paris; the main one being that our families were entirely without means at that time, and the trip to the city had become out of the question for them. Traffic was well nigh impossible owing to the movements of troops and war munitions, so that passenger transportation was constantly being suspended.

     It was then unanimously decided to hold services at Mme. Lucas', at Montreuil, which was the most favorable center as a meeting place for the different families, bud services could only be held once a month instead of twice as heretofore.

     I can assure you that it was a deep satisfaction to me to see all the members coming so regularly to our services and all expressing a sincere love for our Divine Doctrines. All are so full of courage and have a strong confidence in the assured triumph of our ideals of Liberty and for the defense of the rights of humanity as the outcome of this terrible war, which no one in France had sought.

     Unfortunately, we had to suffer the reaction that was inevitable, from these events. All our youths were called out to defend their country; even fathers of families up to the age of 47 took up arms; this, of course, considerably diminished our numbers. The following men are at the front: Louis Lucas, Mr. Sweetman, Messrs. Paul Flon, Abel Flon, Elie Hussenet (prisoner), Elisee Hussenet, Robert Lesieur.

     Our loyal friend, Alexander Cattelin, is back in his own town, which is still held by the enemy.

     Up to this time we have no losses to deplore among our combatants; my son, Elie, was seriously wounded at Charleroi and taken prisoner. He has completely recovered now, but still has a bullet in his chest, which could not be extracted.

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     The condition of our Society is satisfactory, we have received help from you at various times, which you so kindly sent to relieve our most destitute families. It was with the deepest gratitude that we received this help and I wish to beg you, dear Bishop, to express our heartfelt thanks to our brothers and sisters of your different societies and to tell them at your Assembly how touched we were by their fraternal acts of friendship and sympathy. Our thanks to you all, "children and older ones;" our hearts are with you always. But we particularly wish to thank the ladies of the different societies for their great kindness to us in our most sorrowful circumstances.

     We have lost a dear member, Mme. Hippolyte Lucas, at the age of 79; she was the mother of Mme. Lesieur, and of Mr. Louis Lucas. Her grandson, Pierre Lesieur, aged 20, has also died. In spite of these losses, our number has increased. Several neophytes have come to us, and others are reading the Writings, wishing for more knowledge before joining the Society. These are Mme. Millot, Mile. Cattelin, Mme. Castet, Mme. Messager. After lengthy conversations with an Italian gentleman and his wife, I have the hope that they will come into the Church with their young daughter. Another Italian, Mr. Deodate, who, ten years ago, lodged with us and to whom I made known our Doctrines, attends our worship regularly since his return to Paris and he has sent some of our books to his father in Italy.

     On April 16th Mme Amelie Lausade was baptized; she was formerly a Roman Catholic; on April 23d Mme. Paul Flon was baptized in our new place of worship, 84 avenue de Breteuil; she was a Protestant. She and her young husband are now both in the New Church. Our number is slowly increasing, the absent ones being replaced by newcomers; at Easter 13 persons partook of the Holy Supper. On that occasion there were present twenty-two, among them a Protestant minister, the Rev. Mr. Labeille. The latter assured me afterwards that he had been deeply moved.

     It was after much searching that we succeeded in finding our present place of worship, situated in one of the finest quarters of Paris, near the Palais des Invalides.

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The rental is about the same as the former one, but we have had a good deal of expense to make it suitable for our purposes.

     Our attention has been strongly drawn to the religious effect upon the minds of our soldiers returning from the front. As every war is an effect, the causes of which are in the spiritual world, what will be the result, good or bad, in the religious thought of the French nation? Also how will it affect the German people, and what will be its tendency?

     From investigations among soldiers whom I have questioned I may be allowed to state that the Catholic Church did itself much harm by trying to bring strong pressure to bear on the men in hospitals, in the trenches, at the front; in fact, in all places where large bodies of men were congregated. I believe that in my country the number of materialists will be larger than ever; but still those who are seekers after truth will also increase, and some may come to us.
As for Germany, the war will give her the Freedom which she has never known, and which may rid her of her numerous princely parasites. This Freedom, which the Lord will give her, when peace is definitely signed, will be the greatest boon she can receive, as it will prove a fit soil for the implantation of the New Jerusalem.

     We hope that our great friend, Mr. John Pitcairn, is entirely recovered from his long illness and that he will be present among you at the Assembly, having regained his old time strength and vigor to continue his noble and generous uses for the defense of the New Church.

     It is in the name of the French Society of the New Church that we pray the Lord to protect him, as well as you, very dear Bishop and all our brothers and sisters in the General Church.

     May the Lord bless your works at your Great Assembly. We will be with you in spirit and with all our hearts on that day, and I close my report in shouting:

     "Vive l'Eglise Generale!"

          F. HUSSENET,
Pastor of the French Society of the General Church.
St. Cloud, May 8th, 1916.

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     FROM LAUSANNE.

     The members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem in Lausanne and Geneva send their fraternal greetings to all their brethren of the General Church in the United States on the occasion of the triennial Assembly, and also the expression of their profound gratitude for the appointment of a Pastor in French Switzerland, and the establishment of regular religious services in these two centers. They pray the Lord to bless all your deliberations for the sake of the extension of the New Dispensation in the whole world.
     G. J. FERCKEN,
          Pastor.
Lausanne, May 19th, 1916

     FROM AUSTRALIA.

     I hope had been fondly cherished that the greeting from Australia to the Assembly this year would be given by the living voice, but the hope is like many of our hopes and fears which are not in the way of the Lord's Divine leading. Nevertheless, I still hope that I shall be permitted to see you all, face to face, at the next Assembly, three years hence, and to see then also the beautiful building now being completed.

     These few lines must be my substitute. They will be read to you by your devoted Secretary with his usual forcefulness and clarity of expression, and so will reduce to a minimum the disadvantage of the absence of personal contact.

     By means of the LIFE-that most excellent of all New Church periodicals,-and of those other welcome publications, THE BULLETIN OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY and the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, we in Australia are brought into full sympathy with you in your hopes and fears, your joys and sorrows. We realize that the General Church has been disturbed at the center of its outgoings, and has passed from states of joy to states of sorrow. But this is inevitable. Were it not so, something would be wrong with the Church; the organization would be a mere name. It is inevitable that the New Church, in its distinctive form, collectively and individually, shall be continually assaulted by the hells in extraordinary and unexpected ways with the purpose of destroying it.

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To quote our venerable Bishop from his great work, THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION:-"The frequent teaching in the Writings also might be noted that where a passage treats of revelation, the preceding series if examined will probably be found to treat of the combats of temptation. (A. C. 1785.) Also where any passage treats of consolation and illustration we may expect to find that the previous series treats of temptation even to despair. (A. C. 2690-2704.)"

     This was the development of our Lord, Who is the Word, in the glorification of His Human; it is the development of every regenerating man and woman, and it is the development of the collective man and woman in the organization of the Church.

     The General Church, with its remarkable gift of Illustration on Divine things, as witnessed in the sermons and teachings of her priests, cannot fail to rise triumphant out of states of humiliation into states of consolation and fuller revelation; for it surely may be said that past illustration may be taken as an indication of faithfulness to the precepts of the Lord.

     Of our work in Australia you may read in the report I have sent to Mr. Odhner for publication in the LIFE. Slow yet substantial progress is being made. Those who will truly receive the Lord in His Second Advent will surely be led by Him into the reception of that for which they are willing, and we shall do well if we have the table ready spread whenever that may be.

     THE NINETEENTH OF JUNE SOUVENIR is at present the only General Church publication in Australia, and has been a powerful aid in the general efforts to build up the distinctive New
Church in this great Continent.

     With the fervent hope and belief that your Assembly will be led in its deliberations by the Divine Wisdom of the only Lord, I remain yours in the Church, RICHARD MORSE, Sydney N. S. W., May 10th, 1916.

     FROM DURBAN, NATAL.

     (From a letter to Bishop N. D. Pendleton.)

     The members and friends of the Durban Society send their hearty greetings to you and to the General Assembly, and especially to your brother, Bishop W. F. Pendleton.

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It is our hope and prayer that the meetings of the Assembly may be peaceful and pervaded with the sphere of genuine charity and good will to the neighbor. We all wish we might be with you, but it is impossible this year.
     Affectionately yours,
          FREDERICK E. GYLLENHAAL.
"Bryn Athyn," 360 Essenwood Rd.,
Durban, Natal, S. A., April 27, 1916.

     FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM IN BASUTOLAND.

     Dear Brethren:-To me was entrusted the privilege of conveying the fraternal Greeting of the New Jerusalem in Basutoland. Your interest in us, as manifested by recent actions, has stirred our warm affection for you. We note, by means of NEW CHURCH LIFE and Church periodicals all that you aspire to do to further the Lord's Church on earth, and wish you every success in your efforts.

A poor and struggling Society we are, but, the truths we Stand for are the Sunlight of heaven, and, wherever a mind is found looking upward and inward, and desirous of lifting the world into mind, the light flows in.

     This light also makes manifest things not in accord with itself, hence the unrest, the agitation, the strife, that we behold in every department of life. The Kingdom of heaven presseth urgently to gain admission into the mind of man, and through this into the world about us.

     With prayers for Divine blessing upon all the activity of the Assembly. Faithfully and fraternally yours, servants in Lord Jesus,
SAMUEL M. MOFOKENG, Pastor.
PERCIVAL MACHOKA.
BETHUEL ISIBELE SERUTLA.

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     ADDRESS OF THE BRAZILIAN NEW CHURCH TO THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.

     Dear Brethren:-Pax Vobiscum! We have received with great pleasure your kind letter of March 2 and we thank you for the invitation to the Ninth General Assembly of the General Church that is to take place at Bryn Athyn on June 15, 1916.

     The Brazilian New Church has the great honor to introduce to you this Address as an interpreter of her good feelings and as the true expression of the brotherly affections and sincere wishes she nourishes for the spiritual and natural progress of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     The Brazilian New Church always has considered the General Church as the sacred Palladium of the Heavenly Doctrines revealed by our Lord in the Writings of Swedenborg.

     We believe that owing to the unshaken faithfulness unto the Writings of the Second Coming, the General Church has preserved, as it were, these precious stones from destruction, by cutting with a spiritual sword the new Gordian knot imagined by the Dragon and his crew against the Divine inspiration of the Writings And thus, the General Church was able, under the protection of our Lord, to frustrate the insidious blow vibrated by that ancient serpent, always guileful and a liar, but impotent against the walls of the New Jerusalem. Let the New Church be always watchful!

     "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few." As you know, it is not among the people of the Old Church that the New Churchwill reap, but among the Gentiles of India, China, Japan, and of the Black Continent.

     The horrible and atrocious war now ravaging the Christian nations clearly shows us they are interiorly corrupted and quite infected by the cancer which was introduced into the body of the Old Church since the Nicean Council. Therefore, nothing is to be done to keep that rotten organism from falling into pieces. The only thing the New Church ought to do is to keep safe the little children, those remains from the new Flood that now is swallowing that simulacrum of civilization and religion.

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The actual war is but an effect of what is passing in the mental world of the modern philosophers, those serpents of the Age, those Titans and Lucifers of the satanic science that is worshiped in the universities where they hold their false oracles.

     The Dragon and his crew and the Babylonians, now joined together, have been able to unchain this horrible war with the purpose of destroying mankind. But they shall not succeed, and after this struggle for universal dominion, spiritual improvements will result for the future generations. Now the present generation, a bad seed of the antediluvian race, is to fall down in order to give place to another generation better disposed to receive the new seeds of the Heavenly Doctrine. During the wreck of the Age let the New Church be assembled within the Ark of the Heavenly Doctrine in order to take holy measures to spread the Kingdom of our Lord.

     Dear Brethren! All of us, members of the Brazilian New Church, we are building with you the Temple where future citizens of the New Jerusalem shall dwell, and we follow with great interest and sympathy all your efforts and our souls will be with you in all the inspired measures of the General Church for the wellfare of the New Jerusalem.

     We are your humble brethren in the Church of our Lord

     On behalf of all the Brazilian New Church,
LEVINDO CASTRO DE LA FAYETTE, President.
CARLOS FREIDERICO BRAGA, Vice-President.
DR. MANOEL CARNEIRO DE SOUZA BANDEIRA, 1st Secret.
HENRY LEONARDOS, 2d Secretary.
TRAJANO DE CASTILHO BARBOSA, Treasurer.

     Associacao Geral do Nova Jerusalem no Brazil, Rua Guitanda N. 96-sobrado, Rio de Janeiro.
     May 1st, 1916.

     After reading these Messages, the REV. C. TH. ODHNER called attention to the remarkable number of places in all parts of the world from which we had received messages of greetings and good will. There had been something of the kind before, but never before so world-wide a concentering of spheres at a General Assembly. The New Church was and always would be an international Church, but in the New Church there was no body so international as the General Church of the New Jerusalem.

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He regarded the extent of the sphere of the General Church as demonstrated by the Messages received a remarkable phenomenon. Steps should be taken to answer the letters officially.

     MR. ACTON was impressed with the universality of the good wishes which had been received by this Assembly. The letters only faintly represented the real spread of the principles of the General Church. He recalled the time, before he came to this country, when there had been a great controversy with the General Convention over the limits of the General Church of Pennsylvania. That body took in members from Illinois, and this was objected to by the Convention, which thought that we should be confined to our own State. But the doctrine was then and there laid down that the spiritual associations of the New Church were not to be subject to geographical boundaries. The General Church has become international because it has something distinctive that other bodies do not have. It is the doctrine which is proclaimed in the General Church that is the secret of the internationalism of that Church. It is not to us or our work that glory and praise are due, but to the doctrine alone, which has descended from heaven and is being received in the hearts of men all over the world.

     MR. JOHN PITCAIRN: I wish to make a few remarks with regard to the message from Brazil, You have all read in the LIFE the account of my brief visit there a year ago. The state of sympathy with the Academy that I found there, was due largely, I might say wholly, to the NEW CHURCH LIFE and to Mr. Odhner's correspondence with Senor La Fayette. Through this correspondence and the NEW CHURCH LIFE they were prepared to receive the doctrines of the New Church in the same manner that we receive them in the General Church. The Divine authority of the Writings is recognized fully by them and, as you have all read, they are in full sympathy with our body. I think we have a duty toward them, which we should not neglect. I was in hopes of having Senor La Fayette here as a visitor to the General Assembly, but the thought came a little too late. It is very desirable that these friends should come into closer relations with us, and they desire to do so. They desire to come under our form of government and adopt our methods of worship. Their methods are a little different from ours. For instance, they stand in prayer. This may have been due to Senor La Fayette's first attending New Church services in Paris, where he first received the doctrines of the New Church. On the evening that my son, Theodore, and myself spent with Senor Leonardos, we had dinner, and after the dinner they had their family worship. They stood in a circle and said the Lord's prayer.

     Now, one way in which we can serve them is to aid them in the publication of the Doctrines in Portuguese translations. There is no New Church literature of any consequence in the Portuguese language. Only one of the FOUR DOCTRINES has been published.

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In their journal they have published a great many articles, most of them from the NEW CHURCH LIFE. If we could have one of their young men here to study in the theological school it would be a very desirable thing. I spoke to the Bishop and to Mr. Odhner about the desirability of having Senor La Fayette come here for a brief period. Their means are limited. Personally, I feel very great interest in these people, and would be willing to contribute to a translation of the Writings, or part of them, perhaps HEAVEN AND HELL, TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION and portions of the ARCANA COELESTIAL into the Portuguese language. Translations in manuscript, I understand, have already been made by Senor La Fayette.

     The receivers of the Doctrines in Brazil are mostly educated men, professors and teachers, and many, no doubt, are familiar with the Latin and French, and read the Writings in these languages. It is very unusual, the number of professional men who are connected with the New Church in Brazil. I hope you will be able to take the matter up and consider it in regard to assisting them in printing these translations, and in coming into even closer relations than the correspondence of and Mr. Odhner to those addressed to him. There were a few messages

     REV. HOMER SYNNESTVEDT would like to have some adequate response sent to the several messages. He felt that the expression of affection obviously felt by the meeting would be readily felt by the writers of the letters if the Secretary would address a reply in due form to each.

     THE BISHOP stated that he would reply to letters addressed to him and Mr. Odhner to those addressed to him. There were a few messages addressed directly to the Assembly.

     MR. CARSWELL thought that the letters should be officially answered either by a committee or by the Bishop, expressing our hearty appreciation of the good will to us, and its reciprocation from ourselves. It had been a delight to receive such cheering messages from all parts of the earth.

     19. REV. F. E. WAELCHLI offered the following:

     Resolved, That this Assembly has heard with great pleasure the greetings from our friends abroad, and further

     Resolved, That in reply to the same the greetings of this Assembly to those who have sent these messages, be expressed.

     Mr. Waelchli's resolution was unanimously adopted.

     20. MR. ACTON: We have all listened with very great interest to this message from Brazil. The very fact of the message being sent and its nature is proof that these New Church people are acquainted with what the General Church stands for, and that they have freely joined themselves spiritually with us, although not naturally.

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They have sent us a greeting for the purpose of expressing their delight and sympathy in our work, and the hope that that work will prosper. I would therefore, move

     That this Assembly has heard with great pleasure the message from the General Association of the New Church in Brazil, and sends its greeting to that Association, and its hope that the Church may grow and prosper with its members.

     Mr. Acton's motion was unanimously carried.

     21. At 4:45 o'clock the Assembly adjourned.

     FRIDAY, JUNE 16.

     Morning Session.

     22. The session was called to order by the Bishop and the meeting opened with reading from the Word and prayer, conducted by the Rev. W. B. Caldwell.

     23. The Rev. C. Th. Odhner presented the following Report:

     REPORT OF THE EDITOR OF "NEW CHURCH LIFE."

     Among the Reports presented to our General Assemblies by the various officers and functionaries, there has never been included a Report from the Editor of the official organ of the General Church. The feeling on the part of the Editor has been that each issue of the LIFE is its own monthly report, and he has felt a diffidence in occupying the attention of the Assembly from a fear of displacing more important matters.

     As a result, the LIFE has not been discussed at any of our General Assemblies since the year 1904, and the Editor has been left very much in the dark as to the general state of feeling toward the LIFE among the members of the Church. There should be an opportunity, at each Assembly, for the members to express themselves in regard to the official organ of the Church,-to register either their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the general conduct of the Journal, and it is to provide such an opportunity that this Report is prepared.

     The present Editor has now occupied his office for fifteen years and he feels that he ought not to stand in the way for the appointment of a successor better qualified for this important use. And he feels that, if no successor can be found at the present time, arrangements ought to be made whereby his past failures may be prevented or alleviated. Among these failures the following may be pointed out:

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     1). The present Editor has failed to establish a permanent Editorial Board. While in doubtful matters he has always sought the counsel of the Bishop and of other individual advisers, he has been unable to form a regular Board to share with him the responsibilities which are growing more and more heavy.

     The reasons for this failure are many,-the mass of other work devolving not only upon the Editor but upon all those whom he would desire to have upon such a Board,-the difficulty in having matters ready for criticism at an Editorial meeting on a fixed date, each month,-the Editor's absorption in prolonged closet studies, etc.,-but chief of all the theological differences which have arisen among us during the past five years. In view of all these things the Editor still feels unable to establish a regular Editorial Board, but would gladly serve with any Editorial Board appointed by the Bishop of the General Church.

     2.) The present Editor has failed to secure or retain the co-operation of the best writers in the Church, many of whom have found an outlet for their minds in other channels, representing special interests or uses, such as the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, the BULLETIN, the EVANGELIST, the NEW PHILOSOPHY and the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY. While the Church is to be congratulated upon the existence of all these publications, the fact nevertheless remains that they absorb the activities of many minds who in former years found expression in the pages of the LIFE, and that in consequence it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure for the LIFE a variety of the best material. The Editor is often at a loss for suitable articles, and has therefore been forced to fill in the vacuum with great quantities of his own productions.

     3.) The Editor, or the Business Management, has failed; to extend the list of subscribers to the LIFE. The membership of the Church has doubled and trebled in the last fifteen years, but the subscription list of the LIFE is about the same as it was in the year 1901. Steps should be taken to make the LIFE more self-supporting, and less of a financial burden to the General Church, and to make the members of the Church realize that though they are provided with a mass of other Church literature, some of which is received free of cost, they nevertheless need most of all the regular instruction, the means of inter-communication, and the News of the Church, provided through the pages of the LIFE.
     Respectfully submitted,
          C. TH. ODHNER.

     24. The report of the Alumni Association was informally presented by the Rev. George de Charms:

     REPORT OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.

     It was stated that there had been a few things in the past activities of the Alumni Association which would be of interest to the Assembly.

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     The first and most important was the trip taken last year by the Rev. C. E. Doering, to the various centers of the Church, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Glenview, Berlin, Toronto, with a view to setting before the New Church public at large the needs and uses of the Academy Schools here in Bryn Athyn. This trip was taken under the auspices of the Alumni Association and at the expense of that body. It proved to be extremely useful.

     It has also been the practice of the Alumni to contribute, from time to time, to the support of the Athletic Association of the Academy. There has been a strong sentiment among the graduates that the athletic training for boys is an important part of their work, and that belief has found expression in the financial, moral, and personal support of the Athletic Association.

     It is also of interest that there was instituted, two years ago, under the auspices of the Alumni Association, a course of lectures. These lectures were designed to be presented to the Boys' Academy by members of the Alumni, the purpose of them being that the actual experiences of those who had left the School might be presented in an interesting manner. The boys would thus be brought to some realization of the problems met with in the business and professional world.

     These three things have been accomplished, although the course of lectures has not been regularly maintained. The few lectures that have been given have proved successful, and it is the purpose of the Association to continue them with greater regularity in the future.

     At the last annual meeting of the Alumni Association, a new Executive Committee was elected. This, of course, involves something of a change of policy, and marks a new beginning in the work of the Association.

     There has been a growing realization of the need for the higher education mentioned by Mr. Doering in his address to the Council of the Clergy. A review of the minutes of the Association during the past few years will show that the necessity of providing in some way to fill that gap between the highest point of the education as it has been provided by the Academy Schools in the past, and that point which marks the full preparation of any one for the uses of life, has been realized with steadily increasing clearness. For the promotion of this effort now being made by the Academy to establish a College Department, as the nucleus for a future development of New Church university training, the Alumni Association seems to be eminently fitted, and this work will undoubtedly be one of the chief uses of that body in the future. Steps looking toward the systematic support of the Higher Education in the Academy have already been taken by the Alumni Association.

     Because of the great need for scholarships during the present year, a need which has been brought to the attention of every one in various ways, the work of the Alumni Association will include a provision for scholarships to be offered according to the plan proposed by the Academy.

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Through that body there has been given, for the coming year, the sum of four hundred dollars to be devoted to the use of Scholarships. It is to be understood that the scholarships offered by the Alumni Association are in no way to take the place of, or interfere with, those provided by other organizations within the Church. They are simply intended to help this year to meet the unusual demands made upon the Academy. It is the intention to make this provision for scholarships entirely at the expense of the members of the Association, and in every way to guard against its interfering with subscriptions to other scholarship funds. It seems clear that there is room this year, at least, for the activity of the Alumni Association in the Scholarship field.

     25. The subject of SCHOLARSHIPS was then taken up for discussion:

     Mr. ACTON thought it would be useful for members of the Assembly who had heard Mr. Doering's address to express themselves in regard to the scholarship plan, which, while not altogether new, was new in its extensiveness.

     There were four ways in which scholars came to the Academy Schools:

     1. At the entire expense of the parents or guardians.

     2. By the grant of the education and board by the Academy or by the Theta Alpha or some other body or person.

     3. By a grant of a loan from the Sons of the Academy, this loan to be paid off without interest by the student as he is able.

     4. By the pupil earning part of his expenses by working; some, he believed, had earned their whole expenses in this way.

     There was a serious doubt about the wisdom of the loan scholarship, of saddling a boy with a debt at the outset of his career. He thought it was wiser for the Sons of the Academy to act like older brothers, and that if they had made any success in life, and were in a position to help others, the help should be given freely in recognition of the benefits they had themselves received. A better way still, seemed to be the working scholarship. The Academy now proposed to extend the plan of working scholarship so as to include practically all the pupils of the Academy Schools, who needed help, though perhaps one or two who had especially honored himself or herself might fittingly receive a full scholarship.

     The plan of the working scholarship would entail expense to the Academy, for the work could be more cheaply and perhaps more efficiently done by regular help. The plan also entails more work on the part of the teachers or those in authority, to see that the work is done. The advantages of the plan are: 1. It would give the student the sense that upon him depends the continuance of his education, that he must do his duty. This alone is a great education, an initiament into the uses of life. 2. The plan would enable the student to leave the School free from many monetary obligation, although not free from moral obligation to contribute to the uses of the Church.

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     MR. C. R. PENDLETON agreed that there should be an expression of views by the members of the Assembly. The Faculty of the Academy was in favor of the idea, but there were many good business men present; the question was primarily a business proposition, and he thought that some of the business men should be heard from on the floor.

     26. The Report of the "Sons of the Academy" was at this point presented by Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal:

     REPORT OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY.

     The Sons of The Academy is an organization of male ex-students of the Academy, consisting not only of Alumni but of all students who have attended the Schools. The organization is about fifteen years old; and for most of this period one of its most important uses has been the collection of funds for scholarships. The Academy has made it the official body far the collection of scholarships from members of the General Church. The Association has adopted the policy of giving loan scholarships. Pupils have been loaned the money needed and have given non-interest bearing notes as pledges for the amount. Usually these notes have specified ten years as their term. Payment, however, has never been pressed; and it must be said that payments have not been as prompt as we expected. However, though in a sense they are considered only as a moral obligation, most of the boys have taken the notes seriously.

     Since the last General Assembly the Sons of the Academy have granted six full scholarships amounting to $250.00 each and one-half scholarship of one hundred dollars. At present the association has just sufficient funds to pay off what is due to the Academy. However, we already have promises for next year and we have always taken the chance of granting loans on promises. The Sons of the Academy is making great efforts to assist in helping the unusual number of applicants this year to obtain means of coming to the schools.

     Chapters of The Sons of the Academy have been formed in Berlin, Canada, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Glenview and Chicago. These chapters are interested not only in the Academy's work, but in some cases assist in local educational work.

     The official organ of The Sons of the Academy is THE BULLETIN, a newspaper for ex-students and all interested in the Academy's work. This paper has been ably edited by Mr. William Whitehead, and under his guidance has gained steadily until it is now to be issued monthly and to be raised in price to $1.00 a year. It has the distinction of being the only periodical in the Church which pays its own way.

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Besides Mr. Whitehead, as Editor, the journal has the services of Mr. Donald Rose as Managing Editor and of Mr. Loyal Odhner as Business Manager. Its columns are open not only to other associations connected with the Academy, but to the general public of the New Church.

     At the Annual Meetings this year the following were elected as officers of this body: Mr. Robert Caldwell, President; Paul Carpenter, Vice-President; Wilfred Howard, Secretary; Charles Ebert, Treasurer; Messrs. Harvey Lechner, Otho Heilman and Leonard Gyllenhaal, members of the Executive Committee. The membership was increased during the past year by twenty, making a total of one hundred and fifty. The dues of the Association are $1.00 per Annum.

     In reply to a question of Mr. R. W. Childs, Mr. Gyllenhaal stated that the $175.00 collected and promised at the open meeting of The Sons of the Academy would more than pay off the indebtedness. He thought that at least six hundred dollars more could be raised, which amount would enable six students to attend the schools on the one hundred dollar plan.

     27. The Report of the "Theta Alpha" Association was presented by Mr. Gyllenhaal:

     REPORT OF THE "THETA ALPHA."
Theta Alpha reports steady progress since the last General Assembly.

     Theta Alpha meets annually, either the latter part of May or in June, to share in a service, to consult about matters of interest to Theta Alpha, and to take part in a social function.

     Our membership is now 187, nine of whom are honorary members.

     There are Chapters in the following centers: Pittsburgh, Glenview, Toronto, Berlin and Bryn Athyn, which have all done active work, both educational and social, such as helping students to attend the Academy Schools in Bryn Athyn, buying books and other material needed in the Local Schools, helping with the support of a teacher, making the Christmas Representation, giving plays, concerts, etc.

     The ultimate use of Theta Alpha has been the giving of a full scholarship each year; this has been done now for seven years.

     Instead of giving one full scholarship as heretofore, this year we are able to help two students to attend the schools, and as there are more applicants for scholarships than ever before we are glad to be able to extend our usefulness in this way.

     One honor Scholarship has been given and one-half scholarship for the coming year.
     Respectfully submitted,
          ALICE K. POTTS,
               President.

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     MR. RANDOLPH W. CHILDS asked how much money was needed to carry out the working scholarship plan, and how much money there was prospect of raising. He understood that there were twenty-four applications, and that would mean the raising of twenty-four hundred dollars. The following amounts he understood to be available:

     Vera Pitcairn Fund               $700.00
Pinafore                     $100.00
Sons of the Academy           $600.00
Alumni                     $500.00

     In all $1,900.00, which would leave three hundred dollars still to be raised, without saying anything of additional applications, which should be provided for. These must be provided by those who have not contributed, or by additional contributions from those who have.

     THE BISHOP thought it a very wise suggestion, and that there might be other applications before the school season opened. It would be very desirable to provide for every contingency, in so far as possible.

     MR. DOERING stated that two additional applications had already reached his desk.

     MR. CHARLES EBERT noted that the "Sons of the Academy" were down for six hundred dollars. He thought hat they could raise more in a good year, when everybody knew the need. There was no time like the present for arousing the interest of the members of the Church, and when interest was aroused there would be no trouble in raising more than six hundred dollars. He did not agree that it was improper to charge against the funds raised for scholarships expenses connected with its collection Everyone knows that it cost money to administer a fund. He had no objection to there being fixed dues for members. The original idea in not having dues fixed was that many might give more; but many had given nothing; and he thought it a good idea that at least a dollar be given by each member.

     MR. KNUDSEN urged that the business men present should carry the news of this discussion back to their several centers and lay the matter before them,-the use of education in the Church and the necessity of bringing every one here. If they would do that a great deal of money could be raised to be applied to the use from the different centers. If the centers would contribute as centers, forming something of a general subscription, this would be a good plan. He did not think that this had been done before, and he would attempt to do a little in that way in Philadelphia.

     MR. GYLLENHAAL was very much impressed with certain encouraging signs of the success of the Academy plan of allowing students to work off half their board. He had no doubt that it could be done. Some were in doubt as to how it could be done. He could take care of five students in the Library and pay them from the Library appropriation.

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     The Library had already done this, now and then. The success of the present Assembly was largely due to the work of Academy students.

     They were given something in return, but were giving hearty co-operation. The main thing to be considered is that we actually get the work done. Those who have the students working for them should make it clear that it is a matter of business. If students whom he took in the Library did not do the work he could not keep them on. If they did not work they should be sent home.

     MR. CHARLES G. MERRELL found the remarks of Mr. Gyllenhaal most encouraging. He had had some experience with students earning scholarships and appreciated some of the difficulties which Mr. Gyllenhaal evidently also appreciated, and it was very gratifying to know that that side of the subject was being considered. Upon that depended the success of the plan,-the direction of the work to be done, to see that the work not only he well done, but that there be order and system about it for their own advantage and for the education and training of the students as well. This was a most important matter. The use presented to the Church would be the means for providing the funds. It was not worldly wisdom that produced great results. The Lord had the matter in His hands and when the use was made manifest, and we were sure we were on the right road, the funds would be provided. He believed we could go ahead fully confident that it was a use for the advancement of the Church and of the Academy.

     MR. JACOB SCHOENBERGER agreed with Mr. Knudsen and also with Mr. Merrell. The education of our children was one of the most important uses of our body. It was an object nearest to our hearts, and he believed that many members would contribute to it. It was gratifying to know that the use was growing, but it was not growing as it should as indicated by the number of applicants. He agreed that the Lord would provide, but the Lord made use of instrumentalities, and we are the instrumentalities. He had another plan to secure greater results, and that was the plan of the building association. This method is this a great many families of small means pay so much a week into the building and loan association for six, eight or ten years, and when draw out the accumulation. Now why cannot we? He did not mean to go into the building and loan business, but to attempt some sort of method like that. Why cannot each of us pay five cents a week, the least amount that any of us can pay, toward this particular fund, and hand it over to the local treasurer in our centers. Five cents a week would be $2.60 a year. We have about eight hundred members in this country, which would mean an income of two thousand dollars for this fund. Or if we paid ten cents each week it would mean four thousand dollars for this fund. With that we could take care of all our applicants, and we would not feel the payment of the amount at all. The question seemed to him paramount in the Academy.

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That was what its whole organization stood for,-to take care of the young. We have the fruits of this practice right in the midst of us. How much benefit mold the Church at large derive and all our children if that plan could be carried out; if we could get this money and offer it to the Sons of the Academy and let them do the rest. To his mind such a plan could be easily carried out.

     MR. WALTER C. CHILDS thought it would be a good plan for Mr. Schoenberger to try the plan in Pittsburgh; there might be different plans in different places. If he succeeded in Pittsburgh it would give enthusiasm to the rest of us. He was much interested in the plan for working scholarships. He had had it in his mind for many years. It would involve a great deal of work, not so much for the students as for those administering it, to see that the work was done and done well. Any method evolved might be changed from time; to time by experience, but some method may be evolved that will be eminently successful, not only in the way of producing facilities for scholarships, but in producing a better class of results on the part of the students. The credit of that would rest with those who administered the plan. The subject was worthy of the most careful attention and thought.

     MR. CARSWELL said that the working scholarship commended itself to him greatly. He was encouraged to believe that it would be a success from the fact that the Academy had developed in its work in Bryn Athyn. It makes the students useful in societies. Toronto had been benefitted by every student who had attended the Academy Schools. They derived the power of systematic study, the way of doing things systematically, and have been always ready to co-operate in helping the society. There has been a marked difference between those who came to the school and those who did not. There was a great work to be done by those in charge of those who work out their scholarship, to see that they do their work up to the mark. The work under the working scholarships would be a success if the boys were taught work which would make them useful, when they went home again. He had in mind another College, one from which when the girls came home they were said to be good for nothing. They waited on the table, not as servants, but as guests; they did not enter into the things as if it were a part of their work. The daughters of the Academy should be so trained that they can cook, sew, knit. Let the children be trained to be useful; it was better than giving them money.

     MR. DORAN SYNNESTVEDT said that the fellow who worked in the school was a better man for it. He declared his purpose, as soon as he was able, to help others to go to the school. Others who had worked when they went to the school agreed with him. They got on better in regard to the school, had a better time in the school than those who had no work to keep them employed in the afternoon. He was heartily in favor of giving the money outright and not as a loan, for the boy, when he got out of school, did not wish to feel that he had got to pay back something.

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     MR. ALVIN NELSON: The last speaker has emphasized a point which I had in mind, namely, to try if there could he some way that the benefits of the working scholarship could be conferred upon the sons of those who were able to pay for their education. We did not Want our sons to be hampered through life. And besides the benefit there should not be the invidious distinction between those who work and those who do not. The boy, when grown up, would realize a good deal more while working, the benefits of having done that work in the School. He would not realize the full beauty of the arrangement while doing it. But the benefit was there and the other boy ought to receive that benefit. Everyone who could afford it might send his own boy on a working scholarship and send two or three other boys at the same time. He believed that it would be better if every boy could be put on the same basis.

     REV. W. H. ALDEN wished to utter a word of caution. The method of working scholarships, while it was a good plan at the present time, and under existing conditions, was nevertheless not an ideal. It was not the ideal for any boy or girl who was going to school to be hampered by having to grub for their living or for any part of it at the same time. In the Divine Providence every child who was born into the world required some twenty years in which to be prepared for his work in the world; sometimes it took longer than that. During that time it was sufficient occupation for them to be preparing, not actually performing the use by which to earn a living. There was no advantage in prematurely entering into the state of responsibility which would be involved in paying part of their way in work The boy who could give his whole time to his school work with accompanying social life and recreation was better off and this should be the ideal. He favored the plan of the working scholarship in order that the greater good of getting more children to the Academy school might be accomplished, but the idea that the child was better off under the working scholarship was a serious error, not to be encouraged.

     THE BISHOP had been exceedingly interested in the idea from the beginning and had done all he had been able to do to further it. It had been entirely remote from his mind that students who come on the working scholarship are to come with the idea that they must "grub for their living." If that idea was to be put before them, and they be burdened with making a living while studying, the plan would certainly fail. He wished to see the Academy develop the idea of the educational value of work, the doing of certain things for the institution by its student body. He did not mean that those duties should be any more a burden than the ordinary duties that a father and mother require of their sons and daughters in their own homes. If we approach the subject from that viewpoint, the educational value of the work and preparation involved for performing uses as a part of our education, he believed that it would result in a clearer and more complete New Church idea of education for the uses of life than ever before.

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The school was for the purpose of training the mind of the boy and girl to perform uses, not merely to teach them a little Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, other languages and sciences, but to prepare them for their life work here and hereafter. We want to make it more feasible for our young people to come here to school. We have here a large institution, many teachers, but comparatively few pupils. The proposition means that almost all our young people can come to the Academy Schools. The matter of working off the one hundred dollars is not serious. It did not matter whether the amount earned was one hundred dollars, or eighty-six dollars. The duties to be performed were to be adjusted to the ages and strength and ability of the pupil. Provision would be made for time for studies, for social life, for athletics, and, at the same time, time for this work. Every father and mother makes some such arrangement for their children in their own home. When a boy is required to take care of the furnace it is not regarded as "grubbing for a living." He was glad that Mr. Alden made his speech because it enabled him to present the matter so as to prevent a wrong conception of the purpose the Academy had in view in furthering this idea.

     MR. CHARLES R. PENDLETON wished to add three arguments in favor of the Bishop's remarks:

     1. From the Divine Providence: that in the Divine Providence the great majority of the people of the world were so situated financially that the children were under the necessity of doing work of some kind. The work which it was necessary to do to help the family was useful to the children. It was useful because it was something which most families in the world would avoid if possible, but they could not avoid it, because Providence did not permit.

     2. His second argument was drawn from the political science of the world, and was briefly this, that men rise to the top of this world's positions and then disappear. Other men come up from the bottom, and there are classes of society from the lowest to the highest, and somewhere in the lowest strata of society is the breeding place. Men start from the lower strata and rise to the higher and finally disappear. This shows that those who rule the world must come from those who have to work, and that was why so many men who are leaders of the world did not have a college education. Not that a college education would not have been of use to them, but because the thing most of use was the learning to perform a use.

     3. The third argument was personal. After attending the Academy Schools for some time, he had to stay away for two years, and owing to this same necessity Providence made him go to work. The real life ambition had started somewhere in that year when he was home at work. The two years' training in the work at home had made a different boy out of him.

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Before that time his chief ambition had been to be the champion base ball player; during the time of work his ideals changed and he decided to become an Academy minister. He did not quite get there, but had become a teacher in the Academy.

     MISS ALICE E. Grant Said that with the working scholarships we intend to give those accepting them something of educational value, above what they receive in the class room. These students will be placed under those best prepared to train them in the work assigned to them to do. In our school work we generally give our pupils six months to find their places in our school. We will use the same policy in regard to those who are assigned work to do. We intend to have them supervised, and taught just as they are in their class work. If girls are not strong they receive consideration in the school room; it will be the same with their work, but we will expect to see conscientious effort and improvement. The work will be changed from time to time so that there may be development along different lines. We are ready to take girls and teach them to like their work as they learn to like their studies. We do not mean to say that a girl can earn fifteen cents an hour, or one hundred dollars in a school year, but she can earn her way through school, with the help of the Academy, and not do more than many girls are required to do at home while going to school Work is essential to happiness. The fact that they have this work to do will make them better students. We intend to take good care of the girls, and see that they do not overwork.

     MR. S. G. NELSON: The plan of the working scholarship appeals to the business man as a very proper and useful policy. He was pleased after hearing the various speakers to see that it appealed to the educational experts. A report which he had heard at the meeting of the Corporation of the Academy had showed two interesting facts: 1. That the number of paid employees of the Academy was about equal to the number of students; 2. that the cost per pupil for their education last year was at the rate of $858 per pupil. These two facts ought to be sufficient to make us realize the necessity and advisability of increasing the number of pupils. While the cost of the education of a pupil was $858 there was required the payment of only one hundred dollars to secure a participation in the benefits. Why should not any person himself contribute towards the scholarship fund? If now the financial difficulty of coming has been reduced from two hundred to one hundred dollars, why should we not advertise the fact and bring a great many new pupils here?

     MRS. ELDRED E. IUNGERICH spoke as a mother and as a scholar in the schools of the Academy of the help which would come through scholarships. There is in CONJUGIAL LOVE a paragraph about the love of one's own children being a natural love and the love of the children of others a spiritual love. The spiritual love of children will come as we work together for all the children.

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In coming into this spiritual love we are coming into a higher life, which means not only the education of our own boys and girls, but the education of all boys and girls in the Church in whatever way it can possibly be done. The movement for working scholarships would seem to be the ultimation of that very spiritual love. Mr. Schoenberger's scheme would be the ultimation every day of that love. In the whole plan there was the important element of giving expression to appreciation for all that has been done. Where there is no return there is little appreciation, but by the plan of the working scholarships the attention would be turned to the giving of some return and not be centered upon getting something. The scholarship idea is not so much that of earning money, but that the child is entering into the love of doing something for the Church which has done so much for if.

     28. The subject of "Scholarships" was further discussed by Messrs. Curtis K. Hicks, Wilfred Howard, Alfred Acton, Raymond Pitcairn, Robert Carswell, Gerald S. Glenn, Charles G. Merrell, K. Knudsen, E. St Price, and Walter C. Childs, after which the Assembly adjourned at 12:30 p. m.

     Friday Afternoon, June 16th.

     29. The Meeting re-assembled at 3 p. m. to hear a paper on the subject of "Feasts of Charity," by the Rev. William B. Caldwell. (See p. 472 of the present issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE.)

     MR. ACTON: It was a very happy thought of Mr. Caldwell to select this subject for a General Assembly of the Church. We have then a feast of Charity, both in the internal sense and in the external, because the actual eating together which make the feast is accompanied by the internal condition which makes it a feast of charity. I was particularly struck with the passage from the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION in which, in giving the reason for means of spiritual conjunction effected by the feast of charity, it is said that a sphere goes forth from each one there and conjoins. Now that means that a sphere goes forth from one and enters into and affects others. There is no conjunction without an actual medium. There are two elements in the conjunction of which we are speaking, the sphere going forth, and the receiving of that sphere. Now good will to each other is apt to be present at a feast of charity; a state, in which we dwell on the good qualities of the neighbor and do not dwell on his faults. We look upon all those with us as brethren. It is that which opens the mind at a feast of charity. The ultimate opening is the actual joy at seeing friends and in listening to the things we love to think of.

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Delight opens all parts of the body, and that is why, when we are delighted, we smile, because a smile is simply a broadening of the face. That is the fact. You see it especially in the opposite. In fear there is a tightening, a gooseflesh kind of feeling. This general feeling of opening of the body with delight or closing with undelight is simply the general effect resulting from the opening or closing of the interiors of the body. In delight the interiors of the body are actually open and receptive. They may be more receptive of an evil sphere than of a good sphere. We know that when we are in states of evil, evil delights the mind and the whole being seems to be open to the influx of evil, to the hearing of words of evil, to the seeing evil things. But feasts of charity are the opposite of this. In them we are open to the spheres of charity from each other.

     What are these spheres of charity that go forth? We know that a natural sphere proceeds from each person, and this natural sphere, while it is not perceptible to us, it is perceptible to certain keen scented animals; man, however, can sensate the spiritual sphere which goes forth. This is why, in the presence of some people, we feel oppressed and when they are gone relieved. Or, on the other hand, at the presence of others, we feel an expansive delight that even enters into the body. This, feeling is the sensation of a spiritual sphere.

     At a feast of charity there is some special sphere present. When we hear the truths of the Word, or when we recall them from our own memory, or hear them read or spoken of, they affect the ultimate vessels of our mind; and these receive the influx from the Lord. By reading or hearing the truth, we, as it were, prepare ourselves to receive the Lord, and then the Lord flows in and is conjoined to man. This is what constitutes the marriage of the Lord and the Church in each one; and the result of that marriage is a continual birth of ideas, reflections, and especially affections. These are the spiritual offspring of the spiritual marriage, and it is these activities of thought and affection that actually proceed from, a man as so many offspring, as it were, of heaven, and form part of the general sphere actually present with those in attendance at a feast of charity. It is this sphere that is received by every one present whose mind is opened, that is, who is in a state of charity. It is by means of men, by means of men who receive Him, that the Lord gives gifts to other men. The Lord does not give spiritual gifts except by means of angels and men, and this because the Lord wills that men may enter into the delight of spiritual uses.

     This is the spiritual sphere of thoughts and affections, the gift that each may give from the Lord; and that each may receive it, his mind is opened. It is this sphere especially that is present in the meetings of the Church; and it is this sphere that makes the real feast of charity.

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If it is a genuine sphere then it is a genuine feast of charity; if it is not a genuine sphere, it is only a semblance of a feast of charity. And I think it may give us some degree of confidence and gratitude, to recall that in the Church which has been distinguished as the "Academy movement," there have been many feasts of charity. How far there has been any genuine charity we do not know, but we do know that those who have been at these feasts of charity have experienced an elevation of thought concerning the Lord, and the delight of charity toward the neighbor, and humiliation with regard to one's self. These are signs that the feasts of charity have been genuine ones and have been the means by which we have received through others some greater richness of the spheres of heaven.

     MR. IUNGERICH: The feasting with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, mentioned in CONJUGIAL LOVE, is interiorly explained elsewhere as representing association with the three heavens respectively meant by those three names. I was interested in a full account of that in the ADVERSARIA, where Swedenborg describes the difference between those three heavens in regard to feasting with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He says that those who are represented by Abraham are those who are able to have affection for people of all sorts and conditions, regardless of their personal or family or national ties, and that this represents the type of the highest angels for they have such a great amount of affection or an affection towards an indefinite variety, that they are able to appreciate all varieties of affection no matter where they come from, provided they are things of the Lord and of the Church.

     Then there is the next class, the class represented by feasting with Isaac. These are limited by certain national or family ties and are bound as by national bonds to the sphere of those whom they know to be active in the things of the Church. But the lowest class are represented by Jacob, who are still more limited, viz., to their family connections and find their happiness only among them. I have been struck with the relation of the three states to what Mr. Caldwell brought out concerning the feasts of the Jews; the Feast of the Passover, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. These represent the same classes of three states in the Church, but in an ascending scale. The first state, that of shunning evils and the rejoicing that they are protected from those evils; the next the rejoicing over the implantation of truth and the peace of its growth and development, and, lastly, the rejoicing in the implantation of good. In the Church among the Jews those feasts had their several epochs to represent these three conditions. The year began with the first, the celebration of their deliverance from evil. It was to commemorate their leaving Egypt, their being saved by the Lord from the conditions of bondage in Egypt. The same is true, of course, of every Newchurchman, His spiritual year begins with the shunning of evils. Then comes the state of the implantation of truth and then the implantation of good. If we think of it we notice those conditions in our feasts.

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We notice them in the time of the Church when there has been a certainty of our preservation by the Lord, and when we have perhaps felt that the Church is small and struggling and our need to stand together for mutual protection and to retain our identity. When all this has come very prominently before us we have felt at feasts at such times much as the Israelites must have felt when they were rescued and the Red Sea closed over their pursuers. But we have another and a different feast where the next condition appears more strongly, that is, where some subject vital becomes crystallized as the result of some subject of intellectual instruction which has been discussed at some meeting. On such an occasion we feel a growth of the Church, in the realization of the Lord's presence and unity in the Truths of the Church, which we had never seen before, and we have then the delight or exaltation imagined by the ritual of the Jews at the second feast. But after all the last feast was really the subject of Mr. Caldwell's concluding words, and is the most important one, which is represented by the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Israelites lived together in booths for the space of the feast. That feast represents the implantation of good, the implantation of good, because good is the soil in which truths grow.

     REV. RICHARD DE CHARMS was delighted with the paper which brought out the leading idea in the whole matter which is the spiritual thing. The spiritual or living thing we ought always to try to find, and have it rule and guide in everything else. He was particularly struck with the point brought out by the paper that in our liking of each other we should not be personal. Even when we love persons personally we ought to consider just what it is that we love, and when we have found what we ought to love we should look for that in others and not so much to the persons. There is a difficulty in loving even that which is true in others. We love most those people who love the things that we love, and in loving people we enter upon something of a trial because we do not find the things that we are looking for, and we do not get the same delight that we would if we could find these definite things. There is one thing that a man can always do. Never cease looking for those definite things, no matter if he does not always find them, for as he finds them here or hereafter, the deepest fountains of love and friendship will be uncovered. My advice is that if you cannot get the best things you are seeking for, if you have any common sense you will take the next best thing, and so we ought not to be discouraged if we cannot always find in others that which we love most. Be very glad if you can find truth and good in anybody. Sometimes you cannot find it. Be delighted with it and come into some conjunction with that person as far as you can, and do not let personal peculiarities keep you from seeking for these deeper things. Sensitiveness separates people who have a real love of something very much better. That sensitiveness we ought to overcome.

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The point I want to make is that we ought not to allow personal considerations to weigh too much, to overcome them in ourselves and not be too much affected by others when we know that they do not like us so well because of external reasons.

     REV. F. E. WAELCHLI: Conjugial love is according to the state of the Church. The state of the Church is according to the state of conjugial love. Consequently such as the state of conjugial love in the home, such is the state of the home of each one, and such as is the state of the Church in the aggregate, such is the state of the Church in the various homes that compose the Church, because each home should be a Church in which the Lord is looked to above all things, and in which all things are done in accordance with the Church and in which especially there reigns this love of loves upon which depends the growth and welfare of the Church, love truly conjugial. And since the home is a Church or should be a Church, therefore all things that belong to the Church should find their place in it. The general life of a home should be that of the Church on an interior plane. There should also be the worship of the Lord there, a gathering of those who are of that home for such worship. It should be of daily occurrence, and so also should there be in the Church home at stated times such a feast as that of which Mr. Caldwell spoke in his paper. There should be, at least, one occasion each day, at which the effort is made to have this interior association, to turn the affections and thoughts to things that are higher, things which are above the gross anxieties of the world to the things of heaven and eternal life and also to adapt those things to the minds of children who may be in that home, that the affection and love for what pertains to the Church may be there awakened. If it cannot be done once a day, although I should say this might be done in almost every family, then let it be done at longer intervals, once or twice or three times a week, when the family shall gather in spirit at its table and where a feast of this kind shall take place. The more homes of this kind there are in the Church the purer will become the spirit of the more general feasts of charity in the Church as a whole, for then we will come together as a larger family, come together as brethren. The Church is a family, composed of brethren who have one father, the Lord, to whom all look and from whom come all the good things of the Church. The hearts will be turned in love to Him, will be loved for that which comes from Him, love for things good and true which He would bestow upon His Church. I think that we can see that this spirit of the larger family has often been felt in our feasts of charity in the General Church of the New Jerusalem; and I think it is one of the distinguishing features of the life of our General Church.

     30. The Report of the Orphanage Fund was presented by its Treasurer, Mr. W. C. Childs, who made the following additional remarks:

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     There are always some who may be depended upon to make contributions to the Orphanage Fund, just as a pastor knows that there are always some persons who will be present at church if they are not absent from home, or ill. He regretted that there had been a large falling off in contributions. Last year was the banner year for falling off. The members of the Church have to decide whether or not they wish the uses of the orphanage fund to continue. There have been no increased calls upon the fund during the past year, but we are liable to have them at any time. Such calls will mean increased outlay. I hope the members of the Church will consider the matter, and that the number of regular contributors to the Orphanage Fund will be largely increased. All contributions, whatever the amount, will be thankfully received and promptly acknowledged.

     31. The Treasurer of the General Church, the Rev. W. H. Alden, then presented the following statement:

     STATEMENT BY THE TREASURER, THE REV. WM. H. ALDEN.

     The report of the Treasurer for the past year shows the largest amount of contributions in the history of the General Church, and a balance on hand about double the amount with which the year began. This exhibit is gratifying as indicating that the Church has fully supported its uses, and a little more. But it is difficult for the Treasurer to make the report the text of an address on the usual lines of appeal for the support of the Church. We are somewhat in the position of Moses and Aaron, when at their call the people brought Jehovah's offering to the work of the tabernacle, and for all its services, and for the holy garments, when, as we read, "They spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work" and when a proclamation was issued that "neither man nor woman" should "make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary, and the people were restrained from bringing." Our situation is not yet so extreme as this; we have no need to issue such a proclamation. But while it is evident that those whose hearts stir them up will give sufficient for the needs of the Church, we have yet to note that the number of those who give is far from the whole number of those of the General Church.

     The matter of giving to the Church is not altogether, nor is it primarily a matter of the amount which is given. The primary consideration is, as in all spiritual things, the individual consideration. The Church is living, not in proportion to the amount of money at her disposal, but in proportion as her nominal members are taking part actively in her uses. All the money which the Church could use might be provided by a single contributor, or by an endowment by bequest; but the power of a Church lies in the living support of those who are of it. With this consideration the situation in the General Church still leaves much to be desired.

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A liberal estimate shows the number of individual contributors during the past year to have been approximately 350 out of a membership of 1,200. To this should be added an indefinite number of those who have made contribution only through, the collections taken up at Assembly meetings or in Societies. This might raise the number of those who have contributed in any financial way to the Treasury of the General Church to five or six hundred, or less than half its membership.

     It is an always pertinent question: What is it which restrains this half or more of the membership of the Church from making contributions to the general uses of the Church as a whole? By what means can this restriction be removed?

     1. I believe that the main reason is simply, thoughtlessness. The matter does not come before such members in a way which impels them to act. Let a special appeal be made and many of them would respond. But if nothing be directly said, it does not occur to them that they should do anything. Three years ago a special effort was made to increase the number of contributions to the uses of the General Church. Local treasurers were appointed at the several centers of the Church and means taken to call attention of every member to the matter. As a result there was a considerable addition to the number of contributors, which addition has, in considerable measure, been retained. But in a large number of individual cases, the contributions made were not repeated, and promises of regular contributions were allowed to lapse. This in part no doubt was due to the lack of oversight and calling attention of individuals to their promise, but the responsibility of the individual to contribute to the Church should not be made dependent upon the knock of the collector.

     2. Some plead other demands upon their purse, which make such contributions inconvenient or impossible. In some cases the local demands of the Church appear to require all that the individual can give to the Church. With some the unyielding demands for natural living seem to exclude all possibility of contribution to the Church.

     How far such reasons or excuses may be valid must be left to the individuals to decide. But I believe that it may be safely said that the reason is at bottom failure to realize that the responsibility is individual. Whether one should give to the Church is not justly to be determined by the fact of others giving or others not giving; it should not be governed by the consideration of whether or not the Church will be supported without that particular individual contribution. It should not be the consideration of whether the individual can give as much or more or less than others. But it should be determined by the consideration that organic connection with the Church and the receiving of life from the Church is in a very real sense conditioned upon it. In a very real sense that is an eternal truth with every man, which was expressed by David, when as a reason why he would not accept as a gift from Araunah the Jebusite his threshing floor that he might erect an altar thereupon to Jehovah, he said, "Nay, but I will verily buy it of thee at a price neither will I offer burnt offerings unto Jehovah my God which cost me nothing."

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All those who are of the Church admit that the existence of the Church is vital to the existence of men; it needs no argument to demonstrate that the really vital things of human life are the things which the Church supplies; and yet despite this, despite the fact that we know in our hearts that this is so, we reverse the proposition, and act as if the things of this world were the essential things and that the things of heaven were to be provided for after all the wants of the world had been supplied. Or it is often thought the Church is taken care of; it does not need the little that I can do for it.

     The most that anyone can give is indeed as nothing in comparison with that which the Church gives. The fact is that as between the largest contribution and the smallest, there is no difference in its ability to represent an adequate return to the Lord for all that He gives in establishing the Church among men. Whatever one call do is only representative of the debt which he owes. But the fact of giving is nevertheless of the utmost importance as exhibiting the state of mind which would not receive of the Lord that which costs nothing.

     I suppose that there would be no doubt as to the giving if it were realized that the very spiritual life depended upon it, as does the natural life upon the actual buying of food and clothing and shelter. That which we regard as vitally important we put forth, our utmost effort to obtain; that which we would like but which we regard as a luxury or possible to do without, we get if it be convenient to do so; things which we care not for, which it does not disappoint our loves to miss, we put forth no effort whatever to obtain. In which class do we put the things of the Church, of spiritual life?

     There is an appearance indeed as if the things of spiritual life did cost nothing. The letter of the Word seemingly so expresses it: "Come ye," the prophet calls, "buy wine and milk without money and without price." On the external plane, the Churches advertise seats free, and use very external means to persuade men to take gratis what they have to offer. One may, indeed, in form, hear the Word of God, join in the worship of the Lord, receive in every manner the benefits of the Church and yet return nothing. But, in reality, it is not so, men cannot, and no individual man can cheat God so. In exact accord with what you give is what you receive. He who thinks to offer to the Lord a sacrifice of that which costs him nothing, offers no sacrifice to God and receives no blessing from Him.

     There is the story told of a parish where the minister was paid a salary of twelve hundred dollars and an additional three hundred paid the cost of maintenance. The whole was readily given in contributions of the congregation.

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By some misfortune a bequest provided an endowment from the income of which the minister's salary was paid; whereupon it became difficult to procure the means to pay the janitor. The moral is obvious; the lesser demand brought forth indifference and a depleted treasury.

     It is the simple fact that influx is according to efflux. The blessings which the individual can receive from the Church are measured with a Divine exactitude by the return, the reciprocation, which costs the individual something. And while it may readily be admitted that there are other avenues of reciprocation and return than that of giving money to the Church, it is also to be emphasized that the giving of money to the Church is an apt indication of that willingness to make return which exhibits itself in other ways as well. For money is the common medium of the exchange of every good, and the general term by which every cost is measured.

     If men believe that the blessings of heaven were, most of all good things, worth receiving, and that they could be bought with money, there would be no stint to the offerings at the altar of the Lord. There have been, there are today, Churches where multitudes are convinced that this is precisely so, where a price is placed, as it were, upon the ticket which admits to heaven, where for so many dollars men are persuaded that they can be secured against the pains of hell. And where this is so the external Church is enriched beyond the dreams of avarice.

     We believe that this teaching is false; that spiritual blessings are not to be sold by the dollar's worth; and so believing we believe truly. Nevertheless there is a sense in which giving to the Lord is the paying the cost of the spiritual sacrifice which alone can receive the return of the spiritual blessing. It is that giving which is represented, not by the amount which is given, but by the spirit of the giving; the spirit which is represented in the widow's mite as over against the gifts out of the abundance of the rich the spirit which is represented in the use of the talents given as over against the hiding the talent in the earth: the truth summed up in the wonderful words of the prophet: "Will a man rob God! Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee! In tithes and offerings. . . . Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, If I will not open to you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

     32. The Treasurer's Statement was discussed by Messrs. Acton, Schoenberger, Carswell, R. De Charms, and Alvin Nelson:

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     THE BISHOP referred to the fact that the discussion of financial matters belonged rather to the Corporation than to the Assembly. Our people cared more for the discussion of spiritual subjects and spiritual uses. The session of the day before and today had been taken up with the discussion of the collecting of money. But we must not let this go too far. We should remember the primary reason for the Assemblies, namely, the discussion of spiritual subjects, and its promotion of spiritual-natural uses.

     33. The session adjourned at 4:55 o'clock.

     SATURDAY, JUNE 17.

     Morning Session.

     34. The Bishop called the meeting to order at 10:30 a. m.

     35. The reading of the Docket being called for, the Secretary stated that there were but two subjects on the Docket: the NEW CHURCH LIFE and the Orphanage.

     36. On motion, the subject of the NEW CHURCH LIFE was taken up for consideration:

     MR. ACTON: In my opinion there is one point in the communication of the Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE that needs some correction. I refer to the part where the Editor gives his reasons for not having a council. At the time that assistance to the Editor was requested, the general understanding was there should be a council. That matter was considered in Joint Council of the General Church. Then the Editor appointed a council which was very large and somewhat in the nature of a literary club. Then, as you know, there arose serious differences of opinion among these men. Differences of opinion were given in the report as one of the reasons why there was not a council. I do not believe differences of opinion ought to prevent a council for the LIFE. The council is to determine the general policy of the LIFE and not as to whether a certain article should say so or so. I think that in the General Church we ought to be able to meet together as joint workers in the field, and, at least, be able to work together as to general policy. Of course, the Editor ought to consult with individual members, but that will never take the place of the council. I believe there ought to be a council for the LIFE.

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     REV. E. S. PRICE: I was a member of that council that Mr. Acton has just spoken of and my opinion is that that council failed because it was too big, and contained too many elements; but I think that the Editor's report yesterday made it perfectly clear that the reason why the Editor of the LIFE has not continued to have a council has been on account of the peculiar conditions in Bryn Athyn that make it very difficult to get "another" meeting; a council meeting for the Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE would require another meeting in addition to the many already scheduled. That is the difficulty, for we labor now with very many different councils. This is not a criticism, but simply a statement of the fact that there is hardly time for anything that is not imperatively necessary. Now it might be argued that the council for LIFE is imperatively necessary, once a month, at least. But I simply hand out for what it is worth that it is very difficult to get that extra; meeting once a month.

     REV. F. E. WAELCHLI: I wish to direct your attention somewhat to the general policy of the LIFE and to the use that it performs, and the consideration of the form of that use as far as possible, rather than to the question of a council. No doubt the question of a council is important because I believe that the Editor of LIFE requires a council, just as does the pastor of a society. But the criticism which I would make of the LIFE is from a somewhat different standpoint. Before Imake it I wish to say that I myself very much enjoy NEW CHURCH LIFE and read it with very much pleasure and benefit, and have no doubt whatever but that it performs a great use, a very great use in the church. I believe that those in the General Church would feel it a very great loss if the LIFE should fail to reach them every month. Nevertheless I believe that there is room for improvement, and in order that improvement may be made I think that what is needed is fuller cooperation of the ministers and others of the Church with the Editor. The work 6f the LIFE has rested very largely upon his own shoulders. It might be that a council would help in bringing about this fuller co-operation of which I speak. I am not criticising any particular minister, but really the ministers of the whole church, myself included, for I know I have done very little for the LIFE.

     I think NEW CHURCH LIFE as it is, is an organ rather of the Academy than of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. On its cover it has indeed the inscription of being the organ of the General Church, but its general quality, the general nature of its articles, reflects the school, the theological school, rather than the General Church. The nature of the articles is such as one would expect very largely from a professor of a theological school, rather than from a pastor in the General Church. The NEW CHURCH LIFE goes forth and carries its message to the members of the General Church and to very many people who are not in societies, who do not have regular pastoral administrations, and who are in need of that which a pastor gives to the people of his society in his sermons and in the course of doctrinal instruction and so on, on various occasions and meetings.

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The LIFE, it is true, does contain a sermon. This is a very good thing, very much appreciated by many. But it needs something more-something more of that pastoral quality.

     Just one illustration, the article which appeared in the LIFE for May, on "The Divine Human from Eternity," with a criticism of Dr. Burnham's book. That was an article which no doubt interested all the ministers. It also interested a number, and indeed a considerable number of the laymen of the General Church, but it is not the kind of article which meets the general need, and, more than that, I might say it is an article on a controversial subject, an article in regard to which there is a difference of opinion, and it presents the subject from one side-from the Editor's point of view, and there are some in the church who are not in harmony with the views expressed in the article. There is just a little doubt whether articles of that kind should appear. I suppose it is right for them to appear so they can be answered. But they do not meet the general needs of the church. There is something more of the pastoral quality and General Church quality needed in the LIFE and not so much the quality of the theological school. Whether a council would bring that about, and whether a council would be able to succeed more fully in securing the co-operation of the ministers in the church generally, and especially of those in pastoral positions, would, of course, be a question, but it might do so, and in that case I am sure it would very much improve the quality of LIFE

     MR. IUNGERICH: I would say that if we are going to limit the score of the LIFE, if we are going to have represented in it only a certain plane of truth, we are going to make the LIFE less representative of the activities of our church. I would just like to mention one or two points of difference between the General Church and the other branch of the New Church which have always struck me with pleasure. In other branches of the Church they undoubtedly emphasize the pastoral side. They emphasize it so much that we sometimes hear the remark made that the papers are directed to the edges of the Society and not to the nucleus. That is one thing I have always admired in the General Church that everyone is fed-there is plenty given for the nucleus of the Society. I would say that if the "pastoral" policy should predominate there would be a lack of scholarly good which distinguishes the LIFE from most of the periodicals of the Church. I think there is one point which was well taken by Mr. Waelchli, that those of us who are in Bryn Athyn would want the professorial side rather than the pastoral side. I think there is some truth in that, and that there are some active in the pastoral use and some active in the professorial use, and that those active in the professorial use have not given much attention to the pastoral side.
Now there is one person in the church who does combine, these offices, and that is the Bishop of our Church, I think that these two policies should be carefully adjusted, and since the LIFE is the official organ of the General Church it should have Episcopal direction.

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I should like to see if it could be arranged to have it managed under the Consistory with the Bishop directly responsible for its policies, the proportioning of its pastoral and its professorial utterances. In that way I think the responsibility should rest in the Episcopal office, because the Bishop is the only one in the church who is really competent to adjust the proper balance and proper proportion.

     MR. CARSWELL: I was interested in the report of the Editor yesterday, and was rather surprised. I did not know the LIFE was not going ahead. Looking at it as a business enterprise it seems to me something must be lacking when an organ does not increase its circulation. The General Church is much larger than it was ten or fifteen years ago, and yet the circulation within the Church is not as large as it was then. Again, there is the consideration of competitive periodicals which take up points that it seems the Editor of LIFE is not ready for. It seems to me that the LIFE should have taken up these points in its pages, and it is a failure on the part of the Editor that it has not adapted itself to that class of editing which is required. It seemed to me that the report indicated that the Editor was not competent to do his work. But his own articles are most excellent, so it looks as though he might be a better contributor than an Editor. I suggest this only as my thought.

     MR. W. C. CHILDS: It seems to me, Bishop, it would be a great calamity to the church if the Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE should cease being Editor to become a contributor. The only fault I have to find with the LIFE is that it comes so late in the month. I have a habit of jotting down when it arrives. I let it go until about the 12th of the month when I send word to Brother Alden to get busy; it sometimes goes to the 15th, before I receive it,

     Now I feel that we should be very grateful. It is easy to say that the LIFE might be better. Everything in the world can be made better. If it cannot be made better it ought to be edited in heaven and not here at all. I for one feel very grateful, as a layman, for the help I get from the LIFE, and I think it would be a great loss to the church not to have it. As regards the circulation I could regret that it has not increased. It seems unfortunate that the LIFE is not taken by every family in the church. They lose a great deal and the church loses a great deal. I think that if there should be a council, one member of that council could not take up any more useful work than that of increasing the circulation of NEW CHURCH LIFE.

     MR. FRED. J. COOPER: I was very much interested in the remarks that Mr. Waelchli made with reference to the Policy of the NEW CHURCH LIFE. As a layman I must say that the NEW CHURCH LIFE has always been, in my opinion, one of the greatest things we have in the church. I think that the further we get away from Bryn Athyn the more we appreciate it.

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I have felt this when I was over in England. Everyone there read the LIFE from cover to cover and if the next number did not come on time there was a feeling of faintness. I feel that there is a large and growing field for it in the Church and that more attention should be paid to the pastoral side, and I was very glad to hear Mr. Waelchli bring up that point. I must say personally that I enjoy Mr. Odhner's articles-those of them that I can understand,-but I believe it would be a great benefit to the church if we could have articles of a pastoral nature from the priests. I think it is that side of the church where NEW CHURCH LIFE might perhaps do a little more for us.

     We realize that the BULLETIN is taking quite a part in giving the news of the Church. There is one criticism I have of the LIFE, that usually whoever has charge of the news has the faculty of hashing it out of all recognition in many cases. Since I have been ill Philadelphia I have found that our news has not been up to the standard of the work that is happening there. I think there is something in the pruning process which seems to take the whole spirit out of these news notes. I believe that although the BULLETIN has taken over some of this material, that the LIFE at least should have some of the main news items. As has been said, there is nothing perfect in the world, yet I believe that there is really room for improvement in the LIFE.

     MR. CHAS. R. PENDLETON: It seems hardly reasonable to expect that in each household the husband should subscribe to NEW CHURCH LIFE and also the wife. Why should we expect more from 1,200 members than 600 subscriptions to the LIFE? As a matter of fact there are good many of the young people who are not married and yet everyone in the household reads the LIFE when it comes. So again it seems rather unreasonable to expect all of them to subscribe to the LIFE and have two or more copies lying on the table, when one is amply sufficient. In the last two or three days we have heard many calls for money. There are other publications requiring subscriptions and the general tendency of the young people is to support the BULLETIN. This all costs money and when anybody has access to the LIFE. Why should we expect him to subscribe? It seems to me it would be a good plan to make an estimate as to how many homes there are that do not have the LIFE. I think that that is the basis we ought to work on, and not the number of members in the General Church.

     MR. ALDEN: I would like to answer Mr. Pendleton's questions. Of the six hundred subscriptions noted there are in the General Church only about 328. There is a considerable subscription to the LIFE outside the bounds of the General Church. Also a considerable number go to libraries. As to the families where it does not go, I have made an effort to send them sample copies from time to time. I would say that there are at least 100 families or isolated individuals who do not take the LIFE. If we could get these hundred subscriptions we would feel very much encouraged.

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     Another reason why the subscriptions list is smaller than it was twenty or sixteen years ago. The subscription rate at that time was $1.00 a year. The difference between $2.00 and $2.00 would naturally make a material difference in the number of subscriptions.

     REV. HUGO ODHNER: It was with great interest and some trepidation that I heard the criticism on the theological tendency of the LIFE'S activity. I do not suppose anyone would suggest any kind of an intellectual blockade against deep theology in the LIFE, but I would like to speak in favor of an open policy. Those who are living here in Bryn Athyn have the great opportunity of getting together at any time and discussing the questions which are of particular interest at the time,-the theological and doctrinal questions that are stirring the Church. But those that live away from this intellectual center, in this sphere of study in the Academy,-to them it is a very great joy to see articles of a substantial kind in the LIFE. I think that no progress could be made in the Church if that sort of material were, to be cut out from the LIFE or lessened in any degree. It might be balanced more, but, of course, there is great difficulty in doing that, seeing that the material does not come in evenly. On the other hand, if it were lessened, the only remedy would be to have a distinctly theological organ. There must be some means for the circulation of the doctrinal life blood in the Church. And I must make an appeal for the freedom of doctrinal discussion. I would deplore any policy of excluding articles solely on the ground of their being a bit controversial, or because everybody does not agree as to the results of the studies made or conclusions drawn. How are we to know of these differences of opinion? How are we to approach any subject unless our opinions may be ventilated? I doubt whether there are very many questions on which all the members and students and ministers and teachers within the Academy sphere of thought really agree. They, of course, agree as to essentials, such as the authority of the Writings. But in doctrinal matters there are so many possibilities, so many different ways in which lines of thought might be followed out, that I doubt whether it would be wise to suppress any material on this ground.

     REV. LLEWELLYN DAVID: I wish to second Mr. Hugo Odhner's remarks, especially those on the value of doctrinal studies, and what they mean to ministers who are not in this center. Such studies come to us like a refreshing breath of air when we are stifled. We are surrounded so closely by the influences of the world, and they press upon us far more than they do here in Bryn Athyn, more than you can conceive of, that we need the LIFE, the interior doctrinal study for our enlightenment and encouragement in order that we may go on with our work.

     I would like further to speak of the suggestion as to incorporating in the LIFE something of the pastoral quality, which it appears it does not have.

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While I can see that something might be done to round out the LIFE on that side I have in mind that there is the danger of going too far with it. There arose in my mind the question as to what the pastoral quality really is. I know that in the other general body of the New Church in this country that quality is very pronounced. It is emphasized, or we might say the whole effort of the church is centered upon that,-the pastoral work,-and it appears very manifestly in their organ, the MESSENGER. That paper is a very sincere effort to carry the pastoral work to the people of the church as a whole, but I do not feel that it has what is the essential in any pastoral work. To my mind the essential thing is the teaching of spiritual truth; the more truth we can teach the better is the pastoral work, provided that the truths are so connected that we can make use of them. It has been a fundamental principle of the Academy that the leadership of the priesthood, of the pastor in his Society, is the leadership of truth by instructing his people in the truths of doctrine, and I feel that the LIFE has been performing that use. It really has been performing such a use in all these years. That is the reason it is so much appreciated everywhere, especially by the people who live away from Bryn Athyn.

     REV. MR. H. ALDEN: I fully appreciate and would not at all undervalue what the LIFE is. I appreciate and do not at all undervale the work that Mr. Odhner does. I appreciate what he writes for the LIFE and believe it to be a great use to the Church. I want to say this, and say it thankfully, and I believe you will all agree with me.

     One reason why the LIFE had a larger circulation in the first nineteen years when it was published in folio form, than it has today, is that at that time it was in what may be called a nascent state. You know that certain chemicals have what is called a nascent state, the state of activity which they have when first formed, but which they soon lose. The LIFE was Started as a voluntary effort by certain young men imbued with intense enthusiasm for the Academy principles. They came right out and called a spade a spade, said real things that needed to be said in the Church at that time. That is the reason the LIFE during those first twenty years had an unusual circulation.

     Another point. We must have a paper which voices the common understanding in the Church. Comment has been made on the attitude of the LIFE in regard to a recent controversy. The statement has been made that: no two thinkers in the Church agree on various points of doctrine. Therefore, it is said, let the LIFE be free, and express all opinions on equal terms. This does not appear to me to be a good attitude for the LIFE to take. Those papers which professedly have no creed, which declare themselves open to any view which may be expressed with sufficient literary ability, are not the models which as it seems to me the LIFE should follow.

     The LIFE stands for certain Doctrines which are well established among us, which it is the province of the LIFE to proclaim and to elucidate.

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That is the ground upon which we stand, which has been held for generations. That body of doctrine it is which the LIFE represents. Now I affirm that when a new concept comes forward that is not in accord with the doctrines which are generally held in the Church, we have the right, and the LIFE should exercise the right, to challenge that concept and demand that it show its right to be, before it can have equal rights in the pages of the LIFE. The one criticism which I have of the LIFE in its relation to the recent controversy is that when the new concept with regard to the spiritual world first appeared, the Editor should not have made his stand a merely personal one, but as Editor should have declared these views to be not in accord with principles fundamental in the Church. I believe in precedent. A precedent is like the rock foundation of a building upon which the whole superstructure stands. A precedent may indeed be overturned, but it may not be lightly overturned. There are many other things which are suggested by the Report of the Editor of the LIFE, but this is not the place where they may usefully be said. I would recommend that the Report of the Editor of the LIFE be referred to the Joint Council.

     MR. ACTON: I wish to call attention to the fact that there are doctrines in the Church which have been made a special study by the Academy and are called Academy doctrines, as, for instance, the Divine authority of the Writings, the doctrine concerning conjugial love, the priesthood; etc. These are the questions, I presume, to which Mr. Alden refers. But there are other new questions upon which, light must be thrown. The question of the spiritual world has not been so studied in the Church as to lead to definite and clearly formulated ideas. The doctrine of the reality of the spiritual world has been maintained absolutely. But the general subject of the spiritual world is one in regard to which there has been considerable obscurity and about which the Church should welcome with pleasure further consideration and study.

     37. On motion, the subject of NEW CHURCH LIFE was referred to the Joint Council.

     38. The. Rev. F. E. Waelchli read a paper on "Church Extension." (See page 459, of the present issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE.) The paper was discussed by the Rev. Messrs. Iungerich, Acton, R. De Charms, Harris, and G. H. Smith.

     BISHOP N. D. PENDLETON: There is nothing more important to our Church than this matter of Church extension, for whatever does not grow surely dies;-nothing stands still. We must either have Church extension or we must expect a more or less rapid decline of the Church. I believe that we need more than anything else a keen realization on the part of all the members, and especially on the part of the priesthood, of the fact that the Second Coming of the Lord is an actuality, and that it is our mission to bring this fact before all men.

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In the Academy we have not only the duty of educating the priesthood, but of training for the doing of just this work. I well remember in the early days when I was for a brief period associated with the Convention, the question came before that body with regard to societies having no ministers, and therefore languishing, and in many of these places the aid of the Convention was solicited for the building of houses for worship. But far more necessary than having an equipment of that sort is the need of having a minister. The Academy and the General Church have said in effect: Let us provide a minister first, and then adequate equipment will follow in due course. The first thing of all is the need for ministerial instruction and leading, for living work. That is the true order. The essential thing on our part is to have a strong and vigorous ministry. A priesthood not only trained in the intellectual understanding of the Doctrine of the Church, but also having an intense and urgent love for these doctrines and a zeal for teaching them and spreading them. This is the great need of the Church,-not only intellectual understanding but a fervent zeal and love for the doctrines, and for communicating them to others.

     I tell you, brethren, the matter of equipment is secondary. I believe that we can be of greater service to the New Church if we have this zeal for spreading the doctrines. Two of our theological students are to give certain methods, new to us, a trial this summer. Let us encourage every legitimate effort. If the Lord puts it into the heart of a man to do a work for the Church, in this or that way, it is of Providence. It is the Lord's doing and a sign that it ought to be done. The Church will grow just as fast as the Lord sees fit. We can asker desire nothing more.

     39. Mr. Wm. H. Junge moved the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted:

     Resolved, That we, the guests of this Assembly, unanimously express appreciation and gratitude for the gracious hospitality which has been extended to us by the Bryn Athyn Society and which we have enjoyed so much, and we wish also to acknowledge the personal kindnesses which have flowed like a streaming river.

     40. The Assembly adjourned at 12:30 p. m.

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     Saturday Evening, June 17.

     41. The Assembly met at 8 p. m. to hear a paper on "Distinctiveness," by the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt. This paper, it is hoped, will be published in the near future in NEW CHURCH LIFE.

     42. The paper was discussed by Messrs. Walter C. Childs, C. Th. Odhner, Louis Schoenberger, Raymond Cranch, Alfred Acton and Charles G. Merrell.

     43. On motion, the Ninth General Assembly adjourned at 10:30 p. m.
          C. TH. ODHNER,
               Secretary.

     THE NINETEENTH OF JUNE BANQUET.

     The Banquet given on the evening of Monday, June Nineteenth, broke the records of all previous Assemblies in respect to the number of attendants. At 7 p. m. four hundred and eighty persons were seated at the gaily decorated tables that had been spread in the great hall, where the Assembly Ball had taken place on Friday evening. A table for the speakers and their ladies was placed on a raised platform at the eastern side of the hall. Above the entrance glowed the section of a stained-glass window, designed by Mr. Winfred Hyatt as part of a series for the cathedral building. It was illuminated from behind by electric lights and represented the Lord as the Word.

     The Toastmaster, MR. RANDOLPH W. CHILDS, in his introductory remarks, called attention to the spiritual significance of the Nineteenth of June, the day when, one hundred and forty-six years ago, the twelve Apostles of the Lord were sent forth into the universal spiritual world to preach the Gospel of the Second Coming. This day, also, forty years ago, the Academy of the New Church was organized by twelve followers of the Lord. Mr. Childs announced that the theme for the speeches of the evening would be the "Preservation of the Church by means of Use," and proposed the first toast: "The Use of Missionary Work in the Preservation of the Church."

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The Assembly, in passing this toast, united in singing the hymn, "O Zion, rise in glory."

     In responding to this toast the REV. C. TH. ODHNER spoke as follows:

     THE PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH THROUGH THE USES OF MISSIONARY WORK.

     Those of us who were at one time connected with other organizations in the New Church are familiar with the oft-repeated slogan: "The New Church is nothing if not a missionary Church."

     In the olden days we used to hear this saying until it fairly sickened us, for the spirit: which prompted it was generally opposed to every interior development of faith and life in the Church. It was the spirit which would take the bread from the children and cast unto the dogs, a spirit which spells nothing but ruin for the organized Church of the Lord.

     It is no wonder, therefore, that the founders of the Academy reacted strongly against this kind of missionary spirit. They took the stand that true missionary work, like every use of true charity, must begin at home. The very first person that needs to be converted to the New Church is our own self, and the next that must be converted from natural to spiritual men are all the little souls which the Lord has confided to our care, in order to bring them to Him, and not to the world and the devil.

     These truths seemed perfectly obvious to the men of the early Academy, and therefore they inscribed upon their banner the principle that the New Church is first to be built up from within,-that we are first to seek for the internal things of the kingdom of; heaven, and that then, when the time is ripe, all the external blessings of that kingdom will be added unto us.

     But the accusation quickly went forth that the Academy did not believe in missionary work, nay, was absolutely opposed to every effort to bring the light of the Heavenly Doctrine to those outside of the New Church. This was a terrible misapprehension! Imagine a member of the New Church who would care nothing for the salvation of any soul but his own and the soul of his own children. Most certainly, this was never the case in the Academy or the General Church, for the people of these bodies always and most earnestly believed in these parting commandments of the Lord to His disciples: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15.) And again, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations." (Matth. 28:19.) But He added yet another direction: "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." The city of Jerusalem signifies the doctrine of the Church.

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It is from this doctrine alone that we can be endued with power from on high, and we cannot receive this power unless we tarry therein, that is, thoroughly study it and apply it to our lives.

     We are taught in the Writings that Evangelization, or Missionary work in the widest sense, includes all the uses of the Church, for all these uses are effected by teaching the truth and thereby leading to the good of life. It includes therefore every form of teaching and preaching the Word and conducting worship according to it. It includes the Internal Propaganda of the truth, Education in the New Church, Home Missions, Foreign Missions, and, finally, Missions to the Gentiles. For years our General Church has performed Missionary work along all these lines.

     The Word is being preached, and worship conducted according to it, in all our societies for the upbuilding of spiritual character and the development of distinctive New Church Life,-conjugial, family and social life-according to the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

     The Internal Propaganda of the Church, the proclamation of the "Principles of the Academy"-and chief of these the Divine Authority of the Heavenly Doctrine-has been performed now for forty years, first in the pages of the WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH and then in NEW CHURCH LIFE, and this Propaganda is still proceeding with ever growing and widening effects.

     The distinctive Education of the New Church-from the Kindergarten to the Theological School-has been cultivated with most remarkable success in the various departments of the Academy of the New Church.

     The field of Home Missions,-the fostering of the weaker societies on our continent, the building up of new centers, and administering to the isolated members of the Church,-has been cultivated in a small way, but to the best of our ability for many years, but this field is now extending and flourishing under the efficient care of our visiting pastor.

     The field of Foreign Missions has especially developed during the past few years. I need but point to the various centers abroad which have sent Messages to the present General Assembly:-Rosthern and other circles in the wide plains of Canadian North West; London and Colchester in England, Stockholm in Sweden; The Hague in Holland; Brussels in Belgium; Paris in France; Lausanne and Geneva in Switzerland, Sydney in Australia, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Durban in South Africa. In all these centers our faithful missionaries are working, and their Messages establish the fact that the General Church of the New Jerusalem is indeed becoming an international Church of world-wide extent.

     And, finally, within the last year, we have been permitted to witness an interesting and promising beginning of a New Church mission among African Gentiles,-the remarkable developments in Basutoland, where Mr. Gyllenhaal is even now making a second visit.

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I know that all of you are following the work there with eager interest.

     The subject assigned to me by the Toastmaster is "The Preservation of the Church through the Uses of Missionary Work." At first glance it might seem that Missionary work looks to the Extension of the Church rather than its Preservation. But if we look more interiorly it will be seen that the Church is preserved with us only in the degree that the love of saving souls is kindled within us. This love is from the Lord alone; it is a love kindled from the fire of the Divine Love itself. And the love of Evangelization means nothing else than the love of the Salvation of souls by the extension of the Divine Truth as the only means of salvation.

     This love is kindled especially with children and young people by the idea of Gentile missions:-their interest, their sympathy and imagination awakened by the thought of establishing the Lord's New Church in far away lands among heathen peoples of strange hues and customs and religions. This home value of Gentile missionary work is recognized by every denomination in the world, and it is a common saying that there can be no active Church without a live missionary spirit.

     We also need to cultivate this spirit in our own Church, for in itself it is an Apostolic spirit and a Holy spirit. We need to cultivate it for the Preservation of the Church in our midst, for even though Missionary work may be of a relatively external character, we need the external as well as the internal. The constant cultivation of interior things alone may lead to the development of vague speculations and the conceits of would-be "interior" views, and these again may lead to the splitting up of the Church into many contending little sects. But a healthy interest in the more external uses of the Church always contributes to strength and unity, for all power and cohesion must rest upon something that is external and ultimate.

     It may truly be said that the real Missionary work of the New Church has scarcely begun. Instead of being exhausted, the missionary field-even in the Christian world-has hardly been touched as yet. Take, for instance, the work of advertising the Writings. Wherever this has been done at all systematically it has borne good results, but it has never been done on a grand scale. If we had the means for a nation-wide or world-wide advertising campaign persistently kept up, we would find thousands of new readers, and would come into touch with many of these. The Convention and the Conference are closed to us, but a new sphere of influence would be opened to us if we could freely advertise the Writings in the public press. And from the new receivers there would come, in time, many young people for our Schools.

     There are many other ways of doing successful Missionary work in every city and town, had we the means and, above all, the spirit.

     I do not believe that the missionaries of the New Church have struck the right method of approach as yet.

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We complain because an unknown missionary, lecturing on an abstruse subject, finds no hearing in the callous world of today. The modern man is not interested in subtle theological distinctions. He doubts if there is such a thing as genuine spiritual truth. But he does know that there is such a thing as evil in the world, that civilization is sick almost unto death with evil of every kind grafting and stealing, murder and war, drunkenness, adultery, divorce, race-suicide!

     Well, suppose a live New Church missionary-a man with the fervor of "Billy Sunday,"-were to go forth on a campaign against natural evil rather than against spiritual falsity, is it not likely that he would draw larger congregations? Let him take for his subject any of the common evils, such as adultery, for instance, and turn his guns against that, show its hellishness as only a Newchurchman can do, how it destroys body and soul, and is devastating our nation and the whole Christian world. Then let him lead up to its causes, which are spiritual and religious, the adulterous separation of charity from faith, and the adulterous worship of three gods.

     There is not a single doctrinal of the New Church that is not of an intensely practical nature. And the "remnant" in the Old Church, the simple good, are mostly practical people who must be approached from the practical side. They know that it is the life that counts, and the Heavenly Doctrine has for its supreme end the fight against evil, not falsity alone.

     The Christian world is evil and will become worse, and few will ever come from it to the Lord's New Church. But there still is a remnant, and it is our duty to seek it out. It is useless to say that this remnant will be reached by the Divine Providence without our missionary efforts. We may as well say that our children will get a New Church Education by the Divine Providence, without our keeping up any New Church schools. We must act as of ourselves, knowing that we are the servants of Providence.

     Whatever be the external results, we need this work, this missionary work, in order to foster and keep alive in our hearts the priestly love of saving souls, for without it the Church must perish in our midst. We have with us tonight two ardent young missionaries who are about to go forth on a missionary tour, after the manner of the Apostles. Shall we send them forth, wagging our heads in misgiving, comforting them with the assurance that they will return to us wiser but sadder men? It was not thus the Lord sent forth His disciples on their first Christian missionary journey.

     In this day of small beginnings we can form no conception of the great missionary movements of the New Church of the future, both in Christian and in Gentile lands, when in due time the men and the means shall appear, men endued with power from on high.

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The means and the men will come; they will surely come when the Spirit comes; and the Holy Spirit will come if we steadfastly "tarry in Jerusalem," study the Word and the Heavenly Doctrine, faithfully perform our more internal uses, and, at the same time, encourage every orderly effort that is made-here a little and there a little-for the more external extension of the Church.

     THE TOASTMASTER: "It has been shown that the Church must perform external as well as internal uses. It is significant in this connection that the labors of Bishop W. F. Pendleton have resulted in two great works,-one dealing with the interior study and the other with external worship; I refer to THE SCIENCE OF EXPOSITION and to the LITURGY. Under the wise leadership of Bishop W. F. Pendleton we have come to see that Ritual can be of great use in the development of our Church, and we are now affirmative to progress in ritual. I would therefore propose a toast to the "Use of Ritual in the Preservation of the Church."

     The Assembly here joined in singing "Great and wonderful are Thy Works," after which the REV. GILBERT H. SMITH responded as follows:

     THE USE OF RITUAL IN THE PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH:

     There is no Church that can exist in the world without a fitting external form of worship. The subject of my remarks is that of ritualism, and ritualism, considered in a strict sense, is the study of the externals of the externals of the church. Let us consider what are the various directions of development ritual may take. Rituals are externals of worship. If we extend it a little we find that all externals of worship, and so everything connected with rituals, refer themselves to seven or eight heads: 1. The Holy Supper; 2. Baptism; 3. Confession of Faith; 4. Ordination; 5. Marriage; 6. Education; 7. Burial; 8. Representations of all kinds.

     These things include all the rites of the church. Everything that tends to preserve and enhance the rites of the church is valuable because it preserves the externals of the church, without which there can be no preservation of its internals. Ritualism and the development of the externals of the externals of the church may be termed in an ultimate sense the ultimates of piety as distinguished from ultimates of charity. Those things typify piety in their external form. We know that piety within which there is no charity leads away from heaven, and so we conclude that the same is true of the externals of worship; if the externals of worship exists without being subject to the true internals of worship they lead us away from heaven.

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So it is with the externals of the externals. These things may lead us away from heaven. But, again, if there is and internal within the external they will not; and their development is then almost unlimited.

     Let us consider a moment what is said of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and of Canaan, the son of Ham. Shem represents true internal worship; Japheth the external corresponding to that internal. Ham represents those who had no internal of worship, and Canaan those who had externals that had been completely perverted. It is in a church like Ham and Canaan that Ritualism becomes a danger and a curse, but not in a church like Shem and Japheth. Ritual is especially useful for preserving the Church with the simple and Children, but there are states with all of us like those of the simple and children, and therefore ritual is useful to us all who are living in this world.

     We learn that the people who lived in the most ancient times had very little ritualism, but worshiped in simplicity in their tents. Their externals of worship were very simple, and therefore some are inclined to think that this is an argument for the greatest simplicity in relation to the rituals of the New Church. But it is not a good argument, because we are not celestial, but mostly spiritual and natural, and we live in a scientific age. Everything that tends to preserve the externals of worship at this time is an absolute necessity to the church. So we must go ahead.

     Such an Assembly as this is a great confirmation of the fact that we do have an internal in the church. So long as we have this internal there is no limit to which we may go in beautifying the externals of the externals. Consider what may be added to the beauty and grandeur of external worship when the whole field of art and music is taken over to contribute to our worship! Consider what there will be in time to come when we all have temples such as the one now building in Bryn Athyn! That is an example of what Art can do for the church. Is there any possible harm that' can come to us in taking these gifts which Art gives to us? Is there any possible harm in taking the best that music or science can offer! There is absolutely no danger of over development of external ritualism in the church so long as we keep the internal spirit of the Heavenly Doctrine.

     "Then shall He be pleased with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer bullocks upon His altar." These words, I think, describe the state of the New Church which is to come and which is coming. The bullocks and burnt offerings, and each of the Jewish sacrifices are introduced to show that we may go as far as we will in developing external rituals in the church so long as it does not interfere with the interior spiritual life of the church. As I said before, the Bryn Athyn church building is an example of what Art will do to develop the power of externals in the church.

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There can be no question but that ritual is an important thing in preserving the externals and consequently the internals of the church.

     The Toastmaster now proposed a third toast, to "The Use of Social Life in the Preservation of the Church," to which the Assembly joined in singing a song, composed for the occasion, by Miss Cyriel Odhner: "Here's to the friends that we love best," set to an old Swedish melody.

     To this toast the REV. HOMER SYNNESTVEDT responded as follows:

     THE USE OF SOCIAL LIFE IN THE PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH.

     In the first place social life is a matter of a spontaneous feeling in our hearts; it is a matter of touching the affections and stirring the delights, especially those delights that come down into the lower or sensuous planes, so that we feel them there in our bosom. It is what stimulates a sense of delight, a pleasurable sensation from the company of others whose sphere is communicated to us.

     The question is sometimes raised in the church, whether there is any such thing as a New Church social life, If social life is taken in this general sense in which I have defined it,-the pleasure or delight of consociation, not the consociation itself, but the pleasure of consociation having to do with recreation, which I take to be the meaning here rather than the more interior meanings of consociation-if social life means only that, how can we say that there is such a thing as New Church social life as different from any other? The sensual plane is no different with the Newchurchman from that with one in another church. Matters of religion and theology dwell upon one plane and the things of the senses dwell upon another plane distinctly bodily. If, therefore, the social life simply means the stirring of the delights of the bosom and the sensations we have from the pleasure of consociation with others, we may say that it is in common with all human creatures, for the human heart, wherever it is, is gregarious.

     You can go anywhere among those whose externals are agreeable and not such as to disturb, and who are conjoined in any affection either internal or external, and by the use of things which lend themselves to delights of the senses, music, literature, dancing, all the things that belong to the class of natural affections, you can enjoy social pleasures, parties, and suppers, almost anywhere in the world as well as in the New Church, and in many cases, on account of their devotion to these things, you may find more delight than in the Church.

     I will admit we have this in common with others. But there is a difference!

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As soon as you begin to discriminate between those things that please both your senses and your understanding and those things which do not, which may appeal only to the senses, you begin to have something of a distinction. I can conceive of New Church social life being a matter of the affections with regenerated men and women. It is thus when the senses themselves become so synchronized or so in harmony with those things in the conscience, and the understandings which are received at this day in the New Church, so in harmony with these ideals and spiritual standards that our very senses are delighted only with those things that partake of holiness, purity, love to the neighbor, and love to the Lord, when our delight will grow cold and we will be actually displeased with things that are not of that sort,-then we can have New Church social life.

     But we are very far from that. It seems there is only a beginning, yet it seems to me that there is something of a change, something of a growth in the Academy in the last forty years. It seems to me that the social center, the social quality has shifted somewhat from a kind of first-love state of the delight of the first vision of the Heavenly Doctrine, a state of the elevation of the understanding into the light of heaven, to which was adjoined by the Lord a certain opening of the celestial mansions, whereby there was an influx into the Church, a revelation as it were, of this first great love which you have heard about, which the Lord sends to all human creatures in the beginning of the great use they perform in the world.

     Now, this love is given in the beginning of the Church in spite of our proprium. It is given by the miraculous action of the Lord in suppressing for the time being the activities of out proprium. It is a thing we cannot maintain until we have gone down from that first height upon which the Lord places us to give the first vision of the promised land to which He is leading us, even as. Moses was given the sight of the land from the top of Nebo. We must come down and cross Jordan and battle with and conquer the inhabitants of the land, before we can again ascend the heights and celebrate with joy of heart and gladness, as it was represented to us in that touching pageant which we saw this afternoon.

     We have passed through that first state. I do not hesitate to say that that first state of love and enthusiasm of the Academy has passed away from this body as a whole, and we cannot any longer live upon that, except upon the remains preserved by the Lord, whereby, upon occasions like these, recollections of those things may be stirred and the old things come again to lead us to new states.

     The new state is here and is intrinsically better. I think that the Assembly which we have had here at this time is a proof of the fact that the Lord is with us, and is feeding us with new states and better states than those we had before. Not that the first states were not good enough, but we have had to come down and fight our own battles.

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The problem has come and ought to be met. The social life has more to do with the coming together in common interest in the fight and in the carrying on of the great work of meeting and overcoming our own evils and those of our children, which we deal with in the educational work which has been chosen as the chief hope of our church. In that sphere we come together in an atmosphere of unanimity of interest. There may be less of the intoxication of the first vision, of a carrying away by those delights which the Lord lent to us at the first, but there is a more solid and chastened realization of our shortcomings, and of our need for the Divine help and of the reality of what the Lord offers us, and of the labor that has to be undertaken and carried through, in order that we may make good this vision and may preserve for ourselves and in our children the great vision which the Lord showed us upon the mountain top at the first, and which He shows us again and again in His opened Word.

     I believe that social life is indispensable to the preservation of the Church. It cannot of itself, being of the natural man, lead anybody into the Church, or to the Lord. It does not appeal to that plane. If we can develop a beautiful social life and get up beautiful entertainments, and fine things that appeal to all the senses, we can attract and delight almost anybody in the world, but it is like going to the opera, or to a concert, or to hear some beautiful music, or like going to a church where your only interest is in the ritual or in the music. You can stir the senses, and touch the animus, but unless that is followed up by something from heaven, which appeals to the spiritual man and to his rational, it is of no avail. This other plane, this plane which is receptive of sensual delight, is not our own in that sense. We have got to appropriate it by means of conscience, by means of rationality, by something more than simple spontaneous response of our feelings and sentiments. These open the way, are indispensable to soften us, and find a way of entrance for these great truths and to make us realize and see that great ideal for which we must struggle. To such ends they are of the greatest use, and provision should be made for introducing into the general sphere of the social life of the Church all who are interested in the Church. However, it is necessary that we have the social life of the Church, also that is to be distinctive, in order that we may enter into it in mutual delight to the encouragement of each other in those things which look to the distinctive development of the Church and its own peculiar doctrines.

     The song, "Our Glorious Church," was sung as the next toast was proposed, to which BISHOP W. F. PENDLETON responded as follows:

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     THE USE OF CHARITY IN THE PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH.

     Charity, which has its basis in the life of repentance, preserves the Church; but charity which does not have its basis in a life of repentance does not preserve the Church, and is not charity.

     We read that "the men of the Ancient Church differed as to doctrinals and rituals, but still the church was one because charity was essential in all." (A. C. 2385.) "When they perceived another to be in the spirit of religion and worship, even when there was not agreement in opinion, they said, This is my brother." (Ibid.) The difference then was not so much a difference in heart or in spirit, but a difference of application to the uses of life. In the Ancient Church love to the Lord and charity to the neighbor were the two universal essentials in which all were; but there were differences in particulars; but since in all the universe no two things are exactly the same, so no two men are the same in opinion or in application to use. If this were not so there would be no need of distinct heavenly societies. We are taught also that with these men of the Ancient Church a heresy was not a heresy if they could perceive charity in him who held it.

     In hell and also in the world the chief difficulty is not in heresy and heretical opinions, but in hatred of the Lord and of the neighbor-that is where the difference lies. Heresy is dangerous only when it becomes the instrument of hatred, when evil love uses it as a weapon of destruction, just as a sword may be applied to both good and evil uses according to the spirit and intention of him who wields it.

     The men of the Ancient Church differed in the understanding of doctrine, and in the rituals of worship, and they instructed others according to their understanding, but they were never angry when their instruction was not received, (A. C. 6628.) We are told that there might have been such unity in the Christian church if charity had prevailed-that is the charity of which I spoke which has its basis in a life of repentance. Heresies arose early in the Christian Church. It was not heresy, however, but dissension which brought about a state of division, separation, and hostility, one against another. And the teaching was illustrated, that when evil spirits wish to destroy a society they sow dissension among its members. This is shown in the history of churches, of nations, of political parties, and of societies in general, from the time of the ancient church to the present. We read that "alt the sons of the church at that time, [that is, in the time of the early Christian church], lived with each other as brothers and mutually loved one another. But in process of time charity diminished and vanished away; and as charity vanished, evils succeeded, and with evils, falsities also insinuated themselves, whence arose schisms and heresies. These would never have existed if charity had continued to live and rule." (A. C, 1834.)

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     When love to the Lord and charity reign, false doctrines or fallacies of appearances are relatively harmless when held by those who are in innocence and charity, as with children or with a man who is well disposed and kindly in heart, who is not jealous, who is not suspicious, not revengeful, malignant, not filled with the spirit of domination or blinded by self-conceit. These evils exist in the natural man with everyone. It is evident, therefore, that: internal self control, self control from a principle of religion, is the beginning of a life of charity. It is the beginning of the church, for which instruction in doctrine is the preparation. But charity does not come by public or private profession of it, by proclamation, by legal enactment or decree, by the passage of resolutions saying, Let us have charity. These will not bring charity any more than saying, Let us have peace, will bring peace. Doctrine must indeed be taught, proclaimed, and publicly professed, even the doctrine of charity. This is essential, but it is essential as a preparation. Charity is indeed at first a matter of faith, but to be really charity, it must become a matter of individual practice, of individual good of life, of individual keeping of the commandments, of individual repentance of life. Until the individual fulfils his duty and responsibility in this matter in his own life, the church may be preparing to begin, but it has not yet been established.

     We read further in the doctrine that "charity has so disappeared at this day that it is scarcely known by anyone what it is," (A. C. 1844); and so is the state of the Christian world in general on this subject or any other, as to states of life applied in greater or less degree by those of us who are of the New Church. This teaching brings to mind the fact that the New Church will be established and preserved in the Christian world with exceeding great difficulty. For it will be very difficult for men brought up and educated in the principles of the former church,-difficult for them even to learn what charity is; for it is difficult for a man to learn that to which his heart is not inclined. This applies to you and me. We have been brought up in the old church. It has been our nursing mother. It has been both our father and mother, and the command to leave father and mother will take more than one generation to obey. You that have been brought up and educated in the New Church must realize that you are not much farther away from the old than your parents. You are still drawing milk from the bosom of Hagar, not as yet from the breast of Rebekah. You and all of us are yet in the desert with Ishmael. When shall we be able to drink of the wells of Isaac? The Lord knows and He has not revealed it unto us. Let us pray His mercy on the Church.

     The Toastmaster here presented to Bishop and Mrs. W. F. Pendleton a great bouquet of beautiful red and white roses, with these words:

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     "Bishop and Mrs. Pendleton, I have been handed these flowers which the members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, gathered at this 9th General Assembly, desire me to present to you as an expression of our heartfelt appreciation to you, who have been our beloved leader, and to Mrs. Pendleton who has cooperated with you. It is with deep regret that we have received the expression of your desire to lay aside your active duties. We trust that you may long be with us in this, our Glorious Church. We ask you, therefore, to accept this gift as a token of our sincere affection,-a token wholly inadequate, but symbolic of the ties of simple love and gratitude, which bind us to you."

     BISHOP W. F. PENDLETON: "I thank you all in behalf of Mrs. Pendleton and myself. We thank you from our inmost hearts for this token, and for the many tokens which you have given us of your affection. As to retiring from the work, I have simply one thing to say,-it is this, that I retired only when I became convinced that the work could be better done in other hands. I thank you."

     A toast to Bishop N. D. Pendleton, our newly chosen Bishop, was proposed by Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal, and brought the following response:

     BISHOP N. D. PENDLETON: Mr. Toastmaster, Mr. Gyllenhaal, and members of the Assembly, you know very well that I cannot say anything that is in the least degree adequate in the way of expressing my feelings on this occasion. The words of Mr. Gyllenhaal go very far beyond what I know to be my deserts.

     Mr. Gyllenhaal spoke of the matter of vision. It is true that we are all led in this world by the vision before us. It is true that the man's vision is one with the power of the man in the degree that he is able to make it a reality. Before the New Church there lies a vision such as has never been given to any other church,-a vision so wonderful, so surpassingly grand, and yet so internal that it represents a difficulty. How can we make the world realize this vision for which the New Church stands! You may say to them God is one and the Lord Jesus Christ is that God; they will almost agree with you. You may tell them that they believe in three gods, and they will deny it. But it is not only necessary to teach the world at this day that the Lord. Jesus Christ is God; the outstanding truth which the New Church presents is that the Lord has made His Second Coming. And here lies our difficulty. I have known men in the Old Church, theologians, ministers, to admit that they believed in Swedenborg's teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, but they had no faith whatsoever in the Lord's Second Coming as revealed in the Writings of the Church.

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There is the difficulty. This truth is such that it is hard for the world to accept; it is difficult for almost anyone. Men say, Where is He? Where is He? He promised to come in the clouds of heaven, but we do not see Him. We, in the New Church, say He has come in the internal sense of the Word. What is that? An internal coming? An ideal coming? We say that He has actually made His Second Coming by a revelation of the internal sense of the Word as given by the Writings. But men will not believe it, and that is why there are but few Newchurchmen as yet on earth.

     The vision cannot be seen; it cannot be realized, but the problem that lies before our Church today is to find how best this vision may be brought before the whole world, and particularly before the growing minds of our children. To them we must bring the realization that the Lord has made His Second Coming in a revelation of the internal sense of the Word as given in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. That is the sum of our faith. If we can make them see that, then the New Church will be established. The Academy has gripped that one necessity. We will not give it up. That one truth we will preach to all men and to our children. That is the standard of our faith! The Lord is here; He has come in the Writings of the New Church. There He is! He is there, you can see Him. Call it an intellectual coming, a spiritual coming, an impersonal coming, an ideal coming, or what not, there He has come, there He is, and there He can be found. That, I maintain, is the thing of chief importance to our Church.

     Brethren, you have come to this Assembly, one of the largest we have had, you have, come here for a purpose. Now you must each one take some one thing home with you. So whatsoever the thing you have Smith, to Mr. Roy Wells, to our young waiters and waitresses, all come into a greater state of encouragement concerning the future of the New Church. I believe that there is a stronger hope in our hearts for the New Church in Christian lands. Let us trust it sufficiently to devote our whole lives to the work. I believe we have found a way-that the Lord has discovered to us the way by which the New Church may be permanently established. It is great expectation and profoundly encouraging at least to believe that the way is found. I have believed it from the beginning of the Academy. You may say that the Academy has changed, but the fundamental principles on which it stands are the very bed rock of truth, and the body I believe will remain faithful to these great principles. If it does, the Church is safe. (Applause.)

     The Banquet closed with impromptu toasts and songs to Mr. John Pitcairn, to Mr. Leonard Gyllenhaal, to Mr. Royden learned, you are to go forward with it and develop it. I believe we have to the Bryn Athyn Society, and to the Academy of the New Church.

585


PUBLIC MEETING OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, A CORPORATION 1916

PUBLIC MEETING OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, A CORPORATION       Various       1916

     Held in Bryn Athyn, Pa.,

     on Saturday, June 17, 1916.

     The meeting was called to order at 3 o'clock p. m. by the President, Mr. John Pitcairn, and was opened with the reading from the Word and: Prayer conducted by Bishop N. D. Pendleton.

     After the calling of the Roll, the reading of the minutes of the last annual meeting were, on motion, dispensed with as they had appeared in print in the NEW CHURCH LIFE for August-September, 1913.

     The Reports of the Executive Committee and of the Treasurer were read.

     The President appointed as auditors of the Treasurer's Report, Mr. Raymond Cranch and Mr. Robert Caldwell, Jr., the result of the audit to be reported to the Secretary.

     The Report of the Orphanage Fund was presented by the Treasurer, Mr. W. C. Childs, and Mr. Anton A. Sellner was appointed to audit the Report and report the result to the Secretary.

     The Election of the Executive Committee was then proceeded with, resulting in the election of the following named gentlemen:
John Pitcairn, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Paul Carpenter, Glenview, Ill.
Raymond Pitcairn, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Paul Synnestvedt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
F. A. Boericke, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
S. G. Nelson, Glenview, Ill.

586



S. S. Lindsay, Pittsburgh, Pa.
W. C. Childs, New York, N. Y.
W. H. Alden, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Jacob Schoenberger, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Robert Carswell, Toronto, Ont.
Richard Roschman, Berlin, Ont.
Rudolph Roschman, Berlin, Ont.
Anton A. Sellner, New York, N. Y.
E. C. Bostock, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
E. T. Asplundh, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
C. G. Merrell, Cincinnati, O.
R. W. Childs, Philadelphia, Pa.

     Under the head of new business, Mr. E. C. Bostock made an informal report as Treasurer of the Academy of the New Church.

     Mr. Alvin Nelson spoke of the desirability of having data as to the cost of carrying on the uses in the General Church and the following resolution, offered by Mr. Paul Carpenter, was unanimously adopted:

     Resolved, That the offer of Mr. Alvin Nelson to bear the expense of securing data as to the cost of carrying on the uses of the General Church and Academy be referred to the Executive Committee.

     On motion, the meeting was adjourned to meet at the call of the President, until the close of the General Assembly, and if no meeting was called before that time the adjournment was made sine die.
     PAUL CARPENTER,
          Secretary.

587




     REPORT OF THE TREASURER.

     FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 1, 1916

     RECEIPTS.

Balance on Hand, June 1, 1915               $159.24
Interest on Investments           $125.00
Bank Interest                     9.57
Rent Addressograph                9.00
                                   $143.57

     CONTRIBUTIONS.
California                    $1.75
Colorado                     10.30
District of Columbia                12.00
Florida                     15.00
Georgia                    143.00
Illinois:
Chicago                    24.20
Glenview                     191.44
Indiana                    39.25
Kentucky                     1.00
Maryland                     16.50
Massachusetts               3.00
Michigan                     5.00
Nebraska                     4.00
New Jersey                     6.00
New York                     98.20
Ohio                          169.75
Pennsylvania                     216.15
Bryn Athyn                     2,808.10
Philadelphia                    85.00
Pittsburgh                     335.75
Washington                    35.00
West Virginia                    40.00
Wisconsin                    3.00
Canada                    75.35
Berlin and Waterloo                164.17
Toronto                    424.07
Great Britain                          39.89
Australia                    21.79
South Africa                     2.50
Sweden                     5.60
                                                   4,996.76

588




     NEW CHURCH LIFE.

Subscriptions                         $884.38
Contributions                     2.00
Special cent. for Editorial assistance           240.00      1,126.38
                                                                                                                    $6,425.05

     EXPENDITURES.

     GENERAL CHURCH.

Salaries of Bishop's Office                $2,700.00
Missionary                          500.00
Treasurer's Asst.                     600.00
Traveling Exp. Missionary                139.65
Bishop                          106.35
Secretary Council                    91.00
Postage                         49.97
Stationery                          23.79
Addressograph Expense                6.75
Printing Quarterly Reports                35.00
Sundries                          23.52
                                        $4,276.03

     NEW CHURCH LIFE.

Salary, Editor                     $500.00
Special Editorial Asst.                205.00
Printing Life                          783.71
Paper for Life                     215.40
Bound Life to Subscribers and
Complimentary                     13.22
Sundries, Postage and Stationery           76.07
                                                   $1,793.40
                                                                 $6,069.43
Balance on Hand May 31, 1916                                        $356.52

     NEW CHURCH LIFE.

     JUNE 10, 1916.

Subscribers who are members of the General Church      359
Non-members                               161
Academy Book Room                          33
Glenn Hall                                    2
Stuart Hall                                    3
Library                                    3

589



Agents                                    17
Exchanges                                    26
                                                            604

     Of the above 30 free copies were sent to members and 30 to non-members, the latter largely to libraries.

New Subscribers                               12
Discontinued                                    18

     PENSION FUND ENDOWMENT.

Eastern Oregon Light and Power Go., 10 bonds @6%     $10,000.00
Willamette Valley Co., 10 bonds @ 5%               10,000.00
Ontario Power Co., 10 bonds @ 5%                     10,000.00
Anacostia & Potomac R. R. Co.                     10,000.00
Westinghouse Electric Co., 11 bonds @ 5%               10,430.86
                                                                                                              $50,430.86
Uninvested capital                               69.14
                                                                 $50,500.00
Gain on conversion of securities, Sept. 34 1915                     1,246.32
                                                  51,746.32

     Sept. 30, 1915
Sale of Westinghouse bonds                                    $11,677.18
Uninvested capital                               69.14
Additional income invested                                    2,367.68                    $14,114.00
18 Erie R. R. Prior Lien 4's (1,000)                              14,114.00

     INCOME INVESTED.

Philadelphia Electric 4's, 4 bonds                               $1,000.00
Bergner and Engel Brewing Co. 6's, 2 bonds                     1,000.00

     EXTENSION FUND ENDOWMENT.

50 5% Mortgage bonds of the Willamette Valley Co. $50,000.00 $50,000.00 $2,500.00
50 6% bonds of the Bergner and Engel Brewing Co. $50,000.00 50,000.00     3,000.00
2 Mahoning and Shenango R. R. & Light Co.'s 5's     $1,999.00     2,000          100.00
                                              $51,990.00 $52,000.00 $5,600.00

590




     REPORT OF THE TREASURER.

     OF THE EXTENSION FUND.

For the rear ending May 31, 1916.
Balance on Hand, May 31, 1916                     $1,301.48
Contributions                         
Massachusetts                     $1.00
New York                         4.00
Ohio                               142.00
Pennsylvania                          185.00
Wisconsin                          2.00
Canada                          126.28
Great Britain                          1.95
                                                            462.25
Income from investments                          5,582.51
Penna. R. R. Bond paid                          1,000.00
Bank Interest                                    13.00
                                                  $8,359.92     

     EXPENDITURES.

Extension Work                               $1,950.00
Aid to Societies and Circles                    5,458.59
Safety Deposit Box                          12.64
Sundries and Postage                         31.98
                                                  $7,453.21
Balance on hand, May 31, 1916                                   $906.71

     REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CHURCH EXTENSION.

     FOR THE YEAR ENDING MAY 31, 1916.

     The notable thing to record of the work of the Extension Committee is its inevitable tendency to increase. Its first report showed expenditures of fourteen hundred dollars, then in successive years, two thousand, three thousand, forty-four hundred, fifty-five hundred dollars. Three years ago, Mr. John Pitcairn, who has from the beginning been the chief contributor and supporter of the work of the Extension Committee, provided an endowment fund of one hundred thousand dollars, yielding an income of fifty-five hundred dollars per year.

591


In each succeeding year the demands upon the fund have exceeded this amount. At the time the endowment was provided, there was on hand a considerable sum due to a special contribution of four thousand dollars given by Mr. Pitcairn shortly before the making of the endowment. Three thousand dollars of this amount was invested with the determination to keep it intact for as long a period as possible. One thousand dollars of the amount has been used, and during the coming year it will be necessary to draw upon it to the amount of some five hundred dollars more, unless the direct contributions of the Church are materially increased over previous years. The report for the past year shows expenditures of $7,453.21, as against an income of $5,595.51 from the investments and $1,000.00 taken from accrued income.

     For two years past the Rev. F. E. Waelchli has been employed in the general missionary field. During the first of these years one-half his time was given to extension work, the balance of his time being given to his pastorate of the Berlin Society. During the past year his entire time has been employed in the mission work, his residence, however, still continuing in Berlin, and he continuing as Pastor of the Society, but having only supervisory charge. With the exception of the use of the parsonage which is still given him by the Berlin Society, his entire support is derived from the Extension Fund. His labors have been divided between the Canadian Northwest and various stations in Canada and the United States.

     The assistance given in former years to the Society in Stockholm, Sweden, to enable them to rent a place of meeting and for a library and to provide for quarterly visits from the Rev. S. C. Bronniche, of Copenhagen, has been increased sufficiently to admit of sending the Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom to the ministry of the Stockholm Circle. Gratifying report has been received of the progress of the work under his charge.

     The Rev. John Headsten has continued missionary work in and about Chicago. Services for worship and classes for doctrinal instruction, some in Swedish, have been held in Englewood and Lakeview. During the months of July and August Mr. Headsten made a missionary trip through Minnesota and Wisconsin. He has visited Rockford three times. Owing to the increased demands upon the Extension Fund the Committee has felt compelled to discontinue the appropriation of one hundred and fifty dollars hitherto made for Mr. Headsten's expenses, providing, during the coming year, only for his salary as missionary.

     In July of 1915, the Rev. T. S. Harris accepted a call from the Arbutus Society and has removed thither with his family. This change was made possible by the aid of the Extension Fund and opens a new and promising era in the life of the Church in Baltimore. The members there have shown great satisfaction in having a resident pastor.

     Abington is still under the charge of Mr. Harris, who visits that point four times a year, spending several days with them on each occasion.

592


He is able also on these trips to make a profitable stop with a few New Church members at Meriden, Conn.

     The support of the Rev. Ernst Deltenre in Brussels has been continued. But, on account of his inability to make use of provision formerly made for advertising, the sum of $200.00, formerly appropriated for that purpose has been discontinued. We have been fortunate in being enabled to forward money to Mr. Deltenre through the kind offices of Mr. Gerritt Barger, of The Hague, direct communication with Mr. Deltenre not being possible. Very slight information which has been received indicates that Mr. Deltenre is still carrying on his work industriously so far as conditions permit, and that he has preached to a considerable congregation.

     The assistance given to the Sharon Church in Chicago has been continued, in decreasing amount each year.

     It is gratifying to report that the Advent Church in Philadelphia has completed a new church building with encouraging results in the matter of increased enthusiasm and attendance. By reason of a generous gift, they hold the building without encumbrance, and have advised the Committee that they will now bear all their own expenses without asking for any outside assistance. The Advent Society is to be congratulated upon entering so auspiciously upon a new era in its career.

     Assistance has been continued as in previous years to the Society in Paris, France.

     The Extension Fund will assist in a unique missionary enterprise, to be undertaken by the two students in the Theological School, Mr. Theodore Pitcairn and Mr. Karl R. Alden. These gentlemen propose to devote their summer to visiting a series of towns never before addressed by the New Church, and to make known the Heavenly Doctrine by circulars, by advertising, by literature, by conversations and by lectures. The results of this enterprise cannot fail to be interesting and valuable.

     If the work undertaken by the Extension Fund Committee is alive it will constantly change and grow. New fields will open for its enterprise, societies will grow to self support through its wise assistance where needed. Judged by these tests the work we have undertaken is living and growing. It constantly tends to outgrow the means provided by its endowment or by contributions. It constantly asks for more and more means. If the work which it seeks to do is in the providence of the Lord, we have faith that the means for it will be provided, for the Lord never fails to find the means for that which He would do. If the means are not provided, we are bound likewise to believe that it is not of the Lord's providence that such a work shall be done. The present situation is that we are employing in what appear essential uses, more than we receive from both endowment and from contributions. Such condition cannot, of course, continue. Either the means provided must be increased, or the uses performed must be curtailed. This is said, having in view only the uses at present undertaken.

593


That new uses will present themselves is certain. Whether we shall be able to undertake them, to carry on the uses to which we now stand committed, is for the Church, under the Divine Providence, to say.
F. A. BOERICKE, Chairman.
W. H. ALDEN, Secretary and Treasurer,
C. E. DOERING.
ALFRED ACTON. Committee on Church Extension.

     ORPHANAGE FUND OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.

     Statement from June 18th, 1915, to June 6th, 1916.

     CONTRIBUTIONS.

     1915.
July 1. Mrs. L. Werckle                          $8.00
1. Mrs. F. O. Breitstein                          2.00
19. Henderson Bequest, Interest                    62.50
29. Parkdale Society                               4.80
Aug. 21. Mrs. Roydon H. Smith, from sale of songs      2.60
Sept. 10. Mrs. Annie M. Walker                     10.00
Dec. 1 Berlin Society                          18.97
24. A Friend, Bryn Athyn, Pa.                     4.15
30. Pittsburgh Society, Christmas Offering                30.54
31. Denver Society, Children's Xmas Offering           5.25
1916.
Jan. 3. Dr. F. A. Boericke                          25.00
12. Children's Service Offering, Bryn Athyn           13.91
12. Bryn Athyn, Christmas Offering                43.75
12. Mrs. Cara S. Glenn, and family                     5.00
12. Miss Alice E. Grant                          1.75
12. Mrs. W. S. Howland                          1.00
12. Henderson Bequest, 63.501ess charge $4.82           57.68
12. Miss Eliza Mitchell                          5.00
16. A Friend, Bryn Athyn, Pa.                    1.10
16. New York Society, Christmas Offering                22.05
16. New York Society, Children's Offering                1.69
21. Toronto Society                               5.73
22. Baltimore Society, Christmas Offering                5.00
31. Mrs. Regina Iungerich                          10.00

594



Feb. 4. Pitcairn Family, Bryn Athyn                     12.00
17. Mrs. Annie M. Walker                          10.00
April 26. Philadelphia Society, Easter Offering           10.40
May 5. Berlin Society                          17.50
7. Mrs. L. Werckle                               5.00
7. Mrs. F. O. Breitstein                          2.00
25. Children of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Ebert                1.55
25. Mr. Jacob Schoenberger                          10.00

     Total Contributions from July 1st, 1915, to May 29th, 1916 $412.92
Add Cash Balance, June 18, 1915                         711.91
                                                                  $1,124.83

     DISBURSEMENTS.

     1915

July to Dec.
Mrs. E. J. Fitzpatrick                               $180.00
Mrs. Maud Heath                               60.00
Mrs. C. Thairgen                               4.00
1916
Jan. to June 6th.
Mrs. E. J. Fitzpatrick                          $245.81
Mrs. Maud Heath                                        60.00
Mrs. C. Thairgen                              6.00
                                                                  $55.81
Balance in Bank June 6th, 1916                               $569.02

     WALTER C. CHILDS, Director.

     ROLL OF ATTENDANCE AT THE NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

     I. MEMBERS.

     COLORADO
Denver: Rev. and Mrs. J. S. David, Rev. Llewellyn W. T. David.

     CONNECTICUT
Meriden: Frau Anna Muller.

     DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Congress Heights: Mr. Ernest J. Stebbing.
Washington: Miss Chara M. Schott.

     GEORGIA
Atlanta: Mr. John E. Colley.
Valdosta: Mr. A. S. Pendleton.

595




     ILLINOIS
Chicago: Mrs. T. F. Pollock, Rev. and Mrs. Gilbert H. Smith.
Glenview: Miss Gladys Blackman, Rev. and Mrs. W. B. Caldwell, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Carpenter, Miss Vida L. Gyllenhaal, Miss Elise Junge, Miss Lenore Junge, Mr. W. H. Junge, Miss Florence Maude McQueen, Mr. A. T. Maynard, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Nelson, Miss Emilia Nelson, Mr. and Mrs. S. G. Nelson, Mr. W. J. Smeal.

     MARYLAND
Arbutus: Miss Bessie Harris, Miss Elsie Harris, Mr. Emery Harris, Rev. and Mrs. Thomas S. Harris.
Baltimore: Mr. Rowland Trimble.
McDonough: Miss Carrie Doering.

     NEW JERSEY
Arlington: Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Ebert.
Haddonfield: Dr. and Mrs. E. A. Farrington.
Jersey City: Mr. W. H. Faulkner.
Mt. Ephraim: Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Heaton.

     NEW YORK
Brooklyn: Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Childs, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis K. Hicks, Miss Anna Hofman.
Elmhurst: Mrs. T. Price Coffin.
New York: Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Boericke, Mrs. Anna M. Fincke, Mr. Kenneth F. Hicks, Mr. Anton Sellner, Mr. A. Andrew Sellner, Miss Provida Waelchli.
Yonkers: Mr. Walter C. Childs, Miss Eliza Mitchell.

     OHIO
Barbeton: Mr. H. K. Lindsay.
Cincinnati: Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Merrell.
Middleport: Mrs. I;. J. Allen, Mr. J. S. Boggess, Miss Lucy Grant, Miss Clara H. Hanlin, Dr. S. B. Hanlin.

     PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown: Mrs. Jacob Ebert, Miss Ora M. Ebert, Miss India Waelchli, Miss Laura Waelchli, Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Weirbadh.
Bellevue: Mrs. L. S. McKallip.
Bethayres: Miss Amy Doering, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Doering, Miss Vida Doering.
Bryn Athyn: Rev. and Mrs. Alfred Acton, Miss Roena Acton, Mr. Peter Ahlberg, Mr. and Mrs. Karl R. Alden, Rev. and Mrs. William H. Alden, Miss H. E. Ashby, Miss Beatrice Ashley, Miss Harriet S. Ashley, Miss Nora Ashley, Mrs. Emma S. Asplundh, Mr. E. T. Asplundh, Miss Guida Asplundh, Mr. Oswald E. Asplundh, Mr. Gerrit H. Barger, Miss Lucinda Bellinger, Miss Stella Bellinger, Dr. and Mrs. Felix A. Boericke, Miss Winnie Boericke, Mr. Francis, G. Bostock, Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Bostock, Mrs. Mary E. Bostock, Miss Margaret Bostock, Miss Olive Bostock, Rev. and Mrs. R. W. Brown,

596


Miss F. M. Buell, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Caldwell, Jr., Mrs. Emma F. Carter, Miss Helen Colley, Miss Florence M. Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. James M. Cooper, Mrs. Viola K. Cowley, Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Cranch, Miss Clara M. Davis, Miss Dorothy Davis, Mr. Edward H. Davis, Miss Louise E. Davis, Mrs. Lena M. Davis, Rev. Richard De Charms, Mrs. Arretta Doering, Rev. and Mrs. G. E. Doering, Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Finkeldey, Miss Mary A. Fox, Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Glenn, Miss Creda Glenn, Miss Mary A. Glenn, Miss Rhona Glenn, Mrs. Robert M. Glenn, Miss Winfrey Glenn, Mr. and Mrs. G. V. Glebe, Miss Hilda Glebe, Mrs. R. M. L. Frost, Miss Alice E. Grant, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Miss Ann Hachborn, Mr. and Mrs. F. T. Hansen, Mrs. Maud Heath, Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Heilman, Miss Ruby Hickman, Mrs. Elizabeth K. Hicks, Mr. J. Harry Hilldale, Miss Carrie A. Hobart, Mrs. C. H. Hobart, Miss Emma E. Hoffman, Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred H. Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Hyatt, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Hyatt, Mrs. E. C. Iungerich, Rev. and Mrs. E. E. Iungerich, Miss Helene Iungerich, Miss Madeleine Jeanmonod, Mrs. M. M. Johnson, Miss Elsa C. Lechner, Miss Margaretha Lechner, Miss Francis E. McQuigg, Miss Annie E. Moir, Mr. Alex. J. Moir, Miss Hannah Nelson, Miss Cyriel Lj. Odhner, Rev. and Mrs. C. Th. Odhner, Mr. Loyal D. Odhner, Mr. Madefrey Odhner, Mr. Alan Pendleton, Miss Amena Pendleton, Miss Constance Pendleton, Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Pendleton, Miss Emma Pendleton, Miss Eo Pendleton, Miss Freda Pendleton, Mr. Louis B. Pendleton, Rev. and Mrs. N. D. Pendleton, Miss Ora C. Pendleton, Miss Venita Pendleton, Miss Wertha Pendleton, Rev. and Mrs. W. F. Pendleton, Miss Zella Pendleton, Mr. John Pitcairn, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pitcairn, Mr. Theodore Pitcairn, Miss Alice K. Potts, Miss Edith W. Potts, Miss Ellen Potts, Miss Jane Potts, Miss Lucy E. Potts, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Powell, Rev. and Mrs. E. S. Price, Miss Phyllis Price, Miss Verna Price, Mrs. E. G. Richardson, Miss Florence A. Roehner, Mr. and Mrs. Donald F. Rose, Mrs. A. K. Roy, Mrs. Augusta G. Sanner, Miss Celestine Schwindt, Miss Florence A. Schwindt, Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Schwindt, Miss Erna Sellner, Miss Eudora Sellner, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Simons, Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Smith, Mr. Earl S. Smith, Mr. Hobart G. Smith, Miss Marie L. Smith, Mr. Reginald C. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Royden H. Smith, Mr. Roland S. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Smith, Jr., Miss Mary S. Snyder, Mr. A. Steiger, Mr. Arthur Synnestvedt, Miss Elsa Synnestvedt, Mr. Hubert Synnestvedt, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Synnestvedt, Mr, and Mrs. J. F. Van Horn, Mr. W. O. Van Horn, Miss Laura H. Vickroy, Mr. and Mrs. Camille Vinet, Mrs. Anna Walker, Miss Caryll Wells, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Wells, Mr. Leroy S. Wells, Miss Volita Wells, Mr. William Whitehead, Miss Lizzie Xandry.

597



Field's Station: Mr. Arthur B. Wells.
Frankford: Mr.George V. Adelman.
Huntingdon Valley: Mrs. E. J. Fitzpatrick.
Jamison: Miss Christina Schill, Miss Minna Schill.
Moore: Miss Laura E. Ziegler.
Philadelphia: Mr. and Mrs. William H. Alden, Jr., Mr. Randolph W. Childs, Miss Vernalou Cleare, Mr. and Mrs. Fred. J. Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. William R. Cooper, Rev. and Mrs. George De Charms, Miss Wilhelmina Doering, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Edmunds, Mr. William A. Farrington, Mr. Charles Forsberg, Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Hilldale, Mr. Knud Knudsen, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey L. Lechner, Mr. D. E. Lindsay, Miss Emma A. Woehner, Miss Miriam M. Roehner, Miss Sophie E. Roehner, Mr. and Mrs. William F. Roehner, Mr. Francis T. Roy, Miss Anna E. Soderberg, Mr. Athol E. Soderberg, Miss Dorith B. Soderberg, Miss Ethel O. Soderberg, Mr. and Mrs. S. Soderberg, Mrs. E. A. Walker.
Pittsburgh: Mr. J. Edmund Blair, Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Ebert, Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Horigan, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur O. Lechner, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Lindsay, Mr. and Mrs. S. S. Lindsay, Miss Katharine H. Marshall, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Schoenberger, Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Schoenberger, Rev; Homer Synnestvedt, Mr. Fred. Synnestvedt, Mrs. Walter C. Rott.

     WEST VIRGINIA
Wheeling: Mrs. E. A. Pollock.

     CANADA
Vancouver, B. C.: Mr. Doron Synnestvedt.
Amprior, Ont.: Miss Bella E. Campbell; Miss Eva Campbell, Miss Jesse Campbell.
Berlin, Ont.: Miss Theodore Ferdinand, Rev. Hugo L. Odhner, Mrs. Katherine S. Peppler, Miss Carita Roschman, Mr. Carl R. Roschman, Miss Evangeline Roschman, Miss Venita Roschman, Miss Yadah Roschman, Miss Clara Scott, Miss Flora Waelchli, Rev. and Mrs. F. E. Waelchli.
Brantford, Ont.: Mrs. Elizabeth Prowse.
Galt, Ont.: Miss Irene C. Hachborn.
Pentaguishene: Miss Elsie Evens.
Toronto, Ont.: Mrs. E. G. Anderson, Dr. and Mrs. Henry Becker, Miss Florence W. Bellinger, Mr. Fred. Bellinger, "Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bellinger, Miss Vera G. Bellinger, Rev. J. E. Bowers, Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Brown, Miss Dora Brown, Miss Gladys A. Brown, Miss F. Edina Carswell, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carswell, Rev. E. R. Cronlund, Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Potts, Dr. E. K. Richardson, Miss Emma Roschman.
Waterloo: Miss Olivia C. Doering.
Windsor, Ont.: Mr. Walter S. Bellinger.

598




     II. VISITORS.

     GEORGIA
Macon: Miss Zera Pendleton.

     ILLINOIS
Chicago: Mr. and Mrs. W. Espy Curtis.
Glenview: Mr. Henry W. Barnitz, Mr. Charles Francis Browne, Ir., Miss Katherine Burnham, Master Philip S. P. Carpenter, Carola J. M. Carpenter, Nathalie S. Carpenter, Mr. Laurence King, Miss Agatha Starkey.

     MARYLAND
Arbutus: Miss Eva Harris.
Beltsville: Mr. Fred. M. Grant.
Baltimore: Miss Augusta P. Lotz, Miss Dorothy Lotz, Miss Gerttude E. Tafel.

     MASSACHUSETTS
Newtonville: Mr. E. Donald Robb.
Taunton: Mrs. S. E. Mahon.

     MICHIGAN
Detroit: Miss Grace Graham, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Graham, Mrs. Arnold Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Walker.

     NEW JERSEY
Camden: Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Finkeldey, Sr.

     OHIO,
Cincinnati: Miss Cora Merrell, Master Donald Merrell, Mr. Fred. E. Merrell.

     PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown: Miss Rhoda A. Ebert.
Bryn Athyn: Master Edreth P. Acton, Master Elmo Acton, Mr. Kesniel C. Acton, Miss Dorothy Ashley, Miss Elsie Ashley, Miss Alethe Asplundh, Mr. Griffith Asplundh, Master Lester Asplundh, Mrs. William H. Benade, Miss Phoebe Bostock, Mr. Raymond N. Bostock, Miss Dorothy Cooper, Miss Margaret Cooper, Miss Catherine Doering, Mr. Frank Doering, Mr. Reynold Doering, Miss Mabel Fitzpatrick, Mr. Harold Doering, Mr. Francis L. Frost, Mr. Egbert Glebe, Miss Doris Glenn, Miss Charlotte L. Grant, Miss Edith Hansen, Miss Ruth Hansen, Miss Flora Heath, Miss Viola Heath, Mr. Donald C. Hicks, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kessel, Miss Isabel Mahon, Miss Maria Newhard, Miss Renee Odhner, Miss Marion C. Pendleton, Master Philip C. Pendleton, Mr. Harold Pitcairn, Rev. and Mrs. John F. Potts, Master Goeffrey H. Price, Mr. Llewellyn R. Price, Miss Rhoda Price, Miss Elizabeth Richardson, Master Victor Robinson, Mrs. E. F. Robinson, Mr. W. Mortimer Robinson, Miss Madeline Schwindt, Mr, Harold E. Sellner, Mr. and Mrs. Thos. B. Shriver and two children, Mr. Aldwin C. Smith, Mr. Bertrand L. Smith, Miss Dorothea Smith, Master Gilbert Smith, Mr. Evan Synnestvedt,

599


Mr. George Synnestvedt, Mrs. W. O. Van Horn, Master Jean Vinet, Mr. Pierre Vinet, Miss Gwynneth Wells.
Bethayres: Mr. Walter J. Coulter.
Frankford: Mr. and Mrs. Guernsey A. Hallowell, Miss Geraldine M. Nice, Mrs. Jesse H. Nice, Mrs. L. R. Watmough.
Germantown: Mrs. Hannah Hallowell.
Philadelphia: Mrs. A. Cleare, Miss Anita Good, Miss Leona Good, Mr. and Mrs. Harold A. Hallowell, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel F. Haxton, Miss Marion McCurdy, Mr. Arthur Roehner, Miss Clara L. Tafel.
Pittsburgh: Mrs. E. B. Crow, Mr. Carl M. Fuller, Miss Elizabeth McK. Horigan, Miss Grace Horigan, Miss Agnes P. Lindsay, Master David P. Lindsay, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Meredith, Mr. Samuel S. Lindsay, Jr., Mrs. D. H. Shoemaker, Miss Lucile Synnestvedt, Miss Elizabeth M. Uptegraff, Mrs. W. D. Uptegraff.

     VIRGINIA
Chester: Miss Eunice Johnson, Mr. Richard L. Johnson.

     Canada
Berlin: Miss Caroline Waelchli, Mrs. E. K. Richardson and child, Miss Gretchen Pecker, Miss Marjorie Pecker.
Waterloo, Ont.: Miss Iona L. Doering

Laird, Sask.: Mr. Peter Klippenstein.
Members Present           367               
Visitors                139
Total                     506

600




     STATISTICS OF THE SOCIETIES AND CIRCLES OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

                    Mem.      Av.     Av     Av     Child     Day      Day     SS     SS
               Of local     Atten     Atten     Atten     & YP     School     School     Teach.     Pupils     
               Church     Pub     HS     DC          Teachers     Pupils
Societies & Circles               Wor                                        Ministers and Pastors
Abington, Mass.                8     12     6     8     7               2     7     Rev. T. S. Harris, visiting pastor
Allentown, Pa.                10     15     10          5                         Rev. E. S. Price, visiting pastor
Baltimore, Md.               23     29     16          31               4     20     Rev. T. S. Harris, pastor
Bryn Athyn, Pa.          147     159     124     51     125     9     76     10     54     Rev. N. D. Pendleton, pastor
Chicago, Sharon Church      38     22     20     10     32               2     22     Rev. G. H. Smith, pastor
Chicago Swedb. N. C. Sec.      35          19          15      10               11               2     11     Rev. John Headsten, pastor
Denver; Col.                    26                                             Rev. Llewellyn David, pastor
Erie, Pa.                    24                                             Rev. F. B. Waelchli, visiting pastor
Glenview, Ill.               77     82     51     50     75      5     50               Rev. W. B. Caldwell, pastor
Middleport, O.           18                                                  Rev. F. B. Waelchli, visiting pastor
New York, N. Y.          24     22     17     8     14                         Rev. A. Acton, visiting pastor
Philadelphia, Pa.          51     38     30     16     34               2     11     Rev. G. DeCharms, pastor
Pittsburgh, Pa.                68     50     45     16     62     4     24     3     36     Rev. H. Synnestvedt, pastor
Kitchener (Berlin), Ont.      94     86     71     58     80     3     20               Rev. F. E. Waelchli, pastor
Toronto, Ont.               55     53     39     30     35     2     8     1     10     Rev. E. Cronlund, pastor
London, England          31     32     25          27     2     7               Rev. A. Czerny, pastor
Colchester, England           26     28     20     20     16               2     15     Rev. A. Czerny, pastor
Stockholm, Sweden           19     21     15     35     7                         Rev. G. Baeckstrom, minister
Brussels, Belgium           4               6                              Rev. E. Deltenre, pastor
Paris, France                10                                             Rev. F. Hussenet, pastor
Lausanne, Switzerland      12     21     20     15     4                         Rev. G. J. Fercken, pastor
Sydney, N.S. W.,
     Australia           7                                             Rev. R. Morse, pastor

601




     
THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL CHURCH IN ITS GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.
I. United States.
Alabama               1
California                14
     Ontario           9
Colorado                31
     Denver           26
Connecticut           5
Delaware               1
Dist. Columbia           6
Florida                5
Georgia                14
Illinois                178
     Glenview           77
     Chicago           73
     Rockford           8
     Sandoval           8
Indiana                5
Kansas                3
Maryland                23
     Arbutus and
Baltimore           23
Massachusetts.           13
     Abington           8
Michigan                7
Missouri                7
Montana                1
Nebraska                4
New Hampshire           1
New Jersey                12
New York                34
Ohio                     71
     Cincinnati      4
     Cleveland           3
     Columbiana           10
     Columbus           6
     Middleport      18
     Youngstown          5          
Oregon                5
Pennsylvania           431
     Allentown           12
     Bryn Athyn           164
     Erie                24
     Philadelphia           54
     Pittsburgh           68
Washington State           9
West Virginia           5
Wisconsin               6
II. Canada                267
Berlin and Waterloo      94
Milverton          8
Randolph           8
Toronto           71
Rosthern, Sask.      7
III. England                65
London           32
Colchester           22
IV. Sweden                16
V. Denmark                1
VI. Holland                9
VII. Belgium           5
VIII. France               14
     Paris                10
IX. Italy                2
X. Switzerland           14
Lausanne           12
XI. Mauritius                4
XII. South Africa           7
     Durban, Natal      7
XIII. South America           1
XIV. Australia           13
                    1272

     DIRECTORY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH

     OFFICIALS OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.

     Bishop.
The Rev. N. D. Pendleton.

     Secretary.
Rev. C. Th. Odhner.

     Treasurer.
Rev. W. H. Alden.

     Consistory.
The Bishop.
Rev. A. Acton.                     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt.
Rev. C. E. Doering, Secretary.      Rev. F. E. Waelchli.
Rev. C. Th. Odhner.

602




     The Executive Committee.
Mr. John Pitcairn, President.
Dr. Felix A. Boericke, Vice-President.
Mr. Paul Carpenter, Secretary.
Rev. Wm. H. Alden, Treasurer.
Mr. Edward C. Bostock.           Mr. Seymour G. Nelson.
Mr. Robert Carswell.                    Mr. Raymond Pitcairn.
Mr. Edwin T. Asplundh.           Mr. Richard Roschman.
Mr. Randolph W. Childs.           Mr. Rudolph Roschman.
Mr. Walter C. Childs.                Mr. Jacob Schoenberger.
Mr. S. S. Lindsay.                    Mr. Anton Sellner.
Mr. Charles G. Merrel.                    Mr. Paul Synnestvedt.

     The Church Extension Committee.
Dr. Felix Boericke, Chairman.      Mr. Raymond Pitcairn.
Rev. W. H. Alden, Treasurer.      Mr. Randolph W. Childs.

     DIRECTORY OF THE CLERGY.

     Bishops.

     PENDLETON, NATHANIEL DANDRIDGE.
Ordained, 16/6, 1859; 2d degree, 2/3, 1891; 3d degree, 17/11, 1912.
Bishop of the General Church. Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. President of the Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     PENDLETON, WILLIAM FREDERICK.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 3/9, 1873; 3d degree, 9/51 1888.
Professor of Theology, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     Pastors.

     ACTON, ALFRED.
Ordained, 4/6, 1893; 2d degree, 10/1, 1897. Pastor of the circles in New York and Washington. Professor of Theology, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     ALDEN, WILLIAM HYDE.
     Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 30/5, 1886. Treasurer of the General Church. Manager of the Academy Book Room, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     BARLER, ORSON L.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 1/11, 1879; Beatrice, Neb.

603




     BOWERS, JOHN E.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 11/5, 1873 General missionary, 37 Lowther Ave., Toronto, Ont., Canada.

     BRICKMAN, WALTER E.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 7/11 1900. Engaged in secular work, 419 Evaline St., Pittsburgh, Pa.

     CALDWELL, WILLIAM BEEBE.
Ordained, 19/10, 1902; 2d degree, 23/10, 1904 Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Ill.

     CRONLUND, EMIL ROBERT.
Ordained, 31/12, 1899, 2d degree, 18/5, 1902. Pastor of the Olivet Church, 32 Springhurst Ave., Toronto, Ont., Canada.

     CZERNY, ANDREW.
Ordained, 10/6, 1883; 2d degree, 21/3, 1886. Pastor of the Societies in London and Colchester, 174 Peckham Rye, S. E., London, England.

     DAVID, LLEWELLYN W. T.
Ordained, 25/6, 1914; 2d degree, 19/6, 1916. Pastor of the Denver Society, 543 Delaware St., Denver, Colo.

     DECHARMS, GEORGE.
Ordained, 25/6, 1914; 2d degree, 19/6, 1916. Pastor of the Philadelphia Society of the Advent, 1613 B, N. 56th St.

     DECHARMS, RICHARD.
Ordained, 1st. and 2d degrees, 21/1, 1877. Instructor in the Academy Schools, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     DELTENRE, ERNST.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 26/5, 1912. Missionary in Belgium and Holland, 33 Rue Gachard, Brussels, Belgium.

     DOERING, CHARLES EMIL.
Ordained, 7/6, 1896; 2d degree, 29/1, 1899. Dean of Faculties, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     FERCKEN, GASTON JOHN.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 28/10, 1906. Chemin de Boston, Lausanne, Switzerland.

604




     GLADISH, WILLIS L.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 3/6, 1894. 806 W. California St., Urbana, Ill.

     GYLLENHAAL, FREDERICK EDMUND.
Ordained, 23/6, 1907; 2d degree, 19/6, 1910. Pastor of the Society in Durban, Natal, South Africa, 360 Essenwood Road.

     HARRIS, THOMAS STARK.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 8/41 1897. Pastor of the Society in Arbutus, Md.; Halethorpe, Md.

     HEADSTEN, JOHN.
Ordained, 1st degree, 19/6, 1913; 2d degree, 28/6, 1914. Missionary, 3749 Jansen St., Chicago, Ill.

     HUSSENET, FERNAND.
Ordained, 1st and 2d degrees, 10/10, 1909. Pastor of the Society in Paris, 31 Rue Henri Regnault, St. Cloud, Seine et Oise, France.

     IUNGERICH, ELDRED EDWARD.
Ordained, 13/6, 1909; 2d degree, 26/5, 1912. Professor of Theology, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     KLEIN, DAVID HAROLD.
Ordained, 26/6, 1898; 2d degree, 27/10, 1902. Engaged in secular work, 1231 E. 46th St., Chicago, Ill.

     MORSE, REV. RICHARD.
Authorized minister and pastor, pending ordination, 31/7, 1913. Pastor of the Society in Sydney. 180 Regent St., Redfern, Sydney, N. S. W., Australia.

     ODHNER, CARL THEOPHILUS.
Ordained, 10/6, 1888; 2d degree, 19/6, 1891. Professor of Theology, Academy of the New Church. Secretary of the General Church. Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     PRICE, ENOCH S.
Ordained, 10/6, 1888; 2d degree, 19/6, 1891. Professor, Academy of the New Church. Pastor of the Allentown Society, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

605




     ROSENQVIST, JOSEPH E.
Ordained, 19/6, 1891; 2d degree, 23/6, 1895. Ostra Skansgatan 18 A, Gothenburg, Sweden.

     SMITH, GILBERT HAVEN.
Ordained, 25/6, 1911; 2d degree 19/6, 1913. Pastor of the Sharon Church, Chicago, Ill.; Glenview, Ill.

     SYNNESTVEDT, HOMER.
Ordained, 19/6, 1891; 2d degree, 13/1, 1895. Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society, 462 S. Atlantic Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.

     WAELCHLI, FRED. E.
Ordained, 10/6, 1888; 2d degree, 19/6, 1891. Visiting Pastor, General Church. Pastor of the Carmel Church, 820 King St., W., Kitchener, Ont., Canada.

     Ministers.

     BAECKSTROM, GUSTAF.
Ordained, 6/6, 1915. Minister of Circle in Stockholm, Sweden. Gregatan 57.

     BROWN, REGINALD W.
Ordained, 21/10, 1909. Professor, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     ODHNER, HUGO LJUNGBERG.
Ordained, 23/6, 1914. Assistant minister of the Carmel Church, 820 King St., W., Kitchener, Ont., Canada.

     Authorized Candidates and Preachers.

     EVENS, WILLIAM.
Authorized, 8/7, 1913 Randolph, Ont., Canada.

     PENDLETON, CHARLES R.
Authorized, 4/6, 1905. Instructor in the Academy Schools, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     ROSE, FRANK H.
Authorized, 18/8, 1913. No 5 Market Parade, Portland Road, South Norwood, London, England.

606





     STATISTICS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES

     Gen.     Year     Locality          Attendance
Assm.                         Total     Mem     Visit     Comm- Mem     Net
                                        uni-     GC     Increase
                                        ts
1st      1897      Bryn Athyn, Pa.      202      152      50      156      187      287
2nd     1898      Glenview, Ill.           195      145      50      183      454      167
3rd      1899      Berlin, Ont.           199      154      45      144      504      50
4th      1900      Bryn Athyn, Pa.      329      240      89      218      560      56
5th      1904      Bryn Athyn, Pa.      342      240      102      250      698      138
6th      1907      Bryn Athyn, Pa.      360      266      94      312      834      136
7th      1910      Bryn Athyn, Pa.      426      318      108      282      941     107
8th      1913      Glenview, Ill.      308      187      102      185      1101      160
9th      1916      Bryn Athyn, Pa.      506      367      139      256      1264      163
MANIFESTATIONS OF THE LORD ON OTHER PLANETS 1916

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE LORD ON OTHER PLANETS       Rev. J. S. DAVID       1916




     Announcements.



     
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Vol. XXXVI      OCTOBER, 1916          No. 10
     "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold." (John. 10:16.)

     When the Lord uttered these words, the disciples would naturally think of the Samaritans and the Galileans, but it is hardly likely that their thought would spread out to include Greece and Rome and Persia and other peoples farther away. They were as yet very narrow in their idea of the Lord's Church, and could be broadened only by gradual and somewhat difficult processes. But the Lord, from the Divine Wisdom within Him, saw vastly deeper and broader than any mere man could see; deeper and broader than could possibly be expressed by any words at that time. The higher we rise into spiritual planes the broader is our vision. And could we rise to the plane of the Divine Logos where the Lord dwells we could see the whole universe with all its living forms. That would be the Divine Wisdom, which no man on earth and no angel in heaven can enter into. But when the Lord spoke to men, His speech, being the Word of God, involved universality. Therefore when He said "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold" His inmost thought could not do otherwise than include all living creatures throughout the universe who are living or seeking to live in harmony with the Divine laws.

     Before the days of modern astronomy no one suspected the existence of any other habitable worlds. And even after it became known that there were other globes as large as ours and much larger, the church seemed unwilling to believe that any other globe was inhabited, since the Bible did not say so.

608




     Then came Swedenborg with the extraordinary statement that all the great earths of the solar system are inhabited, and not only these but others far beyond the limits of our system, scattered throughout illimitable space to the number of countless myriads. He gives natural reasons for believing that they are inhabited. Those that come within our observation show markings like continents and oceans, they journey around the sun with their axes inclined to the plane of their orbits, producing seasons of the year, they revolve on their axes, Producing day and night; they have atmospheres for creatures to breathe, and those farthest from the sun have moons by which they are lighted by night. But the greatest reason given by Swedenborg why we should believe that they are inhabited is that nothing less than that could fulfill the Divine law of Use as no organ or tissue of the human body, even to endless detail, can exist without a use; as no object, animate or inanimate, can exist on this earth without an object or use, so no star or planet can exist without an object worthy of its creation. The stars cannot exist merely to shed their feeble light on this earth, since millions of suns are never seen except through a telescope. Such an object could never be commensurate with the vastness of creation. The only use worthy of the Divine Creator is that the visible universe might be the birthplace of countless millions of intelligent beings, and thus the foundation of an angelic heaven out of the human race.

     "Whoever duly considers," says Swedenborg, "concludes that so immense a whole cannot but be a means to an end, the ultimate end of creation, which end is the kingdom of heaven, wherein the Divine may dwell with angels and men; for the visible universe, or the heaven resplendent with stars so innumerable, which are so many suns, is only a means for the existence of earths, with men upon them, of whom is the kingdom of heaven. From these things a rational man must needs be led to conceive, that so immense a means for so great an end was not constituted for a race of men, and for a heaven thence, from one earth only.

609


For what would this be to the Divine, which is infinite, and to which thousands, yea, tens of thousands of earths, all full of inhabitants, would be but a small matter and scarce anything." (E. U. 4, 5.)

     This revelation concerning other planets has a vital relation to the peoples of this earth, and that is why it was given here. It is not a faraway theme, as at first thought it might seem to be. Its effect upon our minds is to broaden and uplift and to develop our sense of the universality of life, and hence the universal operation of Divine love. Even astronomy contributes immensely to the development of the mind, the training of its powers to see things rationally and mathematically, and the expansion of the imagination. But the effect is chiefly on the natural plane. A revelation concerning the living beings on the earths of the sky and concerning the spirits and angels thence at once transforms the universe from a vast arena of dead matter to a vast arena of life. Henceforth we can sing with new light the words of the Psalmist, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork." Such a revelation is therefore useful, and even vital, but could not have been given until after the birth of science and modern astronomy, which formed a foundation on which our knowledge of the spiritual side of the universe could rest.

     As the Lord's creative energy operates everywhere throughout space in the formation of suns, and from them planets, and thence men and angels, so His Love, too, is of universal operation. There are three Divine things in the one God-Divine Love, Divine Wisdom, and Divine Operation. The Divine Love desires or wills to create; the Divine Wisdom directs that desire or will, and the Divine Operation carries it into effect. The operation of Divine Love and Wisdom appears on all the earths of the universe as Divine Providence. For as the Lord loves all His creatures, He perpetually provides for their welfare. Divine Providence operates in all the infinite particulars of life, and in every moment of life, to protect and lead and save every soul in the universe. It might be compared to the sun, which shines upon every blade of grass and every flower of the field, and every smallest particle in each blade and flower, as well as upon the earth in general.

610


Indeed every flower gets not a part of the sun, but the whole sun, just as much as if there were no other flower on earth; so every soul gets all the love that can be given to the whole or heaven and earth. The Lord loves him as much as if there were no other soul in existence.

     I may be asked that if the Lord's love is diffused among the countless quintillions of souls throughout the universe, how can He give all His love to me? To this we would answer, that His love is infinite, and therefore cannot be divided. Infinity means infinity in every detail, and therefore infinite love for every soul. It may seem impossible, and yet it is a revealed truth, that the Lord loves every soul infinitely and eternally.

     Again, if the Lord loves all souls it is impossible that he should not manifest Himself to them insofar as they can receive Him. We cannot conceive of a God of love withholding Himself from His beloved children, hiding Himself away where no one can approach him, and remaining forever the unknown and unknowable God. The very thought of such a God would turn our warm affections into ice and leave us in desolation and despair. Because the Lord is high He is lowly. Because He is far above all, the principalities and powers of angels and men He can descend to the lowliest of creatures, abide with them, and devote all the love and wisdom of His infinite being to the work of leading them away from the dominion of evil into the life of heaven.

     We therefore think of the Lord, nor with a cold distant fear; not with the troubled thought of some awful mystery of darkness; but with the fidelity of little children toward a loving father.

     The Lord manifests Himself to His children wherever He can, and in such forms as are most perfectly adapted to their state. He manifested Himself to the ancients through an angel, who was accordingly called "the angel of the Lord." But when men had sunk so low that this form of manifestation could no longer avail for their salvation, He "bowed the heavens and came down," clothing Himself with an earthly human form, a form which gave Him the greatest power to meet men on their own plane, to live among them, teach them and lead them, meet and overcome the assaults from the hells that had been infesting the human race, and thus redeem and save men.

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     According to the New Church Revelation, no other earth of the universe has descended to such low ultimates as our earth; and hence on no other earth was an actual Divine incarnation necessary to the salvation of its people. Our earth is the only earth in which there is a written Word. A written Word is the lowest or most ultimate form of Divine Revelation. As the Lord is the Word, He not only descends into ultimates by clothing Himself with a written Word, but He also descended into ultimates by clothing Himself with a physical human body. The written Word and the physical body were therefore the two ultimate forms of the Divine Manifestation; and these two act together as one. They are represented by the hem of the Lord's garment, which men can touch, and by which they can receive life from Him and be healed of all their spiritual maladies in the process of regeneration. Without these ultimates the Lord could not reach down to the lowest plane and save men.

     But though this is the only earth in which the Lord has manifested Himself in a physical body, yet in all other earths He manifests Himself in some form adopted to the states and needs of the people. He touches the lowest plane that is necessary, and does all that infinite love can do to lead His creatures to eternal life. In that little book, "The Earths of the Universe," it is shown that in all the earths there is a knowledge of God, of the immortality of the soul and of other vital things, because the Lord vouchsafes to them revelations of Himself and His laws. Concerning spirits from the planet Mercury Swedenborg says:

     Certain spirits knew from heaven, that it had once been promised the spirits of the earth Mercury that they should see the Lord; therefore they were asked by the spirits about me whether they remembered that promise. They said that they did remember it, but they did not know whether it had been promised in such a way as to be beyond doubt. While they were thus speaking together, the Sun of heaven appeared to them. The Sun of heaven, which is the Lord, is seen only by those who are in the inmost or third heaven; the rest see the light therefrom. On seeing the Sun, they said that this was not the Lord God, because they did not see any face. Meanwhile the spirits were conversing together, though I did not hear what they said. Then suddenly the Sun appeared again, and in the midst of it the Lord, encompassed with a solar circle.

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On seeing this, the spirits of Mercury humbled themselves profoundly, and subsided.

     Soon after the Lord had been seen, they were led away towards the front, and as they advanced, they said that they saw a light much clearer and purer than they had ever seen before, and that no greater light could ever be seen; and this was at the time of evening. They who said this were many. (E. U. 40, 41.)

     The planet Jupiter is next mentioned, and interesting information is given in regard to their worship and their idea of the Lord, showing that the same Lord and Saviour who governs this earth is acknowledged in other planets. It is said:

     As regards their Divine worship, the main thing is, that they acknowledged our Lord as the Supreme Being, Who governs heaven and earth. They call Him the Only Lord; and as they acknowledge and worship Him in the life of the body, they seek and find Him after death. He is the same with our Lord. They were asked whether they knew that the Only Lord is Man. They answered that they all knew that He is Man, because in their world He has been seen as a Man by many; and that He instructs them about the truth, preserves them, and gives eternal life to those who worship Him from good. They said further that it has been revealed to them by Him how they should live, and how believe, and that what has been revealed is handed down by parents to children; and that thence the teaching spreads to all families, and so to the whole tribe which is descended from one father. They added that it seemed to them that they had the doctrine inscribed on their minds; which they concluded from the fact that they perceive at once, and acknowledge as of themselves, whether what is said by others about the life of heaven with man is true or not. They do not know that their Lord was born a Man on our earth. They said that they cared only to know that He is Man, and rules the universe. When I said that on our earth He is named Jesus Christ, and that Christ signifies Anointed or King, and Jesus Saviour, they said that they do not worship Him as King, because royalty savors of what is worldly, but that they worship Him as Savior. As a doubt was suggested by spirits of our earth, whether their Only Lord was the same with our Lord, they removed it by recalling that they had seen Him in the Sun, and had acknowledged that it was He Whom they had seen on their earth. (E. U. 65.)

     A great deal is said about the people of Mars, and their celestial character. They think and breathe interiorly, and their speech is like the breathing of the softest music. Of them it is said:

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     Concerning the Divine worship of those that dwell on their earth, they said that they acknowledge and adore our Lord, saying that He is the Only God, and that He rules both heaven and the universe; and that all good is from Him, and that He leads them; also that He often appears among them on their earth. Once when the Lord was named, I saw that those spirits humbled themselves so interiorly and profoundly as cannot be described; for in their humiliation they had the thought that they were of themselves in hell; and that so they were altogether unworthy to look to the Lord, Who, is Holiness Itself. They were so profoundly in that thought, from full belief, that they were as if out of themselves; and they remained in it upon their knees until the Lord lifted them up, and then as it were drew them out of hell. When they thus come forth out of their humiliation, they are full of good and of love, and thence of joy of heart. (E. U. 91.)

     Concerning the people of Saturn it is said:

     In worship they are extremely humble, for in it they hold themselves as nothing. They worship our Lord, and acknowledge Him as the Only God. The Lord also appears to them at times under an angelic form, and thus as man; and then the Divine shines forth from His face, and affects the mind. The inhabitants also, when they come to a suitable age, speak with spirits, by whom they are instructed concerning the Lord, and how He is to be worshipped, and also how they must live. (E. U. 98.)

     The Saturnian spirits told Swedenborg that spirits sometimes come to them from our earth and ask them what God they worship. Such spirits they regard as insane, since there is One God alone in all the universe. And they regard them as still more insane in not acknowledging that the Lord the Savior is that One God, and that Be rules the whole heaven and thence the whole world. (99)

     From this it is evident that the Lord Jesus Christ is not only the unifier of mankind on this earth, but is also the unifier of mankind in an interplanetary sense; all His creatures being interiorly one, and all looking toward a common Center.

     We are told that in Saturn there are some who regard their nocturnal light, which is great, as the Lord. "But they are separated from the rest and not tolerated by them. That nocturnal light comes from the great ring which surrounds the planet at a distance, and from its moons and satellites."

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Being questioned as to that ring, they said "that it does not appear to them as a ring, but as a snowy light in the sky, varying in direction." (100, 104)

     Why the ring so appears to the Saturnians is not explained by Swedenborg, but the discoveries of science since Swedenborg's day suggest an explanation. It is now known that Saturn has a very deep and dense atmosphere, rendering it impossible for the sharpest Saturnian eyes to see any well-defined ring or moon in the sky. But they could see a faint light from the ring when illuminated by the sun. That light, too, would "vary in direction," for in the first part of the night it would be seen mainly to the westward, the eastern part being darkened by the planet's shadow. At midnight it would be seen to the east and west, rising up like two ill-defined horns of light, while all overhead is dark. Toward morning the light is all to the east, the great shadow being cast westward. Those in Saturn who call this light the Lord are evidently such as have confirmed themselves in superficial or idolatrous ideas, being unwilling to learn the truth; for only on such grounds could they be separated from the rest and not tolerated.

     As to the planet Venus, there is less said than about Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn. Venus has in general two kinds of men-those who are mild and humane, and those who; are fierce and almost like wild beasts. The humane ones, when questioned, "said among other things that when they were in the world, and afterwards still more, they acknowledged our Lord as their Only God. They added that they had seen Him on their earth, and also represented in what manner they had seen Him. The fierce kind are not unlike many of the old peoples of the land of Canaan who made yearly excursions to plunder the surrounding nations and feast with rejoicing on the spoil.

     Those among them who can be saved are taken to places of vastation after death, and are there reduced to the last degree of despair; for in no other way can evils and falsities of that kind be subdued and removed. "It was said of them that when they lived on their earth, they believed in a Supreme Creator, without a Mediator; but when they are saved, they are also instructed that the Lord is the Only God, Savior, and Mediator; I saw some of them, after having passed through extreme suffering, taken up into heaven," says Swedenborg; "and when they were received there, I perceived such a tenderness of joy from them as drew tears from my eyes." (E. U. 110.)

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     The globe that would naturally interest us most, being our nearest neighbor, is the Moon. And yet Swedenborg says less about the Moon than about any other globe, whose people are described. Nothing is said about their idea of God, or about revelation from Him, except that it is said that "spirits and angels often speak with them." (A. C. 9237.) Evidently they are in a low degree of spirituality. In the angelic heaven, which is in the human form, they are in the province of the xiphoid cartilage, which lies at the lower end of the breast bone, and to which the ribs are attached in front. Those represented by the cartilages are in a lower and less active degree of spiritual life than those represented by the muscles and other less rigid substances.

     Swedenborg not only visits earths of the solar system, but he journeys far beyond the limits of our system to the planets of other systems at such inconceivable distances in space that their suns appear to us as stars. But it must be remembered that he did not travel there in body. It was only the spirit that journeyed. Nor did the spirit journey through space. The spirit lives and moves about the plane of space and distances. In the spiritual world all distances are appearances, derived from differences of state. Those who are very unlike appear far apart, while those who are in close harmony of soul appear near together; hence all journeyings in that world are effected by changes of state. While those changes are going on one actually appears to himself and to others to be journeying from one place to another. In the spirit Swedenborg journeyed out of the solar system to the spiritual side of planets in other systems. But when he passed beyond the limits of the solar system, even though it was on the spiritual plane, he found the journey difficult; for the genius of the spirits of other solar systems is altogether different from that of the spirits of our system. There is a general resemblance between the spirits of any one planet, however great the variety in particulars.

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There is a wider general resemblance between the spirits of any one system of planets, such as our solar system; and there is a still wider resemblance between the spirits of all the planets of the universe. In other words, as there is a grouping of planets into solar systems, so there is a corresponding grouping of spirits and angels who are born on those planets.

     But they all have certain things in common. They are all human beings-our brothers and sisters. They all worship one God under a human form, and that is the same God that we worship-the God-Man, the Savior Jesus Christ.

     Let us note briefly what is said of the Divine manifestations, and thence Divine worship, in the five planets visited outside our solar system.

     In the first earth they worship an Angel, who appears to them as a Divine Man, shining with light. He instructs them and gives them to perceive what they ought to do. They know that the Most High God is in the Sun of the angelic heaven, and that He appears to their Angel, and not to themselves, and they think that He is too great for them to adore Him. The Angel whom they worship is an angelic society, to which it; was given, by the Lord to preside over them, and to teach the way of what is just and right. They therefore have light from a certain flame, which appears like a small torch, quite fiery and yellow. The cause of it is their not adoring the Lord, and thus not having light from the Sun of the angelic heaven, but from an angelic society. (E. U. 130.)

     The people of the second earth, when questioned, said that they worshiped a God visible and invisible-a God visible under the human form, and a God invisible, not under any form. The visible God was our Lord Himself in His Divine-Human form. The invisible was the Father; and these two are one, like body and soul. Other spirits from the same earth were seen who were idolaters, who worshiped a stone resembling a man, but not handsome. (E. U. 141, 142.)

     In the third planet visited they acknowledged God under the human form, thus our Lord.

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In this second connection we are told that only those who acknowledge the God of the universe under a human form can be led by Him, for the thought must needs rest upon a form. The inhabitants of that earth are instructed in the things of heaven by a kind of immediate intercourse with angels and spirits, into which they can be led by the Lord more easily than others because they reject what is corporeal from their thought and affection." (E. U. 154)

     Spirits of the fourth earth, when asked as to their idea of God, "answered that they did not conceive of God as visible, but as visible under the human form; and that they know this, not only from interior perception, but also from His appearing to them as a Man; adding that if according to the idea of some strangers they should conceive of God as invisible, thus without form and quality, they could not think at all of God, since what is thus invisible does not fall into the idea of any thought." (E. U. 158) They had been confused by spirits from our earth teaching three persons in the Godhead; and when they learned from Swedenborg concerning the Word on our earth that it taught Jehovah the one Lord, "they were affected with joy, and said that some were also sent to them by God-whom they then called the Lord-to teach them concerning Him; and that they were unwilling to admit strangers who disturb them, especially by the idea of three persons in the Divinity, since they know that God is one, and not a unanimity of three." (159)

     The journey to the fifth planet in the starry heaven required progressive changes of state running through twelve hours. During that journey the seer was given a perception of the infinity of the spiritual universe-that it could not be filled to eternity. Among many things related of the fifth earth he says that they know and perceive that God is One, and that He is Man. (169) A scene in the spiritual world connected with that earth is thus related:

     There was then seen a dark cloud toward the east, descending from on high, which in descending gradually appeared bright and in the human form; and from this at length appeared a flaming radiance, around which were little stars of the same color. In this manner the Lord presented Himself before the spirits with whom I was speaking. To this presence were then gathered together from every side all the spirits who were there; and when they came, the good were separated from the evil, the good to the right and the evil to the left, and this at once, as of their own accord.

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And those on the right were arranged according to the quality of their good, and those on the left according to the quality of their evil. The good were then left to form a heavenly Society among themselves; but the evil were cast into the hells. That cloud, which in descending gradually appeared bright and in the human form, and then as a flamy radiance, was an angelic society, in the midst of which was the Lord. From this it was manifest what is meant by the Lord's words in the Evangelists, where He speaks of the final judgment-"That He will come with the angels in the clouds of heaven with glory and power." (171.)

     The angels of that earth are of the Lord's celestial kingdom, as was made evident from their interior perception of heavenly truth, and from the flamy light which surrounded them proceeding from their luminous thought.

     In regard to worship, they said that the tribes with their families assembled at one place every thirtieth day, and hear preaching; and that the preacher then, from a pulpit raised a little above the ground, teaches them Divine truths, which lead to good of life. As to revelation, they said that it came in the early morning, in a state midway between sleep and wakefulness, when they are in interior light not yet disturbed by the bodily senses and by worldly things; that they then hear angels of heaven speaking of Divine things, and of a life according to them; that when they awaken, an angel in a white garment appears to them by the bedside, who then suddenly vanishes from their sight; and that from this they know that what they have heard is from heaven. In this way Divine vision is distinguished from vision not Divine; for in vision not Divine no angel appears. They added that revelations are made in this manner to their preachers, and sometimes to others. (175.)

     Thus we see that the Lord, in His infinite Love and Wisdom, manifests Himself in some form to all His intelligent creatures throughout the universe; that Revelation, or the Word, is a universal Light, flowing downward and outward from the Spiritual Sun, adapting itself to men in many forms according to their states, veiling itself heavily or thinly according to their powers of vision, and operating everywhere with the one great end of regenerating men and leading them into the angelic heaven.

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STRENGTH AND BEAUTY OF THE CHURCH 1916

STRENGTH AND BEAUTY OF THE CHURCH       Rev. J. E. BOWERS       1916

     (Delivered at Bryn Athyn, June 11, 1916.)

     "Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on the garments of thy beauty, O Jerusalem, the city of holiness: for henceforth shall no more enter into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.'" (Isaiah 52:1.)

     In the Lord, the Creator, and therefore in all things of creation, both in the spiritual and in the natural universe, there are two principles which, by conjunction, form a trine. In the Lord the trine is the Divine Love, the Divine Wisdom, and the Divine Power. As expressed more fully, the trine in the Lord is the Divine Itself, called "the Father;" the Divine Human, called "the Son;" and the proceeding Divine, called "the Holy Spirit." In man the trine is that of soul, body and operation. The sun is the most perfect representation of the Lord, the Creator; and the trine in the sun consists of the heat and light of the sun, and the effects which are produced by the combined operation of the heat and light. These elements are correspondences of the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom of the Lord. Their effects are the operation of the Divine, in the work of creation, even to ultimates of the earth and its atmospheres. And thus the effects of the sun of our natural universe have their origin in the Sun of the spiritual world, in which is the Lord. And these effects are the forces of the Divine omnipotence itself, in the sphere of the conservation of all things in the created universe. It is a great truth, a principle unique, in the spiritual philosophy of the Divine Revelation made by the Lord, in which He effected His second advent, that "subsistence is perpetual existence, and that conservation is perpetual creation."

     The Lord God, the Infinite, alone is self-existent; and not any thing nor any being can have an existence, except from Him. A primary idea, therefore, most distinctly taught in the Heavenly Doctrines, is that the entire finite universe is created for the end of the formation of angelic heavens in the spiritual world.

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And the physical earth itself, and the natural world therein,-the universal human race,-and the Church, with all that is involved in the true idea of the Church, the first essential of which is that the Lord Jesus Christ in His Divine Human is worshiped as the one and only God: all of these, and the infinite things of the Divine Providence besides, are the means to the end of all ends, the establishment and increase of the angelic heavens to eternity.

     And it is this subject of which it is treated, in the spiritual sense, of the sublime words chosen for our consideration at this time. Here we have an instance of a word being repeated, as occurs sometimes in the literal sense of the Word. And the reason of this repetition is, that what is meant by the Word has relation to the two faculties, the will and the understanding, by the conjunction of which is formed the human mind. In order that this union may take place by man's co-operation with the Lord, in a state of freedom, man must be wide awake as to both his will and his understanding. That is to say, he must he awake according to the spiritual idea. And this is possible only when man has received, by means of the truths of Doctrine from the Word, an intelligent idea of the Lord the Father in the heavens, and as to his relation as a finite recipient of all things from take Lord, according to his state and capacity of reception.

     Those whose minds are still closed concerning the knowledge of the Lord and the Divine providence; concerning the things of heaven and the Church; and therefore have no rational idea of anything that is taught in the Word; are indeed awake as to their external, natural state of mind. They are, or may be, deeply interested in the affairs of the world. In many cases they are very successful in the way of acquiring earthly possessions, and are therefore greatly honored as men of the world. But as in the case of all merely natural men, they are, as to their internal state, as it were asleep; and this is equivalent to being spiritually dead. It is, however, of the mercy of the Lord, that with everyone in whom can be effected such a change of state that it becomes possible, the Lord will awaken him out of the sleep of spiritual death. This change of state is effected, when a man is led to realize his dependence upon the Lord; when he turns to Him, repenting of his evils, and looking to Him alone for help to lead a new life.

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Then the Lord opens a man's mind so that he becomes spiritually conscious; and that he is prepared to be enlightened by the Divine truth. Then he is awake, and can make a right use of his faculties. The Lord gives him to see in the marvelous light of the Divine truth of the Word, now opened as to its internal sense. It is and becomes a delight of the mind, evermore interiorly, to be enabled to see clearly, in the light which now shines in the perfection of beauty, in the final Revelation of the Word, in the Heavenly Doctrines. For this is to see, everywhere throughout: the whole earth, evidences of the infinite Love, and Wisdom, and Power, of the Lord, the Creator. It is to see these evidences more fully in the contemplation of the wonders and glories of the universal angelic heavens. And what is the most profoundly impressive, is the definite idea of the Lord, in His Divine Human,-the Lord as the DIVINE MAN,-to behold Him exalted in glory and majesty above the heavens, in the Sun of the spiritual universe!

     It is the infinite Love and Wisdom of the Lord that cause Him to appear as a Sun, as the most glorious manifestation of Him. It is therefore said in the accounts of the transfiguration of the Lord, while He was in the world, that "His face did shine as the Sun." For this was a visible manifestation of the Divine in Him. (Matth. 17:2.) To think of the Lord truly, is to have the idea that He is the one and only God, our Father in the heavens. And His Divine presence, by His Holy Spirit, is with all the children of men, especially with those who acknowledge and worship Him, and, in obedience to His precepts, live the life of genuine religion. Among the many wonderful things revealed to us concerning what the Lord does for man, in the entire course of regeneration, we are told that "The interior operations of God in man, are myriads of myriads, utterly unknown to man himself." The idea involved evidently is, that the interior operations of God in man are infinite, because as to all things God is infinite; and that man is not and can not be conscious of these operations because he is finite, and is therefore limited by the finite, in every particular.

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     The admonition in the text is, that Zion is to awake and put on her strength; and that Jerusalem is to awaken and put on the garments of her beauty. These are pleasant expressions, even in the sense of the letter, which, however, is on account of their spiritual significance. Zion represents the celestial kingdom and the voluntary principle, of heaven and the Church. And Jerusalem represents the spiritual kingdom and the intellectual principles of heaven and the Church. Men are either of a celestial or spiritual genius; and they who are regenerated and thereby prepared for the blessedness of life in the world to come will find their eternal homes in the one kingdom or the other, according to their genius or nature. In those who are of the celestial kingdom the principle of the good of love from the Lord to the Lord predominates. And in those who are of the spiritual kingdom, the principle of the truth of faith from the Word, according to Divine doctrine, predominates. The two kingdoms are perfectly conjoined, and constitute the universal angelic heavens. It is revealed to us that the celestial angels have an affection so intense that they love others more than themselves. But the spiritual angels, according to the law enunciated by the Lord in the two great commandments, and in the one universal precept of the life of religion, for men in this world, love others as themselves.

     The Lord's omnipotence is of the Divine Truth from the Divine Good, or of the Divine Wisdom from the Divine Love. A man who receives, from the Lord, by means of the Word, truth into his understanding, to the end that good may be adjoined by the Lord to the truth in the will, thereby comes into consociation with the angels and into conjunction with the ford. He becomes a man of the Church. He is a very decided believer in the Heavenly Doctrines; for, from a rational conviction, he knows that these doctrines are the genuine, eternal truths revealed by the Lord out of the Word in the sense of the letter; thus that they are the most glorious manifestation of the Lord, and therefore are the Lord Himself in His Second Advent.

     As the men of the New Church enter more interiorly into states of spiritual intelligence, there will be with them an increase of the heavenly spirit of zeal, sincerity and devotion to the Church.

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They will be enabled more fully to acknowledge the Lord in all that is taught in the Divine Revelation in which, by means of the inspiration of Emanuel Swedenborg, the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Advent has been effected. Thus the people of the Church of the New Jerusalem will be so firm in their faith that no evil influence on earth or from hell can prevail to do them any harm. They are perfectly safe, because they trust in the Lord, and are under the protection of the Lord, who has all power in the heavens and on the earth; and also controls all the wicked spirits, who make their abodes in the regions under the earth. That is, under the earth in the world of spirits, where the hells are.

     In what has been said, only the very least intimation is given of the inexpressibly delightful ideas of human thought, which are contained in the spiritual sense of the expressions in the text, namely, that Zion is to awake and But on her strength; and that Jerusalem is also to awake, and put on the garments of her beauty. There are involved in the few words innumerable truths and their corresponding heavenly principles of good. And all these are infinite, because from the Lord alone. Yet by them there is the communication of life from the Lord, who is the Fountain of all life, to the angels in the heavens and to the men of the Church; who are recipients of life and of all that constitutes their existence, from the Lord, in full measure, according to their desires and needs.

     That there may continue to be an extension of the doctrines and principles of the New Church, among the nations of the world, and that in the course of the ages the whole earth, as to the beneficent influence of the Divine truth, may be full of the glory of the Lord, it is needful that there be co-operation on the part of the members of the Church, with the Lord, in order that each and all may advance in the life of regeneration. In His infinite mercy and loving kindness, the Lord employs the ministry of angels, and also man as means, in establishing His kingdom on the earth. In serving the Lord by doing His will, for the sake of the happiness of others, men are themselves partakers of the felicities of heavenly life.

     The strength of Zion is the truth of the Church which is in the minds of men from the good of love to the Lord.

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There is a universal bond that interiorly unites all men who are in the genuine truths of the Word from the good of love to the Lord. That bond is the Lord, the Divine Love Itself, the infinite and eternal source of all Good. Love is spiritual conjunction, and from this is the peace and harmony, the joy and blessedness of The Divine sphere from the Lord is with, and effects, all who are in good, especially those who, from Revelation, know the Lord, and worship Him alone as the God of heaven and earth. And the communication of influx, from the Lord to men, although they are not at all conscious of it, is mediately through the angelic heavens, and also immediately from His Divine Human. It is the Lord's presence with men in their inmost souls to impart to them the ineffable joys which are a foretaste of heaven; to give to them, according to their state of reception, confidence and courage, help and strength, to endure even to the end of life on earth, and their entrance into eternal life.

     Jerusalem puts on the garments of her beauty when, and in so far as, the people of the Church receive the truths of faith from the Word, are regenerated thereby, come into states of the good of love from the Lord, and thus become forms of charity. Such forms are the angels in the heavens,-forms of celestial and spiritual loves, which essentially are heavenly life. As to personality, as to the human form, and the expression of their faces, and the garments in which they are clothed, corresponding to their state,-in every particular,-the angels are forms of such a perfection of beauty that, we are told, they cannot be described. But the grand and stupendous things of creation, in the spiritual world, are as fully described in the Writings, as it is possible to convey an idea or conception of them to human minds, in natural language, while they remain in the physical body, in the life of this natural world. There are, indeed, revealed to us and to all men innumerable particulars concerning all the marvelous and glorious things which the Lord created in the heavens, and in the midst of which the angels dwell.

     Jerusalem, the city of holiness, is a prophetic reference to the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, in the Apocalypse, which was seen by John coming down from God out of heaven,-the representative of the New Church, to be established by the Lord on the earth, in "the consummation of the age." (Matth. 24:3.)

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     The Holy City is the Church as to the Divine doctrine from the Word, including all the infinite things contained in what we know as the heavenly doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

     The uncircumcised and the unclean, who shall no more enter into the Holy City, are they who are in evils and falsities. By confirmation in these, they are in the infernal loves of self and of the world, which are the very opposite to the fundamental heavenly loves, which are love to the Lord and charity or love toward the neighbor. The ruling loves of their life are, therefore, diabolical. They have, in freedom, chosen to divest themselves of every human principle. There are no limits to their love of dominion from the love of self; no bounds to the cruelties and torments they delight to inflict upon others; except the bounds set by the eternal laws of the Divine order. As, for instance, the law of retaliation,-which is itself involved in the universal precept of human life, called the Golden Rule.

     They, who are written in the Lamb's book of life, are they that believe in the Lord; who are in the life of truth and good and keep the Lord's commandments in the Word. They are awake as to their internal state; that is, they are conscious in the spiritual idea; they have the full use of their mental faculties; and are therefore able to act wisely and justly, in the performance of all the uses and duties of life. They realize their own deficiencies, and the need of trusting in the Lord for the strength to endure unto the end.

     The blessedness of the faithful, who enter through the gates into the Holy City, and, by consociation with the angels, dwell in the kingdom of the heavens, while still living in the world; I the internal delight of life of those who are of the Church, and in humility and sincerity "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,"-these are the things involved in the spiritual sense of the words: "In rejoicing I will rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." (Isaiah 61:10.) Amen.

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DIVINE HUMAN 1916

DIVINE HUMAN       Rev. C. TH. ODHNER       1916

     A STUDY

     (Continued from New CHURCH LIFE for July, 1916, p. 412.)

     II. THAT THE DIVINE HUMAN IS THE WHOLE AND THE ONLY DIVINE ESSENCE.

     1. That the Lord, therefore, became Jehovah Himself that is, the Divine Esse, even as to the Human Essence.

     That the Human Essence of the Lord became Jehovah. A. 1402, 1475, 1502, 1568.

     "His Human Essence, when united to the Divine Essence, was also Jehovah." A. 1607, 1729, 1738.

     "After the combats of temptation the Human Essence was united to the Divine Essence, so that it was also itself made Jehovah; wherefore in heaven they know no other Jehovah the Father than the Lord. With the Lord all is Jehovah; not only His Internal and His Interior Man, but the external man, and the very body itself; and therefore He alone rose into heaven with the body also." A. 1729.

     "The Lord progressed more and more to conjunction and union with Jehovah His Father, until His Human Essence itself was Jehovah, who was the Internal itself of the Lord." A. 1864.

     "In proportion as He put off the [mere] human, the Lord was not distinct from Jehovah, but was one with Him." A. 1999.

     "He was no longer the son of Mary, but was Jehovah as to each essence." A. 2657.

     "When He had glorified Himself, He then became the Divine Good itself, or Jehovah, even as to the Human." A. 5307, 6716, 6753.

     "He was no longer Jehovah under the form of an angel, but was Jehovah the Man." A. 9315:5.
Title Unspecified 1916

Title Unspecified              1916

     That all the Human of Lord is the Divine Esse or Jehovah. A. 3737, 3938, 6880.

     "His Human Essence was in like manner made Love, or the Esse of Life, that is, Jehovah." A. 1738, 4559.

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     "The ancients had from Revelation that One would be born who would make the Human in Himself Divine, and thus would become the Infinite Existere itself such as had been before, and at last one with the Infinite Esse such as also had been before." A. 4687.

     "Regarded in itself, the human is nothing but a form recipient of life from the Divine; but the Lord's Human glorified, or His Divine Human, is not a form recipient of life, but is the very esse of life." A. 5256.
Title Unspecified 1916

Title Unspecified              1916

     That the Human substance or essence of the Lord is as His Divine. D. LORD, 35:11.

     "As He put off the maternal human, He put on the Infinite and Eternal Divine Itself." A. 3405.

     "From this is evident what was the quality of the body, that is, the quality of the Human, in the Lord, namely, that it was the Divine itself." A. 10823.

     "The Lord by most grievous combats reduced all things in Himself into Divine order, insomuch that nothing at all remained from the human derived from the mother, so that He did not become new, like another man, but altogether Divine." A. 3318.

     2. That the relation of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human is not an adjunction or conjunction, but is an absolute unition and union.

     "With the Lord there was effected a plenary conjunction or eternal union with Jehovah, so that His Human Essence itself is also Jehovah." A. 1745.

     "By 'the Lord' and also by 'Jehovah,' after the Human was glorified, is meant the Divine and the Human together, as One." D. LORD, 30.

     "The Lord's life was a continual progression of the Human to the Divine, even to absolute union." A. 2523.

     "In order that a more distinct idea may be formed concerning the union of the Lord's Divine Essence with His Human Essence, and concerning the Lord's conjunction with the human race through the faith of charity, it may be well here and in what follows to call the former Union, but the latter Conjunction. Between the Lord's Divine Essence and His Human Essence there was a Union; but between the Lord and the human race there is Conjunction, through the faith of charity, as is evident from the fact that Jehovah or the Lord is Life, and His Human Essence also was made Life; as shown above, and between Life and Life there is Union." A. 2021.

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     "The Unition of the Divine Essence and the Human is not to be understood as being a unition of two who are distinct from each other, and merely conjoined by love, as a father with a son, when the father loves the son and the son loves the father; or as when a brother loves a brother or a friend a friend; but it is a real unition into a one in order that they may be not two but one, (as the Lord also repeatedly teaches); and because they are a one, therefore the whole Human of the Lord is the Divine Esse or Jehovah." A. 3737; see also n. 1343, 1736, 2156, 2329, 2447, 2921, 3023, 3035.

     "The conjunction of the Lord with man is by His Divine truth; and this in man is the Lord's, and thus the Lord, and is not at all the man's, and thus not the man. The man indeed feels it as his, yet it is still not his, for it is not united to him, but is adjoined. It is otherwise with the Divine of the Father. This is not adjoined, but united, to the Lord's Human, as the soul is to its body." R. 222.

     3. That the Glorified Human of the Lord, though Divine and Infinite, nevertheless remains Natural,-the Divine natural.

     "The lower things of the Church are said to be from the Divine Natural and the Divine Sensuous of the Lord;-not that these things are lower in the Lord; for in the Lord and in His Divine Human all is infinite, inasmuch as He is Jehovah as to each essence, (nos.2156, 2329, 2921, 3023),-but because it is so in man. For those who are sensuous men apprehend sensuously the things which are in the Lord and from Him, and those who are natural apprehend them naturally. It is so said, because of the quality of those who receive." n. 4715

     "Before His Coming into the world, the Lord was indeed present with the men of the Church, but mediately through Heaven; but after His Coming into the world He is present with the men of the Church immediately; for in the world He put on the Divine Natural also, and He is present with men in this.

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The Glorification of the Lord is the Glorification of His Human, which He took on in the world; and the Human of the Lord, glorified, is the Divine Natural." S. 99.

     "Before the Lord came into the world He was present with the men of the Church, but only mediately, through angels who represented Him; but after His Coming He is present with men of the Church immediately; and this for the reason that in the world He put on also the Divine Natural, in which He is present with men. The Glorification of the Lord is the Glorification of His Human which He assumed in the world; and the glorified Human of the Lord is the Divine Natural. The truth of this is evident from the fact that the Lord arose from the tomb with the whole of the body which He had in the world, leaving nothing in the tomb, and therefore He took with Him from the tomb the Natural Human itself from the primes to the ultimates thereof. Thus after the resurrection, when His disciples thought that what they saw was a spirit, He said to them: 'See My hands and My feet; handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have.' (Luke 24:37, 39.) From this it is evident that by means of His glorification His natural body was Divine. . . . From all this the angels know that in the universal spiritual world the Lord alone is complete Man." T. 109.

     "In the Lord these degrees-the Divine Celestial, the Divine Spiritual, and the Divine Natural-are infinite and uncreate,-but in angel and man they are finite." (W. 235) And "In God Man infinite things are distinctly one." W. 17.

     "The Lord arose with the whole natural or external man, and left nothing in the tomb; and therefore He said that He had bones and flesh, which spirits have not; and hence it is that He ate and drank with the disciples of natural food." INV. 56.

     4, That after His Resurrection the Lord was seen by His disciples by their spiritual eyes, and not by their natural eyes.

     "It is to be known that angels cannot be seen by man with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the spirit within him.

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. . . . In this way angels were seen by Abraham, Lot, Manoah, and the prophets. In this way, also, the Lord was seen by the disciples after the resurrection." H. 76.

     "That angels and spirits are men, may be manifest from those seen by Abraham, Gideon, David, and the prophets, and especially by John when he wrote the Apocalypse, and also by the women in the Lord's sepulcher; yea, from the Lord Himself being seen by the disciples after the resurrection. The reason of their being seen was that the eyes of the spirit of those who saw them were opened at the time." C. L. 30. R. 36.

     "That the spiritual man is still a perfect man, although He does not appear to the natural man, was plainly evidenced from the Lord's appearing to the apostles after His resurrection, in that He appeared, and presently did not appear; and yet He was a Man like to Himself both when seen and when not seen: they also said that when they saw Him their eyes were opened." C. L. 31.

     "He who knows nothing of the sight of the spirit believes that angels, when seen by men, have taken on a human form, and that when they vanished from their sight they laid it aside; but; this is not so; the angels then appeared in their own form, which is the human form, not before the sight of men's bodily eyes, but before the sight of their spirit, which sight was then opened. This is evident from the Lord's being seen by the disciples [after His resurrection], when He Himself showed to them that He was a Man in complete human form, (Luke 24:39; John 20:20-28); and yet He became invisible. When they saw Him the eyes of their spirit were opened, but when He became invisible those eyes were closed." E. 53.

     "It is believed in the Christian world that angels have assumed human bodies and have thus appeared to men; but they did not assume them, but the eyes of man's spirit were opened, and so they were seen. So did angels appear to Abraham and to the others; so did the horses and chariots of fire: appear around Elisha, where it is said, 'Open his eyes,' (2. Kings 6:17). That the Lord appeared thus, is known; but with the difference that the Lord appeared as to the body which He had in the world, but the angels as to the bodies which belong to spirits, which are in the human form, but not as the Lord was." DE DOM. 14.

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     "From these things it is manifest that the Lord now also is to appear in the Word. That He is not to appear in Person is because after His ascent into heaven He is in His glorified Human, and in this He cannot appear to any man unless first He has opened the eyes of the man's spirit, and these cannot be opened with anyone who is in evils and falses thence, thus not with any of the he-goats whom He placed to the left.

     "And therefore, when [after the Resurrection] He manifested Himself to the disciples, He first opened their eyes, for we read: 'And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him, but He Himself became invisible to their eyes.' (Luke 24:31.) The same took place with the women at the sepulcher after the Resurrection, on account of which also they then saw the angels sitting in the sepulcher and speaking with them, whom no man can see with the material eye. That not even the apostles before the Resurrection of the Lord in the glorified Human saw the [glorified] Lord with the eyes of the body, but in the spirit, but that He appeared after their waking up as it were in a sleep, is manifest from His transfiguration before Peter, James and John, 'that then they were heavy with sleep,' (Luke 9:32) Wherefore it is vain to believe that the Lord will appear in the clouds of heaven in Person, but He will appear in the Word, which is from Him, and which thus is Himself." T. 777.

     5. That when, after the Resurrection, the Lord appeared to His disciples in the spiritual world, He always appeared in a term accommodated to their own state, and according to the natural image of Him which had been impressed upon their memory.

     That the Lord appears according to the state of each person. A. 934, 1838, 1861, 3605.

     "Jehovah, or the Lord, appears to every one according to his quality,-to celestial angels as a Sun, to spiritual angels as a Moon, to all the good as a Light of varied delight and pleasantness; but to the evil as a smoke and as a consuming fire." A. 1861.

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     "When the Lord appears, He appears according to the quality of the man, because a man receives the Divine no otherwise than according to his own quality." A. 6832.

     "The Divine cannot be seen by any one otherwise than according to the state of his life and the perception therefrom." A. 8781, 8814, 9434, 10551; E. 382.

     "No one can see God otherwise than from such things as are in the man himself." A. 8819, 8916, 8928.

     "Because all the angels receive the heaven without them according to the quality of the heaven within them, so likewise they receive the Lord, since His Divine makes heaven. Hence, when the Lord presents Himself to view in any society, He is seen there according to the quality of the good in which the society is, thus not the same in one society as in another." H. 55, 118, 159.

     "It is to be known that the Lord in His Divine Natural is with men, but in His Divine Spiritual with the angels of the spiritual kingdom, and in the Divine Celestial with the angels of the celestial kingdom; but still He is not divided, but appears to each one according to his quality." R. 466; A. E. 538:4.

     NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS.

     From all these teachings it is manifest that all the phenomena connected with the appearance of the Lord after His resurrection took place in the spiritual world.

     (a) After the Lord had given up the spirit on the cross, "the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept, arose, and came into the holy city and appeared unto many." (Matth. 27:52, 53.)

     "This signifies the regeneration and resurrection of the faithful unto life, -not that the very bodies which lay in the graves arose, but that they appeared. . . . And by 'the holy city' is meant heaven, into which the faithful were raised by the Lord." E. 659, 899.

     (b) The angels seen by the women at the sepulcher, (Matth. 28:2-7; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4; John 20:12), did not appear in the natural world but in the spiritual world, the spiritual sight of the women having been opened.

     (c) When the two disciples on their way to Emaus met the man whom they regarded as a stranger, their natural memory was closed in the spiritual world; but when, after breaking bread with them "their eyes were opened, and they knew Him," their natural memory was opened in the spiritual world.

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When then "He vanished out of their sight," (Luke 24:31), the eyes of their spirit were open no longer.

     (d) When the Lord appeared in the room where the eleven disciples were assembled, "the doors being closed," (John 20:26), their spiritual sight was opened, and the "doors" were the doors of the spiritual chamber in which their spirits were assembled.

     (e) When the disciples, fishing in the sea of Tiberias, saw the Lord on the shore, they landed and "saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread." (John 21:9.) It is self-evident that this scene also was laid in the spiritual world, for the disciples had not kindled the fire, but "they, saw" it. . . And, if so, it was a spiritual fire, and spiritual fish and bread, appearing altogether similar to natural fish and bread.

     (f) The Ascension into heaven clearly took place in the world of spirits. "While they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up: behold, two men stood by them in white apparel." ACTS 1:9, 10.

     (g) When the Lord arose from the sepulcher, the Glorification had been completed, and His Human was now in every sense Divine. It is certain that the wounds in His hands and feet and in His side, which the disciples beheld, did not then and do not now exist in His infinitely Divine and perfect body. The disciples, therefore, saw the Lord through the veil of their last natural image of Him, impressed upon their memory of Him as He hung upon the cross. He could not possibly have been recognized by them except through this veiling.

     (h) It is the same whenever a spirit appears to any man on earth, or when a novitiate spirit in the other world meets one of his acquaintances from the natural world. At first he sees the spirit through the memory image of him which he had formed on earth, even though the spirit himself may actually look very different. Swedenborg testifies that "I have seen some recently from the world, and knew them from their face and speech; but when I saw them afterwards I did not know them." H. 475.

     "When a man remembers any other man, whose quality is known to him from an intercourse of many years, whether a friend or an enemy, that which he then, thinks about him is presented as one obscure thing; and this because he is thinking from the external memory. But when the same man has become a spirit, that which he then thinks about him is presented as to all the ideas which he had ever taken up concerning him, and this because he is thinking from the interior memory." A. 2473.

     (i) Not that the Lord Himself does not possess the whole natural body which He had in the world. There was not an atom of His flesh and His bones that was not glorified,-that is, rendered Divine and Infinite. Nothing was lost or left behind in the sepulchre or anywhere else in the universe.

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And it is evident that He is still in possession of all that which He never lost or left behind.

     (j) Nevertheless, all of His Natural is now Divine and Infinite, and the Infinite cannot possibly reveal itself to any finite being except by veiling itself in a finite form accommodated to the quality and the state of that finite being. And this veiling, when He revealed Himself to the disciples after the resurrection, He assumed from the memory vessels, nay, the very sensories, of the disciples themselves.

     6. That the Divine Human, therefore, is not to be thought of as being in any way a secondary Divine Essence, for the Divine Essence is one and indivisible.

     That God is one, both in Essence and in Person, see L. 54; F. 35; P. 231, 262; R. 67; B. 116, etc.

     That He is the First, the Only, and the Very Substance and Form. T. 20.

     "There is an only Essence, an only Substance, and an only Form, from which are all the essences, substances and forms that have been created. This only Essence, Substance, and Form, is the Divine Love and Wisdom." P. 157.

     "Love, Wisdom, and Use, are the three essentials which together make the One Divine Essence." C. L. 183.

     "God is Esse itself, and that which is must be from Esse. . . . If there were any Esse in itself in created things, it would be continuous with God, and that which is continuous with God, is God." W. 55.

     "All things which appear as if they were, are from the Esse which is Jehovah; but the Lord's Esse, or Jehovah, can never be communicated to any one, but only to the Human of the Lord; this was made Divine Esse, that is, Jehovah." A. 3938

     "God neither could nor can divide His Essence, for this is one and indivisible. . . . Moreover, the Lord is omnipresent, and where He is present, there He is with His whole Essence; and it is impossible for Him to take some of it away, and thence to give part to one and part to another, but He gives it whole." T. 364.

     "That which proceeds is of one and the same essence with Him from whom it proceeds, like these three: soul, body and operation, which together make one essence: with men a merely human one, but with the Lord a Divine and at the same time Human one, which after the Glorification were united as the prior with its posterior, and as the essence with its form." T. 139.

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     "The presence of the Divine is such that no angel can endure it unless he is protected by a cloud,... from which it is most evident that the Human of the Lord is Divine; for unless it were Divine it could never be so united to the Divine Itself as to be one. ...For what thus receives the Divine must needs be altogether Divine; what is not Divine would be utterly dissipated by such a union." A. 6849

     NOTES.

     From this teaching it is evident that if the Divine Human, or the glorified body of the Lord, were in any way or in any sense a secondary or subordinate or semi-Divine Essence, this would be utterly dissipated by the presence of the real or primary Divine Essence. This fact also rules out the possibility of the existence of any supposed "sphere-particles" remaining in the atmosphere from "the Palestine body" of the Lord and acting as the special medium of the Divine Human in nature and in the elements of the Holy Supper.

     The idea of the Divine Human as a "second Divine Essence" seeks support from the following statement in the SPIRITUAL DIARY:

     "The Divine is not divided into three equal essences, but into three successive essences, which are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and these in one Person. I perceived also that the Divine: Itself, which is the first essence, was man in conatu or in fieri; and that the second essence was man born, and essentially from the first; and that the third essence in the succession was man proceeding, which is the whole of heaven, and, if called by name, may be said to be the Holy Spirit, when it is from the Lord there, and in the Church thence." D. 4847.

     From this passage, if taken alone, it might appear that the Writings of the New Church in one place teach the existence of three Divine Essences, but any one keeping in mind the universals of New Church Theology may see that by the "three successive essences" here are meant the three universal essentials which constitute the Divine Essence.

     For the essence of anything consists of all the essentials that can be predicated of that thing, as is taught in the following universal principle:

     "There exist general essentials of one thing, and also particular ones, and the latter together with the former make one, essence. The general essentials of one man are his soul, body, and operation, and that these make one essence may be seen from this that the one is from the other and for the sake of the other, in a continuous series; for the man begins from the soul, which is the very essence of the seed; this not only initiates but also produces in their order the things which are of the body, and afterwards the operations.

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Wherefore, from the production of the one from the other, and the consequent engrafting and conjunction, it is evident that these three are of one essence, and therefore they are called the three essentials." T. 166.

     Human essence, therefore, consists of three successive essentials-soul, body, and operations,-which together constitute one man; in the image and likeness of the Divine Essence, which consists of the three Divine Essentials of Esse, Existere, and Proceeding, which in their Divine Trinity constitute the one God.

     To speak or to think of three Divine Essences is therefore as absurd as to speak or think of three Divine Trinities. It was Athanasius that taught three equal Divine Essences; and it was Arius that taught three successive or subordinate Essences. In either case there is the idea of three Divine Persons, or three Gods.

     Let the man of the New Church, therefore, beware of admitting for one moment the idea of any second or third Divine Essence, whether in successive or simultaneous order. There is but one Divine Essence.

     7. That the Divine Human,-though in itself one and the same with the Divine Esse,-nevertheless, in its relation to men, i. e. in relation to Heaven and the Church, is the Divine Existere from the Divine Esse.

     "The Divine Existere is also the Divine Esse; it is called 'Existere' [standing forth] in relation to Heaven, where it is the all in all things." E. 972.

     "The Most Ancient Church adored the infinite Existere and from that the infinite Esse; and as they could have no perception of the infinite Esse, but could have some perception of the infinite Existere therefrom, they adored the infinite Existere in which is the infinite Esse. They perceived the infinite Existere, in which is the infinite Esse, as a Divine Man. . . .When the Celestial Church began to fall, they foresaw that the infinite Existere could no longer have an influx into the minds of men, and that thus the human race would perish, and therefore they had a revelation that One would be born who would make the human in Himself Divine, and thus would become the very infinite Existere such as it was before, and yet be one with the infinite Esse, as also before." A. 4687.

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     "The Divine Human from eternity was the Divine Truth in heaven, thus the Divine Existere, which afterwards in the Lord became Divine Esse, from which is the Divine Existere in heaven." N. J. 305; refs.

     "The Divine Esse cannot communicate itself to any one except through the Divine Existere that is, the Divine itself cannot communicate itself except through the Divine Human." A. 6880.

     "As to the Divine itself the Lord is Divine Esse, and as to the Divine Human He is the Divine Existere." A. C. 4729.

     "The Divine itself was the Esse of the Lord's life, from which the Human afterwards went forth and became the Existere from that Esse." N. J. 298, refs.

     "The Divine which makes heaven is the Divine Human, which is the Divine Existere from the Divine Esse." E. 25, 69:2, 1111.

     "The Divine Soul of God-Man is what is meant by the Divine Esse; and the Divine Body is what is meant by the Divine Existere." W. 14.

     8. That the Divine Human as the Divine Existere is the Divine Itself standing forth in a Human Form accommodated to finite vision and comprehension.

     "The Esse of the Lord's life was the Divine itself, for He was conceived of Jehovah, and the esse of the life of everyone is from him from whom he was conceived. The existere of life from that esse is the human in form." A. 10738.

     "All who lived in ancient times and worshiped the Divine, in thought saw the Divine under a Human form, and the Divine under a human form was even then the Divine Human." E. 148:3, 151:3; A. C. 9315, 10579.

     "This was the Divine Human of Jehovah before the Advent of the Lord. The Human of the Lord, when made Divine, is the same; for the Lord is Jehovah Himself in the Divine Human." A. 6831.

     "The Lord was no longer Jehovah under the form of an angel, but was Jehovah the Man." A. 9315:5.

     "The Human of the Lord, after it was glorified, cannot be conceived of as human, but as Divine Love in the human form." A. 4735.

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     "The Divine Human is the Divine itself in face, that is, in form, as the Lord teaches in John 14:7-11." A. 9306.

     "All who acknowledge God under the human form are accepted by the Lord, and are led; the rest cannot be led, for they think without a shape, thus of nature." A. 10377.

     "Thus the Lord as to the Divine Human is Jehovah, who is seen, and thus is the face of Jehovah." A. 10579:2.

     "The Divine under a human form is the Divine Human of the Lord." E. 148:2, 151:2, 392:4, 696:5; A. 9398, 9818, 10205.

     "He is the Only, the Very, and the First Substance and Form. And this Form is the Human Form." T. C. R. 20.

     "The Divine and the Human are united as the essence with its form." T. 139.

     "Our faith is in the Lord God the Savior, whose. Human is Divine, and whose Divine is Human; thus accommodated to reception." T. 137:7.

     9. That the Divine Human, being the Divine Esse and the Divine Existere, is also the Divine Proceeding.

     "The Divine Itself does not appear to any man, not even to angels, except through the Divine Human; nor the Divine Human except through the Divine Truth which proceeds from Him." A. 6945, 6880, 10579, 10177.

     "The Divine which is called the Holy Spirit is the Divine Proceeding from the Divine Esse and the Divine Existere. This trine is the Lord in heaven." E. 1111.

     "That which proceeds is of him from whom it proceeds, nay, it is himself; and therefore the Divine Truth is the Lord in heaven." E. 797.

     "The precepts of God are God, for He is Himself His own proceeding." P. 326.

     "There is no other Divine that proceeds from the Lord than the Divine which is Himself." D. LORD, 46.

     "The things which proceed from Him not only are His, but are Himself." E. 25; A. 8864, 7200.

     "The Lord is the Divine Truth which is from Him; for the Divine Truth which is from the Lord is the Lord Himself in heaven and the church." A. 9406.

     (To be continued.)

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     The NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY for July gives notice that "the first person appealed to by the Basuto native Ministers was Mr. E. R. Ford, of Capetown, and that, through Mr. Ford, the Rev. L. A. Slight, (the then Secretary of the Foreign and Colonial Missions), was in touch with the movement for at least a year before the commencement of the history given in NEW CHURCH LIFE."


     The Philadelphia LEDGER of June 20 contained the following from a correspondent: "One of your recent inquirers asked the meaning of several names, including Bryn Athyn. You answered all except Bryn Athyn. The writer was recently a guest at Bryn Athyn, spending a day there looking over the new buildings, the university building and its fine library of about 25,000 volumes, many of them belonging to Swedenborg. Also the new $2,000,000 Cathedral Church, and came in contact with the architect and some of the staff; also with John Pitcairn, the millionaire philanthropist, at his home, 'Cairnwood.' From these sources he learned the meaning of the name 'Bryn Athyn'-it is, 'The Hill of Cohesion,' sometimes 'The Stone of Solidity.' "

     The latter explanation of the name of Bryn Athyn will be new to Bryn Athynites. Like the cost of the Church building, as here stated, we believe it to be "greatly exaggerated."


     The Rev. E. E. Iungerich, in the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY for July, returns to the consideration of "Sexes in Plants," his present hypothesis being that there are "female structures, but no female soul, in plants." Referring to his previous paper on this subject, where he had stated that in the Writings the organic structures are only mentioned "incidentally, as illustrative of this theme, and often ambiguously," Mr. Iungerich explains that by "ambiguously" he means "no reflection on the purpose of the revelator, but with regard to the comprehension of the reader."

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     Speaking of the arguments of those who explain the [apparent] structural bi-sexuality in plants by the analogy of the marriage of the cerebrum and the cerebellum in the individual male animal,-Mr. Iungerich states that "this hypothesis was propounded originally by Miss Beekman." As a matter of fact, it was propounded by Swedenborg in the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
VISIT OF REV. JAMES F. BUSS TO SOUTH AFRICA. 1916

VISIT OF REV. JAMES F. BUSS TO SOUTH AFRICA.              1916

     At a special meeting of the Kensington Society, on! July 26th, attended also by ministers and members of the various New Church societies in London, the Rev. James F. Buss gave the following account of his recent visit to Durban and to the Rev. D. W. Mooki, (pronounced Moo-oc-kee), of Krugersdorp, Transvaal:

     "On reaching Durban I was met at the wharf by the wife and two of the children of my elder son, Wilfred, and also by seven or eight members of the Durban Society, including the present minister, Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal. On the Tuesday of the following week, the friends at Durban gave me a 'welcome social,' presided over by their Minister. I was deeply moved to get such a warm, loving reception, after an interval of nearly ten years, from young and old alike.

     "While in Durban, in carrying out the instructions of the Conference Foreign and Colonial Missions Committee, I twice met and conversed with the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal on the subject of the New Church movement among the South African natives. He has now twice visited the native ministers in Basutoland,-who have now sought and obtained recognition from 'The General Church,' at Bryn Athyn-but had had no communication of any sort with those in the Transvaal; in which Province, at Krugersdorp, lives the native minister, the Rev. D. W. Mooki, with whom the whole movement originated, and who initiated the correspondence with the Conference.

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In these circumstances, I felt it would be wrong for me, as representing the General Conference, to try to obtain among persons standing in that relation to another body of the Church, a footing for the Conference; as they would inevitably draw the conclusion that there was some sectarian rivalry between me and Mr. Gyllenhaal. He had kept every such idea from them, limiting himself to the elementary teaching of the doctrine of the New Church and avoiding controversial matters. I felt, also, that it would be equally wrong for me not to visit Mr. Mooki and learn all that he could tell me about this remarkable, and in some way mysterious movement; and I accordingly did this, accompanied by my younger son, Leonard. But the circumstances were such that all I was able to do there was to have a two hours' interview with this native minister-a tall, upstanding man, simple yet intelligent, and in his way a scholar, knowing and speaking-English tolerably well, and also Cape Dutch, Sesuto, and Sechuana, the language of the Transvaal natives. Formerly an ordained priest of the Church of England, he had severed his connection with that body because of the New Church, and was working at that time with no ecclesiastical status or relations, doing what he could to bring his people into the New Church. I very pointedly asked him how he came to know about the New Church. He told me it was through reading THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, a copy of which he had casually bought several years ago. He was so profoundly impressed, especially with the Doctrine of the Second Coming and that of the New Jerusalem, that he could not rest until he had come into contact with the Church of the New Jerusalem, which he felt sure existed somewhere. He came across a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, who knew about the New Church, but who afterwards went back to the Dutch Reformed. He later, came into contact with a white man, whose name he could not remember, from whom, however, he had apparently obtained the address of the Conference and secured some New Church books from Manchester.

642


After a long conversation, I gave him some advice as to how he should proceed in teaching the doctrines in the various native congregations he had under his supervision. He has a church building of his own and a printing press. He issues printed certificates of admission to membership of 'The African Church of the New Jerusalem,' which I saw. He has similar quarterly tickets of membership, for those who pay up their subscriptions, which amount to 4S. 6d. a year. I gave him a copy of the Conference Liturgy, advising him as to how he could make use of it. He has joyfully and gratefully undertaken to do all in his power to further the cause of the New Church among his people; but he asks for some definite authorization from the Conference, so that he may obtain legal recognition as an accredited New Church teacher. I hope the Conference may be induced to giving this native minister the authorization he wants, so that the work may proceed unhindered. I am perfectly convinced that there is a good beginning. Mr. Mooki appears to heartily love the New Church and to sincerely wish to be of it.

     "During my stay in Durban, the friends there wished me to preach, and Mr. Gyllenhaal invited me to do so. I gladly accepted the invitation, and preached accordingly, on the morn in of 30th April. At the close of the service, one of the members took a photograph of a group consisting of those present at the service; and, at a later date, I was presented with an enlargement of this to bring home to my wife, as a memento of her many Durban friends."
NEW WORK BY MR. SPALDING 1916

NEW WORK BY MR. SPALDING              1916

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AS SEEN BY SWEDENBORG. By John Howard Spalding. 348 pp. Dent & Son, London, Paris and Toronto. 1916.

     An interesting contribution to the collateral literature of the New Church is offered to the public in the handsome volume just issued by the Dent Co. The author, Mr. J. H. Spalding, is prominent in the Swedenborg Society; his long and, active interest in the Doctrine of the New Church has been amply proved by his many publications and his frequent articles in the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY and other journals, both within and without the Church.

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     The book before us is in general to be classed among New Church "Apologetics." It aims to convince its readers of the philosophical plausibility of Swedenborg's teachings and thus to disarm deriding critics. This characteristic of the book is unique and commendable. It addresses itself to a small but important group of minds which are usually not approached, namely, those who are of a philosophical rather than religious bent. Although, to the average reader, the involved treatment might appear as a vague jumble of postulates, arguments, admissions and conclusions which leave him to wonder whether the various points are really proven, yet all would concede that the book is written very interestingly and, on the whole, in a good style.

     It contains a broad and suggestive elucidation of the general doctrines of the Church. In the first chapters emphasis is laid on the fact that because of Swedenborg's moral integrity and marvelous intellectual consistency, he must needs be regarded by outsiders as an unexplained phenomenon which weighs heavily on the developing "scientific conscience" of the learned world.

     After introducing the readers to Swedenborg's teachings concerning the spiritual world-a world which "is the connecting link between God and nature without which neither can be understood"-and devoting a chapter to reconcile the existence of evil and of hell with the omnipotence of the Divine Economy, the author proceeds to dwell on the inability of Science to explain the problems of our lives, and on the necessity of a First and Self-existing Cause, which he identifies with the Infinite God-Man. He then treats of creation, life, free will, the mind, regeneration, the Word, the spiritual sense, the Incarnation, and the Second Coming,-all in a typically philosophical style. But although we should like to give some idea of the author's interesting methods of developing these topics, we are constrained to confine ourselves to some other phases of the book.

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     The basis of the author's appeal is not the letter of the Word so much as philosophical arguments. He is particularly anxious to meet all the metaphysical difficulties and doubts that might arise, but, while this method might prove useful with some, it has the disadvantage of being likely to insinuate fresh doubts into other minds. The work does not seem to be intended as a missionary effort. No clear idea is given of what the New Church really is or of its distinctiveness. And it appears to contain no definite invitation to the New Church nor any adequate references to the wealth of spiritual riches that may be gained by the closer study of the New Revelation.

     But the most regrettable feature of the volume before us is shown in the position which the author takes in posing Swedenborg before his readers as an idealist,-a circumstance which renders the work useless of its apologetic purpose.

     Several of the arguments which are advanced in defense of the Doctrines are founded on the premise that "Swedenborg's doctrine of creation is essentially a spiritual monism," which involves the denial of the existence of space and matter as "extra-mental" entities.

     By this nothing else can be meant than that the material world does not actually exist outside of a man or independently of him, but exists only within his mind,-a figment of his thought; and this strange notion is not rendered any the less absurd by the author's continual naive insistence on a nominal distinction between the idea and the object, the identity of which he defends. Mr. Spalding's views were stated by him more fully in THE NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY (Jan., 1912), and gave rise to a prolonged discussion in the pages of that journal, which we commend for perusal. We confess to great astonishment in finding how such a stupendous paradox as Idealism can be thus hailed by a Newchurchman as a solution of any intellectual difficulty, for nothing would seem capable of breeding more problems and denials than just that conception.

     We can conceive of an idealistic reaction against a materialistic science which well nigh claims omniscience. From merely philosophical grounds one cannot "prove" the axiomatic existence of the natural world as an "extra-mental" entity; and it is therefore impossible only by the aid of cold logic alone to dissuade an unwilling mind of idealistic preconceptions.

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But in the New Church we have, happily, a true standard in the Divine doctrine which is most emphatic in declaring that a material world does exist outside of the human mind and independent of it,-a world the proper characteristics of which are fixed space and fixed time, and which can therefore serve as an "ultimate of order" for all spiritual things. This world was created and furnished before men or minds had ever sprung into existence. Indeed, although Mr. Spalding sees no need of postulating "two natural worlds,"-one inside the mind and one outside of it,-the Heavenly Doctrine frequently instructs us that the microcosm of the natural mind is the image of the macrocosm outside.

     The author frankly notes in the Appendix to his book that his views in this regard are not shared by the majority of the most competent students of Swedenborg; and he then adduces the three principal reasons which led him to his idealistic premise. The first of these reasons is that the Writings explicitly deny the infinity of space, which denial to Mr. Spalding seems to involve the denial of the existence of extra-mental space. His thought is that if any finite particle endowed with "intrinsic" space could be imagined, this would at once make the infinite round about it an infinite of space; but this reductio ad absurdum loses its force in face of the fact that the infinite is not continuous with the finite. If concentric spheres were imagined at any distance around this given spacial particle, the defined sphere, however extensive, would be-finite, a finite of space, and in no wise infinite.

     The second ground for his theory Mr. Spalding sees in the repeated warning that creation cannot be understood unless time and space be removed from the thought, from this he draws the conclusion that there is no "created" space outside of the mind. But the warning given by Swedenborg (D. L. W. 155, 156) clearly treats of the first act of creation or of the first finition from the Divine Proceeding.

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The study of the doctrinal statements referred to should remove the misunderstanding on which Mr. Spalding's argument is based.

     As a third and last reason the author quotes the following teachings, noting the apparent impossibility of harmonizing their import "except on the supposition that space and the objects which occupy space, even in the natural world, are mental creations." The teachings are:

The Divine is not in space.
The Divine cannot traverse space.
The Divine is in all spaces apart from space.
The Divine is totally present everywhere; therefore not in one place more than another.

     The argument seems very obscure as no difficulty is suggested to the mind, provided it be understood that the Divine is not continuous with its creation, but so discrete that there is no ratio between the finite and the infinite.

     In the NEW CHURCH QUARTERLY, 1912, p. 4, another general argument is added by Mr. Spalding in support of his theory. We wish to mention it here because it appears as an important factor in the author's system, although it is not directly expressed in his recent publication. He asks, in the place referred to, how God can "impart to His creation anything which He does not Himself possess. He Himself is utterly spaceless. How, then, can He create that, in which space intrinsically and essentially exists?" But Mr. Spalding seems to ignore the further consequence of his reasoning; if his premise were true, he would prove entirely too much, namely, that God, Who is entirely boundless or infinite, could not have created anything finite at all. The premise, however, is not true, as the author seems to understand it, for the finite and the spacial are not in themselves positive attributes in their relation to the infinite or the absolute. The partial and the less perfect come from the whole and the perfect, but the partiality and the imperfection do not come from the whole and the perfect. What is positive within the finite and the spacial exists infinitely in the absolute, or in God. A finite substance postulates a positive quality segregated to a smaller or greater extent from other positive qualities, while in the infinite all things are infinitely-though distinctly-one.

647


But the finite implies a negation of certain qualities by means of a determination towards definite uses of the finite worlds, and thus a limiting of the power and substance derived from the infinite. The limitations-and thus the finiteness and the spaciality-neither pre-exist in the infinite nor are derived from it, but are the by-products in the process of determination towards spiritual and natural uses.

     We do not admit that the plain statements and the general language of the Writings are capable of two opposed interpretations. The New Church doctrine of the cosmos is neither a material nor a spiritual monism. It is a "dualism;" and only in the terms of this dualism of active and passive, spiritual and natural, can the phenomenal world with its problems of freedom and consciousness be explained. The acknowledgment of the revealed truths that dead and spacial nature is the permanent and external reactive basis to all finite existence and that man is a vessel, receiving the influx of the Lord's life, can give us an insight into the wondrous universal laws of the Divine operation which acts from, first by ultimates for the upbuilding of intermediates. 'Without these truths we are not safe-guarded from the infesting philosophy that nature is mind, that mind is God and that man in himself is thus Divine. Progress in spiritual thought surely does not begin with denials of such general doctrines; nor is it sustained by reasonings about unknown or unknowable postulates, but by confirmations of the revealed teachings concerning natural and spiritual things.

     As Mr. Spalding himself observes, "no chain is stronger than its weakest link." The sprinkling of idealistic concepts among the arguments in his book would hence seem to defeat the purpose of an otherwise useful production.
     H. LJ. O.

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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ANNUAL MEETING OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, A CORPORATION 1916

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ANNUAL MEETING OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, A CORPORATION       Various       1916

     HELD AT BRYN ATHYN, PENNSYLVANIA, ON SATURDAY, JUNE 17TH, 1916, AT 3.00 P. M.

     (The Report of this meeting, published in the LIFE for Aug.-Sept., was unofficial, and was not written by the Secretary, Mr. Paul Carpenter.)

     The meeting was opened with prayer, and reading from the Word, by Bishop N. D. Pendleton.

     The meeting was thereupon called to order by the chairman, Mr. John Pitcairn, pursuant to an adjournment taken at the executive session on June 16th, 1916.

     The president of the corporation, Mr. John Pitcairn, and the secretary of the corporation, Mr. Paul Carpenter, acted, respectively, as chairman and secretary of the meeting.

     The secretary read the call for the meeting.

     The roll was called, and the following persons responded present in person:

John Pitcairn, Bryn Athyn, Pa.           J. E. Powers, Toronto, Can.
Paul Carpenter, Chicago, Ill.                Camille Vinet, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Paul Synnestvedt, Pittsburgh, Pa.           N. D. Pendleton, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Seymour G. Nelson, Glenview, Ill.           R. B. Caldwell, Jr., Coshocton, O.
Felix A. Boericke, Philadelphia, Pa.           F. E. Waelchli, Berlin, Ont.
Jacob Schoenberger, Pittsburgh, Pa.           Raymond G. Cranch, Phila., Pa.
Samuel S. Lindsay, Pittsburgh, Pa.           A. T. Maynard, Glenview, Ill.
Chas. E. Doering, Bryn Athyn, Pa.           Alfred Acton, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Robert Carswell, Toronto, Ont.           Edw. C. Bostock, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Walter C. Childs, New York, N. Y.           Chas. H. Ebert, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Alvin E. Nelson, Glenview, Ill.           Fred. J. Cooper, Philadelphia, Pa.
Raymond Pitcairn, Bryn Athyn, Pa.           E. E. Iungerich, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Alexander P. Lindsay, Chicago, Ill.           Henry Pecker, Toronto, Can.
Wm. Hyde Alden, Bryn Athyn, Pa.           Thos. Stark Harris, Abington, Mass.
William H. Junge, Glenview, Ill.           Geo. de Charms, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
E. R. Cronlund, Toronto, Can.           Hugo L. Odhner, Berlin, Ont.
Anton Sellner, New York, N. Y.           H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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     Among those non-members present were the following gentlemen, who, during the recess, signed the Roll of Membership:

S. Bradbury Hanlin, Middleport, O.           Eugene T. Cranch, Erie, Pa.
John Soderberg, Philadelphia, Pa.           Roy Wells, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Joseph S. David, Denver, Colo.           Charles G. Merrill, Cincinnati, O.
Wm. R. Cooper, Philadelphia, Pa.           Donald F. Rose, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
K. R. Alden, Bryn Athyn, Pa.           A. S. Pendleton, Valdosta, Ga.
A. Steiger, Bryn Athyn, Pa.                Theodore Pitcairn, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Alan Pendleton, Bryn Athyn, Pa.           Geoffrey S. Childs, New York, N. Y.

     whereupon the secretary stated:

Total number of members of the corporation                112
Total number of members answering the roll call in person           32
Total number of members answering by proxy                00
Total number of members represented at the meeting           32
Total number of members not represented at the meeting           80

     Whereupon the chairman declared the meeting legally convened, a quorum present, and the meeting open for business.

     The chairman thereupon stated that as the minutes of the last general meeting at which any action (other than adjournment) was taken had been published in NEW CHURCH LIFE for August and September, 1913, he would entertain a motion that a reading of the minutes be dispensed with.

     The reading of the minutes of the Annual Meeting, held in June, 1913 (and minutes of subsequent formal meetings), was thereupon, upon motion made, seconded, put to vote and unanimously carried and dispensed with, and such minutes as printed in NEW CHURCH LIFE for August and September, 1913, were adopted by this meeting.

     The secretary then read the report of the Executive Committee, and on motion duly made, seconded, put to vote and unanimously carried, it was resolved that the report of the Executive Committee be received and filed.

     The treasurer then read reports of (a) General Fund, (b) Extension Fund, (c) Pension Fund.

     (These Reports have been printed in NEW CHURCH LIFE for August-September, 1916.)

     The chairman thereupon appointed a committee consisting of Messrs. Raymond G. Cranch and Robert B. Caldwell, Jr., to audit the three reports of the treasurer with respect to the General Fund, the Extension Fund, and the Pension Fund, respectively, and to report the results thereof to the secretary of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, Mr. Paul Carpenter, who will record the same.

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     Mr. Walter C. Childs, treasurer of the Orphanage Fund, thereupon read the report of the Orphanage Fund.

     Whereupon the chairman stated: "You have heard the report of the treasurer of the Orphanage Fund, and the chairman will ask Mr. Anton Sellner to audit the report of the treasurer of the Orphanage Fund and report to the secretary of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, Mr. Paul Carpenter, who will record the same."

     Whereupon a recess was taken for the signing of the roll by those persons eligible and desirous of acquiring membership in the Corporation-The General Church of the New Jerusalem, the secretary first reading the by-laws relating to membership.

     On reconvening, on motion duly made, seconded, put to vote and unanimously carried, the meeting proceeded to take up the matter of Election of Members of the Executive Committee.

     The chairman called for nominations for membership in the Executive committee, and asked Mr. Paul Synnestvedt to make a statement in behalf of the Executive Committee.

     MR. PAUL SYNNESTVEDT then said as follows:

     I am asked to say a few words on the part of the Executive Committee. Since that body id entrusted with the conduct of the fiscal affairs of, the Church in the interim between general assemblies and therefore believes itself, as a body, to be acquainted with the major needs of the organization, viewed from the aspect of financial affairs and business and legal requirements, a suggestion of its views as to a possible constitution of the Executive Committee, which it believes will give a practical working organization.

     I therefore place in nomination the names of the following gentlemen to serve as members of the Executive Committee, to serve for the term of one year and until their successors are elected, viz.:

John Pitcairn                Raymond Pitcairn
Felix A. Boericke               Paul Synnestvedt
Paul Carpenter                Seymour G. Nelson
William H. Alden               Jacob Schoenberger
Edward C. Bostock               Anton Sellner
Hugh L. Burnham               Richard Roschman
Samuel S. Lindsay               Rudolph Roschman
Walter C. Childs               Edwin T. Asplundh
Robert Carswell                Randolph W. Childs

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     Messrs. John Pitcairn, Felix A. Boericke, Rev. William H. Alden, and Paul Carpenter are the present officers, respectively, the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary, whom it is believed desirable to continue in office under present circumstances. Aside from other considerations not necessary here to mention, Messrs. John Pitcairn, Felix A. Boericke, Rev. William H. Alden, Messrs. Paul Synnestvedt, Raymond Pitcairn, Edward C. Bostock, and Edwin Asplundh are residents of Bryn Athyn, and an election of a sufficient number of residents of Bryn Athyn is desired for the purpose of insuring the ready obtainment of quorums for the prompt dispatch of business at Bryn Athyn. The accessibility of Mr. Randolph Childs who resides in Philadelphia is but slightly less. Messrs. Walter C. Childs and Anton Sellner, of New York, similarly live but a short distance away. The election of Messrs. Schoenberger and Lindsay, of Pittsburgh; Mr. Carswell and the Messrs. Roschman, of Toronto, and adjacent points in Ontario, and Messrs. Nelson, Burnham and Carpenter, of Glenview, who likewise form groups, would aid in obtaining quorums when meetings of the Executive Committee are held at the times of the District Assemblies in the Pittsburgh, Ontario-and Chicago Districts, as part of the plan followed for keeping the Executive Committee in touch with outlying centers.

     It is, however, desired to lay emphasis on one point, and that is, that it is not desired in any way to abridge the freedom of this meeting, and it should be distinctly understood that other and additional nominations are in order.

     DR. BOERICKE: I would like to state I believe our secretary has made a list for the use of the members so that they can use this list, and then if there are any additional nominations, these additional nominations can be written underneath, and any member they do not wish to vote for can be crossed off.

     Mr. Charles E. Doering thereupon nominated Mr. Charles C. Merrill, duly seconded by Mr. E. E. Iungerich.

     Mr. R. G. Cranch thereupon nominated Mr. Knudsen, duly seconded.

     Mr. Gilbert H. Smith thereupon nominated Dr. Harvey Farrington.

     On motion duly made, seconded, put to vote and unanimously carried, the nominations were thereupon closed.

     MR. G. H. SMITH: Regardless of the election, I would like to ask how many are required for a quorum?

     THE CHAIRMAN: I would State that only five are required for a quorum, but it is very desirable to have a large number.

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On account of a small number meeting to transact important business, we of necessity made that five. For reasons mentioned by Mr. Synnestvedt, it is very desirable that the meetings of the Executive Committee should be larger, a more representative number, not limited as we have been obliged to limit them in view of not being able to get together in the past.

     MR. PAUL CARPENTER: Speaking now unofficially and for myself personally, and on the general proposition only for certain members unable at the moment to address this point, I deem it proper to say that I hopefully look forward to the time, in the very near future, I trust, when it may, without crippling any use in the General Church, be composed exclusively of laymen. This is not a personal matter, but one of principle, and relates to order. The present treasurer, Mr. Alden, is a most efficient executive, and a perfect drudge for taking on and dispatching all kinds of business-no person appreciates his work more than I do. I am informed, and do not question, that we need his services at this time.

     On the other hand, it is my conviction that the overlapping between clerical and lay uses is a disorder in the Church, and that it should be recognized as such. As a matter of principle there should be a clear and distinct line of demarcation between the clerical and lay uses-between the clerical and lay houses-between the Council of the Clergy and the Executive Committee. Members of each house unquestionably have their own peculiar kind of illustration, and from experience I say frankly I do not think they mix when it comes to the point of discharging business affairs. A distinct line of physical demarcation between the membership of the two houses does not mean an actual separation, much less a conflict, but, on the other hand, under our order, makes possible a freedom to each in considering and disposing of, affairs coming before it that I believe impossible in the presence of those having a common membership. Such presence, among gentlemen, naturally serves to restrain free discussion, or at least to impose modulation of expression. It has been suggested that for one or two persons to have a common membership in both houses improves communication. If this be true, the obvious answer to my mini is that it is a disorderly communication. The orderly expression of opinion or decision on the part of the Council of the Clergy would come from the Bishop, or one delegated by him, and from the Council of the Laity (the Executive Committee), from the chairman or one delegated by him-not from a volunteer or one not specially charged by the head of his house, and representing at best either his own views or his own idea of the consensus of opinion. Examples of what I have in mind will readily occur to those here present.

     That in the preservation and maintenance of such a line of distinction between the two Houses, the Clergy have nothing to fear in the way of any attempt at lay domination, must be conceded in view of the transactions in connection with the choice of a bishop for the General Church.

653


The Clergy of the General Church can rely upon the Laity upholding their hands. There is a second angle to the emplacement of priests on the Executive Committee that is worthy of consideration-it withholds from the Committee the continued benefit of practical advice of active laymen, experienced in .the world of affairs. It is easy for those lacking broad practical experience to suggest an enlargement of the Executive Committee to care for such cases, but it is recognized generally that such bodies should be relatively small in order to be efficient. One case in point is that of Mr. Charles G. Merrell, of Cincinnati. Passing any specific reference to his qualities as a Newchurchman, and as a man of heart and understanding (which may be taken for granted), he has a schooled and trained mind, an education both cultural and scientific-more than ordinary in its scope, a broad business experience, and a knowledge of social and political life in their best senses. The Church needs the benefit of the council of such men, of more and more of such men, and as the work in our body grows, the urgent needs of the work will demand it, if the work is to prosper. During these meetings the government of the Church has come into the hands of a new regime, more work has to be cared for, and the Church requires the efforts of the best men it can get to do it. One such a man is Mr. Merrell, and I would like to see him on the Executive Committee.

     THE CHAIRMAN, MR. JOHN PITCAIRN: Any further remarks? I think we are all of one mind in regard to the remarks made by the secretary in regard to the desirability and importance of having this body constituted of laymen. There is a saying that there are exceptions to all rules, and in this case that is the treasurer. The treasurer is a lay office, and if the General Church had sufficient funds to have a layman as treasurer, it would be desirable, but as a practical question, it is not expedient to employ and pay a layman as treasurer, therefore we have made, not only in our body, the General Church of the New Jerusalem, but in the Academy, an exception to the Treasurer, and he, ex-officio, has been a member of our body. I would like you to take that into consideration in acting upon this question. There is no doubt that the time will come in the future, it may be quite distant future, that we can afford to have a layman and pay a layman, but for the present it does not seem to be practicable. It is desirable that the treasurer should be a member of the Executive Committee.

     DR. BOERICKE: The question arose whether the treasurer must be a member of the Executive Committee, or whether an outsider could be appointed.

     THE CHAIRMAN: In all financial matters the treasurer is the most important office. He handles the funds, and is manifestly a lay official, and we have so regarded him, though he is ordained, he acts in the capacity of a layman when he comes with the Executive Committee.

654




     DR. BOERICKE: Put the question arose whether our organization demands that the treasurer should be a member of the Executive Committee.

     THE CHAIRMAN: I do not know that it does, but good business demands it.

     MR. E. E. IUNGERICH: Is the treasurer of the corporation also the treasurer of the General Church?

     THE CHAIRMAN: There is one office-the same office.

     MR. CHARLES E. DOERING: The General Church, un-incorporated, turned all its business over to the General Church incorporated. Its treasurer and other officers went out of existence when the General Church, un-incorporated, placed all its business in the hands of the General Church incorporated.

     The meeting thereupon proceeded to the balloting upon nominations for the Executive Committee, and the chairman appointed Messrs. C. H. Ebert and C. R. Pendleton, as tellers and judges of election.

     The tellers thereupon submitted their report, and the secretary read such report as follows: "The following persons have received a plurality of the votes cast, each receiving the number of votes below set opposite his name," and were duly elected as members of the Executive Committee:

45 John Pitcairn               45 Richard Roschman
44 Felix A. Boericke               42 Rudolph Roschman
44 Paul Carpenter               45 Jacob Schoenberger
43 Edward C. Bostock           44 Anton Sellner
44 Robert Carswell               45 Paul Synnestvedt
45 Walter C. Childs               44 Rev. William H. Alden
45 Samuel S. Lindsay           40 Edwin T. Asplundh
45 Seymour G. Nelson           40 Randolph W. Childs
44 Raymond Pitcairn               36 Charles G. Merrell

and that Hugh L. Burnham had received 21 votes, Knud Knudsen 8 votes, and Harvey Farrington I vote, and had failed of election.

     THE CHAIRMAN: The eighteen gentlemen first named are duly elected members of the Executive Committee to serve for one year and until their successors are elected. We meet every three years, and though the by-laws require their election for but one year, the members will continue until their successors are elected. Therefore, the eighteen gentlemen first named are declared as duly elected for the ensuing year.

     During the balloting Mr. E. C. Bostock, treasurer of the Academy of the New Church, read the report of the treasurer of the Academy of the New Church.

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     It was thereupon moved that when the meeting adjourn, it adjourn at the call of the president until the close of the present assembly, and if no meeting be called before that time, it adjourn sine die.

     It was thereupon, on motion duly made, put to vote and carried unanimously:

     RESOLVED, That the matter of Mr. A. E. Nelson's offer to bear the expense of securing data for study of the cost of carrying on the uses of the General Church and particular societies thereof, be referred to the Executive Committee.
     Adjourned per resolution.
          Per Me, PAUL CARPENTER,
               Secretary.
FELIX A. BOERICKE, Chairman.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. The burial service of Mr. John Pitcairn was held at 4:30 on Monday afternoon, July 24, in the Bryn Athyn burial grounds, which is becoming a spot filled with hallowed memories. The service was most impressive, conducted by Bishop N. D. Pendleton. The Bishop's remarks were on the spiritual world, and the certainty of the life beyond, and were an inspiration to all who heard it.

     The pall-bearers were: Mr. Pitcairn's three sons, Mr. Walter C. Childs, Prof. Carl Th. Odhner and Mr. Clarence Brown. When the grave had been filled it was adorned with beautiful flowers, as a last tribute to this great man who was beloved by all that knew him.

     A church memorial service was held on the Sunday evening following his death, at which Bishop N. D. Pendleton delivered a memorial address, or a tribute from the whole Church to the memory of Mr. Pitcairn.

     A memorial meeting at which friends testified to the love and affection, as well as appreciation for what Mr. Pitcairn had done for the Church, took place in the Auditorium July 24th. The meeting was full of affection and sadness at the loss of our great benefactor.

     The summer weather has been very conducive to church building, and our young Cathedral has been pushing forward with rapid strides, under the constant supervision of Mr. Raymond Pitcairn. In fact, Church building has been Bryn Athyn's principle summer activity. The old town has been really resting, but now it is beginning to bustle again with the stir and the rumor of the biggest school that we have ever had. On account of the infantile paralysis scare, the Pennsylvania health officer, our old friend, Mr. Dixon, has issued, orders for no school with children under sixteen to open before October 2, so that it seemed best not to commence school until that date.

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     NEW CHURCH MISSIONARY TOUR. The summer missionary tour has come to an end. The editor informs us that there is not room in the present issue of LIFE for a full account of our work we will, therefore, give a brief resume, to be followed later by a more detailed account.

     On our trips we visited Quakertown, Stroudsburg, Binghamton, Hammondsport, Bath, Newtown, Hatboro, Jenkintown, Bristol, Scranton, and Allentown. Most of the time was spent in the two last mentioned places.

     We gave 66 street talks to, we estimate, a total of at least 6,000 people, and 16 hall talks to 259 people. Often we both gave talks the same evening. We held 4 Sunday services. We distributed 15,000 circulars and 500 pamphlets; and 100 copies of the Writings. We sold 100 books of collateral literature and 583 copies of the Writings. N. C. M. T.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA. The activities of the church year were fittingly brought to a close by a banquet given in our new church building, under the auspices of the Advent Club and the Theta Epsilon. After the repast all joined in a lively discussion of the subject, How to provide education for our children. This question is one of vital importance to our society and we hope to see fruits of this meeting in the near future.

     The doctrinal classes, Sunday School, and meetings of the other organizations, have been suspended during the summer, the Sunday services alone being continued during the hot season.
     F. A. D. S.
     
     GLENVIEW, ILL. During the summer, so far, there has been very little in the way of social events in Glenview; it is probably a period of quiescence, a time of incubation before the awakening to new activities in the more splendid environment of the new buildings. Already we have had an experience of that felicity. The last Friday supper of the season was held in the Assembly Room, and the occasion was noted by a few spontaneous addresses. After the departure of the worthies to the General Assembly in Bryn Athyn, the survivors in Glenview celebrated the Nineteenth of June by a banquet in the same room.

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Mr. Sydney Lee was at the helm as toastmaster and arranged the toasts on much the same lines as those of the Bryn Athyn affair of the same date. The superiority of our celebration was distinctly noticed by those who could not attend the banquet in the East. Over one hundred took part in the joyous event.

     The Fourth of July was celebrated with a vim but without fireworks. In the morning the tallest man in the Park started a procession; as he passed each house, the dwellers therein, who felt well disposed towards parades, joined in with flags and enthusiasm. A drum and a fife added spirit to the step. This was followed by a basket picnic. Many visitors were present from the Sharon and Chicago churches. In the afternoon athletic games were instituted, under the auspices of a starter, a handicapper and a prize distributer. The events were mostly races of various kinds, beginning with kindergarten tots just able to run and gradually extending through the school to the uppermost class. The Theta Alpha ladies had an exciting race, as also had the Steinfesters.

     We are now looking forward to the dedication of our new church building. We have been gratified by a number of pleasant visitors here during the recent weeks: Miss Vida and Miss Amy Doering, Miss Margaret Bostock, Mr. Frank Bostock and Miss Carita Pendleton have added to bur own enjoyment of the summer. Last week there was a Fete Champetre at the McQueens for the distinctively and undoubtedly young people. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Junge acted as hostesses at an open air, bon-fire, lantern-lighted, deal-tabled supper, which was very enjoyable. After the formal inauguration, there was desultory eating until ten or later, also games, such as old people delight to romp in, in the open air. This was for all kinds, the merry old people and the serious younglings.

     A note of tragedy and of increased solemnity has been added to our year by the sudden accidental death of Charles Francis Browne, Jr. The funeral services took place on August 9th in the church building and was attended by New Church friends and also by a notable gathering of literary and artistic friends of his father. K.

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     COVERT, MICH. The little New Church meeting house, at Covert Resort, is becoming quite a missionary center. During the first few weeks we had no minister, either of Convention or the General Church, but Mr. Seymour Nelson proved a very efficient understudy for one. Later the Rev. John Stockwell, the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt and the Rev. W. L. Gladish successively have held services and classes.

     Many New Church people who are thoughtful and intelligent readers of the Writings, but who have not the benefit of the thorough doctrinal instruction given in the General Church, have spoken with feeling of the fine sermons and addresses which they have enjoyed here.

     New summer homes of New Church people are being established here every year, both at Palisades Park and Covert Resort, and the hotel forms an abiding place for others who come for a short time, so that the attendance at church sometimes reaches eighty, and is seldom below fifty.

     The sad death of Charlie Browne, (the only child of Mr. Charles F. Browne, of Chicago), made a profound impress on all, and was the occasion for a fine, instructive address by Mr. Synnestvedt, at a memorial service. Charlie was with us on Friday in all his joyous youth, laughing and dancing with the young people at the Friday Supper. On the following Sunday he was dead, owing to an accident while diving. Young and old were deeply touched by the passing of his young life from our midst to the world of greater usefulness and happiness. E. V. W.

     MR. BOWBRS' MISSIONARY WORK. During the spring trip on my circuit, in Ontario and in four States, our New Church people in twenty-four places were visited. Members of the General Church of the New Jerusalem were visited in eighteen places. The receivers of the Doctrines, who are favorable to the General Church, in six places, were visited. Services were held at the homes of the people on eight Sundays; and on four of them the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered. Three children were baptized. One marriage ceremony was performed. Three places could not be visited on this trip on account of illness at the homes.

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     On Sunday, May 14th, I delivered the sermon for the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, at the Church in Pittsburgh. On Sunday, June 11th, I also preached for Bishop W. F. Pendleton, in the Chapel at Bryn Athyn.

     Of the places on my circuit, the largest circle is in Erie, Pa., for which our Visiting Pastor, the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, is now also preaching acceptably four or five times a year.

     Mention of what was done at all the places on this itinerary would require too much space, and it is with regret that only a summary statement is given. But a few things shall be said concerning Philipsburg, Center Co., Pa. My first visit to the town was in 1880. The Rev. W. H. Benade had prior to that, made a few visits to two or three families of New Church people in the place. But only one family has been there for many years. And the only members of the family who now remain in this world are Miss Sarah C. Schultz and a brother, Mr. F. W. A. Shultz, both of whom are well advanced in age. In their home is a large library and, being diligent readers, they have, in course of the journey of life, also made progress in a knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrines, and thereby in states of spiritual intelligence.

     For many years, during my stay with our friends, we have had meetings on a Sunday, at 11 A. M. The number present has usually been about fifteen. This last time, on Sunday, May 28th, there were nineteen attentive hearers, most of whom had often been at our meetings on former occasions. The sermon was an unwritten discourse. Subject: The Way of Salvation. From decidedly favorable comments made by several of those present, it seemed that there was, in the minds of some, an appreciation of the Doctrine taught. J. E. BOWERS.

     TORONTO, ONT. On Saturday, July 22, we received the sad news that Mr. John Pitcairn had passed away that morning; the following evening, July 23, Mr. Cronlund held a memorial meeting in the church.

     Mr. Cronlund delivered a short address and asked several members to respond to toasts.

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In that way we briefly reviewed the life of Mr. Pitcairn as a Newchurchman, from the time of his boyhood in Pittsburgh till the time of his passing away in Bryn Athyn.

     One of the speakers impressed us with the fact that, in each action of our lives, we are building a house in the other world in which we shall live to eternity. Another reminded us of the gratitude we should feel towards this founder of the Academy whose courage and zeal in troublous times have made it possible for us now to worship in a body where we acknowledge the Divinity of the Writings.

     Mr. Pitcairn will be an example to us for all time in loyalty to the Church, and in enthusiasm and generosity.

     He was always a welcome visitor at our Local Assemblies in Toronto, for, besides his benignant personality, his intimate contact with so many societies in the church made him an interesting speaker on such occasions and we shall sincerely miss him.

     The meeting closed with the singing of "To Our Friends at Cairnwood" and Mr. Cronlund was requested to send a message of sympathy from our society to the friends at Cairnwood. B. S.

     LONDON. Since January we have been following the usual routine of fortnightly services. Mr. Conrad and Miss Clarice Howard arrived safely from Bryn Athyn in April and we were glad to see our old members rejoining their home circle, though military duties may take them away again at any time.

     The celebration of New Church Day, on Sunday afternoon, June 11th, proved to be one of the happiest gatherings we have had for some time. Local necessities caused us to be a week in advance of the calendar, and we repeated the arrangement followed on the occasion of Swedenborg's Birthday Celebration by having service at 4 p. m., followed by tea and the evening's program.

     The service was fuller than usual, as it included the baptism of Mr. and Mrs. Boozer's second son, John Appleton, a little ceremony, which was a peaceful reminder of the essential purpose of the New Church faith and life.

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     After an hour's tea and social converse the Rev. A. Czerny opened the evening's mental feast by an address which dwelt on the truth that a new state had to be prepared both in the heavens and in the world before the final Revelation could be given. This introduced the following series of five papers, the subjects and writers being arranged as under:-

     1. The Gospel of the Second Coming is more universal than former Revelations and is adapted to all states and nations. (Mr. D. Elphick.)

     2. Former Revelations were not adapted to all nations like the present one. (Mr. Rose.)

     3. The reasons why the former churches could not endure, namely, they lacked clearness and were not adapted to all the inhabitants of the earth. (Mr. Howard.)

     4. The decline and fall of the former churches foreseen and permitted. (Mr. Anderson.)

     5. The New Church to become heir of all the spiritual riches of past ages. (Mr. Waters.)

     Since each contributor yielded to the charm of conciseness, ample time remained for the exchanging of ideas in extempore. The subject matter related to "Nature and her relationship to the Word," "Correspondences," and "The Acceptance of the Doctrines by the Gentiles."

     Mr. Pryke, our visitor from Northampton, added some interesting thoughts on the Church and the War, which beautifully led up to the concluding toast of the evening, "The men at the Front," which was proposed by Mr. Waters. In response to this the hymn lately written by Mr. John Oxenham and sung to the tune "Melita" (No. 60, General Church Liturgy) very fittingly expressed those affections which a nation owes to her sons "who fearless face their country's foes."

     On Sunday, the 18th, the Metropolitan District New Church Union held its New Church Day Festival Service at Flodden Road Church (Camberwell Society of the English Conference). Several of our friends were able to visit this annual gathering; and it is encouraging to see the memorable year of 1770 gaining much wider recognition among New Church circles in London.

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At this gathering also, we may add, the impressive hymn "Melita" was sung "For the Men at the Front." F. W. E.

     PARIS, FRANCE. As in former years the French Society of the General Church wished to celebrate this year also, the 19th of June, deciding that more than ever we ought to show by our acts that we wished to be conjoined to the Lord.

     The meeting was held at St. Cloud, at the home of Pastor Hussenet, on Sunday, June 18th, at 3 p. m. Special services for the day were held with the most reverential spirit. Afterwards a luncheon was served to all who were present.

     In spite of the terrible events we are living through, joy reigned among us, though our thoughts went out to the absent members of the Society, to those who were having the great but terrible honor of defending their country. Our thoughts also went out across the sea to our brothers and sisters at Bryn Athyn.

     Toasts were drunk to the Church, to our Bishop Pendleton whom we revere, to our great friend, Mr. Pitcairn, to whom we wished a speedy recovery. Our meeting lasted until eight p. m. and we parted expressing the sentiment that several reunions like this one would be most profitable to the Church in France. Those present include the following names: Mr. and Mrs. Duc and two daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Lesieur and grandson, Mrs. Lucas and two sons, Mr. and Mrs. Hussenet and three children, Miss Gabrielle Pothin-Labarre, Mr. Hepburn, Mrs. Strutz, Miss Elise Scarano, Mr. Routier. Several other members were unavoidably prevented from attending. F. HUSSENET, Pastor.

     BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. The Bishop of the General Church has received the following report of the work of the Rev. E. Deltenre, through Mr. G. Barger, of The Hague.

     "As soon as I shall be able to correspond normally I will make a statistical and detailed report respecting the activity of our Mission for the past ecclesiastical year.

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Meanwhile, having to limit my correspondence to one page in writing, I can only submit the following general points:

     1. No obstacles have been put in the way of free worship. Services have been held regularly. Notwithstanding the absence of advertisements the attendance has been larger than in former years.

     2. Two adult converts have been baptized. The Holy Supper has been administered every Sunday to from 2 to 9 communicants.

     3. Classes in the theological course were started again with six pupils. No public lectures have been held.

     4. From May 15th, 1915 to May 15, 1916, one hundred and twenty-four volumes were borrowed from the library for home reading.

     5. No advertising has been done, but a small liturgy has been published, and also a tract describing the decoration of the chapel, which has drawn the attention of some of the official, learned and literary people.

     With best wishes for your Assembly, respectfully, and always with you in spirit. E. DELTENRE.

     FROM OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

     UNITED STATES, The Rev. George S. Wheeler died at Albany, N. Y., on July 24th, at the age of 59 years. Mr. Wheeler had served as pastor, successively, to the New Church societies in Fall River, Bridgewater, Providence, Waltham, Bridgewater and Brockton.

     The Rev. William Diehl died at Brooklyn, N. Y., on July 16th, at the age of 83 years. For nearly thirty years he had been the pastor of the First German New Church Society in Brooklyn, which he himself organized, and provided with a church building. Mr. Diehl was active also in the German New Church "Mission Verein" in this country.

     Miss Frances Eckstein died at Glendale, near Cincinnati, O., on August 5th, at the remarkable age of one hundred and one years. She was born at Philadelphia, October 28th, 1815, and was the daughter of Mr. John Eckstein, a famous German sculptor, who was one of the founders of the New Church in Philadelphia.

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     The Rev. Warren Goddard has resigned from the pastorate of the society in La Forte, Ind., and has removed to Urbana, O., where he will be connected with the Urbana University.

     In Salt Lake City, Utah, a group of students of religious subjects has been meeting regularly for some time and studying Swedenborg under the leadership of a lady who has long been a student of Swedenborg. The class of a dozen or more, including ladies and gentlemen, has been studying DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, HEAVEN AND HELL, THE FOUR LEADING DOCTRINES and DIVINE PROVIDENCE. No one of the members of the class is avowedly of the New Church, and the interest of the class is so far independent of the New Church organization, being rather philosophic than religious.

     The Rev. L. Eric Wethey has been elected pastor of the (Convention) New Church society in Kitchner, (Berlin), Ontario, Canada.

     The Rev. Thomas French has accepted a call to the pulpit of the O'Farrell Street Church, San Francisco, in succession to the Rev. J. S. David, who, at present, resides at Denver, Colo.

     The "missionary spirit" was strongly in evidence at the recent meeting of the General Convention in Chicago, and especially a new interest in evangelization among the Gentiles. The Board of Missions "now has three men exclusively in its employ, Rev. Messrs. J. B. Spiers, Axel Lundeberg and G. Gordon Pulsford. In addition, it contributes to the work of a number of others, Rev. Messrs. J. R. Stewart, F. L. Higgins, G. L. Allbutt, A. L. Goerwitz, C. J. N. Manby, S. Chr. Bronniche. Assistance has been rendered in Bohemia, Spain, India, Nova Scotia and South America, and various special efforts have been undertaken where the field looked favorable. The work has been limited chiefly by lack of financial resources and partly by deficiency of effective missionaries."

     Among the new plans at present under advisement are steps toward specific work in the Philippines, in India and South America, and possibly in China. An effort is to be made to get into touch also with students from foreign countries now studying in American universities, and interest them in the teachings of the New Church.

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Several plans for reaching out into untried fields in this country are being considered favorably by the Board, subject, of course, to the necessary increase of the income of the Board. To this end, steps have been taken looking to the establishment of a more systematic method of securing regular contributions from the various societies of the Convention, and more especially from as many individuals as possible, whether in small or large amount.

     "The prospects for another prosperous year at Urbana are very bright. During the year lust passed we have been able, through the interests of our friends, to put in about fifteen thousand dollars' worth of much-needed improvement for the buildings. We have now, thanks to Mr. Smyth and others, a handsome and modern-looking plant, which is well heated, well ventilated and well lighted; altogether a comfortable place for a student to live and work in.

     "The Trustees took a long step forward again this year, when they decided to employ one extra teacher more than we have ever had before. We shall, next year, have a Faculty of six, in addition to the two Matrons, giving us a working force of eight people. The extra teacher will have the Mathematics which has hitherto been taught by the Chemistry and Physics teacher.

     "We shall soon be able to publish a list of our Faculty, and at present are glad to announce the engagement of the Rev. Warren Goddard and Mr. Louis A. Dole as teachers, and Miss Alice Sturges as the new Matron for the girls' Dormitory. Our June Commencement this year was memorable from the fact that we were able to grant the A. B. degree to one who goes from us now to the New Church Theological School at Cambridge, Mr. John Worcester Spiers." (MESSENGER, June 21.)

     INDIA. The General Conference of the New Church in Great Britain, at the recent annual session held in Manchester, in June last, authorized the appointment, for at least one year, of one of its ministers for missionary work in India, to act in co-operation with the Hindi Swedenborg Society. Subscriptions amounting to more than $1,250 were at the same time secured.

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     Mr. H. N. Morris, in proposing the resolution respecting India, stated among other things that "there is a great and wide-spread movement which goes by the name of the 'New Dispensation in India,' which seems to be predisposed to the New Church Doctrines and to have already absorbed some of the teachings. One of the leaders of this movement, not only one of the leaders, but the Principal of one of the largest Educational Institutions in the Punjab, told me that, if we would send a Missionary to that district, he would take the chair he would provide the hall, he would find the audience, he would give every assistance in his power to make known the teachings of Swedenborg in India. I had a most interesting discussion with him upon many of the fundamental teachings of the New Church.

     "There may appear to some of you to be a difficulty about the language. I can assure you of this that all the educated natives in India speak English, and they are the ones who need training and they will do the missionary work amongst their brethren. You have to remember that there are over 300 million people there, and it seems to me they are eager for the teachings of the New Church.

     "There is also a native missionary there, who speaks English, who has been working for the Church Missionary Society, who is discontented with the Church he represents, who is a student of the teachings of Swedenborg, and whose great desire is to devote his life to the spreading of New Church truths in India. This man would be a valuable assistant to anyone sent out from England.

     "I would also appeal to you in this way, that I feel a special responsibility, as I told them I felt certain that the Church in England would help them, if they would delay taking any action. I feel responsible to them for seeing that that assurance is fulfilled. Besides, India is a British Colony, and it is only right and proper that help should be extended to them from this country."

     Mr. Morris also stated that "some of those in India, who are already readers of the Doctrines, are amongst the most wealthy Parsees, who might feel induced to contribute" towards the support of a New Church missionary in India.

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     From the most recent issue of the N. C. WEEKLY we learn that the Rev. S. J. C. Goldsack, the pastor of the South Glasgow Society, has accepted the call to India, and sailed for his distant field on September 15th,-the first missionary to the Gentiles' in the history of the New Church.

     In the NEW CHURCH WEEKLY for July 22d Mr. H. N. Morris publishes the following letter from Prof. Bhatt:

     Bhavnagar, 24th June, 1916.
     "DEAR UNCLE HERBERT:-You will be glad to learn that I have met Rev. Natha Singh at last, and he has just spent a pleasant and profitable fortnight with me. He came all the way from Gojra, Lyallpur District, Punjab, and arrived here on the 1st instant. He was treated as a State guest for a few days and then as my personal guest.

     "I have presented to him a copy of the APOCALYPSE REVEALED, [Wilkinson's] COMBATS AND VICTORIES OF JESUS CHRIST, and several other volumes; and lent him Worcester's LIFE OF SWEDENBORG and CONJUGIAL LOVE. He has read the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION and accepted the new Theology. . . . Mr. Natha Singh has come to believe in the Second Advent. He has already been working as a minister of the Lord, and I rejoice to see that the Lord has brought us together.

     "He is ready to go to Bombay or anywhere in India, and work as an evangelist of the New Church. When will you return to India?. . . . While here Mr. Natha Singh twice held Divine Service according to the New Church Liturgy, copies of which have been presented to us both by Uncle Herbert. . . . "Yours ever sincerely, "M. R. BHATT."

     Commenting on this letter Mr. Morris observes that it "seems to open up the way for the missionary from this country. Here is the offer to which I referred in Conference, repeated at the very time and in the very way that it required. Here we have an assistant with a knowledge of some of the languages of the people; with a knowledge of the Bible, and who has accepted all the fundamental teachings of the New Church; a man who has studied the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION for years; and moreover a man so much interested as to make a two days' journey by rail from the North of the Punjab to Kathiawar for the privilege of meeting another New Church man.

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     "I hope my colleagues in the Church will not deem it presumptuous or irregular on my part in cabling to Prof. Bhatt the following message:-

     "'Conference decided send ordained minister India. Could you secure services Natha Singh as assistant?'"     "Yours truly, "H. N. MORRIS."

     "Manchester, 17th July, 1916."
     We learn from the MESSENGER for August 16th that the "Convention's Mission Board assisted in the organization of the Swedenborg Society of India, and is interested to co-operate in this move for more specific mission work. Two students of the Cambridge Theological School are especially fitted for such work in India, one of them having studied in the correspondence department with a special view to work in India, and the other being in attendance at the School and cherishing the hope of assignment to mission work in India at some time."
Special Notice 1916

Special Notice              1916




     Announcements.



     The Chicago District Assembly of the General Church will be held at the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois, October 8th to 10th, inclusive. The Dedication of the new buildings of the Immanuel Church will take place during the Assembly. Members and friends of the General Church who desire to attend will please notify the undersigned, so that provision may be made for their entertainment. W. B. CALDWELL, Secretary.



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COURAGE 1916

COURAGE       R. B. CALDWELL       1916

     
NEW CHURCH LIFE
Vol. XXXVI NOVEMBER, 1916          No. 11
     That we should be strong and of a good courage is an injunction that comes to us with the force of Scripture,-but that we should require courage to believe in the New Church gives one cause for thought. We do not require courage to believe in the perfume of the violet, or the beauty of the rose, and neither should courage be necessary to believe the most beautiful and most rational truths with which this world has ever been blessed.

     From the standpoint of a Newchurchman the need for courage is with those of the Old Church. With them courage would seem to be required in order to support them in their journey through life, each one carrying the great burden of a false idea on every Subject which concerns him and his relations to his fellow men.

     Should it be necessary to ask if courage is required to enable us to believe that the Lord is the Creator, as against the Old Church idea which sets up a tri-personal monster as our Creator?

     Should it be necessary to ask if courage be required to enable us to believe that the Creator came into this world which He had created, in order that we might see Him, as against the Old Church idea that He sent His Son, that His anger might be appeased?

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     Should it be necessary to ask if courage be required to believe that marriage is holy and the union it forms is for eternity, as against the Old Church idea that it is a relationship of doubtful propriety, to be entered into until death do part?

     Should it be necessary to ask if courage be required to believe in a world of spirits, into which, as human beings, we enter at death; as against the Old Church idea that we must again take up the body which has gone to corruption in the grave, and at some distant general judgment enter into some undefined sort of existence in it again!

     I think I can answer for all Newchurchmen, that courage is not necessary to a belief in these great truths of Revelation,-but we must bear in mind that in believing these great fundamental truths, and others which distinguish us as Newchurchmen, we have not accomplished all that is involved in the idea of New Church courage, for this, I take it, means courage to live as a Newchurchman as well as to be known as a believer in the doctrines of the New Church. And, to begin with, it means courage to believe so thoroughly in the New Church that one will live his beliefs; and here is where the quality of courage plays its part in the drama of life in the New Church. It means, for instance, courage to say to a business acquaintance: Your proposed transaction involves the desire to get something for nothing, the speculative element of acquiring something from my neighbor without giving him something in return. In these circumstances I must have the courage to say the Newchurchman's standard of honor and of manliness forbids me to enter into the transaction.

     A merely intellectual belief in the New Church does not require courage; but courage is demanded when circumstances come, as they come to all, in which application must be made to the actual occurrence of life. Unless our belief in the New Church leads to an actual effort to live as a Newchurchman, our belief is but faith alone. A living belief in the New Church requires courage, because the faint-hearted will fail in the struggle.

     We are taught in the letter of the Word to be of good courage: "Be strong and of a good courage; fear not, nor be afraid for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee, He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Deut. 31:6). "Be not dismayed" (Deut. 31:8).

     Like all other things, the subject of Courage receives a new meaning and has a new application, in the New Church. "Behold, I make all things new."

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He exercises courage who recognizes and puts into practice the New Church doctrine of giving alms, by refraining to give support to worthless vagrants. In the world, it is generally believed that man exercises a commendable quality of character in giving generously, even if the subject of his generosity should be unworthy; but the New Church teaches that he who does good to the evil, does evil to the good, and the Newchurchman is expected to have courage to live this doctrine regardless of the opinions of the world. He must not give indiscriminately, even if invoked amidst tears and pious promises, and in the face of the condemnation of the worldly world.

     It requires courage to face denunciation as a mean and stingy person, if this is brought against a man because of his fidelity to the New Church doctrine not to give indiscriminately.

     It requires courage to believe in the New Church doctrine regarding the Divine Providence. We are taught most wonderful things regarding the providential care which is exercised over every one even from his conception in the womb. Have we the courage to believe this doctrine? We may have an intellectual belief in it, which is tantamount to no belief. But have we a practical belief that whatever happens, even to the most minute particular, is in accordance with the laws of an Infinite Divine Providence?

     It requires courage in a man to reflect upon his own evils. It does not require much courage in a man to enable him to see and point out the evils of his neighbor, because this is an intellectual feat entirely; but to reflect upon his own evils is more than an intellectual performance. It is of the man's will, and he requires courage to accomplish it. The man who controls his spirit is mightier than the man who takes a city. The greatest of all commands is to command one's self. Many a man who can face an open cannon in a battle is weak and pusillanimous before the open sight of one of his own evils. Courage is necessary here, of a more genuine character than that which enables a man to do deeds of valor in the battlefield. But, in reflecting upon our evils, let us have a good courage.

     It requires courage to live up to an unpopular belief. For instance, when a death takes place, the Old Church custom demands that mourning be worn by the relatives and friends, and the absence of this mourning is regarded as absence of grief at the great loss which it is believed death has wrought.

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If a widow does not drape herself in widow's weeds, making an outward show of sorrow, the world takes it to mean that she is not sorry, that she has no feeling. Under circumstances of this kind, courage plays its part. A practical belief in the New Church opens heaven to the believer, and what we call "death" the angels call "resurrection." If we believe this, why should we mourn? Mourning is then an evidence that we do not believe it. In passing from our Old Church state in respect to this doctrine, we need courage.

     A boy awakens to the fact that his companions are not the proper ones for a fellow who hopes to become a Newchurchman. He makes an attempt to dissociate himself from these undesirable companions, but he finds he is tied in a hundred different ways to them, and the most effective weapon they use to preserve the bond is, shame. They try to shame him; into allegiance. They call him "mamma's darling" and "baby." Here is where courage must play its part. The boy will win out if he is courageous. If not, he becomes one with his evil companions, for hell is like a single gigantic monster and when we do evil voluntarily, we make ourselves part of the monster.

     When a young man begins to discover the false and evil state of his proprium, and puts forth his first determined effort to rid himself of it, all the evil associates, both in this world and in the invisible world of spirits, are up in arms, for hell with all its diabolical fury rises up against every person who is advancing in regeneration. To shun an evil is to shun the society which is in that evil. To do this, courage must play an important part. The young man must be of a good courage, or he will accomplish little in the journey upward. His belief in the New Church must be a courageous one or he will fail. "What a man loves he not only does with pleasure, but also thinks of with pleasure." (DOCTRINE OF LIFE I.) If we would not only do right with pleasure, but also think of right with pleasure, we must have courage, spiritual courage.

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PLEASURE AS THE FIRST GOOD 1916

PLEASURE AS THE FIRST GOOD        W. F. PENDLETON       1916

     "Every creeping thing that liveth shall be meat for you." (Gen. 9:3.)

     Animals that creep on the ground and those that swim in the waters are specifically meant by the term "creeping things," when used in the Word; but in a broad sense the whole animal kingdom is included in the meaning of the phrase. They are said to live because they breathe and have thereby the faculties of sensation and motion and are it the exercise of free will, freedom of choice and of action, such as is not given to the objects of the vegetable and mineral kingdoms; although even in these kingdoms there is some semblance of free will, a semblance that is given to every created thing, since the image of God is in all things of the finited universe; but freedom is greater and increases according to the increase of life.

     We read that nature in her three kingdoms is a theater representative of the kingdom of the Lord. The three kingdoms represent the three degrees of the natural mind. There is another kingdom,-the kingdom of the atmospheres by which is represented the spiritual mind or heaven. Animals are inhabitants only of the natural kingdom, but man is an inhabitant both of the natural and of the spiritual kingdom. He has a soul by which he lives and breathes in the universal atmosphere of the spiritual kingdom, and by which he is immortal. Animals do not breathe this life-giving aura, and hence death to them is complete extinction. Man in addition to the soul has an intellectual mind or understanding, which animals have not. This mind or understanding lives and breathes in atmospheres which are derived from the universal one. This mind, by virtue of its intimate conjunction with the soul, also continues to live after death; but the body of man in common with the bodies of animals, perishes when it dies.

     Man is, therefore, threefold. He has a soul, a mind, and a body. The soul is an organic dorm, altogether distinct and discrete from the mind: and the mind is an organic form, composed of will and understanding, altogether distinct and discrete from the body, so distinct and discrete that the soul together with the mind is able to live separate from the body, and does so live after death.

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That the soul is an organic form distinct from the mind is evident from the embryo or babe in the womb. It has as yet no mind, or no will and understanding, but it has a soul by virtue of which it lives. The actual formation of the mind does not begin until after birth, when the infant breathes the air of the outer world. It is a matter of common observation that the little infant has as yet no mind or understanding, but that the mind is gradually formed as it grows older. As the child grows in years the mind is formed by the influx of the soul into the body and by reaction on the plane of the body. Idiots and the insane have no mind or understanding, but they have a soul, which remains untouched and unaffected-undisturbed by the disorders of the lower planes of life. It is, therefore, most clear that the soul is an organic formation wholly distinct from the mind and body, that the soul is not only the soul of the body, but the soul of the mind also. (ADVERSARIA, Vol. I., p. 97.)

     Now the mind is twofold. There is a natural mind and also a spiritual mind. The natural mind, often called the animus in the Writings, is common to the whole animal kingdom, that is, animals have an animus resembling the animus or natural mind in man. The animus in animals resembles that in human beings, and yet it is not the same, because man has a spiritual or rational mind because of his immortal soul, and these together flow into the animus and enable man to think and reason even in his natural mind, which it is not possible for animals to do.

     That the natural mind or animus is distinct from the rational mind is seen in the fact that children have only a natural mind or imagination, but not as yet a rational or spiritual mind. This latter mind can be formed only in adult life by the influx of the soul into the natural mind and reaction on that plane. What we call education provides us with a term to express the gradual formation of the natural mind or imagination in childhood preparatory to the formation of the spiritual mind by a spiritual education or regeneration in adult age. Those who are not regenerated in adult life have no spiritual or truly rational mind formed, but they have a resemblance of it, and men can put on for a time the appearance of it, which shows that the Lord in His Providence is endeavoring to form a rational or spiritual mind in every man, and will do it if a man will allow it to be done.

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     The text opens up to us in its spiritual sense the gradual formation of the affections of the natural mind, in particular those natural affections which first appear during the period of childhood and are called the creeping things of the ground, the lowest order of formation in the animal kingdom, and which we are told in the first chapter of Genesis were created before the higher forms of that kingdom. By reference to this first chapter of Genesis we shall find that by the creeping things are primarily meant the fishes of the sea; but the lower orders of animal life generally are included. These first natural affections and delights, signified by creeping things, formed in childhood and youth, are what are ordinarily called pleasures. The subject of pleasures, their use and abuse, being the subject of the text, is, therefore, now before us for consideration.
The two ruling loves in the natural mind are the love of self and the love of the world, and the two ruling loves of the spiritual mind are love to the Lord and love to the neighbor. Temptation, by which regeneration is effected, is a conflict between these two minds or the two loves which make them, on the issue of which the final lot of every one is determined under the two ruling loves of the natural mind, or proceeding from those two loves, are many natural affections which have self and the world in view as ends; and under the two ruling loves of the spiritual mind, or proceeding from them, are many spiritual affections which have the Lord and the neighbor in view as ends. The natural affections are animal in their character and quality, and man has them in common with animals. But the spiritual affections are truly human, and man has them in common with the angels of heaven. It is the angel only that is in the truly human form a man.

     The natural affections and delights are signified in the Word by the animals of the earth. There are three degrees of natural affections represented by the three degrees or classes of animals, the animals which creep on the ground or swim in the water, the animals which fly in the air, and the larger animals which walk upon the ground.

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In each of these classes are two general divisions of clean and unclean. The clean animals, according to the Mosaic law, were to be used in the sacrifices, but the Jews were forbidden under penalty to sacrifice the unclean animals. This was because the clean animals represent those natural affections which can be brought into order, and thus into correspondence with the truly human affections of the angels. For this reason the clean animals are also seen in heaven, as representative of angelic affections. But the unclean animals which were not to be used in sacrificial worship, represented those natural affections which cannot be brought into order and correspondence, and which are therefore removed, and as it were exterminated, during the process of regeneration. For this reason the unclean animals appear in hell, as representative of the evil affections of infernal spirits.

     The three degrees or classes of natural affections become active successively during the period of infancy, childhood and youth, that is, according to the growth, formation, and development of the natural mind and in the child and youth are the natural affections of both kinds, the clean and the unclean, represented by the clean and unclean beasts, which natural affections are to be discriminated and separated during the process of regeneration in adult life.

     The first degree or class of natural affections and delights are the pleasures of the body and of the senses, and are represented by creeping things, both clean and unclean. The second degree or class of natural affections and delights are the pleasures of the imagination and of natural thought and reason, which are pleasures of the love of the world, and are represented by the birds which fly in the air, the clean of which were to be used in worship and for food, but the unclean were not to be used in worship nor were they to be eaten. The third degree or class of natural affections and delights are the pleasures of the love of dominion from the love of self, and are represented by the animals which walk on the ground; but as there is a love of dominion for the sake of use, as well as that which is from the love of self, the animals of this degree are also classed as clean and unclean, the clean being used in the sacrificial worship of the Jewish Church, and are at the same time good for food, and the unclean used neither in worship nor the food.

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But the animals of the first class, those which creep on the ground and swim in the waters, represent specifically the pleasures of the body and the senses, and what are commonly called pleasures as distinguished from the delights of the thought and reason, and the delights and affections of the will. The animals which creep on the ground and swim in the sea, were not used in the sacrifices, and they also are of two kinds and were classed in Mosaic law as clean and unclean, the former being allowed for food but the latter were not to be eaten. This indicates to us that there are pleasures of the body and the senses which are good and useful, and those which are not useful and which are to be shunned and avoided. Concerning the pleasure which is good and of use we read that "it is the first good, which is that of the sensual things of the body; for it is the good into which the man who is to be regenerated is first initiated" (A. C. 4117), that is, the good into which man is initiated during the period of childhood and youth. This good, the good of pleasure, is represented in the Word by Gilead, a boundary for the land of Canaan, in which grew a healing balm which was used for medicine. "Is there no balm of Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered" (Jer. viii. 22.) This first good is, therefore, a healing balm or a poisonous herb according to the use or abuse of pleasures or the love of pleasure. But in the text this first good is spoken of as "every creeping thing that liveth," and it is said that it shall be for food. "Every creeping thing that liveth shall be meat for you."

     Every organic form must be fed or nourished in order that it may live and perform its function or use, the use for which it was created and by virtue of which it has existence and reason to be. An organic form or an organ is a means or instrument by which an operation is performed or a work done. The word organ itself in its root structure signifies a work. An organ is thus an instrument of work or use. The animal kingdom is the most completely organic of all the three kingdoms of nature.

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The vegetable kingdom is also organic in so far as it resembles the animal form; and although the mineral kingdom is usually called inorganic, yet it cannot be said that the mineral kingdom is not in any sense organic; for we are told that the whole of creation is organic, or composed of forms organized for use. The universe itself is an organic form, or an organ fashioned by the Creator for the use of His creatures. The spiritual world, heaven itself, is a form most highly organized for use; and so it is with heaven in all its parts, in every society and in every angel, Since use is the universal law of creation, so is function; and wherever there is a use or function, an organic form is provided as a means to the use that it may come into actual existence. Every created thing is thus an organic form, or a form organized that a use may be performed by it, which otherwise could not come into actual existence. The body of man is thus a form organized for use, and every part of it. Every member and viscus has its function or use to perform. It is so with the mind as well as the body. The mind, the will and understanding, the soul itself, are forms organized of the purest substances, that functions may be performed or actual uses exist by them. The human form is thus the most highly organized form in all created existence. In fact, since all creation is in the image of God, an organic form is naught else but the human form, and the organ or organic form is more complete in the degree that it approaches the human form in the perfection of its organization for use.

     It is necessary, therefore, that every organic form should not only be created, that the use for which it was created may be performed, but that it should be preserved after it is created, that its existence may be made perpetual and its use continue to be performed. We thus see that the two most universal things which come within the range of the vision of man, are creation and the perpetuation of the created forms, their preservation, that the uses for which they were created may continue and may be always administered. Every created, every organic form must, therefore, be fed that its life may be sustained and that its use may be continually performed. Heaven itself, the most grand of all finite organic forms, was created by means of man first placed upon the earth; and in order that it may continue and be preserved it must be fed, and it is fed by the continued creation of men on the earth, who may enter heaven as food enters the body, and thus preserve it in a continued existence to eternity.

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The Lord came into the world and performed the Divine work of Redemption that heaven might continue to receive the food of its life, that heaven might not die of inanition or the want of its proper food,-men and women created on the earth and regenerated to become themselves perpetual organic forms of life, the perpetual food of the Gorand Universal Man. And even the Lord Himself in His Human spoke of a food that it was needful He should eat when He said to His disciples, "I have meat to eat ye know not of."

     The point to which we are coming is that pleasures are spoken of as food. "Every creeping thing that liveth shall be meat for you." There is something in man that needs to be fed in the form of pleasures. The affections of pleasure in the organic forms in man, are the lowest things in him, indeed, the sensual things of the mind. They are the lowest, the most external things of his mental structure, and being lowest they are the first in the order of formation. The creation or formation of the human mind is from below upward; or this is the appearance, and the appearance is a real and an actual one. The ascent is made by afflux from nature, but the afflux is in reality a reflux. The soul flows into the body, operates upon the body, and there is a reflux or reaction, and thus an ascent as it were from nature in the body into the mind, forming the mind in successive degrees of ascent. The sensual degree of the mind is the plane that is next to the body, and is that plane which is formed next after the body itself is formed. This formation, the formation of the sensual degree of the mind, with all its sensual affections, takes place in childhood and youth; but it is to be regenerated in adult life after the formation of the superior or spiritual planes of the mind.

     But as the sensual degree is a form of the mind of man, and is to be a perpetual organic form in him, that degree, or the affections of that degree, must not be deprived of the food which is proper to their life, the pleasures of the body and of the senses. It has been believed and is still believed by many that the pleasures of the body are something that are in themselves wrong and sinful in the sight of God, and as such are to be put down and even exterminated; and the complete suppression or extermination of the delights and pleasures of the body has been considered to be the all of religion.

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This gave birth to the ancient forms of asceticism, and men in order to escape from the pleasures of the body and the world-believing that thereby they would merit the kingdom of heaven-separated themselves from the intercourse of men, from the uses of the world, and went into the deserts and into the forests, living in caves and under the rocks of mountains, not knowing that the affections of the sensual degree of the mind, even though denied their outlet, are not thus rooted out; even though suppressed outwardly they continue to burn within; and that they, the ascetics, have deprived themselves of the only possible mode of bringing the sensual affections into order, namely, by a life of uses among their fellow men; forgetting, or perhaps not knowing, that temperance in natural enjoyment is the healthy condition of life, in which only can order be brought about; and that a complete abstinence while it suppresses for a time, merely postpones an outbreak that must come when the bonds are removed and men are set free, which will be the case with every one after death. A complete abstinence may become a temporary necessity, but it is not a rational mode of bringing the natural affections into order.

     Pleasures, therefore, and the love of pleasure are the first in time, but they are the last in end. While they are first or during the period of the first formation of the sensual degree of the mind or in childhood, they seem to be really the first and main thing of life. The delight of the love of use,-the chief delight of life, the cause of all human happiness, called in the Word the heavenly reward, the first thing of heaven when it becomes regenerate, namely, use and the delight of the love of use,-this delight is not yet present, has not yet become active. Hence pleasures seem at this time to be the only thing worth living for. "Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die," says the lover of pleasure; and of the people of Israel it is said; that after they had made the golden calf, which signified a love of pleasure, "the people sat down to eat and drink and: rose up to play" (Exod. 32:6).

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They had been in slavery for two hundred years in Egypt, and were as yet a nation of children, and their conception of life was an uninterrupted enjoyment of the pleasures of the flesh. This is a state common to childhood, to slaves, and to all people who are like children: The sensual degree of the mind is the only degree as yet opened and formed; and while this state lasts, or before the higher degrees of the mind are opened, nothing is seen to convey so much delight as the pleasures of the body, and no greater pleasure is conceived of or desired.

     The early Christians saw this state of the Jews, of primitive peoples, and of children; and they were acquainted with the Epicurean philosophy, which openly taught that pleasures were the sole end of human existence; and in common with the Stoics they reacted against it. They saw that bodily pleasure was not the chief end of all things, but the true remedy was but dimly seen by them; and finally it was not seen at all. Stoicism was transferred to the Christian Church and became a principle of its life, in which was vainly sought a remedy for an inordinate love of pleasure. Men were not yet able to discriminate between use and abuse; and the use of pleasure was shunned in the imaginary hope that in this manner the love of pleasure as the ruling principle of life would be removed. Hence arose asceticism in a great variety of forms-a false view of life,-and while many of the gross external exaggerations of it are now largely condemned, the evil still remains and afflicts the church and the world in many ways. It even invades the body politic, causing the passage of laws that have as their purpose the legislation of men into orderly modes of living, by repression and suppression through the arm of the civil law. This is unwise, will fail of its purpose, even as asceticism failed to bring about a state of spirituality in the Christian Church. The civil law cannot bring or produce a state of real moral reform, and especially cannot effect the spiritual regeneration of men.

     Discrimination between use and abuse is essential, and all abuses are to be shunned as sins against God, all excesses of whatever kind; and these abuses, these excesses are pointed out by the Lord in the commandments of the Decalogue. Shun these but cultivate at the same time a legitimate love of pleasure. The clean beasts only are to be eaten as food for the nourishment of the body and the bodily life.

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The pleasures which are clean are to be enjoyed and the body recreated by them, but unclean pleasures, all abuses and excesses in the line of pleasure, are to be shunned and avoided as poisons of the mind and spirit, producing as they will, if they are loved as ends of life, a state of spiritual death, the eternal stagnation of all the spiritual faculties.

     The love of pleasure must then become the foot and not the head, must be made the last and not the first of human life. Pleasures exist for man, but he must not live for pleasure. Delight is not the end of life but use. By use and the love of use man is prepared for his eternal home, and by use he is to live forever.

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"ENTERING INTELLECTUALLY." 1916

"ENTERING INTELLECTUALLY."       Rev. HOMER SYNNESTVEDT       1916

     The New Church is to be the crown of all the Churches, because of the supreme gift of Illustration promised to that Church. For a crown, with its flashing jewels, placed upon the head, represents nothing else but Intelligence and Wisdom, with all the majesty and authority which pertain to those supreme gifts to the human race.

     Illustration, not merely in the things of this bodily world and its senses, but in the very light of the Lord Himself, who is the Sun of Heaven and whose beloved creatures we are. To this end solely were we created by Him, that we may receive life, and that we may receive it more abundantly. That we may stand before Him in "that day," the day that comes to all when we leave this valley of shadow, the day that knows no night. To satisfy His love, what would be the endless procession of transient forms of use that live their brief hour upon this earth, like the grass that withereth and then the place thereof knoweth them no more? Must there not be some form of forms, into which the uses of all things mundane and fleeting can be gathered up, and being carried forward beyond the pale of death and dissolution, can sum up and contain and bring back to the Creator a fruit of all fruits, such as alone is adequate to the satisfaction of His eternal and fathomless love? What can we conceive of that is able at all adequately to serve such a use of all uses to Him, other than our immortal soul, a human soul, capable of being loved by Him in full consciousness, and of loving Him in return to all eternity?

     So must it be. And in order to bring this end of ends to pass, we must obviously be furnished with the faculties for that life. We must be able to so use the materials and opportunities of this life as to develop in us those loves and those thoughts which constitute spiritual or eternal life, and which make us truly human and reciprocative of the Divine life flowing in.

     To this end we have indeed the capacity, (undeveloped at first), of going through the six days of the spiritual creation described in Genesis, and opened to us in the Heavenly Arcana.

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God says to our soul, as He said before to our body, "Let there be Light!" And then He puts a distinction between the appearances that are below, and those that are above, and spreads the great expanse between. This is the beginning. The Great Luminaries come next, the Sun to rule by day, the Moon by night, and the stars. By the successive interaction of truth revealed from the beginning, and of the faculties created to receive and appreciate those truths, there is gradually inbuilt (instructed) an organism that is capable of seeing in spiritual light and of acting as teacher and guide to the senses and the lower mind as formed from the senses.

     The development of the new or spiritual will, the "mated other self" of this new understanding, proceeds pari passu-and no advance made by the latter is made good or permanent, unless the other half is brought along.

     It is supposed by some that science and human reasoning are adequate to the investigation and discovery of teleological truths. Some suppose that such studies are what is meant in the Writings, where it is said, "Now if is lawful to enter intellectually into the mysteries of faith." But they forget that a truly human intellect is such that it admits light from within or above as well as from without.

     We have recently had a striking demonstration of the revealed face that the realm of Theology cannot be penetrated in this way. The natural rational is powerless here unless firmly grounded in the affirmative of revealed truth. God alone can reveal the interior things concerning Himself.

     Suppose a great king is crowned and begins to reign. Soon changes begin to occur, this department is enlarged, another reduced or abolished. This magistrate is promoted, another transferred or removed. The ambassadors are called in and re-instructed. A new foreign policy supervenes. From all these indications, one may gather much of the new king's purposes. But, obviously, he alone can know fully what it all means, and to what end it is directed. And he alone, therefore, is able fully and truly to declare his purpose.

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     Now, if this is true of a human potentate, whose power touches only the outer and ephemeral concerns of men, how much more must it be true of the great Ruler of the Universe, whose sway includes all things, in both worlds, past, present, and to come, to all eternity? Man can indeed form interesting and useful generalizations as to the Divine laws or purposes, from the phenomena observed by himself; and especially in these latter days, since the observations of all are so carefully recorded and so widely interchanged.

     But at the most, man can only guess; he can only see things on the outside and after they have happened. What can he know of the Divine End of Ends and the ultimate destiny of the human race, unless it be revealed to him by his Father in the heavens? And that is why a Word of Divine Revelation always has existed and always must exist upon earth.

     Philosophers of our own day find refuge in a category of things unknowable.

     They say the universe of science includes three categories, i. e., the Known, the Unknown, and the Unknowable. Or, to express it more distinctly, there are two categories: the Known and the Unknown; the latter of which is subdivided into the Knowable and the Unknowable. In the last category they place such speculations as obviously transcend the limits of the physical senses. To this latter class they complaisantly relegate all things theological: God, His form and attributes, Heaven and Hell, the life after death. All man's highest and most important concerns are dismissed from effort and responsibility, Hence it is seen that the human rational, unaided, can have no certain knowledge upon such subjects. Nor are they mistaken in this. For the natural rational is a tissue of appearances and conclusions derived from the world of outer things, through the gates of the five senses.

     If we begin by assuming that there is no other world, and that we have no other sources of evidence of reality than the physical senses, then indeed is their deduction correct. In such case, all the phenomena of life, of vital heat, of maintenance from within, of conception of creation, as well as the source and nature of all purely spiritual phenomena, such as our affections and thought, must forever remain mysteries.

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Perceptive thinking the only kind that can penetrate into the presence of the Creator, and obtain any view of eternal ends and thus of internal causes,-the only mind, in short, which is truly rational, can only arise from the simultaneous operation or interaction of light from two sources, only one of which is active, while the other opposes itself as a plane of reaction. With such a mind, all those objects or phenomena which enter through the senses from without, and which present themselves simultaneously in a certain order and arrangement by means of the faculty of recollection and imagination, serve only as a plane of objects upon which, when held under the view of the inner eye, or reflection of the mind, there may fall some light from heaven, which illumines the mind as to connections, relations, causes, and finally of uses or the relation to the Divine Order or Scheme of things.

     It is true, as Bacon asserted, that "there is nothing in the mind, which was not first in the senses." But this is only because light from above or within cannot be received until it falls upon a receiving plane or object from without. But to say that the objective idea or form impressed from without, or, any mere shuffling or combining of the same, is the source of rational light, is to mistake the mirror for the thing mirrored, or the vessel for the thing received or contained. Yet that seems to be the belief of many, who acknowledge no spiritual sun or origin of mental light and heat above or within nature.

     Such men are called in the Writings sensual men, because they exclude from their thinking everything which does not enter from without through the senses.

     Sensual men remain satisfied when they have clearly demonstrated that spiritual things, like the future itself, are beyond the power of detection by the senses.

     They say, "Those things are unknowable to man," and so they feel justified in giving them up. They are content to say, "If there is any hereafter, we shall find it out when we get there."

     Some add, "If the hereafter, or the Spiritual world, as you call it, were of such supreme importance to us, why is it not at least as manifest to us as this world!" "One world at a time will do for us." And so they neglect the subject altogether.

     But behind this attitude of indifference is, for the most part, the sphere of those who deny.

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"There is no God, is all their thought." Doubt is the middle state between the affirmative of faith, and the negative. There are those who doubt before they affirm, and those who doubt before they deny. For the latter there is no help. They are already in the clutch of those who will eventually drag them down to despair and death,-the death of all hope and aspiration, where there is no life but the sensual and the unclean.

     This is hell, and we can readily attain to this state while still here upon earth.

     The former, or those who "doubt before they affirm," or who really desire to affirm if they can, or when they can, have every means provided for their deliverance from the shades and difficulties which beset them. To say to such that the hereafter and the nature of God and of the soul, and the intercourse of the soul with the body, are subjects that are unknowable, does not satisfy them. To so persuade men is the crime of bloods, for it is a falsity with which, like a bludgeon, they render the man's faculties inoperative.

     The truth is, that these things are knowable, and that they are the very things which our living Creator has been at the most pains to provide and to place within our reach,-yet in such a way that we may lay hold upon them or reject them. For His wisdom regards freedom as the chief of all necessities.

     It is an evil and adulterous generation which seeketh after a sign, a miraculous presenting of the realities of the other world, in such wise thus even the sensual man may not deny, or even doubt. There have been times when the Lord has done even this, where men were so ignorant that they had to be treated like children, and where, like children, their ignorance protected them from the likelihood of profanation. But what was the lasting benefit of such modes of persuasion? Listen to this from the INVITATION TO THE-NEW CHURCH, n. 46: "What do miracles amount to?...Miracles are not wrought nowadays, because they seduce men, and make them, natural. They close the interiors of their minds, wherein faith ought to be rooted; wherefore mere falsities proceed thence. (Matt. XXIV, 24.)

690


What did the miracles, which were wrought in Egypt, effect among the sons of Israel? What did these miracles which happened at their entrance to the land of Canaan? What the miracles which, were wrought by Elijah and Elisha? What those which the Lord Himself wrought! Was anyone ever made spiritual by their means! What has been the use of miracles among the Roman Catholics! And of those of Anthony of Padua, and of the three wise men at Cologne? And what has been the use of the countless miracles in the monasteries, whose walls are fitted with pictures, plates and gifts? Has ever anyone been made spiritual thereby? Have they not become natural thereby, so that there is scarcely any truth of the Word among them, and that the external things of worship alone remain, which have their origin in men and in tradition?"

     The truth is that while the physical senses cannot detect or penetrate the things which are within or above themselves, nevertheless we are not left in the dark as to these things. Two means are provided by the Lord whereby it is possible for those who really desire the light Upon spiritual subjects, to obtain it. There is (and always was) the Word of Revealed Truth upon these subjects, adapted to the reception of each age, and there are the twin faculties of Rationality and Liberty, whereby man is enabled to lay hold upon the realities of the spirit, and both see them in light, and, what is more, to be warmed and vivified by their heat. He that has not shut his eyes to the fact can see clearly enough that there is an eye within the mind, which does the real seeing through the outer eyes, and which: becomes conscious of a flood of light from an inner source, in which the forms and outlines of truth and its order become as clear as any object of outer sight bathed in the sunshine of this world. It is the same with our hearing. There is something within that determines what we hear and how we receive it. Our will and our thought obviously influence our outer hearing, and in fact treat it altogether as a servant.

     "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." We are indeed created double vessels. Creatures of the two worlds, or of the double world, if you prefer, just in order that we may as of ourselves learn to distinguish between the operations of the two within ourselves, which at first are so united as to be indistinguishable.

691


The "hereafter" is therefore not something remote, and intangible. It is in very sooth the only living, acting reality in the here and now, and yet this world touches the senses only by reaction. The physical eye can no more see this living world than a fish can understand philosophy.

     To "enter intellectually into the things of faith" does, however, involve the use of the Senses, of careful observation of sensible phenomena, and of their painstaking classification and placing in bundles, by means of comparison. It involves indeed all the intellect does not end there. In fact, it only begins where that process leaves off, for it uses all the facts and groupings of this kind of study and acquisition, only as a plane of objects, a storehouse of materials for its own reflective thinking, and in so doing it is guided by the principles of heavenly order and manifestation by the law of correspondence.

     What is human science, after all, apart from its mistress, but vexation and disappointment, or at best only the embroidery upon the very edges of the holy garment of truth? It is compared in the Word to the gnarled and twisted branches of the oak, or to thickets about the outskirts of some angelic abode. Sensual science is the work of ingenuity, of the imagination, and not of real thinking which alone is enlightened from the Sun of heaven. The simplest man possesses the same genuine truths of wisdom as the most learned, and after death may come into all the particulars of his generals, if he live well. But there is this difference. By means of learning a man becomes rich; and like a rich man, if he set not his heart upon his acquisitions, he can exercise power and provide protection, and extend his usefulness both in this world and in the world to come; for there as here, the poor will borrow of him, and he will not turn away. In the happiness of such service, or such stewardship, is wisdom.

692


DIVINE HUMAN 1916

DIVINE HUMAN       Rev. C. TH. ODHNER       1916

     A STUDY

     (Continued from NEW CHURCH LIFE for October, 1916, p. 638.)

     III. THAT THE WORD IS THE DIVINE HUMAN.

     1. That the Divine Human it the Word of God, because it is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Existere in which it the Divine Esse.

     "The Word is the Divine Truth, which in its essence is the Infinite Existere from the Infinite Esse, and it is the Lord Himself as to Has Human. This itself is that from which the Divine Truth now proceeds and inflows into heaven, and through heaven into human minds; consequently it is that which rules and governs the universe as it has ruled and governed from eternity, for it is the same and one with the Divine Esse, for it has conjoined the Human with the Divine, which was effected by this that it [the Word] made the Human also Divine." (n. 4687.)

     "The Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is that reality through which all things have existed, and through which all things subsist." (A. 9327.)

     "The Divine Truth, proceeding from the Divine Good, is the very real itself and the very essential itself of the universe, which makes and creates." (A. 5279.)

     "The Divine Truth which is from the Lord is the sole thing from which all things are; for that which is first is the sole thing in the derivatives, since they are and exist from it. And the Divine Truth is the Lord Himself, as is evident from this that whatever proceeds from any one, is he himself." (A. 9407.)

     "By the Word [which was in the beginning with God, John 1:1] is meant the Divine Truth which is in the heavens, and from which are all things there. That this is the Lord as to His Divine Human is evident, for it is said, 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.'" (E. 43.)

     "The Word in the supreme sense is the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Divine Human of the Lord." (A. 5321.)

693




     "The Word is the Divine Truth and could not be revealed except by Jehovah in the human form." (A. 9315.)

     "When the Divine has passed through the heavens, it is presented in a human form and becomes speech." (A. 6982.)

     2. That the Word is the Lord, and thus the Divine Human.

     "The Word is the Divine Truth, and the Lord is the Word because He is the Divine Truth." (A. 2533.)

     "The Lord is the Word, because the Word is from Him, and treats of Him alone." (A. 2859.)

     "The sacred Scripture or the Word is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, and the proceeding Divine is the Lord Himself in Heaven and the Church." (E. 635:3.)

     "The Word is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Human of the Lord." (A. 6947.)

     "To live from the Word is to live from the Lord, for the Lord is in the Word, nay, is the Word." (E. 754.)

     "As the Word is the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love, it follows that it is Jehovah Himself, thus the Lord. (D. LORD 1.)

     "As the Word is the Divine Truth, it is also the Divine Proceeding, and this not only is from the Lord but is also the Lord Himself." (D. LORD 2.)

     "When the Lord is meant, the Word also is meant, because the Lord is the Word." (S. 47.)

     "The entire Sacred Scripture teaches that there is a God, because in its inmost it is nothing but God, i. e., it is nothing but the Divine that goes forth from God; for it was dictated by God; and from God nothing can go forth except what is God and is called Divine. .. God Himself, such as He is in the inmost of the Word, cannot be seen by any creature. For He said to Moses, when Moses prayed that he might see the glory of Jehovah, that no one can see God and live. This is equally true of the inmost of the Word, where God is in His very Esse and Essence. . . . From all this it is evident that the Sacred Scripture is the fulness of God." (T. 6.)

     "All this makes evident the truth that the Lord as to His Human in the world was the Divine Truth, that is, the Word; and that everything which He then spoke was the Divine Truth which is the Word; and that afterwards when He went to the Father, that is, became one with the Father, the Divine Truth proceeding from Him is the Spirit of Truth, which goes forth and proceeds from Him and at the same time from the Father in Him." (E. 1071.)

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     "When [in the Word] the Lord speaks of His Divinity, His unity with the Father, His Divine Power, faith in Him, and life from Him, He then calls Himself 'the Son,' and 'the Son of God;' but where it is treated of His passion, the judgment, His Coming, and in general, redemption, salvation, reformation, and regeneration, He then calls Himself 'the Son of Man,' because He then speaks of Himself as to the Word." (DOCT. LORD 22.)

     3. That the Word, which was in the beginning with God, was the Divine Human from eternity.

     "Since the Divine Good cannot be and exist without the Divine Truth, nor the Divine Truth without the Divine Good, but the one in the other mutually and reciprocally, it is therefore manifest that the Divine Marriage was from eternity,-that is, the Son in the Father, and the Father in the Son, as the Lord Himself teaches in John: 'And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thyself, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.' (17:5, 24.) But the Divine Human, which was born from eternity, was also born in time; and what was born in time, and glorified, is the same. Hence it is that the Lord so often said that He was going to the Father who sent Him; that is, that He was returning to the Father. And in John: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.'" (i:1-13, 14; A. 2803.)

     See further A. 2894, 3195:4, 3704:12, 4180:6, 4673:3, 5075, 5272:2, 5321:2, 5922:4, 6115e, 6723:4, 7678, 82008535, 9093:5; 9144e, 9315:4, 9399:2, 9429:3, 10076:6, H. 137; S. 2:3.

695




     "That the Lord so often mentioned 'the Father' was because the Lord, before His Advent, was Himself that which is called 'the Father;' and then 'the Son' was the Divine Proceeding or the Word; this was then 'the Son,' and this was then the Divine Human." (ATH. CR. 175.)

     "It was the Divine Human from eternity from which existed and to which He reduced the human born in time." (A. 3251.)

     4. That this Divine Human from eternity was revealed by means of angels, when the Word was given before the Incarnation.

     "Before the Lord's coming into the world the Divine Human was Jehovah Himself flowing in through heaven when He spake the Word. For Jehovah was above the heavens, but that which passed from Him through the heavens was at that time the Divine Human; for by the influx of Jehovah into heaven, He presented (retulit) a Man, and the very Divine thence derived was the Divine Man. This, then, is the Divine Human from eternity." (A.6280.)

     "They were angels who were sent to man, and who also spoke through the prophets; but what they spoke was not from the angels but through the angels. For their state then was such that they did: not know but that they were Jehovah, that is the Lord. But immediately, as soon as they had spoken, they returned into their (own) former state and spoke as from themselves. This was the case with the angers who spoke the Word of the Lord." (A. 1925.)

     5. That it was this Divinely Human Word that was conceived by the virgin.

     "Jehovah God descended as the Divine Wisdom, or the Divine Truth, and assumed the Human in the virgin Mary. This Divine Truth is meant by 'the Word which was made flesh.'" (CANONS. Redeemer headings of Ch. II and III.)

     "The Divine Truth which is the Word, in which is the Divine Good, was the seed from the Father, from which the Human was conceived." (CANONS. Trin. IV:14.)

     "From these things it may be seen that by the Word,-which was in the beginning with God, and which was God, and which was with God before the world,-is meant the Divine Truth which before creation was in Jehovah and after creation was from Jehovah, and finally the Divine Human which Jehovah assumed in time." (CANONS. Redeemer. III:5.)

696




     "The Lord had indeed been the Word before, but in primes, for it is said, 'In the beginning was the Word.' But when the Word became flesh, the Lord became the Word in ultimates also, and it is from this that He is called the First and the Last." (S. 98.)

     "That Jehovah God descended as the Divine Truth which is the Word." (General article. T. 85)

     8. That it was the Divine Human as the Word in its glory that revealed itself representatively at the Transfiguration on the mount.

     "At the Transfiguration the Lord showed His Divine Human to Peter, James, and John, such as it was and as it appeared in Divine light. And the form in which He was then seen presented to view the Word as it is in the internal sense, thus such as is the Divine truth in heaven." (A. 5922.)

     "As Moses represented the Lord as to the historical Word, and Elijah as to the prophetical, therefore when the Lord was transfigured Moses and Elijah were seen speaking with Him." (A. 6752:2; E. 1070:3.)

     "The Word in its glory was represented by the Lord when He was transfigured." (S. 48; E. 594:2.)

     "In His transfiguration the Lord caused Himself to be seen as the Word; and therefore 'a cloud' overshadowed them, and a voice was heard out of the cloud, (saying), that He is the Son of God. A voice out of the cloud is a voice out of the Word." (R. 24e).

     "When the Lord was transfigured He represented the Word; 'His face that shone as the sun' represented the Divine good of the Word; and 'His garments which were white as snow' represented its Divine truth." (E. 1070:3.)

     (To be continued.)

697


Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     It had been our hope to present before this a sketch of the life of our beloved friend, Mr. John Pitcairn, but it has been more difficult than was anticipated to collect even the leading facts relating to his long and eventful career. The biography, we trust, will be ready for the December issue of the LIFE.


     Mr. Gerrit Barger has just issued the first Dutch translation of the work on THE LAST JUDGMENT, (Over het Laatste Oordeel). The publication seems timely in the midst of the present devastation, but it may not be noticed by the warring nations for some time to come.


     The Rev. Richard Morse's annual publication, A 19TH OF JUNE SOUVENIR, comes again with warm greetings from our faithful friends in Australia. The present is the ninth issue, and contains a more than usual number of original and excellent papers. We wonder how many of our readers have an opportunity to see this uncompromising champion of the principles of the Academy.


     A NOVA JERUSALEM, OUT Brazilian contemporary, in its issue for August publishes in Portuguese the message of the New Church in Brazil which was read at our General Assembly, and also the reply from the secretary of the General Church. The same issue contains also the announcement of the death of Mr. John Pitcairn, together with appreciative and affectionate comments by Sr. Henry Leonardos.


     The Heavenly Doctrine,-in one or more volumes of the Writings,-has now appeared in nineteen different languages, the latest addition being a Portuguese translation of the DOCTRINE OF LIFE which was recently published in Rio de Janeiro.

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The translation is the work of the late Dr. Manuel Curvello de Mendona. We understand that other volumes of the Writings have been translated by Sr. de La Fayette.


     The trenchant "Fables," by E. P. Anschutz, which enlivened the early volumes of NEW CHURCH LIFE, have been collected and issued in the form of a little book of 50 pages by the BULLETIN OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY, under the editorship of Mr. W. Whitehead. The Fables are of perennial interest, presenting the Academy principles in "high potency" doses, but many of them refer also to events and issues in the past history of the Church, which might have been explained in foot-notes to the Fables. The booklet may be obtained at the price of 25 cents.


     Bishop W. F. Pendleton's paper on "The Principia Doctrine of Creation," in THE NEW PHILOSOPHY for July; 1916, is the most brief, clear and succinct outline that we have ever seen of this grand system, which many have found difficult to grasp or remember, on account of the non-descriptive terms that are used. The paper contains the PRINCIPIA doctrine in a nutshell, and should be reprinted as a separate tract for the use of beginners in the study of Swedenborg-"s philosophy.


     Much has been written concerning that unique New Church pioneer and missionary, Jonathan Chapman, popularly known as "Johnny Appleseed," but we do not remember having heard of any prominent member of the Church who owed his conversion to the direct influence of the barefooted evangelist. But in the MESSENGER for Oct. 4th there is an obituary notice of Mrs. Elizabeth Pyle Wager, who died at Lakewood, Ohio, on Sept. 8th, 1916, at the age of 94 years. She had been an active member of the New Church throughout her life, and was brought up in the home bf her uncle, Mr. John Pyle, who was one of the earliest receivers in the State of Ohio. It is stated that "John Pyle's home was one of the regular stopping places of Johnny Appleseed, through whom he received the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and Mrs. Wager had a very clear and distinct recollection of 'Johnny,' as everybody called him, and who has gone down in the history of Ohio as one of its most interesting and unique characters."

699





     Pastor Bronniche's Danish paper, the NORDISK NYKIRKELIGT TIDSSKRIFT, has now published in full a Swedish translation of the account of "The New Church among the Basutos," which appeared in our issue for December, 1915. The editor at the same time makes public a letter from Mr. Oswald E. Prince, the secretary of the Foreign and Colonial Missions of the General Conference, dated May 1st, 1916, in which the latter states, (we are translating from the Danish): "I have noticed that you have reproduced from NEW CHURCH LIFE the article concerning the work among the Basutos. As this article is not quite correct, I would be pleased if you would, in as prominent a manner as possible, in your next issue, call attention to the fact that the account is unsatisfactory, and that about a year ago, before the account in NEW CHURCH LIFE appeared, the then secretary of the Foreign and Colonial Missions, (the Rev. L. A. Slight), was in correspondence with the native ministers, and that it was not known to the Durban society until Rev. L. A. Slight inquired from them concerning the natives who had been in correspondence with him."

     To this Mr. Bronniche appends the following note: "As we were not able to gather, from the observations of Mr. Prince, in what particulars the account in NEW CHURCH LIFE is unsatisfactory or incorrect, we have requested him to explain this to us, in order that, if necessary, we might correct the errors; but as yet we have not received any answer to our inquiry."



     The year 1916, which now is drawing to a close, is one of special centenary interest in the history of the New Church. In respect to Swedenborg's life, this year marks the bicentennial of the opening of his public career, which must be counted from the year 1716. It was during this year that Swedenborg was intimately associated with King Charles XII, who then appointed him assessor in the College of Mines and induced him to undertake the publication of the DAEDLUS HYPERBOREUS the first scientific journal ever published in the Swedish language.

700


It was the dream of Mr. Alfred H. Stroh to have these events celebrated in Sweden by the erection of a statue of Swedenborg in Stockholm, but the break-down of Mr. Stroh's health made this project impossible.

     In America the year 1816 witnessed the Conversion of Mr. Thomas Worcester to the New Church; he was then a young student at Harvard, where he found a set of the ARCANA (with marginal notes in it, in Swedenborg's hand), which had been placed in the library by the Rev. William Hill in 1794. Mr. Worcester quickly communicated the new light to his brother, Samuel, and to some of his fellow students, among whom were Sampson Reed, Theophilus Parsons and others, who now formed the nucleus of the Boston Society.

     In Cincinnati the Rev. Adam Hurdus this year was ordained and entered fully upon his work as founder of the New Church in the West. On Jan. 27th, 1816, the first New Church society in New York was organized by the Rev. Charles J. Doughty, and Samuel Woodworth, the poet, and others. On June 16th of the same year the corner-stone of the first New Church temple in Philadelphia was laid at the south-east corner of Twelfth St. and Samson St., where it is still standing, a handsome but apparently abandoned mansion. On Dec. 25th the "First New Jerusalem Church in the city of Philadelphia" was formally organized, and on Dec. 31st the Rev. Maskil M. Carll was ordained in Philadelphia by the Rev. John Hargrove, of Baltimore.
DARK DAYS,-AND AFTER 1916

DARK DAYS,-AND AFTER              1916

     As was expected, the work of the New Church missions in Europe has been greatly hindered, and in many places quite suspended, in the midst of the great international war. Our Swiss contemporary, the MONTABLATTER, has appeared but twice since August, 1914, and for two years we have heard little or nothing of the work of the Rev. Adolph Gorwitz in Switzerland or of the condition of the societies and circles in Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Trieste. In Paris M. Hussenet and his brave little circle continue their regular services; as does also Dr. Deltenre in Brussels, Mr. Bronniche in Copenhagen, and Mr. Baeckstrom and Mr. Manby in Sweden.

701


But the sphere everywhere is one of depression and anxiety and the thoughts of all are so strongly drawn to the things of this world that there is no interest in spiritual things.

     The Rev. C. J. Manby, in the NYA KYRKANS TIDNING for August, describes the spiritual state in Sweden as affected by the surrounding natural conditions. Divided in their international sympathies, suspicious of Russia, offended by the English blockade, and angry with the Germans who have destroyed so many Swedish vessels, it is no wonder that the Swedes are not in a very happy mood. "It is to be observed," says Mr. Manby, "that the general condition in our country is strongly affected by the world-war. It is as if darkness was pressing down upon everything, and the New Church missionary feels that a great era in the history of the New Church is at its close. . . . Fields promising for New Church activity have become isolated, almost abandoned. It is thus in Christianstad, where once a great New Church assembly was held. . . . Similar things may be reported from many other districts of our land. And sometimes the missionary feel that he is not only speaking to a few, but also to deaf ears, as if his words did not concern them." "Is even 'the remnant' to be drowned in blood in this frightful suicidal war, which is a sign of the Last Judgment upon the Christian Church more telling even than was the French Revolution!"

     Mr. Manby concludes with these eloquent words of consolation: "But even if it should become as deadly dark to us as it was to the disciples when the Lord was crucified, yet there will be a resurrection later on with new life and light and a spiritual Pentecost when with tongues of fire we shall preach the Second Advent of the Lord to Christians and non-Christians in ever widening circles.

     "The darkness is but an appearance. Behind the clouds the sun is shining constantly. The whole of heaven is on our side. There the New Church exists among innumerable hosts, and thence it is descending by degrees to our earth. We, the confessors and friends of this Church, need but be faithful and keep on working hopefully even in this gloomy time of transition. For the Church belongs to the Lord, not to us."

702


FOURTEENTH CHICAGO DISTRICT ASSEMBLY AND DEDICATION OE THE IMMANUEL CHURCH 1916

FOURTEENTH CHICAGO DISTRICT ASSEMBLY AND DEDICATION OE THE IMMANUEL CHURCH       G. A. MCQUEEN       1916

     The predominating feature of the fourteenth meeting of the Chicago District Assembly, held at Glenview October 8th to 10th, was the dedication and inauguration of the new buildings of the Immanuel Church. This event marked the fulfillment of the long-cherished desire of the Glenview community.

     A little over a year ago the possession of such a splendid group of buildings would have been considered beyond the range of possibility. Nevertheless, in ways manifestly of the Divine Providence, the work has been accomplished and the members of the Church can truthfully exclaim, "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes!"

     It was on the evening of July 24th, 1915, while watching the ravages of the fire which destroyed our former meeting place, that one of the members remarked to the writer: "It is sad to look upon but we must try to turn it into a blessing." This spirit prevailed with our members generally, and before the embers of the fire had died out, busy brains were at work formulating ideas of things possible and impossible of ultimation.

     On the day following the fire there was a preliminary meeting of men of the Society at which it was agreed that efforts should be made to provide adequate accommodations for the growing needs of our church uses, and above all, that provision be made for a building solely devoted to the worship of the Lord. It was also decided that there should be as little as possible cessation of the regular meetings of the Church during the period of reconstruction. This decision to continue our uses could be carried out from the fact that a large building adjoining the Park was generously offered as a temporary meeting place, and several homes were offered for the use of the School. A few days after, a large meeting was held, and plans of a group of buildings were being discussed.

703


The best of advice on ecclesiastical architecture was sought, and after further meetings final plans were submitted to the Society for its approval. The Building Committee entered with zeal into its really arduous labors, and was able to arrange for the laying of the foundation stone of the church by November 7th, 1915. Building operations continued during the winter, and on June 4th, 1916, it was possible to hold services in our Parish House.

     The buildings are constructed of hollow the, stuccoed. Architecturally, they are of modern treatment, with a touch of Gothic feeling. They are situated in the center of our beautiful little Park, and fittingly represent the end for which they have been erected,-the formation of a truly spiritual Church by means of Divine worship, education, and social life, founded on the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

     Through the efforts of our capable and indefatigable organist, means were found to purchase a pipe organ, which, in addition to giving a quality to the musical parts of our services which they have hitherto lacked, also constitutes a handsome feature of the interior of the church.

     During the summer months the various committees have been fully employed in the work of furnishing the buildings. The ladies especially have sacrificed themselves to obtain the best possible results within the means at their disposal. As to our pastor, it can be truly said that he has devoted himself heart and soul to make our new spiritual home worthy of the great uses for which it is intended.

     THE DEDICATION.

     Sunday, October 8th, the day of days in the history of the Immanuel Church, dawned in brilliant sunshine and summer-like weather. Although the autumn winds had commenced to strip the trees of their foliage, there still remained a magnificent display of many colored tints, making the Park an attractive and enjoyable place for the visitors who came in large numbers to participate in the dedication ceremonies. The results of preparation for the great event were seen and felt in the perfect ordering of the arrangements: and the efforts of those who had labored to this end were fully rewarded.

704




     Such was the influx of visitors that it became necessary to add a number of chairs for seating the large congregation numbering 2651 which completely filled the church. The sun streaming through the tinted windows, the beauty and simplicity of the chancel furniture, the choir already seated arrayed in becoming vestments, and the soft strains of the organ, could not but impress the worshipers, as they were silently ushered to their pews, with the feeling that it was "None other than the House of God, and the Gate of Heaven."

     The officiating ministers were the Rt. Rev. N. D. Pendleton, Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, who performed the act of dedication; Bishop W. F. Pendleton, who preached the sermon, and the Rev. W. B. Caldwell, pastor of the Society, who read the lessons. During the service Bishop W. F. Pendleton also administered the sacrament of baptism to an infant.

     The congregation joined heartily in the singing, especially in the beautiful 48th psalm. The rendering by the choir of the two anthems, "Hear the voice of My prayer," and "Except the Lord build the House," was a delightful experience, giving some foretaste of the heavenly states of affection and thought which must be aroused when listening to the glorification of the Lord by the choirs of Heaven.

     The sermon was profound, yet eminently practical and adapted to the occasion, the text being "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein." Rev. i:3.

     Step by step the order of service led up to the crowning act, the dedication. In the course of his address, the Bishop referred to the uses for which the buildings had been erected, namely, Divine Worship, Education and Social Functions, and pointed out that there must be an ultimate place provided in this world for the celebration and worship of the Lord according to the doctrine and ritual of the Church of the New Jerusalem, and for the purpose of giving and receiving instruction in the truths revealed from God out of Heaven, which according to the testimony of its own revelation is to be the Crown of all Churches that hitherto have been in the world.

705


He then declared the building set apart and dedicated to the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only living and true God.

     Then followed the prayer for the Lord's blessing on the future of the members of the congregation and for the growth of the Church in their midst. As the ministers were retiring, the favorite anthem, "Thou wilt show me the path of life," was fervently sung by all; and the worshippers silently left the building while the organist was playing the closing voluntary.

     THE HOLY SUPPER.

     At 4 o'clock in the afternoon there was an administration of the Holy Supper, when there were present 121 communicants. Bishop N. D. Pendleton officiated, assisted by the Rev. W. B. Caldwell and the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith.

     EVENING MEETING.

     The friends assembled at 8 o'clock in the evening in the hall of the parish house to witness a series of sacred tableaux. On account of the nature of the representations, the audience was requested to omit all applause and conversation. Hymns were sung between the scenes and descriptive verses were read by the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith. The representations were as follows:

1. The Primitive or Patriarchial Revelation.
2. Traditions of the Ancient Word. In Egypt.
3. Traditions of the Ancient Word. In Greece.
4. The Hebrew Word.
5. The Christian Gospel.
6. In the Dark Ages.
7. The Crown of Revelations.

     The leading idea of the whole series was contained in the opening and closing words of the reader, "The Lord gave the Word, great was the host of them that bare the tidings." An unusual degree of artistic excellence was attained in the production of the tableaux, and reflected much credit on the more than 50 persons taking part in them. The new stage with its admirable arrangement of curtains will no doubt be the scene of more wonderful things in the future, but the present generation will never forget the dedication tableaux.

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     THE BANQUET.

     On Monday evening, October 9th, there was a banquet. As usual the ladies of the Society had prepared a sumptuous repast and decorated the tables in a most attractive manner, each table being adorned with bouquets of roses. The color scheme of the room: was greatly enhanced by the deep red background supplied by the stage curtain. During supper several songs were sung by our fellow member of the Church, Mr. Colon Schott, of Cincinnati. After the toast to the Church and the singing of "Our Glorious Church," Bishop N. D. Pendleton delivered an address on "The Divine Accommodation in its bearing upon the process of Education." Although this was a somewhat profound subject for such a meeting, it was listened to with rapt attention and interest.

     In response to the announcement that the subject was open for discussion, Dr. J. B. S. King said: "It could be seen from the address they had listened to, that the subject of education was a vast and universal one. Beginning with the infant with its mind perfectly blank, and ending in a developed organ which could worship God. Compare the past with the present methods of Education. In the early days how greatly the subject of the development of the mind was misunderstood. Take the teaching of languages. When I was learning French and German I was taught about the language, not to speak it. So with the subject of the physical body and other studies. We have now advanced to the position where use enters into education in a way it has not done before."

     Mr. Robert Matheson, of Chicago: "I have been to many banquets in my long career, but I have never heard at any banquet so profound and so clear a presentation of any subject as I have heard tonight. The matter of accommodation is one of wide scope. I was thinking of it as a teacher. The teacher must accommodate his knowledge so as to bring it within the view of his pupils. The Lord's Word was so accommodated to the Jewish people. I feel I cannot close my remarks without saying a word about my visit to this place. This is a day I have long desired to see. I have been shown through the place and I think of what the Queen of Sheba said: 'The half had not been told.' I congratulate the people on the provision made for the worship of the Lord and the education of the young. I think it is a grand privilege, and almost wish I could be reborn that I might have the opportunity of a New Church education by New Church teachers as the children have here. The teachers in the olden days had to learn themselves. I had a certificate in Canada when I was about 14 years old, and when I was totally unfit to teach.

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We had to stumble along, and there were no New Church teachers to show the proper development of the human mind, but we managed to get through in some way. I am pleased to meet so many old friends, especially the senior Bishop, who was my pastor 30 or more years ago." (Much applause.)

     Bishop W. F. Pendleton: "The subject of Divine Accommodation in New Church education is one of exceeding great importance. The word means 'bringing down to the measure of.' The Divine Itself, the Infinite cannot approach man, so it is necessary that the Lord should accommodate Himself by bringing Himself down to the measure of a man-to his capacity to see and comprehend. Take this idea as applied to New Church education. It is the Divine of the Lord making it possible for the little child to see God. We are told that 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' Now there cannot as yet take place in the child what is meant by the pure in heart, because that is something of the regenerate life in adult age; so we are told that the child does not go through the process of regeneration. New Church education is nothing put preparation for regeneration. That is the preparation that is spoken of in the paper. Not directly for Heaven; that is impossible for the child, but to prepare him so that he may in adult life go there under the Lord's leading and help. Man is not prepared for Heaven in childhood except in a remote sense; but he is prepared for adult life. First for the life in the world and then for the essential thing, regeneration. The child is not let immediately into the presence of God. This takes place when the spiritual mind is opened. The Lord does appear to the child. The Divine accommodates itself, not only to the highest angels of heaven and the lowest angels thereof, as well as to men in the world, but also to the little child. He does this in His Word and by means of His Word. We are told that the literal sense of the Word is that Divine Accommodation to little children. He is there seen as a man among men. In the Old Testament appearing to certain men, and in the New Testament to all men. His appearing to the child is not his immediate presence. That is only with the celestial angels, or men in whom the angelic mind has been opened. The Lord brings Himself down to their level, and he also brings Himself down to the level of little children. That is the purpose of the paper, to bring the Lord to the vision of the little child so that he can see God. So the Divine purpose in all creation is to prepare all men to see God, and to begin with them as little children. The difference between education in general and New Church education is this, that the Lord has given certain ones in the New Church to take part in this Divine Accommodation to children. That is one thing in which we are permitted to take a conscious part with the Lord in bringing him down to the child. That is what we are working for, so that the little child may see God as his Father in Heaven, and be prepared by life and regeneration to become an angel."

     Rev. John Headsten: "I desire to congratulate the Immanuel Church on the beautiful and complete accommodation for the different things demanded by the Church.

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Here we have accommodation for the sensual, the intellectual and the spiritual."

     At this point of his speech Mr. Headsten called upon his friends from Chicago and elsewhere to express their feelings by singing Auld Lang Syne. The whole meeting then joined in, to indicate their appreciation of the good wishes of our visitors. Bishop W. F. Pendleton then expressed his pleasure at meeting his old friend Mr. Matheson, stating that he had always considered him a friend of our movement, and he trusted it would be a common thing for him to make his appearance among us as it had been in years gone by. Mr. Matheson expressed himself as greatly affected by the remarks of the Bishop.

     Rev. W. B. Caldwell: I think we should be grateful to the Bishop that he has given us such a lofty ideal as to the use of these buildings, which have been dedicated primarily to instruction in Divine things. This ideal we will always keep in mind.

     At this stage of the proceedings all heartily joined in drinking a toast "To our Guests of Honor," the two bishops and Mrs. W. F. Pendleton. This was accompanied by the singing of the following verses to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne."

Old friends, amid surroundings new
     We greet you in the West:
May passing years your youth renew,
     With peace those years be blest.

The place of honor at our board
     Is set for you tonight;
And here and now, with one accord,
     We pledge you with delight!

     Mr. Hugh L. Burnham, one of the old members of the society then made a speech reminiscent of the past doings of the Immanuel Church, with special reference to the part played therein by Father Pendleton, who was their pastor in Chicago, Mr. Burnham brought out that it was Father Pendleton who first suggested and started a fund to raise money for moving into the country. That although the time was not then ripe for the step to be taken, the Bishop had been spared to see the thing accomplished and followed by results beyond his expectation. He also mentioned the fact that the present Bishop of the General Church was their pastor at the time they moved to Glenview. The burden of his remarks may be summed up in the statement that the society loved their former pastors when they were with them, and they love them still. This fact was demonstrated by the spontaneous drinking of a toast to the subject of the speech. Father Pendleton responded with further reminiscences, and read from a list prepared by an earnest New Church lady in Chicago, Mrs. Mary W. Clark, the names of men long passed away, who were associated with the church in its early days.

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Mr. W. H. Junge was then called upon to read a poem which he composed some years ago, and which, as events have proved, was quite prophetic. Here is the poem:

     A DREAM.

Once, in the watches of the night,
I dreamed a dream, so fair and bright
     That waking caused a cruel pain,
     And I would fain have dreamed again.

I stood upon a spacious square
Before a building grandly fair,-
     Belfry and pinnacle and spire
     Flashed in the sunlight's golden fire,
     And music rose, a lovely choir,
Sweet voiced, magnificent, compelling me,
Through open portal, then to see
     A sight more glorious, grand and great
     Than e'er before had been my fate
     Or privilege to contemplate.

An altar gleamed with gem and gold,
     The sunlight flooded all;
And much I marveled to behold
The lovely reverence of young and old
     Within that vaulted hall.
Peace, heavenly peace, resided there,
And every face with peace was fair.

The priests were clad in vestments bright,
Purple and blue and snowy white;
     True eloquence and kindly thought
     Flowed as a river as they taught.
Gorand songs, by wondrous voices sung,
Some in the ancient Hebrew tongue;
The very roof with music rung.

'Twas past! The pealing organ tone
Had ceased, and I stood there alone,
     Wondering where my fate had sent me,
     Thankful for the blessing lent me
To have seen, in sweet accord,
Perfect worship of the Lord.

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"Where am I?" at length I cried,
And an answering voice replied:
     "This is forecast, nothing more;
     This the future has in store;
     This, the Church come to its own.
Time will bring this, time alone."

Then I woke, and, all in vain,
Tried that I might dream again.

     Dr. Harvey Farrington remarked concerning Mrs. Clark that although ninety-two years of age she has a remarkable memory, and still takes a keen interest in the work of the New Church. She has stated regarding the list of names referred to above, that if all the descendants of the people named had remained in the New Church, there could not be found a church building in Chicago that would hold them.

     The meeting again joined in singing "Our Glorious Church," and thus was brought to a conclusion a most profitable and enjoyable evening.

     SCHOOL CELEBRATION.

     A special celebration of the dedication of the buildings was arranged for the children of the society. This was held Tuesday morning, October 16th. There was a children's service in the parish house at 10:30, conducted by Bishop W. F. Pendleton. A good number of the parents were present. After the usual short office from the hymnal, the Bishop gave a most interesting address on the subject of "The Good Shepherd," basing his remarks on the Twenty-third psalm. An interesting thing to the visitors was the placing of the offertory in the box by the children while marching in procession; in fact, there were many things in the service which were worthy of imitation by adults, and which stirred feelings of gratitude in the hearts of the parents that their little ones were being trained to love the things of the Church.

     After the service the company went outside and surrounded the flag staff, while a number of the Boy Scouts raised a new Red and White flag and the Stars and. Stripes. The audience saluted, and sang "My Country 'tis of Thee." Next followed a luncheon for the children in the school house, presided over by Bishop W. F. Pendleton, who, during the lunch, told the children about the beginnings of the Immanuel Church School when there were only four pupils, and exhibited the original teapot used at the first Friday Supper of the Society.

711




     THE DEDICATION BALL.

     On Tuesday evening, October 10th, the ball, the crowning social event of the series, took place in the Assembly Room. It was an unqualified success, and made a fitting climax to the exercises of the preceding three days. There were present a large number of brilliantly arrayed dancers. The room was decorated with boughs of oak trees, the glorious coloring of the leaves providing a background which nothing artificial could have equaled The orchestra occupied the stage, leaving the entire floor space available for the dancing. A number of songs, old and new, were sung during the evening, and at the interval for refreshments one of the members called attention to the fact that the closing event of the dedication celebrations was a fitting occasion for the recognition of the work of one man who, for the preceding twelve months, had been devoting himself unceasingly with a view to making our buildings as near perfection as possible within the means at our disposal. That man was the pastor of the Immanuel Church. All then heartily joined in drinking a toast to Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell, wishing them health and happiness in the years to come. One other entertaining item in the program should be mentioned,-the "Dedication March," when all the company marched in procession around the hall and through the school room singing "Dear Alma Mater" and other Academy songs. Dancing continued until near the hour of midnight, when this happy event was brought to a close.

     On the afternoon of Wednesday the 11th the ladies had a meeting in the Library. This was the inaugural meeting. What the subjects of discussion were has not been reported to the writer, but it is understood that they were "too numerous to mention."

     In the evening of the same day there was a men's meeting in the Club Room, presided over by Bishop N. D. Pendleton. The subject for discussion was "Evangelization."
     G. A. MCQUEEN.

712


NEW CHURCH MISSIONARY TOUR 1916

NEW CHURCH MISSIONARY TOUR       K. R. ALDEN       1916

     In the NEW CHURCH LIFE for July, (pp. 440-442), there appeared a preliminary notice of the proposed Missionary Tour to be undertaken during the past summer by Mr. Theodore Pitcairn and the undersigned. Without further introduction I will therefore present all account, as long as the editor will permit, of our doings and adventures during this memorable tour.

     After various delays we started off from Bryn Athyn on July 6th,-a scorching hot day. Passing rapidly up Second Street Pike, with our banners flying from both sides of the car, we quite startled the few wandering natives. Passing through Hatboro we next sailed into Springhouse with high hopes,-but, alas, this town consisted of about five houses and apparently no population, so the question of making the first speech there naturally settled itself.

     On passing the next toll-gate, (there seemed to be hundreds of them), we inquired what was the next good sized town this side of Allentown. We were somewhat chagrined to learn that there were none.

     As the wind was rising and threatened to tear our banners off we halted and removed them. This process of eliminating some of our regalia had the same sobering effect on our mental flights as the clipping of a chicken's wings has upon its aspirations of mounting above the wire.

     On further study of our guide, the Blue Book, our spirits were temporarily revived by discovering that we were soon to arrive in the town of Sellersville, a place of reasonable size. Arriving, however, our hopes again fell. The sun was beating down violently on an empty street. A lone clergyman soon passed. We hailed him and asked him the population of the town. We soon fell into a conversation and divulged our entire purpose in undertaking the trip.

     He seemed to be an amiable old chap and did not appear to have anything in particular to do, so we asked him to have a dish of ice-cream with us. He declined however and instead asked us to come around to his house and have a cigar with him. We cheerfully consented, and packing him into the car, drove around to his house. He ushered us into a rather musty sitting room, and brushing the dust off some Bibles, he presented us each with a copy and took one himself, and we sat down for a battle royal. In the meantime his good wife had brewed some very delicious lemonade, which was a pleasant treat after our long, hot ride.

     When we had lighted our cigars he said, "It is a treat to meet some one with a philosophy that settles everything." We replied, "It must be very unpleasant not to have such a philosophy." T. P. then asked, "What is your idea of the Trinity?" "Well, God has neither body, parts, nor passions," replied our host. "What then is the relation of Jesus Christ to God?" put in K. A.

713


Whereupon the clergyman recited the creed that he had learned in his seminary about three persons equaling one God, and the hypostatical union between God and man in Christ.

     T. P.: "Wherein does the Oneness of God lie, if He is in three persons?" "Oh, it's a great mystery. No one can understand God. Why, we can't even understand our own souls, let alone understand God. 'Thinkest thou to know me by searching?'"

     As the clergyman did not have any answer forthcoming on the subject of the Trinity, he soon changed the subject, and we talked about the weather for a few moments. Then we discussed the subject of the inspiration of the Bible. He assured us that it was written by very much the same kind of inspiration as was Shakespeare. Of course, real argument with one who held this idea of the Bible was impossible, for we had no common ground. We next discussed the Second Coming and the end of the world, and he preyed just as agnostic on these subjects as on the others. Finally we tackled him on the subject of the life after death, but here he was hopelessly ignorant.

     On Our departure we gave him one of our circulars and a copy of WHY I AM A NEWCHURCHMAN, by Chauncey Giles. He has recently returned by mail the "Why I am," with marginal notes indicating Why He Is Not!

     In Quakertown we thought we would try our first street speech, come what may. So we went up and down the streets with our sighs spread out. Then we put out our book-case and started to make a noise with the bass-drum and the violin. But-no crowd gathered! Afar off we saw a few persons looking on in idle curiosity. So following the example of Mohamet we proceeded to hunt for our crowd. We went up to a porch where some Dunkards were sitting and fell into conversation with them. A shrewd old lady bore the brunt of the discussion. Finally it was evident that she believed the Bible absolutely literally, so I thought that here was an opportunity to get in a telling stroke. "Do you mean to tell me," I commenced, "that if I would ask you for your cloak, that you would give me your coat also!" (Now the woman was sitting in her shirt sleeves, and T. P. and I both wore not only our coats but also our linen dusters). So eyeing us both with suppressed humor, she said, "You have two coats on, and you don't seem to be offering me one." Whereupon the rest of the people on the porch laughed and we made good our escape.

     The effort was not altogether fruitless however, for one little boy bought six of the penny-Bibles, and we gave him a copy of HEAVEN AND HELL. We tried again in another part of the town but still we could gather no crowd. We pondered a bit over our poor luck and decided that we had made three mistakes. 1. The side-banners detracted from curiosity. 2. The drum lacked dignity. 3. The time of day, 5:30 p. m. was very unfortunate, as everyone was hustling home to supper and had no time to stop for spiritual food. So we left our drum in Allentown, at the home of our good friend Mr. Ebert.

     We did not speak in Allentown on this trip as we expected to make a week's stay there later on.

714


So we pushed on to Stroudsburg, where we finally arrived after various misadventures with the car, which sort of took the "pep" out of me, and by the time I had helped to change the two inners and wipe the car off I felt pretty tired. T. P. wanted to try a street speech, but I wanted to go to bed. However, after a good meal my spirits were sufficiently revived to allow his persuasions to take effect. So about 7:30 we left the hotel. Now it was a lovely night, and the main street was thronged with people, wherefore we drove up and down and down and up, ostensibly trying to pick out a good place to speak, but really trying to get up the nerve to start. Finally we picked out a place that looked good and slowly made ready. At last the moment came when I must play. Well, I have never done anything that took more nerve than to stand up on the backseat of that Hudson Six and start to play the first time. Finally like swimming on a cold day, I took the plunge, and in a short time fifteen or twenty persons had gathered about the car. We had tossed the coin to see who should make the first speech and T. P. had lost, so it was now up to him. He took his job like a man, and chose for his text these words from Isaiah, "The morning cometh and also the night." He spoke of the successive dispensations and of the general fact that when men fell into darkness a new revelation was given to enlighten them. He ended by stating that a new revelation had now been given and that we were selling the work on HEAVEN AND HELL by Swedenborg. He then described the contents of the work. He spoke for more than thirty-five minutes, and strange to say, he held about fifteen persons throughout the entire discourse. And when he ended it and went out to sell books, to our great wonder we sold five copies.

     By this time the blue feeling that I had experienced before supper was entirely gone, and in its place a burning desire to make a speech had crept into me. Now Stroudsburg has a sister city, East Stroudsburg, just one mile distant, so thither we departed as fast as gasoline could carry us. It was now my turn, and greatly encouraged by the fact that we had been neither stoned nor sneered at, I attacked the problem with some gusto. At just that time the papers were full of the deaths at the seashore resorts from sharks. It so chanced that one of the boys who was killed was in the same class with me at the University, so I used the shark story as an example of how no one can tell when they are going to the other world; pointing the moral that we ought to do all in our power to learn something about that world, I ended by the statement that in the work on HEAVEN AND HELL could be found a clear and accurate account of it. Although my crowd had been a trifle larger than T. P.'s, I only sold four copies of the work. However, that made a total of 9 for the evening, and we were home rejoicing.

     The next day we set out for SCRANTON where, in the evening, we started business in the Court House Square.

     Taking out old "fiddle boy" I proceeded to make a little noise whilst T. P. distributed circulars to all within hearing distance.

715


Then came his speech, which proved a great success, for when we came to sell books after it we sold It copies, establishing a record that was not to be beaten for many weeks. We suddenly became possessed of the idea that millions of copies of the Writings could be sold in this way all over the country, if only people would try. (I might remark at this point, that this conviction still holds.) We next drove around to the east side, and here I held forth. The ultimate result of my speech was the sale of 8 copies. And so we continued until we had sold thirty copies, and made four speeches. Then followed a real mutual congratulations society. That night we wired home for more "H. and H."

     Sunday morning we set out for Binghamton, N. Y., where we arrived on July 10th.

     Binghamton is a city of some 30,000 inhabitants. Here we had decided to try our hand again at street speaking. Our first night here in the field was somewhat like pricking a gas balloon, I mean the Binghamton crowd was the pin and we were the gas balloon. The first place that looked favorable for a speech was a little grassy plot behind the city hall, somewhat dark and rather dirty, with park benches scattered about it. Into this we drove through a little lane and pulled up at the curb. The crowd was awfully tough looking, and we fully expected that some "rough stuff" would be pulled over on us. By the time that we had gotten our books out ready to sell, there was a whole rabble of street urchins from 8-18 years of age gathered about the car, and I must confess that it looked like trouble. But aside from trying to spirit away one of the spare tires they did not interfere with us.

     T. P. made the best speech yet; he was really eloquent. He sailed into the false doctrine of the Trinity and hammered the tri-personal theology until it fairly cried out to be let alone. But, alas, when we came to sell we found that most of our audience were Italian Catholics, and could either not understand English or by virtue of their blind faith, "hearing they heard not." At all events we only sold two copies of the Writings. One man said proudly, "We have a Church of our own;" another said, "I don't believe in Heaven and Hell;" still a third attracted by the picture of the Cathedral on the circular, came up to the car and asked us where the New Church cathedral was. He said that he had seen an account of Mr. Cram's lecture on it in New York, printed in the N. Y. Tribune.     

     After this anticlimax we packed up and taking one of the kids with us as a city pilot we set out for some happier hunting ground, a place that the kid had described as "The Bible Park." This sounded rather auspicious to us, so after a long drive the pilot suddenly told us to drive up a lane in the direction of a group of brightly lighted buildings. When we had gone half way up we began to be suspicious, so we asked the kid again what sort of a place it was. "Well," he replied, "it's where they make Reverends and Priests."

716


He had heard T. P.'s speech and thought that a Catholic Seminary was probably where we belonged. We are bold, of course, but we felt that the odds were a little too strong, so just as we were being hailed we threw in reverse and backed cautiously away. So ended our first night in Binghamton.

     The next night we tried it again, with not much better success. So we went home disappointed and vastly anxious to shake the dust of Binghamton from the shoes (of the car). We were waiting there for the shipment of H. H. that we had ordered. On the morrow it came, and it was with a feeling of a great deal of joy that we sped forth on our way to Bath, N. Y.

     In the evening we drove down to the square, where the band gas playing, and here we succeeded in drawing a crowd of about 200 persons. I lit into them, and did my best. I seemed to hold their interest pretty well. At the end of the speech T. P. sold seven copies of H. H. He gave one away to a colored woman, who said, "I ain't got no nickel, but I sure do want dat book, and ef you come here tomorrow night I will give yo dat nickel," and the funny part of it was that she did. The surprise of the evening came to us in an unexpected meeting with our genial friend, Mr. Ed. Boericke. T. P. had sold him a copy of H. H. and given him change for a dime without ever recognizing him. It certainly was a pleasure to meet a Newchurchman again, and he gave us a most cordial invitation to go over and visit his brother and sisters at their summer home on Lake Keuka, across from Hammondsport, our next destination.

     We had planned our first lecture in Hammondsport for Saturday night, July 15th. And the day before we surely worked hard. We did not leave a stone unturned to get a large crowd there. These were our methods: We posted hand bills, 50 of them, on telegraph Doles, fences, etc. Then we distributed five hundred house to house circulars, and it was a funny sight to see everybody you'd pass reading one of our circulars. Finally we drove the car around the streets with big signs on it advertising the lecture, in the Assembly Hall of the High School building, and also posted a sign in front of the building.

     Finally the appointed hour for the lecture on Saturday night came, and Theodore and I approached the hall with some little trepidation. As we drew near the hall our hopes were suddenly raised. We saw quite a number of persons walking in, but, alas, when we drew nearer we found that they were going to the free library, which was the next door to ours. To make a long story short, we gathered just exactly eleven persons into a hall that would hold 500. We were forced to take a spiritual view of the matter. As "ten" signifies "all," we surely had cause to be satisfied with eleven.

     We began the music at eight sharp, and I played for half an hour. It then became T. P.'s duty to introduce me to the audience, which he did in a very graceful, albeit somewhat flattering manner. The burden of his remarks was how I had left my wife and happy home in order to bring the tidings of this new Gospel to Hammondsport.

717


Then I commenced my speech by reading the 24th chapter of Matthew, after which I outlined the doctrine of the Second Coming. I spoke for half an hour, and when I asked for questions one woman spoke up immediately and said, "When did this second coming take place?" "In about 1757," I answered. "Then every eye has not yet seen him," she returned. "How was it with the first Christian Church!" I asked. "Did it not take 400 years before Christianity itself really began to spread over the world?" She said, "Yes, but the Bible says, THEN shall every eye see Him." She held that the first part of the prophecy was fulfilled by the destruction of Jerusalem. The second part by the present European war and the signs and wonders that are to be wrought in the heavens are still to come. From this subject we got to discussing the trinity and the life to come. We argued for 45 minutes. She was a splendid opponent because she knew the Bible so well. I don't know what the general impression was, but so far as we were concerned, we came to a deadlock. It is excellent training, however, and makes one feel several years older. We afterward learned that my opponent was a Latter Day Saint (Mormon).

     The Sunday evening following was T. P.'s first turn. He had actually thirty persons there to hear him speak of the Trinity. I introduced him by telling the people that he was acquainted with their town, that last year he had attended the Aviation school in their midst.

     Four of the persons who were present at my talk were there to hear T. P. The instant he finished speaking, our Mormon friend asked, "If Christ was the only person,-who ruled the Universe while he was a babe?" T. P. shone in his answers. They were good and clear and settled the people. He was asked all the hardest questions there are on the Trinity, and such passages were fired at him to explain, as Christ ascending up to the right hand of the Father, or where Stephen apparently sees the Son standing by the Father, in his vision before he was-stoned.

     On the same Sunday we had a most interesting visit to the summer home of the Boerickes on Lake Keuka, about three miles from Hammondsport, where I was invited to conduct the service. There were eleven New Church persons present, and it was the first service that I had ever conducted alone.

     The day continued as enjoyable as it had begun, and it was a day that we shall always remember because of the kindness and cordiality of our host and hostess.

     Monday we pulled stakes and moved to Bath, where we had planned to finish our series of lectures. We secured a large but somewhat musty smelling and ill-lit hall, which paraded under the rather flattering title of "The Gem Theater." T. P.'s lecture was scheduled first, the subject to be "Heaven and Hell." We advertised it with all our might and main, adding the press to the methods pursued in Hammondsport. We put in a quarter page display ad in the public paper.

718


The results were somewhat gratifying for when it was time to begin T. P. had an audience of 36 persons. His talk was very interesting, and was evidently making a strong impression on some of his auditors, for, after the discourse, we sold 4 H. H., and seven persons asked for pamphlets. One of the men had just lost his wife. He was an intelligent colored man. He said that he was much comforted by the talk.

     The following night I held forth, on the subject of "How to understand the Bible." It was a scorching hot night, and only 22 persons appeared in the hall, but that was just 100 per cent. more than I had had in Hammondsport, so I was not so disappointed.

     I began by showing the weight that the New Church places on the Bible. Then I pictured how John Bigelow had lost his faith in the Bible and had it restored through reading the ARCANA COELESTIA. From which I discussed the spiritual value of the Bible, I concluded by showing the internal sense of the parable of the ten virgins, and the wandering of the children of Israel in the wilderness. When I asked for questions no one had any to ask, but everyone took the pamphlet, and four persons seemed very interested. One man bought two H. H. and one S. S. In all we sold six copies of the Writings, which was not so bad for an audience of 22 persons.

     One young man, 23 years old, was much interested. He said that he wanted to talk with us, so we went out and had a soda together. He took home two of the works and said that he would read them and give them to his mother to read. He said that he often thought about such things as the Godhead, and the spiritual world, and he could not agree with his church doctrine on those subjects.

     The next day we spent in recreation at the Boerickes. On the following morning Theodore received a phone message from Raymond that his father had passed to the spiritual world.

     At once we made preparations to return home, and arrived in Bryn Athyn in time to be present at the memorial service held in memory of Theodore's father. It was a sad occasion, as Uncle John had provided the means that made the trip possible, and it seemed too bad that he should not at least see some of the results.

     In "our next" we shall tell of our later work and adventures in Scranton, Allentown, and other places. K. R. ALDEN.

719


Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA. In sharp contrast to the leisurely way in which B. A. life rolled along this summer, stands out the crowded activities of the month of October. It seemed as though everything had to be done at once. First and foremost in the mind of all has been the school. There is every indication that this is go in to be a "banner" year for "Our Own Academy." Personally, I have attended at least eight school openings, but never before have I been so impressed with the sphere of true distinctive New Church education.

     The Bishop did an unprecedented thing in his opening address on Oct. 2nd. Instead of repeating the habitual speeches that have been made on such occasions since time immemorial, he launched out into a deep and comprehensive presentation of the fundamental doctrine of the New Church. Namely, how our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ could bring forth the Infinite Father to view before finite man.

     It so happened that the opening of schools took place on the day before Father Benade's one hundredth birthday. The result was that there was a turning of the hearts to all the-se essential principles that he stood for, and the thought of his indomitable courage and vigorous leadership. The President's reception to the students, that was held in the evening of opening day, was pervaded by this spirit of Father Benade. Mr. Donald Rose had prepared a number of lantern slides illustrating the life of the founder of the Academy. He accompanied his picture with a lively talk which was very -enjoyable, especially to those younger sons and daughters of the Academy who must see Father Benade through the eyes of history alone. The whole reception was pronounced a great success!

     The following day marked the one hundredth anniversary of the first Chancellor's birthday, so the whole school assembled in the Chapel in Benade Hall to take fit cognizance of the fact.

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Prof. Odhner delivered an impromptu address on the life of Bishop Benade, and gave the student body the benefit of the sphere of his personal intercourse with his great teacher. Other private celebrations of the event took place in and about Bryn Athyn.

     After the whole registration was completed we were amazed to learn that there was a total of 158 pupils receiving regular instruction in the Academy schools this year. These pupils are distributed as follows:

Theological School      4
College (Women)           8
Normal (Women)          8
College (Men)           3
Boys' Academy           34
Girls' Seminary           33
Elementary School      73

     Besides these there are 50 enrolled in Extension courses.

     Up to the present time those in charge of the working half scholarship students say that the system is working finely! This is a new and great idea that will make New Church education possible to many more persons in the coming years than have been able to pursue it in the past.

     In the line of sports the Boys' Academy is looking forward to a great year. Just think of it, they are getting enough boys out on the field for daily practice to form three teams! Of course, there is a great deal of green material that must be worked into shape, but by the time Coaches Pendleton and Finkelday get through with their material Bryn Athyn will have a wining team. Unfortunately, the first game of the season was staged against Radnor High, our old rivals, and our boys went down to defeat by the score of 20-0. However, they fought a good game, and the fact that Radnor had lost only two of her last year's men, and we had lost the majority of ours, accounts for the score.

     The newly organized Bryn Athyn Fire Company, No. 1, had its first drill October the 14th. The chief, Mr. Edwin T. Asplundh, had arranged a large pile of wood shavings from the new church building; so that when the alarm rang there was a real blaze to extinguish.

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Almost before the whistle had ceased sounding the alarm, many of the firemen had reached the fire house and had pulled out the chemical engine and hose cart. Mr. E. C. Bostock attached the latter to the back of his car, and in two shakes of a lamb's tail he had dragged it to the proper fire plug, attached it and was speeding with the unwinding roll toward the scene of the fire. The chemical engine was not far behind. Although it arrived last it was the first to pour its fluid on the fire. During the course of operations Mr. Bostock's hose squad managed to drown hoseman No. 3 of the chemicals.

     All the various clubs of Bryn Athyn have gotten under way again. The College Club had an opening reception to the new prospective members. A feature of this meeting was an address on the art of Public Speaking, what it is, and what it is not, by Mr. Theodore Pitcairn.

     Among the pupils from abroad we must mention five from the boreal regions of Saskatchewan,-young people from the German New Church societies of former Mennonites. These are of the harvest of Mr. Waelchli's sowing. Another northern visitor is Froken (Miss) Senta Centerwall, of Stockholm, who recently received the Heavenly Doctrine through the Rev. Gustaf Backsstrom; she is taking a course in the Normal department. The most recent arrivals are Senhor and Senhora Levindo Castro de La Fayette, of Rio de Janeiro. The Senhor is the founder and leader of the New Church in Brazil, and expects to attend the Theological School during his sojourn in Bryn Athyn. He and the Senhora are on their wedding trip, which occupied 27 days from Rio to New York.

     Bryn Athyn now has its own secular newspaper, or part of one, THE BRYN ATHYN CITIZEN,-constituting the last page, a full six-column page, of THE HATBORO SPIRIT, a large and well established weekly, published by the Robinson Co. at Hatboro, Pa. The page is to chronicle the purely local, personal, and civic news of Bryn Athyn, with comments on subjects of political and public interest. What next in the pulsing and pushing life of our growing community?! K. R. A.

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     ALLENTOWN, PA. Allentown desires to report that it has once more, after many quiet years, experienced a "revival." Through the long continued activity of Mr. Price in this field a little band of sterling Newchurchmen have been held together. With this nucleus to start with, the work of the N. C. M. T. in Allentown was made more practical than elsewhere, because they received the active and hearty co-operation of the resident New Church people. It has been arranged by Bishop N. P. Pendleton to have services there in a hall every Sunday through the coming year. Mr. Price will continue his monthly ministrations, and the intervening weeks will be occupied by the theological students of the Academy, who will take turns preaching there.

     The congregation can now count on twenty active members, and there is every indication that this number will be increased before the end of the year.

     GLENVIEW, ILL. Although the Chicago District Assembly of 1916-a notable one in the history of Immanuel Church-is not yet over, enough has occurred at the present date to make it the chief topic of this news letter. Saturday, Oct. 7, the day before the opening of the Assembly proper, was given over to preparation, without meetings of any kind. The buildings and the various rooms were put in order and workmen were busy trying to reduce the road around the park to a presentable condition. This affair of the road has not been mentioned before, so let it be known that this road, which for many years has been au naturel or almost in a state of nature, is at length to be civilized, educated and refined into a boulevard. If all the objurgatory, exclamatory and condemnatory expletives that coal teamsters, furniture drivers, etc., have discharged at it during the past twenty-five years could be collected, they would make a solid foundation for the road; these not being available we are using stone.

     The Friday supper on the 6th, although two days before the opening of the Assembly proper, had a heightened interest because of the presence of the two bishops at the table. Bishop N. D. Pendleton gave an interesting post-prandial account of what he hoped would develop into a very useful feature of the Bryn Athyn schools,-the working scholarships.

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A sort of informal reception, or rather an unstudied and delightful conversazione, was held after the supper until a late hour. At this period of the evening your reporter did not observe that anybody was listening but all seemed to be having a good time.

     On Sunday the 8th instant this historical Assembly opened with the first Divine service ever held in the church proper. The sermon was by the senior Bishop, but Bishop N. D. Pendleton and the Rev. W. B. Caldwell assisted in the service. The salient features of the sermon were that work on earth is necessary in order that man may live in heaven, and that association with men and women of similar beliefs is a second necessity.

     In the afternoon at 4 p. m. the most holy sacrament of the Supper was administered by Bishop N. D. Pendleton, assisted by the Rev. W. B. Caldwell and the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith. Nothing was wanting in this administration of the sacrament to make a profound impression: the episcopal vestments, the new and stately building and the recent dedication, all contributed to make this occasion epochal. The clear, distinct delivery of the junior bishop was a boon; every word came easily to the ears of the audience without the slightest strain on the part of those who composed it.

     The dedication of the buildings took place at the close of the morning service, the Bishop N. D. Pendleton officiating. The sacred repository, the organ, the pews, the school, the social rooms and all other parts and appurtenances of the group of buildings were severally designated, blessed and dedicated to their respective uses in a brief address full of spirit and feeling.

     DENVER, COL. The present church year was begun with a morning service on Sept. 3rd. The sermons for the month gave much helpful instruction on the subject of our Lord as the "Lamb of God." The sacrament of the Holy Supper was administered on the first Sunday of October. Fifteen persons availed themselves of the opportunity of taking part in this most holy act of worship. It was the first time our pastor had administered this sacrament since his entering upon the work of the ministry, he having been ordained into the second degree on the nineteenth of June last.

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A strong devotional sphere marked the service.

     The Sunday School opened Sept. 17. The Friday afternoon class for children began Sept. 22. In this class Bible History is the subject for study for the older ones, after the drill in singing, in which all are instructed. The younger ones are entertained with stories and pictures. At the close a little treat of cakes and candy is enjoyed one of our devoted members always furnishing this because of her love for the children. The adult class for doctrinal study and practice of church music has been changed from Friday evening to Wednesday. Its first session was held October 4. Practice of the new offices was begun at once. The subject for class Study is the Doctrine of the Lord as given in Arcana Coelestia in the history of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. While there have been no formal gatherings in a social way as yet, we have enjoyed two events very greatly. On the occasion of the hurried home-going of the Alvin Nelson family an opportunity was given to meet them in a hotel near the station. Several of our members were able to spend an hour or two with them exchanging the experiences of the summer, and wave their affectionate farewells as they departed for the train. The other event was the unexpected visit of Mr. Arthur Ebert, and his attendance at worship one Sunday.

     On invitation of Mrs. Howland the Sunday School enjoyed a very delightful picnic on Sept. g in Washington Park. There were fifty in the party, some of whom were visitors. Twenty-four of the children were our own.

     Our pastor's parents are making their home with him this winter. L. M. D.

     KITCHENER, ONT. Although silent for some time we have by no means been sleeping. After a quiet summer, (with the exception of a lawn social, several picnics, two dances, and a good deal of tennis), we resumed activities in September with renewed vigor.

     Under the present regulations our soldiers are allowed a four days' leave once a month. On one of these home-comings we took the opportunity of holding a young folks' social at which we gave a shower to Mr. and Mrs. Victor Waelchli, who had very recently been married.

725


Two days later "The Boys," being still with us, we held a flag raising at which, with pride and joy, we saw our flag unfurl from the beautiful fifty-two foot pole, which our young men had so carefully prepared and erected.

     School opened on September the eleventh with a service in the chapel, at which Mr. Odhner delivered an appropriate address to the children on "Building the Temple." Our teaching staff is this year the same as last year.

     On Mr. Waelchli's return from the West we spent a Friday evening listening to a most interesting account of his summer's work. Owing to Mr. Waelchli's yearly accounts, we feel more or less acquainted with our Western New Church friends, and were pleased to be able to entertain Miss Anna Hamm and Messrs. Henry and Erdman Heinrich for a few days, when they stopped over on their way to school at Bryn Athyn.

     Early in September a postponed memorial meeting was held for Mr. John Pitcairn. After a service and address by Mr. Waelchli the meeting was laid open for remarks. Many members spoke, all expressing deep affection for Mr. Pitcairn and gratitude to the Lord for raising up such a strong and noble man who could perform so great a use to the Church.

     On Thanksgiving Day we celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of our society with a supper and dance. The banquet room was prettily decorated with autumn leaves and fruits, and the many happy faces seated at the tables made an imposing sight, especially to those older members who had been with us from the beginning. Mr. Waelchli acted as toastmaster, and presented a concise and interesting history of our society since the' days before "The Separation." After several speeches, we closed the banquet with a toast to "Peace" and one to the "Country."

     A Thanksgiving service was held for the children on Sunday morning at which Mr. Waelchli delivered the address. F. R.

     REPORT OF THE VISITING PASTOR, on the 4th of July I set out from Kitchener (then still named Berlin), Ont., for the summer's work in the Canadian Northwest.

726


On the 7th, at Winnipeg, Man., I spent several hours with our two members, Mr. Fred. Roschman and Mr. Jacob Peppier, and on the 8th reached Chaplin, Sask., where I had visited the last two summers, and was now again to spend some time. Six New Church families, and others interested to some extent, live on farms in the near vicinity of Chaplin. On Sunday, the 9th, services in German were held at the house of the Rev. Peter Hiebert, the former pastor of the Chaplin society, but now incapacitated by ill health; attendance, 42 persons. On the following day a drive of seventeen miles to the south brought me to a locality where, living on farms, there are about twelve New Church families and others who are interested. Here I remained nine days. During this time there were five services, each including a sermon, and three gatherings for conversation on the doctrines. The average attendance at the services was 47, and at the gatherings 22. With the exception of one missionary sermon, all the work was in German. The principal service was on Sunday, the 16th, at which there was an attendance of 75 persons; an adult was baptized and there were 32 communicants at the Holy Supper. The gatherings for conversation were delightful occasions. One of these was an all-day meeting, when various questions asked were considered morning and afternoon, and two meals were partaken of in common. The work here concluded, I returned to the neighborhood of Chaplin where, in the course of four days, an English and a German service were held, and also a gathering for conversation. At the service on Sunday, the 23rd, there were 78 persons present, among them quite a number from the neighborhood to the south, spoken of above. At the Holy Supper there were 45 communicants.

     On July 25th, after a journey of 250 miles, I arrived at Rosthern, Sask., where I had spent three preceding summers. Here I remained six weeks, ministering to the society there and also to the circle at Hague, twelve miles distant. The program of work at Rosthern was as follows: Sunday morning, services; Tuesday and Friday afternoons, school for the children; Monday evening, class for children aged 13 to 15 years; Tuesday and Friday evenings, doctrinal class.

727


The services and the Friday evening class were conducted in German. At Hague religious instruction in English was given to the children on Sunday afternoon, and services in German were conducted in the evening. At Rosthern some changes were made in the order of worship: the use of the offices in the German liturgy, which are similar to those in the old Academy liturgy, was introduced, and during singing, as also during the offices, the people stood, instead of remaining seated. The average attendance at worship was 38. At the school instruction was given in the letter of the Word and in the general doctrines of the Church. The average attendance was 14 children. At the Monday evening class, for older children, stories from the Memorable Relations were told. These were much enjoyed, not only by the eight pupils, but also by the quite large number of young people and adults who attended regularly as visitors. At the Tuesday evening doctrinal class HEAVEN AND WELL was read, in continuation from the three preceding years. At the Friday class the subject was the last chapter of the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION on "The consummation of the Age, the Advent of the Lord, and the New Heaven and the New Church." A part of the time of this class was given to reviewing the article by Mr. J. Howard Spalding, appearing in translation in BOTE DER NEUEN KIRCHE, and advocating the permeation theory. The average attendance at the doctrinal classes was 19 persons. At Hague nine pupils attended the school, and the average attendance at worship was twelve. On my last Sunday I did not visit Hague, but instead several of the members came to Rosthern and joined in the worship there. The Holy Supper was administered to 27 communicants. On Monday evening, September 4th, a farewell banquet and social, both for the visiting pastor and for the five Rosthern young people who will this year attend the Academy Schools at Bryn Athyn, was held at the house of Mr. and Mrs. John Hamm. Thirty adults, two of them from Hague, and nineteen children were present. After a time, the children under thirteen years having retired to another part of the house, a number of toasts were proposed and responded to. Then followed songs by the young people, while the older members enjoyed themselves at cards.

728


The entire evening was most delightful.

     On my homeward journey I stopped for four days with Mr. and Mrs. George Pagon, at Kenora, Ont., and services for the family were held on Sunday, September 10th, when also the youngest child was baptized and the Holy Supper celebrated. F. E. WAELCHLI.

     SYDNEY, N. S. W. We celebrated the nineteenth of June on Sunday, the 18th, by Divine worship and the Sacrament of the Holy Supper at 11 o'clock, and by a supper in the evening at 6. At the latter the table was tastefully adorned with flowers, and with the pretty silk banner that has graced many previous festivals. Red and white were the prevailing colors. In addition to the palatable things provided, was the novel introduction of appropriate quotations from the Writings, which each guest found at his or her place, and which each read aloud at the conclusion of the supper.

     At 7:30, the Rev. R. Morse read the 19th chapter of the Apocalypse, the Memorandum from T. C. R., 791, and the spiritual sense of Rev. 19:9. He then gave a short address upon the distinctiveness of the Church.

     A toast to "The Spiritual Growth and Prosperity of the Lord's New Church," was proposed by our minister and was responded to by Mr. A. Kirschstein, who expressed the hope that with the year of earthly time, the Church had passed through a new and higher state. We should feel no anxiety on account of occasional turbulent influences springing up within the Church, but should rather be thankful for them, seeing that trials and temptations are necessary for the regeneration of the Church, as well as of the individual. They are a sign of life. Only we must meet all trials in the proper spirit; in love to the Lord and in trust and confidence in Him. Our love to the Lord can be shown by loving what is His, that is, His Church. It is our duty to uphold truth to the best of our ability; but we should not in our zeal become uncharitable and condemn our neighbor, seeing how impossible it is for us to judge his spiritual state. We know that the angels of the highest heaven always excuse, never accuse.

729


Should we not strive to come into a like state of perfection?
Only by so doing shall we be helping the Church in fulfilling its duty of preparing men for heaven. Let us bring angelic affections into ultimates, that is, into everyday life, then we may be sure that the Lord's blessing will be upon our Church, which is life for evermore.

     The next toast was to "The Absent Ones." The Rev. R. Morse responded, setting forth the sterling qualities, as Newchurchmen, of members who were not present in person, and concluded by reading an affectionate greeting, sent by Mr. H. S. Jones, of Lithgow.

     Mr. A. Kirschstein proposed an impromptu toast to "Our Minister," to whose untiring efforts it has largely been due that the doctrines of our Church have been upheld to their standard in Australia. The toast was honored with much enthusiasm. Several interesting readings on New Church subjects were given during the evening.

     Although the number present was not huge, a delightful sphere prevailed and brightness and quiet enjoyment characterized this year's festival. (A. K., in A 19TH OF JUNE SOUVENIR.)

     FROM OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

     UNITED STATES. The Urbana University has added two more New Church ministers to its faculty,-the Rev. Warren Goddard, formerly pastor of the society in La Forte, Ind., and the Rev. Louis A. Dole, a recent graduate of the Theological School ire Cambridge, Mass.

     The gathering of the New Church people at the two resorts on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan,-Palisade Park, and Covert Beach,-has been unusually pleasant this summer. At different times there were represented all four parishes of the Chicago Society, and also Glenview, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. . . . Services were conducted in the New Church meeting house at Covert Reach, Mr. Seymour Nelson, of Chicago, leading the services early in the summer, before the arrival of the ministers.

730


Rev. David H. Klein, of Chicago, officiated on July 30th; Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, of Pittsburgh, on July 6th, and Aug. 13th; Rev. Willis L. Gladish, of Franklin Park, Ill., on Aug. 20th, and Rev. John Stockwell, of Philadelphia, on July 23d and August 27th.

     The attendance at these services was better than that of the preceding year, and a very friendly sphere prevailed. Mr. Synnestvedt gave several talks on the doctrines to the adults, and Mr. Stockwell talked to the boys and girls. (MESS., Sept. 6.)

     The Los Angeles Society believes that it is entering into a new period of increased activity and usefulness. On the first of November the Rev. John R. Hunter, formerly of Cleveland, O., becomes its minister, with the expectation of continuing to serve the Society for at least three years.

     GREAT BRITAIN. The Rev. Arthur Wilde, the Secretary of the Swedenborg Society, has recently returned from a journey to Sweden on behalf of the Society, his mission being to make new arrangements in Stockholm for the completion of the work of phototyping Swedenborg's manuscripts.

     We note with interest the keen enthusiasm with which the English Conference is sending forth a missionary to India. It is a pleasure to see that they are sending one of their ablest men into a field where the highest abilities are required to bring success to the enterprise. The minister chosen for this work is the Rev. S. J. C. Goldsack, widely known in New Church circles as a preacher and author.

     Mr. Goldsack left England on the steamship "Mongolia," bound for India, on September 15th. He was accorded many farewell meetings by the various Societies in England and Scotland, the reports of which show the deep interest with which the Church of England is watching his efforts. His purpose is one in which the whole of the New Church is profoundly interested. He is to be in India for eight months.

     Prof. Bhatt is to be asked to translate the NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE into the most suitable Indian dialect. This work will be published as soon as it is completed. The work of evangelization will be conducted through a wide lecture tour, the itinerary of which cannot be told until he arrives on the spot, but the general plan will be to lecture in the larger cities where there are a few isolated receivers.

731




     DENMARK. The Nineteenth of June was celebrated this year by a gathering in the hall of the Copenhagen Society, Boyesgade 11. All the seats were occupied, and there was a strong feeling that this day here also is more and more coming to stand as an evidence, a most memorable day of our Church. After the singing of a number of hymns, and reading from the Word, the minister delivered a memorial address; the meeting was concluded by the administration of the Holy Supper to nineteen communicants.

     BIRMINGHAM. The Birmingham Commemoration.-The Sunday and Monday, June 18th and 19th of this year, will long linger delightfully in the memories of the New Church friends of Birmingham and of those others in the Midlands who complied with their invitation to take part in the festive commemoration of two historic events in the Annals of the New Church.

     On Sunday, June 18th, a special festal service arranged for the occasion by the minister, and printed by a few of the friends, was used, morning and evening, the attendance on both occasions being very good, despite the fact that the war and holidays prevented many from being present. The sermon in the morning quoted largely from the morning sermon delivered 125 years previously by the Rev. Joseph Proud, at the consecration of "the New Jerusalem Temple" erected in New Hall Street, near Lionel Street, Birmingham, and the first in the world to be erected for New Church purposes. The sermon in the evening had for its text the same that Mr. Proud had used (2 Samuel vii. 30), but the treatment departed largely from Mr. Proud's treatment of it, being, in fact, a spiritual exposition of its meaning, with especial application to the Divine Providence in the history of the New Church in Birmingham.

     On Monday evening an unexpectedly large and enthusiastic gathering assembled in the hall of the Sunday School building. The hall had been tastefully decorated with flowers by the ladies. A large show-case, containing rare books and other articles bearing upon the first church, was under the care of Mr. Charles F. Senior.

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Among the articles was a collection of twenty-seven token coins published in 1796, and bearing on the obverse the pictures of twenty-seven public buildings of Birmingham, one of them being "The New Jerusalem Temple. Erected 1790," another being the meeting house in Paradise street, which was rented for some years by New Church people under the Rev. William Faraday. This set, which is very rare, was loaned by Captain A. Rabone, now with his Majesty's forces in France. Among the rare manuscripts were the original "Church Book" of the Birmingham Society, dating from 1791; the memories of Proud kindly loaned by the Conference Library; Proud's diary on his return from Manchester to Birmingham, and Benton's Short History, both loaned by C. B. Bragg, Esq. Among the books were Proud's "Two Discourses" delivered at the dedication ; his "Twenty Sermons" delivered during that year; Priestley's "Letters to the Members of the New Jerusalem Church," and the replies by Proud and Hindmarsh; specimens of Swedenborg's. Works as far as published in English at the time of the dedication of the Temple; one of Proud's Hymn Books, published in 1791 showing the binding in purple leather with gilt stars, in which handsome dress the book appeared on the cedar book boards on the memorable day of the opening of that first church; also a copy of the first New Church catechism, published in Birmingham at a very early date, the work of William Arrowsmith, and loaned by Captain John Arrowsmith Best, great-great-grandson of the author of the little book, and now serving with his Majesty's forces in France.

     On one of the walls of the hall were hung portraits of Birmingham New Church people, among them being six generations in direct male descent of the Bragg family, including the first John Bragg, who was converted to the New Church with his wife and her parents by their attending the consecration services of the "temple" on Sunday, June 19th, 1791.

     After the assembled friends (among whom were numerous descendants, direct and indirect, of the first John Bragg) had engaged for some time in social intercourse, and in the admiring inspection of the exhibits, the leading singers of the famous Wretham Road Church choir, Mesdames Powell and Russell, and Messrs. Darrall and Wheway, (all four of them members of the Society), delighted the assembly with musical selections, Miss Schreck accompanying them on the piano.

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     Thereupon followed, illustrated by lantern slides, a history of the establishment of the New Church in Birmingham, and the building of the "temple," with a sketch of the beginning of the New Church in England generally, in so far as this bore upon the Birmingham movement.

     Refreshments and social intercourse followed. The Women's League, to whom Mr. Schreck had been reading and explaining chapters in HEAVEN AND HELL for the past two years, had made a new set of ministerial vestments, in the stitching of which every member of the League had taken part to express their affectionate appreciation of his ministry among them. These vestments had been presented to him personally as a surprise to mark the occasion, and he had worn them for the first time on the preceding day. He now utilized the social meeting to tender his heartfelt thanks for the beautiful and acceptable gift, and for all that was expressed by it to him. (NEW CHURCH WEEKLY, July 8.)

     MAURITIUS. A lady, writing under the signature "Mauritienne" in the NEW CHURCH WEEKLY for July 8th, speaks thus of the work of the Rev. C. A. Nussbaum in the islands: "I am delighted to see how much life there is in the Church. The new pastor, Rev. Nussbaum, is beloved by all-big and small-and he is doing very good work, especially among the children. It is touching to see their love far him and his for them-delightful to see how keenly both parents and children attend classes. On Sundays in church I am often surprised to see how intently even the tiny children listen to the sermon and follow the service. Their eyes seem riveted on their beloved pastor. I feel sure a great deal of good is being done to these little ones, and I trust our pastor's health, which is rather delicate, will improve, so that his stay in our midst may be long and prosperous.

     "Several young men of our small community have gone to the front and are doing well,-others have joined the militia locally."

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STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD 1916

STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD       Rev. HOMER SYNNESTVEDT       1916




     ANNOUNCEMENTS.




NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. XXXVI DECEMBER, 1916 No. 12
     (A paper read before the General Assembly, Bryn Athyn, Pa., June 17th, 1916.)

     It was on July 30th, in the year 1877, that the Academy of the New Church sent forth the first issue of its magazine, the WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH, proclaiming for the first time the faith of its founders in "The Advent of the Lord," in the Writings of the New Church.

     And at the end of October, of the same year, the Academy published the second Issue of its serial, dealing now with "The State of the Christian World." It was this second issue, rather than the first, that aroused the almost universal opposition to the Academy, but nearly forty Years of our collective study of the Writings and observations of the signs of the times have confirmed the fact that the Academy here presented the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, concerning the lamentable and hopeless state of spiritual darkness and desolation into which the erstwhile Christian Church has fallen.

     This is the fundamental Academy position, based upon the authority of the Writings. Were we to cease standing for this view, there would be nothing left that is characteristic of the Academy in any of its activities, and we would probably were back into the Convention or drift elsewhere.

     But this true view, now first Divinely revealed, of the actual state of the world and of the "damnation which stands at the doors and threatens," which is so clearly and forcibly presented in the Academy's first publication, became at once a center of attack.

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Many years were spent in controversy. A whole generation of warriors was raised up, whose chief exercise for years became the hurling of spears and other deadly missiles at the Convention and the Old Church. Thus in course of time, while the truth became more and more clear, the emphasis with some became over-balanced. It is time now to attempt a restatement,-to restore, if possible, a just balance of emphasis. The lapse of forty years, and our many experiences in the wilderness, ought to make this possible.

     Here is the difficulty and the danger. Unless the distinctiveness of the New Church is maintained there will be left no Church Specific. This is the sole valid difference in practice between the older bodies of the New Church, on the one hand, and the Academy and the General Church of the New Jerusalem, on the other.

     It was the late Rev. B. F. Barrett, an extreme permeationist, that consistently held that al in the Old Christian Church,-Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and all, (he did exclude the Catholics, I believe),-were alike included in the New Dispensation, and this by a miraculous change in their interiors through the altered conditions in the other world, resulting from the Last Judgment. He, it was, who once said upon the floor of the Convention: "You will have to come to me or else go to Mr. Benade. No half-way position is tenable."

     Surely he was right, for unless the distinctiveness of the New Church is maintained somewhere, there will be no Church Specific. This Church has a visible boundary, marked by the Lord with the sign of Baptism. Outside of that boundary, there is only the Church Universal, which is known as to its whereabouts by the Lord alone. This Church itself would perish, we are taught, were it not for the heart and lung action of the organized and specific church.

     What a shock this truth was to the New Church people, when first forced upon their attention by the founders of the Academy! It was vigorously, nay, indignantly assailed from every quarter. First they asserted that the Writings were nothing more than Swedenborg's understanding of Divine things, and by net means Divine, or Divinely authoritative.

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Second, that the Christian world was no longer such as described in the Writings. Third, that the New Church is by no means a new organization, separate and distinct from the old ones, but rather a new spirit permeating the whole Old Christian Church, and destined to revive and restore it. Each of these assaults, and many more, were patiently answered from the Writings themselves. Nor was there wanting among the Academy men a broad spirit of genuine and discriminating hopefulness, for they held that while relatively few of the Old Church would come into the New, yet these few would, in the aggregate, amount to a large number. (See WORDS FOR THE N. C. Vol. I. p. 351.) Moreover they expected the posterity of this remnant to "largely, if not wholly, cover this land" in the end.

     Later on, however, there seemed to arise, in the Academy itself, a set of men who were so rigid and harsh in their judgment, and so condemnatory of the "unsound ones" who dared to differ from the prevailing mode of wholesale and indiscriminating condemnation of everything Old Church, that a reaction became inevitable. A judgment from truth alone is weak, and so narrow that every one soon sees that it does not fit all cases. It lacks the wisdom that comes from seeing one's own lack and the difference that actually exists between the ideal, seen at first only by the intellect, and it lacks the real conditions, involving many adaptations of the ideal.

     This kind of harsh and uncompromising judgment is characteristic of youth. It is represented by Ishmael, and yet it seems it must be, passed through in order to attain to the Isaac state. Better a literal' and unperceptive state, if it springs from loyalty to the revealed truth, than to push it all aside, because of natural charity, and be unwilling to teach or even listen to the "hard sayings" which our merciful Savior has judged it best for us to hear.

     It should be remembered, however, that those persons who were most aggressive and unsparing in their "Distinctiveness" afterward reacted most violently and finally left the Academy, a fact which is another indication that this was not the true spirit of that body.

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     The successful passing through of the Ishmael state demands of the individual, first, a sincere loyalty to the truths so uncompromisingly held, and second, experience, which comes with the efforts to apply those truths to their own life, from conscience. This brings an early realization that the ideal state of the Church is far from the real state, not only in others, but also in ourselves. Without detracting from the ideal in the least, or being unwilling to hear it and teach it, this discovery at once alters our attitude toward our fellow mortals in relation to it.

     It especially teaches us the need of prudence and patience in all matters of application of the doctrines. Each individual must be free to make application to his own conditions. In this state there is not the same quality of harshness and desire to judge others, even to the willingness to condemn and cast aside. Without faith and the truths of faith, there is no salvation. But this youthful state, if confirmed, or if not passed through, becomes such as that of Cain, who said: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

     It is not the setting up of walls and gates which the New Jerusalem has to fear so much as it is the inclusion afterward of the real enemies the self-love and pride which those same walls are designed to exclude, together with their falsities.

     We must have walls and we must have gates, but most of all we need faithful and keen-eyed watchmen upon the walls and wise judges with plenty of strong guards in the gates. We must have walls if we would have a city, but the walls of "the city which cometh down from God out of Heaven" are spiritual walls, with foundations of every precious stone. They are not designed to keep worthy people out, for the twelve gates stand open all the day, and there is no night there. But they are designed by their Divine maker to act as a bulwark against evils and falsities. Unless those appointed to man the defenses of the Holy City serve them to this end, and unless the inhabitants themselves co-operate most zealously in excluding-not persons, but the lusts and fantasies of hell, they will be worse than useless on the walls. In that case they will be like a garden wall surrounding a bed of weeds, or like a Babylonish tower for the exaltation of pride and the subjugation of the world. Walls do give strength, and self-seeking men are ever at hand to divert this strength to their own purposes.

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The Lord our king is our only protection, and He is present, giving answers to all who inquire through the glory of the Opened Word. Every leader, therefore, must be made to show his authority from the Writings.

     Let us freely grant, then, this difficulty: that, if we put a wall of exclusiveness around any person or family or small group, they will soon begin to show stunting effects. Fantasy and conceit of intellect, and later of goodness, grow apace in such an environment. One begins to cramp another. Intelligence grows apace, and soon it becomes practically impossible to think independently and to live one's own life unmolested or uncriticized. Such is the course of the small isolated community and of the New Church as it exists with us of today. We are always spiritual rather than celestial at first.

     In view of all this, it was excusable that many of us should have experienced a state of reaction against the earlier Academy policy of a too rigid exclusion. We had had our experiences and had seen some of the drawbacks of these extremes in a community life shut off from full and free intercourse with outside interests and people. Many of us felt the need of going out to the great Universities of the world to get necessary stores of scientifics.

     But of late years it has become increasingly evident that a return to first principles is necessary, or the General Church would go the way of its predecessors. The present effort, therefore, is in the direction of maintaining a balanced and adaptable distinctiveness, for we realize that otherwise the great heritage of the New Jerusalem will not abide with us and our posterity. We feel that while in itself it was not wrong or even in many cases undesirable to give of our own time and strength to outside interests, the result was,-in our present weak and struggling state,-that the Church Specific in some centers was in imminent danger of ultimate extinction, and that if we would preserve a remnant of our seed we must be called upon to make sacrifices,-at least make the Church uses and activities upon all planes our central interest, cutting out whatever stood in the way of these paramount needs.

     Worship, instruction, and social life are all necessary in order that a church center may be maintained and perpetuated.

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Any person who has once imbibed the fundamental truths of the New Church may be saved by them, even when isolated. It is indeed definitely taught that a man can be saved without church attendance and without any sacraments. But while a man of the New Church may thus maintain himself in a salvable state, experience shows that more than this is needed to perpetuate the Church Specific. That the Church Universal can be preserved among the Gentiles, and even with a remnant in the midst of the consummated church, does not prove that an organized external church or Church Specific is not necessary. On the contrary, the Writings most definitely teach that such an ultimated church, with all that belongs to it, is necessary even for the maintenance of the Church Universal, for it acts thereto as heart and lungs. Moreover, experience enforces most sharply the same lesson. When worship is not maintained and made attractive, when instruction is not diligently and systematically given, the New Church in any place quickly shrinks and dies out.

     What, then, about the social life of the New Church? Must we make the effort and the apparent sacrifice necessary to maintain a distinctive social life, especially in smaller centers, where it is so difficult on account of the lack of numbers? Facing the front page of the NEW CHURCH LIFE We have nailed to the mast the old Academy flag in these wards: "The New Church is to be distinct from the Old, in faith and practice, in form and organization, in religious and social life." But now the question is raised in some minds: Is not that going too far? Is not this an evidence of exclusiveness rather than distinctiveness?

     To each generation, even those raised in the sheltering atmosphere of a New Church social enclosure, the time comes, as it must come to all, to fare forth into the wide world and its uses. Each one must face this question and work out, both in theory and in practice, a practical solution for himself. The general principles he has been taught from the Writings. The adjustment to his environment must be made by himself, and must be changed from time to time as his circumstances change. It becomes the more important, then, to make clear and broad the deal, the guiding principles as taught by the Lord and reinforced by the wisdom of experience, in order to make it capable of such adaptation without breaking or being cast aside as unworkable.

741




     When this is done I feel that we shall not hear much of the question whether distinctive social life within the Church, is desirable, but only as to when and how far it is practicable under given circumstances. It is only where the teaching has been too narrow or too rigid, that one who is well disposed towards the Church and loves its goods and its truths will ever raise a question as to the Ideal.

     What must the Church Specific do to be saved? What is necessary to preserve and perpetuate it as a distinct body of use, capable of performing its most vital and indispensable functions in the midst of the Great Man of Human Society in both worlds?

     How can the Remnant, that is, the salvable elements in an old dispensation, be gathered out of the midst of an old church and be gathered together to hear the voice of the Lord walking in the twilight of a new day! How can the motley elements so gathered be welded into some kind of a new organism? And after a beginning has been made, and like a new ship on her maiden voyage, has creaked and strained her parts into a unity of pulls and stresses,- has found herself in fact,-how can such a new body acquire and assimilate new materials to sustain her uses and provide for growth and reproduction?

     This is our problem, the Academy's problem, par excellence. It is the great crucial problem of the second and the third generation,-the problem of perpetuating a Church after it has passed through the state of its first enthusiasm, and has to deal chiefly with its own offspring who have never known the contrast of the new with the old, who never fought their way out of a vastated church, who did not enter as by a, great deliverance into the priceless heritage of truth; and freedom, which, to the pioneers of the New Church, meant more than life itself.

     That first generation is passing and as it recedes it tends to assume, in our eyes, the proportions of the heroic. We see how they devoted everything, sacrificed everything, to the Church, gave up worldly positions and dropped social and even family relations, in order to devote their time and interest exclusively to the life and activities of this New Church,-the field containing the priceless treasure for which a man will literally sell all that he hath.

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We see how they either married within the sphere of this faith or remained unmarried. How they received, willingly, all the children that the Lord sent them, ungrudgingly accepting all the burdens of such large families, and counting no sacrifice too great if only they could maintain for them a New Church School, and New Church social life. But how is it now! Do those children appreciate all this at a value approximating its cost, or do they accept with indifference as a matter of course? Do they appreciate and cherish the old establishment, or are they restive and desirous of leaving it for the more pleasurable haunts of luxury and worldliness?

     The young men and women of the younger generation are here with us now. If their presence here by the hundreds, if their evident enthusiasm, if the speeches they have made at this Assembly, and the uses they are already so ably doing in their zeal to bring every son and daughter of the Academy within the reach of her influence, is any criterion, then, indeed, is our future full of promise. And let this be our greatest safeguard, lest much of this enthusiasm be expended in useless treading over of the circuitous paths of the past, namely, that we have learned this one great lesson, that it is the spiritual things of the Church that must be kept alive at all costs, and that this spirit can be preserved only in a body, a Church Specific, which is founded and maintained at all costs solely to that end.

     Our Church must be maintained as an oasis or isolated enclosure where the fundamental interests of domestic and religious life can be preserved, as an abiding place for the reception and perpetuation, in this pleasure-mad world, of something of heaven, something of the conjugial, something of the love of use for its own sake, with all the moral and civil virtues that follow in the train of a true religion.

     Furthermore, we know what is necessary if this is to be done. It can not be done by faith alone. It can not be done by instruction alone, even in strong schools under skilled teachers. It can not be done by piety alone, even by a beautiful and entrancing ritual. For each of these is only one means, and all of them together are only means to the great end.

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It is our soul that must first be saved, the immutable spirit of the New Church, which with us has taken the form of what we call the Academy Spirit. This must be protected and maintained and renewed by temptation combats and victories in order for us to be able to perpetuate our Church. Self-examination before the Lord, and finally actual repentance, this is the only means of building the Church and the only means under heaven of continuing it. Self-satisfaction, contentment,-not with our lot, our inherited field of opportunities, but with ourselves,-a snug self-complacency, and, most of all, a feeling of pride and superiority over others on account of our beautiful and rational doctrines, all these can but lead to our undoing. More than once have we seen societies lulled to sleep by charming preachers preaching smooth things and crying, Peace, peace, where there was no peace. Intellectualism, conceit, and the desire to stand high in our own estimation of other circles in the world have been the undoing of many societies.

     But all these vicissitudes were foretold by our Lord from the beginning, (as in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew and in the Apocalypse throughout). Even He Himself, as representing the Church, had to undertake similar assaults. But as He by His own arm overcame each of these hells and now holds them under control, so can He deliver us from them all if we but turn to Him in humble and undivided loyalty, and endeavor to put into our lives, in full faithfulness, the great principles of -the Word which are now revealed to us in the Writings. For the promise still stands: "After these four churches a new church will arise which will be the true Christian Church foretold in Daniel and in the Apocalypse and by the Lord Himself in the Evangelists; which church was expected by the apostles."

     Let this he our hope, then, as we humbly repeat these most holy and blessed words: "find the Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is a-thirst, come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

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WORD 1916

WORD       Rev. L. W. T. DAVID       1916

     "The Word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the self of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar, and the hand of the Lord as there upon him. And I looked, and behold." (Ezekiel 1:3, 4.)

     When the Word of the Lord comes to men it always descends into the states proper to men and makes itself manifest in those states and by means of them. If it did not do so there could not be any revelation, for men cannot have any idea that is not derived from their experience and thought and that is not a part of their state, neither can they have any knowledge of anything unless it enters into their idea. Hence it is that the Divine, to reveal itself, always takes on these states of men and thus presents itself to view. Otherwise men would never know that there is a Divine Being, that the Lord is that Being, and that He is to be obeyed and worshiped. Hence also it is that every Divine manifestation appears exteriorly as merely human, and is held as such by men unless by an opening of interior sight the Divine is seen glorifying and exalting that exterior. To see in some measure the Word glorified is essential to heavenly life and the existence of the church on earth.

     When the Lord came on earth in the flesh, all men saw Him as a man like themselves, and even His followers who had heard His teaching and seen His miracles thought of Him as a man teaching and doing only earthly things, and when all was over they began to return to their homes and to take up their former occupations. But the Lord came to establish a Church which should worship Him in spirit and in truth, and for this it was necessary that the Divine should be seen and acknowledged by the disciples.

     The means by which the Divine was disclosed was nothing else than the Human which He had taken on, and which seemed to men to be like themselves. This was their idea. But when their eyes were: opened on the Mount of Transfiguration, and still more when He was seen after the resurrection several times, He was seen glorified by the Divine within and at last ascending into heaven out of their sight.

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Thus all their natural ideas of Him were glorified, and He was seen actually to be the Divine Man. It was this idea or knowledge of the Divine that held them together thereafter, that gave them perception and power, and caused them to work, and to form the church in worship of Him. The church was then a living church, and remained so as long as this simple idea was dominant in it. But it became a dead church as soon as this idea was set aside by contrary ones, that is, when the Divine was divided into three persons and the Divine nature of Christ was separated from His Human nature. The consequence of these doctrines was that all divinity and thus all glorification was taken away from the Lord's Human, while of the Divine Itself an idea must be formed separate from that Human; thus there could be no idea of it except an erroneous one. As a further consequence the church declined into idolatry, or the worship of an external without an internal, the worship of the human of the Lord separated from the Divine,-of that which is properly called the Son of Mary, which was a plane for infernal influx and temptation,-of that which died and was utterly rejected and dissipated in the tomb. This became the object of worship in the dead church, and at the present day the prevailing thought throughout Christendom regards the unglorified human, whether with adoration or otherwise, but does not see the Divine at all. Hence the church is dead. This is because men see in natural light and not in spiritual light, and sight from the natural eye alone closes the understanding.

     The same things are found to be true with respect to the Letter of the Word. There also the Divine took upon Itself human forms and ideas in order to present Itself to human minds. And when the Lord, beginning at Moses and the prophets expounds unto us in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself, (Luke 24:27), our interior sight is opened to see the Divine internal of the Word, and all its externals are glorified and elevated before us and there is given a new establishment of the church when the former church has become extinct. But if, on the other hand, the Letter of the Word is separated from the Divine, the Divine is lost to men from the lack of an idea, and the Letter becomes a dead thing, and then any worship of it or faith, in it is an idolatry.

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The Lord is known and the church continues to live and to be illustrated just so long as the Divine is seen in the forms It has taken to Itself, and thence those forms themselves are seen to be Divine.

     The descent of the Word into the states of men is described in the third verse of the first chapter of Ezekiel: "The Word of the Lord came expressly into Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi. In the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar, and the hand of the Lord was there upon him." (Ezek. 1:3.) By "Ezekiel the priest," to whom the word of the Lord came, is meant in the historical sense the Jewish priesthood in general, to which had been given all the Law and the Prophets, and which was charged with preserving them. But in an abstract sense is meant the religiosity of the Jewish nation in which the Divine of the Lord clothed Itself in order to reach that people and reveal itself there, and thus at last the very Letter of the Word is meant, which is of and from that nation and its religion, law and tradition.

     All the religions, rituals, laws and traditions of ancient times were derived from the Ancient Church and its Word, and although they differed very much in different places, closely reflecting the characteristics of each community of people, yet because of their origin all of them contained the Divine of the Lord and revealed it until they were perverted and destroyed. Of these the Jewish was the most ultimate and material, and hence among the Jews the Divine of the Lord clothed Itself with the most external, material, and corporeal ideas and forms; the representatives are less remote than they were elsewhere, i. e., they are nearer to earthly things, so near in many places that one would hardly be persuaded that they were representative of spiritual and Divine things at all. Because this nation made it possible for Divine Truth to descend into ideas so ultimate that there could be no further descent, and because means or ideas were put on adequate for the Divine to meet the states of the most natural of men and thus of reaching all men to eternity, (for nothing human could exist more external than that nation and its ideas), therefore, it was of the Divine Providence that the Word should have been given in its Letter there to be preserved in that form, forever, and that nation should have been preserved to guard and care for that external most zeal busy even though as to internal's there was complete opposition.

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     The quality of this people to whom the Word came, and of the things that it took on from them, is more or less evident in the literal story itself, and is represented by the fact that Ezekiel was among the captives in the land of the Chaldeans.

     The Chaldeans represent the profanation of truth. In the Writings this representation is variously stated; thus, Chaldeans are those who in externals profess truths but in intervals, that is, in will and life, deny; or those who are in a holy external but are interiorly in falsity, (A. 6534, 3901, 4355); "who orally profess the Lord with holy veneration, but at heart worship themselves and the world so that the worship of the Lord is their means of gaining honors and wealth." (n. 3599.) Such are in a state of profanation, and the state of the Jews was of this kind when the Lord denounced them as "hypocrites," "whited sepulchers," and "ravening wolves in sheep's clothing," and that which was profaned was the Letter of the Word that they had. The Jews first profaned the truths of the Word by their continual lapsing into the filthy idolatries of their neighbors and mingling them with their own worship. It was on this account that Assyria and Babylon or the Chaldeans came and earned away into captivity Israel and Judah, to represent that false reasonings and profanations of good and truth had taken possession of the church; but actually to put an end to profane worship of Jehovah together with other gods that had become prevalent in Samaria and Jerusalem. Later, after the captivity, the Jews further profaned the Word by maintaining a very holy and correct exterior while having within evil loves and falsities, extortions, adulteries, pride, and tradition making void the Law. These two states of profanation of truth are seen clearly in the Old and New Testaments, respectively.

     Profanation of truth with the Jews was, however, relatively light, for it was external. Truth can be profaned by evil and false internals only so far as it is known and acknowledged, and the Jews never knew any other truth than the most literal sense of the Word.

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     In an abstract sense Chaldea signifies "cognitions," or scientifics of faith "which have been profaned by falsities that are in them." These cognitions are internal truths from the Word such as constituted the Christian faith, and of which the ancient Jews were wholly ignorant. The Lord taught them! to His disciples, and pointed them out in all the Law and the Prophets, and they were the doctrine of genuine truth in the Christian Church that gave it life and illustration. When that church came to its end through evil loves and false reasoning there was a new profanation of truth in which both interiors and exteriors were carried away into captivity in Chaldea, were united with heresies and idolatries and so profaned.

     "Internals are what can be profaned, and this is why man is permitted rather to Five in pleasures and cupidities, and thereby to remove himself from internal things, than to come into the cognition and acknowledgment of internal things and profane them. For this reason the Jews are permitted to immerse themselves in avarice, so that they may be removed the more from acknowledgment of internals, for they are such that if they were to acknowledge they would not do otherwise than profane. . . . It is the same with many within the Church." (A. 1327.)

     The profanation of exterior truth among the Israelites corresponds with the profanation of interior truth in the Christian Church, and the captivity in Chaldea represents the infernal state of both. The presence of the prophet among the captives represents the presence of Divine Truth in the Letter of the Word where it comes to men descending even to their lowest states and revealing itself to them in terms of those states. Ezekiel himself was one of those captives. This is the reason why the Old Testament shows so vividly and so extensively the evil and profane qualities of the Hebrews. They could not have received the Word in any other form. And at the same time by the correspondence just mentioned it also shows most vividly the qualities and states of a church which has profaned interior truth, and addresses itself to that church representatively.

     On account of these things, as has been said before, the Letter of Divine Revelation, if seen only in natural light, appears merely human.

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Yet we have seen that it is essential that the Divine be seen in some measure if man is to become conjoined with God in heaven, and that the Divine is seen by an opening of internal sight. The Word itself shows this many times and notably in this first chapter of Ezekiel. Nearly the whole of this chapter is a description of a wonderful representation of Divine Revelation and of the appearance of the Divine, or of seeing it in Revelation. Hence it is a representation of the real quality of Revelation. This representation was seen in the spiritual world by the prophet, for he himself says, "the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God." (Ez. 1:1.) Thus the vision tells of the Word when it is seen in spiritual light by the eye of an intelligence illustrated by the Lord. Only by this sight can the Divine be seen; without it man will see nothing but nature and the natural states of men.

     In the third verse we are told that the low state in which man is by nature, individuals, or collectively as a church, is a state of profanation of truth, and of how the Word comes to him in that state, and appears to him even in natural light. But in the next verse we begin to be told how that Word appears when seen glorified in its own heavenly light when sight from the understanding opens the eye to see "visions of God." To see these visions we must open our eye. We must do it ourselves for the Lord does not show us things that we do not desire to see. There are three words that indicate the sequence: "came," "looked," "behold." The Word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the Priest, ... and I looked, and behold."

     It has been shown how the Word comes to men even in their grossest natural states. But if it is to be seen men must receive it, respond to it, and be affirmative to it; they must make themselves present with it by turning themselves towards it. All this is meant by the word "look." This tells the essential thing on the part of man or the Church.

     There are, in general, two spiritual states: presence and conjunction, and their opposites, absence and opposition. Presence is a state of likeness as to the thought of the understanding. Conjunction is a state of likeness in the affections of the will.

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The state of likeness in the understanding, when the thought of one is similar to the thought of another, is mutual sight; it is expressed by words meaning sight and seeing, and in the other world it gives also the actual sensation of sight which is presence with another, and this without any of the limitations of earthly space and time.

     Presence may be a mere presence in which the affection is not stirred, nor curiosity aroused when the sensation is most general and also obscure, and the memory is hardly affected. This may be comprehended in the meaning of sight, but it is the least of seeing, and such presence is transitory. There are men to whom the Word comes and who see it in just such a way, those who are meant, in the Parable of the Sower, by the wayside where the seed fell to be immediately snatched away by birds.

     But when we speak of "looking" we mean sight of a very different nature, a sight that has behind it affection or intention, both of which are of the will. To "look" means to view a matter with a desire to understand it more fully, or to see it as something desirable to make one's own. Thus in "looking" there is always involved some kind of conjunction, a conjunction of thought and affection, or of will and understanding, and also a conjunction of man with man in common affection and thoughts.

     The sum of many such conjunctions makes a man's life, and it is heavenly or infernal, according to the quality of his affection, or what is equivalent, according to the nature of the things he has looked for.

     Here, however, the conjunction that is meant is the internal conjunction of man with the Divine, the conjunction that is heaven itself when it is realized, for the thing which came to Ezekiel and caused him to "look" was the Word of the Lord. And a man "looks" when the affection of his will is active. Hence to "look" is to see the Word that it is desirable to desire to make the Word one's own, to desire to build the things of the Word into the life of his own affections, thoughts, and works. To look means reformation, from its beginning, which may be called conversion, the first conscious turning of the mind to see the Lord in His Word, even to its end, which is regeneration, or conjunction with the Lord in the angelic life. This is a looking which once begun must not stop until the course is finished, nor even then, for that way is the way of profanation.

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The sum of all things blessed and eternal is to look to the Lord in His Word. Then the Word will be no longer seen as only human but as Divinely Human, glorified by the presence of the Divine Itself within. Then he will behold the vision. "The Word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the Priest, . . . in the land of the Chafdeans by the river Chebar, . . and I looked and behold." . . . Amen.
DIVINE HUMAN 1916

DIVINE HUMAN              1916

     A STUDY.

     (Continued from NEW CHURCH LIFE for November, 1916, p. 696.)

     7. That the Lord as to His Human became the Divine Truth itself or the Word in ultimates by fulfilling all things of the Word.

     "By fulfilling the Law is not meant merely that He fulfilled all the Commandments of the Decalogue, but that He fulfilled all the things which are written concerning Him in the Law and the Prophets, that is, in the whole Sacred Scripture; for this treats of Him alone." (D. LORD 8.)

     "The Lord came into the world to fulfil all things of the Word, and thereby to become the Divine Truth or the Word in ultimates also." (Gen. articles, S. 98; T. 262.)

     "The unition of the Human and the Divine was effected by the Lord fulfilling all things of the Word in its three senses." (R. 820:2.)

     "The Lord came into the world in order to fulfil all things of the Word, and therefore it is so frequently said that this thing and that were done by the Lord in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.'" (T. 852.)

     "The Lord is love itself and wisdom itself, thus good itself and truth itself; and this He became by fulfilling all the good and all the truth in the Word. For he who thinks and speaks nothing but truth becomes that truth; and he who wills and does nothing but good becomes that good.

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And as the Lord fulfilled all the Divine truth and Divine good contained in the Word, both in its natural sense and in its spiritual sense, He became Good itself and Truth itself,-that is, the Word." (T. 263.)

     "Since the Lord by the assumption of the natural Human made Himself the Divine Truth in ultimates, therefore He is called the Word, and it is said that the Word became Flesh; and the Divine Truth in ultimates is the Word as to the sense of the latter. This He made Himself by fulfilling all things of the Word concerning Himself in Moses and the Prophets. For while every man is his own good and his own truth,-and a man is a man on no other ground,-the Lord, by the assumption of the natural Human, is Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself, or what is the same, He is Divine Love itself and Divine Wisdom itself, both in firsts and in lasts." (221.)

     8. That it was as the Word in the Jewish Church that the Lord was rejected, condemned and crucified.

     "That the Lord was betrayed by Judas signifies that He was betrayed by the Jewish nation, with whom the Word then was; for Judas represented that nation." (D. LORD 166; T. 1303.)

     "That they put a crown of thorns upon the head of the Lord represented the treatment of the Word then in the Jewish Church, namely, that it was suffocated by the falses of lusts. The inscription on the cross, Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews, represented that the Divine Truth or the Word was held in such a view and suffered such a treatment by the Jews, with whom the Church was." (A. 9144.)

     "The Word signifies the Divine Truth. His (outer) garments signify truths in external form, and His inner garments signify truths in the internal form; the division of the (outer) garments represented the dissipation of the truths of faith by the Jews." (A. 9093.)

     "All things done to the Lord by the Jews at His crucifixion signified the states of their Church with respect to the Divine Truth or the Word." (A. 9144)

     "Their crucifying Him signifies that they had destroyed and profaned the whole Word." (D. LORD 16; T. 130; E. 122.)

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     "That the Lord is called the 'Son of Man,' when the passion is treated of, is because He suffered Himself to be treated in the same manner as they had treated the Word." (D. LORD 24.)

     9. That it was as the Word in the nascent Christian Church that He arose from the sepulcher and was seen by the disciples alone after the resurrection.

     "That the angel rolled away the stone from: the mouth of the sepulcher signifies that the Lord had removed all the falsity which had closed up the approach to Him, and had opened up the Divine Truth; the stone was the Divine Truth which had been falsified by the Jews by their traditions." (E. 400.)

     "In place of man's idea about the burial of the dead, the angels who are in the life of the Lord-have an idea of resurrection and new life. And this also is the case, for there is always some Church on the earth; and when an Old Church expires and night comes on, then a New Church arises elsewhere and there comes morning." (A. 2955.)

     "That the Lord rose again on the third day also involves this that Truth Divine, or the Word as to the internal sense, as it was understood in the Ancient Church, will be resuscitated at the consummation of the age, which also is the Third day." (R. 2813.)

     10. That it was as the Word that He ascended unto heaven in His glorified Human.

     "So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19.)

     "To sit at the right hand of God signifies a state of power from the truth which is from; good, which, when predicated of the Lord, is omnipotence, and it also signifies the Divine truth which proceeds from His Divine good." (A. 4512.)

     "'The man of thy right hand' (Ps. 80:17) signifies the Lord as to the Word; He is so called because the Lord has power from Divine truth." (D. LORD 27e; E. 298:6.)

     "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted: from, them, and was carried up into heaven." (Luke 24:50, 51.)

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     "'To bless' signifies the reception of Divine truth from the Word, and through it conjunction with the Lord." (A. 10495.)

     "'No man hath ascended up to heaven but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man who is in heaven.' (John 3:13.) From this it is evident that 'the Son of Man' is the Divine truth in the heavens, . . . for no one can ascend into heaven, unless the Divine truth in him has descended from heaven." (A. 9807:9.)

     "'The Son of Man" signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human, and this is the Word, which was God and which became flesh." (R. 273e.)

     "'The Son of Man' signifies the Divine Truth such as is on the earth; thus the Word such as it is in the natural sense." (E. 778:3.)

     "Ye shall see the Son of Man ascending up where He was before. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and are life." (John 6:62, 63.)

     NOTES.

     From all these teachings it is evident that the scene of the Ascension into heaven was a representative scene in the world of spirits,-the spiritual eyes of the disciples being opened.

     As a matter of fact the Lord had already ascended unto heaven-and above the heavens-for at the resurrection itself His Human was fully glorified and united with the Divine Itself.

     The scene of the Ascension took place in order to instruct the disciples to look away from the letter that killeth, and to look up to the spirit that quickeneth, i. e., the spiritual sense of the Word which is the Son of Man or the Divine Truth in the heavens. And it was provided in order to prepare the Christian Church for the reception of the Lord in His Second Coming as this same Spiritual Truth, for "this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11.)

     11. That it is in the Word and as the Word that the Lord in is Divine Human has made His Second Coming in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

     "The disciples knew that the Lord would 'come again,' by which they understood that the Lord would once more come into the world; not yet knowing that the Lord has come whenever the Church has been vastated, not indeed in person, as when He assumed the Human by birth and made it Divine, but by means of appearings,-either manifest, as when He appeared to Abraham, Moses, and Joshua; or not so manifest, as by the inspirations through which the Word was given, and afterwards through the Word; for the Lord is present in the Word, because all things in the Word are from Him and concerning Him." (A. 4060.)

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     "'Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he observing the words of this prophecy,' signifies that the Lord is certainly to come, not in person, but in the Word, in which He will appear to all who will be of His New Church." (R. 944.)

     "Without the Coming of the Lord into the world no one could have been saved. It is the same at this day; and, therefore, unless the Lord had dome again into the world in the Divine Truth which is the Word, no one can be saved." (T. 3.)

     "The Second Coming of the Lord is not a coming in person, but in the Word, which is from Him and is Himself." (T. 776.)

     12. That the Divine Human within the written Word is one and the same with the Divine Human outside of it.

     "In John we read: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' Few know what is meant here by 'the Word.' That it is the Lord is evident from the particulars involved. And the internal sense teaches that the Lord as to His Divine Human is meant, for it is said that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. And because the Divine Human is meant therefore, by 'the Word' is meant all Divine Truth which is concerning Him and from Him in His kingdom in the heavens and in His Church on earth. Hence it is said that in Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men and the Light appeared in the darkness. And because the Divine Truth is meant, therefore, by 'the Word' is meant every Revelation, thus also the Word itself or the Sacred Scripture." (A. 2894.)

     "The Advent of the Lord is the Revelation of Himself and of the Divine Truth which is from Him, in the Word, by means of the internal sense. For the Lord does not reveal Himself anywhere except in the Word, nor there otherwise than by means of the internal' sense." (E. 36.)

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     "God is everywhere, thus both within and without an angel; and hence an angel can see God, that is, the Lord, both within himself and without himself: within himself when he is thinking from love and wisdom, and without himself when he is thinking about love and wisdom." (W. 130.)

     "In the supreme sense all things in the Word, both in general and in particular, have relation to the Lord; and the Lord is doctrine itself, that is, the Word, not only as to the supreme sense therein, but also as to the internal sense, and even as to the literal sense. For the literal sense is representative and significative of the internal sense, and the internal sense is representative and significative of the supreme sense. And that which in the Word is representative and significative, in its essence is that which is represented and signified, thus it is the Divine of the Lord." (A. 3393; read the whole number.)

     "That the Word is the Lord, because from the Lord, is because the Word is the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord as a Sun, and that which proceeds is His from whom it proceeds, nay, is Himself; and therefore the Divine truth, from which both angels and men have all their wisdom and intelligence, is the Lord in heaven. That it is also the Word such as it is with us in the world, is because the Word is the Divine truth in the ultimate of order, and contains the spiritual sense, which is the Divine truth such as it is in heaven." (E. 797.)

     "As the Lord is the Word, the Divine truth in it is His Blood, and the Divine good is His body. For is not every man his own good and truth? But the Lord is the Divine good and the Divine truth, and these two also are the Word." (R. 555.)

     13. That in the Written Word alone, and as the written Word, the Divine Human is now visible to men.

     "The dragonists said that they did not wish to know anything about a visible God, but about the invisible. It was said to them that the Lord is also the invisible God; for He is one with the Father, and is in the Sun of heaven, and has been invisible in the world ever since His ascension from the sepulcher. But they were all unwilling to accept this." (S. D. 5742.)

     "To 'see God' is to believe in Him, thus to see Him by faith; for they who are in faith, from faith see God, because God is in faith.

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The Lord is seen only by faith, because faith is the eye of love, the Lord being seen by love through faith." (A. 3863.)

     "The Divine of the Lord cannot appear to any man, nor even to any angel, except through the Divine Human; nor the Divine Human except through the Divine Truth which proceeds from
Him." (A. 6945.)

     "'And they saw God.'. . . To see, spiritually, is to see from faith. That Moses and Aaron saw the God of Israel, that is, the Lord, is because the laws promulgated from Mount Sinai signify in a wide sense the Word in its whole complex. And the Word is the Divine truth from the Lord, which in its supreme sense treats of the Lord alone. Wherefore they who are in enlightenment when reading the Word see the Lord, and this takes place from faith and from love. This is effected in the Word alone and not in any other writing whatever." (A. 9411.)

     "'And they shall see His face.'. . . By seeing the face of the Lord is not meant to see His face, because no one can see His face,-as He is in His own Divine love and Divine wisdom,-and live; for He is the Sun of heaven and of the whole spiritual world. For to see His face, as He is in Himself, would be as if one should enter into the sun, by whose fire he would Lie consumed in a moment. But the Lord sometimes presents Himself to be seen out of His Sun; but He then veils Himself and presents Himself to the sight, which is done by means of an angel; as He also did in the world before Abraham, Hagar, Lot, Gideon, Joshua and others; therefore, those angels are called angels and also Jehovah; for the presence of Jehovah was in them from afar. But by their seeing His face is not here meant to see His face thus, but to see the truths which are in the Word from Him, and through them to know and acknowledge Him. For the Divine truths of the Word make the light which proceeds from the Lord as a Sun, in which light the angels are; and as these truths make the light, they are like mirrors in which the face of the Lord is seen." (R. 938.)

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     14. That our only conscious relation with the Lord in His Divine Human is by means of the written Word. Through it alone Be is present with the men of His Church, speaking with them, and leading them to conjunction with Himself and to eternal salvation.

     "The Lord enters man solely by an internal way, which is through the Word, and through doctrines and preaching from it." (P. 131e.)

     "The Lord is the most present in the sense of the letter, and He teaches and illustrates man from it." (S. S. 50.)

     "The Lord is most present in the sense of the letter, and nowhere else, and illustrates and teaches him the truths of the Church." (S. 53.)

     "The Lord never operates anything except in fulness; and the Word in the sense of the letter is in its fulness." (S. 53.)

     "By means of the Word the Lord is present with man and is conjoined with him, since the Lord is the Word, and as it were speaks with man in it; also, because the Lord is the Divine truth, and the Word is so also." (S. 78.)

     "The Lord speaks with the man of the Church in no other way than through the Word, for He then illustrates man so that he may see truth, and also gives him perception to perceive that it is so." (A. 10290:2.)

     "He who loves truth because it is truth, can as it were interrogate the Lord in doubtful matters of faith, and receive answers from Him, but nowhere else than in the Word, for the reason that the Lord is the Word." (E. 1089.)

     "The Word is the sole medium through which man approaches the Lord, and into which the Lord enters." (T. 142).

     "The Lord made the natural man in Himself Divine, to the end that He might be the first and the last, and thus could enter with men even into their natural man, and teach him from the Word, and lead him." (INV. 56.)

     "By the Word alone there is communication and conjunction of heaven with the world, thus the Lord with man." (H. 258.)

     15. That the Divine Rational, the Divine Natural, and the Divine Sensual do not constitute three distinct degrees in the Divine Human, but are infinitely one in the Lord; but they stand forth distinct in the Word according to the quality of the men who receive it.

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     "The lower things of the Church are said to be from the Divine Natural and the Divine Sensual; not that these things are lower in the Lord, because in the Lord and in His Divine Human everything is infinite, since He is Jehovah as to each essence; but it is so said because it is so in man. For those who are sensual men apprehend sensually the things which are in the Lord and from Him, and those who are natural apprehend them naturally. But those who are celestial men, and hence are truly rational, perceive interior things, and it is said of them that they are taught from the Lord's Divine Rational." (A. 4715.)

     "They who are in the most holy idea about the Lord, and are at the same time in the knowledges and affections of good and truth, are conjoined with the Lord as to His Divine Rational; but they who are not in such great holiness, nor in such interior idea and affection, and yet are in the good of charity, are conjoined with the Lord as to His Divine Natural; and they who have a still grosser holiness are conjoined with the Lord as to His Divine Sensual." (A. 4211.)

     "They who are of the external church cannot raise their thoughts higher than the Divine Natural; whereas they who are of the internal church raise it above the Natural to the Internal." (A. 6380.)

     "The Sacred Scripture in its inmosts is nothing but God, that is, the Divine which proceeds from God. Such it is in its inmosts. But in the derivatives, which are beneath and are thence, these Sacred Scriptures are accommodated to the perception of angels and men; in these there is similarly the Divine, but in another form, and in this form the Divine is called the Divine Celestial, the Divine Spiritual, and the Divine Natural." (T. 6.)

     "From the zeal of His Divine Love, Jehovah is like a consuming fire; and were He to enter into man in this without His Human, He would dissipate man. . . . It was otherwise, however, after He assumed the Natural Human, and, when glorified, united this to His Divine, and thus conjoined into one in Himself the Divine Celestial, the Divine Spiritual, and the Divine Natural.

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He was then able, by means of this, to conjoin Himself to man in the man's natural, yea, in his sensual, and at the same time to his spirit and mind in his rational, and thus to enlighten man's natural light with heavenly light."

     16. That in the literal sense of the Word the Lord still comes to us in His Human,-the Human of the Lord Jesus Christ as He was on the earth,-and He thereby leads us to the Divine of His Human as revealed in the spiritual sense of the Word, For these two senses of the Word are one, even as the Divine and the Human of the Lord are one.

     "Unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine,-so that man would be able in his mind to look upon and adore the Human of the Lord and thus approach the Divine,-no one could have been saved." (A. 3441.)

     "This New Church is the crown of all the Churches that have hitherto existed in the world, because it is to worship one visible God, in whom is the invisible as the soul in the body. Thus and not otherwise is a conjunction of God with man possible, for man is natural and therefore thinks naturally, and the conjunction must exist in his thought and thus in the affection of his love, and this is the case when he thinks of God as visible." (T. 787.)

     "That before the assumption of the Human God was not visible, the Lord Himself teaches in John: 'Ye have neither heard the voice of the Father at any time, nor seen His form,' (5:37); and in Moses, that 'no one can see God and live.' (Ex. 33:20.) But that He is visible through His Human is stated in John: 'No min hath seen God at any time; the Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath made Him manifest.'" (T. 787)

     "It would be impossible for man to acknowledge God and anything belonging to Him, unless God had manifested Himself in a personal human form." (COR. 48.)

     "The spiritual sense of the Word has been disclosed to me by the Lord; which has never before been revealed since the Word was written among the children of Israel. And this sense is the very sanctuary of the Word; the Lord Himself is in this sense with His Divine, and in the natural sense with His Human." (INV. 44.)

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     17. That the Word is the mirror of the Lord in His Divine Human, and that our finite image of the visible Lord is the reflection of Himself as He stands revealed forever in the written Word.

     "The presence of the Lord in the heavens is everywhere, and is with each one in the good and truth which proceed from Him; consequently He is in His own with the angels. The perception of the Lord's presence is in their interiors; from these their eyes see, and thus they see Him outside of themselves." (H. 147)

     "Thought itself causes presence, for the person thought of appears as if present before the internal sight. In the other life this is actually the case, for when a person there is thought of intently, he becomes present." (A. 6893.)

     "The Lord is in an angel, and the angel is in the Lord. But on account of the appearance that the Lord as a sun is outside the angel, there is also the appearance that the Lord sees the angel from the sun, and that the angel sees the Lord in the sun, which is almost like the appearance of an image in a mirror. Wherefore, if we may speak according to that appearance, the case is thus, that the Lord sees and looks at each one face to face." (W. 125.)

     "The Divine which forms the inmost of the Word, and which in its derivatives is draped by things adapted to the perception of angels and men, beams forth like light through crystalline forms, although varied according to the state of mind that a man has formed, either from God or from himself. To every one who has formed the state of his mind from God, the Sacred Scripture stands as the mirror wherein he sees God, but everyone in his own way. This mirror is made up of those truths that a man has learned from the Word, and which he makes his own by living according to them. From all this it is evident that the Sacred Scripture is the fulness of God." (T. 6.)

     "Everyone can see that a man's knowledge of God is his mirror of God, and these knowledges concerning God enter through a posterior way, being derived from the revealed Word by the understanding through the bodily senses." (T. 11.)

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     This is what was written on a paper which an angel gave to Swedenborg: "Enter hereafter into the mysteries of the Word, which heretofore has been closed up; for all the truths of the Word are so many mirrors of the Lord." (T. 508.)

     "If a wise man were to see a picture of one Divine Person, with rays of heavenly light about His head, and over it the: inscription, 'This is our God, at once the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Regenerator, and therefore the Savior,' would not that wise man kiss this picture, carry it home in his bosom, and by the sight of it gladden his own mind and the mind of his wife and his children and servants'" (T. 296.)

     "For, if you will believe me, the Lord is the Word itself, because the Word is the Divine Truth, and the Divine Truth is the Lord in heaven, because it is from the Lord. And therefore they who love the Divine Truth for the sake of the Divine Truth love the Lord; and with those who love the Lord, heaven flows in and gives light to them." (A. 10351.)

     THE END.

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Editorial Department 1916

Editorial Department       Editor       1916

     NOTES AND REVIEWS.

     In the MESSENGER for October 11th the Pennsylvania Association and the Philadelphia Society extend an invitation to the men and women of the New Church throughout the country to attend the Centennial Meeting of the General Convention and its affiliated bodies, to be held in Philadelphia in May, 1917.


     The Rev. Frank A. Gustafson, in a very lively paper on "A Religion for the Average Man," in the NEW CHURCH REVIEW for October, exclaims despairingly about his Swedenborgian co-religionists: "Why, even our best people in their religious feelings seems to possess about as much warmth of soul as is to be found upon the sunny side of a Greenland iceberg." As a cure for this frigid condition the Doctor prescribes: "Marry the New Church and the Methodist Church! Do just that, and I promise you that we shall see such an outpouring of the Holy Ghost as has not been seen since the day of Pentecost. Possibly the Methodist, Church might object to the union, 'but if it should consent we promise a race of monsters such as this world has never seen since the days before the Flood when the sons of God married the daughters of men.


     In a short paper on "The Nature of the Lord's Resurrection Body," in the NEW CHURCH REVIEW for October, the Rev. J. F. Potts maintains that the Lord "did not rise with His material body," which is, of course, self-evident; but Mr. Potts,-if we understand him correctly,-at the same time denies that the Lord "glorified His material body and thus made it infinite and Divine," for then, he says, "we are confronted with infinite and Divine matter, which is a contradiction in terms, and is unthinkable; it is like speaking of infinite finiteness, or finite infinity."

     It seems difficult to follow our friend's reasoning here.

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To "glorify" means to render Divine and Infinite, and when the Lord's material body was glorified it was no longer material or finite, but Divine substantial. That the Lord did glorify His material body is the uniform teaching of the Heavenly Doctrine, or else the words "flesh and bones" have no meaning. But Mr. Potts holds that "when the inspired Writings of the New Church speak of the Lord's body they do not mean His material body, but that external sensual degree of man which all finite men put off at death, but which the Lord then retained."

     The "external sensual," however, includes the material body itself. "The Lord made Divine all that was human with Him, thus not only rational, but also the interior and exterior sensual, thus the very body." (A. C. 2083.) "The Lord made the very corporeal in Himself Divine, both its sensuals and their recipient organs." (A. C. 5078.) "And therefore He arose as to His whole body, nor did He leave anything of it in the sepulcher, as is the case with every other man, who rises only as to his spirit and never as to his material body." (J. POST. 129.)


     The Rev. Walter B. Murray, in the MESSENGER for November 15, 1916, brings cold comfort to the over-optimistic believers in the "Permeation" Theory. We extract the following:

     "We oftentimes flatter ourselves that a knowledge of our new truth is permeating all classes and that other Christian denominations are rapidly becoming, if not in name, yet in actual belief 'New Church.' There is a degree of truth in this feeling on our part, but not as much truth in it as we sometimes believe.

     "In my home town there are seven other clergymen besides myself, a Unitarian, a Baptist, a Methodist, a Congregationalist, an Episcopalian and two Catholic priests. I have good reason to know that not one of these men accepts our idea of the Lord. An acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Divine, in some sense, but not one in the New Church sense, namely, that He is the only God of heaven and earth. These men are not lacking in progressiveness, and are actually representative, so far as I know, of clergymen the world over. I have had, to an unusual degree, the opportunity to test the views of ministers of all denominations upon the question of the supreme deity of our Lord because of my own attempt in my book, WHO IS JESUS? to proclaim the New Church view.

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Even where they have no definite view of their own, they are unwilling to receive possible light.

     "This does not mean that there are not exceptions, and many of them. My heart has been delighted many times by the most cordial endorsement of our knowledge of the Lord, by clergymen, and also by the people of other churches in great numbers. There is an increasing number of people ready to receive light upon this and all other items of our belief.

     "And yet we must not delude ourselves because of this receptiveness on the part of some into thinking that there are many in the aggregate and that the other churches are rapidly becoming 'New Church.' They are not doing so to any marked degree.

     "Let me show this from another fact. In 1910 J. Pierpont Morgan gave the sum of $100,000 to promote a World Conference on Faith and Order. The Episcopal Church in the United States became the active agency to promote this 'union of all those who accept our Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior.' Let me quote their own words, their most recently published statement, upon the object of their endeavors: 'It is to prepare the way for a world-wide Conference between representatives of Communions which confess our Lord Jesus Christ as God 'and Savior, concerning questions of Faith and Order. The Conference is to be world-wide, excluding none who come under this description.' Now from these words would we not believe that the New Church which proclaims supremely the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, which says that He is God and Savior in a way that no other Communion can rival us, would be eligible to membership in this World-Wide Conference which is to exclude none who coma under this description? But we are not. They shut us out, and will not admit us. Why? It would seem that it is because we do confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior and, since there can be but one God and Savior, as the only God and Savior. We are not willing to divide the God-head into Three Persons; but I suspect that it is because we, proclaiming that God is One, unavoidably deny the Vicarious Atonement."

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     THE LAST TWO COMMANDMENTS.

     A writer in the NEW CHURCH MESSENGER for Oct. 4th asks why the New Church follows the Lutheran division of the Decalogue instead of the Anglican numbering which divides our First Commandment into two and unites our Ninth and Tenth into one. This, the writer observes, is a cause of confusion and inconvenience, and he asks for the reason why the law against coveting should be divided into two commandments. If Swedenborg "had been the son of an English bishop instead of a Swedish one, I have no doubt he would have followed the numbering used by the English Church."

     The division of the Ten Commandments has been for ages a subject of dispute among theologians and churches. In the original Hebrew text, as first written, there were no punctuation marks; the latter, like the vowel-signs, were introduced into the text by the Masoretes, a school of learned rabbis who flourished at Tiberias in the sixth century A. D. It was the Masoretes who first divided the Decalogue into ten distinct commandments, and from a statement in the SPIRITUAL DIARY n. 2414. We are led to infer that their work as a whole was done under Divine inspiration.

     In the Hebrew text of Exodus 20:17 the last two commandments constitute one verse, but are separated from each other by the same sign that is found between each of the preceding commandments, and the same is true of the text in Deuteronomy 5:21. The Talmud interpreters, however, divided the First Commandment into two, and united the last two into one. This division was adopted by Origen and the Greek Church, while the Roman Church followed the Masoretic division, which was likewise approved by Luther. Calvin, nevertheless, for controversial reasons revived Origen's numbering, and this was subsequently adopted by the Church of England and by all the Protestant Churches except the Lutheran.

     In treating of the commandment against coveting, Swedenborg in the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION n. 325 states that "In the catechisms now in use [in the Lutheran Church] this commandment is divided into two,-one forming the Ninth, which is 'thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house,' and the other the Tenth, which is, 'thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife,' etc.

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As these two commandments constitute one thing, and in Ex. 20:17 and Deut. 5:21 one verse, I have undertaken to treat of the two together; not because I would wish to join them into one commandment, for they are to be distinguished into two as heretofore, since the commandments are called the Ten Words in Ex. 24:18 and Deut. 4:13; 10:4."

     The internal reason for retaining the original division of the Masoretes is not given in the TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, but is clearly stated in the more complete treatment of the Decalogue in the APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED,-a reason which to us, (after instruction), may seem very simple and self-evident, but which nevertheless had remained unknown and unsuspected throughout the long ages of the Israelitish and Christian Churches, where the science of correspondences was never known.

     The solution of the problem is thus stated: "The ninth commandment forbids the lusts that flow from the love of the world, and the tenth commandment the lusts that flow from the love of self. 'Not to covet the neighbor's house' means not to covet his goods, which in general are possessions and wealth, and not to appropriate these to oneself by evil arts. This lust belongs to the love of the world." (A. E. 1021.)

     "The wife, manservant, maidservant, ox and ass signify the things which are a man's own the wife the affection of spiritual truth and good; manservant and maidservant the affection of rational truth and good serving the spiritual; and ox and ass the affection of natural good and truth. In the Word these signify such affections. And because coveting and desiring these affections means to will and eagerly desire to subject a man to one's own authority or bidding, it follows that lusting after these affections means the lusts of the love of self, that is, the love of ruling, for thus a man makes His own the things of the neighbor." (A. E. 1022.)

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THOUGHTS FOR CHRISTMAS 1916

THOUGHTS FOR CHRISTMAS              1916

     In celebrating the most sublime of all events in the history of mankind, the birth of our Lord and Savior upon earth, it is important that we should bear in mind the glorious spiritual, celestial, and Divine realities concerning which we are taught in the internal sense of the Word in connection with the story of the Incarnation, and not remain merely in the historical or natural thought and worship of the infant who was born, now over nineteen hundred years ago. For it was the Word-which was in the beginning with God-which then became flesh and dwelt among us. And this birth, this incarnation or advent of the Lord, did not only take place then in the distant land of Palestine, but it is taking place even now, at this day, and in our own midst, whenever and wherever the Divine Truth of the Word is received new by a regenerating man. Not that we would belittle the importance of the ultimate historical fact of the Incarnation itself, or teach that the Divine work of the Assumption and Glorification of the Human has not been accomplished and completed once and for all times. But the benefits of this universal Divine work of mercy are realized by the individual only in the course of his own regeneration. The Lord becomes incarnate to him only when the Divine Truth is conceived in his own mind and becomes flesh in his own life. We would, therefore, call attention especially to the spiritual representation of some leading features of the ever-cherished story concerning the birth of Jesus upon earth, in application to the internal history of the reception of the Word, by the Church in general and by the regenerating man, individually and in particular.

     MARY, THE VIRGIN.

     "In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary." (Luke i:26, 27.)

     "The sixth month," preceding the seventh, signifies the fullness of time, just before the consummation and final judgment upon the former Church and upon the old unregenerate state of man.

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     The "Angel Gabriel"-a name meaning the "power of God"-is the annunciation or evangelization of the Divine Truth, descending from God out of Heaven.

     "Galilee"-the region of Canaan which was most remote from Jerusalem-represents the lowest or natural degree of the Word or of the human mind, and "Nazareth, a city of Galilee," is the most external state of the Church, in general and in the individual. "Joseph" and "Mary" represent the household of the human I mind, with its understanding and affection when in this external, natural state, just before the process of the new birth has begun.

     The woman of this future household was "a virgin named Mary," or Maria. This name means, literally, "Jehovah is my Master," for this virgin is the pure, innocent affection of the Lord's truth, which alone is active in the beginning of the regenerate life. This virgin was a bride, betrothed but not yet married. It is an affection longing for and prepared to receive the Divine Truth, but not yet conjoined with a rational understanding of that Truth, because the Truth itself had not yet been given.

     Unto this virgin the angel Gabriel appeared with the Divine announcement: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also the Holy who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke i:35.)

     The affection of Truth is the only vessel able to receive the Word of God in the beginning with any degree of life. It is, as it were, a tender womb, within which the seed of Divine Truth may be conjoined with the ovum, of the love of good or use, which here is the desire for eternal salvation. If this egg is lacking, if man possess not the longing for salvation, then the affection of Truth is not genuine, but barren. But if it exists within, then when the Divine Truth comes to man, a spiritual conception takes place, the beginning of a new will, a new life, the embryo of an angel, is created.

     But this affection of truth must be virginal, it must have "known no man;" it must be free, inmostly, from any previous conjunction with merely human notions, prejudices, and conceits. In order to receive the Truth effectually man must be open and hungry for it, and not confirmed in the falsities of self-derived intelligence.

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Thus, also, it was necessary that Mary herself should have been a virgin; for if, at this time, she had been the wife of Joseph something of the soul of Joseph would have been added to the external human of the Lord derived from Mary.

     JOSEPH.

     The man Joseph, of the house of David, to whom Mary was betrothed, represents essentially the same genius or form of mind as the Joseph of the Old Testament, the son of Jacob-that is, the spiritual genius, the spiritual church or kingdom, as contrasted with the celestial genius and kingdom.

     By this spiritual genius is understood a man who does not intuitively perceive what is true, nor spontaneously incline to what is good, but who from, birth inclines only to what is evil and false yet is able to separate his understanding from the evil will, is able to comprehend truth rationally when presented from without, and is also able to compel himself to obey this truth in his life. Joseph, therefore, stands as the type of character most common in this world ever since the days of Noah, and it was to redeem and save this race of men that the Lord came down to earth. He came to save sinners, not saints; the spiritual, not the celestial.

     The Divine Truth is the only means by which the salvation of such spiritual men may be effected. They do not perceive this Truth from within, but must learn it by external means. They cannot, as it were, beget this Truth, but may, instead, adopt it in their life, as something essentially foreign to their own inclinations. Hence Joseph could not be the real father of Jesus, but could adopt the Divine infant as his own child.

     Before the regeneration of such Joseph-men, or truth-alone-men, has begun, they do, indeed, possess a certain affection of truth; they may admire the Truth for its beauty, but are not yet conjoined with this affection in actual life. Mary was betrothed, but not yet married to Joseph. When new Divine Truth is first presented to man, his affection may, indeed, go out to it, his interest and delight may become excited, a conception takes place in his affection, but his natural rational is slow and hard, negative, and filled with fear and distrust.

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It does not instantly recognize the Divine origin of the Truth, but requires logical or ocular demonstration before it is convinced. Herein the spiritual man differs essentially from the celestial, whose speech is an instantaneous "yea, yea," to all Truth and "nay, nay," to all that is false.

     Joseph, or the spiritual man, was distrustful of the Truth newly conceived by his affection. He looked upon it as being, probably, but another human theory and man-made notion, not yet proved by science and philosophy, and he was disposed, therefore, to put away Mary from himself, to separate this affection of the Truth from his mental household.

     But Joseph being "a just man," while "thinking on these things," was visited by the angel of the Lord in a dream, and his fears and doubts were dispelled. With the man who is still in a teachable and salvable condition there remains a certain degree of external uprightness and justice, He is willing to weigh all things fairly in his mind before deciding and into this quality of justice the Lord is able to inflow with the perception which alone can convince. The spiritual man then perceives the Divine origin of the newly-conceived Truth and with full confidence in this his new perception; he takes "Mary unto himself;" he adopts as his own the Divine Truth which was first revealed to his affection alone.

     It is said that Joseph was "a carpenter," and this also is in agreement with his representation of the spiritual genius "wood" corresponds to the ultimate or natural good of life, and a "carpenter" is one who works in wood with tools of steel, or, spiritually, one who comes to the good of life only by means of the truth, by a laborious process of self-compulsion

     BETHLEHEM.

     And Joseph, "being raised from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, (Matth. 1:24), yet knew her not until Jesus had been born. This represents the first state of conjunction between the understanding and the affection of truth in the spiritual man, a state of new life, resulting from obedience to the voice of the Lord. More interior progress may now take place.

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     A decree went out in those days that all the world should be taxed, and all went to be taxed, every one unto his own city. This universal taxation represents the great judgment which, was about to take place when the Lord came into the world at the consummation of the fallen Church; the judgment, also, which must be passed upon all the thoughts and affections of the natural proprium, when the Divine Truth has been received by man in faith and heart. Every one must be taxed in his own city-that is, according to his own doctrine and life. But the city of Joseph and Mary was the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, and thither they went up from Nazareth.

     The "city of David" is that state in which the Lord's Divine Human is first recognized and acknowledged by the man who has taken the first steps in the life of actual' repentance. And this city is known as Bethlehem, the "house of bread," by which is signified particularly the truth of good, the spiritual of the celestial, the new, more interior state of perception and life, resulting from obedience to the Lord. It is in this state that the Lord is born into man's life, as he was before conceived by the affection and acknowledged by the understanding. But when we say that the Lord was born in man, we mean that man is born anew in the Lord.

     THE BIRTH.

     "And Mary brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him, in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke ii:7.)

     The infinite and eternal God of Heaven and earth, descending as the Divine Truth itself, thus became incarnate in the human infant. Like a helpless babe, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. As a human child He was willing to be instructed by others in the most simple, narrow, and rudimentary truths of religion, teachings accommodated to infantile simplicity, the swaddling-clothes of the human mind.

     And He was laid in "a manger." The omnipotent Monarch of the Universe suffered Himself to be received amongst the very humblest and poorest things of this the lowest and vilest of His earths.

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For He had come to save all men, even the most vile; He had come to take upon Himself our human inclinations to all evil, even the grossest. Hence, as Paul says, we have not a high priest who cannot be touched by the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Heb. iv:15.) And "in that He Himself hath suffered, being tempfed, He is able to succor them that are tempted." (Heb. ii:10.)

     "There was no room for Him in the inn." An "inn" represents the Church, where men are to be fed and refreshed by the food of spiritual life. But in the inn of the corrupted Church of the Jews there was no room for the Divine Truth itself, all space being preoccupied by human conceits and false dogmas, even as there is not, at this time, any room for the Lord in the "inn" of the fallen Christian Church, now that He has come again as the Divine Truth itself in His glorified Human.

     But there was room for him in the rude manger of a humble stable. This "stable" is the Word of God in its simple, unadorned literal sense, and the manger of this stable is the doctrine of truth in the literal sense of the Word, out of which the mind is nourished with spiritual food,-even as a horse is fed out of a manger.

     The Lord can be received only in that which is His own with man. The internal sense of the Word can be received by man only in the corresponding external vessels of truth, which man has learned from the letter of the Scriptures. To illustrate we learn first of all that: the Loan JESUS CHRIST is the only person in the God-head, that He alone is God, and that He is One, not two, or three. This Doctrine is the "first-born son of Mary," for it is the very beginning and corner-stone of the New Church when first established with man, and this internal Doctrine is first received, protected, and confirmed by that "manger" which we find in the letter of the Word in teachings such as "I and the Father are One," "He that seeth the seeth the Father," "in Him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily," etc. And the swaddling-clothes in which this new-born truth is wrapped are the first very general and external ideas with which we surround this truth in the understanding.

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     THE SHEPHERDS.

     "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their Rocks by night." (Luke ii:8.)

     These "shepherds," who were the first to hear the good tidings of great joy, represent the remains of good,-even as the "wise men from the East" represent the remains of truth-which from the earliest infancy have been stored up with man in the interiors of his natural man-seeds planted in the spring-time of life, impressions and recollections of infantile and youthful states of innocence and truth, early teachings and nearly forgotten experiences of affections toward the! Lord and His Word, toward parents, teachers, and companions. These remains of good and truth, though long hidden during the self-seeking age of the adult life, before regeneration has begun, still keep "watch in the night," acting in the place of the conscience which may be developed later on. Now that spiritual truth has been revealed to the rational understanding and to the mature affection, these hidden remains are called forth, and are the first to hail the advent of the Lord in the new life of man. He recognizes that the new faith corresponds to and is confirmed by all the good and truth which he recollects from his childhood. These buried seeds, like promises made long ago, now blossom forth into mature fulfillment, and through them, in the first joyous and holy states of the new life, man hears the angelic salutation: "Glory to God in the highest: on earth; peace good will to men."

     As in the individual man, so also has it been in the history of the Lord's Church in general. When a new Divine Revelation has been given, it has been received first by the remnant in the Old Church then dying. Thus when the Church of the New Jerusalem was about to be established on earth, there were, among the very first of those who received the Heavenly Doctrines, certain shepherds or clergymen in the Old Church, though, not of that Church, priests with whom there remained something of the pure faith and love of primitive Christianity-faithful pastors who kept watch over their flocks in the midnight of the Church. The history of the New Church has preserved the names of many such shepherds who have heard the angelic voice in the night, and who have hastened to worship the glorious Man-Child in the manger of His Word.

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     THE STAR IN THE EAST.

     Similar remains of good and of truth, and their opening and conjunction with the first states of the new, regenerate life, are represented by the aged Simeon and Hannah, who blessed the infant Jesus when He was brought into the temple to be circumcised; and such remains, especially remains of truth, are represented by the wise men of the East who came to worship the newborn King of the Jews.

     We are told in the Writings that these wise men came from Syria, in which land the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancient Church lingered longer than anywhere else. These Syrians had once possessed the Ancient Word, which, like the word of the Old Testament, was filled with distinct prophecies concerning the Lord's advent to the earth. Hence in all the ancient mythologies of the Orient there are legends and traditions of the Savior who was to come; and hence also Balaam, the Syrian wizard, possessed his knowledge of the Lord, as is seen in his prophecy: "I shall see Him, but not now; I shall behold Him, but not nigh; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel." (Numb. xxiv:17.)

     Thus we see that there had been a prophetic knowledge in Syria concerning the Star that Was to appear at the time of the Lord's Advent, the Star which to the wise men was a sign that the Redeemer had come, the hope and expectation of all the ancient ages.

     But in the internal sense of the Word, in its application to the individual man, the Star in the East is the knowledge or doctrine concerning the Lord, which every man has learned in some form or other in his childhood. This knowledge is chief among the remains of truth which have been stored up within him, and is that guiding light by which, especially, one is able to recognize and adore the Lord when He reveals Himself anew to the adult man.

     THE GIFTS OF THE WISE MEN.

     "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matth. ii:11.)

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     These treasures which were offered to the Lord represent all the celestial, spiritual, and natural blessings with which the Lord gifts those who permit Him to enter into them, those who seek first His kingdom and righteousness. These blessings are actually contained in the remains of which we have spoken, even as a whole tree, nay, an entire garden, is contained, potentially, in a single seed. They require but to be "opened," and they are opened when man, from faith in the Lord and from love of His Truth, performs any act of sincere repentance. The regenerating man is then gifted with gold, frankincense, and myrrh: gold is the good of love toward the Lord; frankincense is the good of love to the neighbor, and myrrh is the good of use in the natural life.

     HEROD, THE KING.

     Such, then, is a brief outline of the beginning of the regenerate life, as described in the internal sense of the Word. But this is only the beginning, the first state, a condition of delight and gratitude and exaltation, like the joy of a bridegroom with the bride, or of the mother over her new-born infant. A long life of temptations and struggles lies yet before the man-a life of many sorrows of anxiety and despair, before, at last, the self-hood gives up its life on the cross. The first of this long series of spiritual persecutions and temptations follows soon upon the birth of the new life, and is described by the fury and malice of Herod.

     This cruel usurper and tyrant was greatly troubled in his mind when he heard of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, and he immediately sought to destroy the new-born king. Herod is the ruling love of the old proprium, the long-established dominion of hell in the natural man, to whom the advent of the Lord is a source of unspeakable anxiety and murderous hatred. The love of self will not give up its dominion without a desperate struggle for the supremacy, and great is the cunning of hell in weaving its plot.

     Herod first tried to deceive the wise men from the East, by hypocritically pretending that he, too, was anxious to do homage to the royal child in Bethlehem.

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The infernal spirits do not, at first, offer any open violence to the Truth which man has recently accepted as Divine, but they try to ensnare him by offering their homage to this very Truth, by flattering his intellectual pride, and by endeavoring, in a thousand ways, to pervert the truth by showing that it may be easily reconciled with his old, sensual affections.

     Such was the method adopted by the devil when tempting the Lord in the wilderness. All the kingdoms of the world and their glory were offered to Jesus-if He would but fall down and worship the self-hood of the human nature. The Scriptures were quoted by the devil to show his apparent agreement with the Truth. But Jesus said unto him: "Get thee hence, Satan; for if is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Thus the Divine Truth of the letter of the Word was the city of His refuge.

     THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.

     The same is represented by the flight of Joseph with Mary and the infant, into Egypt, for Egypt is here the ultimate or literal sense of the Word, in which the Divine Truth resides with its Omnipotence. When a man is in temptations, he is in the darkness of night; he cannot fight or overcome the evil lust, except by shunning it, fleeing from it as from eternal death.

     He must arise in the night, and flee into Egypt; he must take refuge in the very ultimate commands of the Lord in the letter of the Law. It will not do to stop in order to parley with Herod, to reason or argue with the devil. He who does so is lost; for his natural reason, as well as all else that is his own, agrees but too well with the voice of the serpent. His whole mind becomes inundated with the lust of evil. He can think of nothing else. The babes of Bethlehem who were of the same age with Jesus, that is, the young perceptions of truth which sprang into life together with the birth of the new faith-all these are taken away from him by the infernal spirits. He cannot remember any internal truths or reasons why he should not gratify his selfish impulses-except the one reason, that he must not, because the Lord has plainly forbidden it in the Law. There he is safe, for Herod has no power over Egypt.

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NEW ADJUSTMENT 1916

NEW ADJUSTMENT       VALENTINE KARL       1916

Editor NEW CHURCH LIFE:-
     If we only could see deeper into the cause of things, and more firmly hold this truth in our mind that all events of human life, no matter how hopeless they may appear, must have, by law of Providence, something good in their end, we then could more confidently trust that the bitter strife among the: various nations in our time shall not be in vain, and that all the misery temporarily caused by it shall finally turn into a great blessing.

     Judging from external appearances alone, this world of our does not seem to become any better. We witness today the most extensive and cruel of wars the world: has ever seen, and what Virgil wrote almost two thousand years ago is again true today:

"Hinc movet Euphrates, illinc Germania bellum;
Vicinae ruptis inter se legibus urbes
arma ferunt; saevit tote Mars impius orbe."
     (Virgilii, GEORGICA I.)

     "Here Euphrates, there Germania raises war: neighboring cities, having broken their mutual alliance, take up arms; relentless Mars rages all over the world."

     The main difference between wars of ancient and modern times is this, that wars in the more remote past were mostly wars of conquest, inspired by the lust of dominion, and resulting in the establishment of various forms of slavery, the most obnoxious institution in human society. But modern wars, although they appear to be nothing but economic wars-struggles having for an end the commercial supremacy of this or that nation-are, in reality, inspired by a growing love for new principles which we can recognize as fundamental in preparing the way for the New Church. Nations fight today from a dim perception of new spiritual and moral truths. In the Civil War of the United States, the North fought from the conviction that slavery is a fundamental wrong to human society, and, the defenders of this principle finally prevailed.

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In Europe, too, at this day, nations fight from certain new principles, for new truths to be born; and all nations participating in this struggle believe that all the sacrifices of life and happiness will finally result in a great benefit to the human race. It is the Truth fighting old mistaken beliefs, striving to wipe out those old assumptions which the modern mind already refuses to accept, such as these: The belief in the divine right of kings; the notion that the Lord favors one nation above another, and takes side in their disputes; that Providence is a vengeful Nemesis; that some people are destined for toil and servitude and that others are born to rule and to be served, etc.

     Wars are against divine order. If, however, evil conditions arise in the life of a nation and the minds of men become so engrossed that no influx of divine light is possible, then the Lord permits the reign of evil, the breaking forth of infernal lusts, so that in the heat of passions the evils themselves may be consumed; and that after the cooling down the mind may become clear and man may see his own nakedness, his want of love to the Lord and towards the neighbor, and feel ashamed.

     After the turmoil of war is over, Providence will work for the re-adjustment of the human mind to new spiritual and moral truths In the Civil War both the North and South fought for the abolition of slavery, the one side consciously, and the other side unconsciously; and now the European nations fight, willingly or unwillingly, for the final triumph of democracy.

     We may therefore confidently trust, that the world is becoming better, no matter to what contrary opinions the external signs might lead. In order that nations may receive new truths and learn to act from them, their minds have to be adjusted to the reception of these new truths; and this new adjustment is naturally laborious and painful, because old conceptions have to be removed, rooted out and destroyed before new truths can be successfully implanted.
      VALENTINE KARL.

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ASPECT OF THE LORD AFTER THE GLORIFICATION 1916

ASPECT OF THE LORD AFTER THE GLORIFICATION       A. W. MANNING       1916

Editor NEW CHURCH LIFE:-
     Your article in the May number of the LIFE On the "Divine Human From Eternity" was read by the writer with more than usual interest. I am glad you took up the question regarding Dr. Burnham's work on degrees. For many years I have desired some well informed Newchurchman to write a review of it. The NEW CHURCH LIFE has at last performed this service for the Church. I feel that, with one or two exceptions, the conclusions which you have drawn are in harmony with the leading doctrines of the Church. These exceptions seem to me grave errors, which the main body of the Church has not yet repudiated.

     I take no issue with you in regard to your idea of the manifestation of the Lord before the Incarnation. But I do take issue with your conclusion that His manifestation after the Incarnation is the same as it was before it, namely, by aspect. It seems to me that the aspect theory of appearance after the Incarnation is painfully at fault. According to the Revelation of the Church the Lord was an invisible God before the Incarnation, only manifesting Himself by aspect presence; but after, the Incarnation, having assumed a Human of His own, He became a visible God. We read in the EARTHS IN THE UNIVERSE that He made an advent to the inhabitants of several of the planets and also to the inhabitants of the starry heavens. Spirits from these earths affirmed that when they saw the Lord in the Spiritual World they recognized Him as the Lord who had appeared on their earth. He also appeared to His disciples and sent them forth throughout the spiritual world, and they all saw Him in His Divine Human. Now there is not one single instance where anyone is mentioned seeing Him by aspect presence since His Incarnation. The nearest approach to this is when the angel appeared to John and told Him to write the Revelation, and we know that this angel was one of the prophets. But in case there is the slightest doubt about this doctrine of the Lord's appearing in His own Divine Human since the incarnation we will quote T. C. R. 777 to the point:-

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     "The reason why He will not appear in person is, because since His ascension into heaven He is in His glorified Human, and in that human He cannot appear to any man unless the eyes of His spirit be first opened, and this opening cannot be affected in any who are in evils and falses thence derived, thus not in any of the goats that He sets on His left hand: therefore when He showed Himself to His disciples, [not in aspect] He first opened their eyes, for it is written, 'and their eyes were opened and they knew Him, and He vanished from out of their sight,'" which means that He closed their spiritual sight, and when this was closed He no longer appeared to them.

     Again we find Swedenborg saying in T. C. R. 779: "That the Lord manifested Himself before me His servant, [not in aspect], that He sent me on this office, and after which opened the sight of my spirit, and so led me into the Spiritual World, permitting me to see the heavens and the hells, and also to converse with angels and spirits, and this now continually for many years, I attest in truth. And further, that from the first day of my call (27 years); to this office I have never received anything relating to the doctrines of that Church from any angel, but from the Lord alone, while I was reading the Word." He further tells us the books that form the Word. The Writings of the Church are composed largely of conversations with spirits both in the world of spirits, in heaven, and in hell. To maintain that these parts of the Writings are the Word seems to me to be nothing short of profanation, and the sooner one gets rid of the idea the better.

     We read in T. C. R. 109 that the Lord's body could be seen and handled, for it says, "The glorified Human of the Lord was the Divine natural." By which we understand that it is the Divine Human that is seen and handled, not by man's natural body, but by his spiritual body, for the disciples had their spiritual eyes opened whenever the Lord appeared to them.

     It is therefore the plain teaching of the Church that to see the Lord after the glorification, the Lord must first open one's spiritual eyes, and then He is seen in His own Divine Human. A. W. MANNING. Riverside, Cal.

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NEW CHURCH MISSIONARY TOUR 1916

NEW CHURCH MISSIONARY TOUR              1916

     (Continued from the November issue of N. C. LIFE.)

     We had planned to make our second tour a concentrated effort to get something started in Scranton, so we took the same route as we did at first and arrived in Stroudsburg in good time for dinner. After our evening meal we set out to make a record speech in this town, which was the first where we had sold a copy of the Writings on our first trip. But this time we were not very successful, and were only able to sell six copies of H. H.

     We arrived in Scranton in the rain, but on Saturday we went out after supper full of great expectations. The weather was ideal, and the square was thronged with people. But, alas, the fates were against us. I had just finished playing to attract the crowd, and Theodore had launched into his speech, when a policeman came up and said to me, "Of course you fellows have a permit." "No, we do not," I replied. "I have orders," he stated, "to pick up anyone that talks without a permit."

     Well, I pleaded with him to let T. P. finish his speech, and he did, which enabled us to sell seven copies of H. H. But this forced us to reluctantly abandon our work until Monday, when we could get a permit. It was heart-breaking to see a Saturday night crowd and not be able to talk to them.

     Monday morning, bright and early, we called on the Director of Public Safety to get a permit to speak on the streets, which we did after some waiting.

     This time we noticed that we had some rival curbstone orators. They were much cleverer at the game than we were, and proved to be Russellite missionaries. They go about the country wearing long hair, and beards, and talk continuously. As soon as one speaker would stop the other one would begin. Thus they would hold a changing audience for a long period of time. They managed to keep a good crowd around them all the time. As I went by on Saturday night they were preaching on the Second Coming. They are complete literalists in this respect, and the one who was speaking was just instancing how in the great European war nation was rising against nation, and how the infantile paralysis was the fulfillment of the pestilence predicted, etc., etc.

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They spoke from a soap box on the curb, which has the advantage over a car that you can get nearer to your crowd, and so it is not nearly so great a strain on your voice.

     Monday night, armed with our permit, we sallied forth to meet the foe with all the protection of the police behind us. It was the night that the N. G. P. left Scranton for border service and the crowds were down town "en masse." On the way home from supper we stopped to listen to the Russellite orators. One of their tricks was to ask for questions without giving any time to ask, but we were not to be so bamboozled. So we insisted on their answering our questions, whereupon they told us that this was their crowd, and if we wanted to talk we should get a crowd of our own. Among the hearers, trying also to question them, was a man whom for the sake of convenience I will call "fill." He told us that if we would start he would help us. However after a few efforts the only satisfaction that we got was to be told that the Russellites would call a constable. So we left rather indignant. Bill could hardly keep his temper at the arguments of the Russellites, and so we parted. We made up our minds to follow their advice and get a crowd of our own and, if possible, their crowd, too. So we drove the auto up to their crowd and parked it just out of earshot, so that our voices would not conflict. The violin drew me a large crowd that night and I preached to them on the New Church idea of the Second Coming, pointing out the difference between it and the Russellite view. After I finished the speech I began selling books. I had sold twelve, when who should appear on the scene but "Bill." He greeted me with these cordial words, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" I explained to him in a very candid manner that I was willing to go to the mat with him or any one else on any of the subjects about which I had been talking. Well, he was my man, and we started a battle royal, the most strenuous discussion that I have ever had in my life, but, as he was about a foot taller than I was and had an exceedingly loud voice, he had a great advantage over me in being heard by the crowd.

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Finally the roll of drums and the martial sounds of a brass band heralded the approach of the 13th Pennsylvania Infantry and so the meeting was broken up. We later found out that "Bill" was a Lackawanna R. R. detective.

     On August 16th we began operations on Lackawanna avenue. There was no square there, but this was the central street of Scranton, with many people passing all the time. One tune on the violin assembled a good sized crowd, so I made a speech, the purpose of which was to sell the Bible. I commenced at the beginning of the Book of Genesis and traced a brief sketch of events to the end of Revelation. It was a very useful task for me, but it did not prove interesting to my audience. I sold no books. Afterwards Theodore gave a talk on the Trinity. After the speech we sold two books. One man whom I approached said that he had not heard the speech but asked what the book was. When I told him HEAVEN AND HELL, by Swedenborg, he said, "O yes, I know Swedenborg, I read many of his works when I was younger, he is a very fine writer. I will buy a copy and read it again." He gave us his name and assured us that he would come to our lectures.

     I was so disappointed with my first speech that I wanted to try again. We drove on down the street to the next corner, and it only took one piece to draw a sufficient crowd to start talking to. Strange to say the street crowds are almost all men, but it is a great pleasure to talk to a crowd of men, and hold their attention. I started out with the text that we had both used so many times before, "the morning cometh and also the night," and as I went on the crowd or something inspired me; instead of stopping at the usual end of my speech I went right on, and I seemed to have simply a flood of ideas that I had to tell that crowd. I went on explaining the nature of Hell, and man's freedom, together with the internal sense of Adam's eating of the forbidden fruit. Then something made me think of "Billy" Sunday and I went for the sentimentalism of his religion. I spoke for more than thirty minutes, but the greater part of my audience stood until the end, and I could see by their faces that I had their attention.

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As soon as I finished speaking, unlike other occasions, the crowd did not drop away, but stayed about the car and came up to talk. One man came up and said, "Brother, I want to shake hands with you; you came nearer to expressing my idea of things than any sermon I have ever heard." A large crowd remained around the car and came up to talk with us. One young fellow said that he was a minister's son and that he had to admit that it was very annoying to be met at every turn with the word "mystery." Then, too, there were five young Catholics with whom we had a long discussion. On the whole, this was the best meeting that we had had yet. Theodore and I went home very much encouraged, and inspired to push forward the harder in this new branch of the missionary field.

     The next night we were out with big hopes and we were not disappointed. Another speech on Lackawanna avenue so blocked the traffic on the sidewalk that the next time we tried to give a speech there we met with police interference. From Lackawanna avenue we travelled back to the Square, where T. P. held forth on the "Trinity." Now Scranton is swarming with Catholics; T. P. continually used the word "priest" in referring to the clergy of the Old Church in general, but the Catholics that heard him thought that he was making an attack on the Catholic Church alone. Well, a couple of men tried to interrupt him. One called out in passing, "Aw! he don't know what he is talking about." Another furiously yelled after him, "Give us some passage from Scripture!" I managed to keep them quiet by telling them that after the speech there would be ample opportunity to ask questions. They passed by and stood on the corner of the street talking together. At the end of the speech, when, we started to sell books, I expected trouble, so I went in the opposite direction, and T. P. went straight for the angry men. By the time I had finished covering my territory I glanced Theodore's way and sure enough he was surrounded by an angry host. Just as I came up I heard a tall square-jawed man say again, "Give us some passages." Now T. P. had learned about 200 passages by heart for just such an occasion and it was a true pleasure to hear him deluge the man with them. The crowd grew pretty angry but T. kept his head beautifully, albeit he continued to use the word "priest," and for a time I thought that there was going to be a fight.

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When the crowd started to interrupt him, one fellow spoke up and said, "Give him a chance. He has a right to his opinion." Then he bought a copy of H. H., which we were selling. Before Theodore had gotten the best of the argument we had hardly been able to sell a book, but as soon as he began to win the books began to sell themselves.

     About this time the first fellow who had called out at Theodore when he was speaking, took me by the arm and said, "You're his pal, aren't you?" I replied in the affirmative. He led me a little way from the crowd and began to question me on the subject of faith. He said that he did not like to talk before a large crowd, so at first we talked very softly. Finally I made the statement that man cannot be saved by faith alone. This made him so angry that he lost his temper and shouted, "I tell you faith alone is the only way to salvation." Instantly there was a crowd around us. In the argument that followed I think that I can honestly say that the poor old fellow was hard pressed for arguments. Finally he said, "What is the use of talking about these things before a crowd like this; they don't understand a word that we say." Whereat a young man in the crowd spoke up and said, "What do you take us for,-a bunch of idiots?" At this the crowd laughed. This ended a very exciting evening, and we went home feeling that we had had some very valuable insights into what the Christian world really does believe, when you get down and scratch under the surface.

     We continued making street speeches every night that the weather permitted it. We had many interesting personal experiences which would extend this narrative too long if related in full. One more experience may be of interest. One Sunday we took the opportunity to visit an Episcopalian church, in the faint hope of hearing ourselves attacked. When the text was read we were rather startled, for the minister had chosen to speak on these words: "Have I been so long time with you, and hast thou know not me, Philip? He who hath seen Me hath seen the Father." The sermon was unusually fine, showing earnestness and sincerity on the part of the speaker, but he spent his entire time on the first half of his text pointing out that the Lord had been in the world two thousand years and we did not yet know him.

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     "That night," in coming home from the garage where the auto was kept, we had to pass in front of this church, and we were surprised to see the minister himself standing there. We introduced ourselves and soon plunged into a conversation about religion and the trinity. After a while he said, "This is getting pretty deep, won't you come up to my study; I have all my books there and we can get the matter cleared up." We cheerfully accepted, and there we talked until one a. m. It was a fine discussion, for he was a gentleman and a scholar, and would sit patiently until we had clearly defined our position. On another occasion he took a meal with us at the hotel, and we talked solid theology for two and a half hours. He certainly was in love of the truth, and as he was a young man we have hopes of him. Before we finally parted we gave him a copy of T. C. R., which he said he would not only read but study.

     We now began to look forward to the climax of the campaign, our hall talks: The day before the first talk Mr. Harold Pitcairn arrived, to serve as our business manager. He proved a great addition because his presence absolutely freed us from any thought about arrangements, etc. Under his supervision 10,000 house to house circulars were distributed, and the signs that we had arranged for the car were driven around the town.

     Finally the day arrived. About thirty persons were present at our first lecture, but they were all persons of refinement and had an evident interest in the subjects advertised, which were: "Heaven and Hell," by T. P., and "How to Understand the Bible," by the undersigned. After the lecture was over we met an elderly Newchurchman, who, although not affiliated with either branch of the Church, was an evident ardent Swedenborgian. We learned later that he had married the eldest daughter of the Rev. Arthur O. Brickman. We met numerous other persons and had some interesting conversations.

     The last lecture in Scranton was on Sunday night. We had a somewhat larger audience present, and the whole sphere of the meeting was very favorable.

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The subjects were "The Trinity," by T. P., and "The Second Coming," by myself." Again the face of Mr. S. was in evidence. There was also another man, who seemed to be a warm Newchurchman. There was one young lady who had read H. H. before we came to Scranton, and she said that we had "gotten her." After the lecture some twenty persons stood around and we had a long and very interesting conversation. We left feeling convinced that were we to work among these people for some time we could surely raise up a New Church Society in their midst.

     In the next issue of the LIFE, if the Editor will permit, we will give an outline of our work in Allentown, which was the most interesting in the Ray of results of any of our summer's work. K. R. A.
MRS. CYRINTHIA HOBART 1916

MRS. CYRINTHIA HOBART       W. H. A       1916

     The life of Mrs. Cyrinthia Hobart, who died at Bryn Athyn on October 4th, 1916, in the ninetieth year of her age, was a connecting link between the present and the earliest days of the New Church in Southern Ohio. The seeds of the New Church were brought to this region as early as 1818, nearly a hundred years ago, by a colony of New Church families from Danby, in the interior of the State of New York, where the Heavenly Doctrine was first announced by the Rev. Dr. Lewis Beers, one of the earliest ministers of the New Church in America. Among these pioneers on the then Western frontier were John Sherman, John McQuigg, William Hobart and John Davis,-names well known to the members of the General Church through their present loyal descendants. These and others formed what was at first known as the "Meig's County" Society, which later on formed a center in the neighboring towns of Pomeroy and Middleport. It was in this region and through these New Church families that John Randolph Hibbard, then an itinerant boy preacher in the Methodist Church, first received the Heavenly Doctrine, in the year 1836. Through the leading of Providence the New Church people in Middleport came very early under the influence of ministers of the "Academy" type,-first, the Rev. Richard De Charms, Sr., and then the Rev. David Powell, who ministered to them for many years. After the death of Mr.
Powell the Middleport society was long without a resident minister, until the Rev. Richard De Charms, Jr., in the late "seventies," brought them into more direct touch with the Academy and the General Church.

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     Mrs. Cyrinthia Hobart, the daughter of John Davis, the pioneer, was born near Middleport, in a log cabin, under the most primitive conditions, when the wolves were still a menace to the settlers. Her childhood was passed, and, indeed, some years of her married life as well, in the days when wool and linen were homespun. The family still possesses a plaid blanket which has had sixty years of wear and seems good for sixty more.

     Mrs. Hobart, for several years after her marriage, in 1856, to Alvin Hobart, the son of William Hobart, besides the spinning and weaving, made cheese and butter which she herself carried to market ten or twelve miles on horseback. At this time she added carpet making to her accomplishments and the rooms of her house were nearly all covered with carpets of her own making.

     In 1879 her husband died, and in 1892 she removed to Bryn Athyn to reside with her daughter, Miss Carrie Kobart, who then, and for many years later, was a teacher in the Academy Schools.

     About six years before her death she fell and sustained a slight fracture of the hip; but her vitality was so great that she recovered fully and walked without the slightest limp.

     Her life in Bryn Athyn was quiet and uneventful, and her last days were full of serenity and peace. She waited with folded and restful hands for the Call of the Lord, and when it came her answer was without pain, just a quiet breathing away. She was of a sterling, upright and downright character, lovable, jovial and kind, and wherever she lived had hosts of warm friends. Of her immediate family only two are living, her daughter, and her sister, Mrs. Dr. Beam, of Williamsburg, Ind. W. H. A.

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Church News 1916

Church News       Various       1916

     FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA. The regular services of the Advent Church have been resumed after the winter vacation, and the "new offices," recently published, have been adopted with success. The Young Folks' Class, studying CONJUGIAL LOVE, is held fortnightly on Sunday evenings. The Hallowe'en party, on October 30th, was the first strictly social gathering in our new church building and was pronounced by all a great success. A. E. S.

     GLENVIEW, ILL. After the great week of the dedication. with the presence of two bishops and quite a number of visitors, the people of the Immanuel Church settled down to the quiet routine of life. Every one of our functions is exalted by the facilities and grandeur of the new buildings. The assembly room proves admirably adapted to the Friday suppers and other social functions. On October 31st we enjoyed a "hard time social," under the charge of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Synnestvedt. As it was Hallowe'en there were pumpkins, cider, doughnuts, witches and prophecies. Dancing and a number of games rounded out a very enjoyable evening. The host and hostess deserve much credit for the care with which they prepared for the occasion. Mr. Charles S. Smith, of Bryn Athyn, was a visitor last Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. O. L. Scalbom entertained him. The unusual Fall has made the park of exceptional beauty this year. The school is operating finely and all the scholars are enthusiastic.

     ROSTHBEN, SASK., CAIYADA. From the Bote der Neuen Kircke for November 16 we translate the following letter from Mr. Heinrich Bergen:

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     "Rev. F. E. Waelchli having completed a visit of seven weeks to the New Church societies in Rosthern and Hague, serving them with Divine worship and class instruction,-a work which will be a lasting blessing,-a farewell festivity was held in Rosthen at the home of Brother John Hamm, on Monday evening, September 4th, as Mr. Waelchli, on the following day, was to leave for Kenona, Ont., while on September 17th five of our young people were to start on their journey to Bryn Athyn, Pa., to devote themselves there to New Church studies. Forty-nine persons, young and old, were present at this banquet. After all had assembled they were invited by Mr. Hamm to the richly laden table. The meal having been finished, Mr. Hamm, as chairman, called the meeting to order, and after a short introduction, announced the program of the feast.

     After the wine had been served, Pastor Waelchli spoke of the use and the signification of wine and of the drinking together; the following toasts were then proposed, each accompanied with a suitable song from the Liturgy:

     "The first toast was to 'The Church,' and the second to 'Mutual Love.' Brother Johannes Beck then explained in a convincing manner how mutual love is to be exercised. The third toast referred to 'conjugial love and the love of children.' Mr. Waelchli pointed out how great a blessing it is when marriages take place within the Church, and the unending uses of giving the children a New Church education, by which the children will remain in the Church and thus promote its growth.

     "The fourth toast was to 'The Youth of the Church,' to which Mr. Peter Klippenstein responded in English with an address on 'Education in the New Church.' Brother C. P. Unruh, of Hague, then spoke on the necessity of mutual love, showing that social life within the New Church and the communal study of the Doctrines are essential to the cultivation of mutual love.

     "The writer [Mr. Bergen] made some observations on the development of the New Church in the West during the last eighteen years, pointing out especially that the Church here, during the last few years, had been strengthened and established by the Lord, through His servant, Pastor Waelchli; he then directed to our dear pastor an invitation to return to our midst, and to work here again for the upbuilding of the New Church.

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Pastor Waelchli made further remarks on the development of the New Church in a more general sense. He also delivered to the assembly a greeting from Pastor Muhlert, of Brooklyn, N. Y. From the sphere prevailing at this farewell meeting, the present writer is convinced that, like himself, all felt an interior joy at this greeting, through which we felt the spiritual nearness and conjunction of our friends in the far-away East. Pastor Waelchli then gave the final address, and the singing of hymn 215 in the Liturgy closed an evening full of permanent blessing."

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND. Since our last appearance in the pages of the LIFE the war has continued to press heavily upon us, further depleting our small society. All the available men that we have have now joined the colors. Mr. Alan Gill, while serving in France, was wounded in the hand by shrapnel. He has been recuperating in a private hospital in Sussex and is recovering rapidly. Messrs. A. Appleton and Norman Motum are "somewhere in France." Mr. S. Appleton, of the Royal Flying Corps, is at St. Albans, Herts. Mr. J. F. Cooper, of the Royal Engineers, is expected to leave England shortly. Mr. Philip Motum has joined the Royal Engineers. Mr. W. Rey Gill, Artists' Rifles, has been training some months, and after a successful course has been gazetted to the Oxford and Bucks light infantry row, stationed at Salisbury Plain.

     In spite of darkness at night on account of the Zeppelin raids, and the depletion in our numbers, we have had quite a number of social gatherings during the season. These gatherings came to a fitting conclusion on last Easter Monday, when there were present also some friends from the Conference societies in Manchester. The occasion was brought to a fitting close by a reading from T. C. R. by Mr. Appleton, and the singing of the school song to a new musical setting by Mr. Potter.

     A memorial service for Mr. John Pitcairn was held on Sunday evening, July 30th. Appropriate selections and readings from the Word were followed by an excellent address from the pastor. After this Messrs. Appleton, Cooper, Motum and Potter each paid an affectionate tribute of appreciation for the great work and services that Mr. Pitcairn has rendered, and for the inspiration of his life and character in all things pertaining to the Church. F. R. C.

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     FROM OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

     UNITED STATES. The Rev. Wm. Wunsch has terminated his pastoral relation with the society in Roxbury, Mass., in order to devote his entire time to the New Church Theological School in Cambridge.

     In order to recoup his health the Rev. Paul Dresser, on November 9d, tendered his resignation to the Brooklyn Society, which he has served as pastor for the past three years. The resignation was reluctantly accepted.

     The Baltimore English Society is at present without a pastor, as the Rev. Harold S. Conant has resigned, in order to accept a call from the society in Providence, R. I. The German society in, Baltimore is under the care of the Rev. Erick L. G. Reissner.

     At the recent meeting of the Illinois Association, held at St. Louis, Mo., September 29th to October 1st, the (German) "Third Church of the New Jerusalem" in St. Louis applied for membership; in the Association. This was the society which was for many years under the care of the late Rev. C. L. Carriere.

     Owing to ill health and failing eyesight, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Worcester has resigned from the pastorate of the New Church Society in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Worcester will remove to Los Angeles, Cal.

     CANADA. The Rev. Julian K. Smyth, on October 19th, visited the Convention society in Kitchener, Ont., to officiate at the installation of the newly appointed pastor, the Rev. L. Eric Wethay. For this occasion the parish council had assented to the use of vestments, as it seemed more fitting that such should be used instead of the ordinary black frock coats that possess so little religious significance.

     GREAT BRITAIN. At the beginning of the war three students of the New Church Theological School, (the New Church College), in Islington, London, joined the army.

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The Council of the College appealed on behalf of the remaining two students, as they were engaged in regular missionary duties in the Church. The appeal has been dismissed, however, so that shortly there will be no regular day students in the College.