RATIONAL FAITH       GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
JANUARY, 1942
No. 1
     "And Jacob came unto Isaac his father." (Genesis 35: 27.)

     Man is a rational being. By creation he is gifted with the faculty of understanding. By this gift he is distinguished from the animals, being endowed thereby with a higher, more perfect form of life.
     There are two intellectual faculties that combine to produce what we call the mind,-the faculty of knowing, and the faculty of understanding. In a sense, therefore, it may be said that animals possess a mind, for instinctively they know all things conducive to the nourishment and protection of their life, all things needful for the perpetuation of their kind and the rearing of their young. Man, also, has what is called an animal mind, that is, a mind chiefly characterized by the faculty of knowing. Yet, with man, knowledge is not instinctive, but must be acquired by a slow and laborious process of learning. This is because with him knowledge is only a means whereby he may attain to understanding. He must indeed first know before he can understand. But the love of understanding is present and dominant from the beginning. It is this love that arouses his curiosity, and stirs in him a desire to know. And secretly this love of understanding directs all his learning, so ordering the knowledges he acquires that they may reveal a higher truth. For this reason man's knowledge is markedly different from that of animals, the difference being, that all knowledge with man contains a seed and potency of understanding which with animals is wholly lacking.
     Yet, even with man, knowing and understanding are two distinct faculties. All knowledge, whether it concerns the things of heaven or the things of earth, must be derived from without through the senses of the body. It must be acquired through the hearing by instruction from others, through the sight by reading, or through all the senses by personal experience. Thus knowledge, in origin and in essence, is natural. All understanding, on the other hand, even though it be an understanding of natural things, is essentially spiritual. It comes mysteriously from within, through the soul or by influx from the spiritual world. For this reason it is often called "insight," and is sometimes ascribed to inspiration. That these two faculties are distinct, and in a measure independent of one another, appears from the fact that, while understanding without knowledge is impossible, yet we may possess knowledge for a long time before we suddenly awaken to a realization of what it means.
     In the story of Genesis, Jacob represents the faculty of knowing and Isaac the faculty of understanding. Everything said about them illustrates the relation that exists between these two faculties. It is significant, therefore, that Isaac in the Scriptural narrative is the father of Jacob, as indicating that, while knowledges must come first in time, yet the rational faculty is prior, and actually produces in us the ability to know. It is significant also that, while Isaac remained in the Land of Canaan, Jacob, for more than twenty years, was separated from him, living in Padan Aram, at the home of Laban, his mother's brother. For the Land of Canaan represents the internal or spiritual mind, while the countries surrounding it-including Syria, or Padan Aram-represent the natural mind. By the faculty of understanding the spiritual mind is formed; and by the faculty of knowing the natural mind is built. This building is represented in the story by the fact that Jacob, during his sojourn in Padan Aram, was greatly enriched with flocks and herds, and was blest with twelve sons, from whom were to descend the twelve tribes of Israel. The "flocks and herds" represent a wealth of knowledges. But the "sons" represent all the truths and goods of the church.
     Now it is worthy of note that these sons, typifying spiritual things, should nonetheless be born in Padan Aram, that is, in the natural mind. The reason is, that these also must be acquired from without-learned by instruction or by reading. In no other way can we acquire any knowledge of spiritual things; and unless there is knowledge, there can be no understanding. It is supremely important, therefore, that such knowledges be given. And it is equally important that they should be true-containing spiritual, heavenly, and Divine wisdom within them.

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For not otherwise can they form the basis of a genuine understanding.
     Of the Lord's mercy, a true knowledge of spiritual things is given in the Word. From no other source may it be obtained. And it is vital to all later spiritual life that these knowledges of the Word, together with the knowledges of nature, should be implanted in the minds of children and youths before they have attained to rational age-or while Jacob is sojourning in Padan Aram. The knowledges of nature are as flocks and herds" that serve for the nourishment of man s natural life. But the knowledges of the Word are as the "sons," through whom spiritual life is to be perpetuated and all its blessings multiplied. In all children the innate love of understanding opens the mind to these teachings of the Word, and causes them to be received with delight long before their inner significance can be understood. And if they are received in a sphere of reverence, they serve to dispose all things of the mind, so that in time there may be an awakening to spiritual understanding.
     But although knowledges must first be acquired, they are not an end in themselves. They do not satisfy the deeper needs of man s life. For this reason it is recorded of Jacob that he was not content to abide in Padan Aram. He was not satisfied to remain a wealthy tenant of land that belonged to another. He had received the promise of Jehovah that his seed should inherit the Land of Canaan. The desire to possess this land was present in his mind during all his sojourn with Laban. Because of it he became increasingly dissatisfied and restless, until he was impelled to return to the land of his Divinely appointed destiny. When, therefore, he had accomplished in Padan Aram all that was needful to that end-when all twelve sons had been born-it is said that "Jacob came unto Isaac, his father."
     On this return depended the whole future of Israel. So also it is with man. His entire spiritual development depends upon his seeking, not merely to know, but interiorly to understand.
     If man were in the order of his life, this transition from natural knowledge to spiritual understanding would be easy. But since he is born into the loves of self and the world, these loves prompt him to seek first the acquisition of natural wealth, and indeed to rest content with the delights and satisfactions of the external mind.

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They persuade him to remain in Padan Aram, and so to forego his spiritual destiny. Absorbed in the struggle for worldly success, feeling that he must devote all his energy to acquiring skill and proficiency in whatever occupation may enable him to secure a coveted place in human society, he is tempted to accept the teachings of the Word and of religion without seriously reflecting upon their meaning. So long as he yields to this temptation, these teachings merely remain as knowledges stored up in his memory. Though he may profess a belief in them, his faith is but a traditional one, based upon the authority of others, and not upon any understanding insight of his own.
     Many at this day go through life satisfied with just such a faith, evading any responsibility to try to understand spiritual things. Occasionally their minds may be turned to a contemplation of these things, but because their love is centered in the natural world, the need for spiritual truth is but vaguely realized, and the teachings of religion seem remote, abstract, and difficult to understand. Any concentration upon them is an effort from which the mind turns away with a sense of relief and relaxation, to resume a more congenial reflection upon the things that are really loved.
     Yet with every man there is an innate urge to understand. The very human itself consists in an ability to understand, not only earthly, but also heavenly things; this, because man is born, not merely for life in the natural world, but for eternal life in heaven. The final purpose of all understanding-even that of natural things- is that man may acquire the spiritual intelligence and wisdom necessary for the performance of a heavenly use. For this reason the faculty itself of understanding is in essence spiritual. It has its origin in the Lord, in the fact that the Lord has created all things in accord with an unchanging order, that the operation of His Providence looks toward an eternal end, and that man's mind has been formed as an instrument to perceive this order, and through it to perceive the Divine use and purpose underlying all things. This is the kind of understanding for which the human mind is intended. And it follows that the true human love of understanding cannot stop midway. It cannot rest satisfied with merely natural explanations that are, after all, only half-truths. It longs, by its very nature, to penetrate the heart of things, and to pursue the truth to its source-that is, to the Lord, who alone is the final Cause of all.

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This longing is what is meant by the command of Jehovah that Jacob should return to the Land of Canaan, with the promise that his seed would inherit this land.
     The Divine end in the life of man, therefore, is that Jacob may come to Isaac, his father. It is that man, at adult age, may seek spiritual intelligence, and thereby may attain to a rational faith. This, the Lord's purpose, has in every age been revealed in the Word. But because the teachings of the former Scriptures have been falsified, because men have been persuaded that spiritual knowledge and understanding are impossible, because the loves of self and the world have become so dominant as to arrest the spiritual development of the race, the Lord at His Second Coming has revealed the internal sense of His Word, setting forth anew in rational language the spiritual destiny of man. He has given us a wealth of knowledge concerning Divine and heavenly things. By this knowledge the mistaken ideas of the past may now be corrected-ideas concerning God, concerning the nature of His redemption, concerning the mode whereby man is regenerated, concerning the spiritual world and the life after death. And while these ideas are expressed in rational terms, they must first be acquired from without by instruction and reading, in common with all knowledges.
     The Writings are indeed the only source of true spiritual knowledge in the world. Their teachings are what are truly meant by the sons that must be born to Jacob in Padan Aram, if the Lord's promise is to be fulfilled. The central goal of all education must be to impart this knowledge in childhood and youth, in order that a spiritual faith may be established in adult age. But although this teaching may be given in rich abundance, it will not produce a spiritual faith unless and until Jacob comes to Isaac, his father.
     This return to Canaan cannot be assured by education. It cannot be imposed from without. It is an individual responsibility, and the step must be taken as a free response to the call of the Lord. Nothing is more vital to the establishment of the New Church-or indeed to the whole future of the race-than that everyone who is blessed with the knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrine should actively cultivate in himself a love of spiritual truth.

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Nothing is more important than that we refuse to be satisfied with knowledge alone-with natural understanding alone-and that we insist upon seeking to understand ever more deeply, and ever more truly, what the Lord has revealed. Not otherwise can we be given a rational faith. Not otherwise can the Lord bless us with spiritual intelligence and wisdom, which may be multiplied and increased until it becomes a strong nation, capable, with the Lord's help, of conquering the land, of driving out the selfish and worldly loves that now inhabit it, and receiving at last, as an eternal inheritance, the promised Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

LESSONS:     Genesis 24: 1-9. Genesis 35: 9-20, 27-29. A. C. 9020.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 460, 484, 583. Psalmody, page 51.
PRAYERS:     Revised Liturgy, nos. 58, 104.
CONFESSION BEFORE MEN 1942

CONFESSION BEFORE MEN       Rev. K. R. ALDEN       1942

     "Whosoever therefore shall confess inc before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10: 32, 33.)

     The Lord and His Father are one, for there is only one living God. Yet in the words before us there is the appearance that the Lord will act as an intermediary, an intercessor, with the Father for all who will confess Him before men, and that those who will not confess Him before men He will deny before the Father. To the New Church it is now given to enter into such mysteries of faith.
     When the Father and the Son are mentioned together, the Son stands for the Divine Wisdom, the Divine Truth, the "Word made flesh and dwelling among us," while the Father represents the quality of the Divine Love,-the heat and warmth of the whole universe. The relation of Divine Wisdom to Divine Love is not unlike the relation that exists between father and son. For the Divine Love, from its tender and urgent solicitude for all of the children of men, produced the Divine Wisdom to clothe and embody Itself, to the end that the sons of men might lay hold on the Divine Wisdom, and, using it, might climb heavenward, as upon the ladder seen by Jacob in his dream.

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     But man has entered into great folly when he has thought that to know the truth is sufficient. A mere knowledge of the truth, without the good of charity, is faith alone; and faith alone has destroyed the Christian Church. Man must confess the Lord before men, not only with the lips, but also by putting into practice the truths of his religion. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
     Thus a confession of the Lord before men is a quality of life; it is an attitude of mind; it is a determination to mould the course of life by the precepts of religion; it is the determination to be a Christian in fact, as well as in name.
     If, then, we confess the Lord before men, He says that He will confess us before the Father. By that He means that the man who practices his religion enters thereby into the kingdom of Divine Love. For when the Divine Truth gathers us up within the power of its mighty arm, so that there is a direct path between the truths of the Word and the acts and deeds of our life, then it is that a new and mighty love enters our hearts. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has confessed our names before the Father. It was for this reason that Mary Magdalene, whose religion went straight to the deeds of her life, was the first to see the risen Lord, who was transfigured with the holy light of Love. Mary was forgiven much, because, as the Lord said, she loved much.
     But to deny the Lord before men is to fail in the busy walks of life, where we rub shoulders with our fellow men,-to fail in these human contacts to practice the religion we espouse. It is one when, through use, the truth forms vessels in our minds that Love can be held and contained, and that we may be confessed before the Father. Consequently, it is not possible for man to confess the Lord before men without the Savior confessing him before the Father.
     Every journey is marked by milestones. Physically we go from place to place; spiritually we go from state to state. As life advances, we mark these milestones by birthdays and anniversaries. But in reality we should be like men who climb a spiral pathway up a steep mountain,-the mount of God.

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The climb is toilsome; but if, when we pause to rest, new vistas have opened before us, and new opportunities are seen, whereby we can be of greater usefulness to our fellow men, then the fatigue of the climb will ever be like the plough and the harrow that opens our hearts to a greater and greater love, until at length, when the Lord sees fit, we are called to that eternal kingdom where all the light that makes our day will be the shining truth of wisdom, and all the warmth that kindles our hearts will be the essence of Divine Love.
     Let us, then, with all the will power we have, strive to confess the Lord before men-not once, or twice, but ceaselessly, with ever growing fortitude and courage, and an ever growing perception and vision of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. Look up, and behold it even now descending from God out of heaven, adorned as a bride prepared for her husband. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. And ye shall find rest unto your souls." Amen.
THANKSGIVING 1942

THANKSGIVING       GILBERT H. SMITH       1942

     We are permitted to cooperate with the Lord and His Providence in three main departments of use. The first concerns the church; the second concerns the home; and the third concerns the occupations outside the home.
     Whenever a people, in their freedom, devote themselves to the true and actual worship of the Lord, they enter into the first use. And whenever they devote themselves to the good of the home, to the presence of conjugial love there, and to the wise and faithful care of children, they are in the second great department of use. And to the extent that they devote themselves to honest industry and service to others, they are working in the third great field of use, through which chiefly the greatest of Divine blessings can be given to them.
     May we all be gifted with a true appreciation of all the good things of natural and spiritual life which the Lord has given us in such great plenty! And may our efforts to render thanks be acceptable to the Lord! For it is only as He inspires us with feelings of gratitude that we are able to give thanks at all. "It is Thou, Lord, only, that makest us to dwell in safety." Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise?
     GILBERT H. SMITH.

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INDIVIDUAL AS MISSIONARY 1942

INDIVIDUAL AS MISSIONARY       ALEC MCQUEEN       1942

     (Speech at the Banquet of the Chicago District Assembly, 1941.)

     Because it is customary and proper, I begin by saying. "Bishop de Charms, Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen." But I go further than that; I address you as-"Angels." For that's what you are; all of you. Even the men! You are angels because you sometimes play the part of messengers. "Angel," as we learn from our dictionary, was the Greek word for a messenger-one who has received a message, and who is obligated to pass that message along; in other words, a missionary. Now let's stop for a moment, and recapitulate: A moment ago you were merely ladies and gentlemen; nothing very thrilling about that. A few seconds later I call you angels. And now you're missionaries! That sounds like work. For if we look again into our dictionary, we find that a missionary, according to the Latin origin of that word, is one who is sent. Now, as to whether you are sent-well, that's what we're to discuss right now. Possibly we shall find an answer.
     If I'm right in supposing you to be angels, and therefore missionaries, then you must have a message to deliver, and you must be sent somewhere to deliver it. The message, of course, is a message of religion; and to deliver it you need not visit far-off lands, and suffer privations, and run the risk of dying for your faith. While the missionary field covers the earth, your part of that field may well be here at home.
     Incidentally, whenever I say "you," it includes me, too. Just imagine that I'm sitting with you, where I belong. And if you don't mind, I'll just interrupt myself, and point out that I'm very conscious of the fact that I'm a layman. And again turning to our dictionary, we find that a layman gets his name from the fact that he is a simple soul, discretely different from the clergy. One dictionary rubs it in by saying that a layman is a person ignorant or uncultivated. I get most of my ideas from the dictionary, and when I came across that definition, I had to throw away so me of my notes for this talk.

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What I had planned to say sounded much too presumptuous. It was almost like a talk on "How to be a Bishop in Six Easy Lessons." But after I learned what a layman really meant, I made a fresh start. I figured that when our spiritual superiors are thoughtful and kind enough to invite us to say a few words, they are just giving us a chance to do some home-work,-spiritual home-work, if you please. So this is recitation time, and I am simply reading my composition.
     Well, now I've stopped interrupting myself, and where were we? O yes, we were in the world, and we were realizing that, because the missionary field is everywhere, we wouldn't have to travel far to find it.
     Now, after you became really enthusiastic about the Doctrines of the Church, and decided to "tell the world," you may have been disappointed at the world's indifference. A hundred years ago, when men visited the town of Colchester, in England, to make known the Doctrine of the Second Advent, they were not met with indifference. They were met by a mob that wanted to lynch them. They had to escape by climbing over the roofs of some buildings and fleeing to the open country. That was a narrow escape. But it was also a healthy sign. People who want to kill you when you try to change their religion,-well, at least they're interested in religion! In dealing with such, you have something to work on.
     But nowadays, no such luck. You can tell most people almost anything you like about spiritual things, and you won't raise a ripple. They may admit that what you've said is interesting; then they pass on and forget it. They are neither startled, nor pleased, nor displeased. And after a few encounters of that kind, you might very well feel like saying, "Why should I cast pearls?"
     And yet, right now, not far from us, there are thousands of men and women seeking truth. And because seekers after truth are spiritually humble, we don't hear them making much clamor. Their inquiries, made, let us say, at some social gathering, may be drowned out in a sea of small-talk. But no matter when a question is asked, even the most casual-sounding question, you-we-all of us-should be ready with an answer,-a real answer.
     I know that many times when someone says, "Now, just what do you people believe?" it's merely a polite query that can be satisfied with almost any kind of answer.

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But we mustn't assume that it's that sort of query. As long as the inquirer shows any interest, we should be eager to give information. At times we may be tempted to say to ourselves, "If the Lord wants this person to accept the Doctrines, it will happen without any help from me." That's laziness. If we don't answer, carefully, even the most casual question, we are like an ungracious servant, who, right at the door, refuses admission to a stranger, without first finding out if that stranger is a friend of the Master. We come perilously close to being like Peter, who, at a critical moment, denied his Lord. The truth we have is for us to share; but before we can share it, we must have it ready. If a man comes to you starving, you don't say to him: "Well, I've got a storehouse with some food in it. I guess there's some food there that will suit you. I don't go to the storehouse very often, but if you give me time, maybe I can look up something for you to eat and drink." And meanwhile the man may starve to death.
     Yes, and if we haven't something ready to give the casual stranger who hungers and thirsts after truth, he is likely to die, unless he can turn to someone better prepared. We must be ready. And even if the questions should be rather vague, we need not worry. We have a fund of marvelous things to tell:-That there is One God, and that the Trinity is an expression of His qualities or attributes. That religion is of life, and cannot be separated from life. That the Word, while it is partly plain history, is all in parables. That by the interpretation of those parables in the Writings of the New Church, all the obscure texts of the Bible are now made plain.
     These things are rather general. But if the inquirer is in earnest, he'll want specific doctrines too. And surely we have them. The Doctrine of the Gorand Man of heaven; and how everyone in the other life has a place in that Gorand Man a satisfactory place: satisfactory to the man and to his God. The Science of Correspondences; always fascinating, and of great value when properly understood. Then we have the doctrine of Discrete Degrees; there alone we offer a key to many mysteries, not only spiritual, but also material. For the Faith of the New Church is not only a religion; it is a philosophy; yes, and a science. The universal character of our religion is what gives such vitality to distinctive New Church education.

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     Then, in presenting the doctrines to the inquiring guest-for guest he is, from the first moment that he seeks food from our spiritual table-we must never forget to declare the fundamental, and startling, basis of our creed-that the Lord has already made His Second Coming. To some inquirers that may seem a hard saying; and yet, with suitable explanations, as to how the prophecy of the Second Coming was fulfilled, it can be accepted.
     Possibly the inquirer is, or has been, a Catholic. Now, in spite of the fact that our doctrines are totally, fundamentally, different from Catholic doctrines, we still have an interesting point of contact, in one thing that we are taught about Catholics. I mean the teaching that Catholics who have lived good lives are distinguished in the other world by the ease and expedition with which they can be prepared for heaven, because of their habit of confession, self-examination, the searching of their own hearts-a means of sincere repentance.
     Some of the things we can tell to strangers may have relation to the sacraments and rites of our Church. Most well-disposed people cherish a belief in guardian angels, especially for their little ones. They may be thrilled at the thought that our Sacrament of Baptism actually extends into heaven, and puts the child in charge of the angels best suited to its guardianship. Much more could be told, of course, about Baptism, and about the Holy Supper, and about Marriage, and the ideals of marriage upheld in the Church.
     Perhaps even more appealing, in some ways, is the teaching of our Church about Death. That is quite natural; for when we consider death, we are quick to transfer our attention to the other life. The teachings about a prompt resurrection for every individual, followed by a real life in a real, substantial world, have been a great comfort, even to many who are not of our faith. It may be a means of bringing some of them into the Church.
     There are countless other teachings which you can recall when answering the questions of a friendly stranger. And if you are well-versed in the Doctrines, you need not fear to be quizzed, even by an expert. After all, you have a system of theology that will stand the tests of reason,-the only theology that truly reconciles the claims of religion and science.
     And if you don't know all the answers-and which of us does know them all?-it is always proper, and advisable, to refer your friends to the Writings. Make it plain that those Writings are the Word of God.

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We are fortunate in being able to obtain editions of several of the books at very low prices. It's a good idea to give such books to your friends. If they are interested, they will read. Reading is important. One of my friends who is not of the New Church knows that, and he has a healthy respect for New Churchmen. He says: "They have a wonderful religion; it takes study. Why, those people have a set of books as long as this! A fine religion, but they have to work at it!"
     And it's a good idea to invite your friend to come to church with you. There, even if he never heard of the word "sphere" as we use it, he can, hardly fail to feel the sphere of our worship. There, perhaps for the first time, he hears the Word in its letter and its spirit read by a priest of the Church. There he hears his first sermon. And there, if I may do a bit of thinking aloud, the friend who brought him along just hopes, and hopes, that the sermon will be elementary enough for a newcomer to understand! That remark, coming from me, might sound almost impertinent, but it touches on a difficulty that I suppose is familiar to every pastor in the Church. As a matter of fact, our religion, in some of its phases, is rather technical. That's what my old friend meant when he said, "They have a set of books this long, and they have to work at it." And a pastor, preaching to his own congregation, is talking to them, not to somebody else. He must hew to the line, let the chips fall where they may. If a chip happens to hit the newcomer, well, let's hope he can stand it. After all, he came to our church expecting something new! But in spite of what I've just said, I'm not worried. I have a feeling that, as the years go on, our ministers are growing more and more skilful in the art of preaching sermons that are at the same time simple and profound. More power to them!
     Only a few weeks ago, a young lady came out to Glenview, and attended a New Church service for the first time. After the service she gave me some of her impressions. She said she liked the church, she liked the music, she liked the service, she liked the preacher. Furthermore, she enjoyed the sermon, and was relieved to have been in a church where, instead of discussing the war and politics, the sermon was based upon the Word of God. "At last," she said, "I have been in a place of worship!" I might say that a similar impression was made upon many who listened some time ago to the service in the Immanuel Church that was broadcast on the radio.

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It was most impressive, and I look forward to the time when it can be done again.
     Our toastmaster suggested that I might say something about radio. Briefly, as New Churchmen, we know that the real purpose of radio was to aid in spreading the knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrines. You might not think so, as you listen to what comes over the air at times. But Providence can afford to wait.
     Radio has already been employed in some good missionary work, notably by courses of lectures such as those of the Rev. Hiram Vrooman, of the General Convention, and in a few cases by ministers of the General Church.
     My own part in aiding the cause has been very small. Because of the nature of my broadcasts. I am not able to say much about religion. I sometimes mention Swedenborg in such a way as to gain added respect for him. In general, he is respected where his name is known. In referring to people who have gone into the other world, I have, for nearly twenty years, and on thousands of occasions, stated that so-and-so has now passed into another world to live to eternity; and I have added remarks appropriate to that person's life on earth, and his possibilities for increased usefulness in the Kingdom of Uses. I have never for a moment suggested that any such person would have to wait for a final general judgment day.
     I have received many thousands of letters. People have written to me about virtually everything under the sun, but no one has ever questioned my theology as to the other world. About ten years ago, one man, at the close of a very kind letter, wrote: I seem to perceive that you are familiar with the "Writings of the Honorable Emanuel Swedenborg."
     Please note that I do not class this sort of thing as missionary work. It is not that, for the reason that I've not been in a position to proclaim boldly that our Lord has made His Second Coming in His Word, revealed through the instrumentality of Emanuel Swedenborg.
     Just one closing thought. This world-this strange old world, so badly behaved,-has one supreme distinction. Because it is a very ultimate world, it is in a unique and special sense a Missionary World. God Himself made it so. It was by no mere accident that He chose this earth upon which to descend and make Himself Man.

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It was because on this earth, in His good time, men were to discover the art of printing, by means of which the power of the missionary might be multiplied by its hundreds, and its thousands, and its millions; for the healing of the nations, not only on this earth, but also throughout the universe. In the pages of the Word, thus printed and distributed, we find the source of wisdom and the way to heaven. And if, in our occasional efforts to serve as missionaries, we laymen are led to that Source more often, then we are turning for aid to the Divine Missionary. And then, even if we accomplish nothing further, our efforts have not been in vain.
STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD 1942

STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD       Rev. HAROLD C. CRANCH       1942

     Preaching What Is Revealed.

     (Speech at the Chicago District Assembly Banquet, 1941.)

     A short time ago a friend said to me, "We are very anxious that men should learn the truth and come into the church, not only for their own advantage, but also for ours. Why, then, do our New Church ministers preach so much about the falsities and evils of the Old Church? We have already given up such doctrines as salvation by faith alone, a belief in three gods, predestination, merely external piety, and the host of other related fantasies. We do not need a constant reference to these falsities. And when strangers do attend our services, instead of attracting them, we repel them by our bitter condemnation of their churches."
     I gave the usual answer: "Our sermons must be directed primarily to our own people. These falsities have been interiorly regnant so long in the Christian world that we, totally unaware of it, have absorbed many of them from our environment itself. We cannot know that these falsities lurk behind many of our accepted habits of life unless they are exposed to our view by truth applied to our own needs. These falsities can only be removed after they are fully seen." My questioner admitted all that I said, but he stuck to his point:
"Doctrinal classes could teach and expose these falsities, and strangers are not so apt to be present there.

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Why must we use these same harsh, condemnatory statements in our sermons, in public worship?"
     I have reflected upon this question since that time. It is fundamental. It brings before us the matter of our policy in introducing truth to new people, as well as to new states in ourselves. If our policy is sound in the one case, it is sound in the other, for the problem is the same, though on different planes. In the one case we are evangelizing in ourselves those states which yet remain in falsity; in the other, we seek to evangelize those people who are in the false doctrines of the former Christian Church. That our policy may be sound, we must draw it from the plain teachings of the Writings. If the answer is found there, we may be sure that our principles are correct. There only remains the question of how to apply them. The teachings of the Writings which seem to apply most aptly to this problem of how to present the truth, that it may best serve our own people and visitors, seem to be the following:
     1. The essentials of the New Church cannot be received until the falsities of the Old Church are cast out. (A. R. 473.)
     2. Falsities are cast out by means of truth from the Word which judges, as represented by the two-edged sword which proceeded from the mouth of the Lord. (A. C. 9294:2; A. R. 52, 108.)
     3. Falsities do not fight against the Word in the letter, for men use this for confirmations. They fight against the genuine teachings of the Word. (A. E. 734.)
     4. Opposites must also be presented, to the end that the truth may be rationally seen, and accepted in life. (A. C. 7298.)
     These principles apply equally to the presentation of truth to new people or to new states. Truth cannot be taught without some application being shown at the same time, which means that something of the false state which it is to combat must also be manifested.
     Our sole purpose in presenting truth is to establish the church in the world at large, in our own group, and in each individual. But this can only be accomplished by a series of judgments, by which the path is cleared of interfering falsities, and the truth is received to increase the presence of the church with us. This process was completed in the world of spirits by the Last Judgment. The false heavens, ruled by evil spirits adept in hypocritical piety, were cast down when these hypocrites were no longer able to hide their interior evils.

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The spirits they held in subjection were taught the genuine doctrines from the Word, and they saw the truth, while their leaders were raised to a frenzy of rage, and destroyed themselves in the attempt to destroy the truth.
     Thus did the judgment take place in the spiritual world. The same spiritual judgment is falling upon the imaginary heavens with men in the world, but here it is only gradually accomplished. That spiritual history is repeated with each individual, rather than with whole societies at a time. Yet the judgment is the same. The truth is read or heard, and all the falsities in man rise up against it. If these falsities are from environment, if they had been accepted only because nothing better was known, then they are quickly removed. The new teachings are seen to be the genuine teachings of the Word, and the unconfirmed falsities give way speedily to the truth. If these falsities are from conviction-if they have been accepted and confirmed because they give man freedom to love evils, to reject repentance and self-discipline while claiming all the benefits of Christianity-then these falsities fly to the attack, to preserve their false heaven undisturbed. In the judgment which follows they also find release, but merely the release of deeper confirmation of evil.
     By judgment, man is enabled to see new truths. But truth must first go forth to battle and judge the false heavens of our external civilization. It must reveal the underlying evils of the Christian world, if the true light is to be received and establish the church.
     Something of this principle was recognized years ago. A story is told that when Bishop N. D. Pendleton had first become interested in the Doctrines, one of the Convention ministers he knew gave a missionary talk in a neighboring town in the south. Mr. Pendleton went there to hear him. The lecture was on the state of the Christian Church. No pains were spared to expose its inherent wickedness. The lecture was a masterpiece. It aroused all its hearers, who became so incensed at the attack upon their church that they rose in anger, shouting for tar and feathers. Mr. Pendleton quickly joined the rather bewildered minister, and led him in a very active retreat across the fields. The minister was a chubby little man, not accustomed to running, but his spirits rose in proportion as they distanced their angry pursuers. As they climbed over a fence a few hundred yards ahead of the mob, he turned chuckling, and panted out: "Well, Dandridge, we may not get any converts, but we surely performed a judgment!"

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     Although we are seldom compelled to run away today, yet we must often be satisfied with the same spiritual results. It must not discourage us. The work of building the church is an eternal work performed by the Lord. We are but instruments in His hands to further its accomplishment. Yet, by this first judgment, those who have confirmed themselves in falsities are weeded out, and our work is gradually directed to the most fruitful field.
     Can we fear to perform this first function of the truth-the judgment? Our permeationist friends fear it-most of the ministers of Convention shun it-and their work, year by year, results in a smaller field to cultivate. We must emphasize the state of the Christian Church, and the need for a judgment upon it. The Writings were given to correct the ruling evil state. This teaching is common sense. It can be confirmed by everyone. Is there any acceptable reason for changing one's church, except that of seeing the falsity which rules in it? To change merely because the new doctrines seem more beautiful is to be a dilettant, without convictions.
     Judgment by the Divine Truth, as each one understands it in the Word, is the only basically good reason for joining the church. To gain strong members-those who will not fear to face the teachings of the Writings-we must not fear to present the truth that will make the judgment. And we can be comforted by the thought that the Truth is a Divine weapon, and that the Lord protects those who are not ready to hear it.
     Teaching genuine truths from the Word does three things. It judges and destroys the rule of falsity; it prepares our minds to receive new truths; and it imparts new truth wherever the ground has been prepared. Therefore truth is variously seen. But it must first be the "two-edged sword proceeding from the mouth of the Lord." (Rev. 1: 16.) When it has performed the combat of judgment, it appears to be beaten into a plowshare, to cultivate the conquered ground and prepare it. (A. E. 734.) After that, the truth is seen as it really is, as a seed given by the Lord, the receptacle to receive the blessings of Divine Love, to be infilled with good. And the seed grows in the place prepared, and forms a new man-a regenerating man-a true New Churchman.

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CHURCH AND THE TIMES 1942

CHURCH AND THE TIMES       WARREN REUTER       1942

(Speech at the Chicago District Assembly Banquet, 1941.)

     Tonight the armies of two nations whose rulers we have come to regard as godless and irreligious, and whose motivating doctrines have little in common with the teachings of Swedenborg, are engaged in a gigantic struggle for their very existence,-a struggle that is profoundly affecting the whole world, bringing with it disorder and chaos on a scale the world has never before witnessed. This is not news to any of us. We hear of it on all sides-from newspapers and radios,-and we know it by the changes in our daily lives. We hear about it so much that we unconsciously feel the apparent hopelessness of the situation. The future appears dark indeed.
     It is by reassuring ourselves with the promise of the Lord that the New Church is some day to cover the earth that we can see the bright future lying ahead; and by the further teaching that the old church is to be destroyed, both internally and externally. Perhaps we are justified in assuming that the condition of the world today is a speeding up of that process. For surely there are many things besides wealth and lives that are being destroyed,-ideals and accepted ways of living. Class distinctions are changing; material security is no more; age-old customs and traditions, and the very buildings which housed and nurtured them, are being obliterated. All of this is paving the way for something new.
     A change as gigantic as the destruction of one church and the introduction of a new church to full growth must of necessity take a long time. The process involves the death of the internal, followed by the death of the external. And the death of the external is not so much a disintegration as it is a series of innumerable changes,-changes in all things such as we are now witnessing,-a gradual molding of the external into a new form into which a new internal can inflow.

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     The New Church has been established for well over a hundred years, and during that time its growth has been slow. Perhaps we are on the threshold of an era in which we can anticipate an ever accelerating growth of the church. As the operation of Providence in spreading the church unfolds itself before each generation, there will have to be changes in procedure and emphasis on the part of the men of the church. What we do, and how we do it, will have to be accommodated to changing conditions under which we as a church live in order that our efforts to grow may be most effective. Divine Revelation may be the only thing that remains unchanged and constant.
     And so it behooves us to look about us, and to appraise the times and conditions under which we live, so that we may determine, within the limits of our human prudence, what is most expedient for our growth. And now for an attempt at such an appraisal.
     The first thing that comes to mind is World War II, following one short generation after World War I. Many of the ideals that men accepted almost unthinkingly in the first war are now subjected to a much closer scrutiny. And the value of these ideals suffers because apparently they did not work, and the result is a cynicism of those values which the world calls moral. This cynicism is especially pronounced in the younger generation. They are coldly and intellectually calculating in the doctrines they are willing to accept, and are prone to measure all values by those of science. Science has become their god. Things must be proved to be true. Perhaps this cynicism of the younger generation has been induced by the sight of the apparent worthlessness of the cherished ideals of their forbears,- ideals which have proven to be idols with feet of clay.
     The rapid increase in the use of radio, and the faster and cheaper means of transportation, have shrunk the limits of our horizon. Opportunities for education have increased; people are better informed about their neighbors, and even about other countries,-how they live and what they believe, and what new things they have discovered.
     I daresay that the I.Q. of the people of America today is higher than it was a generation ago. And with this increase of, shall we call it intelligence, has come an increase in cynicism. And I would define cynicism as a shield or protection for disbelief, and prejudice, and confusion, and ignorance, always to be found where there is something vital lacking in the lives of people.

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The breaking down of so many things,-material, spiritual, and moral,-must be the cause of the growth of cynicism that is so apparent in this country and in the world today. But with it comes an increasing questioning attitude, motivated by the determination not to repeat the errors of the past, but confused as to how to correct the future. Current literature is rich with suggestions about changes in the relationship of humans with each other. Have we not been struck by the many articles appearing in current magazines dealing with the subject of human relations on the planes of business, government, education, and international relations, and many of them inspired by spiritual and moral motives?
     If we look back upon the development of our country, we can find the reason for this evolution of thought. After the Declaration of Independence we were a small nation, with a vast and undeveloped continent, rich in resources awaiting our development. For many generations the people were happy and content in building a great nation. They were too busy exploring and building to be overly concerned with the actions of their neighbors. If they did not like them, it was a simple matter to move on where there was more room and more freedom.
     As the frontiers gradually closed, the surplus energy, ingenuity, and resourcefulness of the people were devoted to developing the manufacturing or industrial era,-an era marked by a surge of mechanical inventions culminating in our present complicated economic set-up. This era is dominated by vast industrial concerns, whose wealth and power exceed those of whole nations of previous times.
     With the frontiers gone, and the crest of the industrial era past, the means at man's disposal to maintain his individual freedom have been curtailed. Men simply had to make more of an effort to live close together, if not in harmony, in at least a semblance of order. And so now, as a nation, we are embarking upon a new era,-an era that some have already termed the era of Public Relations. It has been marked by an increase of social legislation, the growth of the labor movement, and a greater effort on the part of businesses, large and small, to sell themselves as well as their product or service to the public. Many of them have recognized this trend by establishing Public Relations Departments, whose sole function is to better the relations between themselves and others.

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     And so, in summing up our appraisal of the present times and conditions, we find that in our country, as in the rest of the world, there is, besides the external chaos, an underlying confusion and a disbelief in the true values of life and religion, accompanied by a doubting, cynical attitude as to the ability of any one thing to correct it all-least of all religion. With it, however, there is that questioning wonder as to what the answer is, and a determination not to accept anything whole-heartedly until it has proved its worth.
     There seems to be a very fertile field ahead for the growth of the New Church,-a field that will respond more eagerly, if shown the way, rather than just told the way. Perhaps the time is closer than we think.
     Under the present conditions, one of the most effective means of spreading the Church would be the application of our Doctrines in all phases of endeavor,-a concerted effort to mold a new external form of life into which a new internal can inflow. In every phase of endeavor this can be done. Be we teachers, professional men, engaged in business, or working for others, on all planes of life we can actively and constructively help to mold this new external.
     The growth of the Church will some day receive a great impetus as New Churchmen step forward into the world with a solution for the many knotty problems of today. The greatest confusion lies in the realm of human relations,-a field particularly adapted to the application of the Writings of Swedenborg. It seems to me that people would be more open-minded and more willing to accept our doctrines after they had seen their application to a situation which had never been satisfactorily met before. They would say to themselves, "Here, now, is something worth-while,-something worthy of study on my part!" Thus a demonstration of the goods of life, under our present conditions, will be more effective than a presentation of the truths of life on a purely intellectual plane.
     Take, for example, the age-old relationship of employer to employee, which so often resolves itself into a three-cornered battle between capital, labor, and management, each organized primarily for its own benefit, jealous of the gains of the other, lacking in any really cooperative endeavor-the good of the larger unit being made secondary to the good of the individual.

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There appears to be a movement afoot to correct this situation, and surely it is not too early to make an attempt at a real solution.
     Let us picture the formation of a unit, be it a corporation or any other form of organization created to render service for the sake of use, where the individuals involved are engaged in work in accordance with their abilities and aptitudes, and thus happily employed, and where each one will participate in material returns in proportion to what he gives, and not according to some preconceived standard; where more consideration is given to the needs and desires of humans, over and above the material gains. This, of course, is only an example of something to be attained in the future. And we would blind ourselves if we were to expect that it would spread rapidly, and that the true spirit would be totally accepted. Yet it would be the creation of a new form,-one into which men would be willing to enter, at first for purely selfish reasons, because they would be drawn to it on account of its workability. But at least it would be the creation of a new form,-a new external into which a new internal could inflow.
     The endeavor of all New Churchmen to help to create such a new external will bear its own fruits,-the happiness of the individual, the betterment of this country and the poor, troubled world, and the ever-increasing growth of the Church.
PAUL CARPENTER 1942

PAUL CARPENTER       GILBERT H. SMITH       1942

     An Obituary.

     One who has been a devoted member of the General Church for over forty years passed into the spiritual world on November 27, 1941, with the death of Mr. Paul Carpenter at his home, "lArgenteau," on Silver Lake, North St. Paul, Minnesota. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 3, 1877, the son of Samuel Sangston and Mary Macy Carpenter. His father, a prominent member of the bar in Cincinnati, had received the Heavenly Doctrines about the year 1849, and thereafter was very active in the uses of the Cincinnati Society, the Ohio Association, and the General Convention.

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Eventually he espoused the Academy views, and was a staunch adherent of the Academy movement. (See Biography in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1889, p. 167, and articles by him in the same journal. 1882-1887.) After his death in 1889, Mrs. Carpenter, with their son Paul and their daughter Jessie, moved to Chicago.
     Here, in 1891, Paul became a pupil in the Immanuel Church day school, then maintained by the Academy under the direction of the Rev. N. D. Pendleton and the Rev. W. H. Acton; and from 1894 to 1897 he was a student in the College of the Academy in Philadelphia. He then entered the employ of Mr. Paul Synnestvedt in Chicago, studied law, and eventually became a partner in the firm of Synnestvedt & Carpenter. When Mr. Synnestvedt moved to Pittsburgh, this partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Carpenter remained in Chicago, where he developed an extensive patent law practice. Some years ago he became Chief Counsel and Attorney for the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, and this led him to take up his residence in St. Paul, though maintaining the firm of attorneys, Carpenter, Abbott & Coulter, in Chicago.
     The high esteem in which he was held in legal circles was voiced by Russell Whitman, Esq., one of Chicago's most noted lawyers and Dean of a Law Association in that city, who read the following tribute to those present at the funeral:
     "Paul Carpenter's outstanding contribution to our profession was not merely the most painstaking and thorough preparation of his client's case, but a willingness-almost an eagerness-to settle controversies in a manner which recognized, as a court might recognize, the just claims of both parties. The results of this policy-more than a policy, it was a fixed principle with Paul-were such that, without the expense and bitterness occasioned by clashes in the court room, his clients got their rights. If the adversary was not willing to adjust out of court, he got no more by insisting upon a trial. When the trial, if it had to come, was reached, there were no weak spots in the armor of Paul Carpenter's clients."
     Paul Carpenter became a member of the General Church in 1899, and in 1903 he took a leading part in the organization of Sharon Church, Chicago, and its subsequent activities. From 1904 to 1923 he was Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Corporation of the General Church.

25


In the formation of the Corporation and obtaining the Charter, he bestowed much time and labor upon the legal work as a member of the Legal Committee, and explained the details on the floor of General Assemblies. (NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1904, pp. 491-508; 1905, 552-562; 1907, 579-587.)
     The funeral service at his home on November 29th was attended by many of his professional associates, who had come to join the family and relatives and the members of the new North St. Paul Circle which he and his wife chiefly have organized and led. In the course of the service three beautiful selections were sung by Mrs. McGinn, one of the members of the Circle.
     The memorial address mentioned, among other things, that Mr. Carpenter was a man of genius in his profession, and one whose whole life had been devoted to hard work, so that he did not so well understand the benefits of play and recreation. His friends knew that it was his aim to make his services at law, and the organization which he headed, as near perfection as human effort could make them. He seemed to be a man genuinely in the love of his use, whose heart was not in riches, but in the services to which he gave his life. A man of high tension, bearing heavy responsibilities, he developed a seriousness and intensity of character; yet he was unassuming, and played his part in a useful life with honesty and dignity. He liked people of that character and without pretense. Although somewhat sensitive and reserved, he was lovable and generous, and a kind benefactor to many. In helping the church uses and his friends he preferred to keep himself in the background.
     He was a man of strong personality, and fond of intellectual pursuits. Immediately before his death he had been reading the 146th Psalm, and comparing the English text with the original Hebrew. The books lay open in his room. From his youth he had been a student of the teachings of the New Church, in which he was well versed and of clear understanding. And he has faithfully loved and supported this Church.
     GILBERT H. SMITH.

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NEW YEAR 1942

NEW YEAR       Editor       1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
     $3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     Change of State.

     The seasons of the year, and the regular succession in periods of time, caused by the rotation of the earth and its course around the sun, represent changes in the spiritual states of the church and of the regenerating man. These seasonal changes have no effect necessarily upon the spiritual state of man, even though they may have an effect upon his natural state and worldly circumstances. But the beginning of a new period of time, representing the entrance into a new state of life, affords an opportunity for the consideration of some truths that bear upon the changing states of the church and of regenerating men. And so far as we follow the prevailing custom at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, by examining our lives and making a decision to amend them, to the end that we may cast off what is unworthy of true men and women, and strive for better things, so far the observance of the occasion becomes doubly appropriate.
     In material concerns the end of one period and the beginning of another is a time of retrospection, having as its object the improvement of conditions in the future.

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It is a time when men take cognizance of their accomplishments, and also of their failings, being thankful for the one, repentant of the other. It is also a time when they gird themselves anew for the struggle of life, for the effort necessary to an ever better performance of all that they are called upon to perform in life's round of use.
     And it is well at certain times during the year for men to pass through this reforming period as to their spiritual life also, that they may go forward thereafter in the heavenward journey with renewed courage and zeal. Without these periods of purification and renewal there can be no regeneration, seeing that men, as finite beings, can only advance toward greater spiritual perfection by degrees, striving upward as if by their own efforts, leaving old states behind and entering new ones continually.
     It is of Providence, therefore, that there should be change and variety in human life, both in this world and in the next, as a means to a gradual perfection. And the Lord provides this variety out of His own infinity for the blessing and delight of His creatures. We find an image of this variety in the seasons and times of nature and in reflecting upon them, and upon their correspondence, we may find lessons beneficial to our spiritual life-lessons which we may apply according to individual perception and need.
     There are times when the world as a whole-the human family on earth-can only be brought to new and better things by a great and widespread change of state, ultimated in a violent disturbance which may be likened to a storm that clears the air of the noxious elements with which it has become charged. On the moral and spiritual plane such noxious elements, destructive of human society, are the accumulated hatreds born of selfishness and the love of rule which can only be checked and vastated by the force of a Divine judgment. Such changes may creep in upon men like a thief in the night, when they least expect them, but when they most need them; when some imaginary heavens, built up by fantasy and artifice, must be shattered, that something real may take their place, something built upon a genuine foundation,-the common good of all mankind.
     It is only through innumerable changes of state that the individual can be "born again of the spirit," and from natural become spiritual, angelic. And these changes involve alternations between the dominance of the natural and the spiritual in man, and the gradual subordination of the natural to the spiritual. Such alternations would be unnecessary if, according to the old error, man could be converted and saved in a moment. (D. P. 279.)

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But it is only by degrees that evils and falsities can be removed, and goods and truths received in their place. "I will not drive them out from before thee in one year. . . . By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land." (Exodus 23: 29, 30. A. C. 9336.) As long as man lives in the world, he can advance in the regeneration only by alternations of state between the natural and the spiritual. "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis 8: 22. A. C. 933.)
     And even when the regenerating man has undergone that last great change which is effected by the death of the body, and when he has become an angel of heaven, he will still undergo changes of state, and this to all eternity. But these are not alternations between evil and good, but between states of greater and lesser good, which produce the days and years of his heaven, with delights of perpetual variety, new every morning. The fact and the use of such changes in the angelic life are clearly set forth in the Heavenly Doctrine:

     "By changes of state with the angels are meant their changes as to love and faith, and thence as to wisdom and intelligence, thus as to the states of their life. . . . The angels are not constantly in the same state as to love, and hence not in the same state as to wisdom; for all their wisdom is from love and according to love. Sometimes they are in a state of intense love, and sometimes in a state of love not so intense; it decreases by degrees from its greatest to its least. When they are in the greatest degree of love, they are in the light and heat of their life, or in their clear and delightful state; but when they are in the least degree, they are in shade and cold, or in their state of obscurity and undelight. From the last state they return again to the first; and so on. Those changes follow one after the other, with variety, like the variations of the state of light and shade, and of heat and cold; or like morning, noon, evening and night, every day in the world, with perpetual variety throughout the year. They also correspond,-morning to a state of love in clearness, noon to a state of their wisdom in clearness; evening to a state of their wisdom in obscurity; and night to a state of no love and wisdom. But it is to be known that there is no correspondence of night with the states of life of those who are in heaven; but there is a correspondence of the twilight which precedes the morning; the correspondence of night is with those who are in hell." (H. H. 154, 155.)
     The daily round in hell is the opposite of that in heaven.

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"Their morning is the heat of cupidities, noon is the itch of falsities, evening is anxiety, and night is torment. (A. C. 6110:6.)
     "I have been informed from heaven why there are such changes of state there. The angels said that there are several reasons:-First, that the delight of life and of heaven, which they have from their love and wisdom which are from the Lord, would gradually lose its value if they were continually in it; as is the case with those who are in delights and pleasures without variety. The second reason is, that angels have a proprium, equally as men, and that this is to love themselves; and that all who are in heaven are withheld from their proprium, and are in love and wisdom so far as they are withheld from it by the Lord; but so far as they are not withheld, they are in the love of self; and because everyone loves his proprium, and this draws him down, therefore they have changes of state or successive alternations. The third reason is. that they are perfected by these changes, for in this way they become accustomed to being held in a love of the Lord, and withheld from the love of self; and also it is by alternations of delight and undelight that their perception and sensation of good becomes more exquisite. The angels added, that the Lord does not produce their changes of state, because the Lord as a sun is always inflowing with heat and light, that is, with love and wisdom; but that they themselves are the cause, because they love their proprium, which continually draws them away. This they illustrated by a comparison with the sun of the world; for the changes of the state of heat and cold, of light and shade, every year and every day, are not caused by the sun, which is immovable, but by the motion of the earth." (H. H. 158.)

     Variety in Unity.

     In the perpetual round of the times and seasons of nature the rational mind may also see the truth that in all its variety there is a unity. It is according to Divine order that in the immense variety of created forms and their activities all things conspire to one end, which is man, and through man to a heaven from the human race. So it is that in the human life which is an image of Divine order there must be variety in unity.
     Life without variety would not be life. A life without variety is monotonous, and monotony is living death. The ear is charmed by the harmonies of a symphony, but dulled by the sustained tone of a single musical instrument. The rainbow is more pleasing to the eye than the light itself. (C. 190.) Variety is the spice of life. Man, both physically and mentally, is highly complex, and capable of innumerable sensations of life-all, however, in a unity. And the Creator has provided an abundant variety of goods in His universe for the use and delight of men.

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But when, from selfish indulgence, men delight in that variety for its own sake, they soon reach that inevitable excess which is satiety and dissatisfaction. When men seek variety for its own sake, they depart from the Divine purpose and order, which is that they should be delighted with variety for the sake of use, thus that all things various in their existence should conspire to one end.
     In common speech we use the expression, "infinite variety," but in doctrinal usage the term "infinite" can be applied only to the Divine. In the Writings, therefore, the word "indefinite" is employed to describe the immense (immeasurable) variety of finite things in the created universe. "That is called indefinite which cannot be defined and comprehended by number; but still the indefinite is finite relatively to the Infinite, and so finite that there is no ratio between them." (A. C. 6232.) In the Scriptures these "indefinite" things are compared to the stars of the heavens and the sand of the sea for multitude. "As with the Lord all is infinite, so in heaven all is indefinite; the indefinite of heaven is an image of the infinite of the Lord." (A. C. 1590.)
     The Lord God is one, and He is infinite,-the supreme cause and origin of the indefinite, the immense, variety in creation. And the Lord wills that men be unities receptive of His infinity-unities capable of enjoyable varieties of life to all eternity. This men cannot be, in a spiritual manner, if they diffuse and dissipate the influx of the Divine infinity, perverting it to the gratification of their individual delight alone; for that destroys the unity of the human form in them. The conservation of that form depends upon a unity of its forces, which is attained when the Divine influx is determined by a man to use, when, from a spiritual ruling love and its intelligence, he suffers himself to be led to the delight of use to the neighbor and service to his God. "The love of use, and thence application in use. hold the mind together and keep it from diffusing itself, and from wandering about and imbibing all the cupidities which inflow from the body and from the world through the senses with their allurements, by which the truths of religion and the truths of morality, with their goods, are dissipated to the four winds. But the application of the mind in use holds those truths together, and disposes the mind into a form receptive of wisdom from those truths, and exterminates from the sides the idle sports and pastimes of both falsities and vanities." (C. L. 16.)

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     That man may become a spiritual unity receptive of the Divine infinity, he must turn in spirit to his God, and away from the allurements of the senses and the cupidities of the natural mind. He must turn from self-gratification in all the activities of a useful life. He then comes into the stream of the Divine purpose and providence, with its blessing of a heavenly life filled with variety to all eternity.
     The inordinate love of variety with men takes many forms. In the sphere of religion it is manifested in the worship of false gods,-the deities of man's own creation. It is seen in the tendency to follow the fantastic beliefs which have been invented by the perverted understandings of men, who, in turning away from the sure guidance of Divine Revelation, follow the dictates of self-intelligence and conceit. The manifestation of this love of variety has been exceedingly common in the Christian world, where every new creed gains adherents, and the Word itself is made to confirm so many dire falsities.
     In a true church there is room for variety in the understanding of the Word with those who are in the truths of general doctrine and in the life of charity. With men who look to the Lord as the only God, who live the conjugial life, and are zealous, honest and just in their uses, shunning wandering desires of every description-with such there is the gift of perennial variety within the united whole of their existence; and they find a departure from that unity an affliction rather than a satisfaction.
     In a perverted state of the church, the inordinate love of variety is seen in an indifference toward religion, in a carelessness as to the conjugial covenant and social responsibilities, in the lack of application to the use of one's calling from the genuine love of it, and indulgence in the pleasures of corporeal gratification beyond what is conducive to the health of the body. All these flow from the inordinate love of variety, the fountainhead of which is the love of the world for the sake of self.
     And there is a sure result of a yielding to this inordinate love of variety,-discontent,-because it can never be fully gratified. This result is a remarkable proof that such a love is merely natural, temporal and evanescent. On the other hand, the result of a spiritual love of variety,-contentment with one's lot-is a sure proof of its everlasting quality.

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In the spiritual love of variety in unity we find the genuine source of all content, because into such a love the Lord can inflow through heaven with His infinite peace.
     The legitimate love of variety is not so much the love for many new things as the love for new particulars of one thing. An infant manifests this love when, from the presence of the angels in its state of contentment and peace, it will find delight for hours in a single plaything. But adult man departs from this happy state when, from a love for many things without a definite purpose and use, he looks out into the natural in all directions, and eventually craves possession of the whole world. As the poet has so well said:

     Blest babe, a boundless world this bed so narrow seems to thee
     Grow man, and narrower than this heel the boundless world shall be.
          -SCHILLER.

     But a love for variety in unity, even though it be determined to one natural thing, is interiorly extended immensely in the spiritual world, bringing with it an indefinite extension of thought into heavenly societies, and the influx of untold heavenly delights. (A. C. 6600.)

     Newness of Life.

     In the life of the church, the spiritual love of variety is the love of spiritual riches, which are the goods and truths of the Word as so many mirrors of the Lord Himself. (T. C. R. 508e.) The man who worships the one true God, the Lord Jesus Christ, may learn new things concerning Him forever. In the conjugial life, partners find ever new delight in one another. It is similar in distinctive social life and friendship. In the forensic life, the man who applies himself diligently to the use of his calling finds limitless vistas opened before him as he advances in that use. In these and all other cases, the delight of interior variety depends upon the application to one thing, while the pleasure of wandering to many is shunned. "To think nothing," we are told, "is to think obscurely about many things at once, and nothing distinctly about anything." (A. C. 5185e.) The rational mind is interiorly opened and enlightened when there is concentration upon a distinct general truth in the study of particulars. This is the way to wisdom.

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     And so with the regenerate life in general. Its delight can only be attained by the giving of the whole heart, the whole mind, the whole soul to the Lord, to His church, to the conjugial life, to society and friendship, to the use of one's calling. And this giving of the whole heart to the Lord in the life of the church is not a sacrifice of all that is free and delightful in this world's life, but rather it brings into the natural life the very essence that makes its delight genuine and lasting, filling it with an internal variety and satisfaction that cannot be experienced as long as the whole heart is really in the world and selfish pleasure.
     The spiritual love of variety is the love of spiritual truth and good. The infinity within spiritual things from the Divine cannot he realized unless the spiritual mind be opened by the affection of the Divine Truth of Revelation; nor can it be fully realized then unless that affection spring from the love of spiritual good-unless the truth lead to good. The influx of infinity, the influx of the Lord, with man, imparting to him the perception, realization, and satisfaction of the abundance and eternity of the spiritual life, is into the good of life, and thence into the truths of wisdom, because it is primarily into the heart's love, and thence into the thought of the understanding. (A. C. 5804.) When a man has come to a state of spiritual good, he then for the first time feels a holiness, completeness and satisfying delight in the truths of the Word. They then cease to be merely intellectual, merely things known, things which he can number and arrange, but they are felt to be beyond number, and of immense variety, and arranged of themselves into a wonderful order and unity-not by man. but by the Lord Himself.
     So long as the truth of the Word is unvivified by good, it is relatively cold, hard and dead, however much it may delight the intellect and the love of knowledge. So long as it is only external with a man, so long it is perishable, and he really lives in a spiritual desert. Even as regeneration advances, he will feel at times that he is in this spiritual desert-a monotonous and lonely abiding place. Nor will he find an oasis until he goes to the "living fountain of waters," and is revived by the delight of living the truth of God's Word.
     There are times with us all when we feel this spiritual barrenness, when we feel that the church has nothing new to offer. And we may certainly lay this feeling to one only cause,-our falling away from the life of the truth, our falling away from the unity of the spiritual life into the variety of natural life apart.

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And this lapse with the regenerating man is permitted, to the end that he may afterwards be renewed, restored, and revived by a new realization of the infinity that is within spiritual truth and spiritual good and spiritual use.
     The worship and instruction of the church will always be filled with a satisfying variety and newness to the man who has in himself the genuine fountain of that spiritual variety and newness, whose life is receptive of the Lord's infinity because it is according to Divine order, whose mind is a unity because the truths with him are conjoined to good and vivified by good.
     Such a man will see innumerable ideas in every general statement of doctrine. He will not tire of the truth, but will delight to dwell upon it. And as he dwells upon the truth, he will come into more and more of the manifold ideas that are hidden within it. Not so if he passes continually from one truth to another, without concentration of mind upon some one truth. That is to "think nothing." For interior enlightenment in the truth comes only to those who concentrate upon a truth, who apply it to good, and seek its use. There is then an influx of innumerable ideas into that truth. It may be compared to the use of a prism, by which the light of the sun is focused upon an object with great intensity.
     It will be evident, then, that a man who is regenerating is receptive of a spiritual variety in his life and understanding which cannot be given to one who is not regenerating, but who is immersed in the merely natural life. It is evident that there is a legitimate love of variety, which is always associated with the love of unity. The life that leads to heaven is not a monotonous and sad one, but it is a life filled with delights of endless variety. There have been men who cherished and taught a belief that the life which leads to heaven is a narrow, confined and monotonous one, but they have been false shepherds. For the way to heaven is only strait and narrow to the man who will not freely turn away from the broad path of the merely natural life, and devote his life to the Lord. Repentance soon becomes easy to such a man, and he is gifted by the Lord with increasing reward in the happiness of spiritual endeavor, and in the release from the discontent of natural cravings and ambitions.
     Nevertheless, in our fallen condition at this day, it is only with some difficulty that we turn our backs upon the allurements of this world's life, and strive toward the heavenly life.

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In turning away from the variety of the sensual-natural life, and applying ourselves to the cultivation of the spiritual life, we shall encounter periods that will seem narrow and monotonous. But if we would reach the land of plenty we will not seek relief by escape from the temptation, but by combat in the temptation-by unflinching endeavor and perseverance, confident in the outcome. It is only after trials of this kind that the Lord can bring us to a state of spiritual content and constancy, with its true blessedness. It is only after a battle with self and the world that we can be brought by the Lord to the reward of a life which looks to Him alone,-a life that will last forever, and be filled to eternity with variety, content, and peace.
COMMUNICATIONS 1942

COMMUNICATIONS       W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1942

     EDITORIAL NOTE: As our correspondent here offers comment upon an address by Bishop Acton on "The Spiritual World and the Natural," we may state that this address appeared in NEW CHURCH LIFE for October, 1940, p. 465. The other contributions to the discussion of this subject to which our correspondent refers appeared in the following issues: December, 1940, p. 584; April, 1941, p. 171; and June, 1941, p. 279.

     THE SPIRITUAL WORLD AND THE NATURAL.

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     The published correspondence relating to Bishop Acton's address, "The Spiritual World and the Natural," has, for the most part, expressed opposition to the concepts presented therein. As I have found myself in unqualified agreement with the position taken,-after careful study of the address and the relevant doctrines,-and unable to follow your correspondents in their deductions from Bishop Acton's statements, perhaps I might be permitted to offer my views briefly for consideration.
     If I have understood Bishop Acton rightly, his main thesis is that creation and proceeding are two distinct things, and that the Lord created the universe in order that the Divine Proceeding, the Divine Love and Wisdom, might be revealed as the only substantial realities of life, in and by finite created things.

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So far, however, the correspondence would seem to have centered mainly in the appearances of the spiritual world, which it has affirmed; and if I have read the record aright, it is felt that Bishop Acton's view excludes the idea of any spiritual creation, thus eliminating an organized spiritual world, and identifies the spiritual world with the Divine Proceeding-leaving a natural world and the Infinite.
     With respect, I would submit that this is not the case. I, too, understand the Writings to teach that there is only one creation, in that neither the spiritual nor the natural world can subsist by itself; and that the complementary offices of the atmospheres of the two worlds are, respectively, to transmit the Divine Love and Wisdom, and to provide the ultimate materia which invest and bring them into finite manifestation,-a concept sustained, I believe, by the doctrine given concerning the Divine Incarnation Seed of the Lord.
     But I do not regard this view as eliminating a real spiritual world, or as leaving no intermediate between the Infinite and the natural world. Transmission cannot be predicated of the Infinite itself, but only of its proceeding through a finite medium; and the spiritual atmospheres, as transmitting media, are finite and highly organized, infinitely adapted to receive and convey all the degrees of the Divine Love and Wisdom. Furthermore, while it is the use of the natural world to furnish the ultimate matter which clothes the Divine Love and Wisdom and brings them into finite manifestation it is in the heat and light of heaven, transmitted by the spiritual atmospheres, that the Divine Love and Wisdom, thus manifested in and by created finite things, are seen as the substantial realities of life, and become the center of a living world of human affections and their thoughts.
     For these reasons I do not conceive the spiritual world as unreal or non-existent, although I regard its function as the transmission of Divine Love and Wisdom, not their manifestation as the Divine of Use, which is possible only in ultimates. Nor do I identify that world with the Divine Proceeding, but with the transmitting medium thereof,-which is an entirely different thing. And for the same reasons I do not regard angels and spirits as being in any sense unreal. For although they are, indeed, receptions of the activity of the Divine, it is not the "finest things of nature" which receive and transmit that activity, but the active spiritual substances within them; and these, in order that they may be competent to their use, must be highly organized by the Lord.

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     But I cannot regard spiritual substance as analogous to matter if by this is meant that it consists of compressed finites, however exalted in the scale of finites. Against such a view is set the difficulty mentioned by Bishop Acton in his address, which, by the way, has not yet been answered in the correspondence. Furthermore, I find no teaching in the Writings which states, or even suggests, that the original creative Word, in its proceeding, ceased, rested, or terminated, except in the ultimates of nature. On the other hand, I find much teaching to the effect that creation first subsisted in the ultimate, which is the natural world; and that Divine order never subsists in the spiritual world, or forms anything there without an ultimate, but goes to the ultimate, and in it forms things.
     These teachings appear entirely to eliminate the idea that spiritual substance consists, as do the matters of this earth, of compressed finites, however conceived; and they seem to exclude also the view that the seeing of spiritual phenomena is effected by an opening of an interior degree of angelic sight to objects already existing actually,-which would surely call for analogues to fixation, permanence, and measurability, entirely apart from the state of the angel. Incidentally, while this view might explain the phenomena of heaven, would there not be considerable difficulty in accounting for the objective appearances of hell under it? But this is by the way, for the many passages in the Writings which explain the nature of the objects of sight in the spiritual world all seem to state clearly that these objects are appearances to spirits of the states of the organic substances of their minds, and that their formation is an effect of which the states of the substances of the mind are the cause.
     What, then, may we say of spiritual substance? For it is an undoubted and undisputed fact that it does exist, although it would appear that it is not analogous to matter. There are, I believe, two statements, not referred to so far in this discussion, which turn the thought in the right direction. Divine Wisdom, VIII: 3, dealing with the fact that procreations of human minds can take place only in this world, states that substances in the spiritual world are not permanent, but are correspondences of the affections of angels, remaining as long as the affections remain, and disappearing with them, and then remarks that the same would have been true of angels if they had been created in the spiritual world.

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And in the Spiritual Diary, no. 4293, the substantial is defined as living, or a most pure ethereal, which is formed by the Lord into the objective appearances of the spiritual world. The passage reads:

     DWELLINGS AND PARADISIACAL THINGS.

     "The angels have their dwellings, where they are, which are magnificent. I have been there. I have seen them a number of times, and I have marveled. They are so manifest and conspicuous to them that nothing can be more manifest and conspicuous. Dwellings on earth, or those of men, are scarcely anything in comparison. The angels also call those which are on the earth dead, not real, but their own true, as if living and real, for they enjoy them with every sense. The architecture is such that the art itself is thence, so that it can never be described; and there is much variety.
     "Like other men, I have wondered that there are such things in the other world, since it is contrary to the conception concerning the life of spirits; and [I have wondered] also whence they are. But the cause is, that the Lord appears to them as a sun, whence is their lumen and light, which many times exceed the light of the sun on the earth. And because they have light, they also have the variegation of light, which presents colors. Light without variegation is not possible, for it is shade to them. Thence they have colors, which I have very often seen, so splendid and glittering that they cannot be described.
     "In the other life, everything which is there is not, as some think, vacuity and emptiness. but is the substantial itself, which is the origin of all the substantial things in nature. There is the living substantial, or purest etherial; this is formed by the Lord into such things, which are so wonderful that they can scarcely be described. It is enough that I have seen them, and this many times; I have been there; I have spoken with those who are there, and they said that those things are real, but not those in which they dwelt on earth, which are relatively dead, and which they spurn." (Spiritual Diary 4292. 4293.)

     There is no dispute that objects of sight do appear in the spiritual world, and that all the things which are seen on earth are seen also in that world. The difference is as to the intrinsic nature and quality of these things, and it seems to me that the statements referred to indicate the essential difference between the substantial and the material. Material objects exist from seed and by procreation, thus by compression and composition, and are therefore fixed, permanent, measurable, and ponderable. Consequently they exist entirely apart from man's states.

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Spiritual objects, on the other hand, are formed by the Lord by an instantaneous re-ordering of the living ethereal, which corresponds to a re-ordering of the organic substances of the mind of the angel, which is effected by the perception of a new truth brought to finite manifestation in ultimates, and they remain as long as that order of the substances of the mind remains.
     This excludes, I believe, the idea that the objective appearances of the spiritual world are actual compound forms, and that external sight in the spiritual world is the visual reproduction of actual figures and forms. Logically this excludes as well the idea that the changes of state perceived by the spirit are induced by his own sensory organs: and I know of no other explanation of the mode by which they are induced than that advanced by Bishop Acton-namely, that they are induced by the spheres of men,-which appears to be plainly taught in Last Judgment, no. 9, and indicated in many other passages. Indeed, I cannot see in what else the subsistence of angels and spirits upon the human race as a general basis consists.
     But this does not, in my opinion, mean that the spiritual world is empty or unreal, or that it is conceived as idealistic. Its appearances are not mere projections of the minds of the angels, but are formations of the living ethereal effected by the Lord in correspondence with the states induced on the mind of angels and spirits by the sphere of men. These appearances are constant according to the states of angels and spirits; and in this connection it must be remembered that angels do not change their loves, but undergo alternations of state as to the same love which occur in regular and orderly cycles, and that angels in one society pass through their main alternations together. That which represents one's state is a more living reality than any actuality which does not; and, after all, the spiritual world is real, not because of the nature of its appearances, but because it is made and infilled by Divine Truth, which is from the Lord.
     May I say that it has not been my intention to be dogmatic, but to express a personal opinion. These notes are submitted, not with the thought that they may add anything new or of importance to the discussion, but because it seemed that there might be some value in expressing a view which differs from those already published on an address which has served generously the use of stimulating active thought from the Writings on a most important subject.
     W. CAIRNS HENDERSON.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     1841-1941.

     Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the New Church in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Society had the pleasure of welcoming more than forty visitors-mostly ex-members and non-resident members of the group during the week-end of November 7-9, 1941.
     Bishop George de Charms presided at the formal meeting of the Society, held at the church on Friday evening, November 7, which this year took the place of the annual Pittsburgh District Assembly. At this meeting the Bishop delivered an address on the subject of the Last Judgment. Treating somewhat of the popular idea that contemporary world-events are outcroppings in the natural world of that occurrence which took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757, the Bishop pointed out to his audience of about a hundred and forty persons that the most important results of the Last Judgment must necessarily continue to take place in the spiritual world-the world of the mind. The Last Judgment restored spiritual freedom to mankind, and the Divine purpose in it was to enable men to make a true and lasting judgment between the good and the evil in their own minds. Essentially, only in so far as this judgment is made in the minds of individual men and women will its effect really be felt in the natural world.
     Very little discussion followed this enlightening and thought-provoking address; but this silence was of the kind which followed President Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, Pa., on November 19, 1863.
     It was particularly fitting that Bishop de Charms should be the speaker on this occasion, for it was his grandfather, the Rev. Richard de Charms, who instituted the first seven receivers of the Heavenly Doctrines in Pittsburgh "a society of the New Jerusalem Church in the United States, at a meeting called for that purpose, . . . Saturday evening November 6th, 1841."
     After the formal part of the meeting had been ended, chairs were pushed back against the walls, and during the social occasion which followed, toasts to the church, the Bishop, and many prominent figures of the past hundred years, were honored. Among those who spoke informally at this time was the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt, a former pastor of the Pittsburgh Society. "Father" Synnestvedt, in his inimitable way, brought back many memories of the "good old days," which really are far less "old" than they were "good." Another feature of the evening was the display of many old photographs of past and present members of the Society. These had been hung around the walls-the pictures, that is-not the members of the Society

     Saturday Afternoon.

     A tea under the auspices of the Women's Guild was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George H. Woodard at Oakmont on Saturday afternoon.
     It is rarely that one mentions one's host at a tea; but the charming ladies of the Women's Guild cheerfully admit that Mr. Woodard's presence added a great deal to the pleasure of this social gathering, and brought about the renewal of many old friendships in a spirit of delightful conviviality.

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     Anniversary Banquet.

     Never has the assembly room of the school building been more prettily decorated than it was for the banquet on Saturday evening. Alternate red and white streamers fully canopied the room. Red and white flowers and candles decorated the many tables required to seat the one hundred and forty people who attended, each of whom received a corsage (for the ladies) or a boutonniere (for the men). A massive "100th Birthday Cake" occupied a table of its own near the entrance to the ball.
     During the evening a group of specially trained singers rendered selections from the ballads of "Uncle Walter" Childs, bringing with them a sphere of the old Academy days. The usual church songs, sung by the whole assembly, added their notes of festivity.
     The Rev. Ormond Odhner delivered the first of two forty-five minute speeches. He treated of the history of the New Church in Pittsburgh, from its beginnings to the year 1892, when the "Academicians in the Smoky City moved to the East End and formed their own Society, separate from the "First Society" on the North Side. Mr. Odhner laid special emphasis upon the development of those doctrines which have come to be embodied in the General Church.
     Mr. J. Edmund Blair, blushingly acknowledging toastmaster Rev. Willard D. Pendleton's laudatory introduction, which ended in ". . . historian incomparable and treasurer extraordinary, spoke of the history of the Pittsburgh Society-from the "split" of 1892 until the present day. He treated in great detail of the Pittsburgh pastorate of the late Bishop N. D. Pendleton especially, and recalled many of the questions which have had to be answered by this society in its fifty years of growth, not the least of which is the problem of keeping together geographically in a large and sprawling city. Mr. Blair dealt with a period in which much progress has been made under the leadership of pastors trained in the principles of sound New Church distinctiveness.
     Bishop de Charms concluded the evening with a few words dealing with the problems of the past and the present, and also spoke of the hopes of the future.

     Divine Worship.

     At the Sunday morning service of worship, Bishop de Charms preached a sermon concerning the establishment of the New Church by means of the Divine Truth revealed from the Lords Divine Human. It was based upon a text from the 45th Psalm. The Rev. Willard Pendleton conducted the service, which was attended by a congregation of one hundred and thirty-two.

     Sunday Evening.

     The members of the Executive Committee and the Pastors Council of the Society were given the opportunity of meeting with the Bishop on Sunday evening at the home of our Pastor, Mr. Pendleton, in Fox Chapel. Several other members and friends of the Society were also present.
     Mr. Pendleton delivered an address on the problems facing a society of the New Church which tries to make spiritual progress in the midst of a large city. Calling to mind the fact that such a society enjoys none of the benefits of "isolation" which are possible in the case of a country, or community, society, he spoke of the need of developing the homes of church members as living centers of the church. Regular family worship, he pointed out, is an indispensable means of such development. Following Mr. Pendleton's address, much discussion ensued-so much, in fact, that it occupied the whole evening.

     We have not attempted in this report to cover all details of this inspiring anniversary celebration, nor to mention by name the welcome visitors who came from Glenview and Bryn Athyn and many points between.

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We must bring this to an end, and we do so with the earnest hope that the progress of the New Church in Pittsburgh during the next century may at least equal the advances which have been made in our first hundred years.
     0. DE C. 0.
     EDITORIAL NOTE: The one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the New Church in Pittsburgh was also celebrated by the Society of the General Convention, whose church is located on the North Side. And the pastor of that society, Rev. Charles D. Mathias, contributes to the NEW CHURCH MESSENGER of November 12, 1941, a "Brief Sketch of the History of 'The First New Jerusalem Society of Pittsburgh and Its Vicinity.'"

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     Do you ever get up early of a Sunday morning-say about 8 o'clock? Everything is quiet then. No matter where you go, you are not likely to meet people. Most of them are in bed-or at least not yet out of their homes. But there's one member of the Immanuel Church who is up by then. Not once in a while, but every Sunday morning! That man is Alvin Gyllenhaal. He has my undying respect-and on top of that he has the gratitude of our entire society-for, long since, Alvin has taken it upon himself to keep the Park road in good condition. It's my sure guess that he does this as a service to the members of the Immanuel Church, for certain it is that no pecuniary reward is forthcoming. It's an inspiration to have such men as Alvin in our society!
     Early in November the first snow arrived, making things really look like winter. But the whiteness was short- lived, and the rest of the month was mostly mild weather-no mud, no slush in school halls or homes, much to the gratification of teachers and parents.
     On Sunday the 16th the Rev. Harold Cranch addressed the Glenview Sons. He had a number of beautiful colored slides of the Bryn Athyn cathedral, and these, with his description of the various parts of the building, made an enjoyable evening.
     On Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 20th, if you please) we had our special service, during which the school children sang several appropriate songs. The sermon was one which would make enlightening reading to many a person who wonders what we have to be thanking for these days!
     Just before preaching this sermon, our pastor spoke in a most beautiful way of the passing into the spiritual world of our friend, Miss Eugenic Headsten, whose death had occurred early Thanksgiving morning. Eugenic's cheerfulness entered into everything she did-her work for the church as well as the work of her livelihood. She had been ill for a long time, and it was indeed an occasion for thanksgiving when she was finally released from pain. Notice of her going would not be complete without mention of the lox-lug care her mother and her friends bestowed upon her, and of their splendid bearing of the temporary grief which death always brings.
     The officers of "The Park News" put on a party on November 22. They made no bones about the fact that the "News" was "in the red"-a phrase, we might add, which has been used more than once by this useful weekly sheet. The sum of $42 was painlessly extracted from those who attended, and for a time at least some of us will he able to read "The Park News" with a clear conscience.
     On Sunday the 23rd, the Rev. Harold Cranch preached in Glenview, our pastor having gone to North St. Paul to minister to the Circle there. Shortly after his return, Mr. Smith received a call to officiate at the funeral of a former member of the Immanuel Church,-Mr. Paul Carpenter, whose generosity in helping our work here in more ways than one makes us feel that we have indeed lost one of our very good friends.

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     After our Friday Supper on November 28th, the Women's Guild put on a Rummage and Bake Sale. "Have you any rubbers you don't want-or clothes-or books-or anything at all that is reasonably useful and in good condition? If so, get them together, notify us, and we will pick them up." A notice something like that resulted in literally loads of "merchandise" for the sale. Two of the schoolrooms had been set out as a store where everything was attractively displayed. Result-$30.12 was collected-clear profit-and lots of people bought useful things at lower than rock bottom prices. The bakery sale netted $20.00. This $50.12 is to go towards buying a runner for the aisle in the church. (We need about $50.12 more.)
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     SOCIETY NEWS.

     The leaflets now published weekly in a number of the societies of the General Church have come to us regularly during the past year, and we take this opportunity to extend our thanks to the publishers for sending them.
They furnish detailed information of the local church and school activities, personal news and other material, much of this not being included in the reports from these societies which appear in our Church News department.
     For the benefit of those of our readers who may wish to receive one or more of these publications, we append a list:
     The Park News.-The Immanuel Church. Glenview, Illinois. Editor:
Mr. Archibald E. Price, Glenview, Ill.
     Chatter-Box.-The Olivet Church, Toronto, Canada. Editor: Miss Vera Craigie, 104 Heath Street East.
     The Adviser.-Published by the Durban Society, 125 Musgrave Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
     News Letter.-Editor: The Rev. A. Wynne Acton. 45a Groveway, Brixton, London, S. W. 9, England.
     Bryn Athyn Post.-Editor: Mr. Andrew R. Klein. Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Issued Weekly. The contents include a Calendar of Events, Summary of a Sermon, and local news. Subscription Price, $1.00 a year to any address.
PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1942

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE       ELMO C. ACTON       1942

     This service has been in operation just over eighteen months, during which time it has proved itself of great value to the members of the church throughout the world. As stated by the Bishop, "our purpose is to supply at minimum cost material for individual reading, family and group worship, and religious instruction for children." Further he stated: "One of the chief objectives we have in mind is to provide greater facilities for instruction in the Doctrines of the Church to families and groups that can receive only occasional visits from a pastor."
     That these things have been fulfilled, is evident from an analysis of the use which the church has made of the service. From figures compiled by Mr. Ralph Klein, who is in charge of distribution, we learn that one hundred each of seventy-one pamphlets have been published, and that the members of the church have bought 3545 of these, or just over fifty percent.

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In addition to this, much valuable material that would otherwise be unavailable and unrecorded is thus preserved for the future use of the church.
     Since the last formal notice of the Extension Service, contained in a letter sent by the Bishop to the members of the General Church on May 17, 1941, Mr. Fred Cooper, a member of the Committee, has passed into the spiritual world. His services were much valued by the Committee, as he devoted himself to its uses with the great affection and thoroughness which were common to all his activities in the church. At the Bishop's request, his duties as Manager of Production have been taken over by Mr. Kenneth Synnestvedt.
     The Bishop has further deemed it advisable to appoint a minister as Secretary of the Committee, and this is why my name appears at the end of these notes. It will be my duty to keep the church informed, through the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE, of the new material that is published. The Committee is of the opinion that such advertisements as have appeared in the LIFE are not sufficient to inform the members of the church fully about the subject-matter of the pamphlets. They have therefore requested me to write a short account of each pamphlet, so that valuable material, sometimes hidden because of the inadequacy of a title, may be more clearly brought to the light.
     As advertised on the cover of the present issue, a new series of pamphlets will have been published by the time this article appears. Our reviews of this series will commence in the February issue of the LIFE. The subjects contained in this series should be of great interest to the church, as their predominant themes involve thought from the Doctrines of the New Church concerning the momentous events that are now taking place in the world. It is important that every New Churchman should make it a matter of conscience to learn the principles of the heavenly teachings, so that he may think from them about worldly happenings. It is therefore hoped that these new issues will be widely read in the church.
     The Committee asks your cooperation in this work. You are requested to write to the secretary if you have any criticism. We would especially appreciate your thought in regard to the usefulness of the present available material, and your suggestions as to the need of new kinds of material that are not now published, but which would be of value, both as studies and for practical uses.

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     In conclusion, it would seem fitting to inform the church about those who are devoting their labors to this work. Bishop de Charms is Chairman of the Committee; the Rev. William Whitehead and the Rev. Norman H. Reuter are editors; Mr. Kenneth Synnestvedt is the manager of the production of the pamphlets; Mr. Ralph Klein is in charge of their circulation; and Mr. Geoffrey S. Childs is in charge of the advertising. If we were in England, we should put "Honorable" before these names to signify that the offices are without remuneration of a pecuniary nature.
     The Committee appreciates the favorable reception of their work which has been expressed by the church, and sincerely hopes to be of continued service.
     ELMO C. ACTON,
          Secretary.
PARENT-TEACHER JOURNAL 1942

PARENT-TEACHER JOURNAL              1942

     Articles dealing with Education in Home and School.

     EDITOR: Miss Celia Bellinger.

     ASSISTANT EDITOR: Mrs. Besse E. Smith, Mrs. Benita A. Odhner, and Mr. Robert G. Scott.

     ART EDITOR: O. Minard Smith.


     Published Monthly, October to May, $1.00.

     Address: Mr. Robert G. Scott, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE              1942

     General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     We believe that it will be of interest to the Church at this time to hear something of a more personal nature about our Committee and about the men who are in military service. A list of names and addresses conveys little or nothing of a human character about these chaps, and we want them to be to you what they are to us,-individual members of our Church, each of whom is performing his duty toward his Country in this world cataclysm.
     At present the personnel of our Committee is as follows: Mrs. Philip C. Pendleton, chairman; Miss Lyris Hyatt, secretary; Miss Gwendolyn Cooper, treasurer; Miss Joan Davis, in charge of social correspondence; and Miss Virginia Smith. These are in Bryn Athyn.
     In addition, we have several associate members in other centers of the General Church who are helping us: Mrs. W. Cairns Henderson, in Australia; Mrs. H. Scott Forfar, in South Africa; Mrs. A. Wynne Acton, in London; Mrs. John Cooper, in Colchester; and Miss Helen Anderson, in Toronto.
     We are sending reading matter to the men in service. Besides the regular issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE and the BULLETIN OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY we are sending out a sermon or suitable article every two weeks. We are hoping in the near future to send something weekly. So far there has been no need to send knitted supplies, but the situation may change soon.
     Many personal letters are being written, and we would stress the fact that we welcome hearing from anyone in the Church who wants to write friendly letters to the soldiers and sailors. If Americans write to the British, and vice versa, it will help our sense of unity, and will prove to be of mutual interest to all.
     There are 104 names on our list: American 38 (7 married); Canadians 21 (7 married, 8 overseas); English 9 (2 married); South African 29 (14 married); Australian 2; Swedish 4 (1 married); French 1 (married). We expect to furnish more specific information about each of these men at a later date.

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     Almost every letter received by the Committee contains some expression of appreciation of the fact that the General Church is mindful of the men in service. We hope that many more of our members will be inspired to help to promote our usefulness. Suggestions will always be welcome.
     Next month we shall publish excerpts from interesting letters and more personal news.

     NEW ADDRESSES.

Appleton, Roy, 52 Drury Road, Colchester, England.
Finkeldey, Pvt. Philip, 1303 Service Unit, Co. C," T-30, Camp Lee, Virginia.
Grant, Captain Fred, 409 South Dallas Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Jesseman, Sgn. Leonard, B 31428. 1st Arm'd Division, R.C.C.S., Canadian Army Overseas.
Loomis, P/1 Lyman S., R.A.F., Eagle Sqdn., Air Ministry, London, England.
Simons, Pvt. David R., 33130175, F.A.R.T.C., Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

     ADDRESS CHANGES.

Alden, Pvt. Theodore S., Co. D, 2nd Sig. Battalion, Fort Monmouth, N. J.
Appleton, L. A. C. Eric D., 3 Drury Road, Colchester, England.
Bellinger, AC 2 John H., R 88575, No. 2 I. T. S., R.C.A.F., "C" Flight, No. 2 Sqdn., Regina, Sask., Canada.
Bellinger, AC 2 W. G., R 137131, R.C.A.F., No. 5 S. F. T. S., Brantford, Out., Canada.
Cockerell, A/M P. Graham, 313618, No. 100 Air School, P. 0. Robert Heights, Transvaal, South Africa.
Cowley, L/Corpl. W. S., No. 6303, 1st N.M.R., H. Q. No. 1, U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P. 0., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Davis, S/Sgt. Charles F., 17th School Sqdn., Barracks 235, Chanute Field, Illinois.
De Charms, Lt. Comdr. Richard, U. S. Marine Air Base, Cunningham Field, Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Hammond, Pvt. H. V., No. 1153, 1st N.M.R., "A" Coy., 2nd Infantry Brig., U.D.F.-M. F. Forces, Army P. 0., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Hill, AC 2 Ralph R., R 137173, R.C.A.F., No. 5 S. F. T. S., Brautford, Ont., Canada.
Izzard, P/O L. T., J 7462, R.C.A. F. Overseas.
Morris, Sapper David, c/o Mrs. Best, The Windmill, Adsborough, Nr. Taunton, Somerset, England.
Strowger, Mrs. A. R., Y. W. C. A. Hostess House, Trenton, Ont., Canada.
Walter, A/C Richard A., M Sqdn., Corps of Aviation Cadets, Maxwell Field, Montgomery. Ala.

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BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1942

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS              1942




     Announcements



     For the information of those who from time to time may desire to visit Bryn Athyn, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Please address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE.
          Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.
WE LOVE THE NEW CHURCH 1942

WE LOVE THE NEW CHURCH       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
FEBRUARY, 1942
No. 2
     (Delivered at the Chicago District Assembly, October 18, 1941.)

     A question has been asked: "Why is it that the Arcana Celestia takes us only through the Books of Genesis and Exodus, and that no more line-by-line and word-by-word explanation of the Old Testament was given after the second book of the Word had been explained?"
     This question shows a thoughtful attitude, and demands an equally thoughtful answer. In general, the answer is that we have been given a sufficiency of revealed arcana for our use by the laying open of the spiritual sense of the books of Genesis and Exodus. It must have been so in the Lord's sight, else the remaining books would have been elucidated and explained in the same way.
     The General Church has taken the ground that, from what has been explained in the Arcana Celestia, it is possible for us to learn the internal sense of other books of the Word. In the Arcana the general laws of interpretation have been laid down for all parts of the Old Testament. In addition, the internal sense of many parts of the Old Testament has been given here and there throughout the Writings, notably in the Apocalypse Explained.
     With regard to the New Testament, its prophetical part, which is the Apocalypse, could not have been interpreted by man alone or without a full word-by-word explanation by the Lord Himself, through the instrumentality of Swedenborg. And this has been done in the Apocalypse Explained, the Apocalypse Revealed, and the work on the White Horse.

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Here and there in the various books of the Writings, most of the parables and miracles of the New Testament, as well as its historical features, are explained in general, and often in particular.
     If the other books of the Old Testament had been explained in the same way as were Genesis and Exodus, there would have been much needless repetition, as is shown by the following quotation from the Arcana:
     "These things are passed by without further explanation, because they are the same as those which have been described and unfolded once,-except only that here it is said that when Moses had finished the work of setting up the tabernacle, a cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Habitation. . . . What these things signify is also plain from what was stated and shown above about the cloud, the glory of Jehovah, the fire, and the journeyings." (A. C. 10832.)
     Every important thing in the Old Testament has been sufficiently explained in the explication of the first two books and elsewhere in the Writings. We have been given a sufficiency of heavenly arcana for our use.
     It is a very significant fact that, at the end of the book of Exodus, we find the account of the building and use of the tabernacle. This tabernacle is most full of heavenly correspondences and representatives. In other words, it may be said that the fulness of Divine representation is to be seen in connection with the tabernacle; and when this has been made known, then you have the basis upon which other representative things may be worked out and learned by students of the Word. In the case of the New Testament, it was necessary that the Lord should give a more particular revelation of its spiritual sense, especially in the Apocalypse.
     Then, besides, we have the True Christian Religion, in which is contained the "Universal Theology of the New Church." The knowledge of these universal things of doctrine, plus a knowledge of correspondences, will enable one to see the spiritual sense of the Scriptures in any part or passage, provided he has also the most important thing of all,-enlightenment from the Lord. Hence the entire Word may be known as to its spiritual sense, by using what knowledge is given in the Writings, if one at the same time has enlightenment from the Lord.

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          Answers to Some Questions.

     The plan of this paper is to try to arrive at some important conclusions through a series of questions and answers. And this is the second question: Of what great importance is it that a man should believe in the Lord?'
     The answer from the New Testament is plain, although many will not be prepared to receive it, namely, that unless one believes in the Lord, he cannot possibly be saved. But for the full answer we shall summarize a passage in the Arcana Celestia:
     "And a stranger shall not eat of it, (the passover), signifies that there is no appropriation of good with those who do not acknowledge the Lord; for to acknowledge one's God is the first of all religion, and with Christians the first of the church is to acknowledge the Lord. Consequently the first of doctrine in the Christian Church is, that without the Lord there is no salvation. . . . Hence it is manifestly evident that those within the Church who do not acknowledge the Lord cannot have faith, thus neither can they have love to God, and consequently cannot be saved. From this it can be seen what is the lot of those in the other life who have been born within the church, and yet deny the Lord in heart, whatever may he their quality as to moral life. It has been given me to know by much experience that they cannot be saved; as the Lord also openly teaches in John: He that believeth in the Son hath eternal life but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life . . . " (3: 36). But with regard to the nations outside of the church, those who have lived from their religion in some kind of charity, and in some kind of love toward God the Creator of the universe in the human form, are in the other life accepted by the Lord and are saved. When instructed by angels, they acknowledge the Lord, and believe in Him and love Him." (A. C. 10112.)
     Thus it is of the importance of spiritual life and death that those born Christians should believe in the Divine of the Lord for without such a belief they cannot be saved.
     It is very hard for many people to believe this, because there are many people who seem to live what is called a "good life," who have no belief at all in the Lord. They are frankly non-Christian, though they seem kind, and well-behaved, and honest, and altogether pleasant to associate with.

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For those who cannot be deceived by this appearance of goodness, there are two things that cannot be overlooked. The first is, that without a belief in the Lord as Divine, no one can be delivered from the many evils into which he is born; and the second is, that it is possible, and even common, for people to live a good life from the love of self. It is easier to do so from the love of self than it is from any love of God.
     This does not mean, however, that because I confess myself to be a believer in the Lord, and join the church, I am therefore sure of my salvation. No. But to acknowledge the Lord is more than merely saying that one believes in Him, and in the New Testament teaching about Him. To acknowledge Him in heart means to believe so much in Him, and in His Divine, that His teaching becomes the rule of our life; and so much that nothing seems more worthwhile or more blessed than to lead other people to the joy of such a belief in Him. Especially in our case, if we realize that this is true, should we consider that this is the highest and most essential of all uses to perform,-to evangelize, and so to lead men to their own salvation. We should love the work of bringing up our children in the knowledge and love of the Lord; and, with what energy we have left over, we should love to bring the truths of the New Church before the world, to let the light of the Lord shine before men.
     To see this truth-that men must believe in the Lord to be saved,-is a thing of tremendous consequence. Yet I fear that too many people will keep on thinking that they may be just as well off in the future life-if there is such a life!-even if they do not believe in the Lord, and do not love and worship Him. For they see so many people who live harmlessly and usefully that their unbelief will seem to be a comparatively unimportant matter.
     In our opinion, it is the highest of all uses to serve the New Church, since it is our belief that only the New Church doctrine can ever restore the real belief in the Lord which has been knocked to pieces in the current of modern events. And use to the church certainly means the constant and well-directed effort to promote and extend the church. What else can be considered as of use to it? We perform use to the church in putting forth an effort to extend and strengthen it.

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     And yet, does it not appear that, as a church and as individuals, there is so little that we do in this direction that it seems to be almost nothing? To spread the Heavenly Doctrine, or to combat the false ideas that have ruined the Christian religion among the people of our times, we do very little indeed.
     We are working along one line at least, namely, in the education of our young. This is the best way to extend and strengthen the New Church, and hence to perform use to it. In this direction, it is true, we are earnestly united in serving the church, and have accomplished a great deal. This is our special work of charity, and we see in it the greatest hope of our future.
     The Writings are also being published and distributed by several agencies of the New Church. They are being circulated to a rather surprising extent. But in this work of publication I suppose most of us here have very little part. It is good work, however, which we hope will one day bring to the New Church a certain harvest of new members, when our societies shall have become strong enough to absorb the newcomers who may come in through the reading of the Writings.
     This work of publication had its start some years back, and was made possible by the givers of considerable sums of money in a former generation,-men who contributed and bequeathed money for this purpose. We are receiving the benefits of that generation who believed in the idea of extensive publication. Today it is very unusual for anyone to leave money for the publication of the doctrine of the New Church and there is not enough money to publish even the desired minimum of suitable literature for the extension of our religion.
     Even our greatest use and enterprise of education in the church, it must be admitted, I fear, is not really very well supported. Perhaps it will be found upon investigation-though I hope my guess may be wrong-that more than half of our New Church membership give practically nothing to the maintenance of our New Church schools.
     And yet, as we have suggested, the most necessary of all things is that people should believe in the Lord; and therefore we should do everything in our power for the growth of the New Church, and should have a living interest in the finding of all those who can be brought to believe in Him as we know Him in His Second Coming.

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Our methods of promoting the church must improve with the making use of the new means of communication belonging to our age. And to the degree that we have the love of evangelizing the truth. to that degree, I believe, we shall grow.
     Our voice as a church is practically not heard. But in the future we shall find ways of using modern means, both to train our children more effectively, and to bring new members into our church from without.
     In the meantime we should be filled with the desire of building up our worship, and improving our methods of worship, to the greatest possible degree of effectiveness, power and simplicity. For in this way the voice of the New Church shall be heard in heaven, even if it is little heard in the world. To me it seems the most effective way of performing use to the church. And all may help in this way. But in this the young people can lead the way, and do more than any other group of people. If the voting people of our church, twenty years of age and upward, will make it their own particular form of usefulness to the church and service to the Lord to promote the worship of the church-to make it an inspiration and a delight to others-they can do much to increase the growth of the church. The idea here is to make themselves of service to the services of the church. And it would also be good for them. The younger generation in our church, if they see it, are able to do uses of great value to the church by promoting its worship, and making it in all possible ways delightful and beautiful, and by advertising it, and drawing the interest of others to it.

     Government of the New Church.

     What is the organization of the New Church, and what is its order? What does the Lord intend that it should be?
     First, we are told that the church is as one man before the Lord, which means that it is in the human form, as also are the heavens, and that the Divine Life flows into that form and governs it from the inmosts. The order of the New Church is, that the Lord should be the Head-that is, the Heavenly Doctrine, as the Lord has given it.

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     But, like the human form, the church has an internal and an external. Its internal is the clergy, and its external is the laity. The clergy is the internal of the church because they study doctrines and confirm them from the Word. To the extent, however, that the laity study and confirm, they also enter into what is called the internal of the church. It is of order, also, that there should be an organized clergy, as well as a body of laymen organized in some convenient way for cooperation with the clergy in the functions of teaching the truth and leading to the good of life.
     So much for the form of the New Church. What would you say is the essence of it?
     We are told that "the church is only with those who at heart acknowledge the Lord's Divine, and who learn truths from the Lord through the Word and do them: the rest do not constitute the church." (A. E. 388.) Again, we are told there are two things that make the church. One is the truth of doctrine, and the other is the good of life. These are represented by the two sons of Joseph,-Ephraim and Manasseh. By the truth of doctrine the clergy should lead to the good of life. And as to its organization, it is proper that there be order and subordination among the clergy-a clergy of three degrees of function, with one appointed and ordained to be the head of them all.
     We are definitely taught that the real church of the Lord on earth is ordered by the Lord. (T. C. R. 646.) It is set in order, organized, and led by the Lord. The true church is Divinely led, although the leaders themselves seem to themselves to act from their own will, and according to their own judgment. And what they do according to their light is made use of by the Lord as the means of governing the church.
     So we are told that "good can be insinuated into another by anyone in the country, but not truth except by those who are teaching ministers; if others do this, heresies arise, and the church is disturbed and torn asunder." (A. C. 6822.)
     As for the individual teacher or minister, if the truths he finds from the Word, in his own effort to draw doctrine from it, disagrees with the doctrinals accepted in the church, let him take heed not to disturb the church. (A. C. 6047.)
     Do we think, then, that the enlightenment given to the head of the clergy-for example, to the Bishop,-is superior to that which belongs to clergymen in lower positions?

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     Perhaps we should not use the word "superior." But we can say that the kind of enlightenment which is given the Bishop, or the kind of influx he receives from the Lord, differs from that of the lesser clergy. We must believe this, if we believe in a ministry of different degrees, or in having any Bishop at all. Certainly the Divine influx, as received into his use or office, is different in the respect that it is of a more general nature. His is a more general use, and hence his inspiration is of a different kind.
     But why should there be a head priest for the clergy?
     The teaching of our Doctrine is that there should be a "primus inter pares," or "first among equals," lest, "through ignorance or caprice," someone may introduce what is heretical or false. And while it is true that the Lord leads and enlightens each priest or minister individually, and each is led by the Divine, or by the Lord's Spirit, yet it is very possible for one to have a distorted view, or to magnify one or more doctrines at the expense of others that would give his teaching a true balance. And so may be seen the necessity for discussion and consultation among the priests.
     The ideal recognized by the General Church is unanimity if possible: but a minister who finds himself at variance with his fellow ministers should make it his duty in the first place not to disturb the church. He should then exercise self-restraint, and place his actions under the guidance of the Bishop. But if this should be impossible for him, or prove to be against his conscience, after due consideration, he should then separate himself from the clergy group to which he belongs.
     In a similar way, members of a society should be willing to subject themselves to the leadership of their Pastor.
     Are the decisions of a council of ministers to be binding upon the church?
     They should not be binding except in so far as might be necessary to avoid disorder and disturbance. But every ruling of the clergy, and their teachings in general, ought to be freely examined by members of the church individually, to see whether they are in agreement with the Writings.
     Do not the Writings warn us to "beware of councils"?

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     They do. But this warning cannot mean that councils are of no use, and that the clergy should not meet to formulate doctrines and policies for the church. It means, rather, that the decisions of councils should not be accepted, except so far as it is seen that they are in accord with the true teachings of the Writings. There have been many church councils in the past history of Christianity which have made unrighteous judgments, and inflicted injury upon the church.
     What is the right way to recognize the office of the priesthood?
     For a minister to give an answer to this question might cause some slight embarrassment; but I think it may be said that the true recognition of the clergy lies in letting them do the leading in religious matters, and in theological matters to let them do the teaching, but at the same time providing the means for their leading and teaching. In actuality the recognition of the priesthood that anyone makes may be measured by his attendance, and interest, and his moral support of the uses of the church. And here let us add the important note that the Writings tell us in so many words that those works which are done for the sake of church uses are the best of all" (A. E. 975:2), and that those things done for the sake of church uses are spiritual. (A. C. 5025.) Here we have it in black and white: The works one does for the sake of use to the church are spiritual, and are the best of all works.
     To make a little more definite what I mean by letting the ministry do the teaching, let us call to mind the many institutions and organizations of people which take the place of the church in the lives of many followers, but which have not anything like a priesthood;- bodies of men, including secret organizations, which hold religious or semi-religious functions quite outside the church, and very often in strong opposition to it, or in competition with it. Consider also the many writers on secular subjects-scientists, historians, and philosophers,-who impress their opinions on religious subjects upon a wide public. If, for example, people allow themselves to be impressed by the opinions of Bertrand Russell in regard to marriage, or by the opinions of Mary Beard, who holds that it is an indication of retarded progress for people to think there is a religious basis to marriage;-if people accept ideas from such writers, they are accepting theological teaching from those who are not teaching ministers."

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     But now the question may arise: How can the ministry be so important to society when it shows so little accomplishment to justify itself?
     The work of the priesthood of the New Church is far more important than people are inclined to believe, because the state of the world is so desperate. The clergy of the New Church may not accomplish much at present, because of the overwhelming influence of forces which are against it. They accomplish more, however, than people imagine-by the effect of their worship upon those in the spiritual world, maintaining a vital connection between the heavens and the human race. But the forces which are opposed to the New Church,-what are they?

     Opposing States of the World.

     The struggle for empire among the nations; the universal greed of men; nations scheming and fighting for dominion. This suggests a large part of the answer. Wealth and the pleasures of the world are the only gods many people know and love. There is a modern tendency, also, on the part of men who trust in science alone, to put aside as nonsense any and all Divine authority,-to deny the possibility of any Divine revelation of truth from heaven, or from God. Indeed, the state of the world is as bad as it has ever been. For human nature is the same in all ages. I feel pretty sure there is little difference between the unregenerate man in the Old Stone Age and the unregenerate man of the year 1941. Human nature does not change much in its chief outlines. Only with a regenerate man is there such a thing as growing better.
     What is meant by a regenerate or a spiritual man? This brings us around through a circle of questions to the main point of interest, a most important matter,-the quality of a spiritual man. Surely he is the man who believes in the Lord as the One and Only Divine; who lives a life of genuine truth; who believes in the church; who loves to learn its doctrine, and to do it.
     But most people today do not care for doctrine. This has been true of men for a long time, even from ancient times,-that they have not cared much for doctrine. Yes, but do not let this fact distract your mind from the importance and need of doctrine.

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I submit to you this proposition, as being eminently reasonable and sound, that the doctrine of the New Church, and the life of it if it is anything at all to a man, must be everything to him. The New Church, if it means anything at all to a person, cannot possibly be a thing of relative importance; it must be of the highest importance. And if men do not care much for doctrine from the Lord, it is only an indication of the bad state in which the men of the world are today.
     So, if one can see the evil state of the world, he cannot help being deeply concerned for the salvation of its people, and for his own spiritual life. The church becomes to him the thing of greatest importance. Perhaps it is only by contrast with the state of the world that the necessity of the New Church can be clearly seen. and the good of the church cherished.
     What are some of the things which show the state of the so-called Christian world?
     The denial of the Divinity of the Lord; the neglect and denial of the Word; the delight people take in things unchaste and profane, as we observe on every hand; the absence of any real belief in the spiritual world, heaven and hell, except with a few; and, as a result of all this, no conscience or fear of offending against the Divine.
     One would have some reason for optimism, if only people had more real interest in learning spiritual truths from the Lord, and in the understanding of the Word. There is always hope if people are really interested in what the church alone can teach them.
     Our final question is, then: If all these things are so, is it not the most desirable of all things for those who know anything of the Writings to work together with all their power and all their abilities to establish societies of the New Jerusalem, where this doctrine is the sole Divine rule of conduct; and to make known as widely and as fully as possible the truths of religion on which this Church is founded?
     Why yes, of course. And certainly we do not want our children to grow up, as the great majority of children do, without prospect of becoming anything but worldlings, without the knowledge of the truth that could make them spiritual and regenerate men and women, with no other leading motives in life than the love of the world, the love of mere pleasures, and the love of self.

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     We see that children and youth ought to be trained by loving hands and wise teachers to do what is honest, fair, and unselfish from a principle of religion-for the sake of the Lord,-being fully taught about His sole Divinity and about His kingdom; that they ought to grow up being fully informed of the spiritual world and the Divine truths of heaven. By this means there is hope that religion may again be restored. But if this cannot be done, it is scarcely possible for the New Church to be established in the civilized world.
     But we are sure that it will be done. We are sure also that those nations which continue to deprive their young of all heavenly food,-killing all early states of innocence and mutual love, and teaching war instead, and nothing of religion-these nations will more and more certainly destroy themselves. But the nations that love and worship the Lord as God Himself will surely be preserved, for the sake of the establishment of the New Church with them.
     We love the New Church, not merely in a sentimental way, but with the genuine desire to give to it all that it is possible for us to give. For this is to perform spiritual use,-use of the highest kind.
     We love what has been given us to do,-to keep alive the Divine among men, through the mighty connection of worship. We love the work of bringing up our children and educating them, recognizing this as our great work of charity, putting them in possession of the heavenly remains and the doctrinal truth that will mean for them their rebirth and deliverance from the evils that close heaven.
     We love to see, as we look back, the evidences of the wonderful Providence of the Lord in the way we were brought to the Church. And to see, perhaps, many moments in which the Lord has led us to see things spiritual by a special enlightenment, which has made a big difference in our subsequent life.
     We love the Church! And I think we can sec that, for us at least, it is the first consideration and the first object of our affections. It means everything to us-everything that is of eternal value, everything by which there may be written upon us something of the quality of heavenly life. The Lord grant that the Scripture may be fulfilled in us: "And I will write upon him that overcometh the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem."

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LITTLE BOOK 1942

LITTLE BOOK       Rev. MARTIN PRYKE       1942

     "And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto inc again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter." (Revelation 10: 8-40.)

     The tenth chapter of the Apocalypse continues the description of the visions seen by John in the spiritual world which gave prophetic instruction concerning the nature and fate of those spirits from the Reformed Churches who were in the other world at the time of the consummation of the Christian Church and of the Last Judgment. From the internal sense of these chapters we learn, primarily, two things: 1) the character of that section of the fallen church which we know as the "Reformed Churches"; and 2) the nature of the judgment which was made upon them. The value of this teaching lies in the fact that we may thereby learn, for the betterment of our own lives, the errors of this body of men who, in breaking away from the ways of the Catholic Church, fell into falsities of an equally serious nature. Moreover, we learn, not of the errors alone, but of the fatal consequences of a life led according to them.
     The chapter from which our text is taken treats of the attitude of the Reformed Churches toward the Lord's Word, and particularly toward the doctrine given therein concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as the only God of heaven and earth. Herein lay the cause of the church's downfall. Had they not perverted the true teaching of the Word to their own ends, and, in doing so, falsified the true concept of the nature of the Godhead, their church need not have suffered its final consummation.

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Their perversion of the Word led them to accept the heresy of justification by faith alone, which was the result of a doubt concerning the Divinity of the Lord, and the result of dividing the Godhead into three persons. From these first falsifications sprang all the evil and falsity which finally brought about the spiritual destruction of the Reformed Churches.
     "The mighty angel come down from heaven," who was seen by John in this vision, signifies the Lord in His Divine majesty and power; therefore was he "mighty." The Lord is powerful where He is seen, and acknowledged, and obeyed. Here alone is His full power felt, and here alone can that power work its eternal ends to perfection.
     It is because the man of this world sees this power of the Lord manifest in the letter of the Word that the angel seen by John likewise signifies the Lord as to the Word, and particularly as to its ultimate sense. All the strength and all the power of Divine Truth is within the ultimate Revelation: for it contains all Truth. Concerning this we read in the Apocalypse Explained: `All strength and all power are in the ultimates of Divine Truth, thus in the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of the letter, because this sense is the containant of all the interior senses, that is, of the spiritual and celestial; and as it is the containant, it is also the base, and in the base lies strength itself. . . . Consequently the Word, or Divine Truth, is not only in its power, but also in its fulness, in this sense." (A. E. 593:2.)
     The sense of the letter of the Word thus holds power for a twofold reason: Firstly, it contains within it all Truth Itself, which is all powerful; and secondly, because it is only on this ultimate plane that truth can affect man to change his way of life, to lead him from evil to good.
     This power was represented in the opening words of the 10th chapter of the Apocalypse by the "mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire;. . . . and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth."
     "And he had in his hand a little book open." This little book is the Word as to its most essential doctrines.

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It represented the teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine. This has been plainly taught to the Christian Church in the teaching of the New Testament, and therefore the "little book" was said to be "open." Did not the Lord say, "I and my Father are one," and "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"? And these two essentials of a true church were plainly taught to the men of the Reformed Churches; but they distorted them and rejected them.
     This doctrine concerning the Lord is the very essential of any church which follows the time of the First Advent; for without it men deny the source of all instruction, which is to deny the source of all life. The Christian Church fell because this doctrine became perverted with the men of that Church. And the New Church can only live so long as the men of this Church protect and preserve that doctrine in its integrity.
     This is plainly set forth in the Apocalypse Revealed, where we read: "The whole heaven and the whole church on earth, and in general, all religion, is founded upon a just idea of God, because by that there is conjunction, and by conjunction light, wisdom, and eternal happiness. Since the Lord is the very God of heaven and earth, therefore no one who does not acknowledge Him is admitted into heaven, for heaven is His body; but such a one stands below, and is bitten by serpents, that is, by infernal spirits, for whose bite there is no cure but that which the Sons of Israel experienced by looking upon the `brazen serpent' (Numbers 21: 1-9), by which is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, as is plain from this passage in John (3: 14, 15): "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (A. R. 469.)
     After John had seen the angel who held the open book, he heard him cry "with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."
     It is now revealed to us that the things uttered were those which were contained within the little book, and that those things are now to be found in the work of the Second Advent which is entitled, The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning the Lord. (A. R. 472.)

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The most general doctrine concerning the Lord had been given to the men of the Christian Church, as we have seen; and therefore was the little book "open." But the more detailed doctrine, which is contained within the spiritual sense of those generals, could not be given until those had been removed who had perverted the first general doctrine. Therefore was John forbidden to write that which was uttered by the seven thunders. The doctrines of the New Jerusalem were withheld until such time as the world was prepared to receive them. This preparation was made at the Last Judgment, when those who had twisted the true teaching of the New Testament to their own ends had been cast into hell. The Christian Church on earth had then been utterly consummated, so that it could no longer profane truth; for truth was no longer with it. The world of spirits had been cleared of those meant by the "dragon," the "beast" and the "false prophet." Now it was possible for the Lord to give to the world those spiritual truths concerning His own nature which had been written in the little book, and which had been hidden from the world until He made His Second Advent.
     Moreover, it was given John to experience the effect which a premature revelation of this Doctrine would have had upon the men of the Reformed Church, and upon the angels of heaven.
     "And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him. Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up: and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter."
     That John was commanded to take the book, and to eat it, signified that he was to experience the effect of the true doctrine concerning the Lord, as revealed in the internal sense of the Word, upon the men of the perverted Reformed Churches. To "eat up" signifies "to conjoin and appropriate to oneself; and as the Word is conjoined to man by reading and perception, here "to eat up or to die-your signifies to read and perceive. (A. E. 617.)

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The idea of exploration is also involved, as we shall see in what follows.
     The men of the Christian Church had not rejected the Word as the principal book of their faith, for they were able to confirm their own man-made doctrines from its letter. This is why it is said that the little book was "as sweet as honey" in the mouth of John. As long as the man of the church regarded the Word and its teaching concerning the Lord merely as to its letter, it was sweet to him, because he made it confirm such falsities as suited his own evil ends. Man's freedom to receive or to reject Divine Truth lies in the fact that he may, if he so chooses, pervert and falsify the Word to conform with his own love of self and the world. Therefore the letter of the Word is sweet and pleasant, that is to say, altogether acceptable, to all men, so long as they regard it but superficially. To such it may become a source of comfort, and even of mental and spiritual laziness, because they are able to assure themselves from its pages that faith alone is sufficient for salvation, apart from any life of good works. This was the use to which the letter of the Word was put by the men of the Reformed Churches. A similar thing is meant by Ezekiel's eating the roll of a book which was handed to him.
     If, however, the Word is further explored, and if spiritual truths are sought therein, it is found to be totally contrary to a life devoted to self and the world. That which was at first but a pleasant source of self-assurance and spiritual lethargy becomes the most vital and active opponent of these evils. The little book became "bitter" in the belly of John. Thus did he experience the effect which the spiritual sense of the Word would have had upon those of the Reformed Churches who were then in the world of spirits and on earth. It would have been bitterness itself to them, and they could not but have rejected and profaned it. The little book, therefore, was not given until these states had been consummated in the Last Judgment.
     These verses, we have said, treat in general of the whole Word, but in particular of the two essential doctrines of the church-that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine. That the book was sweet in the mouth, and bitter in the belly, signifies that "reception from an acknowledgment that the Lord is the Savior and Redeemer is agreeable and pleasant; but that the acknowledgment that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult from falsifications." (A. R. 481.)

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Those who falsify the truths of the Word have denied the Divinity of the Lord's Human, and have divided the Godhead into three persons. This they have done that they may find excuse and cause for their life of evil. This evil becomes excused when they claim that all is forgiven on account of the atonement made by the Son to the Father in the passion of the cross. The vision of one person, the Father, being appeased by another person, the Son, permits man to take advantage of that appeasement in a life of self-love and domination. It is therefore easy and pleasant for such men to hear that the Lord is their Savior and Redeemer; but to hear that He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and that He is one with the Father, is as bitterness itself to them, because it removes the easy comfort of their falsifications.
     There is another sense involved within the verses of our text concerning the "little book." We have seen how the letter of the Word is sweet to those in this world who adulterate it for their own ends. Whilst it is sweet with them, in spite of adulteration, it becomes bitter to the angels of heaven, on account of the adulteration. It is clear that it must be undelightful, that is, bitter, for the angels to perceive that the Word is being used to evil ends. They perceive the adulteration that is involved, and suffer on account of it, although to the man who commits adulteration the Word is as sweet as honey.
     We have already observed that the lesson for the man of the church which is contained within the Apocalypse is that we may learn of the pitfalls which lie before a church, and of the depths to which it may be carried by them. The Word, and particularly the Doctrine of the Lord, will easily be as honey in our mouths, if we attempt to turn it to our own evil ends, or even if, from thoughtlessness, we regard it but slightly. Let us not be misled by this sweetness; for it is only the natural satisfaction of a thing that is but lightly considered. It is not the lasting happiness of a truth studied, acknowledged, and lived. This happiness, which is eternal, comes only after bitterness has been experienced.
     We should beware of a monotonous sweetness in our experience of the Word, lest it signify a superficial regard which is never deep enough to discover the truths contained therein that are contrary to our own life of evil.

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It were better to find bitterness in the teaching of the Lord,-the bitterness arising from a humble acknowledgment of our own weakness, as seen in the light of Divine Truth Itself. Such bitterness will bring us into a conflict between our inner loves and the steadfast principles that we see set before us. For this bitterness may be fruitful of an eternal sweetness, not arising from a purely natural and casual regard for the Lord's Word, but from a life of obedience to its spiritual message.
     To avoid a close and careful study of the Word, and to avoid a real regard for its teaching, is an easy path to a natural and superficial satisfaction. But to study the Word, in order that we may discover the real import of its message, and the effect it is to have upon the conduct of our lives, is to seek the deeper and eternal satisfaction and happiness of heaven, which is, indeed, "a land flowing with milk and honey." Amen.
LESSONS:     Ezekiel 2 and 3: 1-14. Revelation 10. A. E. 614:2, or A. R. 473.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 437, 460, 466.
PRAYERS:     Nos. 93, 100.
BODIES OF ANGELS AND SPIRITS. 1942

BODIES OF ANGELS AND SPIRITS.       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1942

     The life after death, and the world in which it is, are subjects of great importance to every man, because every man lives to eternity in the other world after death. All knowledge of that world and its life must come from God alone, because that world and its life are separated from this world and its life, and the only medium of communication and conjunction between the two worlds, or between angels and spirits, on the one hand, and men on the other, is the Word of God. Though every man has gone to that other world after his death, no man has ever returned from it; and no man in it as spirit or angel has ever been able to communicate to any man on earth anything about that other world and its life. There have been communications between men and spirits and angels, but these have been such as to give no knowledge of the one world and its life to the inhabitants of the other, except when permitted as a means of Divine Revelation.

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The knowledge imparted by Divine Revelation is dependable, because it is Divine Truth. It is given for the redemption and salvation of the human race for the reformation and regeneration of man, and for his preparation, as of himself, for that world and life.
     A knowledge of the other world and of its life is therefore of vital importance to every man, whether he recognize this fact or not. But the man who believes the Divinely revealed knowledge realizes its importance, and wants to learn as much as he can about it, in order that he may prepare for that life and world. The importance of the subject is evident from the statement in the Writings "that man is in this world in order that he may be initiated into the things which are of heaven by his activities here, and that his life in this world is hardly a moment in comparison with his life after death, for this is eternal. But there are few who believe that they will live after death; and for this reason, also, heavenly things are of no account to them." (A. C. 5006:4.)
     Only those who truly believe in a life after death are really interested in that life and highly value all knowledge of it. Concerning this the Writings say: "To those who believe it (that they have a spirit which is to live after death), the other life is the all of their thought and affection, and the world is relatively nothing; but to those who do not believe it, the world is the all of their thought and affection, and the other life is relatively nothing. The former are they who can be regenerated, but the latter are they who cannot." (A. C. 2682.)
     One's interest in the other life is thus a measurement of his progress in regeneration. An entire lack of interest would seem to show plainly an unregenerate state. As all spiritual or saving good and truth prepare for the other life, the wish to live well, if it spring from good motives, and the striving so to live, must express themselves increasingly in a keen interest in the other life And then the knowledges about the other life will increasingly engage the thought and color the affections.
     The importance of the subject appears also from the fact that in this world, while performing natural uses, we are to be initiated into the things of heaven. We cannot do the things of heaven unless we know them. Nor will we do them if we do not love them.

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We must know them before we can love and do them. This explains why so much about the life of heaven is revealed, and it suggests that an interest in the subject will grow together with increasing first-hand knowledge, that is, by one's own reading of the Writings. At any rate, here in the world we can be freely initiated into the heavenly life; but if we deliberately neglect our opportunities in this world, we shall not be given them in the other world, and so we shall fail to enter heaven.
     Here on earth the body is indispensable. It is so marvelously made, and so wonderfully adapted to innumerable uses, that it has no equal on the natural plane. Yet we know that the body is not the man, and that its service is temporary, for it is put off by death. But when we know that a perfect body, a body without blemish, living as of itself, corresponds perfectly to the mind, spirit, and soul, and is the image and likeness of God-Man, or of the Divine Human, we are able to perceive the truth of the Divinely revealed knowledge that, in the other life, spirits and angels must have a similar body. The body here is for use. Man can perform no use without it. Therefore, as heaven is the supreme kingdom of uses, the angels there must have bodies by which to perform their uses. We know only by Divine Revelation that spirits and angels have bodies altogether similar to those of men on earth; and an increasing knowledge of the wonders of the earthly body confirms Divine Revelation.
     And what is Divinely revealed about the spiritual body helps us to believe in the life after death and its spiritual world, because it assures us of that which is always indispensable to consciousness and enjoyment of life. We know the limitations that arise from any disablement of the body, and the resultant trials of the spirit. Can we think of any consciousness and enjoyment apart from a body? Therefore a reflection upon the uses of the earthly body will dispose us to believe in the spiritual body, and in its similarity to the earthly body, as also in its reality. Such reflection, coupled with the knowledge of the great superiority of the spiritual world and the spiritual body over the natural world and the material body, should also produce a growing desire for the life after death, and a gratitude for the Divine assurance of eternal life.

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     Further, the Divinely revealed knowledge that God Himself is the Only Man, the Perfect Man, Substance Itself and Form Itself, and that He has a Body; that He was born on earth in a body like that of every man, and after its death rose and appeared in His Divine Human Body to the opened spiritual eyes of many people still on earth; that He so appears to the angels, and will forever so appear to them; and that the whole of heaven, every society of heaven, and every angel, are images and representatives of Him;-all of this should assure us of the reality of the spiritual body, of the importance of firmly believing in it, and of thinking about it, which thought should ever be from the doctrine of Divine Revelation concerning the spiritual body.
     As God has a Body, and as man has a body, we may be sure that spirits and angels have bodies; also that their bodies are as real and substantial to them as our bodies are real and material to us. And just as to us our bodies seem to live as of themselves, so to them do their bodies. A knowledge of the earthly body, therefore, especially of its innumerable uses, provides the foundation for a knowledge of the spiritual body. The differences, which are due to the discretely higher plane of the spiritual body, can be only partially known, or known by suggestion, or known intellectually and rationally for anything beyond our consciousness is beyond our sensual knowledge. The Writings tell with considerable detail the likeness and unlikeness, or difference, between the spiritual and material bodies, but they stress the complete adequacy of each for its own world.
     But it was possible for these things to be Divinely revealed to man only by enabling some men to have actual spiritual experiences, that is, by giving them consciousness in the spiritual world. Moses, the prophets, the disciples. especially John and Swedenborg, had such consciousness and the resultant spiritual experiences. But only Swedenborg had them at the same time that he had complete wakefulness, or consciousness, in this world-a condition provided by the Lord to the end that Swedenborg himself, and also the readers of the Writings, might be fully convinced of the reality of the spiritual world and its life, including the reality and actuality of the spiritual body.
     Visions during unconsciousness on earth, also dreams, are not as convincing as are spiritual visions during complete natural wakefulness. Complete consciousness in both worlds at the same time puts the spiritual experiences on equal terms with natural experiences.

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This condition was provided with Swedenborg for the sole purpose of providing thereby a Divine Revelation of spiritual experiences. These spiritual experiences satisfyingly confirm the Divine and spiritual doctrine, from which, and by means of which, we are to think spiritually and rationally about the other world, its life, and about eternal life.
     What the Writings say about the spiritual body, or about angels and spirits being men, and about their appearing to one another and also to Swedenborg as completely men and women as are people on earth, was questioned even during Swedenborg's life-time. For the opinion that spirits and angels are breaths, ghosts, bodiless and unsubstantial beings, was common among the clergy, especially among the learned. This is evident from Swedenborg's letter, dated "Amsterdam, November 8, 1768," to F. C. Oetinger, a German archbishop of distinguished learning and piety, highly respected by his countrymen, who was one of the first affirmative readers of the Writings, and who translated and published the Earths in the Universe and portions of the Arcana Celestia in the German language. Swedenborg wrote to him as follows:

     "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' is 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' (28: 18)." (Documents II: 238, page 269.)

     Swedenborg's letters on spiritual subjects have the same Divine Authority as the Writings, and are accepted in the General Church as portions of the Writings; for it was what he wrote, not only what he published, that was from the Lord alone. However, a letter is in a sense published. This letter plainly states that the bodies of angels are opaque to angels and spirits, or similar on their plane to what our bodies are on our plane.

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"They are substantial, though not material." They are "not translucent before the angels," and therefore they have shape "before the angels." This interpretation of this letter is supported by the following quotations from the Writings:

     "Substances in the spiritual world appear to be material, although they are not; and because they are not material, they are not constant." (Div. Wis. VIII: 3.)

     After death man is no longer natural, but spiritual or substantial. Yet "the spiritual or substantial man sees the spiritual or substantial man as the natural or material man sees the natural or material man, but not each the other, because of the difference between the substantial and the material, which is like the difference between the prior and the posterior. . . That the spiritual man is still a perfect man, although he does not appear to the natural man, is manifest from the Lord's being seen by the apostles after His resurrection, in that He appeared, and presently did not appear; and yet He was a Man like to Himself when seen and not seen. They said, also, that when they saw Him, their eves were opened." (C. L. 31.)
     "An angel appears there (in heaven in the human form, but still there are three things in him that make a one. There is his internal, which does not appear before the eyes. There is the external, which does appear. And there is the sphere of the life of his affections and thoughts, which pours out from him to a distance. These three make one angel. But the angels are finite and created, whereas the Lord is infinite and uncreated." (A. C. 9303:5)
     "Man is a man after death, just as he was a man in the world, with the only difference that then he puts on a spiritual body, and not a natural body as before; and the spiritual body appears before those who are spiritual, even as the natural body appears before those who are natural." (C. L. J. 3.)
     "From all my experience, which is now of many years. I am able to say and affirm that angels as to their forms are altogether men, . . . that they lack nothing whatever that belongs to a man, except that they are not clothed in a material body. I have seen them in their own light. . . and in that light all their features could he seen even more distinctly and clearly than the faces of men are seen on the earth. It has also been granted me to see an angel of the inmost heaven. He had a more radiant and resplendent face than the angels of the lower heavens. I examined him closely, and be had the human form in all its perfection." (H. H. 77.)
     A similarity of all things in the spiritual world to the natural things of earth remains after death, "and because the mind is not only in the head, but also in the whole body, therefore a man has a similar body; for the body is the organ of the mind, and is continued from the head; wherefore the mind is the man himself, but then no longer a material man, but a spiritual man." (Five Mem. Rel. 4. 5.)

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     These quotations state the truth about the bodies of spirits and angels. This Divine doctrine should be the foundation of all our thought about the subject. There are numerous other statements in the Writings, some of which seem to bring the doctrine we have set forth into doubt, and even to contradict it; but they are to be thought about in the light of the fundamental doctrine, for they treat of unusual phenomena, of conditions in the world of spirits, of the means by which newcomers are shown the fallacies and falsities of their natural-world opinions concerning the other world, and of the interior forms of the spiritual world. When not understood, or when not seen to agree with the fundamental doctrine on the subject, they are still to be believed to be true in themselves, because they are Divine Revelation, and one's understanding of them is to be considered erroneous. Man's understanding of such statements, and his reconciliation of them with the fundamental doctrine, will come gradually as he grows in the understanding of both spiritual and natural phenomena.
     We shall not quote any of the other statements to which we have just referred, except one which we are enabled to understand now, because natural experience confirms it. We read in the Arcana Celestia: "Spirits, as spirits, in regard to the organic forms which constitute their bodies, are not in the place where they are seen, but may be far away, and yet appear there." (A. C. 1378.) Television produces exactly the same condition, though with limitations not existing in the spiritual world. It may be that only a few of the phenomena of the spiritual world can ever be reproduced in the natural world, but every such reproduction should convince us rationally of the reality and actuality of all the phenomena of the spiritual world, as Divinely revealed, and of the fact that there are doubtless innumerable others which have not been revealed.
     We are Divinely assured, therefore, of the reality of the spiritual world and life there; of spirits and angels, who are all from the human race, having bodies, and being in all respects similar to men and women on earth; of the life after death being a continuation of life on earth, but without the natural and material conditions which make life on earth temporary; and of the enjoyment there of all the faculties and blessings which the Creator, who is Love Itself and Wisdom Itself, who is Himself the only Man, who is the Heavenly Father, has promised to His children.

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ORIGIN AND NATURE OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AND MARRIAGE 1942

ORIGIN AND NATURE OF CONJUGIAL LOVE AND MARRIAGE       AARON B. ZUNGU       1942

     There are two things that proceed out of the Lord. The one is good, and the other is truth. But these two make a one in the Lord. Good proceeds out of the Lord as an invisible influx or heat, which may be felt in the higher plane of life; and truth proceeds as light. In the heavens good is heat, which is life to the recipients, and truth there is light to them, in the same way as are the heat and the light of the sun in the natural world. The difference is, that while the latter is natural, and therefore dead, the former is spiritual and therefore living.
     In their nature, good and truth proceeding out of the Lord perpetually look toward being made into a one. This conjunction is called "marriage," because it is actually becoming a one. The nature of such spiritual substances is provided for by the Lord in all the subjects and objects of creation, and in all the degrees thereof. Every thing that is is thence in all the three kingdoms of nature. The perfection of this conjunction is in degrees according to the nature of the receptacles of these substances called good and truth. The conjunction of good and truth is called a marriage. Their opposites, namely, evil and falsity, do not result in a marriage, because not from the same origin, but from an origin diametrically opposite to that of good and truth. But these have a tendency towards a connubial connection. Therefore marriage exists where alone is good and truth. It is therefore said in the Writings that an angel appeared to Swedenborg, and foretold that no others would appropriate conjugial love to themselves except those who would be received by the Lord into the New Church which is the New Jerusalem.
     There are two sets of conjunction with man.

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They are the universal conjunction of good and truth from the Lord which results into the existence of the entire creation (including man (vir), the good of which is adjoined by the Lord); and then the conjunction of good and truth which takes place in marriage, and emulating the former. Further, in using these expressions it must be kept in mind that man (vir) is essentially of love or of good from the Lord, and therefore created into the faculty of possessing its corresponding truths which form wisdom with him; and the woman is essentially of truth from the Lord, and created into the faculty of loving the wisdom with the man. This is an important observation. Moreover, when it is said that a thing is essentially one thing, and is created into the faculty of another thing, the essence applies to the substance and the faculty to form, or the essence to being or esse, and the faculty to existere. Also, existence without being is not anything, and neither is existence without form. The two things are as is the case with good and truth. Hence these two perpetually look towards being married in order to produce use.
     Now, coming to the second kind of conjunction or marriage, the nature of conjugial love with husband and wife follows the fact that there is such a thing as the truth of good, and from this truth good. Truth from good is masculine, while truth from the good of that truth is feminine. Man (vir) is created into the love of acquiring the truths, or what is the same, into the love of becoming wise; so that man is created into the love of wisdom from God. But how does conjunction take place?
     The male, from the union of truth and good, receives the truths of wisdom, and the good of love adjoined by the Lord according to reception. When the male has acquired the wisdom which from an innate tendency he has been seeking by means of truths, there develops in him the love of that very wisdom now acquired. Since this is his spiritual self, it amounts to this, that he loves himself. Divine Providence foresaw that danger, and provided a receptacle into which this love should be transcribed, so that the male may be saved from the horrible results of the love of self. This receptacle is the female into whom this second love is inscribed. The female is therefore created into the faculty of that feminine love, that is, the faculty of loving the wisdom in the man. "And Jehovah caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in place thereof.

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And the rib which Jehovah God had taken from the man He built into a woman, and brought her to the man. And the man said, This now is the bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: therefore she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man (vir)."
     This offspring, this feminine love, now transcribed into the woman. perpetually looks towards being united with its 'begettor,' the masculine love. It loves it, it studies it, and loves to please it: it obeys it, and loves to be received back by it: hence this nature with the female sex. Yea, loving exists with it alone, and the conjugial sphere is given through it alone, by the Lord, and the good thereof. In fact, that this is so much the case, is clearly seen from one of the Memorable Relations in the Third Word of our Church, that when women were removed from the men, the men remained entirely void of even the love of the sex, to say nothing of the conjugial sphere.
     And now, the foregoing circumstances conditioning this union having been fulfilled, the two, then, from the spiritual nature of good and truth to become united, become united because they strive to, from loving to. Their union is the union of minds from which the union of the body is made good, and from which it is purified. The conjugial sphere given through the wife by the Lord then pervades the three regions of the mind, even through the three regions of the body.
     Therefore, since this alone is marriage, in this alone is heaven, in this alone is the Lord, and by virtue of this alone is the conjugial married union good. There is nothing higher given to man to strive for, and by this reason it becomes the supreme gem of life which New Churchmen should strive to acquire.

     REFERENCES: C. L. 428, 43, 270, 336; A. C. 147-151, 156, 157.

     [The above article is reprinted from TLHAHISO-UMCAZI (The Expositor), 1937, p. 35.]

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THOUGHTS ON THE WAR 1942

THOUGHTS ON THE WAR       Editor       1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor     Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa..
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
     $3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     It is not granted men or angels to fathom the ends of good intended by the Divine Providence in the permission of great evils and great calamities, though these ends may be realized and acknowledged after their fulfilment. Yet it is not contrary to order that the men of the church should endeavor to form a rational and spiritual understanding of natural events, bringing the light of Divine Revelation to bear upon them. In this they will be the more successful as they are the more deeply moved by an acknowledgment of heart that the Divine Providence is ever operating for the good of all mankind, for the salvation of the regenerate in every nation, to the end that the Gorand Man of heaven may be perfected by varieties of mind and race, and that the forces of evil that would destroy this Divine end may be subjugated and controlled.

     A Spiritual View.

     From the teachings of our Doctrine it is known to New Churchmen that all warfare in the world involves inmostly a combat of the Lord against the hells, in which combat the omnipotence of the Divine Truth subjugates the evil and falsity of hell for the deliverance and salvation of the good.

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In this conflict the angels are given a part as the defenders of heaven against the assaulting devils of hell. Properly the world of spirits is the scene of this battle, that intermediate place and state where good spirits and angels are formed in battle array to defend the heavens against the cohorts of evil spirits who come forth to the attack. For the good never attack, but only defend against the aggression of hell. (A. C. 1683.) And since the Divine is present to support the good, the evil are finally overthrown and subjugated, to the end that order and peace may be reestablished in heaven and imposed upon hell. And there was war in heaven Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven." (Rev. 12: 7, 8.)
     A similar clash between good and evil spirits takes place in the spiritual world when the man of the church is in the midst of spiritual temptation,-a conflict between the spiritual and the natural in himself in which he resists evil even to despair, and is given the rewards of victory by the Lord-new states of spiritual order, freedom and blessedness, while his evils are subdued and remitted.
     Likewise, when "the hour of temptation cometh upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Rev. 3: 10),-a warfare affecting all nations and peoples, as at this day.-the spiritual scene is essentially a conflict between heavenly principles of good and infernal principles of evil and falsity, or between the principles of the Divine Law and the infernal forces that oppose them. At such a time there are men in the world who uphold and fight for principles that are founded in the Divine Law as revealed in the Word of God. Some of these belong to the Christian and gentile remnant; others act from the traditions in which they have been educated; but both now enjoy an influx from the New Heaven operating for the preservation of external order and freedom in the world, for the sake of the eventual establishment of the New Church. Even from enlightened self-interest and an instinct of self-preservation, men and nations will defend the principles of law and justice, of good will, charity, and humanity, thus acting from natural good where spiritual good is lacking; for if these principles do not triumph in a world-wide war, the human race must perish from the earth. Bearing upon this we read in our Doctrine:

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     "The doing of evil in both worlds is restrained by laws, since otherwise society could not possibly subsist; indeed, without those external bonds the whole human race would perish. For man is saturated with two loves, which are the love of dominating over all and the love of possessing the wealth of all. These loves, if the reins were relaxed, would rush on to infinity. . . . All who are enslaved by those loves look upon themselves alone as the only one in whom and for whom all others are. Such have no pity, no fear of God, no love of the neighbor; and hence they are filled with unmercifulness, inhumanity, and cruelty, and with an infernal cupidity and avidity for plundering and robbing, and a cunning and deceit in effecting these things." (T. C. R. 498.)

     Commenting upon this passage, and its application to conditions in the world today, a writer has well said:

     Who cannot see that in the past these two loves-the love of dominion and the love of possessing the wealth of others-have been a controlling factor in the course of the history of all nations? None has entirely escaped their blighting influence. But, due to a cause which the New Church alone knows and acknowledges, a change is gradually coming over the minds of men. Slowly there is coming the recognition that even the smallest and most helpless nation has rights which must not, in justice, be interfered with. All down the aces, certainly since the beginning of history, wars of conquest have been looked upon as perfectly legitimate. Now, for the first time in history, wars of conquest have been publicly condemned, and the aggressor nation placed on a par with the bandit and the murderer.
     What has brought about this change? Surely it is the result of the Last Judgment in the world of spirits, with the establishment of the New Heaven and the New Church there. And now the time has come for the descent of the life of that New Heaven, and the truths of that New Church, among men on earth. But this cannot come to pass as long as those two loves-the love of dominion and the love of possessing the wealth of others-dominate the policies and actions of the nations, and remain unchallenged, unopposed.
     So today these two loves have been allowed to raise their heads among men. Yes, there is the "unmercifulness, inhumanity and cruelty"; there is the lack of all "pity, all fear of God and love of the neighbor." "Hell hath enlarged herself." and has been permitted to come forth, that it may be seen in all its terrible wickedness. And opposing these are the two great and noble loves-love to God and love of the neighbor. The principles of the love of dominion, and of genuine freedom for all, stand face to face in the world today, in the greatest struggle the race has known. It is not a war of nations; it is a war of principles. The line cannot justly be drawn between nation and nation; it is being drawn within the nations themselves. And when the victory has been won, when men have chosen justice and righteousness, as choose them they surely will, then the world will be better prepared for the descent of the New Church. Then the Church will grow-Rev. William H. Beales in The NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER, November 12, 1941.

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     New Churchmen have thus been quick to recognize, in the light of the Writings, that the present world-wide disturbance is an ultimation on earth of judgments that are being effected in the spiritual world,-a continuance of the Last Judgment in the year 1757, whereby preparation is being made for the establishment of the New Church. For we are taught that "all wars, even though they involve civil affairs, are representative of the states of the church in heaven, and they are correspondences. . . . For everything which is done in the natural world corresponds to spiritual things in the spiritual world, and all spiritual things concern the church. . . . The justice of a cause is spiritual in heaven, and natural in the world, and the two are conjoined by a connection of things past and things to come, which are known to the Lord alone." (D. P. 231, 252.) Consequently, all wars involve by correspondence the spiritual states of mankind, even though it is not given men in the world to discern those states with a final judgment upon individuals or nations.

     Enlightenment.

     Following the Second Advent, the continuance of the Divine redemption of the human race then effected by a judgment in the spiritual world will mean a progressive liberation of the minds of men from the darkness of ignorance and falsity, and from an enslavement to evil loves. This will he brought about by the dissemination of the light of truth, and especially of the Divine Truth revealed for the salvation of men, delivering the good, condemning the evil.
     The spreading abroad of knowledge by modern means of communication is reaching into the remotest corners of the earth, into every hamlet and home: not only the knowledge of natural things, but also a knowledge of the Bible, and a knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrine. And the light thus extended is bringing men and nations to judgment to a choice between the evil way of life and the good way of life. For all judgment is effected by a letting in of the light of truth into the dark places where evil lurks, especially into the hidden chambers of the human heart. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be discovered. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. " (John 3: 19, 20.)

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     The Far East.

     While relatively few in the world have as yet "come to the light" of the Second Advent of the Lord, it is a remarkable fact that avowed receivers of the Heavenly Doctrines are to be found in every quarter of the globe. In the Far East, for example, now visited by war, the New Church has long been established in Australia and New Zealand. It may not be so well known to our readers that there are individual New Churchmen or groups in the Dutch East Indies. Burma and India, that in Japan a New Church minister is laboring in the cause, and that in the Philippine Islands there is an extensive organization of the New Church, with a General Pastor and several other ministers. At Hong Kong the Writings are being translated into Chinese, and elsewhere in China an interest in the Doctrines has been awakened in recent years.
     These beginnings of the New Church in Asia have been fostered by the organized bodies of the New Church in Britain and America, and New Churchmen throughout the world will now feel a deep concern for their welfare, and even for their survival, under the conditions prevailing in that region of the world. Yet we may well feel a confidence that the Lord, in His Providence, will preserve these centers of spiritual light in a darkened world, and that "when these calamities he overpast," He will provide for an extension of that light among many, in the new state of freedom that must follow the days of conflict.
     Twenty-four years ago, in October, 1917, the Rev. I. L. Watanabe came from Japan to visit the New Church centers in America, and gave a very interesting address in Bryn Athyn on Religious Conditions in Japan." which was published in NEW CHURCH LIFE for December, 1917. In one pertinent paragraph he said: "Here, then, is our chance to lead Nippon to something definite by means of the New Church. It is a most important and critical period to impart the light of truth to the people, to give a vital essence to their ideas, and the strong power of love to their conceptions. After the Great War is over, there will be especial need of the new and true Religion, with its inner power and life."

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NOTES AND REVIEWS 1942

NOTES AND REVIEWS       Various       1942

     SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION MAGAZINE.

     UMCAZI (The Expositor). Periodical of the South African Native Mission of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Editor: Rev. F. W. Elphick. Editorial Staff: Revs. M. B. Mcanyana and P. J. Stole, Durban, Natal, November, 1941, Vol. 1, No. 1. Mimeograph, 6 pages.

     This publication is successor to the printed magazine entitled TLHAHISO-UMCAZI that was issued quarterly by our South African Mission from 1923 to 1939, the early numbers of which were in the Sesuto language, with a portion in English. Later it included material in the Zulu language also. Hence the double name-the Sesuto and Zulu equivalents of "Expositor."
     The complete title for the magazine in its new form is in Zulu:
UMCAZI WE SAMBULO SE SONTO ELISHA-The Expositor of the Revelation of the New Church. The contents of the six pages of this first issue comprise: a one-page Editorial; English and Zulu versions of Divine Providence, no. 251, treating of "The Divine Providence and War" and "Mission News," occupying 2 1/2 pages.
     From the Editorial we learn that the periodical formerly was printed by the Native members at Alpha, and that before its discontinuance in 1939 it was bringing out fifty pages of reading matter per annum, with equal sections in English, Sesuto and Zulu. Its definite purpose, unaltered throughout its sixteen years of publication, as expressed on the cover of each issue in the three languages named, was as follows:
     The Expositor of the Revelation of the New Church is a journal devoted to the promulgation of the Doctrines of the New Church among the Natives of South Africa, and is the official organ of the Mission of the General Church of the New Jerusalem in this country. It maintains the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, recognizes that the Second Coming of the Lord has been accomplished in the unfolding of the Spiritual Sense of the Word, as expounded in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg; and that the New Church, as foretold in Daniel VII: 13, 14, and in Revelation XXI, is now being established.

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The pages of this journal will be applied to the translation of the Writings of Swedenborg, and will seek to discuss and interpret all matters relating to the application of faith to life in the light of the Revelation given to the New Church."
     The Editorial goes on to say: "This purpose still abides. But, unfortunately, owing to great reductions in finances, we have now to appear in simple dress. Instead of a neatly printed magazine, we have to resort to typewriter and duplicator. We regret, moreover, that changes have so come upon us that we are no longer able to be of service to our Basuto readers. In freedom they have chosen their own path. Hence we now have but one title to our paper-in Zulu. And so, in new dress, we make another start,-another venture to help the cause of the New Church among Bantu people. In repeating our aims,-the aims we have always upheld,-we hope that both Zulu Ministers and Zulu people will give every support and suggestion, not only in making it possible for the Mission to circulate a magazine among its widely scattered members, but also in giving every possible support for the maintenance of Mission uses."
     In conclusion, the Editorial presents an estimate of what it would cost to publish the journal in printed form, and finds that this cost could only be met by 100 subscriptions at one shilling each, or 200 subscriptions at sixpence each, per quarter. `Whether the Mission is able to maintain such a journal is a matter which rests entirely with the members. For the time being, however, we publish our first issue in this form, and await the response from our readers."
     It is a pleasure to welcome this journal in its new form, and to felicitate the Mission upon its undertaking to resume publication of a magazine which has promoted union and intercommunication among the members, furnishing both information and instruction. And we trust that in time we shall see an expansion in this important use. The character of the contributions in the past by the Native Ministers is well illustrated by the article which appears on page 74 of our present issue.
     From the reports of the activities of the Mission, which are a feature of this first issue of UMCAZI, we gather the following items which have not been published in our pages:

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          MISSION NEWS.

     The most important event during the past year was the Special Meeting of the Native Ministers of the Mission, held at Mayville, Durban. March 11 to 16, 1941. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, August, 1941, p. 375.) Nearly all the sessions were devoted to the matter of ways and means, especially regarding the stipends of the Ministers, As the result of the message sent to Bryn Athyn by this meeting, it has been decided that the properties in Natal and Zululand will be held by the General Church Mission on loan for one year from March, 1943 while those in Basutoland and at Alpha, including the printing press. will be held by the new Mission. This will give time for further consideration.
     The Dedication of the New Church building at Hambrook, Acton Homes, near Ladysmith, Natal, on Sunday, July 13. 1941, was an outstanding event. (See account in NEW CHURCH LIFE, November. 1941. p. 516.)
     We have just completed the printing of a Zulu Liturgy, which is being distributed at 2/6 per copy. For this work we are much indebted to the Rev. Moffat B. Mcanyana, who did the greater part of the compiling, in which he had the valued assistance of the Revs. Philip Stole and Peter Sabela. It is to be regretted that the Hymns published are so few in number, but this was due to the difficulties in regard to the maintenance of the Press at Alpha, which, as noted, has been transferred to the new Mission. We hope, however, that we shall some day be able to publish a second edition of the Liturgy, with additional hymns. In the meantime we must rest content with what we have.
     Alexandra Township, Johannesburg-Rev. Timothy Matshinini and his Society are meeting regularly for Sunday services in his home. But this does not mean that they are not giving thought to the future. The Society is buying a plot of ground in the Township, with the object of erecting a church building. Naturally, for the time being, all finances are directed toward the completion of the land purchase. We wish them every success in the undertaking.
     Durban, Mayville.-Rev. Moffat B. Mcanyana conducts regular Sunday services, and has officiated at a number of adult and infant baptisms. On October 12, at Lamount Village, he officiated at the marriage of Mr. Amos Dube and Miss Minab Mfayela. An address on what the New Church understands by "Good" and Truth" was given. On September 28th the two Societies of Mayville and Turner's Avenue met at Mayville for the quarterly administration of the Communion by the Superintendent.
     Durban, 19 Turner's Avenue-Rev. Philip J. Stow maintains Sunday afternoon services at this address. The Easter Service for the Durban district was held here, and also the celebration of New Church Day, which, for local reasons, was postponed until September 13th. The Night Continuation School is also maintained, the teachers being Rev. P. J. Stole and Mr. P. P. Moguni as Assistant. The Rev. Stole has officiated at two marriages at this centre: On March 1, Mr. Elliott Mkwanyana and Miss Lina Nxele, both members of our Church; and on September 9. Mr. Isaac Links and Miss Esther Gumede, of Tongaat.

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     Eximfabeni, Mablabatini, Zululand.-A very small group is being formed in this district by Rev. Solomon Mkize. Recent reports show an average attendance of 15 persons at the Sunday morning services. On August 20, Rev. Mkize gave a lecture in which he described the changes which the Church on this earth has undergone since the most ancient times. The attendance was 85.
     Greylingstad, Transvaal.-The Society at this centre, which has been established for over twenty years, is now under the supervision of the Rev. Jonas Molsi. The average attendance at worship on Sundays is 42. Rev. and Mrs. Motsi are also keeping a small school together, although the Mission is now unable to support work of this kind. The economic struggle is also a hindrance. Mr. Motsi writes: "We are pulling very hard."
     Hambrook, Acton Homes, Natal.-Since the Dedication of the church building in July the services have been well attended, and there have been occasional visitors.
     "Kent Manor," Impapala, Entumeni, Zululand-The church work here, under Rev. Peter Sabela, continues, and the attendances for four Sundays were 45, 33, 56, and 48. The Rev. M. B. Mcanyana has visited the Society on several occasions. He presided at the 19th of June Celebrations; and he officiated at two marriages: On July 20, Mr. Wilfred Mkize and Miss Mirriam Mhlongo; and on September 10, Mr. Andreas Ngema and Miss Anelina Owala. A small day school is being maintained, the Rev. A. B. Zungu doing much to make this possible. But whether we can keep these educational activities intact remains to be seen. We can only do our best with the limited means at our disposal.
     Macabazini, Deepdale, Natal-A small but very enthusiastic centre is being established here. Rev. Benjamin I. Nzimande is now in charge, and he has the able support of Mr. Amon Radehe. The group holds regular Sunday services in a private house, but they are applying to the Government for a church site. The details are now in the hands of the Assistant Commissioner at Buiwer and the Mission Superintendent. It may be some time before a site is granted; and there is the possibility that it may not be granted. Much depends upon how the Government views the condition relating to the proximity of the Missions already existing in the neighborhood. The Superintendent, with Rev. P. J. Stole, visited the Society on June 29. Rev. Stole made a second visit on August 23, when he officiated at the marriage of Mr. Stuart Mapanga and Miss Gracinab Radebe.
     Sterkstroom, Cape Province-This is our most isolated centre. Rev. Johnson Kandisa has a very small group of Xosa people, and they are having a struggle to keep going. A recent report states that they had a very successful meeting on Sunday, September 28, when the attendance was much higher than usual, and much more interest was shown in the teachings of the New Church. We very much hope that at some future time there will be an opportunity for a visit to the group, either by a Zulu Minister or by the Superintendent. It is a matter of long distance and heavy traveling expenses. In the meantime we depend upon correspondence.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     During the past Summer our Sunday services of worship were maintained, and we also had occasional social teas.
     A Social was held in August and a "shower" for Miss Winifred Everett and Mr. Owen Pryke, in view of their approaching marriage. The wedding took place on Saturday, September 6, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton officiating. The church was filled with well wishers, and the service was very impressive, the responses of the couple being clearly heard by all present. Miss Ruth Pryke was bridesmaid, and the Rev. Martin Pryke was best man. The 45th Psalm was soon by the congregation during the signing of the Registers. The reception, held after the ceremony at a local restaurant, was a very happy occasion, being attended by about ninety guests, among them being Sergeant Cecil James and Corporal Henry Heinrichs, their presence bringing the bridegroom's Kitchener relatives near to us. Mr. and Mrs. Owen Pryke have made their home in Colchester.
     The following day, Sunday, September 7, the Holy Supper was administered by the Rev. A. Wynne Acton. And in the afternoon a tea was held at the church, after which came the first "Any Questions?" session of the Brain Trust, consisting of Mrs. Beryl Dale, Miss May Waters, and the Revs. A. Wynne Acton and Martin Pryke. Mr. John Cooper acted as question master, and the various questions were very interesting. The members of the Brain Trust are to be congratulated upon their spontaneous answers.
     Our Harvest Festival was held in October, and our Minister delivered an excellent address on the subject of Thanksgiving," at the conclusion of which the children made their offering of fruit and vegetables.
     Doctrinal classes, singing practices, and socials have been resumed for the Winter months.
     We shall all be very glad to welcome home again Mr. and Mrs. Alan Waters and their family. They have been residing in Wales, and we hear that they may shortly return.
     E. M. B.


     BRYN ATHYN.

     Christmas.

     Although preoccupied with world events, the Bryn Athyn Society marked its first wartime Christmas since 1917 with fervor and jollity. Highlights of Christmas week were the services in the Cathedral, the Tableaux presented in the Assembly Hall, the gathering at Glencairn, and the carolling on Christmas Eve by three different groups of young singers.
     The tableaux, elaborately done, appealed to ear as well as eye, because of special choral and instrumental accompaniments. The staging of the four scenes that were enacted seemed especially beautiful and colorful. The subject of the first scene was the prophecy of Balaam when he was called upon by Balak to curse the Israelites-"There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel." The next scene portrayed the Wise Men following the Star, grouped in their bright apparel about a campfire.

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The third scene pictured the Adoration of the Shepherds at the Manger; and the fourth, distinctively reflecting the light of the Second Coming, presented the announcement and glorification in the heavens at the news of the Lords birth upon earth, with white-robed angels sounding their trumpets to all quarters of the universe. The preparation of the tableaux was in charge of Mr. Winfred Hyatt, and the music under the direction of Mr. Frank Bostock.
     The beautiful Children's Service in the Cathedral featured many Christmas songs and the procession of all the children led by white-robed, candle-bearing members of the girl's choir. Bishop de Charms addressed the children, speaking of what the Lord's Advent means to New Church boys and girls. There were not as many in attendance at the service as in some former years, the ushers say, but it is difficult to see how any more persons could have been crowded into the church.
     An adult service commemorating the Lord's Advent was held in the Cathedral on Christmas morning, when the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner delivered a sermon in which he brought forth the reasons why the Lord selected our earth for His incarnation, and not some other earth in the universe.
     The gathering of the society in the great hall at Glencairn, as guests of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pitcairn, was a delightful occasion featuring Christmas carol singing and instrumental music by members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The marvelous blending and shadings of tone achieved by the wind instruments of this group seemed especially fitted to convey the serenity and deep, solemn gladness of the Advent season.
     R. R. G.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     After two unsuccessful attempts,-which were foiled by sickness, absences from home, and atrocious weather,-the Annual General Meeting of the Society, scheduled for September 3, was finally held on Sunday, October 5th. The admirable digest of reports presented by our able Secretary gave a clear and concise picture of the status of the Society and the work of the twelve months under review. It was learned that the membership of the Society was 26 (now 27), and that of the Sunday School 22; that there had been a decrease in attendance at all services and classes, except the monthly evening service; and that the financial position was again satisfactory. Mr. Ossian Heldon and Mr. Fred. W. Fletcher were again reelected as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively; and as the Society is so well served by its officers and committee members very few changes were made, the main one being the election of Mr. Alfred Kirsten to the office of Librarian vacated by Mr. Fletcher. During the meeting the Pastor gave an address on "The Love of the Church."
     On Sunday, September 14, the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy W. Stephenson, Rhonda Rica, whose birth was noted in our last report, was baptized by the Pastor after the morning service. The series of sermons on the Laws of the Divine Providence, continued through this month, was finished in October. As several members now find it difficult to attend classes on a week night, we have reverted to the practice of holding doctrinal classes on Sunday evenings, the philosophy class now being held every second Wednesday evening. Throughout September and October the doctrine of charity was still being studied in the general class, and the various special classes and study groups met as usual.
     Commencing in September, the study of Heaven and Hell in the Ladies' Guild was suspended indefinitely, and the Pastor is now reading to the ladies the lectures on "The Growth of the Mind" given by Bishop de Charms last year in Bryn Athyn. Members of the local Chapter of the Sons of the Academy heard an address from Mr. A. Kirsten on "Good Manners" at their September meeting; and in October all present took a hand, the occasion being one on which every man at the meeting is asked to speak for a few minutes on the topic he finds on a slip drawn at random from a hat.

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The subjects chosen ranged over a wide field, but the unprepared speakers really did justice to them.
     A very enjoyable party was given by Mr. and Mrs. Ossian Heldon at their home on Saturday, September 20. The object-the raising of funds for the tennis club-was very satisfactorily achieved; but perhaps even more important was the good fellowship enjoyed by a company ranging in age from under three to over eighty. The Sunday School children's fancy dress party was held on Monday, October 27, and took the form of an English Fair. Appropriate songs and dances were featured, and refreshments and other things were sold, the proceeds going to buy dandy and other comforts for children of the Church in England. Mrs. Fletcher arranged this function, which was unusually well attended.
     W. C. H.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     We have passed through the gate of the year. The old year, through which we have fretted and laughed, talked, and perhaps prayed, is on its way to memory's horizon. Yet every end is a new beginning. And so, on New Year's morning, prayers were offered in all the churches in Canada for strength, for courage, and for peace. In the Olivet Church we heard an address by our pastor which renewed our faith in the Divine Providence of the Lord, and reassured us of a Divine guidance constantly operating toward a more just foundation of order.
     On New Year's Eve we danced in our gaily decorated assembly hall until the hour of midnight, when, joined together in a circle, we gave silent attention to Mr. Gyllenhaal while he read a letter which had been addressed to the Canadian people by the Hon. C. D. Howe. Minister of Munitions and Supplies. In this message the people of Canada make a sacred pledge to support our fighting forces, and resolve that every loyal man and woman play a full part in this crisis, by being industrious and uncomplaining at all times, by cultivating sympathy and tolerance for others, and by cheerfully denying themselves some of the enjoyments of life for the sake of the noble cause for which we are at war. The resolution concluded with the words: "It may be that my modest effort will tip the scale, and set a great shout of deliverance echoing round the world. Brave men shall not die because I faltered."
     This year our responsibility as adults for the children's true experience of Christmas seemed to be immeasurably increased, and the challenge was greater because of the tension in world events. Much careful thought and labor of preparation by many willing workers was manifest in all the phases of our celebration, and it was indeed a high privilege for all of us to enter with the children into the true beauty, and joy, and love of Christmas as portrayed in the tableau service. The spiritual significance which centers about the worship of the Babe of Bethlehem; the joy which expresses itself through the Christmas story; the Christmas carols and the Christmas ceremonies: the love which reaches out to others through gifts and festivities-these were all featured in the children's service on the Sunday evening before Christmas.
     On Christmas morning a service was held in the chapel. The chancel decorations were appealing in their appropriate simplicity and charm, and added much to the general sphere. The Divine message which came to us on that day carried the thought that the tragedies of to-day should draw us back to the origins of a true faith, in which we may see the Messiah, who was born and lived among men as the Lord, now revealed in His Divine Human, and that this true faith stands as a challenge, not only to the Herods and Pilates of that earlier generation, but also to those of every day and nation.

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     On the first Sunday of the New Year the Sacrament of the Holy Supper was celebrated. The sermon on that occasion brought Out the teaching that in this most holy act of worship we approach the Lord in the most complete manner possible to man, and appropriate the Divine Good and the Divine Truth as the food of our spiritual life. In this way we seek entrance to heaven, and dispose ourselves humbly to conjunction with the Lord. But to do these things requires a knowledge and understanding of them, and a willingness to obey the doctrines concerning them. When partaking of the Holy Supper, a man renews the promise which he made at his baptism to live according to the Lord's will.
     C. S.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA.

     Advent Church.

     It is a long time since the Advent Church last appeared in the news notes of the LIFE. But when such an event as has just happened in this society occurs, then it merits some mention in the annals of the official organ of the General Church. We refer to the fact that the Advent Church has this year taken a far step forward in obtaining the services of a resident pastor. Indeed, this is the first time in some twelve years that the society has had a resident pastor.
     In August of this year, the Rev. Morley D. Rich and his family arrived here from Chicago to assume the duties of the Advent Church and of the Baltimore Circle. The months since then have witnessed the formation of a Men's Club, a Woman's Guild, the further establishment of the Sunday School, and an increase in the number of Sunday services.
     In part, this increase in uses has been due to the fact that the presence of a resident pastor has lent more point and purpose to the activities of the society as a whole. But something vital would be lacking if I did not mention, also, that the groundwork for this increase in spirit and uses is due, in greater part, not only to the general excellence of the work of many in the past decades, but also, in particular, to the efforts in recent years of the Revs. Homer Synnestvedt, Philip N. Odhner and Elmo C. Acton.
     Services are held in the Presser Building, 17th and Chestnut Sts., on the first three Sundays of each month at 11 a.m. Among the sermons given by Mr. Rich has been a series on the reasons why men have turned away from the Word of the Lord; among the causes treated were the doctrines of papal infallibility and faith alone, and the attitude of atheism, together with the underlying evils from which each sprang.
     During the services, our classes for the children are held in two small rooms at the rear of the hall. For details of the Sunday School arrangements and instruction, we refer you to an excellent account by Miss Arlene Glenn, who is an charge of the children, appearing in the December issue of the Parent-Teacher Journal.
     Doctrinal classes are held twice a week-one for the North Philadelphia group and the other for the West Philadelphia group. Among the subjects presented and discussed were "Marriage for Eternity" and The Civil and Moral Planes in Relation to the Life of Religion." Once a month, also, Joint Meetings are held, which are attended by the members of both classes. These provide an opportunity for a drawing together in a social way.
     The Men's Club, recently formed, meets once a month to discuss various topics of interest. Two meetings have been held so far-one an organization meeting, and the other a meeting in which Mr. Arthur Williamson presented a paper concerning the Bill of Rights. Mr. Williamson is the chairman, and Mr. Carl Soderberg the Secretary-Treasurer.
     The Woman's Guild, in their monthly meetings, have so far had an organization meeting and one other, at which Mrs. Dorothy Sharpe spoke on "Children's Literature in the Light of the Doctrines."

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Mrs. Mildred Furry is chairman, and Miss Edith Hansen is the Secretary-Treasurer.
     A most pleasant occasion was a society party on New Year's Eve, held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Williamson in Collingswood, New Jersey. At midnight a brief service was held, during which Mr. Rich read appropriate lessons, and spoke briefly concerning the custom of making New Year's resolutions, showing that even this secular custom belies the falsities of "faith alone" and "predestination." Following the service, there were toasts to the Church and Country; and the Rev. Bjorn Boyesen, who was visiting the Riches, made a stirring and effective response to the toasts. There followed several short, spontaneous speeches which were appreciated, and which added much to the spirit of the occasion. Everyone then enjoyed a buffet supper prepared by the ladies of the Guild.
     M. D. R.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     Today is January 7th-one month after Pearl Harbor! And since our last report, War. Christmas and New Year's have been written into the history of the Immanuel Church-the first to stay for a while, but the last two still lingering in our minds and bringing back memories of happy times.
     Can there be "Peace on Earth" with the world at war? We think so. The sermon on Christmas Day, preached in simple language so that even the tots in the front rows could understand, was comforting indeed. It told of the peace of mind we all can envy if we will lead good lives-useful lives-lives filled with love for the Lord's New Church-and for our Country! We heard things like that at our Christmas Day service, held in the assembly ball, which was filled to overflowing. The stage, arranged as a chancel; the people seated; then the procession, first the priest, then the choir, then the children singing 'Brightest and Best.' Reading from the Word, recitations by the school; the sermon; more singing by everyone. Then the giving of presents by the Immanuel Church to every child there. The Manger scene-this year built by a group of school boys under the artistic guidance of our pastor. That was Christmas morning in Glenview.
     Saturday, December 27, was the date of our children's Christmas party. All were there! A play, "The Golden Apple." given by a group 05 young people was first on the program. Afterwards, games, candy, ice cream and cake.
     A special service was held on Sunday evening, December 28, at which the Holy Supper was administered.
     The New Year's party was the usual gala affair. But, first of all, most impressive was the church service at 9:30 p.m., during which our pastor preached a short sermon, choosing for his text: "0 God. Thy years are to generation and generation; and Thou art He, and Thy years shall not be brought to an end." (Psalm 102: 24, 27. 28.) The opening paragraph: "It is customary to celebrate the out-going of an old year and the beginning of a new one. The request has been made this year that the Churches should place before them in this celebration the thought of Divine guidance and the prayer for peace. Since this is the case, let us do it with a little reflection, a little serious thought, a little idea of its significance, and a truly sincere prayer for the future."
     The service was followed by a supper in the assembly ball, after which a group of (mostly) young people presented a radio play, "Snookems." written by Mildred and Noel McQueen. There were some back of the curtain who felt that the members of the audience were either very good listeners or else possibly drowsy after a heavy meal. We seemed almost to have the place to ourselves! But a burst of applause at the end of the show put everybody at ease, and the evening continued with noisemaking gadgets, balloons, dancing, etc., far, far into the night!

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     Yes, we had a Merry Christmas in Glenview, and we look forward to doing all we can to make 1942 a Happy New Year.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.


     DR. IUNGERICH BROADCASTS.

     Bryn Athyn listeners who tuned in Station WFIL Philadelphia on Wednesday, January 7, had the pleasure of hearing an Address by the Rev. E. E. Iungerich on "The Era of Restored Freedom"-the text of his timely speech at the Charter Day Banquet last October.


     Academy

     FOUNDERS' DAY.

     Members of the Board and Faculty of the Academy, with their husbands and wives, met in the choir hall at the cathedral on Sunday evening, January 11, 1942, to commemorate the anniversary of Founders' Day-January 12, 1874. When the seventy-five who attended had partaken of the delicious supper served by the ladies, and had joined in singing the National Anthem, the toastmaster, Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, announced that the theme of the speaking program would be "The Academy, Past and Present."
     He then introduced Bishop de Charms, who spoke on "The Development of Government in the Academy," showing in a clear and concise manner how the ideal of the early days,-a looking to the Lord's leading in the Heavenly Doctrine-had been maintained down through the years, and is preserved in practice today as a form of government which also involves a recognition of the freedom of the individual conscience in the uses of the teaching and administrative functions of the Academy. The text of the Bishop's remarks will appear in an early issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE.
     Mr. Randolph W. Childs then spoke on "Social Ideals, Past and Present." and read interesting extracts from the "College Letters' (1886-1895) which are preserved in the Academy Library,-a mode of circulating information and opinion among the members of the Academy in the days when they were classified as Councillors, Collegiates and Associates.
     The Rev. Karl R. Alden had also been delving into these College Letters, and drew upon them in his remarks on the subject of Academy Uses, Past and Present," in the course of which he dwelt upon many phases of former and existing methods of doing things. A year ago, on a like occasion, he had deplored the "ruts" into which we get, but a years reflection, and an auto trip over the roads of the Canadian Northwest, had brought him to the view that there are good ruts and bad ruts!
     The Rev. F. E. Waelchli, speaking on "Our Patrons, Past and Present, reminisced about the early domicile of the Academy in Friedlander Street. Philadelphia, where, he said, all the departments we have today were functioning, though in a more simple form and with smaller numbers. He voiced his conviction that, if we should be so unfortunate as to be deprived of our present facilities by war s devastation, yet the Academy would start over again, being moved by the spirit which animated the Founders-a spirit that is with us still, though no one has been able to define it in words.
     During the evening that spirit found expression in many songs, both old and new, with a vocal quartet leading. And all present felt indebted to the toastmaster for a well-prepared, very useful and pleasurable celebration of Founders' Day.
     We are pleased to state that Mr. Wilfred Howard, who was suddenly taken ill at the supper, is making favorable progress toward recovery, though he will be absent from his classes for a time.
     W. B. C.

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PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1942

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE       ELMO C. ACTON       1942

     Recent Pamphlets Briefly Reviewed.

     Idolatry and Gentilism, by Rev. W. Cairns Henderson

     As the fourth in a series of six discourses on the subject of the "Permissions of Providence," this sermon treats of the operations of the Divine Providence which provides for the salvation of those who are not of the Church Specific. It shows that, for every nation and people, the Lord has provided sufficient general or fundamental truth of life and faith to make it possible for them to receive some degree of spiritual life while they live in the world. This truth has come to them, not by internal dictate, but from the written Word, and for the most part through tradition. By this they, as well as the members of the Church Specific, "may attain to the fullness of their joy in the Lord's heavenly kingdom."
     The sermon also compares the states and uses of the gentiles with those of the members of the church, and considers the reasons why some are born in one condition and some in the other, and the respective responsibilities in each. The sermon answers the question of the merely natural man: "If there is a Divine Providence, having for its end a heaven from the human race, how can so many discordant religions exist?"

The States of the Christian Church.

     In this discourse, Mr. Henderson examines the external states of the Christian Church of today, and shows how, in these states, we can see the operation of Divine Providence. This he does in a way that removes the thought from the failures and divisions of that Church, and centers the mind upon the all-merciful Providence of the Lord. He also deals with the internal uses of the Church, and explains why and how these uses are dependent upon the quality of cooperation with the Lord, and not upon the number of people engaging in them.

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     The sermon concludes by answering a question that will arise in the mind of every New Churchman: "Why does the Christian Church still function as an organized body, and even make certain gains, when it has been spiritually dead for nearly two hundred years?"

     Withholding of Essential Truth.

     In the concluding sermon of the series, Mr. Henderson considers the question as to why the essential truths of the Heavenly Doctrines, so necessary to the truly spiritual development of the Church, were not revealed until nearly eighteen hundred years after the Christian Church was established.

     The six sermons of this series, the last three of which we have here briefly reviewed, are of special value at the present time. For they remove the mind from temporal conditions of life, and extend it into the realm of eternal values. This is most necessary, as it gives a superior light in which to form a balanced opinion of present conditions. They thoroughly answer, to the satisfaction of the rational mind, all those objections to a belief in the Divine Providence which are raised and insisted upon by the merely natural and sensual thought. This series of sermons we consider suitable for all classes of New Churchmen, and of special value for reading and study in a group.
     ELMO C. ACTON,
          Secretary.

     EDITORIAL NOTE: In Mr. Acton's article last month, page 45, the word "Honorable" should have been "Honorary." We regret that we misinterpreted the contraction "Hon." in the manuscript.
     The pamphlet reviewed above, and others recently published by the Pastoral Extension Service, are listed in the advertisement on cover-page 4 of the present issue.

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE       WILLARD D. PENDLETON       1942

     General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     This month we quote some excerpts from letters we have received from the men in military service, and believe they will be of general interest to the members of the Church.

     F. O. Sydney R. Parker, R.C.A.F. Overseas. is a radio technician. He settled in Toronto some years ago, after leaving his home in England and spending some time in South Africa. He married Mary Smith of Toronto, and they have two children-Ruth and Joan. He writes to us from "somewhere in England": "I think sending us New Church literature is the greatest service you can be to us who are in the army. As regards our physical needs, while most of the frills are gone, we are more than adequately provided for, and I have yet to encounter anything approaching hardship. As a matter of fact, I am very fit."
     Private W. W. Richards, in the Transvaal, was in the last war. He writes: "Many thanks for your periodicals. I intend reading them every Sunday. I am much happier since I came in contact with the Church in 1914. My work is very interesting, as I meet so many men who must get clearance transfers from me. In September I met a charming man-Abraham Lincoln by name, who claims to be a grandson of your Civil War President. He is a Corporal in the South African Army, and produced papers to prove his identity. Another man I met, named Rachurn, is a grandson of R. A. Raeburn."
     L. A. C. Orville A. Carter married Emily Wilson of Toronto in 1938. They have a daughter, Nancy Joyce. We quote from his letter: Your interest in our well-being is greatly appreciated. . . A fellow gets hungry for church: and in my own particular case, being a potential wireless operator and air gunner in the R.C.A.F., with the not too proverbial six minutes of actual action during which they allow you to live over enemy territory staring me in the face, my thoughts turn to worship."
     A. C. Sydney Heldon, of the Royal Australian Air Force, is a member of the Hurstville Society. He writes to Miss Hyatt: "Thanks for your nice letter. I was both delighted and surprised at receiving it. In fact, I think the ideas of your Committee are grand. I have been accepted by the R. A. A. F., and I know I can take it! For I had a trip in a dive bomber, and the pilot certainly 'turned it on' for me. Let us not worry too much. The Divine Providence is over everything, and all will be well in the end."

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     The Committee now has four women on the list of those who are in the services: Mrs. Ruby Strowger and Miss Lillian Bond. of Toronto; P N Miss S. de Chazal, of Durban, South Africa; and Lieutenant Linda Hamm, of Bryn Athyn.
     We are happy to report that the Rev. Willard Pendleton and the Rev. Ormond Odhner have undertaken to publish a monthly News Letter about the persons on our List of Honor. This will be sent to all our friends in the services, and will be a means of communicating to each and all the ideas and activities of their confreres during the war.
     Next month we hope to print an accurate list of all the Names and Addresses. Meanwhile, on request, we shall gladly furnish any information we have, or forward letters sent to us for that purpose.

     An Open Letter.

     Members and Friends of the General Church:

     In reading the report of the Military Service Committee in the January issue of the LIFE, I was impressed by the fact that we now have more than one hundred members in the armed services. I do not believe that I exaggerate when I assume that by the end of the present year this number will be increased to more than two hundred. One thing is certain-that the General Church has a definite obligation to the men who have been called to the defense of freedom. The least we can do is to provide them with suitable reading matter-with sermons, doctrinal classes, and other forms of church literature.
     To date the Military Service Committee has done admirable work along these lines, but the Committee needs the full cooperation of the priesthood and laity alike. The material on hand is limited, and existing funds are inadequate to the need. In recognition of the excellent work that has been done by the Committee, and in appreciation of the vital use which they are endeavoring to perform, I take this opportunity to appeal to the Church at large for a generous support of the undertaking. The need is urgent, and the time is now.
     Sincerely yours,
     WILLARD D. PENDLETON.

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WORD EXPLAINED 1942

WORD EXPLAINED              1942




     Announcements



     Volume V.

     The Fifth Volume of the English Version of The Word Explained, uniform with the first four volumes of this edition, has now come from the press. The delay in publication was due to labor difficulties in connection with the binding.
     THE ACADEMY BOOK ROOM,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.
BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1942

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS       HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE       1942

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn from time to time, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Please address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE,
     Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman,
          Bryn Athyn. Pa.
DEVELOPMENT OF GOVERNMENT IN THE ACADEMY 1942

DEVELOPMENT OF GOVERNMENT IN THE ACADEMY        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
MARCH, 1942
No. 3
     Reflections on

     THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOVERNMENT IN THE ACADEMY.

     (An Address at the Founders' Day Celebration, held in Bryn Athyn, Pa., January 11, 1942.)

     We have been asked to look back over the sixty-six years of Academy history, and review the gradual development of government within our body. To do so would indeed make a fascinating story; but the magnitude of such an undertaking is out of all proportion to the necessary limits of this brief address. We can do no more than present a few of the reflections that a re-reading of that history has called to our mind.
     Two things are essential to the success of any human enterprise,-a true idea of the end to be achieved, and a correct understanding of the means required for its accomplishment. The end remains constant, but the means will vary according to changing conditions. So it has been with the Academy. The end of government has remained the same, but its application is ever changing.
     Bishop W. F. Pendleton began his address to the First General Assembly of the General Church with the statement that "the quality of a church is according to the quality of its government, or according to the idea of government which rules within it. If a natural idea of government rules, then the church will be natural; but if government is seen under a spiritual idea, this idea reigning in all its parts, then the church will be a spiritual church."
     The Academy gave to the world a new idea of government,-the spiritual idea that the Lord alone is to govern His Church.

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As an abstract concept, to which religious sentiment gives pious acknowledgment, this idea was by no means new. What was new was the astonishing conviction that, because the Lord had given a rational Revelation, it was now possible, as never before in the history of the world, to make this immediate Divine government of the church an actual, concrete reality. What was new was the proposal to set up ordered governmental agencies designed with the sole purpose of accomplishing this result.
     The roots of this idea go back to the very first beginnings of the New Church. They may be traced to the early perception of the Divine Authority of the Writings by Robert Hindmarsh and others. But the idea first took definite, practical form in the mind of Bishop William H. Benade. He saw that if in fact the Writings were the only source of Divine Authority, then to them or to the Lord through them-belonged all right and all power of government. This right and this power do not belong to any man or body of men. Men are not to be governors, but merely administrators of Divine Law. And this administration is not to be by command, nor by external compulsion. It is to be by influx from the Lord into the individual conscience-a conscience formed by the direct teaching of the Writings All human administration-through the offices, functions, and agencies of government-is to provide for this influx, and to create channels through which this influx may actually rule the church and guide its destiny.
     On this idea the Academy was founded. Without the least essential change, it has continued to reign supreme through all our history. The story of the Academy is the story of a ceaseless struggle-through trial and error, through doubt and perplexity, in spite of proprial loves and the many frailties of human nature to preserve this ideal, and to make it a living reality. We need not hesitate to acknowledge that in this struggle there have been varying fortunes, and that at no time has the effort been entirely successful. Intellectually to perceive the truth that the Lord, through the Writings, must govern the church, is relatively easy. But the application of that truth to the complex states, and to the ever shifting conditions of human life, is indeed an arduous task. The fact that the attempt has failed from time to time is not surprising.

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What is most impressive is the testimony of our history that, through every difficulty, the idea has in Providence been protected. The purpose to achieve the goal has been sustained, and truly remarkable results have been accomplished.
     It has been demonstrated to our mind-beyond all question of doubt-that in this spiritual idea of government there lies the potentiality of freedom such as men have never known or dreamed of in the past. As to certain primary essentials, a new kind of freedom in church government has already been secured within our body, and this to an astonishing degree. It has been achieved only by slow stages, and through hitter conflict. Speaking very broadly, it may be said that Bishop Benade, in the midst of an utterly hostile environment, established a new freedom for the priesthood. Bishop W. F. Pendleton, while preserving this, provided for the equally important freedom of the laity. And Bishop N. D. Pendleton strove throughout his administration to improve the modes whereby these two might come into free cooperation in the practical administration of church affairs. More than this, he provided-especially in the educational work of the Academy-for the greatest possible freedom of interlocking functions.
     The Academy is a highly complex organization of many closely related uses. By careful definition and delimitation, each of these has been assigned its special province. The Corporation, the Board of Directors, the General Faculty, and within this the President's Council, the faculty of each school, the educational departments that cut across all school boundaries-each has its well defined function and its responsible head, enjoying a freedom commensurate with his responsibility. In form, such an organization, of course, is neither new nor peculiar to the Academy. The general plan is similar to that to be found in every educational institution. But the idea within it is different, being but an extension of that central idea of government on which the Academy itself is based. It is intended that every administrator, within the province of his own function, shall be free from external pressure, free to think and to act from conscience in accord with the immediate Divine guidance of the Lord in the Heavenly Doctrine.
     We all know how difficult it is to achieve this ideal. We seem to be surrounded on all sides by innumerable pressures that from time to time amount to external compulsion.

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But we recognize at once that it is only in the measure that our judgments are controlled, not from without but from within, not by compulsion, but by conscience, that our use and function will be under the immediate government of the Lord. To remove external pressures, successfully to resist them, or to ignore them, would seem, from human experience, to be impossible. Yet it is precisely here that the battle for the Academy ideal of government must, in application, be either lost or won. It is taken for granted that the ideal is seen by all, and that the desire and continual endeavor to attain it is universal among us. What do the Writings indicate, and what does our past experience confirm as the primary reason for failure? And what do they teach us is the sure key to success in this endeavor?
     Richly blest, as we are through the labors of those who have gone before, with a clear vision of the ideal, and with an organization ordered in all essentials for its achievement, we may safely conclude that the sole cause of failure is the proprium, while the secret of success lies in a genuine spirit of charity. The proprium, like the poor, we have always with us. But the Lord, in spite of it, can kindle in us a spirit of charity. And when its flame grows dim, He can and will, if we but seek His help, kindle that flame anew. So far as that spirit of charity burns within us, it has power to overcome the proprium, to bring harmony out of discord, free cooperation out of every human disagreement,-a cooperation that is prompted, not from without, but from within, not from man's compulsion, but from the Lord's leading.
     To us there is nothing more wonderful in the history of the Academy than the repeated demonstration of this truth. Time and again, when powerful forces seemed to be arrayed in irresistible armies against it, the Academy has been saved from destruction by a common looking to the Writings, and a new kindling from that central flame of the spirit of charity. On innumerable occasions, difficulties of lesser consequence have been overcome in the same way.
     But we must add a word as to the practical meaning of this spirit of charity. It is nothing else than the love of use. Use is that which promotes the supreme and all-dominating end. It includes all the great variety of means that contribute toward the attainment of that end.

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Each of these means may rightly be called a use. Yet it is not a use in itself, but only in the degree that it promotes the final end. Each one of us has a particular interest in one or more of these lesser uses-either of teaching or of administration. This is our function, our work, our special use. In this respect we are similar to all men. But there is a difference that arises from the Academy idea of government.
     The common idea is that a man, being responsible for a particular function or work, has not only a right but a duty to seek by every means in his power to promote that use, having regard to others only so far as they directly affect it. He is not averse to promoting it by persuasion, or by any available form of external pressure. The result is a continual contest for personal influence, and for some form of political advantage. This is almost the universally accepted mode. We see it in our civil government, in ecclesiastical government in universities, in business. The result is government by the strongest and most astute human will or combination of human wills.
     The concept of the Academy, on the other hand, is not only that government shall be seen under a spiritual idea, but that this idea shall reign in all its parts. This means that every officer-the administrator of every function,-shall seek guidance from the Lord through the Writings in the promotion of the final, the supreme, use. He shall love his special function as a part of that use, and as a means toward its fulfillment. He will seek to promote it only in ordered relation to all the other means, without which the final end cannot be achieved. He will have profound regard for the free decisions of those immediately responsible for these other uses, refusing to exert external pressure upon them. Such is the true spirit of charity that makes for freedom, for order, and for cooperation.
     In spite of our many difficulties and temptations, the degree to which Academy workers have succeeded in achieving this spirit of charity, as a practical living application of our faith in government by the Lord through the Truth of Revelation, is cause for rejoicing. It gives ample proof that the Academy ideal of government is not an unattainable dream, but that it can be made to succeed, in spite of our human failings. Let us keep this faith bright. Let us cling to it in the midst of trials. If, for the moment, we lose sight of it, let us return to it with all our heart, remembering that the price of freedom is responsibility, and that a government which affords a larger measure of individual freedom must require a corresponding measure of individual responsibility.

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Let that responsibility be to the Lord, to the supreme use of establishing His Kingdom, to all the lesser uses essential to that end, and to our own special use as a contributor to that end. If we continue to do this, the Academy idea of government will not only succeed, but in fact the Lord will govern, and in His Providence He will pour out ever increasing blessings upon His Church.
BLESSINGS OF GRIEF 1942

BLESSINGS OF GRIEF       Rev. BJORN A. H. BOYESEN       1942

     "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5: 4.)

     Many believe that man must give up all worldly pleasure and delight if he desires to be saved; for it is said in the Scriptures, "Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep." (Luke 6: 25.) Since it is also said, "Blessed are ye that weep now for ye shall laugh!"-and in our text, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted"-many have insisted that natural joy and gladness are definitely detrimental to salvation.
     But the Writings teach that "they who think so, and therefore voluntarily reduce themselves to miseries while they live in the world, are not informed as to what the real case is. It is never prohibited anyone to enjoy the pleasures of the body and its senses." (A. C. 995.) Indeed, the Writings definitely say that man "may enjoy the delicacies of food and drink, if only he does not place his life therein; that he may have a magnificent dwelling in accord with his condition, have intercourse with others in like condition, frequent places of amusement, talk about the affairs of the world, and that he has no need to go about like a devotee with a sad and sorrowful countenance and drooping head, but may be glad and cheerful." (H. H. 358.) "That these pleasures are never denied man," we read, "may be seen from the fact that very many who have lived in power, dignity, and opulence in the world, and who had all pleasures in abundance, both of the body and of the senses, are among the blessed and happy in heaven." (A. C. 995.)

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     On the other band, we are told that there are definite dangers involved in too much withdrawal from the things of the world. Our Revelator writes:

     "I have been permitted to talk with some in the other life who had withdrawn from worldly affairs that they might live in a pious and holy manner, also with some who had afflicted themselves in various ways, believing that they were thereby renouncing the world, and subduing the lusts of the flesh. But as most of these have thus acquired a sorrowful life, and have withdrawn from the life of charity, which life can be lived only in the midst of the world, they are incapable of being consociated with the angels. . . . Moreover, they who have lived a life withdrawn from worldly employments are inflamed with the idea of their own merit. . . . They go away, and ally themselves with spirits of their own kind who in the world have lived a life like their own. And those who have lived an outwardly holy life, constantly attending church, and praying and afflicting their souls, and at the same time have thought constantly of themselves, that they would be esteemed and honored for all this above others, . . . such in the other life are not in heaven, because they have done all this for the sake of themselves. And as they have defiled Divine Truths by the self-love in which they have immersed them, some of them are so insane as to think themselves gods, and are consequently in hell among those like themselves." (H. H. 535.)

     It is clear from these statements that when we read in the Scriptures, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted," the meaning is not that man should renounce the pleasures of the world, and induce upon himself a state of grief on account of the lack of these things. Indeed, since every man's life continues in the other life as it was in the world (H. H. 528),it is clear that those who "weep now" or "mourn," because of their self-imposed lack of natural things, will continue to "weep" and "mourn" in the spiritual world, where the natural things in which they delight cannot be given to them. Thus they will not "laugh" in heaven, nor will they be "comforted."
     The "mourning" and "weeping" of which the Scriptures speak do not refer to the lack of natural things, all of which are temporal and perishable, but to the lack of spiritual things, all of which are infinite and eternal. It is an interior grief of the spirit when we perceive that we incline to the evils and falsities of our proprium; it is a state of genuine repentance, because of sins committed either in intention, thought, or deed: it is a deep feeling of sorrow when we lack the goods and truths of the church, which alone contain the joy of heavenly life. In short, it is a state of spiritual, and not of natural, misery.

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It is this spiritual grief that can be "comforted" in heaven, and this by the subjugation of our evil inclinations, by the removal of our actual sins, and by the gift of heavenly goods and truths from the Lord. So it is that those who "weep and mourn" spiritually, they alone shall "laugh" from joy in heaven.
     It is to be noted, however, that the merely intellectual acknowledgment, and consequent lip-confession, that we incline to all evils in general, and that we miserably sin from time to time, has nothing in common with the grief of genuine repentance. It is in no way different from the contrition of the Reformed Christian world, which has been accepted in place of repentance, and which involves only a kind of intellectual regret, sometimes appearing as a sort of anxiety or grief. But this kind of contrition does not call for any cooperation with the Lord in respect to our salvation. It involves no self-examination, and consequently no awareness of sin; it involves no attempt to shun evils as sins against God, either in intention, thought, or deed. It involves no supplication to the Lord for help in the combat against our evils; and it involves no desire for the gift of genuine goods and truths from the Lord. In short, it is nothing but a fear of punishment, and the desire for heavenly rewards; it is a fear of hell, but not of evil: it is a desire for heaven, but not for good. Consequently, it is predicated of evil men rather than of good men.
     For this reason, also, we read in the Writings that the mere lip-confession that one is a sinner can be made by an impious man or even a devil, and this with external devotion, when he thinks of the torments of hell, either those present or impending. But who does not see that this is not from any internal devotion, consequently that it is imaginary, and therefore a matter of the lungs, and not a matter of the will from within, and thus of the heart? For an impious man, and a devil, still burn inwardly with the lusts of the love of doing evil, by which they are moved like windmills driven by strong winds; therefore such a declaration is nothing but a contrivance to cheat God, or to deceive the simple, for the sake of deliverance. For what is easier than to compel the lips to cry out, and the breath of the mouth to adapt itself thereto, and to turn up the eyes, and to raise the hands" to heaven? (T. C. R. 517.)

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This again is the same as the Lord says in the Gospel of Mark: "Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." (Mark 7: 6.)
     And so the "mourning" or "weeping," of which the Scriptures speak as contributing to salvation, is not the anxiety of contrition in the normal Christian sense of that word. It is not only the fear of infernal punishments, while at the same time the spirit yearns for evil things; it is not merely the obliging regret of the intellect to the effect that we are thoroughly evil. The "mourning or weeping" of genuine repentance is intent upon subduing the evil inclinations of our hereditary proprium; it desires to have evil and falsity removed by the Lord, not only from the deeds of the body and the thought of the understanding, but also from the very love of the will itself. For this reason, the man who is genuinely grieved at heart begins with self-examination. He is not content with merely recognizing in a general way that he is altogether evil; he proceeds to the discovery of particular sins in himself; he prays to the Lord for power to resist them; and he begins a new life, whether, at first, he likes it or not. In short, he realizes the need to cooperate with the Lord in the fight for his own salvation, and he acts upon this realization. Therefore, also, we read in the Writings that "those who are being regenerated undergo temptations." (A. C. 8958.)
     This, then, is what distinguishes the regenerating man from him who does not regenerate. The Writings say that those who are spiritually "dead sustain no spiritual combat or temptation, and if they were exposed to it, their life would sink under its weight, and so they would curse themselves still more, and precipitate themselves still more deeply into infernal damnation." (A. C. 270.) They only suffer from so-called "natural" temptations; but these do not contribute to man's salvation, nor can they be truly called temptations, as is clear from this teaching of the Doctrines: "Natural temptations exist when a man suffers as to the body, as to honors, as to wealth, in a word as to the natural life, as is the case in diseases, misfortunes, persecutions, unjust punishments, and the like. The anxieties which then arise are what are meant by natural temptations. But these temptations effect nothing whatever toward man's spiritual life, neither can they be called temptations, but griefs; for they arise from the wounding of the natural life, which is that of the love of self and the world." (A. C. 8164.)

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That they who undergo only this natural "weeping and mourning" are not "comforted" by the removal of their evils and the reception of goods from the Lord, is clear from the further teaching that in the other life, when there is no longer any danger of their dying in consequence of any temptation and misery, they undergo the most grievous sufferings" (A. C. 270), and that "they grieve and are tormented in proportion to the extent of their love of self and of the world, and the life which they have from this source." (A. C. 8164.)
     But spiritual temptations, which they who are being regenerated undergo in the world, are entirely different. Such temptations can only take place with those who have, not only some knowledge of goods and truths from the Word, but also some affection of them. (A. C. 8964.) For this reason also we read that "no temptation can take place unless the man is in the good of truth, that is, in the love or affection of it; for he who does not love his truth, or is not affected by it, cares nothing for it; but he who loves it is in anxiety lest it should suffer injury." (A. C. 4274.) And again we are told that "no one can be tempted, that is, undergo any spiritual temptation, except he who has conscience: for spiritual temptation is nothing else than the torment of conscience; and consequently none can be tempted except those who are in celestial and spiritual good, for these have conscience. and all others have it not, and do not even know what conscience is." (A. C. 4299.)
     Now these, also, are they who spiritually "weep" when they discover the evils of their proprium and the sins of their life. They "niotirn' at heart when they see their goods and truths assailed by doubts and scandals from hell: they pray to the Lord for enlightenment to understand, and for power to contend successfully, as if from themselves. These are they who will indeed be "comforted" in spirit, and who will laugh' from heavenly joy when their temptation is over.
     It is true, indeed, that while man is suffering in temptation, the comfort and the joy seem far away. It seems to him as if the Lord were absent, and that he is left entirely alone. It seems as if his prayers were not heard, while at the same time his desire for the good of victory is much too weak, and his knowledge and understanding of the truth, with which to fight, is much too small.

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In fact, he feels desolated as to good and wasted as to truth. Thus he is brought to the point of despair.
     But there are many reasons why this is so. If the Lord did not then appear as absent, and we could see and feel Him fight in our stead, we would not attempt to cooperate with Him in the struggle for our own salvation. Indeed, we would "slacken our hands, and betake ourselves solely to prayers, which we would then ardently pour forth, not knowing," or perhaps not being willing to know, "that prayers will not avail, but that we must fight against the falsities and evils which are being injected from hell. . . For the prayers of those who are in temptations are but little heard," unless at the same time they fight as of themselves. (A. C. 8179.) Also, unless we were brought to the point of despair by the realization of the fact that we have nothing of good and truth from ourselves, and condemn ourselves on this account, we would not acknowledge in the end that salvation is of the Lord alone, and that the victory is His.
     In this way, and in this way only, can the hardness of the human heart be softened. And it is good to know that, in spite of every appearance to the contrary, there "is more freedom during temptations than is possible in any state out of temptations." It is good to know that "this freedom is given interiorly by the Lord, who insinuates it into man's conscience, and by means of it causes him to overcome the evil as if from his proprium." (A. C. 1937.) Indeed, it is good to know that the Lord is then more closely present than man can ever believe." (A. C. 840.)
     When man has come to realize that his natural mind is nothing but falsity and evil; when he has learned to look upon his proprium with horror and aversion, so that he condemns himself on account of it; when he prays to the Lord for deliverance, while at the same time he does all that he can to resist what is evil and false; then it is that the Lord is more closely present than at any time before. When man is in the "mourning and weeping" of genuine repentance, then it is that the Comforter comes "to restore the broken spirit, and to heal the contrite heart." In infinite love and mercy the Lord removes what is evil and false, and with these the horrors of temptation and the fear of damnation; He makes a gift of what is good and true, and with it comes tranquillity of heart and spirit,-the blessing which is peace in heaven.

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"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." Amen.

LESSONS:     Isaiah 61. Luke 6: 20-38. A. C. 8179.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 499, 440, 444. Psalmody, page 105.
PRAYERS:     Revised Liturgy, nos. 42, 111.
RECEIVING THE LORD AS KING 1942

RECEIVING THE LORD AS KING       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1942

     The Acknowledgment of Divine Truth.

     PALM SUNDAY ADDRESS.

     The story of the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when contrasted with many other processions of kings, seems insignificant. Apparently, too, its purpose was not achieved. Certainly the Lord never sat on the Jewish throne. Yet this event has been more widely and more often celebrated than the accession of any worldly king. Why? Because there has ever been a recognition of the fact that something Divine and spiritual was represented by it.
     For though He came "lowly, and riding upon an ass," this was in reality symbolic of royal splendor. From ancient times the custom had been observed by judges, victors and kings. And the Lord now came to Jerusalem as One who had performed a Divine judgment, as One victorious over His spiritual enemies in Divine combat against them, and as a King whose Law was to rule in the Christian Church,-to rule with those who spiritually accepted and acknowledged the Divine Truth of His Word, who were typified in the story by the many who gladly acclaimed His entry into Jerusalem as their King.
     The Jewish followers of the Lord, including the twelve disciples, regarded that royal entry into Jerusalem as the fulfilment of the Messianic prophecies, and they expected the immediate realization of the prophecies according to the commonly accepted interpretation which related only to a worldly kingdom that was to become supreme on the earth.

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But the priests, the scribes and Pharisees, and the mass of the Jewish population, were unconvinced, and were moved only with anger at what they considered to be blasphemy. So the Lord's failure to seize the kingdom mystified all; and the events of the succeeding seven days put a decisive end to all the expectations of a dominant worldly kingdom.
     The Lord's coming to Jerusalem as King represented that He as Divine Truth, reigns in heaven and in the church. This is the lesson for us, and for all men who will receive it. Our annual celebration of that ancient event is for the purpose of broadening and deepening our acknowledgment of the supremacy and rule of Divine Truth in heaven and in the church. Seemingly we look back, because the event happened long ago; but as what was represented is spiritual and Divine, it is forever in the present. The Divine and spiritual meanings raise our thoughts to the realities of life, to the truth which is eternal, thus above the things of the worldly and bodily life, which confuse and darken the mind. Over and over again, as we are convinced of the reality of Divine and spiritual things, the Divine Truth establishes its kingdom with us, and enlightens our minds concerning the purposes of life. Divine Revelation and its doctrine are the means of establishing the Lord's kingdom with us. Only as we use these means wisely are their ends accomplished.
     The acknowledgment of Divine Truth is freely made in three general states of human life. The first is a state of innocence, attended with ignorance, as with children. This state was represented by the worship of the infant Lord by the wise men, who sought the "King of the Jews" in Jerusalem. Children are easily introduced into an acknowledgment of the Lord and of what is Divine, because they are ignorant of the appearances, fallacies, and falsities that make such an acknowledgment difficult with adults, and because the wisest of the angels are present with infants, and dispose them to such an acknowledgment of the Lord.
     Innocence, which is a Divine gift to all men received by them together with life, opens the mind to the heavens, and produces a perception of what is Divine. This first perception is embodied in the simple appearances of truth which are closely similar to celestial truths, and are such as children readily accept and gladly learn.

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It is not a rational understanding of what they know, and therefore is not an intelligent acknowledgment of the Lord. Yet the innocence of it removes what is of the proprium from their thoughts and affections. And such an acknowledgment with children provides a sure foundation for the rational mind, later to be opened and formed with them.
     The second general state in which an acknowledgment of the Divine Truth is freely made is one of knowledge and experience and was represented by the disciples and multitudes hailing the Lord as King on His ascent to Jerusalem. This, however, is only an external acknowledgment. With the disciples and other followers of the Lord it was the result of His daily teaching during the three years of His public ministry, and of His miracles which had been witnessed and reported throughout the land. All this knowledge had come from without, by what was heard and seen, but there was lacking an internal understanding and perception of it. Therefore the acknowledgment was temporary, and too weak to withstand attack, for which reason the multitudes, and even the disciples, forsook the Lord in His last days on earth. Yet this second kind of an acknowledgment of Divine Truth, like the first, is possible only when something of innocence is present. Therefore it is said that the children cried in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" And in the course of His teaching, the Lord raised a child above the multitudes for all to see, and declared, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."
     The third state in which there is the acknowledgment of Divine Truth was represented by the gathering together again of the disciples, and of a small remnant of the Lord's followers, after the Lord's resurrection, to witness His manifestations then. Something of the internal meaning of the Lord's life on earth was taught the disciples by the Lord's resurrection appearings; but in the New Church it is the internal meaning of truth that produces an internal and enduring acknowledgment of the Divine Truth, thus a reception of the Lord as Lawgiver and King.
     Our acknowledgment of the Lord must progress from one to another of these three general states, and must run the cycle of all three, time and again throughout our earth-life.

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And within all three there must ever be something of that innocence which was Divinely given together with our first life. Inseparable from this innocence is ignorance. But as we advance in life acquiring knowledges, growing in understanding, even though ignorance seemingly is gradually dispelled, there should be an increasing willingness to recognize that of ourselves we know nothing, and that everything good and true which we think and do is not from ourselves, but from the Lord. This is possible only by humiliation before the Lord; and such humiliation is possible only when there is the double acknowledgment of the real qualities of the proprium, and of the Lord as the sole Fountain of good and truth, omnipotent to do all things.
     An acknowledgment of the Lord is sincere only when it is conjoined with the everyday life of a man. Divine Truth does not rule in us if we only acknowledge it as doctrine, but fail to live according to the doctrine. By doing what the truth teaches we make our acknowledgment sincere and actual. Therefore the Writings teach us that acknowledgment of the Lord, and that all good and truth are from Him, makes reformation and regeneration.
     Genuine acknowledgment does something. It is an active force,-a power that perpetually seeks and finds expression in works. It is not of the mind apart from the life; it is of the mind, or in the mind, acting by the body. The disciples and multitudes who hailed the Lord as King by their songs, and cries, and spreading of garments and palm branches, represented this active quality of acknowledgment. The Word is full of accounts of things done, representative of the sincere acknowledgment of the Lord which every man should make. Rationality and liberty have been given to man, and are ever preserved with him, to the end that he may make that acknowledgment of his own free choice. But a man makes that acknowledgment by what he does as of himself, and not by his speech apart from his actions.
     We make acknowledgments of the Lord in our minds, and also in speech and act, as in worship, in prayers, in songs, in an attentive listening to the reading of the Word and the Writings, and to preaching and teaching. We express our acknowledgment of the Lord, and our desire that He alone shall reign in us, when we have our children baptized, and in our own baptism or the confirmation of it, when we take the Holy Supper, and on other occasions.

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Every covenant with the Lord is based upon the acknowledgment of Him. But every covenant is a promise of a perpetual observance of its intent: and it is this perpetual observance,-the faithful keeping of the covenant-that is the living acknowledgment, and one which is effective of reformation and regeneration the fulfilment of the Divine redemption in our soul's salvation.
     It is this living acknowledgment that recognizes Divine Truth as supreme, and yet as Divinely accommodated to all our states, that it may be able to teach and lead us day by day in everything we do or should do. It recognizes Divine Truth as fully adequate to teach and guide us in the least as well as in the greater and greatest things of life. But this living acknowledgment is opposed by the desires of the proprium, and this opposition makes it seem difficult of attainment. We find that the understanding faculty is able to acknowledge the Lord, but that the will faculty hesitates, or rebels, or does nothing. Only when the understanding and will act together is the acknowledgment of the Lord completely made, and its operation effective. Only then is the church built within our minds, and the Lord's temple erected therein, into which He can enter as God, and His throne be established, that He may reign as King in His Kingdom.
     This is the purpose of the Lord's ministry with us. But it is realized by us only gradually, and is accomplished at the close of a man s life, just as the Lord entered into Jerusalem as King thereof at the close of His ministry on earth. His life on earth, which was for the redemption of mankind, was the pattern of His life in every man who is willing to receive Him. As we learn the particulars of that life, told in the stories of the Word, also the internal meaning of its representative and significative acts and sayings; as we learn submission to His doctrine and will: He ministers in us, just as He did in the Land of Canaan.
     His coming is to every man who will receive Him; and what He does in man can be known from the internal meaning of what He did while in the flesh on earth. Therefore we need not look back to His earth-life as something only in the past, as something done for a generation of men now unknown. For the truth is, that His life, even His earth-life, as to its purpose and works, is ever present, since He is Life Itself, and by glorification took to Himself a Divine Human an eternal medium of His omnipresence with men, and of His omnipotence to redeem and save them.

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Our living acknowledgment of His Divine Human, of Him as God-Man, of Him as our Redeemer, Savior, and Regenerator, is the fulfilment in each one of us of the internal meaning of the reception of the Lord when He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

LESSONS:     I Kings 1: 1,5.32-53; Mark 11: 1-19; D. P. 90, 91.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 421, 546, 547.
PRAYERS:     Nos. 64, C15.
CHURCH AND WAR 1942

CHURCH AND WAR       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1942

     (An Address to the Hurstville Society, September 17. 1939.)

     My purpose in addressing you this evening is not to speak directly about the war which began two weeks ago. Its antecedents are now a matter of carefully documented record. You have followed the development of the crisis step by step. You are fully qualified to form your own opinions about the ultimate issues involved, without any assistance from me. It is right that, in the free exercise of your rational minds, illustrated by the truth of the Writings, you should do so; and there is probably very little doubt in your minds as to where responsibility lies, as to the spiritual issues at stake, the nature of the conflict in which we are engaged, and the outcome of the struggle. Rather do I wish to bring before you the teaching of the Writings concerning war, and to speak of certain vital spiritual issues, our reaction to which is going to qualify our affection and thought while hostilities last, and during the even more spiritually dangerous period that will begin with their cessation.
     Aggressive warfare is intrinsically evil, except when aggression is defense, and peace is loved even in war. And only when war is waged in defense of church and country can it be said to be not inconsistent with charity. Those who deny the Divine Providence ever find in the occurrence of wars confirmation against it. Yet it is acknowledged by every spiritual man that war, like every other event in human life, is ruled by the Divine Providence, which acts especially, we are told, in the plans and meditations of the military leaders who are charged with determining the strategy according to which the war is to be conducted. Wars are not of the Divine Providence.

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Let there be no mistake about that! But they are permitted by the Divine Providence. Otherwise they could not take place. For evil is not a force outside the control of God, but a force which exists and operates only because He permits it to do so. Not even the iron will of the German Fuhrer, of which we have heard so much, could launch a war unless it were permitted to do so by the Divine Providence of the Lord. And to us has been given the inestimable privilege of understanding rationally why wars must be permitted, and so of comprehending the rationale of war in a spiritual view.
     The Lord wills the salvation of every man born into the world. He bestows upon him every endowment and ability requisite for his salvation, and strives unceasingly to effect it. From infinite Divine love He desires that every man shall reciprocate His love, enter into conjunction with Him, and receive from Him the happiness of eternal life in heaven. But that this end may be accomplished, He has, from infinite Divine wisdom, endowed man with the inalienable right to act from freedom according to what appears to him to be reason. Since the Fall, men have been born into evils of every kind, and this prevents the accomplishment of the Lord's will for them. The Divine operation with man consists, therefore, in an unceasing endeavor to lead him away from evil without violating his freedom. But if freedom is to be preserved, man must be permitted to express his evils. Unless those evils become recognizable by being permitted to break out, man cannot repent of them, and be led away from them into good.
     Human salvation depends essentially upon repentance. Repentance is resistance to evils. Evils cannot be resisted until they are seen, and they cannot be seen unless they break out. They can break out only if they are permitted by the Divine Providence,-permitted to exist, since without them man would have no life, and permitted to come forth, to the end that man may see and resist them; and the end for which they are permitted is human salvation.
     If the Lord were to prevent evil, it would be contrary to His love, since in so doing He would be denying to men in their fallen state their only hope of salvation.

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It is so with individuals, and it is so with nations. The loves of dominion, glory, wealth, and power have become, inwardly, the ruling loves of the world. If the world is to be healed, these loves must be permitted to come into the open; and it is for this reason that we have wars. But we must ever remember that the end is one of deepest mercy,-the salvation of those who can be saved; and that never for one moment is the most deadly war beyond the influence of Divine Providence.
     If we can understand that unless evils were allowed open expression they would remain shut in, and would spread and consume all that is vital in man, we will see that this is indeed the case. Even so, however, we may be disposed to wonder why the Lord, in His mercy and compassion, does not prevent a war at its beginning or during its course, but only at the end, when the power of one side has been so weakened that it is in danger of utter destruction. Surely it would seem that the evil is ultimated sufficiently in the declared intention of a nation to wage war of an aggressive nature.
     There are, of course, many things which we, with our finite understanding, may not comprehend; for the gaze of the Divine Providence is ever directed to what is infinite and eternal, and it is with difficulty that we can grasp even what is finite and temporal; and the answer to this question is said to be stored up in the treasury of the Divine Wisdom. Yet the Lord has deigned to make known to us one of the reasons why it is so. The spiritual world is the realm of causes. What we call the "causes" of war are actually the natural effects of causes in the spiritual world. And the wars that take place in this world are representative of the state of the church in heaven, and are correspondences. Although the correspondences of the nations of the world today are not known, their wars are every bit as representative as the wars of the nations recorded in the Word of the Old Testament. A state of war in this world reflects an upheaval in the spiritual world, which cannot be put down until it has run its course; and for the same reason the effect must be permitted to endure to the end.

     II.

     In what I have just been saying I have been attempting to put before you the essential teaching of the Writings concerning war.

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In the measure that we understand and truly believe that teaching-and it takes somewhat of the faith of love to believe in it-we shall go forward calmly and trustfully, realizing that there is involved a greater power than the German Fuhrer, a more enduring kingdom than the Third Reich, and confident that, come what may, the Lord will preserve everything that is of vital need to mankind.
     But there are other things about which a word or two should be said. It is possible to win a war, and lose everything for which we have fought. If we gain every civil and moral right for which we are fighting, and lose anything of the spiritual quality that may have been given to us, then we shall be immeasurably the poorer for our victory. And it is about one or two things against which we may have to guard ourselves that I would speak now.
     For the New Churchman, a state of war is one in which his uncertain faith and charity may be strained to the breaking point, yet one in which he is called upon to exercise them as never before.
     It has been said that the first casualty of war is truth. Propaganda and the atrocity story have become a highly organized part of modern war, and with the means of rapid and universal communication now at the disposal of the belligerent nations, it is to be expected that they will play a larger part in this conflict than ever before. These lies are issued with a definite purpose. It is realized that one set of ordinary men will not continue to regard another set of ordinary men with whom they have no personal quarrel as deadly enemies unless they can be made to believe that they are not ordinary men, but devils incarnate. And so the vilest falsehoods are repeated over and over again, since only the strongest minds are proof against endless repetition. Against this insidious attack upon truth we must try to be on our guard, not only that we may preserve and cultivate a love of truth, but also because the attack is nicely calculated to arouse those bestial passions of anger and vindictiveness which are just as likely to be smouldering in the breast of the man of the church as the man of no church.
     The second casualty of war, it is said, is love. We are not required to love what is evil, but if we are to preserve our charity, let us try not to hate our enemies. This may be a difficult thing to do, and may seem impossible, in the face of the slaughter of children and innocent non-combatants, and the use of weapons and techniques that have been outlawed by every international convention.

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But it is demanded of us by charity; and hatred springing up in the natural man should be put down as something unworthy.
     Amidst a welter of conflicting passions, emotions, and uncertain opinions, we are called upon to stand firm upon the rock of the truth of the Writings, and to preserve our personal and corporate integrity as members of a society of the New Church. And in order that we may be faithful to our trust we must, by looking humbly and prayerfully to the Lord, hold fast that which we have, refusing to be carried away by the sphere of the world, or to be turned aside by popular emotions and opinions. Let us submit everything to the supreme judgment of revealed truth tempered by spiritual charity, rather than to our own natural thoughts and affections. It is our task to preserve a balance.
     So far, the war is really very remote from Australia, and it is still but a few days old; but if it should come nearer, and if it should develop into a long struggle, absorbing much of our man-power, there is danger that we may be caught up in a war-hysteria, and lose a true sense of relative values. We may be told that the only thing that matters is winning the war, that everything else must be subordinated to that; and there may be at times a strong temptation to feel that the uses of the church should be shelved or cut down, that in this emergency our paramount duty is to the State rather than to the Church. There could be no more tragic mistake. If the world is again to experience the horrors of a long-drawn-out war-and God grant that it is not if, to take the extreme view, our very civilization is to be swept away, it becomes still more important that the uses of the New Church should be maintained, in order that there may be in the world a spiritual centre from which reconstruction may take place. It is as well that we should try to realize this while calm, rational thinking is still possible.
     As a Church, indeed, it may be said without fear of contradiction that we have no part in this war. Our use is still to preserve a knowledge of the Divine among the people, to teach and keep alive obedience to the will of God as revealed in the Word of the Second Advent; and our primary care is for the spiritual safety of the generations committed to our charge, not the civil and social security of posterity. As individuals, however, as citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, we have duties of citizenship, the discharge of which is an integral part of a complete New Church life.

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There is teaching in the Writings which bears directly on those duties in time of war. I am willing to direct to that teaching anyone who wishes to consult it. But how the duties of citizenship that now confront us are to be met is a matter for individual conscience, which must be left in freedom, and no one is entitled to tell another how he should or should not act. All I ask is that we try to do some very clear thinking concerning our duties to Church and State at this time, that we do not confuse, merge, or transpose them; and that in rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, we render also unto God the things that are God's.
     It is perhaps too soon to attempt to consider the possible repercussions of this conflict upon the life of our own Society. It may be necessary to modify the forms of some of our uses, but I promise you that no essential use will be curtailed or abandoned, except in circumstances which are beyond our control. Meanwhile, if we take this crisis as a call to forget our differences, to come more closely together, to emphasize our common love, purpose, and faith, to weld ourselves into a real unit, looking to the Lord, and seeking a deeper loyalty to the Writings and the things of the Church, we will find ourselves strengthened by what appears to be a calamity, and will realize anew that the Lord ever does good for His people, even though it come by the way of suffering and sorrow.
     Lastly, let me say this. Despite our hopes, our fears, and our wishful thinking, we must admit that we do not know what is going to happen. This war may mean the end of life as we know it. At any rate, it marks the end of all normal thinking and planning for the future. We can, with safety, live only in the present, from day to day. And if we reflect upon it, we shall see that in this we have cause for deep gratitude to the Divine Providence. Our environment is very far from being akin to that of the angels, but in this one respect we now have the opportunity to be like them,-to live only in the present, trusting implicitly in the Divine Providence of the Lord. The opportunity to ultimate whatever of trust in Providence we have, or to cultivate it if it is lacking, is one of the gifts that come to us in time of war, and for this wonderful opportunity we should be truly grateful to the Lord.

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     This we may know with certainty. We belong to a Church that cannot fail. Whatever else may be lost, the New Church must and will continue; and that, in the last analysis, is all that really matters. And if we go forward in the faith of this belief, loyal to the Lord and the Church, unswerving in our faith and our charity, He will bless us, and guide us, and keep us, whatever may be our future lot upon earth. May the Lord give us the courage, the strength, and the confidence to endure what must befall, and finally, in His mercy and compassion, grant us peace-not in our time, but in His.
MILLENNIUM. A. D. 1757-1765 1942

MILLENNIUM. A. D. 1757-1765       Rev. E. E. IUNGERICH       1942

     In an article by the present writer, entitled "A Notable Spiritual Experience" (NEW CHURCH LIFE, November, 1941), it was shown that Swedenborg was afflicted with a severe malady that came from the city called "Sodom and Egypt" while he was expounding the signification of that city in the Apocalypse Explained during the year 1757 (see A. R. 531); but that he suffered a second time, though far less grievously, while he was writing about the same city in the Apocalypse Resealed eight years later, in the year 1765. (See S. D. 6108.) As no. 6107 of the Diary is dated December 3, 1764, and no. 6110 contains the date April 29, 1765. it is obvious that no. 6108 was written between these two dates, at which time Swedenborg was writing the Apocalypse Resealed. This passage reads:

     "Concerning the Two Prophets in Apoc. XI. A notable change took place in the spiritual world. There was a gathering together of those who for the most part were in faith alone, both above, at the side, and beneath me: and they were given leave to inflow into my brain, from which I was so affected that I could not lift up my head, and this for 31, days and it seemed to those who were in the city which they called Jerusalem as if I were dead in the street. They looked upon me, and were gladdened. But afterwards that city and those who were of faith alone were divided, and were sent to their places." (S. D. 6108.)

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     In the present article I would like to demonstrate that the above- mentioned "notable change which took place in the spiritual world" was brought about by the coming forth of the dragon from the prison in which he had been bound "a thousand years" (Rev. 20: 2), and that these thousand years, commonly called "the millennium" by Christians, were actually the period of eight years that elapsed between the writing of the Apocalypse Explained and the Apocalypse Revealed by Swedenborg.
     The words of the Apocalypse on this subject are: "And the angel laid hold on the dragon that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should seduce the nations no more until the thousand years were ended: and after that he must be loosed a little time. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God;. . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. And the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were ended. . . And when the thousand years are ended, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. . . . And they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven. and consumed them. And the devil that seduced them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone." (Rev. 20: 2-5, 7-10).)
     Strictly considered, chapter 19, together with these verses of chapter 20, terminate the account of the Last Judgment in the year 1757, as that event is involved in the internal sense of the Apocalypse. In the verses quoted we note two distinct groups of those who were saved: I. "The beheaded....who lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years," and 2. "The rest of the dead who lived not again until the thousand years were ended."
     The first group, who "lived," were added to those called the 144,000 who were "sealed " and who were with the Lamb on Mount Zion. (Rev. 7: 4 and 14: 1.) These "sealed" constituted the internal of the Christian Heaven, and had been elevated into that heaven just before the Last Judgment. The group of those who "lived," now added to the "sealed." also constituted the internal of the Christian Heaven, but were not elevated into that heaven until just after the Last Judgment.

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As to those who went to the internal of the Christian Heaven just before and just after the Last Judgment, we read as follows:

     "By the sea (Rev. 21: 1) is signified the external of heaven and the church, in which are the simple, who have thought naturally, and very little spiritually, concerning the things of the church. The heaven in which these are is called external, as may be seen in nos. 238, 239, 403, 404, 420, 466, 470, 659. 661. Here, by the 'sea' is meant the external of the heaven that was collected from Christians from the first establishment of the Church. But the internal of the heaven from Christians was not fully formed by the Lord earlier than some time before the Last Judgment, and also after it, as may be evident from chapters 14 and 15, where that is treated of; and from chapter 20: 4, 5; see the explanations. (A. R. 878.) The Judgment lasted "from the beginning of the year 1757, and the elevation of the good to constitute the new heaven from the end of the month of April in the month of May. They had been reserved, and so protected, up to this time." (S. D. 5762.)

     By "the rest of the dead who lived not again until the thousand years were ended" is meant the same thing as "the sea" in the passage just cited, namely, the simple who were in the external of the church during the time of the imprisonment of the dragon. Their being "dead " and not "living," during that time means the same thing as the declaration that this "sea" was "no more" (Rev. 21: 1); that is, that they were not in heaven, but were preserved in the place called the "lower earth," which was situated in the lower parts of the world of spirits. Their abodes were sometimes called "the Jerusalem cities." (S. D. 4388; A. R. 655.) We read further: "The place where they were concealed is called the lower earth,' which is next above the hells, beneath the world of spirits; and there, by communication with heaven and by conjunction with the Lord, they were in safety. There are many such places, where they live cheerfully among themselves and worship the Lord; nor do they know anything about hell. They who are there are from time to time elevated into heaven by the Lord after a Last Judgment; and when they are elevated, those who are meant by 'the dragon' are removed. It has often been granted me to see them taken up, and consociated with the angels in heaven.

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This is meant in the Word by the "sepulchres being opened, and the dead being raised." (A. R. 845.)
     As to what is meant by the "thousand years," during which the dragon was imprisoned, and during which the "rest of the dead." or the simple, externally minded Christians, could not yet be elevated into heaven, we have the following specific statement:

     "'And bound him a thousand years,' signifies that they who are here meant by the 'dragon' were withdrawn and torn away from the rest in the world of spirits, that there might be no communication with them for a while or for some time (aliquamdiu seu aliquanto tempore). That by the 'thousand years' is not meant a thousand years, but a while or some time, is because 'thousand' without other numbers added signifies that in the spiritual world. . . That this is so, has been said to me from heaven, where, in the Word which is there, no number is read, but the thing instead of the number, and instead of 'thousand' a while (aliquamdiu). They wonder there that, although the men of the church have seen so many numbers in the Apocalypse, which cannot but signify things, still they have adhered to the conjectures of the chiliasts or millenarians, and have thereby impressed upon themselves vain notions concerning the last state of the church." (A. R. 842.)

     Obviously the incarceration of the dragon occurred at the end of the Last Judgment in the year 1757, and did not last a thousand years, but only "for a while or for some time." After this interval, the dragon was "loosed again for a season" in order to test the simple, naturally minded Christians, who needed this trial after they had been prepared to undergo it, before they could be elevated to form the external of the heaven of Christians. That this incarceration ended while Swedenborg was writing the Apocalypse Revealed, may be established by the two following considerations:
     First: Swedenborg underwent a severe malady as a result of his infestation by the dragonists of faith alone in the city called "Sodom and Egypt." This took place in the year 1757, while he was writing the Apocalypse Explained. He underwent a similar experience, though less grievous, in the year 1765 while he was writing the Apocalypse Revealed, this being caused by an influx from the same city, and as the result of "a notable change that took place in the spiritual world." (S. D. 6108.)

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The dragonists had been incarcerated "for a while or from some time." or from the year 1757 to the year 1765, when their release caused a `notable change in the spiritual world," producing a recurrence of Swedenborg's malady. This release could have been nothing else than the "loosing of the dragon for a season."
     Second: In a Memorable Relation adjoined to the exposition of the 14th chapter of the Apocalypse (A. R. 655, repeated in T. C. R. 388), Swedenborg describes an attack on a "Jerusalem city" in the world of spirits by the dragon and his crew. Evidently the dragon was at large again, having concluded the period of his imprisonment. Toward the close of the Relation we find the description of an attempt to take the city by stratagem, under the pretext that the dragonists were coreligionists of those who were in the city, and therefore deserved to be admitted, and allowed to mingle freely with them. Unsuccessful in this, they resolved to take the city by storm. The Relation concludes:

     "Then the dragonists said among themselves, 'Let us call together still more of our friends, and besiege this city; let us make ladders, scale the wall, and rush in by night, and cast out these charities.' But when they attempted this, lo, there appeared as it were fire out of heaven, which consumed them. But the fire from heaven was an appearance of their anger from hatred against others [the citizens], because they cast down faith from the first place into the second. That they appeared to be consumed as if by fire, was because hell was opened under their feet, and swallowed them up. Things similar to this happened in many places at the time of the Last Judgment; and this is what is meant by these Words in the Apocalypse: 'The dragon shall go out to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, to gather them together to battle; and they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city; but fire came down from God out of heaven, and consumed them.' (Rev. 20: 8, 9.)"

     For the two reasons given above it is logical to conclude that the interval of the dragon's incarceration occupied the eight-year period from 1757 to 1765, or from the time when the Apocalypse Explained was concluded until that during which the Apocalypse Revealed was being written.

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     CHILIAST OR MILLENARIAN.

     In A. R. 842, quoted above, reference is made to "the conjectures of the chiliasts or millenarians and their vain notions concerning the last state of the church." It will be useful to note the following explanations of these terms:
     Chiliast (pronounced kiliast) [Greek chilias a thousand] -One who believes in chiliasm-the doctrine that (Christ will come to earth in a visible form and set up a theocratic kingdom over all the world, and thus usher in the millennium, after which will come the end of the world.
     Millenarian-A believer in the millennium' a chiliast.
     Millennium [Latin mille a thousand + annus a year]-A thousand years. Specifically the thousand years mentioned in Revelation xx., during which holiness is to be triumphant throughout the world. Some believe that during this period Christ will reign on earth in person with His saints,
     -WEBSTER.

     "The Millenarians or Chiliasts, in ancient and modern times, are characterized by their tenet respecting the second advent of Jesus, which they believe will be accompanied by the resurrection of the martyrs and saints, who will reign with Him on earth, in a state of blessedness and rest, for a thousand years, when the resurrection of the wicked will occur, together with the final judgment and its eternal awards. They have differed somewhat among themselves concerning the character of this millennial kingdom, some viewing it as more and some as less spiritual in its nature, employments and joys. But in the main opinion relative to the advent, the first resurrection, and the temporal reign of Christ, the various classes of Millenarians are agreed. "-McCLINTOCK & STRONG.

     In common speech the term "Millennium" is often used figuratively to denote a time or period of great happiness, good government, and freedom from wickedness; as when we say: "It would seem that the Millennium has arrived."

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NOTES AND REVIEWS. 1942

NOTES AND REVIEWS.              1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.


Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager.

     TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
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     THE PRONOUN "I."

     In the October, 1941, issue of THE NEW-CHRISTIAN MINISTER, the editor, Rev. Win. R. Reese of Portland, Oregon, notes that Robert Ripley, in his "Believe It or Not," has recorded the case of a man in Gwalior, India, who in all his life of 101 years never once used the pronoun I." Commenting upon this, Mr. Reese says in part:

     "Did you ever try to write a letter without once using this little, but Oh so significant, pronoun? Or watch yourself for an hour, or a day, to discover how often you use it? Or even dream of living 100 years without using it? Try, sometime, to delete all your Is from your conversation. . . . All the evil with which we are acquainted springs from overemphasis of the 'I.' In the New Church this is called self-love, and in the Doctrines is set before us as the fountainhead of all evils, both individual and social. Swedenborg tells us that regenerated men and women are those who have so succeeded in forgetting this 'I' that the mere directing attention to it in their praise brings a blush and a turning away."

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     He refers, no doubt, to the teaching "that the angels refuse all thanks for the good which they do, and are indignant and turn away if anyone attributes good to them," and not to the Lord, from whom is all the good done by angels and men. (H. H. 9.)
     Attention is thus usefully called to the fact that our habits of speech and act may be the means of promoting internal virtues or the contrary. "That monster, custom, of habits devil, is angel yet in this, that to the use of actions fair and good he likewise gives a frock or livery that aptly is put on. Assume a virtue, if you have it not-and eventually you may have it. If, as a matter of custom and decorum, we avoid at least an excessive use of the personal pronoun "I," it may be a means of cultivating that love of the neighbor which thinks of him first, and of ourselves last, and which regards self merely as an instrument of use to the neighbor. Many forms of civility are ultimates of such a love of the neighbor, and when practised are a means of promoting that love. Thus it is not good form to begin a letter with the pronoun "I." "Your letter has been received." Not "I have received your letter."
     We fear, however, that the self-conscious strain that would be engendered by a lifelong effort to avoid the use of "I" would defeat the end in view, fostering selfish reflection and egotism instead of suppressing it. So may it be with any centering of the thoughts upon mere externals of speech and act, without regarding them as means of cultivating the internal states of the spirit to which they outwardly correspond. In childhood and youth we may acquire habits of civility and courtesy that will stay with us in adult years and throughout life, being infilled with a spirit of unselfishness by the life of interior repentance.
     And among these externals we may well cultivate the habit of talking about others, and not about ourselves; or still better, of talking about things, abstracted from persons; for that determines the thought to uses. So it is with the angels, who never determine their thoughts or speech to particular persons, but think universally, thus of things or uses apart from persons. (A. C. 5287, 6804.) When this becomes the state of a man's spirit, he will manifest no egotism even when he uses the pronoun "I."

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     An absolute avoidance of the use of this pronoun is hardly possible, and may become a meritorious affectation. Society rightly regards as a `bore" one whose egotism is such that he delights to talk about himself alone, and who is a poor listener in conversation. But we have all known men and women who could talk interestingly and entertainingly about themselves and their exploits, and this without a trace of egotism or self-glorification. They are people who have done something worth-while, who have accomplished much for the benefit of the human race, and who have been more interested in the things done than in themselves.
     Still, we all talk about "I" too much, and Mr. Reese has done well to remind us that a deflation of the proprium is always in order.
NEW AFFECTION OF LOVE TO THE LORD AND CHARITY 1942

NEW AFFECTION OF LOVE TO THE LORD AND CHARITY       Rev. P. J. STOLE       1942

     We learn from the Writings that the Church, the New Church, which is to become the crown of all the churches that have hitherto existed in the world, is new. It is new, first, because of its new Doctrine,-the Revelation given through Emanuel Swedenborg, which is distinctly superior to all former Revelations; secondly, because a new affection of love to the Lord and charity will he present with the men of this Church; and finally, because of the new life that will become more and more an ultimate expression of the things of heaven and the church.
     The phase of the subject upon which we are dealing is represented by the "woman arrayed with the sun," in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse. The whole of this chapter, in its internal sense, treats of the establishment of the New Church in heaven and on earth; the difficulty of its reception; the opposition to its Doctrine; its reception by few; its slow growth; the powerful forces of the dragon, ever tending to destroy it, especially in its beginning; and of the final triumph of Michael and his angels, who, from the rational doctrine of the New Church, are to "rule the nations with the rod of Iron."

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     Such is the history of the church in its beginning with the remnant, meaning the few in the dead Christian Church who are able to receive its doctrines. On account of the exceedingly slow growth of the church, and the difficult reception of its doctrines, both in an organization and in the individual, we ask ourselves: "In what manner is there to be created in the church a new affection of love to the Lord and charity?"
     To love the Lord is to love the truths of the church and to do its goods. With men on earth this love finds expression in the zeal for the establishment of the church,-the church specific, with whose members all the uses of life look to the establishment of the church as an end.
     We read in A. E. 707: "The woman encompassed with the sun signifies the church with those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in charity towards the neighbor, as is evident from the signification of 'woman,' as denoting the spiritual affection of truth, from which alone is the church." Thus the new affection of love to the Lord, which is to be established with men upon earth, is a spiritual affection of truth, the intensity of which will ever increase in the progress of the church.
     It is because of this essential thing, namely, that the Lord's presence with us is measured by our affection of truth, that we rejoice over its victory against the forces of the dragon. We strive to maintain the glorious standard of the past. In our gatherings we rejoice when the spirit of the church is with us, and we are saddened when the spirit of happiness withdraws its inspiring presence from our midst. We become anxious of the present, and ask ourselves, perhaps unwisely, What of the future?
     But the Writings give us an abundant assurance of the growth and development of the church in the future. Let us ask ourselves, then, What is involved in the establishment of the church upon earth?
     The history of the decline of the four churches is well known to us. In brief, it is the story of a gradual turning away from things of heaven to the things of the earth, and of the constant struggle between the forces of good and evil.

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     In the beginning, the things of heaven were realities in the hearts of men. But in the course of the ages, the ascending periods which marked the establishment of the churches were followed by descending periods,-a slow descent with each succeeding church.
     Heaven, and the realities of the spiritual world, were gradually removed from the sight of men. They became distant visions, were finally lost, and are now denied. Men proclaim aloud that there is no God, no spiritual world, and that things of the earth alone exist. Such is the heritage of the minds of men today.
     But it is not so in the New Church, because a new affection of love to the Lord and charity will be present with the men of this church. Men are taught for the first time that to love the Lord is to love the truths of the church and to do its goods. For the truths of the New Church are the Lord's Human revealed for the salvation of men. For we are told that Michael and his angels who, from the rational doctrine of the New Church, are to rule the nations of the world with a rod of iron, fought and overcame the dragon. Thus we are given abundant assurance and hope of the growth of the church and its development in the future. But this will only be with those who love the truth for its own sake, and do the goods of the church from the Lord, and who, from zeal of the spiritual truth given them, will open their interiors for communication with the New Heaven and conjunction with the Lord by love to the Lord from the Lord.
     We must always be mindful of this essential thing revealed in the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Church, namely, that the Lord's presence with us is measured by our affection of truth, which is the presence of the church with us. Such will be the new heritage of the minds of men on earth.
     "For there will be no night there; and the glory of God will lighten them, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb; and the nations which are saved shall walk in the light of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, the Lamb's bride," our beloved Church.
     [Reprinted from TLHAHISO (The Expositor), 1931, p. 19.]

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PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1942

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE       ELMO C. ACTON       1942

     Recent Pamphlets Briefly Reviewed.

     How Shall We Think During War?. By REV. L. W. T. DAVID

     Every contribution to the consideration of this subject should be of special interest to the members of the church at this day. It is of the utmost importance that our thoughts upon the present world-conflict should be directed and led by the spiritual truths of the Word. In accomplishing this we should avail ourselves of every opportunity of hearing, reading and meditating upon the teachings of the Heavenly Doctrines, and also upon the thoughts of men drawn from them. For this reason we feel that everything written on this subject should be read and studied. We all need such help, not only as a positive means of leading our thoughts to the eternal ends of the Divine Providence, but also as a protective armor against the destructive forces of the brutality of war.
     While it is true that war brings out many noble qualities-heroism, bravery, comradeship, patriotism and self-sacrifice,-it also has in it a destructive force of which we should be conscious and against which we should guard ourselves. For war engenders hatred-a most deadly enemy of man's spiritual life. And the result of hatred is indifference to spiritual things, and eventually a rejection of the Lord and the church. This is the after-effect of every war in which men are aroused by hatred toward another people, and fight from it. In the present war it is this hatred that will sow the seeds of a future war. It has ever been so, and will continue to be so, until men see and acknowledge hatred as a sin against God, and reject it from their hearts. Even in war man must act from an end of good-of good and love, even toward an enemy.
     A lesser evil of war is a benumbing of men's minds to spiritual values, with the result that sensual enjoyments and physical power become the ends of life. These evils can be avoided only by turning the mind to the spiritual truths of Revelation.

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We must keep our thoughts fastened upon the eternal ends of Providence, lest, after the victory, we regard military might and material wealth as that which gave the victory, in which case there has been no victory, and the real conflict is merely postponed to a later day. For we are told that man can obtain no real victory unless the Lord is acknowledged as the only Conqueror.
     In the sermon under review the writer takes as his text the 14th chapter of the Book of Genesis, in which is given an account of the first war mentioned in the Word. From an exegesis of this chapter he brings out universal principles which apply to all war. It is most interesting and enlightening to see how this first war involved the same basic issues as those involved in every war since, and how Providence, then, as now, provided for the preservation of states in which there is something of spiritual life. The sermon is full of suggestive lines of thought, and would afford a delightful and enlightening time for private reading and meditation, or for reading and discussion in a group. We here give a few citations:

     "At this day it is evident that the code of natural good and truth, the tradition of civil and moral order, is being broken down by reasonings from self-love and world-domineering ambition. It is being undermined by a materialistic and opportunist philosophy that quickens the reasoning faculty without illuminating it with truth. The real combat today is between this specious reasoning and its falsities, which excuse and justify all the evils of man and encourage every deceptive and treacherous impulse, and the tradition of moral truth and good. The natural strength of moral tradition is in such remains of simplicity and conviction of moral duty as max still exist among men. Its real inner strength is from the Divine. As in the past-in the days of Abraham and at Nazareth-the Lord will use it as an instrument in His hand for working His will for the freedom of men on earth. The spiritual-moral man, too, has a part-to consider the problems of men thoroughly and prayerfully in the light of the Divine Doctrine revealed by the Lord of heaven."
     "There can be no peace until evils have been removed. And the problem of civilization is that of removing such evils as appear and are obvious to all men. And the generally prevailing moral sense must ever be the chief instrument under Providence for the practical curbing of them-through political and civic agencies, and from time to time by war."
     "Though the task seems to be perpetual, we look forward with hope to a time when a spiritual-moral life will spread widely over the earth, and will have the stability of tradition, yet ever increasing in the wisdom and perception of justice from the Divine Truth, which will ever enlighten it."

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE              1942

General Church of the New Jerusalem.

Ahren, Vrpl. Olof, Hackspettsvageti 14, Alsten, Stockholm, Sweden.
Alden, Sgt. Gideon T., 33031837, Buttery B, 53rd Coast Artillery, A.P.O. 802, Berutuda.
Alden, Cpl. Guy S., Co. F, 15th Sig. Service Reg't., Fort Monmotttl,, N. J.
Alden, Cpl. Theodore S., Co. A, 1st Sig. Training Batt'n., Fort Monmouth, N. J.
Allen, Pvt. Ralph E., Flight C, 301st Technical School Squdn., Keesler Field, Miss.
Appleton, LAC. Eric D., 3 Drury Road, Colchester, England.
Appleton, Roy, 52 Drury Road, Colchester, England.
Baeckstrom, Korpral Gunnar, Svecljevagen 20, Appelviken, Stockholm, Sweden.
Bamford, Pvt. F. D., No. 2515, "A" Coy., 2nd ROLl., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Bellinger, P.O. Alfred G., R 75882, Alliford Bay, B. C., Canada.
Bellinger, LAC. John H., R 88575, E.F.T.S., Regitta, Sask., Canada.
Bellinger, A.C.2 W. 0., R 137131, R.C.A.F., No. 1 ITS., Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Bond, A.W. 2 Lillian D., XV 300833, Flight A, Sqdn. 4, C.W.A.A.F. Training Depot, 354 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Boozer, Dvr. A. E., T/151805, I) Section, 19th M. C. Coy., (327 Coy.) R.A.S.C., c/o Army P.O., England.
Bostock, Pvt. Edward C., Jr., Air Corps., 84th Materiel Sqdn., Las Vegas, Nevada.
Braby, Lieut. Horace, c/n A. C. Braby, Esq., P.O. Box 731, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Brickman, P.F.C. Elmer 0., H. Q. Sqdn., 6th Pursuit Wing. Selfridge Field. Michigan.
Buss, Pvt. J. M., No. 94002, "B" Coy., 1st N.M.R., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces. Army P.O.. Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Caldwell, Pvt. Neil V., 12042894, Cavalry Replacement Tng. Center, Fort Riley. Kansas.
Carter, L.A.C. Orville, R 111624, R.C.A.F., No. 1 Wireless School, Queen Mary Road. Montreal, P. Q., Canada.
Cockerell, John, e/o Miss Joy Lowe, c/n Hunt. Lettebars & Hephurn, Ltd., P.0. Box 943, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Cockerell, A/M Neville, No. 313413, No. 1 Air Depot. Roberts Heights. Transvaal, South Africa.
Cockerell, A, Corpl. Peter, No. 4893, e/o Mrs. J. 0. Cockerell, 52 Vause Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Cockerell, A. M. P. Graham, No. 313618, Sqdn. 40, S.A.A.F., c/o Army P.O. Durhan, Natal, South Africa.
Cole, Pvt. William P., 13028818, Flight C, 301st Squadron School, Keesler Field, Miss.
Cooper, Lieut. Philip 0., "Knollwood, 54 Harvard Roach Fair Haven, N. J.
Cooper, P.F.C. Rey W., 332d1 Materiel Sqdn., Barksdale Field, Louisiana.
Cowley, L/Cpl. W. S., No. 6303, 1st N.M.R., H. Q. No. 1, U.D.F. -M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.

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Daly, A/C Jean, Class 42-D, Goodfellow Field, Texas.
Davies, P.F.C. John, 8th Transport Sqdn., Hill Field, Ogden, Utah, D. S. 1st Weather Sqdn.
Davis, S/Sgt. Charles F., 17th School Sqdn., Barracks 235, Chanute Field, Illinois.
Davis, P.F.C. Richard L., Battery D, 11th Battn, 4th Tr. F.A.R.C., Fort Bragg, N. C.
De Charms, Lt. Comdr. Richard, U. S. Marine Air Base, Cunningham Field, Cherry Point, North Carolina.
De Chazal, P/N Miss D. S., No. 254594, S.A.M.N.S., Lines of Communication, 1st Coy., SA. Med. Corps, U.D.F.-M. F. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
De Maine, Sgt. Robert E. L., Co. F, 36th Combat Engineers, Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y.
De Villiers, Pvt. D. B., No. 195604. "B" Coy., 1st SAP., 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd 5. A. Div., U.D.F.-M. F, Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Evens, Pvt. Robert A., A 28678, E Battery, C.A.T.C. (A-i), Petawawa, Ont., Canada.
Field, A/C George A., Scott Field, Belleville, Illinois.
Fine, P.F.C. Raymond, Military Police Co., Schofield Barracks, Hawaiian Div., T. H.
Finkeldey, Pvt. Philip, Co. C, T- 385, 1st Med. Training Bn., Camp Lee, Va.
Finley, L.A.C. H. M., No. 538331, RAF., Middle East Pool. Middle East, Via Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Fountain, Cpl. A. A., B 76894, TSR., M.G.T.C., Coteau Barracks, Three Rivers. P. Q., Canada.
Fountain, Tpr. T. 3., B 69980, G.G.H.G., "A" Sqdn., 3rd Armored Regiment, Canadian Army Overseas.
Fraser, Corpl. R. F., No. 3726, Cable Platoon, No. 2 Div. Sig.
Coy., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
French, Arthur W., c/o Fleet P.O., Pearl Harbor, T. H.
Gardiner, Pvt. J. 0., No. 82616. "B' Coy., Rand Lt. Infantry. 3rd Infantry Brigade, 2nd 5. A. Div., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Gibb, Air Sergt. J. E., c/o Mrs. Lumsden, Coronation Road, Malvern, Natal, South Africa.
Grant, Major Fred M., 409 5. Dallas Avenue, Pittsburgh, Penna.
Greenhalgh, Sgn. Colin M., 2347948, 24th Arm'd Brigade Signals, Home Forces, England.
Hamin, 2nd Lt. Linda, A.N.C., N725013, APO. 916, 52nd Evac. Hosp., c/u Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif.
Hammond, A/P A. N., No. 104034. No. 22 Air School, Vereeniging, Transvaal, South Africa.
Hammond, Pvt. H. V., No. 1153, 1st N.M.R., "A" Coy., 2nd Infantry Brigade, I.J.D.F.-M. E. Forces, c/o Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Hammond, L/C Harry B., No. 178055, 2nd Echelon, UDE.-M. F. Forces. c/o Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Heilman, Anthony W., A.S.U.S.N., N. Y. Navy. R. A. Pier 92, 2nd Division, Section 3, W. 52nd St., New York City.
Heilman, Pvt. Grant, 1st Photographic Sqdn., Bolling Field, D. C.
Heinrichs, Corpl. Henry, 38189, Bn. Hq. Highland Lt. Infantry of Can., 3rd Canadian Div., Canadian Army Overseas.
Heldon, Sgt. Norman, NN 51755, 7th Infantry Training Center, Foster, Victoria, Australia.
Heldon, A.C. 1 Sydney, 37798, No. 3 R.A.A.F. Hospital, Richmond, N.S.W., Australia.
Hill, A.C. 1 Leonard E., F 89398. 413th Sidn. "C"-R.C.A.LK, Canadian Base Post Office Overseas.

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Hill, AC. 2 Ralph R., R 137173, ITS., R.C.A.F., Eglinton Hunt Club, Avetute Road, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Howson, Lieut. Maurice, c/n .-\. C. Brahy. Esq., P. 0. Box 731, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Hyatt, Pvt. Edward D., Barracks 20-15, Flight E, 306th School Sodo., Keesler Field. Miss.
Iungerich, Ph. M. Alexander, 1-C. Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, Penna.
Iungerich, Sgt. Stevan, U.S.M.C., P. 0. Box 27, Quantico, Virginia.
Izzard, P.O. Laurence T., J 7462, R.C.A.F. Overseas.
James, Sgt. Cecil J., A 17008, No. 2 Base Depot, Medical Stores, R.C..-\ MC. Canadian Army Overseas.
Jesseman, Sgn. Leonard, B 31428, 1st Arm'd Division, R.C.C.S., Canadian Army Overseas.
Jeunechamp, Le Commandant Eugene, 1st Spahis Algeriens. Laghanat. Dept. dAlger, North Africa.
John, L.A.C. D. Haydn, R 72169, R. CAF. Statinit, Sydney, N.S., Canada.
Jones, Harold C., (R.A.F.). 29 Broadway, Northampton, England.
Kintner, Lt. William R., Fort Constitution, New Castle, N. H.
Kuhl, Corpl. William A., No. 10 Basic Training Center, Kitchener, Out., Canada.
Kuhn, Lt. Raymond T., 4th Reg't H.Q. Training Center, Camp Joseph T. Robinson. Ark.
Lee, Pvt. Harold, Co. C. 108th Combat Engineers, Camp Forrest, Tenn.
Lindsay, P.F.C. Alexander H., Officers Candidate School, Signal Corps, Fort Monmouth, N. J.
Loomis, P/i Lyman S., R.A F. Eagle Sqdn., Air Ministry, London, England.
Loven, Leuitnant Tore, Faltpost 231 )4 Litt F Sweden.
Lowe, Major Walter G., c/n Messrs. Low-thers, Ltd., P. 0. Box 492, Durban. Natal, South Africa.
Lumsden, Sgt. F. H. D., No. 45259, "C" Coy.. 1st R.D.L.1.. 3rd lof. Brigade. U.D.F.-M. E. Forces. Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Lumsden, Pvt. J. M., No. 6929. "B" Coy.. 1st R.D.L.I.. 3rd Infantry Brigade. U.I).F.-M. E. Forces, Army PC)., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Lunden, Vrpl. K. Gunnar, Drottningholmsvogen 116 A. Stockholm, Sweden.
McClean, Staff Sergt. A. P. D., No. 299290. Experimental Section, S.A.F.C., African Explostves, P. O. North Rand, Transvaal, South Africa.
Morris, Sapper David, c/n Mrs. Best, The Windmill, Adsborough, Nr. Taunton, Somerset, England.
Nelson, Pvt. Gerald F., Platoon 127. M.C.B. Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif.
Odhner, P.F.C. Sanfrid E., 1-t.Q. & H.Q. Sqdn., 1st Air Base (R), Langley Field, Va.
Parker, Pvt. S. F., No. 86601 T" Service Corps Dept., T. S. Depot Cullinan, Preittier Mine, Transvaal, South Africa.
Parker, FO. Sydney R., C 3147, R.C.A.F., Canadian Army Overseas.
Pendleton, Pvt. Philip C. (Age 20), Coast Artillery, Battery B, 34th Bn., Camp Wallace, Texas. Peterson, Pvt. Win. F., Battery "D," 34th Bn., 8th F. A. Reg., F.A.R.T.C., Fort Sill, Okla.
Pitcairn, Pvt. Michael, 161st Sig. Photo Co., Fort Benning, Ga.
Reuter, P.F.C. Warren A., 20620972, 108th Observation Sqdn., A.P.O. 907, c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
Richards, Pvt. W., No. 65330, C.A.T.D. No. 1 Camp, Premier Mine, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa.

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Ridgway, L/Corpl. A. E., No. 5925, Sig. Platoon, 1st 5. A. Irish, U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Lieut. B. M., No. 251535. 6th Brigade Sig. Co., Attached 2nd Transvaal Scots., 6th Infantry Brigade, U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Corpl. C. B., No. 3700, No. 2 Div. Sig. Coy., 2,td S. A. Div., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durhan, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Lieut. C. 0., No. 1479, "C" Coy.. Umvoti Mounted Rifles, U.D.F.-M. E. Forces. Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Air Mech. C. R., No. 95994, Station Staff, Zwartkof Air Station. Roberts Heights, Transvaal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Signaller, G- No 289488, Signals-H. Q. Coy., 2nd 5. A. Police, 2nd 5. .-\. Div., U.D.F.- M. E Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Pvt. H. A., No. X9074. c/o Southern Rhodesia Medical Corps, Heany Air Station, Heany, Rhodesia. South Africa.
Ridgway, Air Mech. L. A., No. 210985. S.A.A.F. Rand Airport, Germiston, Transvaal, South Africa.
Rott, Corpl. T. F., Station Hospital, Key Field, Meridian, Miss.
Rydstrom, Lt. J. F., 713 N. 12th Street, McAllen, Texas.
Sandstrom, A., 392 46-34, Sjomanskaren, Karlskrona, Sweden.
Schnarr, LAC. Joffre G., Can. No. 70212, 206th Sqdn., RAE., Northern Ireland.
Scott, Gnr. Bruce H., B 18594, 30th Battery, R C A (A), H. Q., Exhibition Park, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Scott, Pvt. Herbert G., Highland IA. Infantry of Canada. c/o Wellesley Barracks, London, Ont., Canada.
Simons, Pvt. David R., 33130175, 35th Div., Field Artillery, Camp Blanding, Florida.
Smith, Lt. Edmund G., B.O.Q., Mitchell Field, Long Island, N. Y.
Soneson, Pvt. Carl, Motor Co., E.R.C., Fort Belvoir, Va.
Starkey, Signalman H. R., M 16691, No. 1 Co., 1st Div. Signals, Royal Canadian Corps Signals, Canadian Army Overseas.
Steen, Sgt. George K., A 99912, address unknown.
Steen, L.A.C. Howard, R 103234, No. 16 S.F.T.S., R.C.A F. Hagersville, Ont., Canada.
Strowger, Mrs. A. R., Y.W.C.A. Hostess House, No. 5 S.F.T.S., Brautford. Ont., Canada.
Taylor, AC. 1 T. D., 33984, RA. AF. Station. Cootamundra, N.S. NV., -Australia.
Tilson, Corpl. B. V., c/n Mr. V. R. Tilson, 136 Preston Road, Wembley, England.
Tilson, Gnr. R. J., 980022, 41st Battery, Light A. A., R. A., Middle East Forces.
Tinker, Harry, (Anti-Aircraft), "Bryn Athyn," Middleton Road, Heywood, Laucs., England.
Von Moschzisker, Pvt. Michael, 28th C.A.T.B., Battery C, Camp Wallace, Texas.
Walker, Marvin J., E Division, c/o Postmaster, Long Beach, Calif.
Walter, A1 C Richard A., Navigation School, Turner Field, Albany, Georgia.
Walter, A/C Robert E., 13052904, Old Mill Barracks, Air Crew Replacement Center, Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama.
Waters, Lt. Comdr. Gilbert. "Warratah," Home Park, Aherdour, Fife, Scotland.
Waters, Gnr. M. T., 874881, c/o Mr. E. J. Waters, 26 Rye Hill Park, Peckham Rye. London, S. E. 15, England.
Waters, Philip, c/o Mr. E. J. Waters, 26 Rye Hill Park, Peckham Rye, London, S. E. 15, England.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     LONDON, ENGLAND.

     Michael Church.

     As, according to the proverb, no news is good news it may be deduced from a rather lengthy silence that all goes well with Michael Church-as well, that is, as the war will allow. We are already lifting up our heads and thinking what can he done to utilize the opportunities which freedom from raids is giving us.
     As for our kind friends abroad, they are seeing to it that we have no excuse for being idle by offering us every inducement to continue the now well- established Sunday lunches. Bryn Athyn, Toronto, Kitchener, Durban, Hurstville-hampers arrive continuously. To quote the Walrus and the Carpenter, "Thick and fast they come at last, and more and more and more!" Our pastor, like a benevolent inn-keeper (sure of prodigious, well-stocked larders) merely announces the date of the luncheon, waves his hand magically-and the table is spread with all the tinned generosity of our overseas friends. Nor are these words used flippantly-for compressed in all these tins of beef and ham, jam and cheese, are tangible evidences of the truth of the words we so often sing about "Friends across the seas."
     August, as has already been reported in the LIFE from the "News Letter," brought a curtailed wartime celebration of what was wont to be our Assembly week-end, after which the Pastor and his wife departed for a short but well earned holiday in Yorkshire.
     Following their return, the first event of any importance to be recorded is that of the Harvest Festival, at which the Holy Supper was administered to 26 communicants. Though the war took away some of the more decorative aspects of the customary offering, there was quite a good display of produce, much of it evidence of individual Diggings for Victory; and this, as on former occasions, was given to the London Homeopathic Hospital. After the lunch, provided by one of the aforementioned hampers. Mr. Acton read an appropriate paper on the attitude of a New Churchman in a country at war.
     The basement room, where luncheons and often Divine Services are held, will continue to be our meeting place, largely for reasons of fuel economy. But as a slight fillip to our morale a modest sum has been expended on redecorating walls and ceiling. It had been hoped to make this a labor of love, but in the unavoidable absence of experienced male guidance, Mr. Acton decided to withhold the paint pot from the eager but amateur hands proffered.
     Other luncheons have taken place more or less regularly, at which the Pastor has taken opportunity to address his audience on subjects varying from practical talks on attending Divine Worship, the future locality of the Church in England, Government and the War, to themes more directly doctrinal in approach.

     Christmas.

     On Sunday, December 21, the Holy Supper was administered at a preparatory Christmas Service, and after luncheon (an American feast this time) our Pastor gave a short talk on some of the significative details of the Advent story.

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Christmas Day, owing to the distance factor, never sees a very big congregation, though this year showed an increase upon some occasions. Shorn of much of its traditional charm (the children's happy faces were missing, and evergreen decorations a prohibitive price) it was natural that something of sadness should linger, breathing of a world so much at variance with all that Christmas should mean. Yet the elevating words of the sermon directed the mind to a more interior view, and external appearances took their proper perspective in the tranquilizing sphere of the service. Even the singing of familiar carols worked their age-old charm.
     An innovation-and filling an obvious need-is the inauguration of the Women's Guild by Mr. Acton. This fledgling has as yet scarcely found its wings, so that it is premature to prophesy as to what its feathers will be,-those of the swan or merely goose l Judging from the invigorating opening address given by its President, Miss Ethel Spalding, the Guild is visualizing a wide field of use, and it fills such an evident nerd that we may be forgiven for hoping much from it. If the choice of a President is any augury for the future, then its prospects are indeed good, for Miss Spalding brings to this office, not only experience, but, more important, an infectious enthusiasm.
     Towards Christmas Mrs. Acton took in hand the collecting and packing of parcels for those of our young men serving with the Forces. Included in these were six of our boys and nine Canadians, for whom we joined with Colchester. It was not an easy task to provide chocolate, cigarettes and other once necessary now luxury articles, but most members were able to contribute small gleanings from shopping prowls; and, with the money sent by isolated members, Mrs. Acton bravely did the rest.
     Not many Sundays go by now without the appearance of a blue or khaki uniform worn by some Canadian visitor. F/C Sidney Parker, Sig. Healdon Starkey, Corporal Henry Heinrichs, A/C. Leonard Hill, P/C Laurence Izzard-all from Canada-have been gladly welcomed; and one Sunday brought a visit from P/1 Loomis (serving with the Eagle Squadron) and his wife. Mr. Cecil James, stationed not far from London, is so familiar a figure that we now think of him as almost one of ourselves.
     Looking back on the past year, we can be deeply grateful that so much has been granted us. In spite of the havoc around, our building has been spared, its roof now repaired through the generosity of Miss Creda Glenn of Bryn Athyn. Regular worship has always been possible, and now, with the respite of the last few months, our numbers have increased slightly, and we can look forward humbly and gratefully under Providence to continuing something of the Church uses.
     E. B.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     Service Broadcast.

     On Sunday, January 18, 1942, at 9 am., a complete service of worship was broadcast from the Immanuel Church, Glenview, over Station WGN, Chicago, having been scheduled in the weekly series known as the Chicago-land Church Hour, of which Mr. John Evans is Director.
     In the service we broadcast a year ago, as described in NEW CHURCH LIFE for March, 1941, the sermon was designed to inform the uninitiated about the New Church and Emanuel Swedenborg. Our plan this year was to present instead a typical sermon from a New Church pulpit. Accordingly a discourse previously delivered was chosen, and it was on the subject of the Lord's words in the Gospel: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil." (Matthew 5: 38, 39.)
     It is interesting to note the difference in results. After our broadcast last year, when the sermon was designedly missionary in spirit, we received fifteen letters, only four or five of which were from strangers.

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Since the recent broadcast we have received about twenty-five letters, half of them from strangers-two men and the remainder women-all of whom asked for a copy of the sermon. To meet this request, special mimeographed copies of the sermon have been made, and we have mailed them to all who asked for them. In addition, a special folder will be prepared, and mailed to all of these inquirers.
     The subject of the sermon had a definite bearing upon the present war. A lady wrote from Ashton, Missouri: "We appreciated the sermon very much. It supplied long-wished-for explanations on a controversial subject at the present time." The most appreciative letter was from a writer in King, Wisconsin: "I just can't express to you in words how much this speech meant to me. Can I get it in writing?"
     A number of appreciative letters were received from our own members in various places, bringing some valuable suggestions. I believe that such broadcasts would be of immense value to our isolated members. Experience has shown that, when they have known the date of the broadcast in advance, they have gathered about their home radios in groups of considerable size. It is my firm conviction that, by the use of the radio as a service to our own people, as well as a means of extension to others, we would avail ourselves of the best modern means of propagating the Doctrine. I therefore hope that the opportunity to broadcast regularly will be given.
     As on the former occasion, I received a letter this time also from Professor Hermann S. Ficke, at the University of Dubuque, Iowa, who said that he followed the reading of the Third Lesson by using his own copy of the Doctrine of Faith. And he added: "The sermon was very helpful. You did really present a rational basis for patriotism and the role of religion in the present crisis.
     Radio reaches so great a number of people that it seems to me that we ought to have a regular Bureau of Publicity, giving informal discussions of the Doctrine of the New Church, and having in every case the same material in printed form to send to those who write for it. Such carefully prepared talks could be given simultaneously over four or five stations extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, possibly at a cost that would not be prohibitive. They could be delivered by anyone who possesses a good radio voice. And I believe that a part of the expense would be met by donations from the listeners. Possibly there would also be a ready sale for many books of the Writings.
     GILBERT H. SMITH.


     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     Celebrations-During the weekend of November 7-9, 1941. we marked the Centennial of the Pittsburgh Society, and an account of this event appeared in the January issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE.
     Later in November came our celebration of Thanksgiving. For many years with us this has taken the form of a joint service of worship for adults and children, the latter entering the church in procession and bearing offerings of fruit which are afterwards distributed among those of our members who are sick. The Rev. Ormond Odhner addressed the children at the service.
     At Christmas time for the last two or three years it has been our custom to hold a children's service in the church to which the adults are invited. After the service the whole congregation marches to the auditorium, and there the Festival is held. This order was followed again this year. The church was beautifully but simply decorated with evergreens and candles. Before the opening of the service the candle light was the only illumination, and while the congregation was gathering for worship the organist played Christmas hymns and carols on the chimes which had recently been connected with the organ. The children then assembled outside of the closed doors, and sang the hymn, "Come, All Ye Faithful," after which they entered in procession carrying candles.

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This was a most impressive service, and Mr. Odhner delivered the address on this occasion also.
     When the congregation had marched to the auditorium, the tableaux were shown. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jansen were in charge of these, and, as in the past, they gave abundantly of their time and talent to make them a success in every way. The scenes portrayed were: The Appearing of the Angel to Zacharias; The Nativity; and The Blessing of the Lord by Simeon. The tableaux were followed by the giving of gifts, but this year, instead of the customary gift to the School, there were individual gifts to the children.
     On Christmas morning a service for adults was held in the church, at which both Mr. Pendleton and Mr. Odhner officiated.
     Doctrinal Classes.-The regular Friday Class is sometimes conducted by Mr. Pendleton and sometimes by Mr. Odhner. We have had some extremely interesting classes, and the fact that they are conducted by two ministers lends variety to the subject matter and the mode of approach,
     Mr. Pendleton is now about to address the meetings of the local Sons of the Academy, giving a series of papers on the subject of "Creation" as it is expounded in the Principia. He is also giving a series of classes for the young mothers of the society on "The Religious Education of the Pre-School Child," and is continuing the monthly classes on the subject of the Glorification of the Lord, from the Arcana Celestia.
Mr. Odhner conducts a class for the high school boys on Wednesday evenings, and a class for the young men and women of college age on Sunday evenings.
     Society Membership.-In spite of the fact that there is some fluctuation in our membership, there is a slight but steady increase. Three new homes have recently been established here with the coming of Mr. and Mrs. William Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cole, Jr., and Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Asplundh. But we have just lost one of our older members, with the passing of Miss Katherine Marshall to the spiritual world. She will be greatly missed, as her faithful attendance at all of the church functions and her genial personality endeared her to us all.
     Added Uses.-The war has brought to our society, as it has to all, some added duties. Those of our men who have not actually been called to the service are occupied with Home Defense work of some kind, and several of our women have formed a class in First Aid which is being very ably taught by Mrs. A. P. Lindsay. And, of course, a great many women are knitting for the Red Cross or British Relief.
     Social Events.-The marriage of Miss Anne Lindsay to Mr. James York on November 28th was one of the outstanding social occasions of the year. The church was very beautifully decorated with evergreens and white chrysanthemums, and with many candles. A reception at the University Club followed the ceremony.
     The first adult party of the season was a Halloween Party at which everyone wore a costume of some description and a prize was given for the best disguise. The music was furnished by a juke-box, rented for the evening, which seemed to suit such an informal occasion.
     On the evening after Christmas a dance was sponsored by the young men and women of the society,-our college group.
     So we carry on our uses from week to week, and from month to month, with what we hope is some progress.
     J. M. G.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     Mr. Churchill has come and gone. His visit made history. His presence on this continent was a rebuke to any discouragement engendered by bad news from the war zones, and inspired an heroic stream of united effort. Every one of us breathed a fervent "Amen" to the prayer that the "Divine Power which has guided and guarded his life might give him vision, wisdom and endurance for his mighty task, and give him victory as reward for his mighty endeavor."

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     Our Wednesday evening classes are devoted to a study of Divine Providence. This subject is of timely interest, and the questions and discussions arising from individual week-to-week readings seem to indicate a growing awareness of a New Churchman s responsibilities toward better citizenship. It has become a truism to say that the world can never he the same again. So perhaps it was because we have been guilty of wishful thinking that we were startled by Mr. Gyllenhaal's statement, at a recent meeting, that after the war the world would probably be the same as before. Certainly the world will remain unchanged if the philosophy controlling the life of individuals and nations for the past hundred years is adhered to after the war. The world can be the same again; and in proportion as it is the same will it sow the seed for still further disorders.
     Our pastor continues to pay monthly visits to the Montreal Circle. Instead of going from Sunday evening until Wednesday, as formerly, he has thought it useful to hold the service of worship in Montreal on Sunday, and has therefore changed the time of his trip to the latter part of the week. On these occasions we have had one of the ministers from Kitchener take the service here, and have much appreciated their ministrations.
     The anniversary of Swedenborg birth was recognized by a supper and party for the children, and also by an appropriate sermon on the Sunday preceding January 29th, The subject was the measurement of man's reception of truth, and its relation to the chosen instruments of Divine Revelation. It was shown that truth from the Lord, whether revealed by Moses, by the Prophets, or by Swedenborg, is always the same, without quality or quantity-immeasurable and infinite; and an acknowledgment of this will bring a consciousness of the Lord's speaking to man when the Writings are read. Another significant point in the sermon was, that the rational mind is not the seat of authority for the acceptance or rejection of spiritual truths, because it is formed by what we learn and, make our own in the process 01 regeneration. Therefore the teachings of the Writings should be accepted affirmatively, even though the subject is not always understood.
     Meanwhile, the activities of the Society have been maintained without interruption. Some of our members are devoting more than their spare time to ARP work, and all are awaiting with interest, and a little trepidation, the first real blackout in Toronto, on or about February 25th.
     C. S.

     NEW YORK, N. Y.

     Now that the New York Society has the benefit of a resident pastor. Divine Worship is held on the first and third Sundays of each month. We also have a permanent place of worship (as permanent as anything can be in this chaotic world), and this gives the Society a sense of order and stability. The sphere of an earnest desire to promote the uses of the Church is felt by this small group of New Church men and women. We attempt to forget the multitude of problems which a large city throws into our daily lives, and to concentrate more upon the problem of being a true New Churchman. We are thankful for the leadership of our pastor, the Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, who has made us more aware of our use to the church and to each other.
     A doctrinal class is held once a month in the various homes of the Society. The study of the subject of the Divine Human, beginning with the Journey of Abraham, was undertaken by the group. With advance reading, a paper prepared and read by the pastor, and stimulating discussions following, we are experiencing further education in the doctrines of the New Church. At the Christmas doctrinal class, however, which was held at the home of Miss Margaret Wilde, the subject was of a Christmas nature.

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Preceding the class, Miss Wilde served a hot Chinese dinner, which gratified the late Christmas shoppers in busy New York. After the class we sang the old familiar and some unfamiliar Christmas carols. At this social we greeted Neil Caldwell, who had just returned from New Zealand. A few weeks later we wished him well as he left to join the United States Army.
     An excellent practice was initiated in 1941 by the members of the Northern New Jersey Circle, who invited the New York Society to celebrate New Church Day with them on Sunday, June 22d. The service was held at the home of the Murray Cronlunds, from where the group proceeded to the Francis Frost home for a buffet luncheon. Although there was much talk of what was then the latest war news-Russia's entry into the war,-we were able to think deeply upon the meaning of New Church Day and what it represents for each New Churchman.
     A return engagement was made on February 1st, when our New Jersey friends were guests of the New York Society for a joint celebration of Swedenborg's Birthday. The Rev. William Whitehead, our guest of honor, delivered the sermon at the service. Later we all went to a little French restaurant for dinner, where the pastel acted as master of ceremonies. Dr. Whitehead gave us an illuminating talk on Swedenborg as "The Apostle of a New Learning." Mr. Frost presented an interesting contrast between the world's opinion of Swedenborg and that of the New Church. Toasts and songs followed. The New York Society feels the true value of these joint meetings where we benefit from the companionship of a wider group of New Church friends who share our love for the Church.
     I. K. K.
NEW CHURCH IN WALES 1942

NEW CHURCH IN WALES       Various       1942

     Not Telling Where He Got It.

     As a result of the wide distribution of the Writings, and especially of the Gift Books which have been donated to so many ministers of Christian denominations, there are undoubtedly many preachers who are making use of the truths of the Doctrines in their sermons, without mentioning the source. In most cases this can hardly be considered an evidence of a poor conscience; but if the preacher comes to believe in the Divine Revelation of the Second Coming, he will experience an inward struggle if he teaches the truth of the New Church to an Old Church congregation without stating where he got it. And if he does mention the source, he will soon be in trouble with the authorities of his Church.
     An interesting case of this kind is brought to our attention in an account of a visit to Wales by the Rev. Charles A. Hall, from which we quote in part:

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     "We have just returned from a visit to the New Church outpost in South Wales-the Society at Ynysmeudwy, in the Swansea Valley. . . . The intangible atmosphere of this little Welsh group may be accounted for to a large extent by the Celtic genius, in which there is a strong strain of religious mysticism, but supporting it if the tradition of the late Rev. William Rees, of Llechryd, through whose instrumentality the Society at Ynysmeudwy came into existence. The remarkable story has been told in our more ancient periodical literature. Half a century ago it thrilled the whole Church in this country. Mr. Rees, be it said in brief, was an Independent minister. He became a full receiver of the Heavenly Doctrines, and for some years preached them to his Independent congregation in Llechryd without mentioning Swedenborg, through whose agency the Doctrines were given. His sermons were heard with delight, but one day he set the cat among the pigeons by mentioning Swedenborg. He was branded as a heretic by the ecclesiastical authorities, and eventually locked out of his church. Later a congregation of sympathisers supported him in Llechryd. At that time, through Mr. Rees, a handful of men in Ynysmeudwy received the Doctrines with eagerness, and through their efforts the Society in the Swansea Valley was formed.
     "The fine spirit of the founders of the Society has affected the succeeding generations, and is still greatly in evidence. The Society is a happy family, and the community which once disdained it now holds it in firm respect. We saw no choir at Ynysmeudwy, nor was there need for one. The whole congregation is the choir, and in the course of our ministerial experience we have never heard such congregational singing. It was simply glorious. Many of the singers were advanced in years, but age does not seem to have affected their voices.
     "Our visit to those true-hearted, kind, friendly and hospitable people was a joy. We fell in love with them at first sight, and with the setting down of this inadequate impression we greet them with real New Church affection. They are loyal to truth-but in one matter, and one only, are they wide of the mark. They assured us that we could learn Welsh very easily. We wish that it might be so, but we have our doubts." (THE NEW-CHURCH HERALD, October 11, 1941.)

     You will observe that the sermons containing New Church truth were heard with delight-until the minister told where he got it by mentioning Swedenborg. We may recall an incident in the spiritual world which manifested a like phenomenon in reverse:
     "An Epistle written by Paul while he sojourned in the world, but not published, was road before certain spirits, without their knowing that it was by Paul. The hearers at first regarded it as of little moment; but when it was disclosed that it was one of Paul's Epistles, it was received with joy, and everything in it was adored." (T. C. R. 701:4.)

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COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY 1942

COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY              1942




     Announcements



     In the preparation of the Directory of the Clergy of the General Church for publication in the December, 1941, Issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE, we regret that the name of one Pastor was accidentally omitted, and should have appeared in the list as follows:
     BRICKMAN, WALTER EDWARD. Ordained 1st and 2d Degrees, January 7, 1900. Address: P. 0. Box 306, Weslaco, Texas.
BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1942

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS        Celia Bellinger       1942

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn from time to time, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE,
     Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman.
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1942

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS              1942

     General Church of the New Jerusalem.

BRYN ATHYN, PA., APRIL 6-12, 1942.

     Program.

Monday, April 6.
     800 p.m.     Consistory.
Tuesday, April 7.
     10.00 a.m. Council of the Clergy.
     3.30 p.m.     Educational Council: General Session.
               Topic: New Church Education in Manners and Behavior.
Wednesday, April 8.
     10.00 am.     Council of the Clergy.
     1.15     p.m.     Educational Council: Luncheon at the Dining Hall.
               Topic: Textbooks Now in Use in the Different New Church
                Schools. (Textbook display.)
     3.30     p.m.     Conference of Mathematics Teachers.
               Topic: Teaching of Arithmetic and High School Mathematics.
Thursday, April 9
     10.00 a.m.     Council of the Clergy.
     1.15     p.m.     Educational Council: Luncheon at the Dining Hall.
               Topic: "What Are the Duties of New Church Educators in a
                World at War?"
     3.30     p.m.     Educational Council: Conference on Correlation of Elementary and High School Work.
Friday, April 10.
     10.00 am.     Council of the Clergy.
     3.30     p.m.     Executive Committee.
     7.00     p.m.     Friday Supper in the Assembly Hall followed by the open session of the Council of the Clergy.
               Address: Rev. William Whitehead.
               Subject: "The Church and Humanity."
Saturday, April 11.
     10.00 am.     Joint Council.
     3.30     p.m.     Joint Council (if needed).
     8.00 p.m.     Oratorical Contest of the Boys' Academy.
Sunday, April 12.
     9.30     a.m.     Children's Service.
     11.00 a.m.     Divine Worship.
NEW CHURCH IN A COUNTRY AT WAR 1942

NEW CHURCH IN A COUNTRY AT WAR       Rev. A. WYNNE ACTON       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
APRIL, 1942
No. 4
     Every New Churchman must at times ask himself how the teachings of the Church apply to the times in which he lives; and this not only as to his individual life-a question which in itself presents many problems,-but also as to the life of the organization of the Church in relation to the world. Every intelligent New Churchman is familiar with the general teaching that the world must eventually accept the truths which the Lord has now revealed, or else it will utterly destroy itself. But what can the men and women of the Church, to whom this teaching is revealed in external form, do to further the salvation which the Lord has brought in His Second Coming?
     This question as to what our conduct should be, both individually and as an organization of the Church, comes to us as a very direct issue in the present circumstances. We see evils about us on every side-evils so manifest that they cannot be ignored by anyone-and we have the firm conviction that the only redemption from them can be the wider knowledge and application of the teaching of the Heavenly Doctrine. Are we, therefore, to devote all our efforts to an active missionary work that will bring this truth to the whole world? Or are we to sit quietly and wait while the Lord operates to spread His Church? Or, again, are we to concentrate upon applying the truths to ourselves, in order that we may become more powerful spiritual vessels in the Lord's hands? This last alternative is the true one, and it is important that we should consider how we are to accomplish it, both for our own individual welfare and for the furtherance of that truth which we strive to make the centre of our lives.

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     In speaking to men and women of the Church, I do not propose to dwell upon our external duties to our Country at the present time, save to note the motives from which we should act. There are duties which every citizen has, whether he be of the Church or not the need for him to do all in his power to aid his country in her hour of need, the obligation faithfully to fulfill all the duties which are imposed upon him, as well as voluntarily seeking additional ways in which he may help his country. And more avenues of individual initiative are laid open to the average citizen than ever before, despite the greater regimentation of duties. In respect to the man of the Church, the only difference in this connection is that his support and service to his country may be an expression of a higher love than is the case with others. To him the country is the neighbor who is to be loved in a degree so high that it is only subservient to his love and service to the Church.
     Thus the efforts of the man of the Church to aid his country, while being no less than any other in the fullfilment of certain external duties and services, should, even at this time of dire need, look primarily to a higher plane-to the good of his country, its integrity, order, and justice. A country is to be loved as the neighbor because of its good or its use, and not simply because of external advantages to be gained from it, or because of external ties which we may have with it. And the good of a country is dependent upon how far it is in the Divine order, that is, how far its government and the life of its people are based upon principles of justice and order-dependent also upon its relation to other countries in the uses which it bears to the rest of the world. It is these things on a higher plane that we as New Churchmen must regard in our country, and seek to foster in its life. This we do by cultivating these spiritual principles in ourselves, and encouraging them in others. As we shall see later, we do so above all by fostering the development of the Church within the country.
     At this day, in the midst of war, we see an example of the good for which a country may stand. Britain, in her war against aggression and tyranny, has enlisted herself in a noble cause-a cause which looks to justice and equity-qualities which are ultimate forms of Divine Order.

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Now is a time, therefore, when our external love of country may approximate our spiritual loves and desires for it more nearly than was formerly the case. When we love the good cause and the principles for which Britain is now standing, and for which she is fighting, we are loving that which is from the Divine. And for this reason the man of the Church can serve his country in good-will, from spiritual as well as from natural motives.
     On the other hand, as men of the New Church, we cannot lose sight of the teaching of the Writings concerning the state of the world,-a teaching which is corroborated so forcibly before our eyes. We are taught there concerning the state of the former Christian Church, and this has one of its strongholds in England. Spiritually, we are assured, that Church is dead, without hope of revival; it has been judged and found wanting; its spiritual life has departed from it, and it would seem to follow that in time even its natural existence will cease. It is on behalf of this fallen Church that many of the appeals to defend our country are made to us. We cannot believe that, in a moment of sudden inspiration and spiritual exaltation, the Church has ceased to be false and corrupt, and is therefore worthy of our whole-hearted support. And if not, how can we reconcile this teaching concerning the state of the Church with what we have said about the noble cause for which this country, as a Christian land, now stands? As earnest New Church men and women, and indeed, as good citizens, we must seek to understand such questions.
     We have emphasized the high and noble cause for which the country stands. But, at the same time, we must recognize the small degree in which individuals of the country recognize and apply themselves to the spiritual principles involved. Forced upon our attention at times are the personal and selfish reasons which have inspired many of our countrymen to rally to the great cause. The appeal to the men of the country made by its leaders has largely to be tinged with appeals to selfish interests, to the effect that, "If you would continue to enjoy the pleasures you have had hitherto, you must for the present make sacrifices for the good of the country." There is far more regard to the pleasures and privileges we have enjoyed than to the responsibilities and duties which they entail. It is not the first time in history that people have been led to do noble things from selfish motives.

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     This, however, is not a complete picture, for undoubtedly many of the people of this country are as it were raised above themselves, and inspired by higher motives than have been active with them before. Also, we must remember the case of the simple good. There are many within the confines of the fallen Church who still do not subscribe to the evils of it, and who only externally accept its falsities. With these, appeals to the love of country strike a genuine chord; and it is they, above all others, who may be led to higher spiritual states through the active calling forth of their innate love of country.

     Days of National Prayer.

     A consideration of the unique position of the New Church arises directly with us in connection with the "Days of National Prayer" which from time to time have been called by the Archbishop and the leaders of the major churches, at the request of the King. The expressed desire of such days of prayer is to cause the nation as a whole to look to God as their strength and support in time of trial. The idea is excellent, but we must look beyond the first appearance of it. In the first place, we are bound seriously to question the spiritual sincerity of that attitude of mind which looks to order merely in time of trouble and distress. But far more important is the fact that such national prayers are directed to a divided Trinity,-to the invisible God the Father for the sake of another Person who is God the Son-and not directly to the one only God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
     Concerning this we must not overlook the clear teaching of the Writings, such, for instance, as is contained in the True Christian Religion: "No man henceforth in Christian lands is listened to unless he believes in the Lord; his prayers become in heaven like ill-scented odors, and like eructations from ulcerated lungs; and even if his appeal is thought to be like the fumes of incense, it ascends toward the angelic heaven only like the smoke of a conflagration which is blown back into his eyes by a downward gust of wind, or it is like the incense from a censer hidden in a monk's cloak. Such is the case hereafter with all piety that is directed to a divided Trinity, not to a united Trinity." (T. C. R. 108.) The implication of this teaching is so direct that we must carefully ponder it.

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How can we, in the Church which is dedicated to the worship of the only Lord, profess a desire to join in the spiritual spheres of those whose prayers we are told are not heard? Would this not be in effect an external action which degraded and destroyed the spiritual use to which the New Church is called?
     Vet we have a loyalty to our country and our King which we wish to express. And we wish to ask for the Lord's blessing upon our country and her efforts. We ask not for victory as such, for we acknowledge that whether this is best for us is in the Lord's hands; but we ask that we may receive power from on high to persevere and live up to the exalted purpose for which the country is fighting, sincerely believing that it is a cause of justice. Apart from the official Church in this country we can believe that there are many of the simple good who can join in the spirit of such a prayer. For all these reasons it is my own personal conviction that, while we cannot and should not attempt to enter into the universal sphere of prayer of all the Churches of the country, yet it is most appropriate and helpful that on such occasions, on our own part, we direct our prayers to the Lord for His continued help and guidance.

     What of the Future?

     So far we have spoken about our duty to our country, having especially in mind its present needs. And now I would direct your view to a more far-reaching aspect of the subject, namely, our duty to our country in the present time, but having in mind its future development and welfare. As men and women of the New Church, we have a very special contribution to make to the real welfare of our country. We are permitted more clearly to see what that welfare is, namely, that it depends primarily upon the spiritual values which are recognized and adopted in the country, and not simply upon natural schemes and plans.
     At this day, from official circles, and from leaders of the various churches, we hear of the new order of things that will be established after the war. We are told that we shall not return to the old ways, and it is presumed that for the future we shall with new light and insight be able to adjust and order the lives of all classes of people, so that inequalities and injustice generally will be abolished. Many of you will recall that similar pious aspirations, if couched in different terms, were made during the days of the last war.

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In view of this, and for more deep-seated reasons, the average intelligent citizen may be excused if he regard such statements with a healthy cynicism.
     Truly the contemplation of the post-war problems that will present themselves is overwhelming. It is right and proper that the Government, so far as is practicable, should consider them, both to give greater strength for the present, and so as to be better prepared to meet them when the time arrives. But the core of the problems is beyond the scope of regimentation by government decree. A government may decree an external order by force, and it may be necessary to do so, but this still leaves untouched the problems of good will and neighborliness among peoples.
     Without bringing into question the sincerity of those who direct our attention to the better order of things that is to follow, the fact remains that such expressions, without a realization of the spiritual forces at work, are merely pious hopes which can have no permanent effect. It is of less than no value to speak of the good will that is to exist among men after the war, when we do not point to the means whereby such good will is to be brought about; for the only means are spiritual ones. Statesmen, from worldly prudence, may devise ways to preserve external order on earth, for a time at any rate, and it is right that they should devote their efforts to doing so, but they cannot devise the means of changing men's thoughts and hearts so as to ensure that this order will be permanent. Physical and military force, whether directed to orderly or disorderly ends, is all powerful for its day, but by the very order of things it cannot effect a change in men. By itself, therefore, it is bound to ultimate failure. History offers us too many confirmations of this to doubt its truth.
     The man of the New Church must see the ineffectiveness of pious aspirations, on the one hand, and of the use of force on the other. He must see that the Divine alone can establish and confirm order upon earth, and that this is done through means which He has provided in the Divine Truths of His Word. The Lord always operates His ends through means, for "he who wills the end wills also the means." The Truths which the Lord has now revealed in His Second Advent are, then, the Divinely appointed means whereby the world may be brought into a new and permanent order.

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It is a solemn thought that we have been called to be guardians and custodians of these Divine Truths. It should be unnecessary to warn against any feelings of self-righteousness in this respect, as a moment's reflection will serve to show how feebly we have responded to the responsibility placed upon us. We are accustomed to the thought that the future development of the Church upon earth depends upon its acceptance of the Heavenly Doctrine, and we accept this as a theoretical teaching. But because we are in such a natural state, this truth comes to us with greater force when we realize that it is not only the church, but the future development of order and peace on earth as well, that depends upon the acceptance of the Lord in His Second Advent.

     Duty of the New Church.

     Let us bear in mind the teaching concerning the importance of the Church Specific, as providing a basis for the influx from the Lord out of heaven; that the New Church, where the teaching concerning the Divine Human of the Lord is known and accepted, is the means whereby the Divine Light may descend to all men on earth. Here we would only seek to emphasize that this basis is a very real thing, of essential importance in the world. Surely this war in itself shows us how feeble and temporary are the plans and agreements of men,-how easily these are overthrown when the desires of men change. The one thing permanent is the Truth which the Lord has revealed, which illustrates the immediate and practical importance of the work of the Church in establishing and furthering this Truth in the affairs of men.
     The realization of this fact inspires the desire that we should immediately spread the truth abroad for the ultimate salvation of mankind. This is a natural and a good reaction-to give to others what has been given to us. But the matter goes more deeply than this. We must indeed seek to spread the truths given us as widely as we can, and by every means possible, but we must realize that it is not simply a matter of telling people the truth, and having them immediately accept it. The proprial desires of men run contrary to the Divine Truth, and there must be generations and centuries of individual spiritual combat before the new truths can make their tangible impress upon the world.

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     In the meantime, what can we do? The New Church is small, and apparently has no influence upon world affairs. We can and should spread the knowledge of the doctrines in every way open to us. But, in addition, and far more important for ourselves individually, as well as for the world, we must learn to apply those truths to ourselves. We must seek to form ourselves, both individually and as an organization, in such a way that we are receptive of the influx from the New Heaven. Let us be keenly mindful of spiritual powers. What do numbers matter, so long as they are a centre for the Divine operation? We may be discouraged by the effects of the work of the New Church in its comparatively short existence. The history of the New Church movement itself does not present an encouraging picture. But is this not because of the little and weak faith of that movement, and the frequent accommodations of the essential Divine Truths which it should have cherished? If all the men of the Church had diligently sought to know the teaching of the Lord in the Writings, and had remained steadfast in their application of it, the Church as a whole would have had a greater influence in the world.
     The thought which we now emphasize-that the peace and order of the world depend upon the establishment of the truths of the Heavenly Doctrine,-cannot be joined to a sense of complacency on the part of the men and women of the New Church. It does not mean that we are to rest contentedly in a kind of self-righteous isolation. If we sincerely believe that the ultimate salvation of mankind depends upon its acceptance of the Heavenly Doctrine, we shall then be most zealous in the first place to accept and apply it ourselves. This has more than an abstract application. In direct practice, as we learn to apply this teaching to ourselves and in our relations to each other, we may then develop a definite form which can be offered to others outside. For example, if from the Doctrines we learn and apply a system of government of the Church among ourselves, then we may have something more definite to contribute to others. The same might be said of the field of education and other forms of human activities. In short, the teaching concerning the importance of the establishment of the New Church arouses within us no feeling of self-complacency, but rather one of definite responsibility to develop that which is given us, for the good of our neighbor and ourselves.

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     We have discussed the best service which the man of the Church can render to his country, and shown that each one must serve it according to his best ability; but we have emphasized the spiritual contribution which a New Churchman may make in a way that no other can. And whether others realize it or not, surely every reader of the Writings must recognize that it is the spiritual quality of a country that determines its future existence, even on the natural plane. So long as a nation has and fulfills a spiritual use, it will be preserved by the Divine Power. A striking example of this is seen in the preservation of Britain as a great power. England, and in a like degree America, has been the centre for the distribution of the Bible in many lands and tongues. It is for this end that, in the Divine Providence, it has been permitted to become a great maritime nation. The appearance is, that it is through the far-sightedness of a few chosen leaders that the British sea-power has been built up; but the spiritual reality is, that this has come to pass because of the use which was to be fulfilled, and which it was foreseen the English would fulfill.
     And let us not make the mistake of supposing that this power could continue any longer than the continuance of that use. So now, in a spiritual view, the future of England must depend upon its continuance of the use of spreading the Bible, and also the spreading of the Gospel of the Lord's Second Advent. Without the basis of spiritual power which is received through the performance of these uses, there is no reason whatsoever why England should continue as a great power among the nations; but with its worthy performance of those uses, some thing of the Divine power is present to strengthen and sustain. Surely this must impress upon us the truth that, by working with all our power for the establishment of the Church, we are in a pre-eminent degree working for the good of the Country.
     And now we would thus summarize our thoughts: England has adopted a stand for international law and justice which is consonant with the laws of Divine Justice, and in that degree inspires our loyalty from spiritual motives, as well as arousing our natural love of country.

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We say this in humility, with the realization of how feebly her people generally appreciate and seek to live up to the high ideal and aim adopted. But the real acceptance of this truth must inspire each one anew to seek to make himself worthy of the high call to which he must respond.
     On a higher plane, it is the New Church that is the hope of the ages. Again, we must say this in all humility, realizing that it is the Lord alone who establishes His Church, and who can through it bring His Divine Power to ultimation upon the earth. Therefore the very acknowledgment that it is in the establishment of the New Church that the future hope of the world lies will induce upon us the deepest humility; for it makes us realize more deeply how we personally fall far short of the Divine purpose and the opportunity which lies before us. This must impel us, however, with the desire to establish the teaching of the Church with ourselves individually and as an organization, in order that we may make ourselves worthy of the Divine calling, and further that time when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah xi: 9.)
SON OF MAN 1942

SON OF MAN       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1942

     An Easter Address.

     The Lord, while in the world, became acknowledged by His disciples as the Son of God. But He referred to Himself most frequently as "the Son of Man."
     It was as "son of man" that the prophets of Israel had been addressed by Jehovah. For the prophets, in a sense, were then representatives of mankind as a whole, to whom God revealed His will through them. The title, "Son of Man," therefore was adopted by the Lord in His Human, since in Him were combined the functions of all the prophets, in a supreme sense.
     When the Lord thus called Himself "the Son of Man." He seemingly identifies Himself with our human nature, as if disavowing His claim to Divine homage. It seems as a deliberate expression of humility, and has been seized upon by many to confirm with themselves a doubt of His Divinity; for such as they cannot perceive that humility and Divinity are not contradictory.

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     On the surface, it may seem that the expression. "the Son of Man," has reference solely to that merely human part which came through Mary as a mother. (A. C. 10053.) This is indeed the most literal truth (A. C. 1733:2); and was a fulfilment of the first prophecy to fallen man that "the seed of the woman" would "crush the head of the serpent" (Genesis 3: 15) that is, that the Redeemer of mankind would be born as Man.
     But when we read in the Heavenly Doctrine-as its main tenet-that the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah God, as to Divine Truth, or as the Word, "descended and assumed the Human" (T. C. R. 3), this implies more than the assumption of a human body in the womb of Mary. It means more than that God put on a physical frame of flesh, to appear among men for a brief span of years, and at last suffer this body to be crucified and raised from the dead. For through this body which He assumed He also put on a medium of new contact with every human state, good and evil. Through this body there was opened a new set of gates by which the Lord, from His Divine, could enter into direct touch with all the states of which mortal and immortal human life is capable. He assumed not only a body, but He assumed "the human." assumed humanity, assumed an actual Human Essence. (A. C. 1990:3.) Not only was He born of the human virgin, but He grew into the stages of human infancy and childhood, walked the way of learning and instruction, and built up His mind through human experiences. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." He was introduced into the ways of Jewish ritual, and was baptized at the hands of John.
     The body of man is the ultimate of all order. It is created into the image of God, and is essentially so maintained generation after generation, despite all that evil can do to distort it. But it is also the focus of the influx of both heaven and hell. There is no heavenly society, from any earth, however remote, which does not answer to some part and function in the human body-the epitome of the uses of all creation. All the states of the human mind-all the world of spiritual affection, thought, and use, as well as of moral and sensual affections-rest, nearly or remotely, upon the states of the body, whose organic substances respond delicately to every nuance of meaning, every changing tone of love.

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Every modification in the bodily order,-every sensory impress, every grain of nutriment, every least motion-invites a change in the influx of heaven and of hell and of the intermediate realm of spirits.
     It was by virtue of these things that the Lord, while in the world could induce upon Himself any state that He chose, in order to prepare Himself for temptations, and thus bring about our redemption (A. C. 2786); and thus by a Divine foresight which visioned every human condition from within. He summoned unto Himself, according to order, such angels or spirits as might introduce Him into the knowledge of human or angelic goods, or into an acquaintance with all the possible states of human lack and depravity. Yet we are warned against believing that He received any good or any truth from angels, whom He associated to Himself in order to aid them in resisting evil. (A. C. 1752, 4075, 4065.)
     It was by means of a life in the body that the Lord could govern the entire spiritual world, as by a spiritual leverage-could draw to Himself, and adjoin, societies of heaven, or permit the evil hordes of hell to approach and assault. This was indeed an essential reason for the Lord's coming in the flesh. For with those who are in good the Divine can inflow from within. But evil must be reached by another way. "In order that the Lord might combat the hells and overcome them, He must needs do it from the Human: for there is no combat with the hells from the Divine." (A. C. 2523.)
     Upon this fact our understanding of the necessity for the Lord's advent hinges,-our understanding of the utter need that God should have become Man in ultimate actuality, even so that He should have passed through the stages of human growth and instruction, should have called Himself "the Son of Man," entered upon the human road of salvation, even to entering the covenant of the Jewish Church, and being baptized at the hands of a man!
     If we are to grasp this arcanum of faith, we must realize that love is the very being of God, and that the essence of love is to give of its own to others, without removing their freedom. even their freedom to abuse and pervert. The Divine love inflows into every human soul, and its influx is felt as life-as man's own life.

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So far as man is in the order in which the race was originally created, this influx from within is able to arouse good affections, felt as man s own; and regeneration with such involves only a maintenance of such good affections, and a progressive acknowledgment that this life is not man's, but the Lord's with man. Such may we conceive the regeneration of the first celestial race to have been. But so far as evil has put its stamp of disorder upon man s sensual heredity-as took place with the Fall,-so far the influx of life, or of the Lord's Divine love, is first received with man in this sensual, and is there perverted into evils and their falsities; into vicious love of oneself, into contempt of others, into envy, deceit, hypocrisy, and licentiousness. Yet the influx of the Lord's love goes on-like the rain which falls upon the unjust-maintaining man's evil delight; but it is turned into abuses-like the sunshine in a pestilential marsh. And this influx of Divine good-of the power of life-cannot of itself correct these abuses, unless the form of the receptive vessels be changed into a truer order. This cannot be done by an influx of "good." This is involved in the doctrine that there is no combat with the hells from the Divine." To establish a contact with those who are in evil, the Divine must assume the Human.
     The Lord in His Human was not like any man. For His "Soul" was Jehovah, the Divine love itself. This love was infinite-embracing all creatures. It never fluctuated, was always constant, never disturbed, even by temptations. It did not grow greater with His advancing age or increasing stature. This is expressed in various ways in the Writings. Thus it is said that His internal man was Jehovah Himself. His interior man, or the rational man (A. C. 1702), as to celestial things, or as to goods, was also Divine, and even from birth was adjoined to His internal man. (A. C. 1707.) And thence there was, in His external man from birth, an inclination to good and a desire for truth, unlike other men. (Ath. Cr. 219, 202; A. C. 1487, 2253; De Dom. 70; A. E. 449.) This teaching should be connected with the fact that the Lord, in coming into the world, "put on" the Divine in heaven (A. C. 6371); which means, not that heaven, or the angels, contributed anything to the Lord, but that the Divine which was present with the celestial as a transflux of Divine good, was the good of the Lord's rational even from birth. (A. C. 6720, 1707.)

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     But in respect to spiritual things, or truths, the Lord's rational. or interior man, was similar to that of other men, in that it was adjoined to His external man, and was therefore human. (A. C. 1707.) The meaning of this becomes clear when we note that the Lord, like all men, was born in ignorance-devoid of knowledges. The rational as to truths is built up through knowledges learned. that is, through experiences and instruction. It is through these that man's consciousness is aroused and the vessels are formed in which reason can operate.
     The progression of the Lord in the world is marked entirely by the progressive states of this human essence (A. C. 1426-8, 2523) which advanced into a more and more complete conscious reception of the Divine. This was a progress of the rational, where indeed the human begins, and from which it develops. It was effected by knowledge, for knowledge is the vessel for truth. But the truth which the Lord insinuated into His knowledge was ever of a celestial origin. (A. C. 2503.) Indeed, we read that the first truth so insinuated with the Lord as a child was such that He saw in every created thing a likeness of the kingdom of God-a thing recurrent in His later parables. This was a sensual truth, but of celestial origin. (A. C. 1434, 1587, 1588, 1807.) Seeing all things in the light of a Divine love, every knowledge was open even to the Divine.
     Knowledge comes from without, but truth inflows from within. The power to perceive a truth in our experiences comes from the inner faculty of the rational, or from the influx which takes place into the rational. This influx is according to an order beyond our control, and reflects the laws which we can recognize as truths. These laws are impressed from creation upon the soul of man, and operate unceasingly upon his mind. Yet his mind perceives only vague hints of their presence, and this only so far as the vessels of knowledge are available to produce conscious thought.
     Truth is but the form of good. And with the Lord, whose Soul was infinite love, the Rational also-as to good-was in the form of infinite and Divine Truth. It was this Divine Truth-the law of love-which was descending through His Human Essence as the Divine proceeding. the Word being made flesh; so that the Human might be made Divine and the Divine be made Human, and that thus the infinite and supreme Divine might inflow with man. (A. C. 2034.)

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     Yet this Divine Truth from the Divine Good could descend into the Lord's Human only in proportion to reception, and thus by degrees. Therefore the Human Essence was as it were distinct from the Divine; and the Divine Truth of the Divine Good of the Lords Soul was distinct from the truth of the Lord's Rational, which therefore is called, not Divine Truth but "truth Divine in the Human Divine." (A. C. 2814.)
     This "truth Divine" was truth perceived by the Lord on earth through knowledges and human experiences-truth seen in the progressive stages of instruction, truths seen in nature, in human nature, in human institutions and religious rites, and foremostly in the Word, which was the repository of His Divine and eternal Wisdom. All this, with Him, was "truth Divine for He saw the Divine meaning in it all.
     Yet the Lord did not "learn" Divine Truth. For this He possessed previous to His instruction; it was the very form of His Soul, a one with His Divine Good, as light is a one with flame. (A. C. 1469.) This is called "intellectual truth, " and it is ever conjoined with an internal perception that it is so, an innate surety that is beyond finite uncertainties, beyond doubt or temptation. Even into the human soul is there an influx of intellectual truth, productive of the faculty of reason. But it is beyond man's ken, nor can man ever think from intellectual truth. So also, with the Lord, intellectual truth was from His Divine Soul, an influx of Divine Truth, distinct from the Human Essence, and thus above the Rational.
     The Lord, how ever, was distinguished from all other men in the fact that He was able to think from intellectual truth, thus from the Divine as from Himself. (A. C. 1904, 1914, 1935.) So far as He did this-and He did even in childhood-He was in His state of glorification, and in union with the Father. His Soul He was then the Son of God, not the Son of Man. He then declared. 'I and the Father are one.'
     Yet, if this had been the only state of His life. His work on earth and in the heavens could not have been accomplished. But the Lord became Man to bear the iniquities of many; He took on a body which the evil heredities of the race had perverted in its very texture; a heredity which He purified successively through "truth Divine," and this in order to combat the hells and overcome their effort to enslave men's spirits.

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     Hell could have no power over "the Son of God." Hell can have power only through appearances. It cannot attack Divine Truth such as it is in its intellectual certainty. But it can attack truth Divine,-truth clothed in human appearances, truth adapted and accommodated to finite human and angelic vision, truth rational such as the angels have, consisting in the appearances of truth.
     Even truth Divine is in itself Divine, for such it is in the Word, variously clothed in terms of human language, natural imagery, and rational appearance. But such truth Divine does not convey absolute certainty-is not intellectual truth. It can be subjected to doubt. It cannot, by man or even by angel, be stripped altogether of its finite appearances. It is not above temptation.
     It is of necessity that it be so. With Divine certainty, human freedom perishes. No man can see God, and live. Man, to be free, free to respond to the love of God, must also be free to doubt; must see truth only through the garbs of appearances, which protect his finite life. But, through appearances, we can see and acknowledge even the Infinite Itself.
     Thus the Lord, to be tempted, had to be born a man, and, by means of knowledges, suffer within Himself a human rational, which He perceived to be inclined to hold intellectual truth in light esteem, and to consist of appearances which were not in themselves truths, even though not fallacies. (A. C. 1911); because, on the one hand, it was from the exterior man, which had the evil heredity in it; yet, on the other hand, it was conceived from the Divine-from Divine Truth (1921). Whenever there was need He adjoined to Himself this rational, and as it were descended into it, to meet temptations and to conquer. By His own power, the Lord then purified His rational, and disposed all its appearances; and from being human, His Rational thus became Divine even as to truths. From being the Son of Man, He became the Son of God-the Divine Truth in human form. It was so that He "fulfilled all justice," and became ready to glorify the Human even to ultimates, and thus to be born of Jehovah, even as He had been conceived by Jehovah.

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     Thus the Human essence of the Lord was not born "Justice," or born Divine Truth. But it was made Justice by continual combats with the hells. At such times, it is revealed, the Human essence was left to itself, and conquered from its own power. (A. C. 1813, 2025.) It was as to truth Divine in the Human Divine, before glorification, that the Lord was tempted. It was this-the Son of Man-that was scourged and crucified by the Jews: "The Son of Man must suffer many things." "The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men." "The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head."
     It may also be said that the Lord suffered as the Word. Every act of the Lord was representative, and His passion signified how the church treated the Word and sought to destroy it.
     In itself, the Word is Divine Truth. Yet it comes to men-enters into human minds-as "truth Divine" because couched in appearances, veiled beneath human concepts and human preconceptions; and the Divine message is at times quite obscured, because it is given in human settings and situations from this world or the next, as history, as prophecy, as vision. Only so is truth seen from the merely natural sense of the Scriptures. And it was into the waters of such literal truth-administered by John the Baptist-that Jesus was immersed in Jordan, before His public appearance unto Israel; and these same waters became the ground of His temptations, in the wilderness of the consummated Jewish Church. But even the internal sense of the Word, as it is known to angelic minds, is accommodated by rational appearances and adapted doctrinal ideas. Therefore the Word in its spiritual sense, as adapted for angels and men, is also called "the Son of Man"; who would come with great glory in the clouds of heaven; who would judge all nations, separating them, the sheep from the goats.
     It is on the basis of human experiences that the Divine Truth can be accommodated to men. It is according as men recognize the Lord's Divine Truth in its human veilings that the Lord can come to judge and to liberate and to save. It is so that He comes to us in the clouds of natural appearances. And happy are they who "shall then see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Then "is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him."

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FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 1942

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH        W. F. PENDLETON       1942

     "And ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Revelation 2: 10.)

     The message to the church in Smyrna treats of the spiritual temptations of the church and of the individual man of the church; that is, of the spiritual trial, pain, suffering, endured by regenerating men when the church is assailed because of its truth, or because of its loyalty to the truth of revelation. The defense of the truth,-in this case, resistance to the falsity which assails, or resistance to those who assail by falsity,-causes the pain or distress, the anguish of mind, which is called "temptation" in the Writings,-the word translated literally meaning trial.
     In the opening of the message to Smyrna, the Lord speaks of Himself as being glorified by temptations: "These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive." The human with which He veiled Himself, or clothed His Divinity when He came into the world, and by which He caused Himself to appear before the natural sight of men-this human was made both the First and the Last by glorification. And His glorification was through temptation, which is directly referred to when it is said that He "was dead and is alive," which means that He suffered the passion of the cross, with all its attendant anguish, distress, and pain, but yielded not to infernal assault, enduring to the end, and gaining the final victory over death and hell, dispersing the infernal host and shutting them up in their hells. This was the last and greatest of all the temptations which the Lord endured when He was in the world, and was His final victory.
     What the Lord suffered, the regenerating man must also suffer in his finite measure. Hence the series in the message before us, which treats of the temptations of the church and of the man of the church, is introduced by the teaching that the Lord also endured temptations even to extremity in the last of them all-the death of the cross,-but from which He rose again.

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     After the opening words concerning Himself as the First and the Last, and that He also suffered temptations, distress, anguish, pain, even unto death, He addresses the church in Smyrna, saving, "I know thy works and tribulation." That by "tribulation" is signified temptation is manifest at first glance, for it is familiar with us to use the word tribulation to express the idea of the trials of life, which we derive from its usage in the Sacred Scripture. For the term is always there used when spiritual trial or temptation is the subject treated of in the internal sense; as, for instance, where the Lord said to His disciples, "In the world ye shall have tribulation. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16: 33.)
     But those who belong to the church of Smyrna, although they are to suffer much tribulation, are exhorted to have no fear on account of the church, or for themselves. "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer." Both fear and suffering are prominent features of temptation. Man fears for the loss of spiritual life, or that the church may be overturned and destroyed; and the thought and apprehension of this cause anxiety and distress.
     It is then said that "the devil shall cast some of you into prison." The suffering of imprisonment is great; anxieties and fears attend it throughout; for it may end with execution and death. And herein is represented the state in temptation when the man of the church appears to be as it were bound or in prison. He is not in a condition of freedom. Yet it is permitted of the Lord; for there is a purpose to be accomplished in it. Hence the words are added, "That ye may be tried." Temptation is that by which the spiritual man is tried. For temptation is trial, and the word means trial, as we have shown. He is still further tried in the sense that he is thereby tested and proved as to the strength and loyalty of his affection of truth and good, of his love for the things of spiritual and eternal life, and by which his affection, his love, springs, expands and grows, and becomes permanent in his heart and mind.
     That there may be such growth is the reason why the tribulation is permitted. But that this purpose may be accomplished, may be carried into full effect, the temptation must endure for a period of time, for its use cannot be accomplished in a moment. Hence the words are immediately added.

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"And ye shall have tribulation ten days." That it is necessary to continue in temptations, persist in the combat and resistance involved in them, endure them even to the end of the period of them, whatever that period may be, is clearly shown by the words which follow,-the concluding words of this message, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
     The reward indicated by the assurance to the regenerating man that to him shall be given a "crown of life" is the end in view in temptations. And the reason why they are permitted, and should be endured throughout their whole period-the end that can be reached in no other way-is the reward of eternal life, with its delight, happiness and glory, its intelligence and wisdom-the "crown" of eternal life.
     That temptation is the subject of the message to the church in Smyrna, the second of the seven churches, is also shown in the fact that the message to the church in Ephesus, just preceding that addressed to Smyrna,-the message to this first of the churches mentioned in the series,-treats of the stage of doctrine and instruction. The stage or period of doctrine and instruction in doctrine must come first in order of time with every church and with every regenerating man. This period is then followed by one of temptations, in order that the truth of doctrine may become firmly established in affection and life. In order that there may be expansion, clear seeing, perception, and interior confirmation of the truths of doctrine, the Lord permits the truth a man loves to be attacked, which attack he resists in defense of the truth; and the result is temptation, but in the end the strengthening and establishing of the affection of truth. Therefore the message to Smyrna follows the message to the church in Ephesus.
     Now let us consider more fully what is involved and contained in the idea of tribulation, as mentioned in the words of the text, "And ye shall have tribulation ten days." The word "tribulation," or the idea involved in it, is not only the keynote of the text, but of the entire series, or of the whole message to the church in Smyrna. For it is not only the chief word of the text, but is used in the first part of the direct address to that church, "I know thy works and tribulation." And the idea itself is exhibited in all parts of the message, as is evident from phrases such as the following: "These things saith He . . . that was dead and is alive."

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"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer." "Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried." "And ye shall have tribulation ten days." "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." All these phrases have as their leading thought in the spiritual sense the idea of temptation; and it appears even in the natural meaning of the words.
     The use of tribulation, which is temptation, is indicated in the meaning of the word itself. The tribulum, from which tribulation is derived, was a machine used for threshing wheat or other grain, by which process the grains were separated from the chaff. The representation or correspondence is complete. As the grains of wheat were separated from the chaff by means of the tribulum, so is truth separated from falsity by means of tribulation or temptation.
     The separation of truth from falsity, which takes place in the mind of the regenerating man by means of temptation, or spiritual trial and stress of mind,-this separation is a process of judgment, a process through which every individual man must pass who is to be born into spiritual life and saved. It carries with it and involves a separation from those who hold the same falsities which he hitherto has held and believed to be true, but which he has now discovered to be contrary to the teachings of the Word. Those around him, members of some religious denomination perhaps, still persist in their falsities, and combat the new truth which he has discovered, which has been made known to him, and which he upholds. The consequence is trial and distress of mind. And as they persist in their falsities, and he persists in the truth, finally a separation takes place; he leaves a body or religious communion that holds as its chief tenets principles of doctrine and life which he now sees to be errors and falsities.
     This is, in fact, the way the New Church begins and makes its appearance in the outer world. A number of men who have come to see the error and falsity of the doctrines which prevail in the leading denominations of the Christian world, and who on that account find their position in them no longer tenable, withdraw, separate themselves, and being now outside of the old, join together to form new societies, or a new body of the church, in which and from which the new truth can be preached and proclaimed to the world,-a step that is fundamental and of supreme necessity, if the New Church is to have an ultimate and permanent foothold among men.

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     A similar movement in the spiritual world brought into existence the new Christian heaven, a result of the process that is called the Last Judgment, which, as a general judgment, was begun and completed in the year 1757, but which in the form of particular judgments continues until the present time, and will continue for a very long time to come. The man of the church in the natural world, in the stress of temptation, is passing through as to his spirit one of these particular judgments in the world of spirits. He is, unconsciously to himself, in some society of that world, where the evil and the good are mingled together, which two classes of spirits have come into open conflict with each other concerning the truth of heaven; which truth the good receive and defend, and which the evil assault and reject. The result is separation. The good, adhering with firmness and profound conviction to the new truth-the truth of heaven that has been given to them,-are taken up into heaven; and the evil, adhering stubbornly and tenaciously to their falsities, which have been implanted in the evil of their hearts, are thrust down, or thrust themselves down, into hell; and the two, the evil and the good who had been together, never meet again. This is the origin of the new heaven and the new hell after the Last Judgment.
     The man of the church on earth, the regenerating man, having been associated as to his spirit with the good of some society in the world of spirits, goes through a state corresponding with theirs, a state of trial and tribulation, the pain and distress of temptation. He has at first, in some religious body of the former Christian Church, held and believed false doctrine, false principles of religion and of life, based upon appearances in the literal sense of the Word; but now the truth has been given him, and he sees and acknowledges it to be true. But his former falsities of religion do not easily relax their hold. In the simple faith of his heart he has believed them to be taught in the Word of God. For instance, it does appear to be taught in the letter of Scripture that there are three Divine persons in the Godhead; it does appear to be taught in Scripture that faith is the only essential of salvation, that man is saved by faith in the merit of Christ as He suffered on the cross, and not by the life he lives.

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He has believed these things, and other false principles similar to them, because they appear to be taught in the Word, and are proclaimed by the dignitaries of the church as the very truth of heaven. He has believed them, knowing no other than that they are Gospel truth. But now he has come to see the error in which he has been, and he begins the work of casting them out.
     But they do not easily loose their hold. A principle that a man has once held, that he has once believed and loved is not easily removed from the mind. It returns, and continues to infest for a length of time. This is because he is, as to his spirit, in a mixed society in the world of spirits, a society where the evil and the good are together. The good hold him in the new truth he has received, and the evil hold him in the old falsities which he has held and believed. The result is a kind of tearing asunder in his spirit, causing pain, anxiety, distress,-which in the Writings is called "temptation." Hence his old falsities cannot be removed at once. They continue for a time to infest and disturb him, even until the final judgment is passed. This is what is meant by the words of the text, addressed to the church in Smyrna, "And ye shall have tribulation ten days.
     By "ten days," in a strictly literal sense, is meant just what it says,-that the tribulation was to last ten days. But in a wider natural sense, by "ten days" is meant a period of time, a period of days indefinite in number, a period that will last as long as is necessary for the accomplishing of the Divine purpose in permitting the tribulation or affliction to come upon the regenerating man. It is like a disease of the body which must run its full course, in order to fulfill the end in view in the permission of the disease, which may look perhaps to the future improved health of the body. But inasmuch as by "day" in the spiritual sense is signified state, and by "ten" is signified what is full and complete, therefore by "having tribulation ten days" is meant that the state of temptation is to continue and endure as long as is necessary to fulfill the purpose in its permission; that is, until there is a complete removal of the falsities which a man has believed and loved, and indeed until the death and extinction of the affection for them which he has cherished in his mind.

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     The necessity of the temptation continuing until the death of his affection for false principles of religion and life, and thus until the departure of the infernal spirits who had encompassed and infested him, is clearly taught in the verse that next follows, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Through the whole period of temptation and trial, even until the death of his former affection of falsity, he must abide faithfully in the new truth he has received, and persist in his faith and love of the new things he has learned, until the period of stress and trial is ended; and not complain at the dispensations and permissions of Providence, but continue with patience to endure all the attendant pain and suffering until the death of the old state, until the death of the old love and the dispersion of the falsities which have defended it until the state is ended and a new state comes, in which the new truth is no longer dark and obscure.
     For the light of truth is always dim and obscure in the midst of temptation. But if he persists in his faith, and in combat from it, the death of the old state will come, and a new one will arise,-a state in which the truth will shine with a clear and bright light. For in his spirit he has followed those in the world of spirits who have departed for the new heaven. This is what is meant by the "crown of life'' that will be given unto those who are faithful unto death,-a crown of light and glory, a crown of intelligence and wisdom, which is the free gift of the Lord to all who are faithful to the end; especially to the end of life in the world, when man will rise to the light and glory of the new heaven, and abide with the angels of that heaven in light and glory forever. Amen.

LESSONS:     Daniel 7: 1-14. Revelation 2: 1-17. N. J. H. D. 187-195; or T. C. R. 597-599.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 490, 346, 556.
PRAYERS:     Nos. 106, 109.

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PROVIDENCE IN SMALL THINGS AND GREAT 1942

PROVIDENCE IN SMALL THINGS AND GREAT       SYDNEY B. CHILDS       1942

     There is a remarkable passage in the work on the Divine Providence (212) dealing with fortune, which concludes: "As the Divine Providence is in the least particulars of things so insignificant and trifling (as the shaking of dice or the shuffling of cards), still more is it in the least particulars of things not insignificant and trifling, as in the affairs of peace and war in the world, or of salvation and life in heaven." At a time when almost the entire world is in the throes of a vast war, the final eventualities of which are known to the Lord alone, it is a source of inspiration and protection to reflect upon the, abiding presence of God, whose direction governs the fortunes of those engaged in titanic struggles, yet whose laws of Providence are illustrated by such trivial matters as games of chance.
     Through the recognition of the fact that nothing is too small or trifling to come under the auspices of God's final wisdom, we gain something of an insight into the miraculous government through which all men are led in freedom to choose their way of life, both in this world and in the life to come. We know that every breath we draw is in itself a Divine gift. We cannot take even a single step without the unseen hand of God sustaining us. How stupendous, then, is the wonder of the Divine Providence in relation to more interior planes of life,-the thoughts and affections of the mind, whereby well-disposed men are sustained and uplifted when they freely will to turn toward the Lord and seek to understand His way!
     It is manifest that we, as individuals, have but a limited scope of ultimate action. As of ourselves we can initiate a plan, but we never of ourselves control the outcome. That depends upon the reaction of others to our project; and their reaction is in turn governed by myriads of factors entirely beyond our knowledge and direction.

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Our plan may meet with a favorable response, or the opposite. We are never certain in advance what the outcome will be. And therein lies much of the zest of life,-the uncertainty of the eventuality, the unknown equation involving outside influences. Here also the Divine Providence enters in ways unknown to us to bend and change our destinies, as well as the destinies of all mankind.
     What may appear at the time an outright calamity may eventually prove to be a veritable blessing in disguise. Apparent misfortune may prove to be fortune; or the reverse may be true. Abundant experience testifies that it is only from a more interior light of the mind that the apparent disaster is recognized as opening the way to good. In the terrible ordeal now facing many nations of this earth, there never can be anything of good in the cruelty and hatred that prompts aggression and the slaughter, slavery and torture of conquered nations. There can be no good in the lusts of dominion that initiate the wholesale destruction of the happiness and freedom of vast numbers of men, women, and children, many of whom have no choice in the undertaking of the hostilities that go with war. But if all of this chaos, strife and suffering are destined to bring a wider recognition of our need for God, and of our responsibilities toward Him and toward our neighbor, then we can see how good may come out of evil.
     We need not be as much concerned about the duration of the coming peace as about the quality of that peace, when and as it comes. No true peace can be given to this earth except from the hand of the Author of peace,-God. The qualities that ennoble men in times of great danger-self-sacrifice, fortitude, bravery, and the willingness to lose their lives that their country may live,-are states wholly originating in the resplendent sphere of God's love and protection for His creatures, and wholly evidenced only by the Lord during His life on our earth. It is only these virtues that can enable men to live in harmony and justice with one another after the war is over and peace again prevails for a time on the earth. It is only when these virtues shall be written, not only in the memorials to those who have died in the struggle, but also upon the hearts and minds of all mankind, that peace in its heavenly and true sense can be restored to earth and endure to eternity. Indeed, that is the only peace vindicating our utmost sacrifice.

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     While our lot may be darkened by misfortunes, and while whole nations are now enduring enslavement, yet we are given the hope that, in the Lord's Providence, these sad conditions will change. The spirit of man cannot be imprisoned by bars of steel. A measure of compensation exists through the sharing of dangers. Those unable to take any active part in the defense of their country may suffer more keenly than those whose minds are fully occupied with the actual hazards of war. But to all alike, no matter how humble or exalted their responsibilities, whether they fight on the front line of battle or in the war against fear by their own hearthsides, the Lord is ever present and near to those who seek His help.
     The same Providence that can exert its unseen guidance in the trifling eventualities of a game of chance is actuating the destinies of nations, as well as the lives of all who call upon His name. "The affairs of peace and war in the world, or of salvation and life in heaven," concern the mortal welfare of man and his immortal soul. The alternatives at stake in the game of life are eternal happiness or damnation, heaven or hell, a true civilization based upon the tenets of religion, or a servitude so widespread that the forces of evil eventually would annihilate the entire human race. Happily, the outcome cannot fail to be one of good, providing we look to the Lord. The promise has been given in Revelation that the New Church is to become the crown of all churches.
     To each of us is given the responsibility to do each day his duty as he sees it, to recognize that the things of this world are but a fleeting prelude to the life to come, and above all to lift our minds and hearts to God in gratitude for His ever manifold blessings toward us, and in the supreme confidence that in His hands lies the fate of all mankind. No crisis, no tragedy, no threat of destruction can withstand a genuine trust in Divine Providence. The ordeals and trials of life fade when we reverently repeat the words of the Lord on the cross, "Into Thy hands I commend my spirit."

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NOTES AND REVIEWS. 1942

NOTES AND REVIEWS.              1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly, By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa..
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     THE WORD EXPLAINED-VOLUME V.

THE WORD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT EXPLAINED. By Emanuel Swedenborg. English Version. Translated from the Latin text of a phototyped copy of the original manuscript, by Alfred Acton, MA., D.Th. Volume V: Exodus XXIII to XXXVI: 45. Bryn Athyn, Pa.: Academy of the New Church, 1941. Cloth, octavo, pp. 500; $4.00.
     As Volume IV of this edition published in 1936, contained the explanation of the text of the Book of Exodus, chapters I to XXII this new volume concludes the explanation of Exodus, as far as given in this work, namely, chapters XXIII to XXXVI: 5 as found in Vol. III of the Latin edition, nos. 1056-4450. Swedenborg's treatment of the text of Exodus stops here, because the latter part of the book-chapters 36 to 40-are largely occupied with a description of the making of the tabernacle and the priestly garments, repeating the description of the same in chapters 25 to 31, when the command to make them was given to Moses. For a like reason, the Arcana Celestia also omits the detailed setting forth of the internal sense of Exodus 35: 4 to 40, since this had already been done in the exposition of chapters 25 to 31. (See A. C. 10733, 10832.)

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     In Volumes IV and V of the English version of The Word Explained the explanation of the Book of Exodus is now available to the English reader. And as the first three volumes covered the Book of Genesis, the five volumes so far published explain the Scripture text of Genesis and Exodus,-the same ground later covered by the Arcana Celestia in ten or more volumes. Accordingly, it is now possible for the English reader to compare the two works dealing with the same Scripture text.
     An engaging prospect thus opens before the mind of the New Churchman who has long been familiar with the Arcana Celestia, or who may have read it through a number of times. He will find many things of surpassing interest in The Word Explained, and will experience a peculiar pleasure in noting how Swedenborg was then being introduced by the Lord into the interiors of the Word, as a preparation for the unfolding of the spiritual sense in the full light of the Heavenly Doctrine, which was done when that preparation had been completed, and beginning with the Arcana Celestia.
     It was in April, 1745, that Swedenborg was called by the Lord to his sacred office of revelator. The Word Explained was begun in October, 1745, and completed in February, 1747. He began writing the Arcana Celestia in December, 1748. (See the translator's Introduction to The Word Explained, pp. 121, 125. 131.)
     And so it may be said that The Word Explained, together with the Index Biblicus and other writings of that period, provides a written record of the revelator's development during the preparatory period in which he was being introduced by the Lord into the interiors of the Word,-into the internal historical sense of the Old Testament, into a knowledge of correspondences and representatives, and to some extent into the spiritual and celestial senses of the Word, together with experience among the angels and spirits who were associated with the Scripture text. In The Word Explained, therefore, we find three general forms of treatment-expository, doctrinal, and memorabilia or records of spiritual experience,-which three forms later characterized such works of the Writings as the Arcana Celestia, the Apocalypse Explained, and the Apocalypse Revealed.

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     It may be noted, also, that much of The Word Explained is devoted to an unfolding of the internal historical sense of the Old Testament, setting forth the states of the Jewish Church, and showing how these were related to the states of a genuine church. For we read: "In the Word there is not only a supreme sense, and an internal sense, but also a lower sense, in which the internal sense is determined to the nation named in the letter." (A. C. 4279e.) And this "lower sense" is called "the internal historical sense."
     We also find in the work many notable statements by Swedenborg as to the nature and purpose of what he was writing, how it was received by him from the Lord, the kind of spirits and angels with whom he was given to associate and speak, personal information about the after-death states of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Solomon, Judas, and others, as well as many remarkable explanations of the text of Genesis and Exodus, in the treatment of which he was led to look ever more interiorly beyond the literal sense and the internal historical sense toward the internal and inmost senses of the Word of God.
     In this we find the pattern of the Lord's way of introducing a man into the interiors of the Word, as the way of his preparation to unfold the life and light of the Word in the glorious refulgence of the Divine Truth. The New Church student and expositor of the Scriptures may well give more heed to this pattern by consulting this work, and less heed to the modernistic interpreters of the Bible among the learned doctors of the Christian Church.
     We believe that the contents of The Word Explained will be of special interest to the New Church student, and to those long familiar with the Writings. Hitherto such a study of the work has proved of great interest and value to readers of the original Latin. It is now made possible for all who read English. And for this we are indebted to the many years of indefatigable and painstaking labor on the part of the translator, who has produced a fluent English rendering, although the style of the original text often made this a difficult task, involving also problems of interpretation, which are discussed by him in footnotes throughout the work. And the publishers are to be commended for the fine printing and binding which bring these volumes before the New Church public in a worthy form. Three additional volumes will be required to bring out the remaining portions of The Word Explained, treating other books of the historical and prophetical parts of the Old Testament.

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And we understand that the translator contemplates an exhaustive Index of the entire work.

     Status of the Work.

     It is to be hoped that New Churchmen generally will now become acquainted with the contents of The Word Explained, not only because of their interest and value as instruction, but also as a means to an intelligent opinion of the place and use of the work among the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. To encourage a wider reading we have for a number of years published extracts in these pages, and we shall continue to do so. Meanwhile we would bespeak an affirmative approach to the perusal of the work, leaving the matter of its status or "authority" to the future. As to a general appraisal, we would refer our readers to the translator's Introduction, which closes with these words:
     "The New Church is to be the crown of the churches. Unlike the former churches, its doctrines are to enlighten, not only the spiritual mind, but also the natural. It is to give to the world, not only a new theology, but a new philosophy and a new science; and this that the Lord may be revealed, not only as the God of heaven, but as the God of earth; not only as the God of the theologian, but as the God of the philosopher and the scientist,-the Divine Man, whose presence and operation and law is to be seen and loved and worshipped in every plane of human life; in whose land 'shall be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria; and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians; and Israel shall be a blessing in the midst of the Land."
     "Is it then to be wondered at, that in addition to the Writings of the New Church, the Lord, in preparing Swedenborg for his mission as Revelator, has also provided for the use of mankind a science and philosophy which makes one with Divine Revelation, and which shall serve for the enlightenment of men, that they may read that Revelation with clearer sight and see its truths in clearer light?
     "To those who desire clear-cut lines of demarcation, we can readily admit that the Writings of the New Church commence with the Arcana Coelestia; for only then was Swedenborg's preparation completed.

176


We can agree also with those who, desiring a broader view, hold that the Revelation of the spiritual world and of the internal sense of the Word is also given, though in a lesser degree, in The History of Creation, The Word Explained with its Memorabilia, the Indices to the Bible, and The Marginal Notes. But surely, viewing the matter with a more universal gaze, it cannot be denied that the truths provided for the enlightenment and growth of the New Church are contained in all Swedenborg's works, the philosophical as well as the theological. It matters not the means by which they were provided for our use, whether by the invisible Divine Guidance of a God-fearing philosopher, by the opening of his spiritual eves, or by the immediate inspiration of a man who was in both worlds at the same time. The truths contained in these writings are provided for our use. Let our part be to study them, to ponder over them, that so we may gather them together into one grand system which shall be inspired and made living by the Heavenly Doctrine now revealed to the world."
LIVING IN SLEEP. 1942

LIVING IN SLEEP.              1942

     Extract from "The Word Explained," Vol. V.

     5141. A wonderful thing happened to me today, to the end that confirmation might be given before those who were around me, being of the Jews who died of old; for they are the same after death as during life, when left to themselves. I had a dream, and indeed a dream of the kind that appeared as though seen in wakefulness, as is usually the case. They were then so persuaded that I was awake that they answered me as though I were awake. And then, becoming suddenly aroused, I noticed that I had been dreaming, and that they had spoken with me while I was asleep, and, indeed, had believed me to be awake. At this they were then greatly embarrassed. One was indignant, another was amazed, a third loved it, because I then said that from this it can be evident how that they are living in a sleep, and that their life was a sleep, and that they think themselves to see, hear, nay, and to live, when yet they deceive themselves, seeing that they do not live from themselves; and yet they think this also. I then wrote out the contents of the present verse. [Exodus 29: 42.]

177


It was thus granted me to give them confirmation that they were still passing their life in sleep. Thus they could say nothing. Sometimes, however, it happened that they knew the man was asleep. In the present case, however, it was different, and this for the sake of confirming both the spirits from among the Jews and also men who are still living, as to the shade and fallacy in which they live.
     5150. It is a marvel that man places his life in the external sense and in the pleasures of the body, when yet the life of the external senses, and so of the body, is mere shade, and thus is sleep as compared with the life of the interior sense, that is to say, with the life of the natural mind, where are phantasy and imagination and cupidities. Some again place their sole life in these latter, when yet such life is only sleep as compared with the life of the more interior faculty, which must be human life proper. Yet, in man, this is nothing but sleep, as it were, as compared with his inmost life, being the life of his soul. And this is nothing but a sleep as compared with life itself, being the life of God Messiah who is Life. Thus all and single things in man are nought but shade and sleep. That man s life is a sleep is well known. Therefore, there are degrees of sleep, as there are also degrees of angels and spirits in heaven. But one can marvel that men place life in the grossest sleep, as in the senses and pleasures of the body where is mere darkness. Therefore, they do not know that the life which they think to be life flows in order from more interior lives; and that the life that flows into the inmost degree, and so from this into all man's faculties, comes solely from God Messiah.
     5151. That the life of one faculty flows in order into the life of another, and so the life of the soul into the intellectual mind can be seen plainly enough by everyone, if only he gives attention to innumerable phenomena extant in the intellectual mind, namely, as to whence it is that men are able to think, judge, conclude, choose-and this analytically according to inmost laws, and, indeed, laws that are beyond the field of search; and that they can do this even in first childhood. Of these laws some have been searched out, and these are set forth in psychological doctrines, but they are few indeed, and are merely most general laws such as might be drawn forth solely from an attentive consideration of one's own mind.

178


These laws could never exist did they not flow' in from a superior faculty, that is to say, from the soul which is properly human, and which is so far above the ideas of the intellectual mind that it composes those ideas and analytically distributes them into order, and so composes the thoughts of the mind and their intellectual forms. The like occurs in respect to affections which rule the will.

     PROFANITY.

     4586. The utmost caution must be taken against thought concerning things that are profane and damnable; otherwise they infest the thought of the mind, as did those things which I have frequently experienced, in that the niece mention of oaths and profanities so hurt my mind that I knew not whither to turn that they might be shaken off. For when such wicked things are heard. They who are spiritual, and who thus should refer all and single things to God Messiah, are smitten in mind, as when a body is beaten with whips and staves. This I can solemnly testify has been the case with me within the time of a year. For this reason I could scarcely abide in a company where such things were told as were direful.
PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1942

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE       ELMO C. ACTON       1942

     Recent Pamphlets Briefly Reviewed.

     The Home and the Church. A Series of Three Lectures by the Rev. Willard D. Pendleton.

     This series of lectures is a valuable and timely contribution to a consideration of this fundamental relationship. The articles will be found of value to every home in the church, equally to the isolated as to those in our societies. Parents seeking light and guidance from the teachings of the Word upon the problems of establishing a home and rearing a family will find this series of eminent use: for it would seem to be the intention of the writer, not only to bring forth the teachings of the Writings on this question. but especially to show wherein those teachings are of practical worth in the daily relation of partner to partner, parents to children, home to school and church, and school and church to home.

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In addition to this setting forth of the Divinely revealed teachings applying to these relationships, there is also a treatment of these principles in their relation to the civil state and the forms of government existing in the world to-day. These lectures should be read and considered by every home in the church.
     The first lecture, on "The Sociological Implications of Conjugial Love," brings out the duties of the home and its place in society. Not only the church but society in general is based upon the character of the home; "for if and when the home fails, society, with all that it involves, must follow". This teaching is shown to be the clear implication of the Writings, and also a law of society seen by all clear thinking sociologists. What the New Church adds to this general truth is the spiritual concept of a home, as being a family which is hound together by a common spiritual purpose. An angelic heaven from the human race is the end of Providence, and it is the love of this end that unites and makes the home. Marriage, in its natural and spiritual aspects, is the fulfilment of this end. There is a trend in modern society to shift the center from the home to the State, and lay the rightful responsibilities of the home upon the State. This involves a great danger to civilization and the certain death of the church; for "when children become the wards of the State, society stands upon the brink of disaster." The only real hope of civilization rests with the church, for there alone is the true use of the home known. `The only place where a home can be established is in that house, he it great or humble, where the Lord alone is acknowledged, and His will is the will that is done." If, then, we would establish the Lord's church upon earth, we must begin in, and with, the home."
     The second lecture is entitled, "The Pre-School Child.' In this article the subject of the essential use of the home is developed-its use as being the seminary of the human race. "Any curtailment of this use, except for the preservation of a higher use, cannot be justified." But this use is not completed with the propagation of offspring; it carries on into the training of children; for the love of children is essentially a spiritual love, and therefore eternal. The home must not expect the school to do its work.

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"We do not fulfill our baptismal vows by the simple process of sending our children to New Church schools. They are fulfilled to the degree that the Lord is the center of the home. And the home is not a house; it is the product of mutual spiritual affections between husband and wife."
     In this second article there is a consideration of practical ways in which parents can fulfill their duties to their children; and great stress is laid upon the value of the Word, prayer, and worship in the home. This will be helpful to those trying to build a genuine New Church home from which there will be a real growth of the church.
     The third lecture treats of the relation of home to school. Here again it is shown that the school cannot take the place of the home, and this for the reason that the deep affections of the child are rooted in the home, having been established there during the pre-school age. Where the affections are, there is the home. Hence the school is an aid to the home, and no more. We cannot expect to be successful in our efforts with New Church education unless there is essential agreement between the home and the school as to the purposes and ends of life in the world. The school cannot make New Churchmen. This must be done in the home. The school can merely augment and confirm, in a way for which the home is not equipped, those loves deeply implanted in the affections by the home, in the early years. It is essential to our work that the standards of the home and the school should agree. What are those standards? "Read the Writings, and you will be left in no doubt as to our ideals, our purposes, and our objectives."
     ELMO C. ACTON.
List of Publications 1942

List of Publications              1942

     The pamphlets reviewed above, and others recently published by the advertisement on the Pastoral Extension Service, are listed in cover-page 3 of the present issue.

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE              1942

     General Church of the New Jerusalem.

Ahren, Vrpl. Olof, Haekspettsvagen 14, Alsten, Stockholm, Sweden.
Alden, Sgt. Gideon T., 33031837, Battcry B. 53rd Coast Artillery, APO. 802, Bermuda.
Alden, Cpl. Guy S., Co. F, 15th Sig. Service Reg't., Fort Moomouth, N. J.
Alden, Cpl. Theodore S., Co. A, 1st Sig. Training Batto., Fort Monmouth, N. J.
Allen, Pvt. Ralph E., Class No. 19, A.C.T.D., Roosevelt Field, Mineola, L. I., N. Y.
Appleton, LAC. Eric D., 3 Drury Road, Colehester, England
Appleton, Roy, 52 Drury Road, Colehester, England.
Baeckstrom, Korpral Gunnar,
Svedjcv6gen 20, Appelviken, Stockholm, Sweden.
Bamford, Pvt. F. D., No. 2515, "A" Coy., 2nd R.D.L.I., U.D.F. -M. F. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal. South Africa.
Bellinger, P.O. Alfred G., R 75882, Alliford Bay, B. C.. Canada.
Bellinger, LAC. John H., R 88575, No. 4 S.F.T.S., Saskatoon, Sask., Canada.
Bellinger, A.C.2 W. G., R 137131. R.C.A.F., No. 1. ITS., Toronto. Ont., Canada.
Bond, AW. 2 L. D., W 300833, R.C.A F. WD No. 6 SETS., Duonville, Ont., Canada.
Boozer, Dvr. A. E., T/151805. D
Section, 19th M. C. Coy., (327 Coy.) R.A.S.C., c/o Army P.O., England.
Bostock, Pvt. Edward C., Jr., Air Corps., 84th Materiel Sqdn., Las Vegas, Nevada.
Braby, Lieut. Horace, do A. C. Braby, Esq., P.O. Box 731, Durban, Natal, South Africa
Brickman, Cpl. Elmer G., 11.Q. & H.Q. 8th Interceptor Command, County Jail, Charleston. S. C.
Buss, Pvt. J. M., No. 94002. "B" Coy., 1st N.M.R., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Caldwell, Pvt. Neil V., 12042894, Troop C, 4th Training Sqdn., C.R.T.C., Fort Riley, Kansas.
Carter, L.A.C. Orville, R 111624, R.C.A.F., No. 1 Wireless School, Queen Mary Road, Mutreal, P. Q., Canada.
Cockerell, John, co Miss Joy Lowe, c/o Hunt, Lencliars & Hephurn, Ltd., P.O. Box 943, Durban, Natal, South Africa. Cockerell, A/M Neville, No.
313413, No. 1 Air Depot, Roberts Heights, Transvaal, South Africa.
Cockerell, A/Corpl. Peter, No. 4893, c/o Mrs. J. D. Cockerell, 52 Vause Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Cockerell, A/M P. Graham, No. 313618, Sqdn. 40, S.A.A.F.. c/o Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Cole, Cpl. William P., Air Corps Officers' Candidate School, The Mayfair, Park Rd. at 20th St., Miami Beach, Florida.
Cooper, Lieut. Philip G., "Knollwood." 54 Harvard Road, Fair Haven, N. J.
Cooper, P.F.C. Rey W., 332(1 Materiel Sqdn.. Barksdale Field, Louisiana.
Cowley, L/Cpl. W. S., Nc. 6303, 1st N.M.R., H. Q. No. 1. U.D.F. -M. F. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.

182



Daly, A/C Jean, Class 42-D, Ellinglon Field. Houston, Texas.
Davies, Sgt. John, 8th Transport Sqdn., Hill Field. Ogden, Utah. D. 5. 1sf Weather Sqdn.
Davis, S/Sgt. Charles F., 17th School Seidii., Barracks 235. Chanute Field, Illinois.
Davis, P.F.C. Richard L., Battery D, 11th Batt'n. 4th Tr. F.A.R.C., Fort Bragg, N. C.
De Charms, Lt. Comdr. Richard, U. S. Marine Air Base, Cunningham Field, Cherry Point, North Carolina.
De Chazal, P1N Miss D. S., Nd. 254594, S.A.M.N.S., Lines of Communication, 1st Coy., SA. Med. Corps, U.D.F.-M. F. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
De Maine, Sgt. Robert E. L., Cd. F, 36th Combat Engineers, Plattsburg Barracks, N. Y.
De Villiers, Pvt. D. B., No. 195604, "B" Coy., 1st SAP., 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd 5. A. Div., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces. Army P.O., Durban. Natal. South Africa.
Evens, Pvt. Robert A., A 28678. E Battery, C.A.T.C. (A-I). Pctawawa. Ont., Canada.
Field, A/C George A., Scott Field. Belleville, Illinois.
Fine, P.F.C. Raymond, Military Police Co.. Schofleld Barracks, Hawaiian Div., T. H.
Finkeldey, Pvt. Philip, Co. C. T- 385, 1st Med. Training Bn., Camp Lee. Va.
Finley, LAC. H. M., No. 538331. RAE., Middle East Pool. Middle East, Via Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Fountain, Cpl. A. A., B 76894. TSR., M,G.T.C., Cotean Barracks, Three Rivers, P. Q., Canada.
Fountain, Tpr. T. J., B 69980, G.G.I-1.G., "A" Sqdn., 3rd Armored Regiment. Canadian Army Overseas.
Fraser, Corpl. R. F., No, 3726. Cable Platoon, No. 2 Div. Sig. Coy., U.D.F.-M. F. Forces Army P.O., Durban. Natal. South Africa.
French, Arthur W., c/o Fleet P.O., Pearl Harbor, T. H.
Gardiner, Pvt. J. 0., No. 82616. "B" Coy., Rand Lt. Infantry. 3rd Infantry Brigadle. 2nd 5. A. Div., U. D. F .-M. F. Forces. Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Gibb, Air Sergt. J. E., c/o Mrs. Lumsden, Coronation Road. Malvern, Natal, South Africa.
Grant, Major Fred M., 409 5. Dallas Aventie, Pittsburgh, Penna.
Greenhalgh, Sgn. Colin M., 2347948, 24th Arm'd Brigade Signals. I-lame Forces, England.
Harnin, 2nd Lt. Linda, A.N.C.. N- 725013, A.P.O. 916, San Francisco, Cal., 52nd Evac. Hospital. c1 a Postmaster, New York N. Y.
Hammond, A/P A. N., No. 104034, No. 22 Air School, \erecniging, Transvaal, South Africa.
Hammond, Pvt. H. V., No. 115.3. 1st N.M.R.. "A" Coy., 2nd Infantry Brigade. U.D.J".-M. F. Forces. c/o Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Hammond, L/C Harry B., No. 178055, 2ndl Echelon. I-T.D.F. M. E. Forces. c'o Army PO., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Heilman, Anthony W., AS. U.S.N.. c/o Postmaster. New York, N. Y.
Heilman, Pvt. Grant, 1st Photographic Sqdn.. Bolling Field, D. C.
Heinrichs, Corpl. Henry, 38189. Bis. Hq. Highiand Lt. Infantry at Can., 3rd Canadlian Div.. Canadian Army Overseas.
Heldon, Sgt. Norman, NN 51755. 7th Infantry Training Center, Foster, Victoria. Australia.
Heldon, AC. 1 Sydney, 104 Hillcrest Avenue. Hurstville, N.S.W., Australia.
Hill, A.C. 1 Leonard E., R 89398. 413th Sqdn. "C"-R.C.A.F.. Canadian Base Post Office Overseas.

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Hill, AC. 2 Ralph R., R 137173, ITS., R.C.A.F., Eglinton Hunt Club, Avenue Road, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Howson, Lieut. Maurice, c/o A. C. Braby. Esq., P. 0. Box 731, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Hyatt, Pvt. Edward D., Barracks 20-15, Flight F. 306th School Sqdn., Keesler Field, Miss. Iungerich, Ph. M. 1-C Alexander, Receiving Ship at New York (62139) Pier 92, W. 52nd St., New York, N. Y.
Iungerich, Sgt. Stevan, U. S. M . C.. P. 0. Box 27, Quantico, Virginia.
Izzard, P.O. Laurence T., J 7462, R.C.A.F. Overseas.
James, Sgt. Cecil J., A 17008, No. 2 Base Depot, Medical Stores. R.C.A.M.C., Canadian Army Overseas.
Jesseman, Sgn. Leonard, B 31428, 1st Arm'd Division, R.C.C.S., Canadian Army Overseas.
Jeunechamp, Le Commandant Eugene, 1st Spahis Algeriens, Laghanat, Dept. DAlger, North Africa.
John, LAC. D. Haydn, R 72169. R.C.A.F. Station, Sydney, N.S., Canada.
Jones, Harold C., R.A.F., 29 Broadway, Northampton, England.
Kintner, Lt. William R., Fort Constitution, New Castle, N. Y.
Kuhl, Cpl. A. W., A58261, B. Coy., No. 10 Basic Training Center, Kitchener, Ont., Canada.
Kuhn, Lt. Raymond T., 4th Reg't H.Q. Training Center, Caini'
Joseph T. Robinson, Ark.
Lee, Pvt. Harold, Co. C. 108Th Combat Engineers, Camp Forrest, Tenn.
Lindsay, P.F.C. Alexander H., Officers Candidate School, Signal Corps, Fort Monmouth, N. J.
Loomis, P/l Lyman S., RAE., Eagle Sqdn., Air Ministry, London, England.
Loven, Leitnant Tore, Faltpost 231 24, Litt. F., Sweden.
Lowe, Major Walter G.. C/o Messrs. Lowthers, Ltd.. P. 0. Box 492 Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Lumsden, Sgt. F. H. D., No. 45259, "C' Coy., 1st R.D.L.I.. 3rd luf. Brigade, U.D.F.-M. F. Forces, Army P.O.. Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Lumsden, Pvt. J. M., Nc. 6929, B" Coy., 1st R.D.L.I .3rd Infantry Brigade, LT.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Arms' P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Lunden, Vrpl. K. Gunnar, Drottningholmsvagen 116 A, Stockholm, Sweden.
McClean, Staff Sergt. A. P. D., No. 299290. Experimental Section, S.A.E.C African Explosives, P.O. North Rand, Transvaal, South Africa.
Morris, Sapper David, c/o Mrs. Best. The Windmill, Adshorough, Nr. Taunton, Somerset, England.
Nelson, Pvt. Gerald F., 1-latoc,, 127, M.C.B. Reeruit Depot. San Diego, Calif.
Odhuer, Pvt. Ray 5., 13053138. Co. C, 14th Training Bn., Camp Wheeler, Georgia.
Odhner, P.F.C. Sanfrid E., I-J.Q. & H.Q. Sqdn.. 1st Air Base (R, Langley Field, Va.
Parker, Pvt. S. F., No. 86601, `T' Service Corps Dept., T. S. Dchot Cullinan. Premier Mine. Transvaal, South Africa.
Parker, FO. Sydney R., C 3147, R.C.A.F., Canadian Army Overseas.
Pendleton, Pvt. Philip C. (Age 20), Coast Artillery, Battery 11, 34th Bn.. Camp Wallace, Texas. Peterson, Pvt. Win. F., Battery "P." 34th Bn.. 8th F. A. Reg., F.A.R.T.C.. Fort Sill, Okl a.
Pitcairn, Pvt. Michael, 161st Sig. Photo Co., Fort Benning, Ga.
Potts, Pvt. John, Q.M.C.. Service Unit No. 1201, Fort Jay, Governor's Island. N. Y.
Reuter, Corporal Warren A., 20620972, 108th Observation Sqdn .,A.P.O. 907. c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.

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Richards, Pvt. W., No. 65330, C.A.T.D. No. 1 Camp, Premier Mine, Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa.
Ridgway, L/Corpl. A. E., No. 5925, Sig. Platoon, 1st 5. A. Irish, U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Lieut. B. M., No. 251535, 6th Brigade Sig. Coy., Attached 2nd Transvaal Scots., 6th Infantry Brigade, U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Corpl. C. B., No. 3700, No. 2 Div. Sig. Coy., 2nd 5. A. Div., U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Lieut. C. 0., No. 1479, "C" Coy., Umvoti Mounted Rifles, U.D.F.-M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Air Mech. C. R., No. 95994, Station Staff, Zwartkof Air Station. Roberts Heights, Transvaal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Signaller, G., No. 289488. Signals-H. Q. Coy., 2nd 5. A. Police, 2nd 5. A. Div., U.D.F.- M. E. Forces, Army P.O., Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Ridgway, Pvt. H. A., No. X9074. c/o Southern Rhodesia Medical Corps, Heany Air Station. Heany, Rhodesia, South Africa.
Ridgway, Air Mech. L. A., No. 210985, S.A.A.F. Rand Airport. Germiston. Transvaal, South Africa.
Rott, Corpl. T. F., Station Hospital, Key Field, Meridian, Miss.
Rydstrom, Lt. J. F., 713 N. 12th Street. McAllen. Texas.
Sandstrbm, A., 392 46-34, Sjomanskaren, Karlskrona, Sweden.
Schnarr, L.A.C. Joffre G., Can. No. 70212, 206th Sqdn.. RAF., Northern Ireland.
Scott. Gnr. Bruce H., B 18594. 30th Battery, R C A (A), H. Q., Exhibition Park, Toronto, Out., Canada.
Scott, Pvt. Herbert G., Highland Lt. Infantry of Canada. c/a Wellesley Barracks, London, Ont., Canada.
Simons, Pvt. David R., 33130175, 179th Field Artillery Band, Camp Blanding, Florida.
Smith, Lt. Edmund G., 112th Observation Sqdn., Dover, Delaware.
Soneson, Pvt. Carl, Motor Co., E.R.C.. Fort Belvoir, Va.
Starkey, Signalman H. R., M 16691. No. 1 Co.. 1st Div. Signals, Royal Canadian Corps Signals, Canadian Army Overseas.
Steen, Sgt. George K., A 99912, address unknown.
Steen, LAC. Howard, R 103234, No. 16 SETS., R.C.A.F., Hagersville. Ont., Canada.
Strowger, Mrs. A. R., Y.W. CA. Hostess House. No. 5 S.F.T.S., Brantford, Ont., Canada.
Taylor, AC. 1 T. D., 33984, W/T Operator, Headquarters, RA. A.F., Pearce. Western Australia.
Tilson, Corpl. B. V., c/o Mr. V. R. Tilson. 136 Preston Road, Wembley, England.
Tilson, Gnr. R. J., 980022. 41st Battery, Light A. A., R. A., Middle East Forces.
Tinker, Harry, (Anti-Aircraft), Bryn Athyn, Middleton Road, Heywood. Lanes., England.
Von Moschzisker, Pvt. Michael, 28th C.A.T.B.. Battery C, Camp Wallace. Texas.
Walker, Marvin J., E Division, c/o Postmaster, Long Beach. Calif.
Walter, A/C Richard A., Navigation School. Turner Field. Albany, Georgia.
Walter, A/C Robert E., 13052904, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Waters, Lt. Comdr. Gilbert, "Warratab." Home Park, Aberdour, Fife. Scotland.
Waters. Gnr. M. T., 874881. c/u Mr. E. J. Waters, 26 Rye I-Jill Park, Peckham Rye, London, S. F. 15, England.
Waters, Philip, c/o Mr. F. J. Waters, 26 Rye Hill Park. Peckham Rye, London, S. E. 15, England.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     December 15th, 1941.-The two months following my news letter of September 30th were very quiet for the Durban Society. Two Halloween parties had been planned for October, but unfortunately the one arranged for the grown-ups had to be cancelled at the last moment. The children, however, enjoyed themselves immensely at a Fancy Dress Party held for them by Theta Alpha on Friday, October 24th, in the school grounds. On November 8th we enjoyed another of those delightful bioscope evenings in the Hall, for which Mr. "Billy" Schuurman provides the entertainment for the benefit of church funds. Pictures in color of the Game Reserves in South Africa were shown, notably the Kruger National Park, and we were shown several Durban New Church weddings of recent years.
     Bazaar.-But the highlight of events here was the Bazaar held in the Hall on December 8th. The women of the Society and their friends were known to have been working hard for a long time to make this evening a success, and it speaks well for their efforts that, in spite of war conditions, a sum of about L40 was raised for the funds of the church. The children also are to be congratulated on the excellent entertainment they provided for the grown-ups at this Bazaar, in songs, recitations and dances given by Jane and Barbara Forfar, Bunty Ridgway, and Naomi and Serene Schuurman.
     School.-On Friday, December 12th, Kainon School held its closing exercises, to which parents and friends were invited. During the ceremony a short address on "Thinking and Doing" was given by our Acting Pastor, after which Miss Elsie Champion, the Principal, gave her annual report and distributed the prizes. Her report revealed that, despite the unsatisfactory accommodation and equipment, the teachers and pupils of the school have courageously carried on during the past year; and after the long Summer holidays, which extend over the Christmas Season and during the whole of January, they look forward to meeting again in February to start a new year.
     Obituary.-Mr. Charles R. Grix.-Early in the morning of November 24th, 1941, Mr. Charles Richard Grix. an old and well-known resident of Durban, passed suddenly to the spiritual world. He was brother-in-law of the late Harold Thomas Attersoll, who was an uncle of Mrs. R. Melville Ridgway, and became interested in the Writings of the New Church when a young man, and made a deep study of them. In late years our friend lived a quiet and retired life, but to the last he maintained remarkable energy, despite his eighty years. Happily, in thus passing, he has been spared illness and suffering.
     Mr. Grix was a regular attendant at the services in Durban when Mr. A. S. Cockerell was Leader, and he conducted the Sunday School on alternate Sunday afternoons. It has been recorded that "sometimes the young people found the classes a little deep for their youthful understanding. Nevertheless, the majority grasped much of his teaching." Today a number of these "children" are staunch senior members of the Durban Society. Mr. Grix was also a foundation member of the Church of the New Jerusalem in Durban, and worked, not only with Mr. Cockerell, but also with the late Rev. J. F. Buss and the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, helping the latter with the Native Mission in Durban at its inception.

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     January 1st, 1942.-Our observance of the Advent Season began with the Christmas Party given by the Theta Alpha Chapter for the very young children on Tuesday afternoon, December 23rd. This was held in the Hall, and, to the delight of the youngsters, Father Christmas was able to spare an hour from his many engagements to take part in the fun. Happily be arrived at the precise moment to give every child present a Christmas gift from the brightly illuminated tree in the Hall. The Children's Christmas Service was held on Christmas Eve. The children in procession brought gifts and offerings to the chancel, and during the beautiful service which followed, Rev. Elphick explained in very simple language how and why the three Wise Men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the manger in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2: 11.) After this service the children were all shown the Representation in the Hall, after which the very young ones were taken home to bed, while the older children remained to interchange gifts at a Christmas Party arranged for them by Theta Alpha.
     At the adult worship on Christmas morning the attendance was excellent, in spite of the absence of so many at the Front, and the musical selections rendered by the choir were enjoyed by everyone present. With the warlike atmosphere around us in the outside world, the beautifully decorated church on this occasion was indeed a sanctuary of peace and serenity to troubled and anxious minds. Mr. Elphick led in a joyful and impressive service, and took as his text, "There was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2: 7.) It was shown how this could be applied in four ways-to the Scriptures, to the individual mind, to international conditions, and to the New Church. The Christmas Communion Service was held on Sunday, December 28th, the Sacrament of the Holy Supper being administered to twenty-six communicants.
     Our celebrations this year ended with the New Year Service which took place at 9 am, on New Year's Day. On this occasion, Rev. Elphick spoke on a New Year theme based upon the text, "For a time, and times, and half a time." (Apoc. 12: 14.)
     1941 has now come and gone, and much has happened in the course of this war in our struggle for Freedom. The Durban Society now has thirty- four names on the list of those serving their Country on full-time Military Duties. Some of our boys have seen action against the enemy; some are doing a good job of work up-country in the Union of South Africa; while others, not on this list, are doing part-time work helping in the arrangements made for the defense of this city. We understand from the words of our great leader, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, that 1942 will be a hard year, but we pray that it will, in Providence, be a good year, leading to peace through Victory in 1943.
     In conclusion, the Durban Society sends Greetings to all our friends in the New Church, and especially to all New' Church men and women on Active Service, wherever they may be. May the Lord protect and bless you all!
     P. D.C.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     The main event here in November was the third annual banquet sponsored by the Hurstville Chapter of the Sons of the Academy. Thirty-one members and friends met in an atmosphere of good fellowship, and the writer of these notes was privileged to act as toastmaster. To stress the international character of the organization the flags of countries in which Chapters have been established were displayed on the walls, and the locations of these Chapters were indicated by miniature flags in a large map of the world. A greeting from Secretary Wilfred Howard, and a thoughtful message from Sergeant Norman Heldon, were received with sustained applause.

187


The theme of the addresses was "Ideals of New Church Education," and the subjects of preparation for marriage, use, and life in societies in heaven were dealt with by Messrs. Ossian Heldon, Lindthman Heldon, and the Pastor, respectively. Toasts, prearranged and impromptu and songs completed a varied and interesting program which closed with the Benediction.
     December was, as always, a month of considerable activity. On Saturday the 6th, local Sons held a picnic for the Sunday School children, and this outing, if strenuous, was much enjoyed by all who took part.
     The last doctrinal class of the year was held the following evening, and our study of the doctrine of charity brought to a close. Some ten days later the philosophy class finished its first year of work. This group has now read half of Swedenborg's Rational Psychology, and is looking forward to completing the work next year. On Sunday the 14th, morning and evening sermons on "The Gospels of the Advent" (Luke 1: 1-4), and "Gratitude for the Lord's Advent" (Psalm 8: 3-5), set in appropriate services, ushered in the Advent season; and on the following Sunday the subject was "The Incarnation." (I Kings 8: 27.)
     The children's Christmas Service, held in the afternoon of the 21st, was well attended. The children heard a talk on "Good Tidings of Great Joy," and were shown a representation of the appearing of the angel to the shepherds. The young people's class, which has read the Heavenly Doctrine and the Doctrine of the Lord during the year, had held its last meeting in the morning; and the monthly Arcana class met in the evening. This class will not go into recess, but will continue to meet through the Summer. The usual service of praise was held on Christmas morning, the pastor giving a short address on the spiritual significance of the Lord's being found as a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.
     A number of parties was held during the festive season. The Ladies'
Guild came first with a very enjoyable function on Friday the 19th. In the interests of safety the children's party scheduled for the following day was held in the afternoon instead of the evening. As it was thought that the usual tableaux would not be as effective in daylight, they were omitted, but the children seemed to be satisfied. The Society had its party on Monday the 22nd. This happy gathering, with its exchange of little gifts, is always much enjoyed, and the 1941 edition was no exception. A social gathering was held at the pastor's home on New Year's Eve.
     W. C. H.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

     Our little group is already finding it difficult to maintain normal attendance at the meetings, due to the fact that many of Detroit's great plants. all engaged in war work, are operating the clock around and seven day's per week. This condition keeps some of our men from regular attendance at our services and classes.
     Then, also, two of our boys have recently joined the armed forces, with two others slated to go soon. Thus we find our group facing the future with depleted ranks, but, we trust, with unfaltering zeal, faith and courage.
     The regular schedule of monthly meetings is being maintained, the Rev. Norman Reuter coming over from Akron, Ohio, usually on Thursday, and remaining through the following Sunday. He found it a little difficult to get along without his car in this city of vast distances, so he resumed driving on the occasion of his last visit. However, it now appears that pastors are not to be allowed tires, so Mr. Reuter is still facing the problem of transportation. He can reach Detroit all right by train, but really needs a car while here, or his activities must be curtailed.
     From "somewhere on the Pacific" comes a sincere word of appreciation for the New' Church literature which is being sent by the Military Service Committee to all General Church men in the armed forces.

188


Marvin John Walker, in a recent letter home, expressed himself as follows:-"I have been receiving NEW CHURCH LIFE and the Adult Education Book regularly from the Military Service Committee. And just lately I received a little book, pocket size and very nicely bound, entitled Day Unto Day. It has portions from the Writings for daily reading-things of special interest to persons in the armed forces. I'm certainly glad you sent in my name because all these things make me feel more at home, by knowing I'm reading and thinking of the same things that you are." Keeping our fighting sons in touch with the Church, in such a practical and useful manner, is a grand work which all parents will most heartily appreciate.
     In the midst of wars' horrors, and the uncertainty of the future for all of us, it is a pleasure to be able to end this report on a happy note. We hear that wedding bells are scheduled to ring early in May for two of our young people-Miss Beatrice Cook and Mr. Walter Childs-whose engagement was announced last summer.
     W. W. W.

     KITCHENER, ONT.

     February 10, 1942.-
     This is Hazel Heath Schnarr and the news from Kitchener.
     The dreadful conflict gave Christmas a deeper significance this year, and for that reason our tableaux were especially impressive, particularly the scene of David's singing and his playing on the harp, and also the final scene of an angel reading a passage from the Word. The setting was taken from one of the Memorable Relations. The backgrounds throughout were very appropriate, and authentic as to detail. They were prepared under the excellent directorship of Mr. Gill and Miss Korene Schnarr.
     The children's school party was thoroughly enjoyable. the outstanding feature being a splendid military drill under the command of Corporal Norbert Rogers. A delightful phase of the party was Mr. Rogers dressed as
Santa Claus, distributing gifts from his pack.
     The New Year's Social was sponsored by committees of the Young People. Miss Korene Schnarr headed the committee that served a delicious midnight supper. With the singing of "Auld Lang Syne." and the greetings welcoming the New Year, our thoughts and love went to all the boys "over there."
     Swedenborg's Birthday was celebrated, first on Friday morning by the children. A tasty luncheon was served by a committee of the ladies, and interesting papers on Swedenborg's Life and Works were given by the children. In the evening the adults observed the occasion with a banquet and social. The Rev. Norbert Rogers gave an interesting address on "The Development of Philosophy in its Relation to the Writings."
     On New Year's afternoon, Miss Anna Heinrichs was married to Mr. Walter Miehm, the Rev. Alan Gill officiating. An informal reception was held after the wedding, with Mrs. Glebe as hostess.
     The Men's Club and the Sons of the Academy Chapter are now holding joint meetings at the homes. The Young People's Classes are also being held at the homes each week, studying the subject of Divine Providence.
     All our eligible boys belong to the Active Service A number of our younger boys have joined either the Air or the Sea Cadets.
     Leonard Hill, who is in the R.C.A.F. in England, has teen made a Ground Sergeant. Howard Steen has won his wings; Ralph Hill is now an LAC., and is going on for his Pilot's Course; Bill Bellinger, LAC., is taking an Observer s Course. Alfred Bellinger, who has received his commission as a Pilot Officer in the R.C.A.F. Coastal Defence, was home on leave at Thanksgiving. Corporal Joffre Schnarr, Corporal Henry Heinrichs, and Sergeant Cecil James have contacted each other in England. Bill Kuhl is now an Instructor Sergeant at No. 10 Training Centre in Kitchener. Air Gunner Donald Sole was killed overseas in September-a boy of fine character and greatly loved by the Kitchener people.

189



     Lillian Bond, wearing her active service uniform, was home recently, and made her Confession of Faith. She is in the C.W.A.A.F., and stationed at Duonville, Ontario.
     Boxes of food supplies were sent by our society to the Colchester and London Societies, and word has been received that they arrived in the pink of condition. Even the onions had not sprouted!
     Cheerio -H. H. S.

     March 5.-The Niebergal family have changed their name to Niall. A surprise "shower" was held at their home for Mr. and Mrs. Walter Miehm, with Miss Dorothy Kuhl as hostess.
     Owing to a breakdown in the heating system, our school was recently closed for a week. The school this year has an enrollment of 31 pupils, with Miss Phillis Cooper teaching the younger grades and Miss Nancy Horigan in charge of the older grades.
     The Rev. Karl R. Alden and the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal paid a visit to Kitchener on February 19 and 20, in support of the South African Mission.
     On the first evening, Mr. Alden addressed the men of the society at the home of Messrs, George and Rudolph Schnarr, presenting the subject of "The Preparation for the Opening of Swedenborg's Spiritual Sight," taken from the wonderful research work by Bishop Acton. The address was most inspiring, to the younger boys as well as the older men. There was considerable discussion, and right here the men would like me to say that they are definitely looking for more frequent visits by ministers with such instructive talks.
     The following evening a delicious banquet was served by a committee of the ladies, headed by Mrs. Nelson Glebe, after which Mr. Alden spoke enthusiastically of Mr. Gyllenhaal's splendid work with the Natives in South Africa. Mr. Gyllenhaal then gave a fascinating account of his experiences among the Natives. Mr. Gill brought this part of the evening to a close with a few remarks summing everything up to the fact that it is our duty, as well as our responsibility, to give our wholehearted support to this worthy cause. Later in the evening, Mr. Alden and Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Stroh entertained us with violin, flute and piano music.
     The Christmas packages sent by our society to our four boys overseas have reached their destination.
     "The Carmel Church Chronicle." our infant newspaper, is issued monthly. It is edited by Miss Joan Kuhl and sponsored by the Young People.
     How's your sugar ration holding out?-Chins up!
     H. H. S.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     On Friday, January 16, after our weekly community supper, we all adjourned to the church building where we attended a service of Divine Worship. This service was recorded, and 36 hours later the doctrines of the New Church were "on the air." being heard by thousands of people who make a practice of tuning in on this Sunday morning program. (For details of this event, see page 137 of the March, 1942, NEW CHURCH LIFE.)
     Saturday, January 24. the Glenview Chapter of the Sons of the Academy held a special meeting to welcome two visiting Sons-President Carl Asplundh of Bryn Athyn, and Ex-President Daric Acton of Pittsburgh. We had a very lively discussion of the subject of scholarships. For those who were not present it might be interesting to state that, when Bryn Athyn and Pittsburgh meet up with the equally active minds of Glenview, some good is bound to result. It did! Lots of good fellowship at that meeting, plus buffalo meat supplied by O. E. Asplundh. Tender as good roast beef was that buffalo meat. Come again, Carl and Daric!
     On Swedenborg's Birthday there was a banquet for the school children, and on the following evening a banquet for the society, the Rev. Gilbert Smith being toastmaster. The speakers: Rev. Harold Cranch, Dr. Harvey Farrington and Mr. Sydney E. Lee.

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A new song was introduced. A fine swing to it. Easy to sing-and good words. If you want to learn it, ask Miss Creda Glenn to sing "As Warriors True." Twice through will be enough-and you'll know it!
     A bakery sale and card party on February 14 was well attended-another of those affairs which turned out to be above average because most everybody showed up determined to have a good time. They did!
     On Sunday, February 15, the Immanuel Church School Orchestra gave a concert conducted by our own Jesse Stevens. He has the ability to take a bunch of children and musical instruments, mix them around, and, in an unbelievably short time, set them down on the stage a full-fledged band, producing sounds that are mighty pleasant to the ear.
     At the Sons' meeting in the evening, Arnold Smith gave a most interesting description of the inside workings of the Post Office Department, making us feel that we get our three-cents' worth each time we mail a letter which goes beyond our own town.
     Lots of activity here in Glenview these days: Monday, high school doctrinal class; Tuesday, manual training class; Wednesday, meeting of the Ladies' Guild, or Theta Alpha, or Pastor's Council, or Finance Board; Thursday, young people's doctrinal class also many of the ladies attending a Red Cross first-aid class; Friday, the inevitable supper and lecture. And Sundays-spiritual food, clean and pure, refreshing us, and strengthening us for the battle of life and of liberty-and of the pursuit of happiness.
     Seven of our men are now in the Service, and some of we oldsters are being drafted for government work-greatly to our satisfaction.
     This report would not be complete without mention of the work Miss Creda Glenn has been doing for us and our school in connection with our singing. Creda approaches this subject from the Doctrines of the New Church; and the rational, common sense deductions drawn from an intelligent study along these lines has resulted in making our congregational singing-in fact, all our singing-a very live thing! We want Creda to come back. She will!
     We would add a few words from a recent sermon by our pastor, the text being, "Thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast."
     "The `face' signifies the interiors of the spirit or of the mind. And when one dwells too much upon the maladjustments and failures in human life-his own and those of others,-then the interiors of the mind are closed, as our Doctrine teaches; as, for instance, when worldly things are too constantly in the thought. We should endeavor to be cheerful and confident in all our associations with others, and not dwell upon the dark side in the eyes of men; although there may be an interior 'fasting' in that which is hidden from the sight of others, that is, in the interiors of the mind which turn to the Lord in the hope that the 'fast' may be broken, and we may again receive a greater hope and a clearer vision of truth.
     "If only we have a genuine love for this kind of spiritual food, we need not be over-anxious about our own states and the state of the world about us. But in the boundaries-in the external things of our lives-there should be a sustained cheerfulness and delight in our work and companionship with others. The genuine religion which is from the Lord is not sad."
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.


     MINISTERIAL CHANGES.

     The Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, Pastor of the New York Society and the North Jersey Circle, has accepted an appointment by the Bishop to be the Visiting Pastor to the Southern States, succeeding the Rev. Victor J. Gladish, who has retired from active ministerial work.

191


PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY 1942

PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY              1942




     Announcements



     Members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem are invited to attend the Philadelphia District Assembly, which will be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, 1942.

     Program.

     Saturday, May 16, at 3.00 p.m.-Session of the Assembly. Discussion on: "How can the Philadelphia District cooperate in promoting the uses of the General Church?"
     3.30     p.m.-Address by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner. Subject: "The South African Missions.
     7.00     p.m.-Assembly Banquet (Informal). Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen. Toastmaster.
     Sunday, May 17, at 11.00 a.m.- Divine Worship.
BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1942

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS        Celia Bellinger       1942

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn from time to time, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE,
     Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.

192


ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1942

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS              1942

     General Church of the New Jerusalem.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA., APRIL 6-12. 1942.

     Program.

Monday, April 6.
     8.00 p.m.     Consistory.
Tuesday, April 7.
     10.00 a.m. Council of the Clergy.
3.30     p.m. Educational Council: General Session.
          Topic: New Church Education in Manners and Behavior.
Wednesday, April 8.
     10.00 a.m.     Council of the Clergy.
     1.15     p.m.     Educational Council: Luncheon at the Assembly Hall.
               Topic: Textbooks Now in Use in the Different New Church
                Schools. (Textbook display.)
     3.30     p.m.     Conference of Mathematics Teachers.
               Topic: Teaching of Arithmetic and High School Mathematics.
Thursday, April 9.
     10.00 a.m.     Council of the Clergy.
     1.15     p.m.     Educational Council: Luncheon at the Assembly Hall.
               Topic: "What Are the Duties of New Church Educators in a
                World at War?"
     3.30     p.m.     Educational Council: Conference on Correlation of Elementary and High School Work.
Friday, April 10.
     10.00 a.m.     Council of the Clergy.
     3.30     p.m.     Executive Committee.
     7.00     p.m.     Friday Supper in the Assembly Hall, followed by the Open Session of the Council of the Clergy.
          Address: Rev. William Whitehead.
          Subject: "The Church and Humanity."
Saturday, April 11.
     10.00 a.m.     Joint Council.
     3.30     p.m.     Joint Council (if needed).
     8.00     p.m.     Oratorical Contest of the Boys' Academy.
Sunday, April 12.
     9.30     a.m.     Children's Service.
     11.00 a.m.     Divine Worship.
HARVEST OF THE EARTH 1942

HARVEST OF THE EARTH        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
MAY, 1942
     (Delivered at the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Pittsburgh Society, November 7, 1941. Also at District Assemblies, Fall-1941.)

     Recent world-events have raised anxious questions in the minds of many. What is the Providence back of the widespread disturbances that appear to threaten a complete disruption of modern civilization? Since freedom of thought and of worship is essential to the establishment of the New Church, why has the Lord permitted these hard-won liberties to be blotted out for many peoples, and to be placed in dire jeopardy for all? How can we reconcile with the infinite mercy of the Lord the cruel sufferings that have been visited upon a large portion of the world?
     It is not our purpose to attempt to answer these questions. The true answer is known only to the Lord. There can be no doubt, however, that the events we are witnessing are in some way intimately connected with the Last Judgment. And this has led us to reflect upon the teaching of the Writings concerning that Judgment and the mode of its accomplishment.
     John, in Apocalyptic vision, saw upon a white cloud "one like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat upon the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." (Rev. 14: 14, 15.)
     According to Christian tradition this "harvest of the earth" has been understood as referring to the end of the world.

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The prophecy of the Lord's Second Coming recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, when literally interpreted, has been thought to foretell the final destruction of the universe by a titanic collision of stars and planets. This cataclysm, it was supposed, would bring about the complete dissolution of the earth and the eternal annihilation of the evil. Such a "last judgment" has been imminently expected through all the history of the Christian Church. Fearfully men have watched for the signs of its approach. Every major war, every great catastrophe, every strange or inexplicable happening, has been hailed with foreboding as a precursor of the end. Yet the awe inspired by the thought of this "great and terrible day of the Lord" has ever been tempered by the promise that after the judgment a new material world will be created. This it was thought would be a perfect world, whence want and privation, sin and suffering and death, would be banished forever. Here the souls of all who had been elected to salvation would dwell, having been retinited to their earthly bodies, This restoration to life in an everlasting "kingdom of God"-of all the good who had died from the beginning of time-is what was supposed to be meant by "the harvest of the earth."
     To every thinking mind the childish absurdity of such an idea is obvious. Why should the Creator destroy His handiwork? Why did He not create a perfect world in the beginning? If all possibility of evil can so readily be eliminated in the new-creation, why was it ever permitted? Why should a merciful God keep the souls of the good for so many centuries in an indefinite state devoid of all the delights of life, waiting to be restored to their material bodies? How can such a restoration be effected when their bodies long since have disintegrated and returned to the elements? There is in all this no understandable purpose. Rational thought-to any degree informed by scientific knowledge-at once rejects such a concept as untenable. Yet, because it has been identified with the teaching of the Sacred Scripture, such a rejection too often carries with it an internal if not open denial of the Word of God. "Lest"-we are told in the Heavenly Doctrine-"such a spirit of denial, which especially prevails with those who have much worldly wisdom, should also infect and corrupt the simple in heart and the simple in faith" (Heaven and Hell, 1, 312)- "the Lord has revealed the internal sense of His Word, to the end that men may know what is truly meant by the 'Last Judgment' foretold in Matthew, and by the final `harvest of the earth."

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     The Writings plainly demonstrate that the Lord, in describing the Last Judgment, did not prophesy any destruction of the material universe. They point out that here, as elsewhere throughout the Scriptures, the Lord was speaking in parables; for, as we are told in the Gospel of Mark, "without a parable spake He not unto them. " (Chapter 4: 34.) His words therefore contained a spiritual meaning, apart from which they could not be rightly understood. When that meaning is known, it becomes clear that the Lord was not referring to any future cataclysm of nature, but to an enormous inversion of the modes of human thought. It was not the material world that was to be destroyed, but a world created by man's perverted imagination. The purpose of this destruction was not to annihilate the evil, nor to prevent the future possibility of sin, but to restore spiritual freedom by a final separation of the evil from the good.
     We would call special attention to the teaching given-that such a separation between the good and the evil cannot possibly take place on earth. (Last Judgment 30.) The reason is, that here in the natural world the interior quality of a man's life is not known. Only such as are openly evil-criminals who break the civil law, or those who in speech and conduct transgress accepted codes of morality-can here be separated and placed under restraint as enemies of society. And even as to these we cannot know with any assurance whether they are internally evil or not. Only after death can outward appearances gradually be stripped away, that the true nature of the internal man may be disclosed to view. For this reason the Last Judgment must of necessity take place, not on earth, but in the spiritual world. (A. C. 10622; Coronis 11.) In fact, we now know that the Last Judgment-which many on earth still anticipate with dread-has already taken place. It was fully accomplished in the spiritual world during the year 1757. There and at that time the prophecies of the Word concerning it were fulfilled; and their fulfillment was witnessed by Emanuel Swedenborg, who in his inspired Writings has described it at length for our instruction.
     In general, the nature of that Judgment-effected upon all in the world of spirits who had died since the time of the Lord's First Advent, and who had formed for themselves imaginary heavens-is well known to all readers of the Writings.

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Much more of interest and value might of course be learned from a special study of what is revealed concerning it. But our present purpose is rather to inquire if, in spite of the apparent teaching to the contrary, this same Last Judgment is not to be effected also in the natural world; and if so, how it is to be accomplished here. In this case, how are we to understand the teaching that it can be accomplished only in the spiritual world?
     The fact that it must also, in some way, take place in the world of men, is clear from this, that the Divine end in the Judgment was not only to form a new heaven from those who had been bound in the world of spirits, but also to establish a new church on earth. Thus we read: "The Lord's Coming is for the purpose of forming a new heaven of those who have believed in Him, and for the purpose of establishing a new church of those who hereafter shall believe in Him, inasmuch as these two are the ends for which He came." (T. C. R. 773.) Indeed, these two ends are inseparably conjoined. For the heavens rest upon the church on earth as upon their foundation; and unless a true church is established here, the heavens themselves must fall. Furthermore, the mode by which the church is established is in all essential respects the same as that whereby the heavens are formed. That is, it is established solely by means of a judgment, involving a separation of the good from the evil. The only difference is that in the spiritual world such a judgment takes place rapidly, while on earth it can advance only by slow stages over a long period of time.
     The answer to this seeming paradox is clearly stated in the Writings. "Judgment," we read, "which is the last of every church, does not take place in the natural world, but in the spiritual world, into which all are gathered after death. . . . (It) takes place in the spiritual world for the reason that every man after death is a man not a material man as before, but a substantial man. Every man s mind or spirit is such a man. The body which he carries about in the world is only a covering, and as it were a slough which he has laid aside, and from which his spirit has disengaged itself. Now since it was man's mind or spirit that thought in the material body, and then either from religion or not from religion, and in favor of God or against God, from truths of faith or from falsities of faith, loved his neighbor or held him in hatred; and since the material body was only obedience, it follows that the mind, which is the substantial man, and is called the spirit, is what undergoes judgment, and according to the intentions and acts of his life is rewarded or punished.

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From these things it may be plainly manifest that judgment, which is the last of every church, takes place in the spiritual world, but not in the natural world." (Coronis 11.)
     The plain meaning of this passage is that judgment takes place, not in the material universe, but in the minds of men and of spirits. Man as to his mind is a spirit. As to his spirit he is in the spiritual world-though he knows it not-even while he is living in the body. It is in this mind, in this spirit, that judgment is effected. The establishment of the church with any man is such a judgment. And to say that the church is to be established on the earth is the same as saying that this judgment must take place before death while man is still living in the natural world. Indeed we are taught that the church as an organized body consists of those with whom individually it has been established in mind and spirit. With whom this is the case can be known only to the Lord. All of those who externally belong to the church body may not have the church within them. But in a living church the sincere endeavor of each one to receive the internal truth of the Word in mind and heart must be the prevailing state. And where that endeavor exists, the Lord will be present to effect a judgment and to establish His kingdom.
     Just so far as men, in heart and faith, receive the Divine Truth of the Heavenly Doctrine, the Last Judgment that took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757 will be extended to the natural world, and the New Jerusalem will descend from God out of heaven. We believe that in its least beginnings this has already come to pass. We base this belief, not on any human judgment as to the internal states of those who belong to the organizations that profess a faith in the Writings, but rather upon the fact, now revealed, that the Christian Church has ceased to serve as a basis for the heavens, and that this vital use can be performed only by the New Church. There must, therefore, be some now living with whom the Judgment has been performed and the church established, however few in numbers these may be.

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Let us not lay unction to our souls, that because we belong to the New Church we are to be counted among those few. But let it be the prayer of our hearts that we may become worthy to perform that greatest of all uses to the Lord and to the world.
     Not only do we believe that the true establishment of the New Church has actually begun with a few, but we have an unshakable faith in its gradual spread from the few to the many. It must in time become world-wide, embracing every race and nation, for this is the promise given. It is the final purpose of the Lord's Coming to establish His kingdom everywhere upon the earth. Toward this end the Lord will not cease to labor, by all the operations of His Providence, until it has been accomplished. For this, in the last analysis, is what is truly meant by "the harvest of the earth."
     When we regard the state of the modern Christian world any widespread acceptance of the Heavenly Doctrine appears almost an impossibility. The rapid increase of scientific skepticism; the denial of any authoritative Divine teaching; the systematic effort of many educators to destroy in youth the simple faith of childhood-a faith in the Word or in any religious teaching; a growing reliance upon moral training apart from religion as the only needed safeguard against evil;-all these have combined to create an almost universal attitude of secret contempt for spiritual truth, and an open indifference to religion. There are, indeed, many who still cling to a simple faith in the literal Scriptures; yet for this very reason the minds of such are not open to the teaching of the Writings. For they are satisfied with a natural religion-an irrational belief that takes no account of known scientific laws, relying solely upon the absolute power of an arbitrary God. There are a few-here and there-who in secret ways have been prepared to receive spiritual faith. But before there can be any general approach to the New Church, it is evident that there must be a radical change of state-a violent revolution in human thought.
     To bring this about, the Lord must operate in two distinct ways-that is, from without and from within. He moulds the future destiny of the race between His two hands. In the march of human events two great forces must meet, two distinct streams of Providence must converge. One is the preliminary process of preparation, continually operating throughout the entire world. This is purely a Divine work.

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In it man can have no conscious part. It is the Lord's secret operation with those who know Him not-with those who have no knowledge of the Writings, nor of the spiritual truth revealed in them. It is a control of human minds so subtle as not to be in the least suspected, so wise and gentle as not to take away man's freedom of choice, yet so governing the play and interplay of human emotions, loves, hopes, and ambitions, as to lead men step by step toward an ultimate accomplishment of the Divine will.
     In the daily unfolding of history as we learn it from the radio, the screen and the press, we are able to see only the superficial manifestations of human life,-the waves that play on the surface,- while the deep currents that determine the future of the race remain hidden from our view. We see the astonishing achievement of modern science rapidly strengthening the tendency to rely entirely upon the power of natural truth to overcome all evil. We see the foundations of religious faith crumbling under the blows of purer- scientific reasoning. We see the ancient beliefs of entire nations stamped out by ruthless persecution, and more effectively destroyed by systematic education of children and the young. We see all moral and spiritual standards challenged, and everything else sacrificed in the struggle for political power, or for economic gain. And it is impossible to foretell what altered conditions will prevail in the future, as this avalanche of irresistible natural forces sweeps on its destined course.
     The outward appearance is that those conditions will become less and less favorable to the growth of the New Church. But this is because the first task of preparation is one of breaking down-of destroying old buildings, removing obstacles, clearing and leveling the ground-before any work of new construction can begin. Seeing only the immediate effects of this destructive process-even the apparent devastation of those childhood remains of spiritual affection, without which, we are told, there is no hope of a future restoration-we are often at a loss to understand what is taking place. But the truth is, that the remains of infancy and early childhood are far deeper than we can realize. They cannot be so easily destroyed. They are under the Lord's immediate protection; and while men are making determined efforts to destroy them-and must be permitted to do so-the Lord overrules their malevolent designs, allowing them to do no more than modify the form of these remains.

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He allows this to the end that false ideas of religion may gradually be extricated from the entangling appearances of the letter of the Word, so that eventually they may be rejected without destroying all faith in the Word itself.
     At the same time He causes the pride of human intelligence-the self-assured reliance upon purely natural reasoning-to be shaken. This cannot be done except through failure and disappointment. Only when pet formulas refuse to work; when trusted theories prove yam' when men find themselves face to face with forces too strong for them-mysterious forces that they cannot understand-only then can they be brought willingly to seek the Lord's help. This is the Divine purpose in all natural temptations-in human suffering even to despair. It is to loosen the hold of men upon their vain imaginations, to lead them back to the fundamentals of life, that they may at last be free-from the beginning-to build anew the structure of their thought.
     But this is a negative process. By itself it would accomplish nothing but destruction. It would lead only to ever-increasing darkness, uncertainty, and confusion. Even while the Lord is thus operating from without through the medium of man's selfish and worldly loves. He must be working at the same time from within. This He does by means of the Heavenly Doctrine-the revelation of the internal truth of the Word. He does this by establishing a New' Church with such as are able to receive this truth. Only with these can the positive work of new construction be begun. Only through these can the bond of connection between heaven and earth be preserved, providing for an influx of heavenly affections, protecting the innocent, and guarding the spiritual life of the simple in heart everywhere. This also is a Divine work. It involves much that is beyond the comprehension, either of men or of angels. But, unlike the negative work of preparation, it is at the same time dependent for its success upon the free and conscious cooperation of those who know the truth. Here lies the special responsibility of those who belong to the New Church. It is the distinctive use to which these have been called,- a use that no others are in a position to perform. Truly to become a member of the New Church is to respond to this call, to accept this responsibility, and to dedicate our life to the performance of this use.

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     The external organization of the church, including all its activities-its worship, its education, its social life-is merely for the purpose of helping its members better to perform this spiritual function. These instrumentalities give opportunity for the development and perfection of spiritual understanding. They afford a field for the exercise of spiritual charity. Through them it is possible to make a real beginning in the building up of a new mode of life,-a mode of life that can be brought into ever greater correspondence with the heavenly principles of love and faith now revealed by the Lord.
     Here, within the church, a judgment can take place-a separation of the good from the evil. So far as such a separation is effected in the minds of those who belong to the church by the rejection in thought and in will of whatever is opposed to the Divine Truth of the Writings, it cannot fail to produce a corresponding judgment in speech and action. And to the extent that the members of the church are united in their desire to do this, they can find in all the needs, the duties, and the functions of its organization a free opportunity for the ultimate expression of this desire,-an opportunity that cannot exist in their dealings and relations with those who have no knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrine.
     This is what is meant, in the genuine sense, by the "distinctiveness" of the New Church. It is using the organized body of the church as a field where doctrine may be ultimated in life. It is applying the principles of our faith to the solution of all questions of government, of instruction, of ritual, of home life, and of social intercourse. Not otherwise can a beginning be made on earth of that Judgment which took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757, which led to the formation of the New Heaven there, and which alone can effect the establishment of the New Church with men.
     It was this ideal that first produced the Academy, and that has continued as the guiding purpose of the General Church from its beginning. This we believe is what constitutes a living church. No less than this is required of those who have been entrusted with the vision of the Lord in His Second Coming. It is only as those who have access to the Truth increase their understanding of it, and in the measure of their understanding bring it into life, and thus grow in spiritual faith and love, that the Lord can operate through them to build His Church.

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Everyone who does this becomes a center of influx from heaven-an instrument in the Lords hands for the accomplishment of His work from within, and in ways far beyond man's knowledge.
     And if the church as an organized body faithfully performs this, its appointed task, the two streams of Providence will meet. For as the Lord slowly produces in the minds of men a state of reception-clearing the ground and removing the obstacles that stand in the way of a wider acceptance of the Doctrine-He will at the same time have prepared the means for their instruction. He will have established the beginnings of a church in which they may find a spiritual home. How or when this may come to pass we do not know. It may be delayed for many centuries. But this we know-that the knowledge of the Writings brings with it the opportunity to receive incomparable blessings from the Lord, and at the same time it places upon us a unique responsibility. If we are faithful to our trust-however long the time may be-the church will grow, and in the end the Lord will gather out of all the world "the harvest of the earth."
PROVIDENCE AND EXPEDIENCY 1942

PROVIDENCE AND EXPEDIENCY       Rev. K. R. ALDEN       1942

     "Thy word is truth." (John 17: 17.)

     The Lord Jesus Christ, on the eve of His betrayal, after He had comforted His disciples with the words, "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me," prayed to the Father for His disciples-prayed for the infant church, that it might be able to perform its appointed task. His words w-ere: I have given them Thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. . . . Sanctify them through Thy truth; . . . Thy word is truth"
     Today the world is full of iniquity, of perfidy, of utter disregard for the spoken or printed word. We have lived to see nations put expediency above honor, and human prudence above the Divine Providence.

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Our faith is, that there is absolute truth. We believe that if we knock at the door in the Lord's name, it will be opened.
     The distinguishing mark of the little band of disciples who formed the primitive Christian Church was that the Lord had given them His Word, and "His word was truth." It is curious that in the dark days that fell upon that Church they sought to find a respite from their sorrows by withdrawing from the world. Yet the Lord had said to the Father, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil." As it was with them, so it will be with us. Our salvation does not lie along the line of a monastic life, but rather in playing a manly part in a tempestuous world. We do not want to be saved from the world; we want to be saved from evil. This is done by His Word. "His Word is truth."
     What is the practical importance of a conviction that "His Word is truth"? It establishes the principle that to think from the truth is wisdom; and since the Lords Word is the truth, to think from the Word is to be partakers of the Lord's Divine Blood, to be filled with His wisdom. "Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood, ye have no life in you."
     Let us contemplate the war. If we think from our own intelligence we cannot see why this tragedy is permitted. We cannot understand why peaceful nations are hurried into the maelstrom of conflict. We cannot perceive why helpless women and children are subjected to bombs. We cannot know why utter ruthlessness is permitted to flourish. If we think from appearances, we cannot answer these questions.
     But let us think from the supreme truth which the Word reveals, namely, that the universe is ruled by one God,-the Lord Jesus Christ. One Divine mind has formed its law; one Divine mind and will sustain that law. And that law is immanent in the world which it has created; that is, it touches it everywhere, and nothing ever happens which is contrary to the Divine Providence.
     The Divine Providence wills above all things that man should be in freedom. To preserve that human freedom is its constant care: and Providence is preserving that freedom even in the moment when the affairs of men look as though man were lost in brutality and slavery.

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Within the appearance there are forces at work so tremendous that no man's hand can stay or stem their tide. He who fights in the cause of freedom fights in a cause that is bound to triumph because the Divine Law cannot be defeated.
     In the work on the Divine Providence, no. 191, we read, "There is no such thing as man's own prudence; there only appears to be" This law is most important if we would gain an understanding of our text. Everything seems to depend upon human prudence. The appearance is, that man is required prudently to plan the course of his life. What, then, is meant by the statement that there is no such thing as man's own prudence? The meaning is that man does not create the laws. Man merely embroiders the pattern of his own life upon the Divinely woven fabric of history. Suppose one should strive to change the law of gravity. He might wish that it were different, but if he tried to change it, it would be like bashing his head against a stone wall. Man has to work with gravity, with the law's as they exist. So far as he thinks from the truths of that law, so far he is thinking, not from his own prudence, but from the truth created by God.
     The practical significance of the law that man should always think from the truth is expressed in the contrast between the two words "expediency" and "right." Human prudence ever seeks to act from expediency, but the man who believes that human prudence is nothing, and that the Divine Providence is all, never acts from expediency; he acts from what he believes to be right, according to the teaching of the Word of God.
     "Thy Word is truth." He who acts according to what he believes in his heart the Word teaches to be right is thinking and acting from the truth. His actions will be caught up in the irresistible tide of the Divine Providence. When he acts from the truth as revealed in the Word, he does not have to worry about the future. The truth foresees the future, and provides for every contingency. In contrast, when man acts from human prudence, that is, when he acts from expediency, then he has to try to foresee the future with all its many ramifications-a thing which no man can do. The truth alone can foresee the future, and provide for its needs.
     Let us recall the simple illustration of the man who is required to testify in court. He asks his lawyer what he shall say. He is told to tell the simple truth.

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Then it does not matter what questions he is asked; the simple truth will answer them all. It has foreseen all; it has provided for all.
     Suppose, on the other hand, the case is different. Assume that the man has been called upon to bear false witness. Then he asks his unprincipled lawyer what he shall say. Immediately it becomes necessary to try to anticipate all the questions that will be asked, and to try to invent answers that will satisfy them. This cannot be done; falsity has no real existence; it is a tissue of lies; and armor that is constructed of lies will be pierced by the slenderest shaft of truth. Only the truth can foresee the future and provide for its needs, and the Lord's Word is the truth.
     Man does not act from prudence,-human prudence,-when he acts from the Word. Instead, he acts from the Lord. Yet he acts in freedom; for he is not compelled by another, but he compels himself; and there is nothing more gloriously free than to act from self-compulsion. To drive ourselves along the path which the Lord has indicated-to bring ourselves to self-examination, to force ourselves, to drive ourselves to shun particular evils as sins against God, this is freedom indeed, and the way to genuine salvation.
     Recent events illustrate action from human prudence, as opposed to action according to the right. Human prudence, the Writings say, is nothing. Yet a certain nation, with crafty prudence, struck without warning, and from its own standpoint was apparently immediately successful. But, almost before their exultation had died away, another force which their prudence had not foreseen-a force of incalculable power, a mighty giant which had been slumbering.- began to rouse itself,-the power of unity to preserve a set of principles handed down to us by our fathers. This power of unity had been unleashed by those who had acted from prudence-but the Writings say that there is no such thing as human prudence. Perhaps, in the Providence of God, this land of ours is permitted to taste of the bitter consequences of war because we, too, have fallen into the error of acting from expediency, rather than acting from the right-acting from self-interest instead of acting from w-hat the Word tells us is the truth.
     Adam and Eve were commanded to be "fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it." The Divine command is clear, and it is reiterated in the Writings.

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Marriage, conjugial love, is the seminary of the human race, and thereby the seminary of heaven. But the man of the world, from his own prudence, has sought to build his life on other lines. The result of this prudence is that we have in this country today a bitterly declining birthrate. Were it not for the flood of immigrants who have sought refuge on our shores, the dire results of our expediency would now be manifest. If men would go to the Word and read the chapter in Conjugial Love on "Conjunction with the Love of Infants," and see in its light the growth of conjugial love through the love of infants, the natural fears of responsibility and care would be lessened, and a new purpose in life would inspire their hearts and minds.
     But let us hear the Writings on this subject. We read: "Prudence itself seems to man as his own; and as long as it is believed to be his own, so long man keeps shut up within him the deadliest enemy of God and of Divine Providence, which is the love of self. This dwells in every man's interiors from birth. If you do not recognize it-for it does not desire to be recognized-it dwells securely, and guards the door, lest it be opened by man, and thus it be cast out by the Lord. This door is opened by man by his shunning evils as sins as if from himself, with the acknowledgment that he does so from the Lord. This is the prudence with which the Divine Providence acts in unity." (D. P. 210.)
     Half the battle of regeneration is to bring ourselves squarely to recognize the presence and power of self-love in our acts. The sure touchstone by which we may know that we act from the Lord, and not from self, is that we do what we do because we believe that it is right, and are convinced that it is taught in God's Word. We do not do it with a scheming forethought that it will be for our own self-interest.
     Let us hear another passage from the Writings about this door which man keeps closed by refusing to recognize his own selfishness. We read: "As long as man does not shun evils as sins, the lusts of evils becloud the interiors of his natural mind on the part of the will, which are there as it were a dense veil, and as it were black clouds under the spiritual mind, and they prevent him from opening (the door). But as soon as man shuns evils as sins, then the Lord inflow's out of heaven, and tears asunder the veil, and dissipates the clouds and opens the spiritual mind, and so introduces the man into heaven." (Doctrine of Life 86.)

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     How blind we are to think that from our own prudence we can gather up the thousands of strands of life and weave them into a symmetrical whole! We do not even know what the weather will be tomorrow. Still less do we know what the winds of the spirit will bring. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but thou canst not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the spirit."
     What we do know is the teaching of the Divine Word. We can say with full conviction, "Thy Word is truth." Having said this, we can learn to think ever more surely from that truth. Thought from the truth opens that wonderful door that stands between the natural and the spiritual minds, that door where night and day, through tempest and through calm, through summer and through winter from infancy to old age, the Lord, our Lord, is standing. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev. 3: 20.)
     Too much we fear death. Too often we yield to expediency. Yet death is the gate of life. It is not to be feared; it is to be prepared for. Whenever we do what the Word commands because we believe it to be right, we are planting seeds in the future that will flower in eternity
     The Word tells us about some people who acted from the truth, and not from expediency. Let us see what befell them. There was the widow of Zarephath. When the wind-swept Elijah, whose voice was like mighty waters, chanced upon her, she was gathering two sticks to bake a little cake for her son and herself before she died of the famine. The word of the Lord fell from the lips of the prophet: "Make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son." Human prudence would have said to the woman, "If you bake for him first, you and your son will die." Yet the woman did not act from human prudence; she acted from the word of the holy man of God. God's Word foresaw the future, as the truth always does, and provided for it. "The barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah." (I Kings 17: 8-16.)

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     But the widow had one more lesson to learn. Her son represented the truth which she had come to cherish,-her philosophy of life, which she had grown to believe. We meet such persons every day,-persons who have their own philosophy of life. They do not belong to this or that religion. They say, "I have a religion of my own." Let such carefully observe what happened next, The widow's son died. She had commenced to act from the truth, and the immediate result was that her own philosophy failed her. Her son died. Her first reaction was to blame the son's death upon Elijah, which was very human. One acts from the truth: he runs into difficulty; he sees that his own way must die if he is to follow the Lord's way. So, for an irresolute moment, he blames the truth of the Word for his misfortunes.
     Elijah said, "Give me thy son!" He then placed him upon his own bed, and stretched himself upon the child, eye to eye, mouth to mouth, hand to hand,-a powerful symbol of the manner in which man s own philosophy must be brought into harmony and correspondence with the Word of God. The child revived, and Elijah gave him back to his mother with the words, "See, thy son liveth!" Then the widow uttered a sentence that is almost identical with the words of our text. She said: "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the Word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth." (I Kings 17: 24.) The second and more difficult lesson that she had learned was that the Lord's Word is truth. Henceforth her life must be shaped by it.
     Let us behold another scene. The place is Capernaum. The time is the day after our Lord had fed five thousand men, beside women and children,-fed them in the wilderness from five loaves and two small fishes. Because of the natural food, the multitude had wanted to take Jesus and make Him a king.
     But now He is finishing another discourse. Those who would have crowned Him yesterday have today turned their backs upon Him. The multitude is melting away. It is dispersing, even in the midst of His words. He cries to them, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." But "from that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him."

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Then, with infinite pathos, Jesus turned to the twelve, and said "Will ye also go away?" "Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6: 63, 66, 68.)
     But the supreme example of thinking from the truth and acting from the right is found in the dark garden of Gethsemane. On that night before the crucifixion the Lord knew all the ghastly horrors of the morrow, its cruel indignities, its pain and suffering. The human from Mary must, indeed, have shrunk from the encounter, for great drops of sweat like blood coursed down His face. Thrice He prayed that the cup might pass from Him. but each time he ended the prayer with the significant words, "Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done!"
     Even so may we strive to shape our lives by thinking from the truth. Then, whatever errors we may make will not matter, for the Lord will hear us. "His ears are open to our cry." He will gently lead us from ignorance into wisdom; He will enlighten our minds; and with growing wisdom we shall see ever more clearly the God we worship,-the glorified Human of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
LESSONS:     I Kings 17: 8-24. John 10: 1-15. D. P. 210.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 433, 504, 561.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 62, 69.
IMMENSITY OF HEAVEN 1942

IMMENSITY OF HEAVEN              1942

     "How great is the multitude of men in all this terrestrial globe, anyone may conclude who has any knowledge of the quarters, regions, and kingdoms of this earth. Whoever goes into the calculation will find that many thousands of men die every day, and some myriads or millions every year; and this has been going on from the earliest times, since which some thousands of years have elapsed; and all of these, after their decease, have entered the other world, which is called the spiritual world, and are still entering it continually. But how many of them have become angels of heaven, or are now doing so, it is impossible to say. I have been told that in ancient times their number was very great, because then men thought interiorly and more spiritually, and thence were in heavenly affection; but that in the following ages they became less numerous, because in process of time man became more external, and began to think more naturally, and thence to be in earthly affection. From these things it may be evident how great is the heaven formed solely from the inhabitants of this earth." (Heaven and Hell 415.)

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PUTTING THE HAND TO THE PLOUGH 1942

PUTTING THE HAND TO THE PLOUGH       Rev. E. E. IUNGERICH       1942

     The Gospel of Matthew speaks of a scribe who would follow the Lord, to whom the Lord replied that the Son of Man had no place with him where to lay His head; and then of a disciple who was bidden to follow while letting the dead bury their dead. (Matthew 8: 19-22.) The Gospel of Luke recounts the same episode, though without saying that the first speaker was a scribe and the second a disciple, but adds the further words, given in encouragement to the second speaker: "But go thou and preach the kingdom of God!" A third speaker is then mentioned, in regard to whom we read: "And another also said, Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9: 57-62.)
     In the internal sense of the Word, where the human mind and its preparation for heaven is continually the theme, the incidents we have cited from the Gospel treat of that mind in three successive stages of a progressive following of the Lord.
     In the first case, the mind is as a Jewish scribe, well informed, indeed, as to the teaching of the Word, but having as yet made no effort of the will to make of itself a receptacle of life inflowing from the Lord. As yet this mind gives favorable reception only to evil lusts, and to falsities that confirm them. The Lord then makes known this state to the man by means of well-known teachings from the Word, whenever he is sincerely examining himself to discover evils and falsities which are to be shunned, to the end that these may no longer keep him far away from the Lord. "And Jesus said, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." (Luke 9:58.)
     For self-examination, for the purpose of discovering and removing w-hat separates a man from the Lord, is the first sincere effort of this man s will to follow the Lord. He then, for the first rime, actually realizes that he has not life in himself, but is only a receptacle of life; and secondly, that his mind, as to its receptacles which are here called "holes" and "nests," has not been receiving the Lord's life, but evils in its will and falsities in its understanding.

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     In the Word, "birds" signify thoughts, and their "nests" the receptacles thereof in the understanding. In the present case, however, where they are predicated of a man who is not yet following the Lord in the path of regeneration, birds of night are meant, signifying idle and vain thoughts which confirm a man in his evil loves, or support his striving after gain, honor and dominion, regardless of the use to be served to the Lord and the neighbor.
     "Foxes" in the Word signify sly and delusive lusts of the will that beguile a man into regarding their ends as good things in themselves. "Thy prophets, 0 Israel," exclaimed Ezekiel, when the men of the Jewish Church were thus beguiled, "are like the foxes in the desert. . . Woe unto the foolish prophets that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!" (Ezekiel 13: 3, 4.) This means that such will not survive in the day of judgment (P. P.), because "from deceit they destroy the truth of faith, on account of the cupidities which they favor. This is especially the case when they are in a desert waste, or in obscurity as to what the truth is,-a state which they induce first of all by deceit." (I. B.) "The mountain of Zion," declared Jeremiah, "is then desolate; the foxes walk upon it." (Lamentations 5: 18.) Which means that such "have then become infernal" (P. P.). "since foxes signify that which tramples down the good grain, thus the deceitful, the very worst infernal crew." (I. B.)
     In agreement with this we read in the book of Judges that, when a judgment was brought upon the Philistines, foxes bearing fire-brands were sent into their fields. And in the New' Testament the Lord called Herod a "fox" inasmuch as he was influenced by his wife Herodias to behead John the Baptist, for whom he had previously declared his respect. What David said in like strain referred to the receptacles of the will when under such a hellish influence: "But those that seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword; they shall be a portion for foxes." (Psalm 63: 10, 11.) This means that "they are perishing from falses of evil, which lay an ambush." (P. P.)
     And we are told in the Doctrines that they who are infatuated with their own prudence are like wolves and foxes. (D. P. 311.)

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We also read: "Those who do not regard the universe as the work of God, and as the abode of His love and wisdom, but as the work of nature, and as the abode of the heat and light of the sun, shut the upper regions of their mind against God, and open its lower regions to the devil; they put off what is human, and put on what is animal, and not only believe they are like beasts, but also become so. For they are foxes from slyness, wolves from ferocity, panthers from craftiness, tigers from cruelty, and crocodiles, serpents, owls and other birds of night, according to the nature of these beasts. Those who are of this sort also appear afar off in the spiritual world like these wild beasts. Their love of evil takes on such forms." (T. C. R. 13.)
     From the fact that "God created man in His image, according to His likeness, it follows that man is an organ receptive of God, and such an organ as is his recipiency. . . But when he does not acknowledge God, and venerate Him with actual piety, he puts off the image of God, and becomes like some animal or other. . . . When he then shuts the highest natural degree of his mind, which corresponds to the highest heaven, he becomes as to his love like a beast of the land; but when he shuts the middle natural degree, which corresponds to the middle spiritual degree, he becomes as to his love like a fox, and as to the sight of his understanding like a bird of night. But when he also shuts the lowest natural degree as to its spiritual, he then becomes as to his love like a wild beast, and as to his understanding like a fish." (T. C. R. 34.) "Where evil is, there can be no faith, as may be illustrated by various comparisons. Evil and the truth of faith can no more be together than a wolf in a sheepfold, a hawk in a dovecote or a fox in a chicken-coop." (T. C. R. 383.)
     From all of this it will be clear what is the state of a man in whom "the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man not where to lay His head."

     II.

     In the second stage of a progressive following of the Lord, and not turning back, it is not the man who declares it to be his intention to follow the Lord, but it is the Lord who bids him do so.

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Moreover, the Lord then discourages man's tendency to remain in the preliminary stage of merely shunning evils as sins, and urges him to place his main stress upon living according to the truth, thus in instilling a living quality with a looking to the Lord in all that he does. This second stage is meant by the words: "And Jesus said unto another. Follow me! But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." (Luke 9: 60.)
     The first principle of charity, and the first stage of a man's heavenly life, consists in the shunning of evils as sins against God, thus in a life of repentance. But the second principle of charity, as also the second stage of the regenerate life, which is called "reformation." consists in the doing of good as if from himself, but with the acknowledgment that the power to do so, as well as power to resist in temptation, is from the Lord alone. What is now to be stressed in this second stage is not one's abjectness, with prayers to the Lord for aid, but an active behavior on man's part.
     To indicate this difference of attitude between the two stages, the second speaker makes no profession of his intention to follow the Lord. He does not say, as the first one does: "Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest." Nor does he use the yet simpler declaration of the third speaker: "Lord, I will follow Thee." For in the second stage it is truth from the Word, active in the man's mind, which bids him bestir himself and act. Jesus said to him: "Follow me, . . . but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."
     Prayer involves a confession of one's abjectness and helplessness, an announcement of one's intention to be led by the Lord, and an appeal to the Lord for aid. But in this second stage it is not such a prayer that is needed, but positive action on the man's part.
     "Wherefore criest thou unto me?" said the Lord unto Moses when this second stage in a man's life, or reformation, was signified. "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." (Exodus 14: 15.) "Those who are in temptations," we read, "are wont to relax their hands and betake themselves to prayers, which they ardently pour forth, not knowing that prayers effect nothing, but that one must fight against the falses and evils that are being injected by the hells. This combat is waged by means of the truths of faith. These help, because they confirm goods and truths against falses and evils. . . .

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But those who are in temptations, and not in any other active life than that of prayers, do not know that if the temptations are arrested before they have completely run their course, they have not been prepared for heaven, and so cannot be saved. On this account the prayers of those who are in temptations are little heard." (A. C. 8179.)
     A sign seems to be given to New Churchmen when they are entering into this second stage. It is that they no longer, as formerly, feel inclined to fulfill their church duties, whether it be regular attendance at meetings, performing their allotted uses in the church community, or associating in a friendly, affable way with church members whom they do not feel to be congenial. When such a sign is given, it would be a mistake to regard it as an indication that one should withdraw from such activities. That would mean a succumbing in the temptation, and a loss of all benefit from that spiritual instrumentality. What one must do is to struggle on in the path of duty, whether it be pleasant or unpleasant. "Follow me!" is the Divine command. "Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."
     Those are called "dead men" who have lost their spiritual attitude, and therefore fasten their attention exclusively upon the purely material aspect of things. (A. C. 81, 270.) They are prone to perpetuate the remembrance of their grievances with the same lavish display that is shown by those who erect costly mausoleums over departed relatives. By the "dead" here is also meant the corrupt will and the inherited evil into which a man is born, and which he retains to eternity. It is this which the Lord here bids him bury from his view, as the main thing in his life, and especially in this stage when the Lord is building above it a new will in the regenerating understanding.
     The man's saying in this second stage, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father," recalls to mind those who plead as excuses for their lack of interest that some one may have insulted or otherwise offended them, or that they found the sphere a low or bad one, and that it must be improved to their entire satisfaction before they will consent to do again what the Lord asks of them. In a still deeper sense, it means the state of one who is in unceasing despair when he sees no apparent lessening of the hold that his inherited evils have over him.

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In both cases the Lord says: "Follow me. Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."

III.

     The third stage begins when the man has established the kingdom of God as firm principles of conscience within his internal man. His task now is to bring the external man of his conscious actions and thoughts into harmony with these principles. He thereby progresses beyond the former stages of repentance and reformation to the stage of actual regeneration. He is then no longer under the fear of being damned, nor under the irksomeness of unpleasant struggles; but he feels a heavenly delight in being an instrument in the Lord's hand in entering upon the eternal use that he is fitted to perform.
     In the Matthew account no mention is made, as in Luke, of a third speaker who would follow the Lord. Of him we read: "And another also said. Lord, I will follow Thee; but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9: 62.)
     Similar were the words of Elijah to Elisha when the latter, called to discipleship from the field where he had been ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, had begged leave to return home to kiss his father and mother before following Elijah. "Go back again; for what have I done to thee?" were the words of Elijah's reproof. They implied that if Elisha first went back to his parents, the call to discipleship had meant little to him. Elisha did not go back to his parents, but sacrificed to the Lord one yoke of oxen, and gave of their flesh to the people to eat, and then followed Elijah. (I Kings 19: 19-21.) And he eventually succeeded Elijah as prophet in Israel, and obtained his desire that "a double portion of his master's spirit should be upon him." (II Kings 2: 9.) And this "double portion" represented spiritual power in the external or natural man as well as in the internal or spiritual man.
     We may recall that, in the second stage of regeneration, the "scribe" who is becoming a disciple is urged not to fix his main attention upon the evils and falsities to be shunned, but to strive manfully under his temptations so as to confirm states of good and truth.

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In the third stage, the disciple who would become an apostle is counselled to go forward actively in the performance of his use, which he does from love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor, and not to pay too much attention to the things of his own mental household; which also means that he should not reflect upon his own state of perceptivity or regeneration.
     The command not to look backward after putting one's hand to the plough has the same meaning as the exhortation not to come down from the housetop to take anything out of one's house, nor, if one is in the field, to turn back to recover one's garments (Matthew 24: 17, 18. A. C. 5895), that is, not to return to a former state of consulting coldly the doctrinals of faith with regard to what one should do, when one is already in the practice of doing one's spiritual duty spontaneously from love. For herein lies the danger of receding from previously acknowledged principles which had been made of the life-a form of profanation against which the Lord diligently guards. For the eighth law of Divine Providence operates to prevent anyone from entering further into the goods of charity and the truths of faith than he will abide in to the end of his life. (D. P. 221.)
     One who asks "first to go bid them farewell which are at home in his house," before he will enter into the Lord's uses, would be dwelling consciously upon his own merit in devoting himself to his use. And this self-conscious pride in his own states w-would introduce a vitiation from the proprium in all that he then did in his service to God and the neighbor.
     Human beings resent an attitude of patronage in those who do them a service, not spontaneously, but with the intention of calling for approving remarks. Such persons are seen to be mainly concerned with their own satisfaction in having done a good deed, and in the reflection that others are giving it favorable notice. Of such persons the Lord spake sorrowfully, "Verily they have their reward," (Matthew 6: 2.)
     The true apostle should not be thinking of those of his own mental house, nor want to kiss the will or the understanding of his proprium, but should enter into the uses of the Lord's kingdom for their own sake, and without meditating too much upon his own states. During his periodic occasions of self-examination he does review his acts and his motives, but he does so in the hope of a further purification, so that he may be able to perform his uses with greater efficiency.

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But when he is engaged in the actual work of his apostleship he concentrates his thoughts and affections in the joy of serving the Lord in whatever way he is competent to do so.
     The contrast between the second and third stages of regeneration may be seen in the difference between the spiritual and the celestial as to temptations. The spiritual man, we are told, is continually victorious in the combats he wages against the hells, whereas the celestial man is in a sabbath state of peace, in which the hells are remote and dare not approach. It is this state of heavenly rest from temptation which the Lord advocated when He resisted the apostle's petition to go and bid farewell to those who were at home at his house, and urged him instead to become fit for the kingdom of God by steadily keeping his hand to the plough in the field of heavenly use which he was commissioned to cultivate.
DEPARTING GUEST 1942

DEPARTING GUEST              1942

     Concerning a Civil Society in the Other Life.

     "There are many societies which are civil societies, so called, which perform civility to everyone, not so much from the heart as from the mouth, but still bearing nothing of evil and falsity in the heart; as when they say to a guest that his coming is grateful and acceptable, and also when they wish him to depart that they have business to attend to, and like things. But still they do not lie with an end of deceiving, or of doing evil, but because in the life of the body they had been accustomed to speak so, in order that they might obtain what they wanted. They are good spirits, and I spoke with them about this thing. And it was given me to say that it is all the same to speak so when there is nothing of evil within. For the angels perceive nothing but the intention, the end or the will, and do not know their words; wherefore, when the intention, end and will, in which is the life, are good, then the words may fall as they may, except in the case of those who have a conscience that one should speak only what he thinks.
     "I was with these spirits this night, and slept there, and when I had awakened I conversed with them, and I perceived that there are many such societies. As I was taking my leave, they represented to me an aura of chariots and horses, small and numerous, just as if there were actually such an aura of decorated horses and chariots; as also something of a cerulean color. They said that they were accustomed to treat their departing guests in this manner." (Spiritual Diary 4233, 4234.)

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PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1942

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE       ELMO C. ACTON       1942

     Recent Pamphlets Briefly Reviewed.

     The Academy in the Midst of War. A selection of four-minute speeches made at a banquet on Charter Day. October 25, 1941.

     This pamphlet will be of general interest to all those who believe in the work of the Academy. There is an endeavor by the writers of the speeches to present the applications of the Divinely revealed truths involved in their particular fields of study to the problems of the world at the present time. The result is that the reader is deeply affected with the practicability of New Church doctrine. The careful reading of this pamphlet opens the eyes to an understanding of the promise to the New Church, "Behold, I make all things new!" The Heavenly Doctrines are not abstract theological considerations of ephemeral theories, but are practical spiritual principles, which, if applied to daily problems and national and worldwide considerations, will open and prepare the way for a new life,-a new life in the external world. If we lose this faith in the power of the teachings of the Writings, we lose everything. I believe the reading of these speeches will help to restore this trust where it has flagged, and to strengthen it where it already exists.
     It is difficult to present a review of this publication, because of the diversity of subjects considered; so I shall quote selected sentences from the speeches, which, I hope, will whet the appetite for the delightful fare that is to be had from the reading of the pamphlet.

     "It is the function of the Academy to cooperate with (the) Divine purpose by teaching the Word to children and the young, . . . that they may see and acknowledge the Lord in His Divine Human. .
For this is the only way to a permanent restoration of genuine order, peace and happiness among men and nations."
     Genuine liberty is the exercise of the spiritual power to react to the Divine in the spiritual world, and also the natural power to react to what is good and true in the world of nature, especially to the orderly processes of civil and moral law."

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     "In the story of the rise and fall of nations the New Church student of history is not so much concerned with battles, rulers, and chronology, as he is with seeking to discern the rise and fall of national characteristics and national uses. . . . The study of history by illustrating the teachings of the Writings about Providence may help the New Churchman to attain a trust in Providence."
     "To the New Church 'it is now permitted to enter intellectually into the mysteries of faith.' This is a Divine commission. . . No one can 'enter intellectually' except he be enkindled with the love of learning. . . To cherish and enhance the love of learning is an essential use in the Academy."
     "The only morality which can lead to a gradual formation of societies wherein the Divine will is done is one which subordinates all to the Divine end in creation and regards the earth as the seminary of heaven."
     "The New Church Doctrines offer to the world the doctrine of use. . . It is my opinion that each man and woman is ordained to a place in the Gorand Man, and that he or she is in this world to prepare for that place. It is a young man's first duty to discover what gifts the Creator has given him, and then to prepare himself for the use thus indicated."
     "Both the patriotic feeling and its code of honor should be the kind that is inspired from heaven, with good-will toward the neighbor underneath even the zeal of war and battle itself. When turned into pride of self, it becomes a jingo mockery of true patriotism and a scourge to the earth."
     ELMO C. ACTON.

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NOTES AND REVIEWS. 1942

NOTES AND REVIEWS.              1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
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     ARE THE ANGELS TEMPTED?

     A correspondent asks a question in connection with the subject of the changes of state with the angels. as described in the work on Heaven and Hell, nos. 154-158, quoted in our January issue, pages 28-29. The Doctrine there describes how the angels are sometimes in a state of intense love and wisdom, and sometimes in a state less intense; in passing from one to the other they experience an "evening" state of obscurity and undelight, from which they return to their "morning" state of clearness and delight. By such alternations of state, it is said, they are perfected; for in this way they "become accustomed to being held in a love of the Lord, and withheld from the love of self; because everyone loves his proprium, and this draws him down." And by such a contrast of delight and undelight "their perception and sensation of good becomes more exquisite," and thus their states of heavenly blessedness are exalted by contrast. The question asked is this:
     "Would this teaching involve the necessity of the angels continuing to meet some degree of temptation, or by what means are they led to withdraw themselves from states in which proprial loves might menace the security of more spiritual and celestial states?

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In other words, are the angels automatically restored to a state where the proprium is subordinated through influx from God, or does there have to be a conscious effort on their part to shun evil, as is the case with man during his life on earth?"

     In offering some comments upon this interesting question, we would first say that it seems proper to describe as "automatic" the angelic return from their evening state to their morning state, provided we also understand that it is the Lord who draws them back into the state in which He withholds them from the proprium. It is automatic or self-acting with the angels, because it is part of their daily round, like the revolution of the earth upon its axis, which brings a new day after each night, and also because it is in part effected with the angels while they are asleep. Moreover, the angels have a ruling love of good in the will, and from this they would have a "voluntary" turning back from the proprium when they become aware of its undelight in their evening state. Yet it is also through this good in the will that the Lord operates to restore them to their morning state. So this restoral would be both voluntary and involuntary with the angel, -in part automatic, and in part not.
     We may add a word as to the cause and purpose of the changes of state with the angels, which produce their times of the day. Being finite organisms, the angels cannot perpetually sustain their highest capacities to receive love and wisdom from the Lord. The active "morning" state in the mind wanes, and the receptive vessels need renewal, which is effected by recreation, rest and sleep. In that waning process the interiors of the mind, with their most active states of love and wisdom, gradually become quiescent, while the exteriors of the mind become active, and the angel passes through an afternoon into an evening state, in which he becomes aware of the proprial loves and their delights in the external of the mind. But these are perceived and sensed as undelightful in contrast with the delight of heaven in which the angel is interiorly established and confirmed, and in which he is interiorly held by the Lord. In the evening state, therefore, he is able to acknowledge the state of the proprium: and in this acknowledgment there is a readiness and desire to return to the morning state, -a readiness to be drawn back by the Lord.

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In that acknowledgment and readiness we see the "as of himself" with the angel, and to that extent we may use the term "automatic" to describe his return to his morning state. Let us note a graphic illustration, which is given in the Writings,: [Italics ours]

     "Infants in heaven, like all the angels are withheld from evil and held in good by the Lord, yet in such a way that it appears to them as if they were in good from themselves. Lest, therefore, infants who have become adult in heaven should entertain a false opinion of themselves, and imagine that the good with them is from themselves, and not from the Lord, they are sometimes let into the evils which they have received hereditarily, and are left in them until they know, acknowledge and believe that [all good is from the Lord]. A certain one who had died in infancy, and who had grown up in heaven, entertained a like opinion [as to his own goodness]. He was the son of a king. Wherefore he was let into the life of the evils in which he was born, which evils he had received hereditarily from his parents. But after he acknowledged that he was of such a nature, then he was again received among the angels with whom he had been before." (H. H. 342.)

     There remains, however, the question as to whether the experience of the angels in their evening state can be considered a form of temptation, and whether it involves a "conscious effort on their part to shun evil, as is the case with man during his life on earth."
     Concerning this we may say that, in the degree that the angelic return to the morning state is automatic, as from a spontaneous acknowledgment that the states of the proprium are undelightful, this return would not involve a struggle or combat like that of spiritual temptation with man in the world. Yet if the angel, in the undelight of his evening state, feels something of anxiety and despair, and the need to resist and struggle against the evil of the proprium, he may be said to experience something of a state of temptation.
     With the regenerating man in the world, as we know, spiritual temptation is attended with an anxiety of conscience and a combat against evil in himself, even to despair of the outcome; and, as the reward of the victory gained by resistance to the end, he is gifted with good by the Lord, which good is thereby established and confirmed in his will.

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Those who become angels have been so confirmed in good by their temptations in the world. They have already made their choice between good and evil; good reigns interiorly, and evil is quiescent externally with them; and when they lapse into states of the proprium, it is attended with undelight, which hardly calls for struggle and combat, but only for an acknowledgment that, if left to themselves, they would be nothing but evil, and that all good is from the Lord. And this acknowledgment restores them to their heavenly estate.
     And so we are specifically told that "never can any angel be tempted by the devil, because, so long as he is in the Lord, evil spirits cannot even approach at a distance, but would be immediately seized with horror and terror." (A. C. 15736.) "So long as they are in the Lord," and are thus withheld from the proprium, angels can "never be tempted by the devil." But the question arises: When the angels lapse into the proprium, can evil spirits draw near, and thus tempt the angel?
     Here, we think, we must recognize a difference between the angels of the higher heavens and those of the lower. Evil spirits in the guise of hypocritical good are able to approach and insinuate themselves among the simple-minded angels of the natural heaven, but they cannot deceive the intelligent and wise angels of the higher heavens, who can see through the disguise. The fact and the use performed by such invasions of the lower heavens is thus graphically described:

     "Why certain Spirits, who are not Angels, are sometimes permitted to enter into Heaven.

     "Sometimes, and indeed quite often, evil spirits are permitted to insinuate themselves into heaven by cunning; that is, into the company of the angels. For heaven is not a separate place, except that the societies are of a heavenly genius and intelligence. Sometimes, that is, in certain states of the angels of the natural heaven, the evil spirits, by imitations of good, and thus by putting on the specious appearance that they are angels, are admitted; for the angels freely admit them. But when they are detected, which arises from their discordance, then they are ejected from heaven. The reason [or purpose] is, that in this manner the angels are tried (tententur) and proved as to whether they are of such a nature as the heavenly beings ought to be; for there is always some feculence adhering to them, which must be exterminated successively and from time to time.

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In this manner the angels are misled, and their defects made known. Evil spirits are like a ferment [leaven], which excites evil into commotion, and if the angels then suffer themselves to be misled, they also for a time are exterminated from heaven, and undergo suitable kinds of vastation and are afterwards again admitted, which I have sometimes heard." (Spiritual Diary 1054; see also nos. 715- 717.)

     Temptation and Vastation.

     According to the general teachings of the Word and the Writings, temptation belongs to this world. "In the world ye shall have tribulation." After death, "they shall rest from their labors"-the labors of temptation,-in the heavenly sabbath of rest in the Lord. And in the light of this most general truth it may be said that the angels are no longer tempted.
     Yet it is also revealed to us that the angels themselves are not pure in the sight of the Lord, and that they are periodically purified, since they retain the proprium and its inclination to evil, which is merely quiescent or inactive as they are held in heavenly good by the Lord. But in the language of the Writings this periodic purification is rather to be called "vastation" than "temptation," even though these periods of vastation are attended with symptoms similar to those experienced during temptations in the world. By such vastations the proprium of the angel becomes more and more subdued.
     This distinction between "temptation" and "vastation" is according to the general usage of the terms in the Writings. but there are exceptions, as is usually the case. And we believe that it will be useful to note them in connection with the subject before us.
     In the world of spirits, where the good are prepared for heaven and the evil for hell, it is said that "temptations are for the good, vastations for the evil." (S. D. 5509.) And this is further described as follows:

     "All those who led an evil life in the world are vastated as to truths, and at length to such a degree that nothing remains except evil and its falsity; and thus the vastated one gravitates into hell.

225


This continues without interruption from the first moment when such a one comes into the other life, and with variety according to the evil of each one and the nature he has contracted. It lasts sometimes for years, even to fifty, some more quickly, some more slowly; and in the meantime they perform a use by being the means of temptation with the good, and by being with men.
     "But those who are to be elevated into heaven are continuously vastated as to falsities and evils, even until they are at length in their own goods and the truths thereof. They cannot be elevated into heaven until this is affected, because their evils and falsities hold them down. And they are also vastated as to the gross externals,-the grosser corporeal and worldly things which are mere bodily pleasures,-and thus they are reformed. Then they become as it were light, so that they can be elevated into heaven; it cannot take place before. This, too, lasts from one to fifty years. Meanwhile, they undergo various temptations, which are conducive to the separation of external evils; for interiorly then the will of resisting evils is borne in, and so far as this is received, so far heaven is within, and this drives away hell, which dwells in the externals." (S. D. 5693, 5694. Italics ours.)

     Temptation Postponed.

     As another exception to the general truth that temptation belongs to this world, and not to the next, we are told that there are some among the simple good in the world who cannot be admitted into temptation until after death. On this we read:

     "'These are they who come out of great tribulation' (Rev. 7: 14), that is, out of temptations; for they who are in the good of life according to their religion, in which there are no genuine truths, in the other life undergo temptations, by which the falsities of their religion are dispersed, and genuine truths implanted in their place. (A. E. 452.)
     "In the spiritual world, those only undergo temptations who had lived well in the world according to their religion, in which there were falsities of doctrine which they had believed; for by means of temptations falsities are dispersed and truths are implanted. . .

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That such are let into temptations in the spiritual world after their life in the body, is because they could not he tempted in the world on account of the falsities of religion in which they were, and which reigned everywhere." (A. E. 474. Italics ours.)

     The meaning of this is clear. In the spiritual temptations of the man of the church, he resists and combats evil from principles of truth clearly understood,-the truths of faith, genuine truths,- which he would defend against the assaults of infesting spirits who inject falsities. But if his mind he overcast by falsities of doctrine, powerfully impressed upon him by the teachers of the vastate church, and holding his understanding in prison, then, even though he be interiorly good, he would have no truths with which to defend himself if he were admitted to spiritual temptation while he lives in the world. After death, however, his good saves him, and through it the Lord can impart to him a power of resistance to the infestations of hell.
     "When spirits undergo temptations," we are told, their interiors, that is, their truths and goods, are disposed by the Lord into such a state that by immediate influx from Him, and mediate through heaven, the falsities and evils from the hells can be resisted, and thereby he that is in temptation may be defended." (A. C. 8131.)
DAILY READINGS 1942

DAILY READINGS              1942

     The Academy Book Room has imported a number of copies of the compact, pocket size, volume entitled All The Year Round, containing Daily Readings from the Word and the Writings. These are Volumes 6 and 7, each about 400 pages, and originally issued for the years 1938 and 1939, but can be used in any year. Each contains a different collection of passages from the Writings, compiled by the Rev. H. Gordon Drummond and admirably suited to their purpose. The British New Church Federation expects to resume publication of these annual volumes after the war. Nicely bound, 60 cents each.

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REPRESENTATION OF LEAH AND RACHEL 1942

REPRESENTATION OF LEAH AND RACHEL              1942

     With The Word Explained now available in an English version, the New Churchman will find great interest in the explanations of the text of Genesis and Exodus given in the first five volumes of this edition. He will also find it profitable to compare these explanations with the expositions of the same texts later given in the Arcana Celestia. As an example of such a comparison, we would here cite the following from the two works where they treat of the text of Genesis 29: 17:

     Arcana Celestia.

     "And the eyes of Leah were weak, signifies the affection of external truth. . . . And Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful to look upon, signifies the affection of interior truth. . . . (A. C. 3820, 3821.)
     "How the case is with this new church may be evident from the Jewish Church. This was internal and external; celestial and spiritual things constituted the internal church, and natural things the external. The internal was represented by Rachel, and the external by Leah. But because Jacob or his posterity, meant by Jacob in the Word, were such that they desired only external things, or a worship in externals, therefore Leah was given to Jacob before Rachel; and by weak-eyed Leah was represented the Jewish Church, and by Rachel the new Church of the Gentiles." (A. C. 422see also no. 409.)

     The Word Explained.

     543.     What is deeply involved in these particulars concerning the marriages of Jacob with Leah and Rachel is indeed apparent from the series of the things that are now to be explained: but before we come to the explanations themselves, it must be known that in the inmost sense Jacob here represents the Messiah, and that his marriages with Leah and Rachel represent the two churches betrothed to the Messiah and which are to be taken as wives, Leah representing that representative and typical church which is called the old church, and Rachel the Christian church which was signified in the former.

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These churches are as two consorts of one husband; but the second of them, the church which Rachel represents, is that which is loved by the Messiah. Therefore she is called beautiful of form and beautiful to look upon; while of the former church or Leah it is said that her eves were weak. Laban therefore represents the parent of both churches, but among the gentiles. Thus, when the subject treated of is Rachel, then by Laban as a shepherd and by his flock are meant the gentiles whence came the new church, called the Church of the Gentiles.
     574.     And the eyes of Leah were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful to look upon (vs. 17). In Leah is described the old and thus the Jewish church, while in Rachel is described the new church. As concerns the old church, we can contemplate it in the Jewish church; and from this we can see that a great many in that church did not look beyond the things that were obvious to their eyes. Thus they saw no further than the victims, the offerings, the libations, the adornments of the priesthood, the temple which was overlaid with gold, the vessels of gold and silver; but they did not see what each and all of these things involved. There is an external sight which is that of the eyes, and an internal sight which is that of the mind. Therefore, the mind is called the eye, and its thought and penetration, internal sight; and of this, just as of external sight, is predicated keenness or acumen. In the [old] church, it was this internal sight which was weak, as is the sight of all who do not penetrate beyond the things that are obvious to the external sight or to the external senses in general, and that are thus under their feet. Such men differ little from brute animals; for we are given internal sight or a mind, in order that we may penetrate to the interiors of external objects, and in natural things may regard spiritual. They therefore who, like the present-day Jews in their church, are devoid of this acumen of the internal sight, are said to have weak eyes. Hence it is clear what is signified by the words:
And the eyes of Leah were weak.

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     As concerns the new church, this church does not regard external things, but internal things in the external; thus it views objects with the mind at the same time as with the eye. In this church, as being an image of the Messiah Himself, heavenly joys, felicities, tranquillities, that is to say, peace, innocence, etc., are inscribed not only on the minds of men, but also on their faces, that is, are transcribed to their external form; for it is well known that where love is, there is that which is gladsome and pleasant; and where heavenly love is, there is that which is good; for heaven itself is there. This internal and spiritual quality transcribes itself into external form, as already stated; for love alone is life. As the love is, such is the life, and as the life, such the form; and from this there comes to the face of the internal man a corresponding beauty. Such, then, is the new church which, from these qualities, is described as being like Rachel, beautiful of form, nay, and also beautiful to look upon, in other words, as attracting the love of another, that is, a reciprocal love; for love excites love. Thus, to one who loves, beauty, within which is love, seems from that love to be beautiful to look upon; and so, like Rachel to Jacob, did this church seem to the Messiah.
DEGREES OF THE NEIGHBOR 1942

DEGREES OF THE NEIGHBOR              1942

     We are familiar with the treatment of this subject in the True Christian Religion, nos. 406-416, under these headings: 1. Every man in the singular is the neighbor who is to be loved, but according to the quality of his good. 2. Man in the plural, which is a society lesser and greater, and man in the composite of these, which is the country, is the neighbor who is to be loved. 3. The church is the neighbor who is to be loved in the superior degree, and the kingdom of the Lord in the supreme.
     The degrees here set forth may be compared with a similar series given in The Word Explained, Vol. IV, nos. 4375-4380, which were reprinted in NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1938, pages 413-415.

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OFFERINGS FOR THE TABERNACLE 1942

OFFERINGS FOR THE TABERNACLE              1942

     Extract from 'The Word Explained,' Vol. V.

     5793. Every one who is willing in his heart shall bring. (Exodus
35: 5.) This is frequently repeated, as in verse 21, where we read: "They came, every man whom his heart prompted: and every one whose willing spirit moved him"; in verse 22: "Ever one willing in heart, they brought"; and in verse 29: Every man and ever woman whose heart freely moved them." What is forced is never acceptable. With God, moreover, what is given by a man who is terrified into giving, or is urged in some other way, is never pleasing. Such a man gives unwillingly, and it is the will that is looked at. not the act. According to the degree of the willingness that is present in the act, so far is the latter pleasing. Fear does indeed cause men to give offerings to God, and also to make supplications, etc., but, not being spontaneous, these cannot be pleasing, for it is fear that compels them. What is spontaneous comes from affection, which is love. Consequently, it comes from love, for what a man loves, that he wills, and so does. Therefore, if offerings are to be pleasing, love is required, it being the love in the offering that is looked at, and not the offering. An offering without love is nothing, the life of the offering being love. Consequently, that alone is free which comes from love.
     5794. Therefore, it is now said, willing in heart, that is, willing from his very nature, in that he loves Him to whom he gives, or, what amounts to the same thing, loves to build the house of God Messiah, or loves all that which looks to God Messiah and to the worship of Him, it being this that touches Him. This, then, must come from a love to God Messiah, which is higher than all else: and being higher than all else, this love cannot come from man, but from God Messiah. The offering which comes in this way is acceptable because holy. But that which comes from man is profane: for man's love, which is connate with him, is the love of self and the world.
     5795. As to what love now prompted the people to contribute, this can be concluded from various indications. They did not know God Messiah, nay, they did not even worship Jehovah from their heart, but worshipped any god who was set before them. That they loved Egypt and worshipped the Egyptian gods, is well known.

231


It was this love that must needs have impelled them; for fear should not have done it, inasmuch as it would then have been forced. Wherefore, as regards these men, who placed worship in externals, and who now heard that an ark should be built and should be overlaid with gold, and also that many things should be of silver, and, furthermore that over Aaron's garments should be a breastplate gleaming with precious stones, the love that prompted their heart was, that in this way they would have something before their eyes which they might worship. That such love, when separated from the worship of God Messiah, is idolatrous, can be evident to all.
     5796. It was this love, then, that must needs have prompted them. this being the willing in heart, and this the willing spirit that moved them. [v. 21.] But because they were merely to represent the church truly Christian, and bring back the primitive church which had been so greatly pleasing to God Messiah, therefore their offering was pleasing-not because of their love and because of their willing spirit, but pleasing because in this way the choir of angels could dwell in the midst of their uncleanliness, [Levit. 16: 16], and in this choir both churches could be remembered.
     5797. From this it is now seen what liberty is, especially liberty in divine worship. That is most utterly free which comes from God Messiah, it being from this source that all liberty has its predicates.
     What great freedom there is in being led by God Messiah, few can understand; but of this we speak elsewhere.
     5856. That which is not free is never pleasing, for it takes away all that is delightful. This can be sufficiently evident from the love between consorts. Nothing whatsoever is delightful and sweet if it does not come from mutual love on both sides; for if even the least force is used on the one side or the other, or if there is an appearance of force, then, to the same extent, the sweetness is diminished. Therefore, it is mutual love between consorts that makes what is called freedom; for to act from love is to act from liberty. From this, the conclusion can be made with respect to the heavenly marriage which is the kingdom of God Messiah, that without love to God Messiah above all things, there can never be eternal felicity. The forcing of another can never be conjoined with felicity, because such forcing is not from love to God Messiah above all things.

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BODIES OF ANGELS AND SPIRITS 1942

BODIES OF ANGELS AND SPIRITS       ALFRED ACTON       1942

To the Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     In the February issue of your magazine appears an article by the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal on "The Bodies of Angels and Spirits." The author shows in a forceful and convincing way the importance of a knowledge of the spiritual world, and in this I am in full agreement with him. But this very agreement leads me to call into question a point, which he raises later on. Passages are quoted to show that angels and spirits have bodies in appearance exactly like natural bodies. This, so far as I know, is universally accepted in the New Church, and has never been called into question. I fail, therefore, to follow Mr. Gyllenhaal when he speaks of this teaching as being "the truth about the bodies of spirits and angels," and that all other statements in the Writings "are to be thought about in the light of the fundamental doctrine"; and this, because "They treat of unusual phenomena," etc. The passages cited as showing "the truth" of the matter dwell on the similarity between the two worlds "in their outward aspect"; they do not enter into the fact that "in their inner aspect they are entirely unlike" (D. L. W. 163); and yet, it is the understanding of this latter, rather than a belief in descriptions given by Swedenborg, that constitutes "the truth" concerning the nature of the spiritual world.
     To illustrate: Among the citations in the article in question are the teachings that, "substances in the spiritual world . . . are not constant," and that spirits "have organic forms which constitute their bodies" (italics mine). These statements are of course true, but how are we to understand them in connection with the teaching, so well set forth by Mr. Gyllenhaal, that the spiritual body appears in all respects like the natural body? How else than by drawing from the Writings the truth concerning the spiritual world, as opposed to its appearances, which shall make clear the difference between the two worlds, and explain why appearances and time and space are real in the one world, and actual, fixed and set in the other? I would in no way weaken belief in the reality of the spiritual world, but I would call for a deeper study of those arcana concerning that world which are now, for the first time, revealed.
     ALFRED ACTON.
          April 3, 1942.

233


MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE       VIRGINIA SMITH       1942

     The first issue of "The General Church Communique" was published in March, and mailed to the men and women in the Service. It is, in brief, a newsletter, and its object is to provide for those whose duties have taken them far from personal contacts a means of following the activities and experiences of their fellows. The "Communique" is the first item of a personal nature, aside from social correspondence, to be attempted by the Committee, and was suggested for monthly publication and undertaken by the Rev. Willard D. Pendleton and the Rev. Ormond Odhner, of Pittsburgh. We think this idea a good one, and appreciate their excellent assistance.
     One soldier writes that the frequent mailings are surely most welcome, and that the addition of the newsletter will add just the personal touch that is at present lacking. "A little nonsense," he says, "injected along with it, would make it more appealing. After all, the only tie between the men in Service and the places they have left is the letters they receive and literature from the Committee; the one takes the place of home, and the other takes the place of the Church. It is pretty hard to fill these two needs by just the printed word, but you have gone a long way in bridging that gap."
     Since the organization of the Military Service Committee, we have received interesting letters from many parts of the globe. Such responses are very encouraging, and we look forward to hearing from others in the future.
     Lieutenant Commander Gilbert O. Waters, of a Royal Naval Air Station somewhere in Great Britain, writes:

     "I think your Committee is doing a grand job in keeping in touch with those in military service, for, as you know, many of us are shifting about fairly frequently, and it is sometimes difficult to maintain contact. In some ways I have been more fortunate, as I have stayed in the same place for some time. and have my wife and children living within a few miles of the Air Station to which I am attached. Nevertheless we have had a fairly exciting time. At the outbreak of hostilities I was General Manager of Channel Island Airways, and resident in Jersey (a small island about twenty miles from the French coast of Brittany). In June, 1940, as the Nazi hordes were fighting their way into the heart of France, it became evident that German occupation of the Channel Islands was only a question of days.

234


So, together with all the personnel of the Air Company, and wives and families of staff and friends, we transferred the Company to England. The evacuation was carried out by air; and as soon as we had got over, we ran services for the general public-special evacuation services which lasted almost until the occupation by the enemy. Together with several thousand other residents in the Islands, we had to abandon our homes and all our possessions, excepting what could be crammed into a suitcase. We have had to start all over again. (This is common knowledge, so I expect the censor will pass it.)
     "After negotiation with the Authorities, it was arranged that the whole of the Air Company should be kept together as a party serving in the Fleet Air Arm in their respective capacities, and it is indeed very pleasant to be able to continue working in the war effort with ones friends and acquaintances. We are able to keep in touch with Church activities by correspondence with the Rev. A. Wynne Acton in London, and now look forward to contact in a wider sense with your able committee. I was in the Academy class of 1923, and have therefore the added interest of knowing personally many friends in Bryn Athyn. . . Ivy, my wife, and the children have had the pleasure of meeting many of the visitors from the United States before we set up home in the Channel Islands. and to them all we would like to send a word of encouragement and good cheer."

     This month, instead of listing all the names and addresses, we give only those, which have been changed or added since the complete list was published in the April, 1942, issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE. We should like to say here a word of thanks to all who have been helpful by supplying information, news, and especially new addresses and address changes. Our list now totals over 135 names and addresses, and keeping this up to date is one of the ways in which everyone can help.
     VIRGINIA SMITH,
          For the Committee.


     ADDRESS CHANGES.

Alden, Sgt. Gideon T., 33031837, Battery A, 27th Coast Artillery, APO. 802, Bermuda.
Alden, Cpl. Theodore S., Co. A, 3rd Sig. Training Bn., Fort Monmouth, N. J.
Bellinger, LAC. W. G., R 137131, R.C.A.F.. #8 A.O.S., Ancienne Lorette. Quebec, Canada.
Bond, AW 1 Lillian D., W 300833, Dunoville, Ont., Canada.
Braby, Capt. Horace C., 4 Lot Rd., Homelake, Randiontein, Transvaal, South Africa.
Cooper, Capt. Philip G., "Knollwood," 54 Harvard Rd., Fairhanen, N. J.

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Cooper, P.F.C. Rey W., 332nd Materiel Sqdn., Esler Field, Camp Beauregarde, La.
Davis, P.F.C. Richard L., Battery D, 11th Bn., F. A. Replacement Center, Fort Bragg, N. C.
Field, A/C George A., Cadet Detachment, Scott Field, Illinois.
Fine, P.F.C. Raymond, Box 511, Schofield Barracks, Hawaiian Division, T. H.
Finkeldey, Cpl. Philip, Co. C, 2nd Platoon, 1st Med. Training Bn., Camp Lee, Va.
Hill, LAC. Ralph R., R 137173, R.C.A.F., E.F.T.S., Mount Hope, Ont., Canada.
Hill, Sgt. L. E., R 89398, 413th Swln C"RCX Base P. 0., England.
Kuhl, Cpl. A. WA 58261, B. Coy.,10 Basic Training Centre, Kitchener, Out., Canada.
Nelson, Pvt. Gerald F., Base H. Q. Co., Marine Corps Base, San Diego, Calif.
Pendleton, Cpl. Philip C., Battery C, 50th Reg't, C. A., Camp Pendleton, Va.
Potts, Sgt. John, Q.M.C., Service Unit No. 1201, Fort Jay, Governors Island, N. Y.
Rott, Cpl. T. F., 10th Pursuit Sqdn., 50th Pursuit Group, Orlando Air Base, Orlando, Florida.
Rydstrom, Lt. J. F., Address Unknown.
Scott, Gnr. Bruce H., B 18594, 30th Battery, RCA CA (A), 6th
L.A.A. Regt, Petawawa Military Camp, Petawawa, Ont., Canada.
Scott, Lance Cpl. Herbert G., 10 B.T.C., B. Coy., 9 Plaloon, Kitchener, Ont., Canada.
Simons, Pvt. David R., 32130175, Bryn Athyn. Pa.
Walter, A/C Robert E., Group 7. Sqdn. B. Replacement Center. Maxwell Field. Montgomery, Ala.

     NEW ADDRESSES.

Bellinger, Steward-Prob., Leigh, H.M.C.S. York, Automotive Bldg., Exhibition Park, Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Boozer, Donald, 125 Butt Road, Colchester, England.
Braby, A/Pupil J. S., No. 328432, Reception Wing, 75 Air School. Lyttleton, Transvaal, South Africa.
Burnham, Pvt. Roy M., Co. A, 1st Q. SI. Ing. Regt., Fort Warren, Wyoming.
Cowley, A/Pupil R. W., No. 328317. Flight 1, I.T.W., 75 Air School, Lyttleton, Transvaal, South Africa.
Gansert, Pvt. 0. Gideon, H. Q. Batteries, 50th F. A. Bn., APO. 810, Iceland.
Glenn, Pvt. Curtis R., Bldg. 97, B.B.T.C., 307th Coast Artillery. H. Q. Battery, Camp Tyson, Tenn.
Heinrichs, 2nd Lt. Clara, A.N.C., APO. 916, San Francisco, Cal., 52nd Evac. hospital, c/o Postmaster, New York, N. V.
Heldon, Lindthman, 104 Hillcrest Avenue. Penshurst, N. S. W., Australia.
Hilldale, Pvt. Richard M., Battery A, 5th Artillery Group, Marine Barracks, Parris Island, S. C.
Johns, Lt. Col. Hyland R., S. C.R.T.C., Camp Crowder, Missouri.
Junge, A/C Carl F., Parks Air College, East St. Lotus, Illinois.
Motum, John, Elmstead P. 0., Nr. Colchester, England.
Stebbing, Lt. Philip A. E., 57th General Hospital, Camp Edwards, Mass.
Watson, Pvt. Francis, c/o Mrs. Francis Watson, Paradise, Butte County, Calif.

236


Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     Since our last news report we have held our Annual Sale of Work, which took place in December. The effort made by all proved quite successful. A vegetable stall was a new idea, and the vegetables grown in the church grounds and in our own home gardens made a good show, and sold well. Also, fancy goods, refreshments, and a novel picture gallery helped to swell the funds. Altogether a happy hour or so was spent.
     The great drawback has been our heating arrangements. We have been obliged to content ourselves with oil stoves, as the boiler gave out just at the time we needed more warmth A gas boiler has now been installed, following about three months delay after obtaining the necessary permit; but as there is a war on, we are very thankful to get it so quickly During part of that period the school, singing practice and doctrinal classes were held at the home of Miss Muriel Gill.
     On the Sunday preceding Christmas the Tableaux and carol singing took place in the evening, and were very enjoyable. The tableaux were very impressive, and were accompanied with readings from the Word suitable to each. The scenes were: John the Baptist; The Annunciation; Arrival at the Inn; Shepherd and the Angel; Wise Men and the Star; Adoration of the Wise Men; and the Flight into Egypt.
     The morning service, and then the evening, brought a beautiful sphere, and prepared us for the Christmas Day service. This was all very peaceful, and the talk to the children was very inspiring to all. A special offering was made, as is usual at this service.
     The New Year social and midnight service was held as usual. The supper this year was made possible by our friends in Kitchener and Toronto, and our many thanks go to them for their kindness. Mr. Brian Appleton was toastmaster, and he is to be congratulated, as it was his first time in that capacity. There were toasts to "The Church," the "New Year," "Friends Across the Sea." and "The School." Responses were made by Mr. Owen Pryke, Mr. John Cooper, Mr. Colley Pryke, and the Rev. Martin Pryke. After this formal part of the program, dancing and competitions went on till almost midnight.
     During the year doctrinal classes have been held regularly. The work on Conjugial Love is being studied by our young men who will shortly be leaving us for the Services, and Heaven and Hell by a younger group. Now it is hoped to start a Young People's class.
     Our activities are now practically normal, and we have not had any disturbances for some time. Our Sunday Services are very instructive and enjoyable.
     F. M. B.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     Society activities in January and February were, as always, greatly restricted. Following our custom, the weekly service was held in the evening instead of the morning, and over the four Sundays in February the pastor preached a series of sermons on "The Uses of the Society." After a short vacation of two Sundays, the Sunday School reopened on January 11th. a suitable address being given the children. The Ladies' Guild began to meet again in February, resuming at the first meeting in the month its study and discussion of Bishop de Charms' lectures on "The Growth of the Mind."

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At the end of the month the Sunday School teachers recommenced their reading of Conversations on Education. Except for a few special events, to be mentioned in a moment, these were our only activities in the period under review.
     Swedenborg's birthday was recognized in the Sunday School by an open session held on January 25th, at which the pastor explained in a short address why we celebrate the birthday of the revelator. A number of photographs were afterwards shown to the children. The Society's celebration, held on the 29th itself, took the banquet form. Mr. Ossian Heldon fulfilled the duties of toastmaster in his usual satisfactory manner, and the twenty guests thoroughly enjoyed the attractive programs of toasts and songs he had arranged. The address of the evening was the Rev. A. Wynne Acton's paper entitled, "Swedenborg in the House of Nobles," the proofs of which had been sent to the pastor; and many appreciative references showed how keenly interested the company was in this eminently topical treatment which threw light on a not well known phase of Swedenborg's busy life. Mrs. Taylor, assisted by other ladies, catered and decorated in an admirable way.
     The Sunday School picnic was held on Saturday, February 7, and on Wednesday the 18th we again had the pleasure of entertaining at a social supper our good friend, the Rev. Richard H. Teed, of Melbourne, who came to Sydney to preach at the church of the society in that city on the last two Sundays in the month. Mr. Teed gave us a thoughtful and thought-provoking address entitled, "The State of the World and the State of the Church," which led to an extended discussion. As our Sunday mornings were then free, several of us were able to have the additional pleasure of hearing Mr. Teed preach in Sydney.
     Two more enlistments can now be recorded, that of Lindthman Heldon in the Armoured Division of the AIF., and Theodore Kirsten in the R.A.A.F. Theodore is stationed near home, and visits us fairly often, but our former General Church Treasury Representative will, unfortunately, be seen less often. Sydney Heldon is also at a nearby station; but his brother, Norman, is now 'somewhere overseas,' and Tom Taylor is carrying out air force duties in Western Australia. We all look forward to a grand reunion when, in the Divine Providence, the war has at last run its course.
     W. C. H.

     KITCHENER, ONT.

     Many of us had the pleasure of hearing Corporal Henry Heinrichs speak over the radio from England to his family. It brings the boys closer to us when we actually hear their voices. While on leave in Colchester, he preached to the Society there.
     Rev. Norbert Rogers is giving the Women's Guild a series of papers on the subject of Resurrection, taken from classes given by Dr. Acton. The recent class on "Resuscitation" brought out many new and vital points on the waking of man in the other world, which means much to us all at this particular time, as so many are passing into the spiritual world.
     Theta Alpha is studying "The Growth of The Mind," by Bishop de Charms. It is a valuable study, particularly so to mothers, as they can follow the different states of their own children.
     L. A. C. Ralph Hill and Sergeant Bill Kuhl hitch-hiked to Bryn Athyn, where they enjoyed a pleasant week's leave. A boy in uniform has no trouble getting a lift these days.
     Leigh Bellinger, our only Sea Cadet, who is now in active service, has been sent to Halifax to train. (Leigh is seventeen.) Good luck, Leigh Bill Bellinger is now in Quebec for further training. Ralph Hill has made his first solo flight. Howard Steen is somewhere between here and over there. Robert Evans is also on his way over somewhere.

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     Our sincere sympathy is with Gerald Schnarr. His wife, Lois, passed into the spiritual world in the performance of a woman's highest use. Owing to this death, the meeting of the Women's Guild was cancelled this month.
     I will conclude with an extract from a letter by Sergeant Leonard Hill:
     "The Scottish people are all that you've heard they are,-very hospitable and friendly. It makes your heart go out to them, and you really know what you are fighting for then. This is first and foremost a war to free men s minds from the bondage in which they have been kept, and secondly, a war of ideas and ways of life. When the issues at stake are such as these, there is no doubt in my mind who is going to be the victor. Freedom must and will be preserved on this earth, or how could the Next Church survive? These are the things I think of when I occasionally get down in the dumps, although that is rather hard to do among these wonderful Scottish people. I am writing from a Women's Volunteer Service Club, and one of the ladies here has invited four of us out to her farm tomorrow. That is a sample of Scottish hospitality. Of course, we are the only Canadians here at present, and that might have something to do with it."
     H. H. S.

     OBITUARY:

     Henry de Geymuller.

     Baron de Geymuller passed into the spiritual world at Pan, France, on March 4, 1942. Born at Basle, Switzerland (?), on July 18, 1899, he was thus in his forty-third year. It was at the age of eighteen that he became interested in the New Church through Mr. Maurice de Chazal, now a New Church clergyman, and was baptized by the late Rev. Gustave Regamey in Switzerland. I became acquainted with him about that time, and our active interchange of letters has continued ever since.
     For a period of three years he was editor of L 'ERE, NOUVELLE, a quarterly in French published in Switzerland under the auspices of the New Church Federation there. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1922, p. 449.)
     In 1924 he became a student in the Convention Theological School at Cambridge, Massachusetts, but after a year and a half was obliged to discontinue his studies on account of physical disabilities which he had contracted in the World War in 1918. During this period he paid three visits to Bryn Athyn. It was while here that his poor health became more acute, and he spent half a year at a sanatorium in White Haven, Pa., before returning to France in the fall of 1926. He attended our General Assembly in London in 1928, and while there was an active proponent of a small movement to effect an organic unity among all bodies of the New Church.
     In 1934 he published his great work, Swedenborg et les Phenomenes Psychiqaes, which appeared two years later in a German edition under the title, Swedenberg und die Ubersinnliche Welt. Begun as a series of articles in L 'ERE NOUVELLE, this work is a meticulous analysis of the records of psychical research, with an appraisal thereof from the standpoint of the theological and philosophical doctrines of the New Church. (See reviews in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1935. p. 54, and 1936, p. 373.)
     Though an active member of the Swiss Federation, and one of its outstanding thinkers and writers, the Baron was an eclectic, as witness his correspondence with people in all parts of the New Church and his deep interest in all its developments. A royalist politically, and an active member of the Action Francaise of France, he often expressed his approval of the episcopal organization of the General Church, regarding it as based upon sound realism over against the scholastic nominalism.
     He was not unequivocal in his acceptance of the Writings, drawing a distinction between the pure doctrine, "le magiatere doctrinal," and Swedenborg's spiritual experiences as recorded in the Spiritual Diary and the Memorable Relations, which he regarded as valuable in respect to the psychical problems which they raised, but not as part of the Divine Revelation that constitutes the Lord's Second Coming.

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     Personally, Baron de Geymuller was a brilliant man of great charm and versatile accomplishments. He wrote a scintillating French, and was the life of any group of people with whom he happened to be. He was an inveterate foe of smug complacency and of Puritanism, and felt that this attitude was in keeping with the teachings of the New Church.
     For the last few years he has lived quietly at Pau, Basses-Pyrenees, France, separated from his family since the outbreak of the war. Compelled to relinquish many of his activities on account of his failing health, he was uncomplaining and cheerful, although he despaired of the establishment of the New Church under the present conditions of the world.
     Because of his profound interest in Swedenborg, both as a man and a revelator, I was led on one occasion to predict to him that he would inevitably seek out Swedenborg the moment he entered the spiritual world, and that what each had to say would undoubtedly be of mutual interest.
     ELDRED E. IUNGERICH.

     Miss Bessie Forrest.

     After an illness of several years, Miss Bessie Forrest of Chicago passed into the spiritual world on April 6th at the age of eighty-seven. She was the sister of John and Laurence Forrest, with whom she lived for many years in the old Forrest home on Center Street near Lincoln Park. She is survived by her brother Laurence and a sister Clara (Mrs. Winans) of New York. Their father, Thomas L. Forrest, was well known in the early days of the New Church in Chicago as one of its fathers and promoters, and later as a pioneer of the Academy movement in this city.
     John Forrest, who passed to the other life in December, 1931, at the age of seventy-eight, was a member of Sharon Church, and is remembered with affection by his friends in the Church. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1932, pp. 65-67.) And Laurence and his sister Bessie have contributed much to the support and success of the Church in Chicago by their friendly interest and generosity.
     The Forrest home, built by Thomas L. Forrest before the time of the Chicago Fire, is rich in the traditions of one of Chicago's first families full of books, pictures, and antiques, most of the pictures being the work of Miss Bessie and John. It has always been a delightful place to visit, more especially by reason of the charming wit and culture of these three dear friends. The funeral was conducted by the undersigned, in compliance with a wish that Miss Bessie had expressed.
     GILBERT H. SMITH.

     THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH.

     The Annual Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy of the New Church will he held in the chapel of Benade Hall, Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Saturday, June 6. 1942, at 8.00 p.m. The public is cordially invited to attend.
     After opportunity has been given for the presentation and discussion of a summary of the Annual Reports of the Officers of the Academy, an Address will be delivered.
     EDWARD F. ALLEN.
          Secretary.

     BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS.

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn from time to time, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE.
     Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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ORDINATION 1942

ORDINATION              1942




     Announcements



     Pryke.-At London, England, March 1, 1942, the Rev. Martin Pryke, into the Second Degree of the Priesthood, the Right Rev. Robert J. Tilson officiating.
PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY 1942

PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY              1942

     Members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem are invited to attend the Philadelphia District Assembly, which will be held at Bryn Athyn. Pa., on Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, 1942.

     Program.

     Saturday, May 16, at 3.00 p.m.-Session of the Assembly. Discussion on: "How can the Philadelphia District cooperate in promoting the uses of the General Church?"
     3.30 p.m.-Address by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner. Subject: "The South African Missions."
     7.00     p.m.-Assembly Banquet (Informal). Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, Toastmaster.
     Sunday, May 17, at 11.00 a.m.- Divine Worship.
". . . . . AND A NEW EARTH." 1942

". . . . . AND A NEW EARTH."       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
JUNE, 1942
No. 6
     A Nineteenth of June Address.

     When Swedenborg had completed the draft of the True Christian Religion, which-in inner fact-was "the Universal Theology of the New Heaven" as well as of the New Church, this accomplishment fulfilled the vision of John in which the Holy City descended to be established among men and to make all things new. The Lords work of revealing the Truth, performing His judgment in the world of spirits, and forming and instructing the New Heaven, had been completed. And now man's work-man's part in the work of the Church-began.
     This is the significant thing about the sending out of the Twelve Apostles on the nineteenth day of June 1770. (T. C. R. 791.) They were to go out to their assigned provinces of the spiritual world, go out as ordained messengers, as ministers, to preach the Gospel of the New Advent, and invite the spirits of men to enter into a new covenant with the Lord. We picture them as visiting societies of spirits who were in the affection of spiritual truths, and-by their teaching-elevating their minds to see spiritually and to think spiritually; visiting societies of receptive Christians, of gentiles-even from other planets-wherever Providence had prepared a way.
     The Lord, by His Divine judgment and His redemption, established the new heavens. But He ordained angels and men to cooperate in the work of preparing the earth to receive the descending Holy City of Truth. John writes: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth."

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This expression-"a new earth"-means, of course, "a new Church" but this New Church is in both worlds, because it is in the natural minds of regenerate men and spirits. This composite natural mind upon which the new heaven is to rest is a new earth, -a new foundation. And it is formed by the Lord only with the cooperation of human labor, human responsibility, uses humanly undertaken. "The heavens, the heavens, are the Lord's; but the earth hath He given to the children of men." (Psalm 115: 16) It is the beginning of this work of making the earth new, which commenced when the Apostles went forth in 1770, and is continued on earth particularly through the priesthood and the organized New Church.
     Let us forget the sorry Present! Let us wipe Time out of our thoughts, and view some outlines of that new earth of the Future! No matter whether this may come tomorrow, or be a thousand Years away, surely we can at least vision some contours of the world of the natural mind such as it might be if it became responsive to the Heavenly Doctrine and molded to its patterns!
     I can see in the Future a society which is no longer carried away by the illusions that heaven-on-earth comes by external legislation or by technological triumphs and inventions that eliminate the discomforts of the body. I see a society of men who recognize that individual repentance is the necessary prelude to happiness, and that love to the neighbor cannot be divorced from love to the Lord. I see, not a society without evil, but one wherein evil is frankly faced; a society which is not lost in the clouds of self-conscious spirituality, and despises the ordinary tasks of external necessity and prudence; but one in which uses are performed with zest as a ritual of joyful service; where envy is not the motive, but where there is still present a wholesome rivalry in doing one's best and bravest for the common good, and where each recognizes in others a "perception of use and of what use is" (R. 354), and thus finds it in his will to serve the neighbor in a life of truth from doctrine; or, as the Writings also put it, in "mutual love, which is the love of doing uses to the community or society." (R. 353.)
     In such a society conjugial love will be restored, and will have ameliorated the graver evils of heredity with a natural good, which is not so averse to wisdom. (C. L. 202 ff.)

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The family will again have been recognized as the central focus of the life of heaven; the love of offspring will be revered and treasured for its heavenly ends; and education-from its first tender forms in infancy to its advanced forms of specialized research-will be regarded as the most important use of earthly existence, by which each passing generation bestows its best of generous affection, of prudent custom, of intelligence, and of wisdom, for the benefit of the future race.
     The inspiration of such a society will be the spiritual sense of the Word, which is revealed in the Writings unendingly in the measure of men's seeking; stabilizing men's thoughts in clear and pure doctrines rationally seen and balanced. And the criterion of truth will be, not any tradition (however true), nor reliance placed in people whose regenerate goodness might be specially evident, but the revealed Doctrine itself. Beyond this, much latitude will be given for interpretations and explanations, for enlightened deductions and free applications; but nothing of this will be insisted upon as more than reasonable conclusions, in which all men are free to surmise and to differ, giving rise to varied uses, offered in good faith and accepted (or declined) in charity.
     Government in such societies might vary greatly-from a patriarchal or aristocratic monarchy to a commune of cooperative guilds and professions. For it is not the name or the form which makes government good or bad, but the presence or the absence of mutual love. Order, instituted for the sake of the freedom of uses, and upheld by common perceptions of what is good and true, common acknowledgments of the discrete subordinations of uses according to their vital importance in the sight of heaven and for the final good of mankind, -such an order comes in forms that accord with the genius and the needs of men and of times.
     Yet there will be need of governments and of laws; laws of justice and laws of economic life; but laws such as are derived from the laws of heaven, and do not presume to take their place.
     Learning there will be-with a special restoral of Philosophy to its seat of honor. The knowledge of spiritual influx and of discrete degrees will have shed the light of new understanding into every realm of experience. It will not be a Philosophy which merely argues about terms, and which questions everything and offers no reply, but a Philosophy which is enriched by the insight of the Ancients who saw in all nature the reflections of spiritual laws, as if nature was but an approach to the knowledge of God's ways.

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     The thought of antiquity-the real story of man-will at last be unraveled out of jumbled myths and hoary rituals; its past glories revalued by historians who again might have gathered together the broken bits of the Ancient Word that was lost, and who would expound the ways of Providence in all the tragic pages that are being written in the smoke and fire of today.
     The mind of man-the secrets of its health being understood, its marvelous connexion with the body known-can be calmed and balanced with wisdom, and refreshed with wit devoid of rancor. The body will be revered as a temple of God's worship, as a precious instrument of uses.
     Science will look upon the universe and its wonders with a new insight, acknowledging the spiritual causes of things, instead of darkening men's minds with doubts. Invention will devote its talents to a seeking forever new uses to society, so that the earth may become the more abundantly a seminary for heaven.
     Art will have its place on the new earth, inspired by the symbolism of spiritual values never before apprehended, because the tender heights of internal states were formerly beyond man's experience. Literature will draw from the familiar knowledge of the spiritual world its romances of the real issues in life, and from an understanding of human states, which we cannot now picture. Poesy will be granted a new lease of life by a fresh appreciation of innocence, and be enriched by recognizing the natural world as a theatre representative of spiritual things. And all perception, skill, and knowledge will combine to make the worship of the church the crown of culture and beauty, and make Ritual again-as once it was-the mother and inspirer of all the arts of civilization.
Title Unspecified 1942

Title Unspecified              1942

     We cannot see the future except with the eyes of today. Yet the immediate future is built in the light of today. The soil of the new earth is formed, grain by grain, in the faith and steadfastness of our own hearts! in the idealism of today! in the courage of our daily tasks!
     The society which I have tried to picture is one which could be ours in a relatively few generations if our hearts were burning and our bodies ready to suffer martyrdom.

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In part, we feel, it is ours today. For even now we live at times on a new earth,-in a new world of ideas and affections that are gradually taking shape through New Church education, through the mutual uses of the Church; just so far as the Writings have reformed our affections and moulded our ways of thinking and feeling!
     When we stand on that new spiritual earth, and feel it to be the homeland of our spirits, and are conscious of the mighty protecting walls of New Church doctrine which are being reared comfortingly around us, then we seem secure, and as it were apart from the dangers of life. I have seen New Churchmen die, secure, reconciled, even longing. Those walls put to shame our own fears. We feel as a people apart, not with any claim to personal merit or superiority, but because our spirits are under an unmerited protection. Even when the world's ills become our own, and rampant destruction endangers the uses we love, and the world-order which we knew as safe begins to fall in pieces about us; even then the New Churchman can stand in spirit somewhat detached, knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ doth reign, and that His kingdom shall be for ages of ages.
     The events of these latter days move so fast that we have no time to estimate their possible meaning for the future. I am reminded of Isaiah, who stood at Jerusalem watching in his vision the irresistible battering-rams of Assyria rolling over country after country. But at the gates of Jerusalem they were turned back, the armies being struck by a pestilence. I think of the great empires that followed, had their day, and crumbled into dust. And what of the Apostles, in their troublous lifetime? Was not their world- such as they pictured it-ruthlessly smashed on the Friday of the Crucifixion? Was not the outlook of early Christianity-a small number of scattered groups fairly drowned in a noisy world of pagan orgies, of Roman armies, and of howling mobs, where magic and superstition vied with crass and cruel materialism, and the worship of power prevailed, and religious tolerance was granted all but Christians and Jews-was not that far beyond anything which has yet threatened this Church of ours, secluded in its comfortable oasis in the wilderness? The early Christians were not even granted to see the real outlines of the City of Truth, such as the Writings plainly disclose to us.

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Their only weapon was meekness. Most of us are reared from infancy in the lap of spiritual luxury! until we are almost unconscious of the world's deep needs, or of our own spiritual dangers!
     The state of the world after a last judgment in the spiritual world, we are told, is altogether similar to what it was before, with peace, treaties, wars, the same religious orders, etc. Yet "the man of the church will be in a more free state of thinking on matters of faith, . . . . because spiritual freedom has been restored to him." (L. J. 73); that is, he can better perceive spiritual truths-if he so wills. (L. J. 74.)
     This also held true in its way after the Lord's First Advent. Yet the early Christians had not outwardly any religious liberty, but suffered every type of persecution. And when, in AD. 313, the edict of Toleration came, the church by then had been well started on the road of its consummation, and because of falsities had all but bartered away its inner freedom.
     Even spiritual freedom cannot be maintained without human cooperation. It is not automatic; for man gravitates towards slavery. Freedom was not given that man might rebel, but that he might be free to cooperate from affection and intelligence, taking his responsible part in the Lord's work, using his judgment from charity, and defending the uses that are entrusted to him against both evil and falsity.
     The appearance is that the state of the world affects the state of the church. Each new change in the world brings to us responsibility in new forms, lest we merge too much with our environment, and grow satisfied with the world's ways and with our own customs and formal uses. The natural mind at times must be disturbed, and reduced to chaos and bewilderment, in order that, through temptation a new perspective may be born, which visions new treasures in the Heavenly Doctrine, and contributes new fields to the building of the new earth.
     But I have come to believe, also, that the state of the Lord's specific church has a hidden, powerful effect upon the world and its history, by laws which operate from the other world. I believe that we carry a responsibility which is so terrible that it cannot be fully divulged to us. It is not for us to judge of matters of eternal justice.

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But we see in the world a faithlessness to treaties, a destruction of nations, and an undermining of loyalties, which have their lessons for us. Every nation represents a use in the economy of the human race as a whole. And no use can be carried on without loyalty, faithfulness, external support. And with spiritual uses it is the same. The church offers to us a sphere of spiritual freedom,-the freedom "better to perceive spiritual truths if we so will." If we will to take this freedom, and appreciate it in heart and life, so long, I believe, the Lord will not cause the uses of the church to be endangered. But if we take this freedom for granted, then the storms of the world will be needed to awaken us to its value, by the threat of its loss! For then our spirits will stray from the new earth,-the fertile, rich country, the promised land; and we shall find ourselves in the barren wilderness-a man-made waste where the Holy City of Truth cannot be planted.
     Let us, by all means, fight for what we believe to be right as to natural justice,-fight with indignation against oppression and cruelty. But let us not, in spirit, leave that new earth which is formed to correspond to the new heaven,-the sanctuary of the spiritual freedom which the Twelve proclaimed on the first "Nineteenth"; a soil which has been patiently gathered, generation by generation, by those into whose labors we have entered; a soil made our own by the living faith that "the Lord God Jesus Christ doth reign."

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ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1942

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS       L. W. T. DAVID       1942

     BRYN ATHYN, PA., APRIL 6 TO 11, 1942.


     COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY.

     The Council of the Clergy of the General Church of the New Jerusalem met in its forty-fifth annual meeting at Bryn Athyn, Pa., in the week of April 6,1942. Bishop de Charms presided. There were in attendance two bishops, seventeen pastors, and three ministers. The Bishop's Consistory met on Monday evening. The Council itself held four morning sessions and a public session.
     The Bishop announced that the Rev. Martin Pryke was ordained into the second degree of the priesthood by the Rt. Rev. Robert J. Tilson on March 1, 1942, in the Michael Church, London, England; also that the Rev. Victor J. Gladish has resigned from the pastorate of the Cincinnati Circle and as Visiting Pastor to the Southern States, owing to the condition of his health, and he is now engaged in secular work. The Bishop has appointed the Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen to be Visiting Pastor to the Southern States in addition to the work in New York City and Northern New Jersey. It is hoped that it will be possible to arrange for a trip into the Canadian Northwest to be undertaken by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton and Mr. O. W. Heilman.
     On Wednesday morning there was some discussion of special points and aspects of the Liturgy, introduced by Dr. Acton reading letters received from England. Later a paper was read by Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, entitled "Mental Space and Spiritual Substance." A critic observed that the term "mental space" is self-contradictory, and that another term-"non-spatial substance"-is not satisfactory; it is also possible that our ideas are not quite adequate to embody the ideas of the Writings. Another noted that we still are in simple states, and should not strive too hard for a natural-rational conception of these intricacies. It will come slowly. In this world we still must conceive of space and time in the spiritual world.

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Angels and men differentiate between a thing seen and thinking; they will think of things above the appearances. But we can be sure of this-that the Divine Proceeding is uncreate and infinite, and the phenomenal spiritual world is finite. Another said that "state" can be predicated only of spatial things. The Divine Proceeding is the real and substantial in the universe, and the finite world is a means of its revelation. When I see a flower, I may see a use. The Limbus participates in changes of state.
     In response to the discussion, Dr. Odhner said that it is his wish to bring us into the use of philosophy (Swedenborg's especially) for the cultivation of the Rational, as we would use the Writings for the cultivation of the Spiritual. Swedenborg studied philosophy. We are deficient in philosophy. We have not obeyed Swedenborg's precept. If we use a wrong philosophic language, it will be unfortunate for our future.
     Dr. Acton read a series of passages, arranged under headings, on the subject of "The Limbus." In general, the discussion continued on the nature of spiritual substance, and several numbers from the Writings were suggested as contributing further to the subject.
     There was an extended discussion of the work of the Military Service Committee; in substance to the effect that this committee is doing an excellent job with the material that is available. It is working devotedly, but needs much fuller cooperation from the rest of the Church. News of personal interest is needed, and especially doctrinal papers. These latter should be concise and pointed, but should give the real doctrine of the Church, and stress the internal aims of life and thought.
     The customary Open Meeting of the Council was held on Friday evening following the regular supper of the Bryn Athyn Church. The Annual Address was given by the Rev. William Whitehead on the subject of "Humanity and the Church" and discussed by a number of speakers.
     L. W. T. DAVID,
          Secretary, Council of the Clergy.

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EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL 1942

EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL       Various       1942

     BRYN ATHYN, PA., APRIL 7-9, 1942.

     First General Session.

     The first general meeting of the Council this year was held on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 7, at 3.30 p.m., Bishop de Charms presiding. The subject of "New Church Education in Manners and Behavior" was introduced for discussion by a series of short prepared addresses:

     Rev. K. R. Alden said that although manners were mainly the responsibility of parents, they could be taught in the schools. Manners in the church are not outstanding, because they are not considered essential, and are not insisted upon. Manners are taught not so much by precept as by insistence upon their practice. He pointed out that as long as the Faculty is divided on the subject, no real improvement can be expected in the manners of the students. He suggested, therefore, that the Faculty first decide what manners are wanted, and then inculcate them in the students.
     Miss Dorothy Davis spoke of the centers of moral training shifting with age; that is, each age-group is motivated by different considerations which must be appealed to. She said that many acts of uncharity are caused by thoughtlessness. In maintaining discipline she is assisted by members of the school (the Factores), who help to formulate rules and to explain them to the other girls. She had found punishments more satisfactory than remonstrance in dealing with problems of behavior, which, with girls, had to do usually with talking.
     Mr. Richard R. Gladish said that until a boy had a sense of responsibility he should not be sent to the dormitory where the constant supervision of the home could not be provided. Dormitory life helps to develop certain qualities, such as reliability, but it does not cure ills. He listed several of the behavior problems common to the dormitory, some of which are characteristics of youth which are gradually outgrown, as, for instance, the use of loud tones and bad language, whereas others, such as table-manners and finding delight in off-color stories, must be cured with the help of others. He also mentioned that on the whole the dormitory boys are reverent, and interested in doctrinal subjects, and that their infractions of rules are usually not deliberate.
     Mrs. Harold T. Carswell said that children should be given gracious phrases to use, for of themselves they do not know how to express themselves suitably. In her opinion, the three essentials of good manners and behavior are self-control, personal responsibility, and patience. She suggested that boys he taught to feel responsible towards the girls.

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     Miss Florence V. Potts spoke of the behavior of elementary school children. As virtues possessed by them she listed honesty, reverence, chivalry and loyalty. Those they do not possess are discipline, orderliness and self-control, sportsmanship and courtesy. In learning to behave themselves, children need instruction, training and example.
     Rev. Willard D. Pendleton said that the purpose of New Church education is to prepare for regeneration, and that this involves not only instruction in knowledges, but also the development of habits or forms of the will. There is no innate goodness in man, and thus moral virtues must he acquired. He pointed out that until a child comes of age, his parents and teachers have a right to insist upon a certain behavior. This should be done even if it involves punishment, for the objective is to inculcate in the child a resistance to evil. Furthermore, regeneration is largely a matter of self-discipline in accordance with the truths of order. A great injustice is done to children if there is no insistence that they obey the rules of behavior. And this is actually more important than teaching them other subjects.

     Among the thoughts expressed in the discussion were: That children in the homes should be made to feel the object of love and interest; that teachers can always obtain what they have insisted upon without gaining a reputation for meanness; that external order is the basis for spiritual order, and that moral virtues are the representatives of spiritual virtues; that a simple code of behavior embodying the representatives of spiritual virtues, but not the mere artificial customs of politeness, could be formulated, which code both the homes and the schools, seeing its need, could unite in stressing; and that a beginning should be made by the teachers' selecting one or two points, such as not permitting class-room interruptions, and agreeing to insist upon their observance.

     Second General Session.

     The second general meeting of the Council was held on the afternoon of Thursday, April 9, at 3.30 p.m. The subject of "The Correlation of Elementary School and High School Work" was introduced for discussion by a series of short reports given by representatives from the various schools, outlining the work done and the problems encountered in the 8th Grade and in the first year of High School.

     Miss Jennie Gaskill reported that no particular problems were encountered in the Pittsburgh School.

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     Miss Margaret Bostock spoke of the value of using tests consistently to determine the standing of the pupils and to keep them up to grade.
     Rev. Norbert H. Rogers said that most of the problems in the Kitchener School were connected with preparing the pupils for the Ontario High School Entrance Examinations. The curriculum is such that not enough opportunity is given to the pupils to assimilate what they are supposed to learn.
     Miss Gladys Blackman said that the problems in the Glenview School are mainly due to the 9th Grade which is maintained there. Also, the Glenview pupils must be prepared both for the Academy Schools and for the public High Schools.
     Miss Vera Bergstrom, speaking for the Girls' Seminary, and Prof. E. S. Klein for the Boys' Academy, presented digests of every course taught in the first year.

     A discussion of the value of teaching English History in the elementary schools was climaxed by Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal's offer to send a copy of a Canadian textbook on English History to every school.
     It was suggested that a use would be performed if the various schools regularly exchanged their examination papers.
     It was pointed out that there was little use in discussing details, as each school has its own particular problems, the solution of which in no way aids the other schools.
     Mr. Stanley F. Ebert spiritedly attacked the modern tendency to make education easy. To have a good education a certain amount of hard work cannot be avoided. And though it is more difficult for the teacher, nevertheless it is his responsibility to see that his pupils do the work required by the course.
     A motion to teach children not to interrupt was carried.
     Mr. Stanley F. Ebert was nominated to take charge of the program for the meetings of the Council in 1943, and was unanimously elected.
     A vote of thanks was given to Prof. E. S. Klein for his excellent work in arranging this year's program.
     Respectfully submitted,
          NORBERT H. ROGERS,
               Secretary.

     Conference of Mathematics Teachers.

     Wednesday, April 8, 1942.

     The Chairman, Dr. C. E. Doering, opened the meeting by pointing out that Mathematics is an unpopular subject because bad teaching makes it dull, and gives the children a feeling of futility.

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Children love what they understand, and, therefore, teachers should make their subject alive and interesting.

     Miss Lois Nelson outlined the "Winnetka Plan for Teaching Arithmetic," and reported on its use in the Immanuel Church School at Glenview. The Winnetka Plan, she said, was an endeavor to adapt subject-matter and teaching to the mental capacity of the various ages. This was a definite step in the right direction, although as yet the Plan was far from perfect. Under the plan the individual child was to go at his own pace. The textbooks were therefore self-explanatory and contained the answers to the problems. They were also divided into sections, each of which had to be correct before the child could proceed to the next. The numerous short textbooks were separated, as it were, from the various grades; each book could be completed in less than a year, and when completed, the next in the series was to be taken up. Besides the textbooks, there was a book of diagnostic tests, and a remedial book, containing additional work designed to correct the weaknesses revealed by the tests. The Winnetka Plan, in a modified form, was being used in the Glenview School, and had been found satisfactory on the whole. The children were usually able to grasp the explanations provided in the text, and their interest was stimulated by their being able to take up new books with comparative frequency. The wisdom of having answers in the textbook was questioned. Other criticisms were: that the grade placements needed revision; that there was no provision for group oral work; and there were not enough problems.

     Much of the discussion was concerned with details. The criticism, both pro and con, for the most part agreed with the opinions expressed by Miss Nelson in her report. In general, it may be said that the meeting was favorably impressed by the Winnetka Plan.

     Mr. Edward F. Allen spoke briefly on "The Aims and Purpose of High School Mathematics." He pointed out that the work of many teachers was harmed by their needlessly worrying over how it would be regarded by succeeding teachers. Actually those entering High School were expected to know very little; for the Freshman Algebra course was almost wholly concerned with giving the pupils the ability to create and solve simple linear equations, involving one unknown. Most of the difficulties experienced by High School students were due to their not knowing thoroughly the few things they were supposed to learn in Elementary School, and to having formed bad habits. Elementary School teachers have done good work if their pupils, on entering High School, are well versed in the meaning of the terms add, sum, subtract, difference, multiply, product, divide, quotient. Words that should not be learned are: and, put, change, cross-out, cancel. Mr. Allen concluded his remarks by pointing out that every subject taught has a future to it, even though it may not be seen by either pupil or teacher at the time of teaching. This he illustrated by showing how simple counting could be, although it has been developed into a very complicated system.

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     Luncheons.

     The members of the Council met together at a luncheon on Wednesday, April 8, at 1.15 p.m., to confer on the subject of "Textbooks." It was pointed out that textbooks are difficult to select, largely because their worth can only be determined by use. Various teachers were called upon to speak about the textbooks they had found worth-while. Among those recommended were: "A Living Grammar" (Watson & Knolson) for the 5th Grade; "Handbook of Grammar" (Walsh-18c) for 7th Grade to College; "Sixteen Points of Grammar" (Stillwell); an English textbook (Canadian) for the 6th Grade; a Social Study Book (Canadian) for the 4th Grade; and an English History (Canadian) for the 8th Grade.

     At a second luncheon, held on Thursday, April 9, Dr. William Whitehead gave an address on "The Responsibilities of New Church Educators in a World at War."
     He stated that New Church education could not be "as usual" during the war, even though it had always included the teaching that defending one's country was a part of religion. He listed a number of ways in which New Church education could fulfill its responsibility in adapting itself to war conditions. These included: Stressing physical fitness and health; cutting down on social activities, and encouraging a return to a more normal life; devising a system of cooperation for the protection of children and property; adapting mathematics and science teaching to war service; encouraging practical uses, such as the repairing of vehicles, etc.; giving first-aid instruction; securing a better system of vocational counsel to advise the older young people as to the best way of serving their country, and to help in the post-war rehabilitation; supervising and encouraging garden and farm work; letting the older students help in operating telephones, signal systems, typewriters, etc.; encouraging saving and thrift in general, and giving the young people a better idea of wealth, its meaning, use and origin; developing a moral responsibility in the young people by emphasizing what makes a "good" life, by teaching hatred against evil and not against the person, by giving more instruction in the history, geography and literature of the other nations of the world, by making known the real causes and reasons of the war, and by teaching the use of newspapers and magazines; and lifting the problems of government and of science into the sphere of philosophy and life.

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     A number of speakers took part in the discussion:

     Rev. Homer Synnestvedt warned against the evil done by the modern "debunkers" and by exalted patriotism which made it difficult to appreciate the good of others.
     Right Rev. Alfred Acton, speaking on the point of not hating one's enemies, said that we should not fight in a spirit of revenge, but for the freedom of all men. He was glad there were men in the world who see that the peace must satisfy even our enemies. He also said it was the responsibility of parents and teachers to instill in children a hatred for evil principles.
     Rev. Norman H. Reuter pointed out that the love of country was subordinate to the love of humanity, and that children must be led to see the evil in their own country, against which a war must also be fought.
     Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal spoke of the necessity of showing goodwill to ones allies as well as to his enemies, and cited, as evidence of the lack of understanding and goodwill, the fact that at the beginning of the war the leaders were accused of having ulterior motives. He added that children should be given the opportunity of studying other countries, even if it meant sacrificing some of the other studies.
     Rev. Norbert H. Rogers pointed out the difficulty of teaching people not to hate others, as it was difficult to separate the idea of evil from that of person; and, besides, prosecuting a successful war seemed to demand hatred of one's enemies. Allied propaganda was designed more and more to arouse hatred of the German and Japanese people themselves, rather than of the evil policies of their leaders.
     Rev. Morley D. Rich referred to the doctrine that the deeds of good and evil men appear similar, and that a good man does not seek revenge before battle. He is like a lion in battle, and afterwards he does not exult over the enemy.
     Mr. Wilfred Howard questioned that the apparent inefficiency of the allies would necessarily cause their defeat. He pointed out that our enemies make mistakes, and that these may well lead to our victory.
     Dr. Whitehead said that presenting to children the fact that evil spirits possessed men, and must be fought until death, removed the idea of person. He concluded by stating his conviction that the Divine Providence would win the war.
     REPORTED BY NORBERT H. ROGERS.

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JOINT COUNCIL 1942

JOINT COUNCIL       HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1942

     The forty-eighth regular joint meeting of the Council of the Clergy and the Executive Committee of the General Church of the New Jerusalem was held in Bryn Athyn, Pa., on April 11, 1942, at 10 am.
     1.     After prayer, and a reading from the 19th chapter of the Apocalypse, Bishop George de Charms (presiding) opened the meeting. The following members attended:

     Of the Clergy: The Rt. Rev. George de Charms; The Rev. Messrs. E. C. Acton, K. R. Alden, Bjorn Boyesen, L. W. T. David, C. E. Doering, F. E. Gyllenhaal, E. E. Iungerich, H. L. Odhner (Secretary), W. D. Pendleton, N. H. Reuter, M. D. Rich, N. H. Rogers, G. H. Smith, Homer Synnestvedt, F. E. Waelchli, and William Whitehead; the Rev. Messrs. H. C. Cranch, R. G. Cranch, and O. de C. Odhner.
     Of the Executive Committee: Messrs. K. C. Acton, E. C. Bostock, G. S. Childs, R. W. Childs, E. H. Davis, and D. F. Gladish, Dr. M. W. Heilman, Messrs. Hubert Hyatt, P. C. Pendleton, H. F. Pitcairn, Raymond Pitcairn, and Paul Synnestvedt.

     2.     The Minutes of the forty-seventh regular meeting were approved as printed in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1941, pp. 259-266.
     3.     The Report of the Secretary of the COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY the Rev. L. W. T. David, was read and accepted. (See p. 267.)
     4.     The Bishop reported three pastoral changes which had occurred since the date of his report: The Rev. V. J. Gladish has resigned as Visiting Pastor to the Southern States and as Pastor of the Wyoming group. The Rev. Bjorn Boyesen has been appointed as Visiting Pastor to the Southern States. The Rev. Martin Pryke has been ordained into the second degree by Bishop R. J. Tilson, and has been recognized as a Pastor in the General Church.
     5.     The Report of the SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH was presented by the Rev. H. L. Odhner, accepted after portions had been read, and was then filed. (See pp. 262-266.)
     6.     The Report of "THE GENERAL CHURCH, INCORPORATED" was read by Mr. E. H. Davis, the Secretary of the Executive Committee, and was, on motion, accepted and filed. (See p. 282.)
     7.     The annual Report of the TREASURER OF THE GENERAL CHURCH, Mr. Hubert Hyatt, was accepted and filed as already printed and distributed.

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     8.     A discussion took place as to the policy of reading the Reports in full. After a brief recess at 11 o'clock, the Bishop expressed his feeling that the reports should indeed be presented, but that only essential and vital things such as are needed as a basis for our judgment need be read. It was moved by the Rev. F. F. Gyllenhaal, and resolved, That hereafter all the reports to the annual meeting of the Joint Council be printed in page-proof before the annual meeting, and be made available to the members of the Joint Council.
     9.     The Report of the EDITOR OF THE NEW CHURCH LIFE, the Rev. W. B. Caldwell, was read by the Secretary, and duly accepted and filed. (See p. 280.)
     10.     A long discussion ensued on the means whereby the NEW CHURCH LIFE might more fully serve the needs of the General Church, and on the suggested advisability of establishing a quarterly journal for longer articles and a weekly magazine for the less profound needs of our families.

     Some of the suggestions were: The LIFE should be increased to issues of 64 pages. But this would mean a greater cost. If changes were made, they should not be made merely to make the LIFE popular; any dignified journal was bound to have its ups and downs.
     From the standpoint of creating a wider interest, a family weekly would be desirable, with Bible pictures for children and school-news for the younger people. The Anshutz "fables" and continued stories had helped make the LIFE attractive to all ages in the early Academy days. One minister uses the back files of the LIFE for stories and other material needed in his work. One speaker felt that the Pastoral Extension Service could provide the more serious articles; he added that the LIFE should be sent to all members of the General Church, but might be published in cheaper form. Others felt that weekly publication would be impracticable, and that our official organ must not lose its essential character and dignity.
     Some stressed that the extension of the reading-circle of the LIFE was not a "sales-problem," and that the policy of the journal was not at fault, but that the state of the Church is necessarily registered in the lack of interest in the LIFE.

     Quarterlies-such as the defunct NEW-CHURCH QUARTERLY which served as an excellent open forum for discussions and interesting studies-either were maintained by some endowed institution or else depended on support given by special donors. Such journals often paid honoraria for desired articles. But when published in a separate quarterly, these longer articles might be ignored by most people.

258



     The whole question of our periodical publications ought therefore to be reviewed in committee. The growing interest in the SONS' BULLETIN, the PARENT-TEACHER'S JOURNAL, the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, the Pastoral Extension pamphlets, the special material sent to those in Military Service, and the various news-sheets of local societies, indicated that the LIFE as now constituted is not sufficient; and yet duplications and rivalry must be avoided. It was pointed out that many publications meant many editors. The LIFE also might benefit by having associate editors, who-perhaps as heads of departments-could perhaps provide us with a more varied quality of material which would appeal to many states. This was, however, not the time to embark on any financial risks.
     Some questioned the need of sermons in the LIFE, some the need of news- notes. But one group of speakers warned against dividing the LIFE into a quarterly for deeper studies and a weekly for general family use. The strength of our movement had partly lain in the recognition that New Church life included all fields of study and all uses, from that of theological discussion to that of social recreations. The official organ of the General Church should therefore he a record of all our activities and a repository for all our studies. The past volumes are a source-book for our future studies. Publishing such studies in mimeographed form or spreading them in various periodicals did not tend to preserve them.
     Several speakers feared that it would be unwise to take the more solid material out of the LIFE; and to split it into two magazines would defeat its purpose as our official organ. It would be better to enlarge the LIFE and to divide it into departments with a variety of substance coordinated under one chief editor; or else have a "board of contributors," possibly compensated for their work. This would also provide for a vigorous editorial department. The usual "editorial board," however, should be avoided, as it tends to restrain the freedom of the editor. All who are interested in the General Church are acquainted with the LIFE; if it is necessary that special fields of interest should be covered by special publications, regular mention of these in the editorial notes of the LIFE would help them to serve their uses more fully.

     11. On motion of Mr. Harold F. Pitcairn, it was unanimously resolved, That the Bishop be requested to appoint a Committee to study what should be the form of the official organ of the General Church.
     12. The first session adjourned at 12.45 p.m.
     13. At 3 p.m., the meeting was resumed. Mr. David F. Gladish gave a Report of the ORPHANAGE FUND COMMITTEE of the General Church. He stated:
     "The Treasurer's Report of the General Church for the year 1941 contains, on page 16, a section which describes the purposes of this fund. It seems essential, here, only to call the attention of the Pastors and officers of our societies to the fact that such a fund exists, and that in a case of need, information should be sent to Mr. Hubert Hyatt at Bryn Athyn, or to the undersigned. Contributions to the Orphanage Fund are gratefully received by Mr. Hubert Hyatt, Treasurer."

259



     On motion, the Report was received. It was announced by the Bishop that the British Finance Committee, following the new policy, has assumed the responsibility for the orphanage needs among our English members, and is at present assisting one family.
     14. The Bishop gave a Report on behalf of the ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE, which was duly adopted. (See p. 282.) He also mentioned that the present problem was to extend the knowledge of the Pastoral Extension pamphlets to our members. Ministers, societies, and districts need to assist in publicizing the material that is now available, and to organize for the sale of the pamphlets, by displaying sample sets which may be had on consignment from Mr. Ralph Klein. Seventy-two different pamphlets have been mimeographed.
     15. In regard to the SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION, the Bishop verbally reported that for the current year two-thirds of the fund asked for in the Statement which he had sent out earlier in this year had up to date been subscribed by about 102 individuals and groups; and the Philadelphia District had yet to be approached. The work of the Mission is now carried on on the basis suggested in the Statement. The South African Mission Committee had been enlarged, and a Ministerial Mission Council-consisting of the Rev. Messrs. E. C. Acton, K. R. Alden, F. W. Elphick, F. E. Gyllenhaal, and H. L. Odhner-had been appointed to assist the Bishop in laying down the broader policies of the work. The administrative work remains with Mr. Elphick, who is managing head as to both financial and ecclesiastical matters. The fund now being collected is to defray the stipends of the native ministers and necessary running expenses; but the Superintendent's salary is defrayed out of the General Fund of the General Church. (See Reports, page 284.)
     16.     The Report of the GENERAL CHURCH MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE (Doris G. Pendleton, chairman), was read. (See page 283.)

     Rev. W. D. Pendleton emphasized that this use is one of the most important undertakings before us today, because it seeks to feed and maintain a large though scattered parish, consisting of those on whose shoulders the Church of the future will mainly rest.

260


Yet the response to the Committee's efforts had been very slow, which indicated that there was no general appreciation of the need. The Committee had been thrilled by the letters which the soldiers wrote them. But more responsibility must be assumed by the laymen as well as by the clergy. He suggested that other societies might do well to copy the practice instituted in Bryn Athyn and Pittsburgh where baskets for contributions to this use are provided at their social suppers.
     Mr. Philip C. Pendleton informed us that, on a first appeal to twenty-five ex-soldiers who had been appreciative of similar services in the last war, only five had responded.
     The Canadian Pastors pointed out that their societies supplied their soldiers directly with many things, and that it was difficult to send money out of the country.
     The Bishop commended the efficiency, spirit, and enthusiasm of the Committee. Mrs. Pendleton had gathered around her a number of young ladies who were working hard and well. He hoped that the members of the Council, on returning to their societies, would seek to create opportunities for our people to support this use.

     17. The subject of a time for the next GENERAL ASSEMBLY was taken up.

     Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal read a telegram from Mr. Frank Wilson, of Toronto, in which the feeling was expressed that it would be unwise to hold a General Assembly in 1943, because of the need to conserve our resources for victory in the war. Mr. Gyllenhaal said that the Council of the Olivet Church-although desirous to support the decision of the leaders of the Church-doubted that taxation and regulations would permit any from Toronto to attend any such Assembly, or even to carry on all their own uses. Yet it was recognized that Assemblies have the greatest value, in war as in peace. The war may last for eight or ten years, and we would need the spiritual support of coming together, even if only a few from Canada could attend. All could benefit from reading the reports of such assemblies.
     Rev. Norbert Rogers recommended holding an Assembly, which would have a greater value now than in times of peace. He had heard regrets that during the "depression" an Assembly had been postponed. We should try to hold one unless we find it physically impossible.
     The Bishop, summing up the problem, reminded us that we do not yet know what conditions may obtain next year. Certain uses of the Church are essential, and must be carried on. A General Assembly ought to have a "general" representation. On the financial side, an Assembly costs a great deal, both to hosts and to visitors. The question was, Are we free to commit the Church to an Assembly next year? Presumably, it would be held in Bryn Athyn. Transportation may be restricted, automobile traffic curtailed, and many people may be engaged in war work.

261



     Mr. G. S. Childs suggested that, since there is difficulty of deciding even what can be done three months hence, the decision be left to the Executive Committee in the Fall.
     Rev. K. R. Alden recited the injury which the General Church had suffered in the Canadian North West from the "depression" policy of discontinuing work there. Instead of the vigorous societies which might have been preserved, we now had to start our work over again from small groups. No one saw any end to the depression, nor can we foresee the end of this war. The cause of war is a lack of spirituality, a blurring of spiritual values, and it is needful to revive our vision of the Lord in His Second Coming.

     An Assembly can be conducted in a very modest style, and "hamburgers are better than no Assembly at all." We can have great meetings, even if only the ministers can attend from Canada. An Assembly gives the occasion for a number of ministers to present studies which are afterwards published as an inspiration for the whole Church. England has found a way of carrying on annual Assembly, by simplifying it. We can always cancel our plans if this be found necessary; but "let us set our faces towards a General Assembly." Council and Assembly are the two foundations of our church.
     Rev. E. E. Iungerich deplored our becoming "fair weather friends," and questioned whether we might not feel foolish if we postpone the Assembly at this early date, and then, by some turn of Providence, the war was concluded before
1943.
     Mr. E. C. Bostock said that no one could oppose holding a General Assembly, if practically possible. But local assemblies could to some extent take its place. It was to him inconceivable that the war could be finished in less than two years. (The Rev. R. G. Cranch suggested six years.)
     Mr. H. F. Pitcairn commented that the ministers were apparently affirmative to the Assembly, while the executive members were more hesitant. Mr. R. W. Childs and Mr. C. S. Childs joined him in a desire for an affirmative approach, because our hearts are behind the holding of an Assembly if war conditions allowed.
     The Bishop also felt that the Council was right in taking the lead to rouse the Church to its responsibilities, rather than meekly lying down before conditions which we now merely fear. We express a desire to hold an Assembly unless we should reach a condition in which it is clear to all that it is impossible.

     18. It was therefore unanimously resolved, That it is the sense of this Joint Council that a General Assembly be held in 1943, war-conditions permitting; the final decision as to whether and where this Assembly is to be held to be left to the Bishop and the Executive Committee.
     19. On motion, the meeting adjourned at 4.15 p.m.
     HUGO LJ. ODHNER,
          Secretary.

262


MEMBERS 1942

MEMBERS              1942

SOCIETIES and Circles                         Young     Children     Social
                    Society     Coner.      People          Suppers

     United States
Bryn Athyn Church     382          147          130          266     W     
Immanuel Church          147          44          25          75     W     
Pittsburgh Church     105          13          15          50     W          
Sharon Church          58(?)          21          -          5     2W     
Advent Church          50(?)          15          -          12     -     
Washington Society     13          3          -          -     (3)          
New York Society          28          2          2          -     Y               
N.N.J.Circle               16          2          18          5     -
Wyoming Circle           9          2          3          10     M          
Detroit Circle          25          4          5          10     -     
N. Ohio Circle          31          10          2          13     M     
Erie Circle               9           6           1          5     -
Arbutus                25(?)      10           3           9      -
     Canada
Carmel Church     No report
Olivet Church          134           11           13           47      W
     South America
Rio de Janeiro     No report
Tabor Mission          4           37           1           6      Y
     Europe
Michael Church          59           27           20           3      M
Colchester Society      47           5           10          22     -
Nya Kyrkans For.          96           -           5           6      2W
Jonkoping Society          No report
Paris Society          No report
The Hague Society     No report
     Africa
Durban Society          80(?)      -           12           33      Y
     Austrailia
Hurstville Society          27           2           5           -      2M

AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
Morning     Evening     Child.          Holy          Doctr.     V.P.
Service     Service     Service     Supper     Class          Class
W 292     M 118      W 160      Q 161a      W 191     W
W 139     -          W 59           (6) 74     W 93           W 6; 2W 20
W 64           -           -          Q 55          W 47          W 5
W 33          Q 25           Q 17          Q 27          2W     26     2W 24c
W 23           -          W 8          Q 20          W 24          -
3W 21     3W 8          3W 6          Q 11          3W     8     -
2W 15      -           -          Q 11          M12          -
(21) 7     -          -          Q 7          M 8          -
W 12          (?)10          W14          Q 9          W 6          W
(11) 33b     -          -      -     (2) 20     (27) 10     -
(27) 23     (1) 9           (2) 7          (2) 10     (49)     6     (12) 2
-          (2) 6          -          -          (3) 5          -
M 25          -          M 9          Q 20          M 15          -

No Report
W 69          (2) 85     -          Q 62          W 35          W 7

W 14          -          -          M 24          M 24          -
W 35          Y 44          -          Q 28          W 9          W 3
No Report
No Report
No Report

W 38          -          W 20          Q 35          W 25          2W 6

W 18          M 18          (3) 16     M 15          W 8          2W 4

Note:     The following abbreviations are used: W. weekly; M, monthly; Q, quarterly; 2W, every two weeks; etc. Otherwise, number of occasions are noted in parentheses. "Young People" includes boys of 15-21 and young ladies of 15-18. a Also Monthly, with 73 communicants. b Not inclusive of Assembly Sunday at Detroit. c Ages 21-40.

263


ANNUAL REPORTS 1942

ANNUAL REPORTS       HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1942

     SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH.

     During the year 1941, eighty-two new members were placed on the roll of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Thirty-one members were reported deceased, and five resignations occurred. On January 1, 1942, the membership stood at 2283 persons.

     Membership, Jan. 1, 1941                    2240
          U. S. A          1282
          Abroad          958
     New Members (Certificates nos. 3249-3330)     82
          U.S.A               65
          Abroad          17
     Deaths reported in 1941               34
          U.S.A               22
          Abroad          12
     Resignations in 1941                    5
          U.S.A               4
          Abroad          1
     Losses                              39
     Net increase                              43
     Membership on Jan. 1,1942                    2283
          U. S. A          1321
          Abroad          962

     The tabulation on page 262 indicates the membership and the activities of our Societies and Circles. Only those are counted as members of a local Church, Society, or Circle, who are members of the General Church itself and who have been properly enrolled in the local Church. Other adults who frequent the services, or regard themselves as attached to that Society, are counted as "members of the Congregation."
     Day Schools are conducted in Bryn Athyn (9 teachers, 173 pupils), Glenview (5 teachers, 63 pupils), Pittsburgh (2 teachers, 19 pupils), Kitchener (2 teachers, 31 pupils), Toronto (3 teachers, 14 pupils), Colchester (1 teacher, 10 pupils), and Durban (3 teachers, 15 pupils). In certain cases the Pastor is also a teacher, and assistant or volunteer teachers take part in the work.
     Sunday Schools hold classes in Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington. D. C., Arbutus, Md., Detroit, Akron, 0., Erie, Toronto, Colchester, Stockholm, and Hurstville.

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          GENERAL CHURCH MISSION IN SOUTH AFRICA.

     At the end of 1941 the Mission reports a "baptized" membership of 441 (adults), and also 21 adherents not baptized, 220 children under 14, and 158 children over 14. The school at "Kent Manor" was closed on December 31st for lack of funds, and the children sent to a nearby Government School. A Sunday School is to be provided instead. At Greylingstad, the school, which has about 40 children is kept going by the Rev. and Mrs. Jonas Motsi without any paid assistant.


     NEW MEMBERS.

     January 1 to December 31, 1941.

     A.     THE UNITED STATES.

     Birmingham, Alabama.
Mr. Ferrell Noble Storey.

     San Diego, California.
Mr. Robert Thomas Pollock.

     Atlanta, Georgia.
Miss Florence Geneva Crockett.

     Glenview, Illinois.
Miss Barbara Blackman.
Miss Shirley Fay Blackman.
Miss Betty Jane Headsten.
Miss Phyllis Muriel Headsten.
Mr. Leslie Birger Holmes.
Mr. Raymond Theodore Kuhn.
Mrs. R. T. (Ruth Billington) Kuhn.
Mr. George Thomas Melzer.
Mrs. G. T. (Jean Foster) Melzer.

     Northbrook, Illinois.
Mrs. Ernestine Johanne Helene Amendola.

     Saginaw, Michigan.
Mr. Walter Cameron Childs, II.

     Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mr. Richard Oscar Boker.
Mrs. R. O. (Helen Ann Gressman) Boker.
Mr. Vitus Arthur Boker.
Mrs. V. A. (Anna Anderson) Boker.
Mrs. Ralph W. (Agnes Haskell) Rich.

     St. Paul, Minnesota.
Mr. Robert Isham Coulter.
Mrs. R. I. (Mary Elizabeth Hillebert) Coulter.
Mrs. Zofia (Kowalska) McGinn.
Mrs. Walter W. (Barbara Walser) Zick.

     Willernie, Minnesota.
Mr. William J. Ebly.
Mrs. W. J. (Louise Coil) Ebly.

     Nutley, New Jersey.
Mr. Bertil William Larsson.

     Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. Richard Glenn Smith.

     London, Ohio.
Mrs. Ida Stuart Dill Beath.
Miss Phyllis Roberta Beath.

     Wyoming, Ohio.
Miss Cora Virginia Merrell.

     Bethayres, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Albert Edward Cullen.
Mrs. A. E. (Violet Rose) Cullen.

     Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Leonard Ephraim Gyllenhaal.

     Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.
Miss Beatrice Jean Alden.
Miss Priscilla Korene Alden.
Miss Bernice Bostock.
Miss Jane Bostock.
Mrs. Charlotte Acton Briscoe.
Miss Mary Macy Carpenter.
Miss Mary Alice Carswell.
Mr. Rey Waters Cooper.
Miss Ruth Cranch
Miss Anne Davis.
Mrs. F. Jackson (Sarah Vernus Fine) Davis.

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Miss Paula Suzanna Finkeldey.
Mr. Robert Gustav Genzlinger.
Mr. Ernest Bruce Glenn.
Miss Margot Alene Hilldale.
Miss Shareen Hyatt.
Miss Charis Pitcairn.
Miss Mary A. Van Zyverden.
Miss Mary Elizabeth Waelchli.
Mr. William Henry Saunders Walter.
Miss Elizabeth Whitehead.

     Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Geo. A. (Elizabeth Eleanor Lansing) Arrington.
Miss Jocelyn Olds.

     Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
Miss Adrienne Louise Larsen.
Dr. Thomas Herbert Nicholl, Jr.
Mrs. T. H. (Emily Elizabeth Drexel Boone) Nicholl.
Mrs. W. H. (Cosette Kavanaugh) Regelman.

     New Kensington, Pennsylvania.
Mr. William Edward Brown.

     Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Miss Ethel Baldwin Westacott.

     Renovo, Pennsylvania.
Miss Janet Brown Kendig.

     Southampton, Pennsylvania.
Miss Edith Marie Deigendesch.
Mr. Hyland Righter Johns.


     B. CANADA.

     Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
Miss Marjorie Pearl Miller.

     Kitchener, Ontario.
Miss Korene Schnarr.

     Toronto, Ontario.
Miss Lorna Lillie Barber.
Miss Jean Bellinger.
Miss Penelope Anne Sargeant.

     Waterloo, Ontario.
Miss Elaine Bellinger.
Mr. Leonard Edward Hill.

     Secretan, Saskatchewan.
Mr. Isaac Loeppky.
Mrs. Isaac (Harriett Shedeck) Loeppky.


     C. EUROPE.

     Batheaston, Bath, England.
Mr. Eric Restyn Egerton Briscoe.
Mrs. E. R. E. (Hilda Marie Irene Barnes) Briscoe.

     Northampton, England.
Mr. Harold Charles Jones. Mrs. H. C. (Marjorie Lilian) Jones.

     Alsten, Sweden.
Mrs. Gerda Margareta von Bromsen Areshoug.

     Jonkoping, Sweden.
Mr. Lennart Ola Alfelt.

     Liljedahl, Segmon, Sweden.
Mrs. Anna Hedvig Gerda Elisabet von Axelson.


     D. AUSTRALIA.

     Adelaide, South Australia.
Mr. Edward Hartley Stokes.


     DEATHS.

     Reported in 1941.

Anderson, Mr. John P., Chicago, ILL., Aug. 19, 1941.
Armstrong, Mrs. E. B. (Lona Grant), Pataskila, Ohio, March 30, 1941.
Bond, Mr. Arthur, Waterloo, Ont., Jan. 4, 1941.
Brown, Mr. Robert George, Streetsville, Ont., Apr. 30, 1941.
Carpenter, Mr. Paul, North St. Paul, Minn., Nov. 27, 1941.

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Comer, Mrs. A. J., lately of Cordele, Ga., date unknown.
Cooper, Mr. Fred. J., of Bryn Athyn, Pa., Oct. 21, 1941.
Doering, Mr. Ferdinand, Milverton, Ont., March 31, 1941.
Forsberg, Mr. Charles E., Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 4,1941.
Fountain, Mrs. Thos. H.. Bryn Athyn, Pa., March 7,1941.
Frost, Mrs. Sarah Z. (Bishop), Atlanta, Ga., Apr. 27, 1941.
Guenther, Mrs. Emil P., Arbutus, Md., Apr. 30, 1941.
Headsten, Miss Hulda Eugenie, Glenview, Ill., Nov. 30, 1941.
Hollis, Mrs. Irene S., Rockland, Mass., Jan. 28. 1939.
Kintner, Mr. Joseph J., Ebenshurg, Pa., July 10, 1941.
Lechner, Mrs. Arthur O. (Esther Boggess), Pittsburgh, Pa., March 25, 1941.
Lindrooth, Mr. Oscar Theodore, Glenview, Ill., Oct. 2, 1941.
Nelson, Mr. Seymour G., Glenview, Ill., March 10, 1941.
Niebergall, Mrs. Ezra W. (Noxa M. Kohl), Kitchener, Ont., Aug. 5, 1941.
Pollock, Mrs. Elizabeth (Ankrom), Wheeling, W. Va., June 18, 1941.
Raymond, Mr. Frank Silver, Craigie Lee, Ont., May 30, 1941.
Reuter, Mr. Adolph W., Glenview, Ill., June 23, 1941.
Rex, Mr. George Peter, Chicago, Ill., June 24, 1941.
Roy, Mr. Francis T., Jenkintown, Pa., Nov. 22, 1941.
Sargeant, Mr. Alec Openshaw, Toronto, Ont., May 15, 1941.
Scalbom, Mrs. Oscar Trumbull (Jennie Snowden Cole), Glenview, Ill., Jan. 22, 1941.
Schweitzer, Mr. Conrad, Kitchener, Ont., July 7,1941.
Shepherd, Mr. Frederick George, Bishop's Stortford, Essex, England, Apr. 9, 1941.
Silfverskjbld, Mrs. Elizabeth, Stockholm, Sweden, June 3,1941.
Smith, Mrs. Thomas (Isabella Smith), Toronto, Ont., Feb. 13, 1941.
Spence, Miss Elma, Kitchener, Ont., Aug. 24, 1941.
Streich, Mr. Frank, Chicago, Ill., Aug. 30, 1941.
Waters, Mrs. Jas. E. (Ethel Kirk Barber), Llanfairfechan, North Wales, July 5, 1941.
Wells, Mr. John A., Bryn Athyn, Pa., Aug. 25, 1941.

     RESIGNATIONS.

Hilldale, Mrs. John H. (Adrienne P. Starkey), Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Ridgway, Mr. Norman A., Ladybrand, O. F. S., South Africa.
Smith, Mr. Gen. Charles, Philadelphia, Pa.
Smith, Mrs. G. C. (Dagny M. Hansen), Philadelphia, Pa.
Weaver, Mrs. Wm. Shaw (Leona Good), Philadelphia, Pa.

     Respectfully submitted,
          HUGO LJ. ODHNER,
               Secretary.

267


COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY 1942

COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY       Various       1942

     January 1, 1941, to January 1, 1942.

     The Council of the Clergy, on January 1, 1942, includes three priests of the Episcopal degree, thirty-four of the Pastoral degree, and four of the Ministerial degree. At present there are no candidates for the ministry. At present there are three pastors and eight ministers of the South African Mission. Thus the total clergy is fifty-two.
     During the year the Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen was ordained into the Second Degree of the Priesthood, and Candidate Harold Covert Cranch into the First Degree.
     For the list of the Clergy of the General Church and of its missions, see New CHURCH LIFE for December, 1941, pp. 564-567.
     The RITES AND SACRAMENTS of the Church have been administered as follows, as gathered from reports received up to April 6, 1942:

               General Church     South African Mission
Baptisms                    101          62
Confessions of Faith     42          10
Betrothals                    12          none
Marriages                     24          15
Funeral Services               37          22
Holy Supper                    140          28
Ordinations                    2          none
Dedication of Homes     1          none
Dedication of Churches     none          1


     REPORTS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY.

Report of the Right Reverend George de Charms,
     Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem;
     Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church of the New Jerusalem;
     President of the Academy of the New Church.

Ordinations: On March 30, 1941, the Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen was ordained into the Second Degree of the Priesthood; and on June 19, 1941, Candidate Harold C. Cranch was ordained into the First Degree.

Pastoral Changes: In June the Rev. Morley D. Rich resigned as Pastor of the Sharon Church in Chicago, to accept appointment as Resident Pastor of the Advent Church in Philadelphia and as Visiting Pastor of the Arbutus Circle in Maryland.
     The Rev. Ormond de C. Odhner resigned as Assistant to the Visiting Pastor of the General Church to accept appointment as Assistant to the Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society.

268



     The Rev. Harold C. Cranch accepted appointment as Minister to the Sharon Church in Chicago, as Assistant to the Pastor of the Glenview Society, and as Visiting Minister to the Rockford Circle.
     In October, the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith accepted appointment as Visiting Pastor to the newly formed Circle of the General Church at North St. Paul, Minnesota. This Circle was organized by Bishop Alfred Acton and formally recognized by me as of September 15, 1941.
     We deeply regret to announce that the Rev. Victor J. Gladish has been compelled-by the state of his health-to retire from active ministerial work. Our affectionate good wishes follow him into whatever field of usefulness Providence may open for him.

Meetings and Assemblies: I presided at the Annual Meetings of the Council of the Clergy held in Bryn Athyn, April 14-19, 1941. Also at District Assemblies held in Bryn Athyn, May 17-18, 1941, and in Glenview, October 17-19, 1941.
     I presided at Local Assemblies in Philadelphia on June 8; in Toronto October 11-12; in Kitchener October 12-13; and in Chicago October 20, 1941.
     I made Episcopal visits to the Arbutus Circle in Maryland on September 27; to the Rockford Circle on October 21; and to Pittsburgh, for the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Society, on November 7-9.

Western Trip: During the summer of 1941, in company with Mr. O. W. Heilman, I visited isolated families in Western Canada and the United States. A full account of this trip will be found in the October, 1941, issue of New CHURCH LIFE, page 433.

The South African Mission: In compliance with the resolution adopted at the Annual Meeting of the Joint Council, held on April 19, 1941, the following Pastors have been appointed as a Ministerial Council on Mission Affairs: Rev. Messrs. F. E. Gyllenhaal, Hugo Lj. Odhner, Elmo C. Acton, K. R. Alden, and F. W. Elphick. The South African Mission Committee has been enlarged to include Bishop George de Charms, Chairman; Messrs. Raymond Pitcairn, E. C. Bostock, Hubert Hyatt, Griffith Asplundh, Ariel C. Gunther, and Robert G. Glenn. And steps have been taken to solicit funds from the membership of the General Church for Mission support.

Military Service Committee: In order to keep the Church in touch with all its members who are in the Armed Forces, a Military Service Committee has been appointed under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Philip C. Pendleton.

The Committee on Adult Education: Through the publication of "Pastoral Extension" pamphlets, this committee has continued to provide valuable material for individual and group study, with special regard to the needs of isolated families. The Committee suffered a severe loss through the death of Mr. Fred J. Cooper who had been in charge of publication. Mr. Kenneth Synnestvedt has been appointed to succeed him, and the Rev. Elmo C. Acton has accepted appointment as Secretary.

269




          PASTOR OF THE BRYN ATHYN CHURCH.

     I preached in Bryn Athyn six times during the year, and delivered thirteen addresses to the children at their services. I also delivered six doctrinal lectures, in addition to presiding at Society Meetings and performing the other duties pertaining to the Pastoral office.
     I wish to express grateful appreciation of the assistance rendered by other ministers in preaching and conducting classes from time to time.

     PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH.

     During the year I presided at meetings of the Board of Directors, the Corporation, and the Faculties of the Academy. I taught two periods a week in the College throughout the scholastic year. For a detailed account of my acts as President, see my reports to the Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty.
     (Signed) GEORGE DE CHARMS.
          January 14, 1942.

     Bishop de Charms also reports having officiated at 20 Baptisms, 6 Confessions of Faith, 2 Betrothals, 2 Marriages, and one Funeral Service. He celebrated the Holy Supper 4 times in its quarterly administration, and 4 times in its monthly administration, and privately once; in addition, outside of Bryn Athyn, he administered the Holy Supper in Glenview, Arbutus, St. Paul, and in Oyen, Pouce Coupe, Spokane and Denver during the summer northwestern trip.

Report of the Right Reverend Alfred Acton,
     Dean of the Theological School of the Academy of the New Church,
     Member of the Bishop's Consistory.

     During the summer of 1941, at the request of the Bishop, I visited the Cincinnati Society, and presided over the Midwest Assembly. A week (Sept. 19-25) was spent in Cincinnati, during which I gave classes every evening, including a class on the Order and Organization of the General Church. Services were conducted and the Holy Supper administered on Sunday, September 21.
     On September 27 and 28, I presided over the Midwest Assembly at its meetings in Detroit, when I delivered an address on Spiritual and Natural Food.
     An interesting point arose at the Assembly concerning the offertory made at the Saturday session. This was the first time such an offertory had been made at the Midwest District Assembly. Two points of view were put forward:
1.     That the offertory should go to the General Church in recognition of the uses which that body performs to the Assembly, and of the fact that the General Church now needs our utmost support. 2. That the offertory should go to a fund to be established by the Midwest Assembly to meet its expenses and to develop its uses. With such a fund the Assembly might look forward to relieving the General Church of some of the expenses in connection with the Assembly. The question was a new one, and as there was no agreement, I announced that, if the meeting should agree, the present offertory would go to the General Church, and further consideration of the matter might be taken up at another time.

270


This was agreed to.
     In connection with my visit to Detroit, I visited the Society at Akron and the one at Youngstown, being accompanied by the Pastor of these societies, the Rev. Norman Reuter. I gave a class or lecture at each place. By invitation I also lectured at Glenview and Pittsburgh.
     From September 3 to 17, 1941, at the invitation of Mrs. Paul Carpenter, I visited North St. Paul, where was a small group of persons who had become interested in the Doctrines through the zeal of Mrs. Carpenter. With three exceptions, none of these persons had previously known of the New Church. A few weeks earlier the Bishop had conducted services at North St. Paul, and on that occasion had baptized three adults and one child.
     During my visit I gave lectures or talks nearly every evening, and had interested audiences of from about fifteen to thirty persons, some of whom were connected with the St. Paul Society of the General Convention.
     I held services on September 7 and 14. At the latter I baptized four adults and one child, and also administered the Holy Supper. All these adults who were baptized, some by Bishop de Charms and others by me, applied for membership in the General Church.
     As a result of the previous work by Mrs. Carpenter and by Bishop de Charms' visit, these classes and services, with the interest which they aroused, produced with many a new state, and they expressed the desire to ultimate this state in some sort of organization. Such an organization seemed also indicated by the fact that, with Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter and Mr. and Mrs. Price Coffin who had lately moved to North St. Paul, there were now eleven members or prospective members of the General Church.
     In the evening after the last Sunday service, I therefore gave a talk on the history of the New Church leading to the formation of the General Church, and on the order and organization of the latter body. On the following day, Monday, September 15, 1941, a meeting was held by the members of the General Church, together with those who had applied for membership, for the purpose of forming a Circle. At the beginning of this meeting I recognized the adults who had not yet received their certificates of membership as members of the General Church as of that date. With one unavoidable exception, they all were present. This action was subsequently confirmed by the Bishop. The meeting then expressed a unanimous wish to be formed into a Society or Circle of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. After this wish had been formally expressed, I recognized the members of the General Church in North St. Paul as a Circle of the General Church. For the reasons given it seemed wise to take this action, and by subsequently confirming the action the Bishop expressed his agreement with this view.
     The meeting thus became a meeting of the North St. Paul Circle. After recognizing the Bishop as ex officio Pastor, officers were appointed, including Mr. Carpenter as President. The meeting decided to hold a simple service every Sunday, to be conducted by one or other of the members, at the invitation of the President; to devote the offerings at these services to the support of the priesthood-for all ardently desired to have the visit of a minister as often as possible; to hold a Sunday School to be conducted by Mrs. Carpenter; and to have regular reading classes every week at the homes of the members, the reading and discussion to be followed by an informal social gathering.

271



     On Tuesday, September 16, I held my last Doctrinal Class there. Prior to the class I baptized Mr. and Mrs. V. A. Boker (senior), who were members of the Convention Society in St. Paul. Since then they have resigned from the St. Paul Society and have joined the General Church. Soon after their resignation I received a courteous letter from both the Pastor and the President of the St. Paul Society (the Rev. Mr. Broomell and Mr. Cowern) expressing the thought that, while they were sorry to lose the members who had joined the General Church, they believed that those members would find "satisfaction and happiness" in their changed relationship.
     Respectfully submitted,
          (Signed) ALFRED ACTON.

     Dr. Acton reports a total of 7 Baptisms, 2 Funeral Services, and 7 celebrations of the Holy Supper.
     To complete the stimulating account Bishop Acton has given concerning the developments in North St. Paul, it should be told that several members of that new Circle attended the Chicago District Assembly last Fall, and there, after consultation with Bishop de Charms, he appointed the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith as Visiting Pastor of the North St. Paul Circle. This took place on October 18. 1941. Mr. Smith made his first visit to the group on November 23, and a second visit on November 29, the specific occasion being to conduct the funeral service for Mr. Paul Carpenter, deceased. The Rev. Harold Cranch, as Assistant to Mr. Smith, visited the Circle about a month later.
     It is pertinent to quote portions of a letter received from North St. Paul:
     The members of the Circle all continue their active interest in the affairs of the Church and the Circle, and the settling down to a regular program has not resulted in any loss of enthusiasm.
     "We feel fortunate in being able to have the benefit of visits from Mr. Smith and Mr. Cranch. The past visit of each was a real success, and made for a definite advance. We are now arranging for a definite schedule of a visit each month up to and including June. They have both shown great skill in presenting the Doctrines to our friends who have attended the services, and have stimulated an interest in the Writings which may in time lead to further members. This ability is, of course, of special importance to our group. . .
     "The intervening Friday classes and Sunday Services are well attended. All of the members (now 15 adults) attend regularly, so far as they are able. We now have four men to take turns in leading on Sunday. Until recently we used the Family Worship form somewhat elaborated, but have recently advanced to the Sixth General Office. There has been no difficulty in finding good sermons suitable for our use.
     "These intervening activities keep things going between pastoral visits, but we all realize the need for the latter, and welcome them with delight.
     (From a letter of Robert S. Coulter, Secretary, dated, January 29, 1942.

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     BRYN ATHYN, PENNSYLVANIA.

Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner: During the past year he has been engaged as an Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church and as a Professor of Theology in the Academy of the New Church. Besides assisting whenever called upon, he has preached 19 times. He conducted 8 doctrinal classes on "The Countries and Peoples of the Word," and a private course of 13 classes on the Arcana Coelestia. He gave four other addresses. Elsewhere he gave one class and one sermon. He reports one Baptism, one Betrothal, one Marriage, and two Funeral Services. He officiated once at a monthly administration of the Holy Supper, and assisted on six other occasions. He has acted as Secretary of the General Church, and at the meetings of the Council of the Clergy a year ago as Secretary pro tem pore.
     In the Academy Schools, in the early part of the year, he taught five courses in Theology, Philosophy and Religion; in the Fall, however, only three courses, all in Religion.

Rev. Elmo Carman Acton: As an Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, he has preached at 11 morning and 2 evening services, and has conducted 18 regular and 3 special Children's Services. He has conducted 2 private classes, each fortnightly. He reports 11 Baptisms, 18 Confessions of Faith, 3 Betrothals, 4 Marriages, 1 Funeral Service; He has celebrated 1 monthly administration of the Holy Supper, and has assisted 11 times.

Rev. Karl Richardson Alden: In addition to his regular duties as Principal of the Boys' Academy, he preached in the Cathedral twice, and conducted one Children's Service. He also conducted 26 doctrinal classes on Wednesday evenings, covering the entire work, Heaven and Hell. There were 40 persons on the roll, and the average attendance was 30. He reports 3 Baptisms, 1 Confession of Faith, and 1 Marriage.

Rev. William B. Caldwell: During the past year has been engaged as Editor of the NEW CHURCH LIFE and as a Professor of Theology in the Academy of the New Church. He has regularly assisted at the Quarterly administrations of the Holy Supper.

Rev. Raymond G. Cranch: During the past year he has been engaged in secular work, but preached once in Chicago and once in Pittsburgh, and has done visiting of the isolated.

Rev. Emil R. Cronlund: Has preached three times in Bryn Athyn, has baptized one infant and conducted one funeral. He is regularly in secular work.

Rev. L. W. T. David: Has been teaching ancient languages in the College and Theological School of the Academy of the New Church; also one introductory course in Religion. He has officiated at one Confession of Faith.

Rev. C. E. Doering: Has been engaged as Dean of Faculties and as Professor of Mathematics in the Academy of the New Church. He has regularly conducted morning worship for the Academy Schools, and has taught in the Theological School, College, Boys' Academy and Girls' Seminary.

273


He has regularly assisted at Quarterly administrations of the Holy Supper. He preached once at Arbutus, Maryland; and has officiated at 3 Baptisms and 2 Confessions of Faith.

Rev. Eldred E. Iungerich: Pastor (in absentia) of the Paris, France, Society of the General Church of the New Jerusalem; Professor of Languages in the schools of the Academy of the New Church. He preached twice in Bryn Athyn and once in Washington, D. C., and officiated at two Marriages and one Funeral Service. He mentions receiving a number of letters from The Hague, Holland, indicating that the Society there is holding together under Mr. Emanuel Francis, their present Leader.

Rev. Homer Synnestvedt: Has been engaged as Professor of Education in the Academy Schools, and also as a teacher of Religion in the Bryn Athyn Elementary School. His work has been greatly hampered by the effects of severe illness, but on June 5, 1941, he was able to attend a celebration of the tenth anniversary of his work in the Advent Church, Philadelphia, Pa. He reports 3 Baptisms, 2 Funerals, 3 Quarterly administrations of the Holy Supper, and 3 private administrations.

Rev. Fred E. Waelchli: Twice conducted service and preached at Saginaw, Michigan, and twice at Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania; in addition he has preached at Saginaw once, at Wyoming, Ohio, once, and at Bryn Athyn twice. He reports four Baptisms.

Rev. William Whitehead: Is active as Professor of History and Political Science in the Academy of the New Church. He has conducted service and preached in New York once, and in Philadelphia once; he celebrated one quarterly administration of the Holy Supper, and received one Confession of Faith.

     PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: AND ARBUTUS MARYLAND

Rev. Morley D. Rich: During the first half of the year 1941 he was Pastor to the Sharon Church, Chicago, and Visiting Pastor to the Rockford, Illinois, Circle. In the summer he resigned from those posts, in order to accept the Pastorship of the Advent Church, Philadelphia, Pa., and of the Arbutus Circle, Baltimore, Md. In the Advent Church a Men's Club has been formed for the purposes of aiding the uses of the Society and of discussing various topics; there is the beginning of a Women's Guild having similar purposes. The Sunday School is enlarging and developing with the addition of another teacher and the arrangement of a definite course of studies.
     In Arbutus there has been monthly instruction of the adults in Doctrinal Class and Sunday Service; and the children likewise have a class and a Children's Service. The pastoral visits are made monthly, and the Holy Supper is administered quarterly. He has conducted one Funeral Service, has administered the Holy Supper seven times and has assisted once.

274




     NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY.

Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen: Is Pastor of the New York Society and of the Northern New Jersey Circle, and reports one Baptism in the New Jersey group. The Holy Supper has been celebrated five times, twice in New York, twice in New Jersey, and once with the two groups jointly. Sunday Services are held twice a month in each place, and Doctrinal Classes once a month.

     WASHINGTON, D. C.

Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton: As Visiting Pastor has conducted services every three weeks. At each visit these include Sunday Morning and Evening Services and a service for children, also a Doctrinal Class. The Holy Supper has been administered five times.

     PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

Rev. Willard D. Pendleton: Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society, reports 6 Baptisms, 1 Confession of Faith, 1 Betrothal, 2 Marriages, 3 Funeral Services, and he has celebrated the Holy Supper 4 times and assisted once. Sunday Morning and Children's Services, General Doctrinal Class and a Young People's Class have been conducted weekly.

Rev. Ormond de Charms Odhner: Assistant to the Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society since February 1,1941. He has preached there 19 times, delivered 26 addresses to children, has conducted 6 regular Doctrinal Classes and one special, 13 classes for first and second year high school students, 8 classes for young people, and is teaching religious and secular subjects in the day school. He preached once in Bryn Athyn. He reports one Baptism.

     NORTHERN OHIO, ETC.

Rev. Norman H. Reuter: Pastor of the North Ohio Group and Visiting Pastor for the General Church. For 1941 he reports two Baptisms, one quarterly administration of the Holy Supper and nine monthly, also assisted once. In Ohio he conducted services in Akron 17 times, in Cleveland 4, in Youngstown 3, in Barberton 2, in Middleport 2, and Urbana 1; in Michigan: Detroit 7 times, Saginaw 1, Walled Lake 1. In Erie, Pennsylvania, 2; In Birmingham, Alabama, 1, Atlanta, Georgia, 1; In Florida-Oak Hill 1, Dunedin 1, Boca Raton 1. He preached twice in Glenview, once in Pittsburgh, and once at Children's Service in Bryn Athyn. He gave 115 Doctrinal Classes in 28 different localities, and over 100 classes to children in 13 different places. This meant travelling over 15,000 miles.

Rev. Ormond de Charms Odhner: During the month of January made a trip through northern Ohio and southern Michigan and included Windsor, Ontario. He both preached and addressed the children in Akron, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. He gave Doctrinal Classes in Youngstown, Ohio, 1; Akron 2; Cleveland 1; Detroit, Michigan, 3, and Windsor, Ontario, 1.

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Rev. Victor I. Gladish: Pastor of the Wyoming Circle, Cincinnati, and Visiting Pastor for the Southern States, reports 4 Baptisms, 1 Confession of Faith, and 1 Funeral Service. The Holy Supper was administered 3 times in Wyoming, and 12 times among the groups in the South. He mentions removals of members from Cincinnati, and that the situation does not now appear encouraging there.

     ILLINOIS.

Rev. Gilbert H. Smith: Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, and (since October) Visiting Pastor of the North St. Paul Circle; Headmaster of the Immanuel Church School. Mr. Smith has officiated at 11 Baptisms, 6 Confessions of Faith, 2 Betrothals, 3 Marriages, 7 Funeral Services. He celebrated the Holy Supper 4 times at Glenview, once at St. Louis, and once at St. Paul. He has conducted a special High School Class once a week to six pupils-subject: Heaven and Hell. This is the second year for such a class. He has had the assistance of the Rev. Harold Cranch one morning and two afternoons a week in the day school; also for a bi-weekly doctrinal class for younger adults-this was begun last December.

Rev. Harold C. Cranch: Having completed his studies at the Academy of the New Church, and having been ordained, he became Minister to the Sharon Church, Chicago, Illinois, and Assistant to the Pastor at Glenview. He reports one Baptism and two Funeral Services. During the year he preached 26 times, gave Children's Service 3 times, and 25 Doctrinal Classes. He has given an evening service and class at Rockford, Illinois, once a month. Since September he has been teaching Religion, Hebrew, and Gymnasium in the Immanuel Church School, Glenview. And on request of Mr. Smith he visited the North St. Paul Circle in December.

Rev. Willis L. Gladish: Although designating himself as "retired," he conducted a Summer Sunday Service at Linden Hills, Michigan, on the porch of his house and designating someone to read the sermon. Three times, when other ministers visited, he provided that the little church at Linden Hills should be occupied for Sunday worship; on these occasions the attendance was over thirty. Rev. Morley Rich and Rev. Victor Gladish were the visiting ministers. He has been chosen as leader of the 'New Church Life Class' in Glenview.

     TEXAS.

Rev. Walter E. Brickman: After an interval of some years, he has sent a report in which he enumerates 5 Baptisms, 6 Confessions of Faith, 3 Betrothals, 5 Marriages, and 6 administrations of the Holy Supper; all these items, however, except perhaps the last, seem to refer to years previous to 1941. A young couple in the vicinity have become interested in reading the Writings. Mr. Brickman is located in Weslaco, Texas.

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     WESTERN STATES AND CANADA.

Bishop de Charms visited several points where there are small groups of New Church people, and he reports having administered the Holy Supper in Spokane, Washington; Denver, Colorado; and St. Paul, Minnesota. He did the same in Oyen, Alberta, and Pouce Coupe, British Columbia. But for last summers trip into the Northwest and Canada, see NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1941, p. 433.

     ONTARIO, CANADA.

Rev. Frederick E. Gyllenhaal: Pastor of the Olivet Church of the New Jerusalem and Headmaster of the Olivet Church Day School, in addition to conducting the regular activities of the Toronto society, he was able to visit the group in Montreal, Quebec, three times in the year, giving doctrinal classes, and administrating the Holy Supper. He reports Baptisms 6, Confessions of Faith 5, Betrothals 1, Marriages 3, Funeral Services 2.

Rev. Norbert H. Rogers: Assistant to the Pastor of the Carmel Church, reports 2 Baptisms, 1 Confession of Faith, 2 Funeral Services, 1 celebration of the Holy Supper. He preached 26 times in Kitchener, 4 times in Toronto, and once in Bryn Athyn. He has given classes to the ladies once a month, and has taken a more active part in the day school, teaching Religion, Languages of the Word, Anatomy, and Physical Education, and having general charge of the school as Assistant Headmaster.

     ENGLAND.

Rev. A. Wynne Acton: Pastor of the Michael Church, London, has reported one Baptism, two Betrothals, three Marriages. The Holy Supper has been administered 7 times at the Michael Church, 4 times at Colchester, and 11 times at the homes of isolated members. He states that the second full year of the war has continued to curtail the usual activities. Difficulties of travelling, pressure of various kinds of war-work on the members, and, with some, continued absence from London, have made it impossible to hold meetings on any other day than Sunday. Meetings are held on Sunday afternoons, following a luncheon after the morning service; under the circumstances these have been very well supported, and many enjoyable meetings have been held. The uses are being very loyally supported by the members. He has continued to publish the "News Letter" twice monthly for the benefit of all General Church members in Great Britain. Isolated members in various parts of the country have been visited. Mr. Acton also acted as Chairman of the British Finance Committee, which has considered, among other things, ways in which ministrations to the isolated may be extended.
     He has continued as a member of the Council of the Swedenborg Society, has acted as Secretary of its Advisory and Revision Board, and has accepted the temporary post of Honorary Librarian of that Society.

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Rev. Martin Pryke: Minister, by episcopal appointment, to the Colchester Society, reports 5 Baptisms, 2 Funeral Services, and the dedication of one home. He preached once and conducted two services at the Michael Church, London. He has visited isolated members and friends of the Church in Wallasey, LIanfairfechan, New Moston, Adeborough, Bath, Bristol, and Birmingham. Services were held in Colchester every Sunday of the year. The Holy Supper was administered four times by the Rev. Wynne Acton. Thirty Doctrinal Classes were held, but suffered a decreased attendance. Two series of young men's classes have been more encouraging.

     SWEDEN.

Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom: Pastor of the Nya Kyrkans Forsamling, Stockholm, he has officiated at one Baptism, one Marriage, two Funeral Services, Holy Supper four times and privately five times, including one each in Strlognls and Mariefred and twice in Malmkiiping. Besides the regular services and doctrinal classes he has conducted classes and discussions with the Young People's Club until, in the Fall, the Rev. Erik Sandstrom took over that part of the work, having removed to Stockholm.

     THE NETHERLANDS.

Rev. E. E. Iungerich mentions having received letters from The Hague showing that the group there is holding together under Mr. Emanuel Francis, the present Leader.

     AUSTRALIA.

Rev. W. Cairns Henderson: Pastor of the Hurstville Society of the General Church, he has officiated at 3 Baptisms, 1 Funeral of a non-member, and the Holy Supper-12 regular monthly celebrations. He preached at 63 services, conducted 33 Doctrinal Classes, 23 Young People's Classes, 18 classes in Swedenborg's Philosophy, a fortnightly study group in general doctrine, read monthly with the Ladies' Guild, and addressed 5 other meetings. The Sunday School has had 45 sessions and three special services, in which he gave 47 addresses and taught the senior class. In this connection he conducted a monthly study circle for the teachers.
     At the invitation of the Rev. R. H. Teed, he preached before the Melbourne Society of the New Church on January 12, 1941.

     BRITISH GUIANA.

Rev. Henry Algernon: Pastor of the Tabor Mission, Georgetown, Demerara, reports officiating at 2 Funeral Services and at 5 administrations of the Holy Supper. Sunday morning services were conducted every week, with occasional children's services, Doctrinal Classes and Reading Circle.

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     SOUTH AFRICA-DURBAN.

Rev. Frederick W. Elphick: As Acting Pastor of the Durban Society and Superintendent of the General Church Mission, he reports officiating at five Baptisms, two Marriages, and one Funeral Service. The Holy Supper was celebrated by him four times in the Durban Society and five times in the Missions. He dedicated a native church building at Hambrook, near Ladysmith, Natal. He also visited "Kent Manor" three times and Bulwer once. The local Mission societies at Mayville and Turner's Avenue were visited twice each. Last March he presided at a meeting in Durban of native Ministers when the issues confronting the mission work were fully considered.

     SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION.

Rev. Moffat B. Mcanyana: Pastor of the Mayville Society, Durban, Natal he reports 11 Baptisms. 1 Confession of Faith, 8 Marriages, 1 Funeral Service, administered the Holy Supper 3 times. Sunday services are held every week, likewise a General Doctrinal Class on Thursdays. He visited Verulam twice and Kent Manor twice. The Nineteenth of June was celebrated at each of these places on a postponed date.

Rev. Philip J. Stole: Pastor to the Turner's Avenue Society and Clairmont Group. 1 Baptism, 2 Confessions of Faith, 3 Marriages 1 Funeral Service. Celebrated the Holy Supper once and assisted five times. He also assisted at the dedication of the church building at Hambrook. He conducts services at Turner's Avenue once a week and Doctrinal Classes twice a week. He has visited the society at Deepdale (Bulwer), preaching and administering the Holy Supper, and has visited isolated members at Clairmont Township, near Pinetown, 15 miles from Durban. This place, be says, is promising. He is teaching four times a week in the local Night School, and acting as Head Teacher 2 hours each night. He gives daily Bible lessons and has a special Bible Class once a week.

Rev. Benjamin I. Nzimande: As Missionary at the Society of Macobazini, Bulwer, Natal, he has officiated at 4 Baptisms, 1 Confession of Faith 2 Funerals, and assisted at one Marriage. Services are held every Sunday morning and evening, and a General Doctrinal Class and Young Peoples Class, each 30 times a year.

Rev. Stephen E. Butelezi: As Minister and Missionary, stationed at the Hambrook School near Ladysmith, Natal, be reports 7 Baptisms, 2 Confessions of Faith, 2 Marriages, and 3 Funerals. A General Doctrinal Class is held weekly, and he conducts a Sunday School with special Children's Service twice in the year.

Rev. Peter H. Sabela: Minister to the Kent Manor Society Zululand, be reports 7 Baptisms, 1 Confession of Faith, 2 Marriages, 2 Funeral Services.

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Services are held every Sunday morning, and a day school is maintained, having 2 teachers.

Rev. Solomon B. Mkize: Minister at Ezimfabeni, Zululand, he reports the Baptism of two children and Funeral Service for two children. He holds service every Sunday morning and a doctrinal class every Thursday. The group there is very small (6 members). He says: "I have been trying to organize and teach our people the doctrine of the New Church as acknowledged by the General Church of the New Jerusalem. I frequently have lectures on request, and have discussion after the lectures. People seem to see the difference between the doctrine of the old church and the New. I think in due course our people will be brought to the understanding and knowledge of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg."

Rev. Timothy Matshinini: Minister to the Alexandra Township Society, Johannesburg, Transvaal, he has officiated at 3 Baptisms and 3 Funeral Services; has assisted twice at the Holy Supper. Children's Service is conducted every Sunday morning and a Doctrinal Class the same afternoon.

Rev. Jonas Motsi: As Pastor of the General Church Society in Greylingstad, Transvaal, he reports 15 Baptisms, 3 Confessions of Faith, and 7 Funeral Services. He has celebrated the Holy Supper 4 times, and privately 5 times. Services are held every Sunday morning and evening, and a Doctrinal Class once a month. A Day School and a Young People's class are maintained. Mr. Motsi has visited Johannesburg twice, and Heidelberg, Grootvlei, Roodhanek, and Retifontein once each.

Rev. Johnson Kandisa: As Minister of the General Church at Sterkstroom, Cape Province, he has officiated at 6 Baptisms and one Funeral, and at the Holy Supper 10 times. Sunday services are held in the afternoon, Children's Services twice a month, a Doctrinal Class three times a month, and a Young People's Class once a month. "On account of the war, many who promised to join have left town as recruits for the army, and some have gone to other work. Consequently my Church work is going slowly." He has visited Queentown Motteno, and Lady Frere, conducting services and doctrinal classes in each place.


     Up to the date of the final preparation of this summary of the work of the Clergy of the General Church of the New Jerusalem for the year 1941, reports have not been received from several of our ordained ministers. In some cases they are, perhaps, hardly to be expected: Rt. Rev. R. J. Tilson, Rev. Messrs. Alan Gill, Henry Heinrichs-Can. Army, Overseas, Henry Leonardos. Joao de Mendonca Lima, Richard Morse, Vincent C. Odhner, Erik Sandstrom, George G. Starkey, and Johannes Lunga.
     Respectfully submitted,
          L. W. T. DAVID,
Secretary of the Council of the Clergy.

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          EDITOR OF 'NEW CHURCH LIFE.'

     At the present time 1000 copies of each monthly issue are printed. Of these, 747 copies are mailed, as follows:

     To paid subscribers                    543
     Free to our Ministers, Libraries and in Exchange for other Periodicals                                   99
     Free to those who are in Military Service     105
          Total Circulation                    747

     A majority of those who are receiving our magazine are members of the General Church. In a number of cases a single copy goes to a home in which there are several persons who read it. In New Church book rooms and libraries, it is available to a good many New Churchmen who are not members of the General Church. In the Chicago Public Library, and in the Mercantile Library in Philadelphia, it has been noted that the copies are well-worn, indicating some reading by the public.
     Among our own members a considerable number who subscribe belong to societies or circles, and a considerable number in all parts of the world are isolated from church centers. To all of our members, it may be said, the monthly issue goes forth like a visiting pastor. To those in societies and circles it supplements the ministrations of the local pastor through the writings of other ministers which appear in our pages. To the isolated it brings a measure of what is provided in societies-sermons, talks to children, and doctrinal articles suitable for individual reading and family worship, especially on Sundays. For the isolated we shall not be providing enough until we are able to furnish a sermon and other readings for every Sunday in the year, as is done by weekly church periodicals. Our ministers are writing about a thousand sermons each year, but only twelve a year are published in NEW CHURCH LIFE. In this form, and in doctrinal papers, the message of the Second Coming of the Lord is being proclaimed in its finest form; and those who enjoy the benefits of such ministrations in societies and circles may well desire to share them with their less fortunate brethren who reside at a distance from centers of the church, but who hunger for such instruction.
     The members of the General Church desire this instruction in spiritual things,-instruction and inspiration such as that which is given from the pulpit and in doctrinal classes, thus also in the printed form of sermons and doctrinal articles in which the Heavenly Doctrines are set forth and explained to the affirmative minds of those who believe in their Divine Authority. Instruction of this kind is the Divinely appointed means of building the New Church on earth, promoting the growth of this Church in the enlightened understanding of Divine Revelation and in the New Church way of life.
     This "pastoral" use of our magazine is its primary function, and our ministers are maintaining it by their contributions to our pages, which are either submitted voluntarily or are freely given in response to specific requests.

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In order that we may make the best possible use of the space at our disposal, it is well that we should not go too far afield from our essential purpose. As the apostles said to the early Christians, "It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God, and serve tables." (Acts 6: 2.) There is a temptation to do so at the present time,-to enter the field of the natural issues and causes of the world-wide disturbance. There are many reasons for not doing this and our writers have been content to present the teachings of Revelation as they bear upon such conditions, and to leave the application to the intelligence of the New Church reader. As was recently said by the Editor of THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER: "The work of the MESSENGER is to put before its readers the spiritual ideals of the Church. There ought to be some religious magazines to which people can turn for inspiration, and in the pages of which they can find some refuge from the constant discussion of the war." (November 19, 1941.)
     On the cover of our monthly issue it is stated that "NEW CHURCH LIFE is a Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Teachings Revealed through Emanuel Swedenborg." Within this broad statement, and in addition to the pastoral function of the magazine, there are many fields that properly come within our essential purpose. We have always featured such forms of instruction and information as are embodied in reviews, historical accounts, current comment reports, news of the church, and in the discussions of doctrinal and practical subjects in which our members, both ministers and laymen, present an exchange of views that is stimulating in bringing forth a variety of understanding and interpretation, looking to the growth of the church in enlightenment.
     Within our present limitations of space, which have been in force for ten years (1932-1942), it has not been possible to print the longer articles-16 pages and upward-except occasionally when extra pages have been provided. It has not been possible to print the learned studies which can only be presented in articles of that length, and which suffer if brought our in installments. Yet such studies, involving a deeper investigation of doctrine, are especially useful to our ministers, teachers, and to the more studiously inclined among our readers in general.
     It would be well to keep this need in mind, and to provide for it when the means are available. At the present cost of printing, it would mean about $64.00 for an addition of 16 pages to a monthly issue, or about $4.00 a page. Meanwhile, the 48-page issue is being used to provide for the most essential and pressing needs, having regard to the greatest good to the greatest number of our readers. A 16-page article would occupy one-third of the 48 pages, throw the number out of balance, and infringe upon other needs for which we must provide.
     Respectfully submitted,
     W. B. CALDWELL.

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CORPORATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH 1942

CORPORATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH       EDWARD H. DAVIS       1942

     REPORT TO THE JOINT COUNCIL.

     Since my report to the Joint Council dated April 16, 1941, two members of the Corporation have died and no new members have joined. The total membership is now 138.
     As usual, the report of the Treasurer reflects the activities of the Executive Committee, and much that was considered has been set forth in detail by the Treasurer under his explanation of the expenditures.
     Since the report of April 16, 1941, the Executive Committee has held five meetings. Among the subjects which were considered were amendments to the Corporation By-Laws, Executive Committee election procedure, appointment of a Salary Committee, and support of the South African Mission.
     Respectfully submitted,
          EDWARD H. DAVIS,
               Secretary.

April 6, 1942.
ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE 1942

ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE       GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942

     The Adult Education Committee has continued during the past year to provide, through the Pastoral Extension Service, an adequate supply of material for individual and group reading, study, and worship. To date 8100 pamphlets have been published, and of these 4291, or 53 per cent, have been distributed. The pamphlets include sermons, talks to children, doctrinal lectures, educational addresses, and other studies. New material is being published continually, and is advertised through the NEW CHURCH LIFE. Complete lists of available pamphlets are sent on request. Distribution centers have recently been organized in Glenview, Ill., New York, N. V., Newark, N. J., Akron, O., and Philadelphia, Pa.

     In order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and expense, a general plan has been agreed upon whereby other publications of the General Church, including those of Theta Alpha, the Military Service Committee, and the PARENT-TEACHER JOURNAL, will work in close cooperation with this Committee.

     Here, as in so many activities of the Church, the loss of Mr. F. J. Cooper, who passed into the spiritual world last October, has been keenly felt. Mr. Kenneth Synnestvedt has accepted appointment to replace him as Manager of Production. The Rev. Elmo Acton has been appointed Secretary, and he has begun a series of brief reviews in the pages of the LIFE. In this and other ways, efforts are being made to spread a knowledge of the material available, and encourage its use by an ever widening circle of readers throughout the Church.
     Respectfully submitted,
          GEORGE DE CHARMS,
               Chairman.

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE       DORIS G. PENDLETON       1942

     Organized by Bishop de Charms in June, 1941, the active members of the Committee are: Doris G. Pendleton, Chairman; Lyris Hyatt, Secretary; Gwen Cooper, Treasurer; Joan Davis, Correspondence; Virginia Smith, Personal Information. Associate Members: Willard Pendleton, Pittsburgh; Maude Cooper, Colchester; Rachel Acton, London; Eva Henderson, Hurstville; Phyllis Cooke, Durban; Helen Anderson, Toronto; Korene Schnarr, Kitchener; Renee Smith, Glenview.
     The purpose of the committee is to provide suitable church literature and personal letters for all General Church men in the armed forces, thereby keeping them in touch with church activities and thought.
     There are 140 persons on our list-55 of whom are members of the General Church. Many are not old enough to be members yet, and some have expressed the desire to join.
     The expenses of the committee are defrayed entirely by voluntary contributions, and to date we have received $578.08 from 26 contributors. Also, we have received $57.58 collected at Friday Suppers. We have spent $419.10 for mailing purposes, and for printing sermons and articles in small folders, convenient for the recipient to slip in a pocket. These folders cost $10 for 200 copies, and we have printed 24 sermons, articles, and one "News Letter."
     Before we had gathered material to print for ourselves, we used pamphlets published by The Adult Education Service which cost 11 1/2 cents each. At Christmas we sent a card and a small book entitled "Day Unto Day"-a compilation of short quotations from The Word and The Writings, published for soldiers by the General Conference and purchased by us for 22 cents each. Our bank balance is $158.98 at present, and we have eighteen folders printed in advance. NEW CHURCH LIFE and THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY BULLETIN are financed by their respective organizations, and sent by us to each person in service.
     The program of the committee is as follows:
     Meetings are held once a week. The chairman writes to each new person, explaining the purpose of the committee. The members report on new names, addresses, letters written and received; and personal information about our friends is shared. Sermons are read, discussed, selected, and proofread. Something is mailed every week. NEW CHURCH LIFE is sent about the first of each month; a sermon or article follows the next week; "The Communique" is ready about the middle of the month; and another sermon is sent the fourth week. Hundreds of personal letters have been written by the committee and friends throughout the church. Only the letters, or parts thereof, judged suitable by the recipient, are discussed or used publicly.
     The committee is grateful to Rev. Willard Pendleton and Rev. Ormond Odhner for their help and interest in the use. They are editing a monthly news letter, entitled "The General Church Communique." to further the human side of the work. This will be appreciated by the soldiers, certainly, as well as ourselves.

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     The committee wishes to express its interest and delight in this work, and hopes to increase its usefulness in the difficult days to come. Security in the teachings of the New Church will inspire courage in all of us-and especially in those of our friends "who fight, even unto death, that their country may be free."
     Respectfully submitted,
          DORIS G. PENDLETON,
               Chairman.
SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION COMMITTEE 1942

SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION COMMITTEE       GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942

     The South African Mission Committee has been confronted with a twofold responsibility, namely, to devise a feasible plan for the re-organization of the Mission, and to raise funds sufficient for the carrying out of that plan.
     As a first step, the Bishop, in June, 1941, appointed a committee under the chairmanship of the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal to investigate existing methods of mission administration. In September this committee submitted a report in regard to the modes that have been adopted by the General Conference and by the American Board of Missions.
     After studying this report, a general plan of re-organization was agreed upon which, in brief outline, was set forth by the Bishop in a "Statement" published last February. Also, for the permanent study of ecclesiastical policy, the Bishop has appointed a Ministerial Council on Mission Affairs.
     To bring the importance of the question more fully before the members of the Church, the use of the Mission was presented in Toronto and Kitchener by the Rev. K. R. Alden and the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, and in Pittsburgh, Glenview, and Akron by the Rev. E. C. Acton. It is proposed that a similar presentation should be made in Bryn Athyn at the time of the Philadelphia District Assembly in May.
     There has been an encouraging response to these efforts and about two-thirds of the three thousand dollars required for the carrying out of the proposed plan has already been pledged for this year. In view of its added responsibility for the collection of funds, the South African Mission Committee has been enlarged.
     Meanwhile the Mission, under the superintendence of the Rev. F. W. Elphick, has been reorganized in accord with the plan above referred to, and it is functioning successfully.
     Respectfully submitted,
          GEORGE DE CHARMS.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

     This time we have something very special to report-a Wedding, no less! And not having had experience as a "society" reporter, we have called upon several ladies for assistance, as our account will plainly indicate.
     On Saturday evening, May 2, occurred the marriage of Miss Beatrice Cook, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Cook, to Mr. Walter Childs II, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey S. Childs. The ceremony was held at the Royal Oak Women's Club in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit, and the officiating minister was our old friend, the Rev. F. E. Waelchli, grandfather of the groom.
     The chapel was beautifully decorated with palms and flowers, and illuminated by a profusion of candles which shed a warm, mellow glow upon the wedding party. The bride was radiant in ivory satin fashioned en traine, with draped bodice and fitted sleeves. Her veil was fingertip length fastened with a pearl coronet. She carried a shower bouquet of white roses and gardenias.
     Miss Muriel Cook served as her sister's maid of honor, and Nancy, her youngest sister, was junior bridesmaid. They were lovely in sister frocks of blue marquisette, with halo hats of the same material. They carried round bouquets of yellow daisies. Mr. Leon Rhodes of New York, brother-in-law of the groom, was best man. The ushers were Mr. Leo Bradin and Mr. Willard McCardell, brothers-in-law of the bride. Appropriate musical selections were rendered by the bride's sister, Mrs. Leo Bradin.
     Following the ceremony a reception was held, after which, with Mr. Waelchli as toastmaster, there were songs and toasts in the good old Academy way. Altogether it was a very auspicious and happy evening which we shall long remember.
     Among the out-of-town guests were the following: Mrs. Philip Cooper and daughter Joan, of Fair Haven, N. J.; Mrs. Richard Kintner, Mrs. Fred Cooper and Miss Pearl Cooper, and Mr. Edward C. Bostock, of Bryn Athyn; Mrs. Frank Day, of Glenview, Ill.; the Misses Joyce and Shirley Day, of Kitchener, Ont.; Mr. and Mrs. Leon Rhodes, of New York City; Mr. Loyal D. Odhner, of Glenside, Pa. Miss Virginia Childs and Miss Frances Cook also took time out from their studies at Bryn Athyn to attend the ceremony.
     After a brief wedding trip, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Childs will reside temporarily at Mt. Pleasant, Mich., where Walter is to be graduated from Central State College in June.
     W. W. W.


     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     On Saturday, March 7, the Rev. Elmo Acton showed up, and no one could be more welcome l In the evening be told us about the South African Mission-how it started, what it has accomplished in over twenty years, and why money is now needed to carry on its work. If the response is half as eloquent and common-sense as Elmo's presentation of the use and the need of support, the work of the Mission will continue.
     When people of his calibre venture into the confines of The Park, we give them no rest. On Sunday the pastor had the pleasure of listening to a sermon instead of preaching one. In the evening Mr. Acton addressed a meeting of the Sons' chapter, and afterwards a few of us met with him at a social gathering and were afforded an opportunity to realize that Elmo has quite a sense of humor!

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On Monday morning he gave a brief address to the children of our school, and then left for Akron.
     Miss Celia Bellinger has recently been another welcome guest, staying for a few days with Dr. and Mrs. Harvey Farrington in their new home on Park Lane. We wish that Miss Bellinger would come oftener.
     The three great events of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday stood out in bold relief against the background of a troubled world, and we again voice our appreciation of the manner in which our pastor brings these mighty events to our notice. The annual exultation of feeling as we see some sixty children in their robes, followed by every baby in the society- coming to the altar with palms and flowers-the reciting and singing-powerful reminders of the Entry into Jerusalem! The calm, solemn sphere of the evening service of the Holy Supper on Good Friday! And the morning of Easter-the spiritual thrill which comes with the realization that "He is Risen!"
     These are serious days, but always there will be happenings that bring us joy. To Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Day a boy was born. A newly married couple is in our midst,-Mr. and Mrs. John Henry Wille. Frank Day and his charming wife have moved back to Glenview. But four more of our boys have joined the Army: Roy Burnham, Harry Cole, Raymond Lee, Arnold Smith.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.


     KITCHENER, ONTARIO.

     A Holy Supper Service was held on Good Friday evening. On Easter Sunday the children's service was conducted by the Rev. Norbert Rogers, whose address was very much appreciated by the children. They brought Spring flowers as an offering. Our adult service followed, with a most inspiring sermon by the Rev. Alan Gill on the subject of "Peace," his text being, "Peace he unto you!"
     The Easter Monday supper was tastefully served by the Rev. and Mrs. Alan Gill and Mr. Niall. Mr. and Mrs. Harold Kuhl headed the committee, which provided the evening's entertainment of court whist and dancing. The young people spent a busy Easter holiday, entertaining and being entertained.
     Mrs. Henry Heinrichs (Ruona) had a thrilling surprise when her husband returned unexpectedly from England.
He has been sent back here as an instructor, and since his return has been made a Sergeant, and is now stationed at Niagara Falls. At a meeting of the Sons and the Men's Club, held at the home of Messrs. George and K. Robert Schnarr, he gave a short talk and answered a multitude of questions about England.
     A good, old-fashioned doughnut and maple syrup supper was served by a committee headed by Mrs. Alfred Bellinger, and the Rev. Norbert Rogers gave a very interesting account of the Annual Council Meetings. A subsequent Friday evening was devoted to the hearing of reports of the Teachers' Meetings by Miss Phillis Cooper and Miss Nancy Horigan.
     We were all delighted to hear the voice of Sergeant Cecil James over the radio from England on Saturday, April 25. He gave a friendly greeting to all his friends on this side of the water. Gunner Robert Evens and LAC. Howard Steen have arrived in England. And Corporal Bill Kuhl, in furtherance of his Army work, is going to Megantic, Quebec, for a course in Junior Leadership.
     The Misses Gloria and Audrey Stroh and Vivian Kuhl are now working for the Ontario Farm Service Force at a camp near Hamilton. The ladies of our society, in place of doing individual work for the Red Cross, are now working as a unit at the rooms of the Waterloo Red Cross.
     Mr. E. W. Niall announces the engagement of his daughter, Ruth, to Mr. DeLos Facey. And Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Schnarr have announced the engagement of their daughter. Phyllis, to Mr. Edward Cranch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Cranch, of Rochester, N. Y.
     H. H. S.

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE              1942

     ADDRESS CHANGES.

Alden, Sgt. Gideon T., 33031837, Battery D, A.A.A.S., O.C.D., Platoon #1, Camp Davis, N. C.
Alden, Cpl. Guy S., Co. B, 64th Sig. Bn., Fort Meade, Maryland.
Alden, Cpl. Theodore S., Co. B, 1st Sig. Tog. Bn., Fort Monmouth, N. J.
Bostock, P.F.C. Edw. C., Jr., Air Corps, 84th Materiel Sqdn., Las Vegas, Nevada.
Caldwell, Pvt. Neil V., 12042894, 92nd Rcn. Sqd., Troop D, Camp Funston, Kansas.
Cooper, Sgt. Rey W., 332nd Materiel Sqdn., Esler Field, Camp Beauregarde, La.
Davis, S/Sgt. Charles F., 64th Materiel Sqdn., Hammer Field, Calif.
Davis, P.F.C. Richard L., Battery D, 11th Bn., FA. Replacement Center, Fort Bragg, N. C.
De Maine, Sgt. Robert E. L., Co. F, 36th Combat Eng'rs, Fort Bragg, N. C.
Hamm, 2nd Lt. Linda, A.N.C., N-725013, 52nd Evac. Hospital, APO. 916, San Francisco, Calif.
Heinrichs, 2nd Lt. Clara, A.N.C., 52nd Evac. Hospital, APO. 916, San Francisco, Calif.
Heinrichs, Cpl. Henry, 38189, R. R. 3, Kitchener, Ont., Canada.
Heldon, Trooper Lindthman, NX 85929, AIB., Tamworth, N.S.W., Australia.
Heldon, Sgt. Norman, NN 5 1755, No. 3 Australian Independent Coy., AIF. "Abroad."
Iungerich, Ph. M. 1-C Alexander, 3111 Bonsall Terrace, S. Philadelphia, Pa.
Johns, Lt. Col. H. R., 6th Sig. Te. Reg't, Camp Crowder, Mo.
Kintner, Capt. William R., 26th Coast Artillery, APO. 1048, c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.
Odhner, A/C Sanfrid E., 130280)2 Co. 37, A.F.R.T.C., Air Base, Santa Ana, Calif.
Parker, Pvt. S. F., No. 86601, c/o Rev. F. N. Elphick, 135 Musgrave Road, Durban. Natal, South Africa.
Parker, Light Lt. Sydney R., C 3147, R.C.A.F., Canadian Army Overseas.
Peterson, Pvt. Win. F., 6t11 Armored Div'n, Camp Chaffee, Ark.
Ridgway, L/Cpl. A. E., No. 5925, c/o Rev. F. N. Elphick, 135 Musgrave Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
Rydstrom, Lt. J. F., Address Unknown.
Scott, Gnr. Bruce H., B 18594, Hut 4 B, A. D. & M. School. Woodstock, Got., Canada.
Steen, Sgt. George K., A 99912, Address Unknown.
Von Moschzisker, Cand. Michael, Battery D, A.A.A.S., O.C.D., Camp Davis, N. C.
Walter, A/C Robert E., Lawson General Hospital, Atlanta Georgia.

     NEW ADDRESSES.

Anderson, Pvt. Edward C., Co. D, 29th E. T. Bo., 4th Platoon, Fort Leonard Wood. Mo.
Anderson, Pvt. Irving, Co. C, 6th Bn., A.F.R.T.C., Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Davis, Edward A., Marine Corps Base, 60th Platoon, San Diego, Calif.
Heaton, Pvt. George B., Jr., Recruit Detachment. 73rd Mat. Sqdn., Craig Field, Selma. Ala.
Kirsten, A C 2 Theodore, 421227, IDS., R.A.A.F., Bradfield Park, Lindfield. N.S.W., Australia.
Nilson, A/C Gunnar, 13054950, A.F.R.T.C.. Co. 27 B, Army Air Base, Santa Ana, Calif.

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1942

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH              1942




     Announcements



     The Annual Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy of the New Church will be held in the chapel of Benade Hall, Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Saturday, June 6,1942, at 8.00 p.m. The public is cordially invited to attend.
     After opportunity has been given for the presentation and discussion of a summary of the Annual Reports of the Officers of the Academy, an Address will be delivered.
     EDWARD F. ALLEN.
          Secretary.
BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1942

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS        Celia Bellinger       1942

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn from time to time, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE,
     Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE NEW CHURCH 1942

ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE NEW CHURCH       RAYMOND PITCAIRN       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
JULY, 1942
No. 7
     (Adapted from an Address to the students of the Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, February, 1942.)

     The question of the religion of Abraham Lincoln has been the subject of much controversy. Biographies tell us with certitude of Lincoln's methods and achievements, but the reminiscences of associates and the studies of biographers alike differ in their analyses of his religious affiliations and convictions. This we do know-and from his own words-that, while Abraham Lincoln never formally joined any particular church, he was inspired and sustained throughout his life by a profound faith in the God of Justice and Mercy.
     For evidence of Lincoln's confidence in God, we need but turn to his utterances, both before and during the Presidency. In his farewell to fellow-townsmen from the platform of the railroad train which was to bear him from his home in Springfield to the cares and burdens of the White House, he said: "I now leave you, not knowing when or whether ever I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot fail. "
     And, on the East Portico of the Capitol, in his First Inaugural Address to the whole nation, he said: "If the Almighty Ruler of Nations, with His eternal truth and justice, be on your side of the North or on yours of the South, that truth and that justice will surely prevail. . . .Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust in the best way our present difficulties."

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     Again, in the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln resolved "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom." And later, when a committee of the Senate formally notified him that he had been elected President for a second term, he declared: "With an unshaken faith in the Supreme Ruler of Nations, I accept this trust."
     With these and other utterances in mind, New Churchmen have wondered whether Lincoln read the Writings of the New Church. His speeches contain no reference to them; but that he did know of Swedenborg and his Writings is evidenced by his association with more than one New Church family,-an association which has given rise to much discussion in the New Church. This discussion began after the Rev. J. R. Hibbard,* published his "Reminiscences of a Pioneer" in the NEW JERUSALEM MESSENGER for 1883-1884. Writing of his missionary work in 1843, Mr. Hibbard says:
     * Mr. and Mrs. Hibbard were among the earliest members of the Academy.

     "At Springfield we remained for a week or more to rest after our long and fatiguing journey. Here I first met that remarkable man, Abraham Lincoln.
     "The Fourth of July occurred during the week after our arrival, and was celebrated by a 'barbecue' and Sunday School festival. Mr. Lincoln was the orator of the day. The adult population from far and near assembled in the hall of the House of Representatives where the oration was to be given. The Hon. I. S. Britton, State Superintendent of common schools, and the most prominent New Churchman in Springfield, and an intimate friend of Mr. Lincoln. accompanied me.
     "We arrived early at the hall, and found Mr. Lincoln in one of the anterooms, and after an introduction, we remained in conversation until the time arrived for the exercises to commence. After prayer by a clergyman present, Mr. Lincoln rose, set his chair before him, his hand upon the back of it, unconsciously raised his right leg over the chair-back, set his foot in the chair, and began to speak. He soon changed his position and stood erect. He appeared to me at first to be embarrassed by the magnitude of his subject, and the greatness of the thoughts that came to him. But I soon forgot his awkward manner, and became entirely absorbed in the subject, Our Country and Its Destiny.' of which the day we were then celebrating was the beginning and the promise. I have heard many Fourth of July orations, but never one that so deeply interested me. After the address all formed in procession and marched a half mile to a grove where the children of all the Sunday Schools in the vicinity were gathered with their teachers. Here several short addresses were made to the children, and among others, Mr. Lincoln was asked to address them and did so.

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The other addresses were tame compared with his. I was astonished at the man. I had never seen nor heard of him until that morning. He was then unknown to fame. But his address to those three hundred children, if it had been printed and published as delivered, would have made his name immortal in the admiration and love of parents and children.
     "Mr. Lincoln was not a member of any of the various sects or churches. A very few knew why. He was a religious man, a very conscientious man, and his conscience was formed by the Ten Commandments and the Word of God, which, in private, he read much. His views concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as God manifest, concerning the Sacred Scriptures and the life they teach, concerning the moral government of the universe and the civil government of nations, the humanity of man and the duty of rulers to protect and preserve the principles of humanity wherever found, in the highest or in the lowest, were largely formed and influenced by the Writings of Swedenborg, furnished to him by his friend, Mr. I. S. Britton, about the year 1842 or 1843. The time has passed when the knowledge of this will disturb the feelings of any, and it may be well, and is due to history, that it should be preserved." (MESSENGER. January 30, 1884, p. 67.)

     In the NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER for September 30, 1914, was published an affidavit of a Mr. Bryant Higgins, "a member of the U. S. Court held in the city of Springfield . . . on or about January, 1895.

     In this affidavit, the deponent stated "that he boarded at a certain house on Fifth Street in said city [Springfield, Illinois], and that a certain man whose name was Johnson boarded there. . . . One night he said to me, 'Are you a church member?' I said to him, 'I am a Swedenborgian.' He said.
     I am also one. From this a very friendly acquaintance sprung up. I now will give you his language as near as I can remember it. He said: "Me and Abe Lincoln and Dr. Blackburn are the three original Swedenborgians in this part of the country. Me and Abe and Dr. Blackburn met in the back room of Abe's office every Saturday night and studied Swedenborg's works with Abe as our teacher. We kept up those meetings for several years, until Abe was elected President. I had two boys. Abe often talked to them about Swedenborg's works, telling them, "Boys, if you want to learn medicine, metallury, mechanics, or any science; or, above all, if you want to be honorable, useful men, study Swedenborg." Abe was elected President, and I was told that occasionally he went to the home of a widow and they (he and the widow) read Swedenborg's works, and that the people said they read witchery books.' The above is the exact language as near as I can recollect. My memory is not as minute as it once was, as I am now an old man. In a few days I will be seventy-five years old."

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     To this affidavit the MESSENGER adds its own endorsement of Mr. Higgins as "a reliable man whose word would be accepted by those who know him at Olney without question."
     Some years after publication of the Higgins' affidavit, one of the ministers of the General Church-the Rev. Richard H. Keep-wrote to Mr. Robert Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son, and received the following reply: [Italics mine.]

                                   "Manchester, Vt.
                              October 30, 1914.
"Rev. Richard Hamilton Keep.
     "My dear Sir:-My acknowledgment of your letter has been unduly delayed by various things.
     "I know nothing of Mr. Bryant Higgins, who claims the novel official designation (for a man not a judge) 'a member of the United States Court held in the city of Springfield in January, 1895,' but his affidavit shows that he got into questionable company. I never heard of his friend. 'Johnson,' but Johnson s manner of indicating intimacy with Mr. Lincoln has for fifty years been in Illinois a well recognized absolute proof of the fraudulent character of the assumption. Mr. Lincoln's closest friends (in his manhood) used no more familiar address than 'Lincoln'; such was the custom of the time and region among his friends; the Johnson story is simply the vulgar invention of a tramp. I am a little astonished that such a thing should be printed in the NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER to be seen by people who, by their reading, must know that Mr. Lincoln's character and occupation at the time assigned make ridiculous a story of his consorting with a man of Johnson's type. This foolish story is hardly worthy of attention, and I should speak of it in the same way, whatever was the topic suggested in it, but since you are especially interested in it on account of its religious reference, I may go a little further.
     "Mr. Lincoln began the practice of law about 1836; the Bar in Illinois was then small, and those who practiced in the Supreme Court were well acquainted with one another, and, it may be mentioned, an extraordinary percentage of them became of much public distinction. Among them was J. Young Scammon, of whose life an account may be found in Appleton's Cyclopediz of American Biography.
     "A friendship then begun with Mr. Lincoln was, after his death, continued by Mr. Scammon to me, as long as he lived. I doubt if there was ever a more ardent Swedenborgian than Mr. Scammon; I never knew a layman who made his religion so prominent a part of his daily business and social life as did Mr. Scammon. If in the years of his close friendship with my father he talked of and quoted Swedenborg a mere fraction of as much as he did later with me, my father became familiar with the subject. That he did not become a disciple would seem to be certain; his close clerical friend was Dr. James Smith, the pastor of the Presbyterian church in which he had his family pew; I lived at home until 1859 when, at the age of 16, I went to Exeter to prepare for college; I never heard my father speak of Swedenborg or of the New Church and, except for my knowledge gained later, by Mr. Scammon's religious ardor, in friendly intercourse, I have never had any reason to suppose that my father ever knew anything at all about the New Church.

293


It occurs to me that if it were true that in the few years before he became President he was teaching the New Church Doctrines to Johnson and his two boys, it would be odd that he did not include his own sons in the teaching. I pray you to appreciate that I am not discussing Swedenborgianism. I am only disposing of the alleged story of Johnson as to his intimacy with Mr. Lincoln. Believe me,
     Very truly yours,
          (Signed) ROBERT LINCOLN."

     The printing of the above letter led to some further evidence on the subject which was communicated to the MESSENGER of February 3,1915, by Miss Clara L. Spaulding of Springfield, Illinois, where she says: [Italics mine]

     "We do not doubt the honesty and good intentions of Mr. Higgins; but the old gentleman s memory has 'played him tricks,' or else Gorandfather Johnson rambled too much in their talks, so that Mr. H. got some erroneous impressions from their conversations. We feel certain that the Mr. Johnson Mr. Higgins mentions was my mother's father, Mr. Willis H. Johnson, for he hoarded on Fifth Street. . . . It has long been known in our family that grandfather had some talks with Lincoln about Swedenborg's writings, and that Lincoln had read some of the writings, at least, but that they ever studied them together is not known to any of grandfather's children, or grandchildren, and we are very sure he would have told it to his family [i.e., if they had]. The words attributed to Lincoln as having been spoken to Mr. Johnson's 'two boys' are Mr. Johnson's own words, often repeated, to his own four sons. Lincoln was not acquainted with Mr. Johnson's children, and so never talked to them on any subject."

     In 1905, some years prior to the Higgins' Affidavit, the Rev. C. T. Odhner had published in his Annals of the New Church an article based upon Dr. Hibbard's testimony. After reading Robert Lincoln's letter to Mr. Keep, however, he published in NEW CHURCH LIFE for January, 1915, an editorial entitled "The Myth of Abraham Lincoln's Swedenborgianism." After quoting the Higgins' Affidavit and Mr. Lincoln's letter, Mr. Odhner wrote:
     "This letter would seem to dispose of a legend long and fondly cherished among members of the New Church; but though it proves rather conclusively that Abraham Lincoln was not, in this life, a receiver of the Heavenly Doctrine, it does not in the least disturb our hope, amounting almost to conviction, that he is so now, in that world where a genuine love of country and of humanity becomes the spiritual love of the Kingdom of the Lord."

294



     This editorial came to the attention of Mrs. Annie E. Bassett, the Secretary of the New Church Society in Peoria, Illinois, who thereupon addressed a letter to NEW CHURCH LIFE which was published in its issue for March, 1915, as follows:

     "I received a 'sample copy' of your publication, and am grateful that that particular number was sent me, because of the article entitled, 'The Myth of Abraham Lincoln's Swedenborgianism.' As to the sworn statement of Bryant Higgins I know little, but it gives evidence of being somewhat twisted.' One who knows Mr. Higgins can, and perhaps will, write positively concerning his character and standing in the community where he lives.
     "If the Hon. Robert Lincoln had inherited his father's shrewdness of perception, he would never have written that contradictory sentence beginning, 'I never heard of his friend Johnson,' etc., etc. In the 'eighties,' when my husband was a member of the Illinois Senate, we became acquainted with Mr. Willis Johnson whom Robert Lincoln calls 'a tramp.' Mr. Johnson was then about 70 years of age, and was a remarkable looking man, with finely shaped head and features and keen, dark eyes.
     "He was a man of wide and varied intelligence, though as a boy he had meagre opportunities for such an education as the schools give, but he acquired a store of practical knowledge by observation and investigation; and when he came to learn, from the same men to whom Dr. Hibbard refers, about Swedenborg and his Writings, he read and comprehended the scientific, philosophic and theological works. .
     "When Abraham Lincoln was practicing law in Springfield, Mr. Willis Johnson owned and operated there a brass and iron foundry, and was the first manufacturer to call his men to work with a bell; for he employed what was considered at that time and for that place a large number of men. Mr. Robert Lincoln may have been too young or too little interested in Springfield's industries to know this, but he may remember hearing that bell.
     "Mr. Johnson was born of poor parents in a slave state, as was also Abraham Lincoln; they were near the same age, and both were glad to pursue their business in the capital of a free state.
     "When Mr. Lincoln's horse was 'tramping' through the several counties where its rider attested court, the rider was commonly addressed as Abe by the 'high and mighty' as well as by the 'common' people, and he did not resent it he loved too well his fellow men, and was too noble to deny his lowly origin. . .
     "Mr. Johnson was a resident of Springfield and vicinity for upwards of fifty years; he raised a family of six children, all of whom were in mature life when I first made their acquaintance, and were persons of honorable and stable character.

295



     "Terms such as 'questionable company,' 'fraudulent character,' and 'tramp,' do not apply to such a man as Willis Johnson. Only one of his children [a daughter] was deeply impressed by his Swedenborgian ideas.
     "Early in this century, a New Church Society was organized in Springfield; its membership consists largely of this daughter of Mr. Johnson's-Mrs. L. H. Spaulding and her husband, their sons and their daughters, their sons-in-law and their daughters-in-law, and their grandchildren-about 16 in number. Their efforts, financial and industrial, their energy and loyalty, make an intensively active, interested and interesting society, which last November entertained all attendants upon the meetings of the Illinois Association.
     "On the subject of Lincoln, these Springfield New Church people have only this to say: 'Our family never had the least doubt about the fact that Lincoln had conversations with grandfather about Swedenborg, and made favorable comment thereon, but the exact circumstances and words were not recorded at the time, and we would not pretend to try to reproduce them now.
     "I was personally acquainted with Dr. Hibbard, (he baptized me into the New Church in 1879), and with Mr. Willis Johnson and Mr. John Billington, and by one or most likely by all of these gentlemen-for our conversation was usually about Swedenborg and the New Church-I was told that Lincoln was a reader of the Writings;
     "Abraham Lincoln's grandest characteristic was a love of justice, albeit he tempered it with mercy. Will the LIFE, aid in doing justice to the memory of him, of Mr. Johnson, as also to the little New Church society in Springfield, by publishing this letter?"
     "Very respectfully yours,
          "ANNIE E. BASSETT."
"Secretary of the Peoria Society for more than twenty years."

     In view of the above, the question arises, How well did Robert Lincoln know his father? The question is answered by Mr. Robert Lincoln himself. In a reply to an inquiry for materials for a biography of his father, he wrote: "My father's life was of a kind which gave me but little opportunity to learn the details of his early career. During my childhood and early youth, he was almost constantly away from me, attending courts or making political speeches. In 1859, when he was beginning to devote himself more to practice in his own neighborhood, and when I would have had both the inclination and the means to gratify my desire to become better acquainted with the history of his early struggles, I went to New Hampshire to school and afterwards to Harvard College, and he became President. Thenceforth any great intimacy between us became impossible. I scarcely ever had ten minutes' quiet talk with him."

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     This accords with a later statement by Robert Lincoln, when he said to a friend: "I returned from college in 1864, and one day I saw my father for a few minutes. He said, 'Son, what are you going to do now?' I said, 'As long as you object to my joining the army, I am going back to Harvard to study law.' 'If you do,' said my father, 'you should learn more than I ever did, but you will never have so good a time.' That is the only advice I had from my father as to my career."
     Returning now to the question of Abraham Lincoln's relation to the New Church, I note in the Sandburg Biography* that one of the books read and marked by Lincoln, and given by him to his wife, was The Elements of Character, by Mary G. Chandler. In this book he marked the following passage (p. 222) on marriage:
     * Abraham Lincoln, a Biography by Carl Sandburg.

     "This union, so sacred that it even supersedes that which exists between parent and child, should be entered upon only from the purest and highest motives; and then, let worldly prosperity come and go as it may, this twain whom God has joined, not by a mere formal ritual of the Church, but by a true spiritual union that man cannot put asunder, are a heaven unto themselves, and peace will ever dwell within their habitation. In proportion as a true marriage of the affections between the pure in heart is productive of the highest happiness that can exist on earth, so every remove from it diminishes the degree of this happiness until it passes into the opposite, and becomes, in its most worldly and selfish form, a fountain of misery, of a quality absolutely infernal."

     Here we have absolute proof of Lincoln's knowledge of collateral New Church literature; for Mary Chandler was a prominent New Church authoress, and her Elements of Character deals, though cursorily, with many New Church doctrines, e.g., the Divine Trinity, the first Church represented by Adam, the meaning of eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Note also the following paragraph, which recalls a statement made more than once by Lincoln: "Then shall it be seen that all true creeds are contained within the two commandments of the Son of God: Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and soul and mind and strength; and thy neighbor as thyself."
     At the head of one chapter appears the quotation: "Love is the life of man.-Swedenborg." Then there are paragraphs on regeneration; wisdom and use; the care of children by angels; the laws of Divine Order; abstaining from doing wrong, before the Lord can implant in his heart the love of doing right; "the natural, the spiritual and the heavenly" planes in man opened during the progress of regeneration.

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And the authoress speaks of "the clear and rational views which Swedenborg has given of the Divine Providence," as being the reason why religious melancholy is almost never found among members of the New Church; and so on.
     The most recent account of Lincoln's association with New Churchmen appears in an interesting letter by Andre Diaconoff, printed in the NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER of March 4,1942. It summarizes personal recollections of Abraham Lincoln, as told to Mr. Diaconoff by Mrs. Floret Harlan Hendrickson, a member of the Los Angeles Society of the New Church. Mrs. Hendrickson, now in her eighty-eighth year, was raised on the farm of her grandparents near Charleston, Illinois, and the future President was a frequent visitor at their home. She recalls clearly that Lincoln frequently held her on his knee and talked to her. Describing her grandparents as "New Church people," she says: "They did not belong to a society, but conducted worship in their home, read and studied the Word and the New Church Teachings."
     But the most interesting feature of Mrs. Hendrickson's reminiscences concerns a visit Lincoln made to her grandparents' home, after a political meeting in Charleston, Illinois, which she believes may have been one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Following the meeting, Lincoln put her on his shoulder and carried her out of the crowd on the way to her grandparents' home. Either on that or an earlier occasion, her grandparents, she recalls, presented their visitor with several of Swedenborg's Writings. The letter to the NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER continues:

     "Mr. John Sargent, a great-uncle of Mrs. Hendrickson, relates that the day came when a baptismal service was held in their home. Neighbors of various Protestant denominations joined with the Sargents in worship. The New Jerusalem descending from God out of heaven was presented as a 'Universal Christian dispensation,' that they could all invite and further in their life. Mrs. Hendrickson and Miss Louisa Hendrickson, her daughter, say that was the spirit of the regular services, and of that baptismal service in particular, in which friends and neighbors from town and from nearby farms joined. Mr. John Sargent told the Hendricksons in later years that Abraham Lincoln was present and received the New Church baptism in the service that day.
     "That word of testimony from long ago is certainly interesting."

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     I have written to Mrs. Hendrickson, with the object of obtaining further information, but so far have not heard from her. In my letter, I asked whether the statement of her great-uncle, John Sargent, that Lincoln had been baptized, might not have been due to a faulty memory on Mr. Sargent's part. "I suggest this (I wrote), because Lincoln was opposed to any emotional acceptance of religion.
     I cannot conceive, after a careful study of Lincoln in the various biographies, that Lincoln would receive baptism in any church without a great deal of preliminary consideration, resulting in a deep conviction on his part before being baptized. If such were the case, it is impossible for me to believe that he could later forget and ignore his baptism into the New Church."
     As to this, we have Lincoln's own words: "I have never united myself to any church, because I have found difficulty in giving my assent, without mental reservations, to the long, complicated statements of Christian doctrine which characterize their Articles of Belief and Confessions of Faith. When any church will inscribe over its altar, as its sole qualification for membership, the Master's condensed statement of the substance of both Law and Gospel: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself,' that church will I join with all my heart and with all my soul."
     In considering the religion of Lincoln, and the effect that a knowledge of the New Church may have had upon his mind, the following paragraph from the Charnwood biography of Lincoln is of interest: "In early manhood Lincoln broke away forever from the scheme of Christian theology which was probably more or less common to the very various Churches which surrounded him. He had avowed this sweeping denial with a freedom which pained some friends, perhaps rather by its rashness than by its impiety, and he was apt to regard the procedure of theologians as a blasphemous twisting of the words of Christ. He rejected that belief in miracles and in the literally inspired accuracy of the Bible narrative which was no doubt held as fundamental by all these Churches. He rejected no less any attempt to substitute for this foundation the belief in any priestly authority or in the authority of any formal and earthly society called the Church."

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     Lincoln's association with New Churchmen and New Church doctrine would explain his disbelief in the literal interpretation of the Bible; and the condemnation which this would call forth from churchmen of his day can be readily understood.
     My own view of the matter under discussion is well expressed in an editorial in NEW CHURCH LIFE for April, 1940, by the Rev. W. B. Caldwell: "As Abraham Lincoln never became an avowed receiver of the Heavenly Doctrines, so far as we know, the extent to which he was influenced by his reading of the Writings must remain a matter of conjecture. Without exaggerating the possibilities in this matter, we may find delight in the fact that he knew of the Writings and the New Church."
     It may indeed be as well that we are left in doubt; otherwise, some might be led to the acceptance of the Writings under the influence of hero worship.
     When all is said, Lincoln's fame remains-his fame as a deeply religious and spiritually minded man. Lincoln said: "I know that there is a God, and that He hates injustice and slavery. I see the storm coming, and I know that His hand is in it. If He has a place and work for me, and I think He has, I believe I am ready. I am nothing, but truth is everything; I know I am right because I know that liberty is right, for Christ teaches it, and Christ is God. I have told them that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and Christ and reason say the same, and they will find it so."
     Standing in awe before the Lincoln Memorial, with its heroic statue of Lincoln and the eloquent inscription, "In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever," we read, inscribed upon the wall, the words of the Second Inaugural-words which, better than any biographer, reveal the depth and nature of Abraham Lincoln's religious spirit:
     "On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it-all sought to avert it. . .
     "One-eighth of the whole population were coloured slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. . .

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Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. . . . Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered-that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses, which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offense came shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray-that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid with another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, 'The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'
     "With malice toward none; with charity for all with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations."

     Editorial Note: Our readers will be interested to hear that Mr. Pitcairn's booklet, Americans All, has recently been adopted by the judges of a District Court of the United States as a suitable volume to present to those to whom they have administered the oath of allegiance as citizens.
     The purpose of this timely booklet is to emphasize not so much the form as the spirit of citizenship; to impress upon the new citizen what the country offers in terms of opportunity, and what it expects in terms of loyalty and responsibility and service. A New Churchman here sets forth in a very graphic and effective way the basic principles of loyalty to one's country.

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STREETS OF JERUSALEM 1942

STREETS OF JERUSALEM       Rev. NORBERT H. ROGERS       1942

     Doctrine and Wisdom.

     "Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for multitude of days. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." (Zechariah 8: 4, 5.)

     The pitiful remnant of the Jews in Babylon were faced with a difficult task when finally the years of their captivity had come to an end. The faithful few who had not been satisfied to be absorbed by the people among whom they lived as a captive race, who had endeavored to retain their identity, and who had clung even in their darkest hours to the hope that Jehovah would remember the covenant He had made with their fathers-these few had joyfully answered the call to set out to return into their native land.
     But their joy and hopefulness were short-lived. For when they came into Canaan they found it no longer a land of promise. Judah was desolate. Her cities had been destroyed by wars, and her once fruitful fields, after long years of neglect, were barren or overgrown with weeds. The task of rebuilding Jerusalem and the other cities, and of putting the countryside once again upon a productive basis, was a long one, and, with the few resources they had, a seemingly impossible one. How could they hope to survive when they had no food, and when they were defenseless, both against the depredations of wild beasts and against the might of their manifestly hostile neighbors? How could they hope to bring order into the chaos which faced them? Of what purpose was it to try?
     It was at this time that Zechariah, the prophet of the restoration raised his voice, describing the city that was to be built, and making known to the well-nigh despondent people the hope-giving promise of Jehovah of Hosts.

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It was a promise bringing assurance that God would not forsake His people. It was a promise that a new state was to come. It was a promise that there would be peace, security and prosperity such as the people had longed for since the time of Solomon. It was a promise that there would be the abundance for which they had prayed in their despair. It was a promise of deliverance, joy, and blessedness. And, buoyed by this promise, the remnant of the Jews proceeded with their task, that the words might be fulfilled: "Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for multitude of days. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. . . If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? . . . Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness." (Zech. 8: 4-8.)
     The story of the Jewish restoration is symbolic of the establishment of a new church when the former church has finally fallen prey to the influx from hell and has been devastated. At the end of every church, we are taught, the Lord prepares a remnant who still acknowledge Him, and who are in some charity. This remnant is entrusted with a new revelation, and given the task of beginning the establishment of the new church. Theirs is an immense task, and indeed a superhuman task. Were they not Divinely assisted and directed, they could not succeed. Were they not Divinely encouraged and sustained, they could not proceed. And just as the Jews in their work of rebuilding Jerusalem were assisted and directed by the Lord-just as they were encouraged and sustained-so were the disciples assisted and directed, encouraged and sustained in their work of establishing the Christian Church-and so are we of this day assisted and directed, encouraged and sustained, in our work of establishing the New Church-of building the New Jerusalem.
     Actually, the establishment of a church is a Divine work for which man can take no credit. But since the church is established for the sake of mankind, to lead men to the acknowledgment of the Lord and to a life according to the Divine Law, it has been ordained by the Lord that men should take part in its establishment.

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To man, therefore, has been entrusted the work of evangelizing the Word, of deriving doctrine from the Word, and of performing the external uses of the church. By these means a church is formed in the world and in man himself,-a church which can be vivified by the Lord's presence, and thus become the Lord's Church established on the earth. In this work man is assisted by an influx of life from the Lord, which gives him the power to act, to will and to understand. In this work man is directed by the truths of the Word, that his efforts may not be purposeless and vain. In this work man is encouraged and his determination is sustained by a vision of the end for which he is striving, and by the assuring promise that the end shall be attained in spite of all difficulties. "There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for multitude of days. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof."
     The quality of a church, which is the internal that forms it is dependent upon the nature of its revelation. For this reason a church is said to be representative or actual-representative, if the Lord's Human is revealed in a representative form; actual, if the Lord is revealed as a Divine Man. For this reason, also, a church is said to be in quality celestial, spiritual or natural, rational, moral or sensual. But although the quality of a church, or its internal state, makes the church, it is not the whole of the church, nor does it suffice to establish it. There must be that which constitutes the church, which supplies its internal with a receptive external. This external is supplied by men; for just as the angels constitute heaven, so do men constitute the church.
     Furthermore, the state of a church is dependent upon the relation between its internal and its external. That is to say, the state of a church depends upon the presence or absence of its internal in its external. In the degree that the men of the church turn themselves away, and disregard the truths taught in their Word, to that degree is the church in a declining state. But in the degree that the men of the church look to their Word for enlightenment, and, by a life of study and application, open their understandings and wills to receive the things of the Word, in that degree is the state of the church blessed. Because of this, our text, in describing that ideal state of the New Church for which we are to strive, stresses two things,-the streets of the city, and those dwelling in them.

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By "the streets of the city" are meant the doctrines of the church, and by the inhabitants the quality of the men of the New Church as to intelligence and wisdom.
     A church, and especially the New Church, is compared to a city. For in a city are concentrated the houses in which men dwell, and in the church the spiritual habitations of men are found in abundance; and these spiritual habitations are the goods and truths which protect and shelter man's spirit. In a city are centred man s various natural occupations and employments, which are his uses to society; and their performance is thus facilitated. In the church are centred man's spiritual uses of charity and love, and their performance facilitated. In a city there are centres of learning and libraries, halls of justice and places of relaxation. In the church there is the Word, which is a library of Divine Truth, from which instruction in spiritual things is given, by which spiritual judgments are made, and by which the spirit of man is delighted and relaxed. In a city there is need for connecting and intercommunicating streets, by which men may pass to and from their homes and places of business, the places of education and of justice, and the places of relaxation. In the church there is need for connecting and intercommunicating doctrines, which, like streets, lead men to the goods of life and of charity, and to the truths which instruct, judge and delight spiritually. Without doctrine, then, the church could no more exist than a city without streets.
     Doctrine means teaching. And in the highest sense the Doctrine of the Church is the Divine Teaching of the Lord in the Word. For it is the Word, that is, the Divine Truth of the Word, which teaches man about the Lord and His Divine operation, and which leads him to an acknowledgment of the Lord and to the life by which conjunction with the Lord is effected. Or, to put it in another way, it is the Word which teaches man how he must live, that he may receive the two essentials of the church, which are love and faith in the Lord from the Lord. (N. 242.)
     But the Word, as it is in itself, can accomplish nothing. The Word, as it is in itself, cannot teach man or lead him to the essentials of the church, but it is like an impassable highway or an unlighted street.

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That it may accomplish its purpose-that it may teach and lead men-the Word must be understood. It is only when man understands the teachings of the Word that he is able to say with the Psalmist: "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119: 105.)
     It is by means of doctrine that the understanding of the Word is attained by man and ever increased with him. It is not attained by means of the Doctrine of the Church which is the Word, for this is what must be understood, but by means of the doctrine of the church which is drawn from the Word. "The Word in the letter cannot be understood, except by doctrine from the Word. . . . The sense of the letter is accommodated to the apprehension even of simple men; wherefore doctrine from the Word must serve them for a lamp." (N. 254.) Clearly, therefore, the Word is not the only doctrine of the Church. A differentiation must be made and kept in mind.
     In this connection the Word may be called the "Genuine Doctrine Itself" of the church. It proceeds from God, and is therefore constant, Divine and infallible. Doctrine from the Word, on the other hand, may be called simply the "doctrine of the church." It is formed by man out of his understanding of the individual truths of the Word. It is formed by man by his gathering together the truths of the Word, by his comparing them one with the other, and by his endeavoring to see their implications and applications. And since the understanding of man, individually and collectively, is at best constantly changing, is limited and full of falsities, the doctrine of the church drawn by man from the Word is likewise changeable, limited and fallible.
     Especially at the beginning of the church is the doctrine drawn from the Word very imperfect. But in time, as the men of the church as a whole progress in love to the Lord and faith in Him, and thus into enlightenment, the doctrine they draw from the Word becomes more and more perfect and genuine, more and more conformable to the Genuine Doctrine Itself of the church. Yet, no matter how imperfect the doctrine of the church drawn from the Word may be, it will lead to a genuine understanding of the truths of the Word if there is a desire to understand the Word and to be led by the Lord. For then the things which make up the doctrine of the church in their complex are like the innumerable crisscrossing lanes and feeder streets which lead into the main arteries of traffic.

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But if there is no desire to understand and to be led-if, through mental inertia, there is no looking to the Word, or if, through self-love, only self-satisfying doctrines are as it were derived from the Word-then the doctrinal things of the church are like blind alleys leading nowhere, or like a maze in which man is lost.
     Because the doctrine of the church is to give understanding in the things taught in the Word, that doctrine is of two kinds. For that which is taught in the Word has to do with good and with truth-with life and with faith. Therefore, in the church, there must be doctrines of faith and doctrines of charity. That is to say, there must be truths of doctrine by which man is led to a true and saving faith, and there must be goods of doctrine by which a man comes into a life of charity. Indeed, unless there is the doctrine of life or charity in the church, there can be no true doctrine of the church. Concerning this we read in the Writings:
     "What is doctrinal (does not) make the church, if that which is doctrinal does not regard charity, both in general and in particular. In that case charity is the end, and from the end is evident the quality of what is doctrinal as to whether it is of the church or not." (A. C. 809e.) "What is doctrinal itself does not make the external, still less the internal (of the church); . . . but it is life according to doctrinal things, all of which, when true, regard charity as their fundamental. What is the use of that which is doctrinal, except to teach how a man must be?" (A. C. 1799:3.) "Moreover, they who are in mere doctrinal things of faith, and not in the goods of life, cannot but be in persuasive faith, that is, in preconceived principles, false as well as true; consequently, they must be more stupid than others." (A. C. 3428.)
     Since doctrinal things of the church have regard to both faith and charity, they also have to do with intelligence and wisdom. Indeed, doctrinal things bring man into intelligence and wisdom. For "intelligence is to know and understand truths Divine, and afterwards to have faith in them; and wisdom is to will and love these truths, and from this to live according to them." (A. C. 9943.) Therefore, in so far as a man lacks the truths of faith, he cannot be intelligent. But in so far as, by means of doctrine, he comes into an understanding of the sublime truths of the Word, and from this into a true faith, he becomes intelligent, and his understanding is raised into the very light of heaven.

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And in so far as a man is in evils of life, he cannot be wise. But in so far as, through doctrine and its application, he confirms the truths of his faith and comes into a life of charity and love to the Lord, he is endowed with wisdom from the Lord.
     Furthermore, as long as man trusts in himself, he can be neither intelligent nor wise. If a man is to make any spiritual progress, it is of paramount importance that he trust implicitly in the Lord, and in the knowledges of good and truth from the Word. Such a trust bears man up; it is like a staff which supports him as he walks, which gives him the power to follow the leading of doctrine, and which gives him the ability to come into intelligence and wisdom, and into the enjoyment of all the states belonging to intelligence and wisdom. These are the things spoken of in our text. For the exalted state of intelligence and wisdom in the church, that is, with those who are of the church, which is attained by means of doctrine, is meant by the old men and old women dwelling in the streets of the city. "There shall yet old men and women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for multitude of days."
     Doctrine, however, leads the man of the church not only into intelligence and wisdom, but also into states of delight and gladness. For the man who is instructed in doctrinal things, and who lives a life according to them, is ever brought into new affections; he is ever led to see new truths, new applications, and new wonders of the Lord. These delight and rejoice his mind, relaxing him and giving him the zest of youth. And so it is also said in our text:
"And the streets shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof."
     Like the remnant of the Jews, we of the New Church may become discouraged. We may feel that it is a hopeless task to try to build the church with the few resources we possess. We may feel that the forces opposing and hampering us are too great to be overcome. We may feel that the state of intelligence, wisdom and delight that is promised in our text can never be reached. And, as individuals, we may also become discouraged. We may feel that what is demanded of us in regeneration is beyond our strength.

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We may feel that we can never overcome the malign influences of our surroundings and our heredity. We may feel that we cannot apply the doctrines we have learned to our every-day lives, however much we may want to do so, and that therefore we shall never achieve our end of becoming of the New Church.
     But though we may be tempted-though we may be discouraged- we must not allow our discouragement to divert us from our purpose; nor must we allow our despair to paralyze us. The Lord has promised that the Holy City shall be built. He has promised that we shall inhabit it. It is a Divine promise which cannot but be fulfilled, if only we daily endeavor to do our part, to the best of our ability, in all sincerity and humility. Of this the Lord assures us in the words of the prophet: "Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts: There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for multitude of days. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. . . If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? . . . Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. . . I will save you, and ye shall be a blessing; fear not, but let your hands be strong!" (Zech. 8:
4-8, 13.) Amen.

LESSONS:     Zechariah 8. Revelation 22. A. C. 1555.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 532, 543, 638. Revised Liturgy, pages 438, 466, 471.
PRAYERS:     Nos. 82, 91.

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OUR SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION 1942

OUR SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1942

     FROM AN ADDRESS

     (Delivered at the Philadelphia District Assembly, May, 1942.)

     In times like the present, when men find the comfortable world, on which they were accustomed to rely, rocking on its foundations, it is well to consider some of the wider implications of the world's unrest. Whatever we may hope for, whatever we may fear, as the outcome of this war, one thing seems clear: that the world-hegemony of the so-called Christian nations is about to wane, and some of their racial conceits will be humbled-not necessarily by military or economic defeats, but by the patent fact that their philosophies of life were found lacking in wisdom and liable to sudden disillusionment.
     This discovery of the weaknesses in our race and our civilization must lead us, as citizens and bearers of the "white man's burden," to cultivate a new sense of justice toward the rest of mankind. But as New Churchmen we can hardly express much surprise that the Divine Providence has permitted the challenge to exclusive control of the world by the occidental nations.
     For the Writings consistently teach that, when it is the last time of vastation with those of one church, the church arises anew, not with them, but with those whom they call gentiles. (A. C. 410, 1032, 4747, 4901.) "Rarely, if ever," is the new church raised up from the men of the former church, but from gentiles who have been in ignorance. (A. C. 2910, 409.) And it is added that "the present" or Christian Church is also "now being transferred to the gentiles." (A. C. 9256.)
     From Swedenborg's experiences with all classes of spirits in the other world, he testifies that the gentiles were more easily instructed in the truths of heaven than Christians. They live a more moral life, according to their standards. (A. C. 1032.) There is not, with them, so great a cloud in their understanding; they cannot profane the truths of faith; they are as an unsown field; the Lord can be even more present with them than with the Christians of this day. (A. C. 1059.)

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     And of all the gentile races, the Africans-who may have been in a gentile state longer than the rest, having seemingly been influenced only slightly by the Ancient Church-are described as "the most loved in heaven" (A. C. 2604), as the best and most intelligent. (L. J. 51.) It is explained that "some of the gentiles are interior, and some exterior, which they derive partly from climate, partly from stock, partly from education, and partly from religion." (T. C. R. 835.) The Africans are "more interior than the rest." (T. C. R. 835; S. D. 5518f; Cont. L. J. 73.) They are superior to them in interior judgment, or in a certain interior sight. (T. C. R. 837, 839.) Yet they are the meekest of all spirits (S. D. 480), and wish to be called "the obedient" rather than "the faithful." (A. C. 2604.) It is said that they live according to their religion and their laws (S. D. 5518); and that they are of a celestial genius. (S. D. 5518, 4783; L. J. Post. 119.) One passage, which seems to refer to the Africans, adds that this race (gens) is "capable of being made a celestial-spiritual man." (L. J. 74. Cp. S. D. 4770, 4775ff.)
     For these reasons, the Africans are more capable of illustration, and are "more receptive of the Heavenly Doctrine than any others on this earth." (S. D. 4783; A. C. 2604; L. J. Post. 118.) And Swedenborg actually witnessed the transfer of the Church from Christendom into the center of the spiritual "Africa" in the other world. (S. D. 5946, 4774-4779; Cont. L. J. 76; L. J. Post. 117-123; P. P. Preface.) At this transfer the angels rejoiced, for "they have small hopes of the men of the Christian world." (L. J. 74.)
     The New Church in the midst of the European world stands as a remnant surviving out of a consummated church. Its situation is that of the "woman in the wilderness" (Rev. xii.)-precarious and alone. This Christian remnant may grow from converts, and from its own offspring; yet its main growth; we believe, must be delayed until the Christian world has passed through the stage of paganism, and has been reduced to a more gentile state. In the meantime, the New Church among our race is entrusted with the ark of the new Covenant,-entrusted with the protection and evangelization of the Doctrine of heaven.
     It is a striking fact that the first organized meeting of New Churchmen of which we have any record was held in Norrkoping, Sweden, in 1779, for the purpose of agitating against the slave-trade.

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This New Church movement bore some actual fruits, and was even followed up by Swedish New Churchmen by attempts to carry out a detailed plan for a New Church community among the negroes of Africa. It was thus felt from the first that the New Church alone held the key to the spiritual mind of the Negro, and could provide the means by which he could regain something of his celestial heritage. Those of us who have had the privilege of working in the South African mission fields are confirmed in this belief.
     The General Convention maintains native missions in Japan and the Philippines, and among negroes in the United States and in British Guiana. The General Conference works among natives in India and Burma, and has large mission movements among negroes in South Africa and in West Africa. The General Church has taken over the ecclesiastical supervision of missions in South Africa and in British Guiana. It is important to see clearly our relations to such uses.

     II.

     The only thing that assures the survival and growth and internal strength of an organization is use, or the performance of services of value to others. The first objective of the Academy movement, which later gave rise to the General Church, was the formation of a trained priesthood, into whose hands the uses of worship and instruction could be entrusted. But it also assumed, as its specific use of charity, the education of its children in the doctrine and life of the New Church. This was advocated, not only as a use of charity, but also as a part of our struggle for self-preservation in a world hostile to any spiritual acknowledgments. The maintenance of the worship in our own church societies, and of our own program of adult education-necessary for our own salvation and growth-could be seen to depend upon our giving all possible support to our schools. In a larger sense, our use of charity also included the support of weaker societies, and the sending out of men who could minister to isolated receivers, who might later be formed into new centers or join established societies and thus contribute to the strength of our Church.

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     These uses we, as members of the General Church, consider as our main work,-the task for which we as a Church are compensated by a reasonably certain increase and success, if we perform them "justly faithfully, and sincerely." Our growth and subsistence depend upon these uses. If we fail to be faithful in these undertakings, our work will be destroyed, our institutions will pass out of our hands, and we shall lose our spiritual home; just as would happen to our worldly business, office, or work, if we should fail to perform it with vigor, sincerity, and uprightness.
     The Writings also speak of "debts of charity," both public, domestic, and private;-debts which the individual owes to his country, his family, and his employees. Such debts are obligations outside of his proper employment, obligations which no one can well evade, whether they be moral obligations, or civil, or statutory. (T. C. R. 429-432.) A church, as well as an individual, has such obligations. But charity has a broader field than merely what a man is paid to do, and what he is obliged to do. Charity sees many things that it might do, and would like to do,-things outside of and beyond his immediate duties. And it is characteristic of real charity that it is anxious to do good to others even when there is no outward obligation and no probability of profit accruing to oneself or to one's own particular use. This form of charity is called `benefactions of charity," or beneficent acts which man does from freedom and at his good pleasure. (T. C. R. 425.)
     In the old church, such benefactions as giving to the poor and needy or to strangers, orphans, or invalids have been unduly confused with charity itself, so that it is believed that one should give to every beggar, without the exercise of prudence or judgment, and that man accumulates merit thereby, and that such good works exempt man from the shunning of his evils, and from faithful work in his own office. But these facts do not imply that the benefactions of charity are not in themselves a part, though a spontaneous part, of the life of charity. The Writings indeed ask that benefactions be done, not only from freedom, but with good judgment and prudence, with due consideration to their salutary effects. They should be such that they do not bind us, and are "not regarded by the recipients" otherwise than as the donor intends. They should be discriminating, not blind, and should express a love, not of persons, but of the good that is in the persons (T. C. R. 417), and should thus encourage and promote the use of which such persons are capable, now or in the future.

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     III.

     Now, in the light of these teachings, let us view our relation to the South African Mission.
     In June, 1915, a number of Basuto natives, who had independently received the Writings and joined into an association, approached the General Church, declaring their faith that the Lord had made His Second Advent in the Writings of Swedenborg, which they acknowledged as the Word of God to the New Church. They asked for instruction and guidance, with a view to their leaders' receiving ordination into the priesthood of the New Church, and wished to subordinate themselves under the Bishop of the General Church, without reservations. In the next year, Bishop N. D. Pendleton, after consultations, recognized their movement and assumed general episcopal supervision of it.
     This ecclesiastical government of the Mission, which soon extended among the Zulus also, implied no obligation on the part of the General Church to support the Mission financially. It did carry with it, however, an obligation to set up the machinery of supervision. This involved the support of a superintendent-a white minister-and provision for his travelling over the districts. It involved provision for the adequate training of native ministers. It involved occasional episcopal visits, or provision for ordinations.
     It is a matter of history how the Mission developed. The Rev. Theodore Pitcairn spontaneously interested himself in the work, and, through his largess, properties were acquired, books translated, and schools established. Three leaders-George Mokoena, John Jiyana, and Jonas Motsi-were trained in Bryn Athyn. The Rev. F. W. Elphick became superintendent in 1926, and labored with great patience and energy. Respected and loved by the natives, he built up a group of new leaders-intelligent native ministers who were familiar with the general doctrines of the New Church. The various pastors of the Durban "white" society successively assisted, mainly in the Zulu field. Mr. Pitcairn's financial donations reached the dimensions of about $30,000 a year. There were societies in twenty localities.

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The native leaders and ministers were supported by stipends, which, for 5 pastors, 15 ministers, 2 lay teachers, and 28 other lay workers, amounted in 1939 to ?2355 (over $11,000). It was a work of charity to those spiritually and naturally poor, a work prompted by the often heart-rending conditions of the blacks in the cities and in the kraals.
     When Mr. Pitcairn withdrew his financial support, practically all of the Basuto leaders and their societies followed him into the movement occasioned by the so-called "Hague position." The Zulu ministers mostly remained loyal to the General Church. Yet the General Church was in no position to continue the support of the remaining societies of the Mission on such a scale as hitherto. The Bishop, Executive Committee, and Clergy of the General Church were unanimous that we could not forsake our own ministers or go back on the original obligations which the Church had solemnly assumed. We had promised ecclesiastic supervision and spiritual guidance. The appeal had come to us as genuine, and was taken as an indication of the Divine Providence; for it was not the result of any solicitation of ours. The General Church has therefore assumed the responsibility of defraying from its general fund the salary and essential expenses of a superintendent in the field, since no ecclesiastical charge is effective unless the media be provided. But this does not dispose of our problem.
     The stipends of the workers were drastically reduced. Schools could no longer receive any aid. Ministers-after many years of service-were faced with a possibility of having to support themselves with secular work. But, at great personal sacrifices, they are still carrying on the work, even maintaining some schools without our assistance. Yet even their present stipends-which are not large enough to meet the native cost of living-cannot be continued except for a very short time, unless aid is found for the Mission. If we do nothing more than carry out our actual debt of charity by maintaining ecclesiastical supervision, in a short time we shall have nothing to supervise. All our work of the past twenty-six years will be undone. For a reorganization of the Mission into a permanent and increasingly self-supporting group of churches cannot take place suddenly, by a stroke of the pen. The people of the General Church have therefore been asked, if they will, to contribute the minimum amount of $3000 yearly for some time, in order to maintain our eleven ordained native ministers in their fields, and to carry on a Theological School, with the understanding that from now on no new stipendiaries will be accepted.

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Of this needed sum, about two-thirds are already assured for this year.
     Our people would thus be undertaking a "benefaction of charity," just so far as they do so freely and from good pleasure. We are prompted to do so from the sight of the need, not from any direct debt. This need exists, and the spiritual welfare of nearly seven hundred members and children who have been received by Baptism into the New Church, depends upon our generosity as individuals. If the support is not given, the probability is that the societies will simply disintegrate for lack of instructors.
     My belief is that our people will decide to give the needed help. It is a good of charity which appeals, not only to our minds, but also to our hearts-to the simple feelings of pity and compassion; a work which can be visualized, not only by our adults, but also by our children, who need tangible goals in their giving.
     It may be doubted that this is the time to speak of a new use of charity. Yet it is a more pertinent question how far spiritual uses are to be subordinated to the demands of war-conditions. We cannot choose the time when Providence will raise before us the challenge of some human need, natural or spiritual. .
     Another thought must also be in our minds. Spiritual strength does not come except by influx from heaven. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6: 38.) And "if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same." But "do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great . . . " (Luke 6: 33-35.)
     The Writings speak of the law that influx accommodates itself to efflux. If the efflux is checked, the influx is checked. (A. C. 5828.) To conserve all our energies, all our means, for the spiritual benefit of those of our own race, and for the direct upbuilding of our own Church organization, is indeed our right if we so wish. But I have a doubt that the greatest blessings will follow this course; nor will this give us that spiritual health which can come from letting our hearts speak freely at times.

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And-while we would work faithfully and sincerely and prudently for the specific use of maintaining and upbuilding our own church societies, much as a man devotes his chief energy to his own office-yet there is, I am sure, in the heart of the Church a love of the salvation of souls which knows no bounds of color, and which would also overflow and aid the blind and lame and the spiritual orphans of other races; doing this as a benefaction of charity, with prudence and discrimination, but from good pleasure, asking no return.

     IV.

     I would like to engage your sympathy with the position of these men, who face their present dilemma merely because they remained faithful to what the General Church taught them. They love their work-love preaching the Writings. They believe in the eventual success of the New Church among their people. They have no use for hair-splitting theological distinctions. They never wanted or invited the tenets of the Hague position, which was cast into their midst as an apple of discord. Some of them are tried and trusted
-as competent theologians as some white New Church ministers' wise and balanced in judgment, yet humble and cheerful in adversity.
     These men are people. It is sometimes hard for white men to understand the mind of a native. There are corners which we can never plumb. There are little taboos and reticencies and hesitancies and customs which at times make them mysteries to us. But they are capable of great loyalties and deep spiritual gratitude. And loyalty, when it is offered, is not one-sided. They regard themselves as our wards, recognizing our problems, but knowing also that it would require a very little effort for us to solve theirs, at least in part; solve them so far that they need not give up their work for the Church.
     They have families-often large and often hungry. They have congregations-often small and always poor, men to whom sixpence is a weighty sum. Well, then, why should they not go out and gather in more converts into their societies? Do not native ministers of many Christian sects do this very thing?

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     Here we have a handicap, in our native missions as well as in our own missionary work. For Christian Missions (which incidentally are backed by powerful organizations) can stir up the emotional side of the native and gain sudden followings. But the New Church missionary tries to appeal to reason, not mere emotion. Our church is doing the work of a spiritual society of instruction, a patient work of education. Even with the native, we must approach his soul through his mind, not through his natural feelings. We preach the Gospel of the Second Advent-that the Lord came again in the Word. This is a slower type of missionary work, and waits on the occasions which Providence may open up.
     But can the New Church doctrine be grasped by a native? I think that the instance of certain Negro leaders in this country proves that there is no real inferiority in the mind of the Negro. There has been lack of opportunity. There are places in the Negro mind not yet unlocked. There are essential differences of approach and reception. But the Heavenly Doctrine is not for one race alone. It can be accommodated to every state, and is destined to bring every race to its fruition. How this accommodation will be made, is not for us suddenly to decide. It cannot be made by us, but by the Negro himself, in the course of time, when we have given him what we can, and have transferred to him-unspoiled by any theories-the precious knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrine which alone is the basis of all spiritual development.
     And the Negroes are a religious race. Seemingly, no trace of the idea of God-at least no word for "God," no word for "love," no word for "sin"-have been found in the original Negro lore, beyond certain unexpressed feelings of awe and reverence and the general animistic idea that all things are living. Yet the very fact that he possessed neither idol nor temple made the Negro such that-as all Christians aver-he "affords less resistance to the kingdom of God than any other race."
     His sincerity is notable. I have often seen husky Zulus tremble at their baptism. Their reception of the sacraments is gratefulness itself. One of the most solemn moments of my life was in a native village. From the church near Lucas Village I had ridden on horseback for some miles down a windy hill in my robes to give the communion to the old chief and his wife who could not attend because of age. The village was denuded of every utensil for the feast on the hill, and for a chalice we had to use an empty tin with its jagged edges hammered in.

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A broken saucer served as plate, a tree stump for the altar in the midst of the neat mud hut. But I have never felt a stronger faith or a greater satisfaction than was manifested in that administration-in halting Sesuto. . .
LORD'S PRAYER 1942

LORD'S PRAYER       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1942

     It is in the Sermon on the Mount that we find the Lord's Prayer. It is the form of prayer which the Lord Himself gave. In saying it we are repeating His own words. Therefore it is among the most holy things, and full of His Divine Wisdom and Love.
     A double direction is given beforehand as to how and where the true prayer is to be offered. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. After this manner therefore pray ye." (Matthew 6: 6-9.) Then follow the words of the Lord's Prayer.
     Thus prayer is to be offered when one has entered into his closet and shut the door; and there is to be no use of vain and empty repetitions. It is the hypocrite who prays in the streets, that he may be seen of men; and it is the heathen who makes use of vain repetitions.
     To "enter into a closet and shut the door" is a very ancient expression. In ancient times it meant to do something without letting it appear, and it had this meaning because by correspondence a house represented and signified the mind, and a closet in the house signified the interiors of the mind. True prayer must come from the interiors of the mind, and if it does not come forth from the interiors of the mind, then it is but an empty repetition of words.

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     The Lord taught His disciples the words of His Prayer, and He now gives to us in the Writings some remarkable instruction concerning that which is involved inwardly in the words. And, first of all, we are given to know that it was His own prayer to the Father within Him, and that there is within it, therefore, the all of Divine order. And next we are told that this Prayer, from beginning to end, looks forward to the time when God the Father will be worshipped in a Human Form. All things in it also look forward to the New Church, in which there will be the worship of the Lord alone, like that in heaven; and thus will everything be fulfilled which is contained in the Lord's Prayer, from beginning to end. It is a perfect Creed of the New Church, containing the whole of Divine order. And, as we are told, all things follow in it in a series, constituting, as it were, a column increasing from its top to its base, all things proceeding in a series. (A. C. 8864.)
     We shall attempt to discover some of the things contained in this series.
     When the Prayer is spoken sincerely, the mind is elevated by a kind of attraction upward toward the Lord; and the interior things within it are perceived in heaven. There is a communication with some societies in heaven. And there is an influx of the Lord into each thing. Infinite things are in it; and the Lord is present in each thing. Angelic affections flow in from heaven. And with man there are more things in it in proportion as his thought is more open towards heaven. And from one's attitude toward this Prayer, and the manner in which he utters it, there is perceived by the angels what kind of a man he is who speaks it, and the quality of his real belief. Such, we are instructed, is the nature of this Prayer which the Lord dictated for the use of all who worship Him.
     But another thing we are taught: By prayer is meant all worship. By a man's prayer is meant all his life of charity, for that is the interior thing in all worship. And therefore it may be said in one word that a man's life is his prayer. The prayer of a man is the kind of life he leads. And because all true charity, which is worship, must be in the interiors of the mind, in the will and in the intention, which does not appear before men, it is said that prayer should be made in the closet of a house when the door has been shut. And a similar thing is meant by its being said, "Use not vain repetitions," for the prayer is nothing but empty or vain words when there is not the life of charity in the interiors.

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     But let us now examine the Prayer itself, and its first words.
     "Our Father who art in the heavens." The Lord is called our "Father," and not another Person who is above the Lord, because He is the only Giver of life to all men, that is, the only Giver of spiritual life, which is regeneration. The first words acknowledge the Lord as the only God. By "Father" is also meant the Divine Good, the Divine Love; whereas, when the word "God" is used, it refers to the Divine Wisdom. And here the word "God" is not used; but instead it is said, "Our Father who art in the heavens." And this means the Divine of the Lord as it is received in the heavens, and that is the Divine Truth or Wisdom in which is the Divine Love.
     "Our Father in the heavens" also means the Divine Human of the Lord. And therefore it is said, "Hallowed by Thy name." For the "Name" of the Father is the Lord's Divine Human. This is to be "hallowed," or to be regarded as Holy, and is to be the object of all Divine worship. The name alone is not meant but all that by which the Lord is worshipped. It means all the love and faith which men receive from Him. And this has its origin in the spiritual world. For there no one is known by the name which he bore in the world; but he is known by a new name, which expresses the whole quality of his love and faith; which expresses the whole quality of his life. Everyone in the other life is known by a spiritual name in which there is expressed his real internal quality, his real belief in the Lord's Divine Human, according to the idea he has accepted about the Lord, and according to his real belief in Him.
     And another thing is revealed to us: that they who have not believed in that which the Lord has taught about Himself are not able even to utter His name by any spiritual word. And therefore the name of the Lord means everything of one's faith or belief, according to which he worships Him. And everything of truth about the Lord we are told to regard as sacred, hallowed, or holy.
     You can see that the name of the Father means the Divine Human of the Lord; for He said on one occasion, "Father glorify Thy name: and a voice was heard from heaven saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." Therefore the Divine Human ought to be acknowledged as Holy, and ought to be worshipped.

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Moreover, the name of the Lord is whatever one truly believes concerning Him, for it is according to this that he worships the Divine in his life. And since the real worship is in the things that one intends and does, the life of charity is to be regarded as holy. And any departure from charity is that which we pray the Lord to prevent, when we say "Hallowed be Thy name." Keep us in the life of genuine charity, and let us not depart from it!
     "Give us this day our daily bread," or give us our bread day by day, means perpetually, and in every state through which we pass, give us the true nourishment of our souls. Give to us in every state that which is good for us,-not merely our natural food and requirements, but our spiritual food. And so it is a renewal of love to the Lord and of charity to others that we ask for in this prayer for our "daily bread." This is also meant by the manna, which was to be gathered day by day in the wilderness. And this is the food given to the angels in every state and every moment and this to eternity.
     Again we read that knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom of life are meant by our "daily bread,"-thus good and truth from the Lord. It is given by the Lord to the angels every moment what to think, and this with blessedness and happiness. Having first asked to be disposed to receive truth from Him, we now ask to be disposed by Him to receive good, which is our daily bread.
     The next thing we are to ask for in the Prayer is to have our debts or our transgressions removed from us. "Forgive us our debts." Our debts are the things we owe the Lord. And since all we have is from Him, every time we transgress His law of love to Him and of charity we put ourselves in debt to Him.
     This is simple enough to understand. If one does any kind of injury to another, he becomes a debtor to that person. And he can pay off that debt only by confessing it, and doing all he can to repair the damage done. And if to those who injure him he is unforgiving and angry, he also is then in debt to the Lord, because he has transgressed His law. So it is written, "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither can your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses." Trespasses and debts are the same thing. The Lord never hates anyone for not doing as He teaches. He loves all men, even when they depart from what is honorable and right.

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But He cannot take away their feelings of hatred or revenge toward another, unless they put away their evil inclinations as sins against Him. But by this repentance our sins against Him,-our debts,-are removed, or we are withheld from them, which is what is meant by our debts being forgiven.
     This is why it is said, "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." As we look upon others from good, and not from malice, so the Lord removes from us our transgressions against His law. Thus we ask of the Lord to be disposed to forgiveness and mercy, and to perform a genuine repentance, by shunning malice, and pride, and avarice, and the like evils.
     And we pray to Him, "not to lead us into temptation, but to deliver us from evil." We do this in spite of the fact that the Lord never leads anyone into that spiritual trial which is meant by temptation. He tempts or tries no man, but is continually endeavoring to deliver him from such trial. For by this trial the torments of conscience are meant. We know that no man without conscience can ever suffer the reproach of conscience. But the causes of such torment and distress are the evil tendencies and the false ideas which a man is not willing to give up. The idea that the Lord leads anyone into such torments or pangs of conscience on account of his evil-doing is according to the appearance. And this part of the Prayer is so worded because it so appears. It appears to man that, if the Divine permits a thing, He must also will it. But this is not the case. It is the evil in man that causes the trial; and the Lord permits evils to come forth into act only to the end that man may see them, and, seeing them, may be led out of temptation, or the trial of combat against them, and so be delivered from them. This is done by clinging to the truth of heaven which his conscience loves. It is an attack of evil spirits against the truth that one loves that brings about a spiritual temptation.
     Deliverance from evil is accomplished as far as one acknowledges and believes truth, and believes that it is from the Lord. In this case, good from the Lord affects him, and evils do not adhere to him. So far evils are removed from him. And man cannot be delivered from these evils into which he is born except by means of such trials and combats. They are caused by the effort of evil spirits to fasten evils upon him.

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And the temptation is the combat of conscience against them. Therefore, without such combat of temptation no one can ever be regenerated.
     The Prayer ends magnificently with the all-inclusive confession and the glad declaration, "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, into the ages. Amen."
     This is a confession that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the Lord, and also the true Church, and indeed every person who has the truth of the Lord, and who is reborn of the Lord, the Father in the heavens, and everyone who is to any degree regenerated by obedience to His will. For the Divine things from the Lord in heaven and in human minds are what make His kingdom. And the words "power" and "glory" are added because power and glory belong to Divine Truth. And glory in the highest sense is the Divine Majesty and Wisdom and Power.
     To give glory to the Lord, therefore, is to attribute to Him all truth and all good which is within it. And they who do this are themselves surrounded with a certain splendor of spiritual light. Light and glory are the same. It is a certain light of interior understanding, like that in which the angels are. This light is the glory of the Lord which makes intelligence and wisdom with angels and with men. And when it is said that the kingdom, the power, and the glory belong to the Lord "into the ages," the meaning is that there is no end of it, or that it is eternal. And "Amen" is the confirmation that this is true.
     Thus the Lord's Prayer is like a column of spiritual truths increasing from the top to the base. And this is the wide and solid base on which all previous things in the Prayer rest. When all the previous things in it are believed and accomplished, there will be from the Lord without end an inflowing of light from the Divine Human, and at the same time an inflowing of good affections, in which is power against all evils. This is the power and the glory that belong to the Truth that makes His kingdom. If men could not confidently rely upon this, the Prayer would mean nothing at all, and would be but an empty repetition of words.
     Remember that we said at the beginning that all things in this Prayer look forward to the establishment of the New Church,-to the time when the Lord in His Divine Human will be worshipped as the only Father and Giver of spiritual life.

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Therefore the kingdom of the Lord which is to come is the New Church itself. And when we use the words, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done," it is a prayer that it may be firmly established on earth as it is in heaven.
     And since the whole character of the life is a man's prayer and is his worship, the only sincere prayer for the firm establishment of the New Church in the world is to live according to the Heavenly Doctrine, and to work for its establishment with all zeal, confidently expecting to receive that Divine Light without end.
     Let us say a few words more. After all, this Prayer, dictated by the Lord Himself, is like all other parts of the Word. The whole Word means nothing unless it is the "Light of the world to men, and unless they receive from the Lord by means of it the light and power to guide them and to deliver them from evil. The Doctrine of the New Church, given by so marvelous an inspiration as that under which the revelator wrote, would mean nothing. Yet all these Divine Revelations,-the Word and the Writings-are the Name of the Lord. And they who believe them have His Name written upon them. For the Name of the Lord means all that by which He is known and worshipped. And the Name of the Lord, who is the Father in the heavens, is to be hallowed.
     Why should He have revealed all these things, if it were not that men should know them, and believe them, and make their lives a prayer for the coming of His kingdom? If, in this way the Father in heaven has made His Second Advent, can anyone regard it in any other light than as the thing of greatest importance? Can he be indifferent toward it, without thinking of the changes that ought to be made in order to receive Him? Must nothing be done to glorify Him who comes in the name of the Lord?
     No. But they who lift up the gates of their minds to let the King of glory come in can never be the same again. With certainty they will want to receive in humility all that the Lord has to teach them, so that in their lives the Lord's Prayer may be answered and fulfilled. And they will want to labor for the establishment of His Church.

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PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE 1942

PASTORAL EXTENSION SERVICE       ELMO C. ACTON       1942

     Pamphlets Briefly Reviewed.

     The Loathing of Evil. A Sermon by the Rev. Morley D. Rich. No. 24, 12 pages, 10 cents.

     The text of this sermon is: "And thus shall we eat it; your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; it is the Lord's passover." (Exodus 12: 11.) In the exposition of these words the sermon sets forth the general doctrine of the Writings that the Lord permits man to suffer the punishment of evil in order that he may eventually be led away from it. This is first shown in the development of the general sense of the letter of the story. Concerning this the writer says: "It took many miracles and the plagues upon the Egyptians to reawaken in the Israelites the hope of freedom, to restore their convictions of being a distinct and separate race, to remove the fear of, and the sense of inferiority to, the Egyptians which had been so thoroughly instilled by punishments and torture. Naturally, also, it took many deeds and words to convince them of the power of Moses as a leader." Thus is presented the idea that the plagues and wonders were not enacted so much as a punishment upon the Egyptians as a means of strengthening the Israelites in the faith and worship of Jehovah as represented in His servant Moses.
     In the second phase of the sermon the writer demonstrates how the same order follows in every judgment in the world of spirits. Before the judgment, the good are held captive in imaginary heavens by cunning and malicious spirits. Their deliverance cannot he effected until the interior evil of these spirits is brought out into the open by many signs and wonders. The simple good thus conceive a hatred and loathing of those whom they had before thought to be upright spirits. This loathing causes them to desire to flee from the presence of the evil spirits, and they are thus prepared to be taken up into heaven.

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     The third phase of the sermon follows out this same law in its application to the regeneration of each man. He, too, by suffering from the results of his own evils, learns to loathe them, and thus to turn away from them. Only so can he be delivered from the evils of his proprium. For this reason evil is permitted by the Lord. "It is a strange fact that, such is human nature now, the truth must hurt before it can set free. Truth which lies dormant in the human mind as knowledge has no power to free that mind from the domination of hereditary, unregenerate desires and fallacies. But when that same truth is aroused to vigorous action, when a man begins to see its relation to the evils by which he is held in bondage, then that truth hurts the things which he as yet loves best. He is unwilling to leave the familiar and (to him) rather pleasant bondage of his self-love." Therefore the Lord permits us to suffer the consequences of our evils, and this permission is a blessing in disguise, for only so can we acquire the heavenly proprium, which is implanted by the Lord in so far as we loathe and flee from our evils.
     But to loathe evil is not all. There must also be instilled a love of the good opposed to the evil. The reception of this love is represented in the story of the text by the eating of the pascal lamb on the night of deliverance. The lamb stands for that good from the Lord which is opposite to the evil shunned. It is the love and delight of this good that endows man with the courage and strength to begin and continue the journey of regeneration, until he finally reaches the promised land of the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and is established therein.
     ELMO C. ACTON.
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 1942

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS              1942

     A Price List of all the pamphlets which have been issued by the Pastoral Extension Service will be sent upon application to Mr. Ralph Klein, Business Manager, Bryn Athyn, Pa., to whom orders and payment should be sent.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     April 16, 1942.-Since my last news letter from Durban, dealing with our Christmas Festivities, our January holidays having come and gone, the Society endeavored to settle down to the daily round in February, but the war news was so very unsettling that a number of members began to make plans in the event of a state of emergency occurring in Durban. In the meantime, however, Kainon School reopened on Monday, February 2, for the first term of the year with an enrollment of fifteen children-four in the Kindergarten in charge of Miss Sylvia Pemberton, and eleven under Miss Champion ranging from Grades I to V. After the Easter recess, the Kindergarten only reopened under Miss Pemberton, as by this time a number of families had temporarily gone up-country as a precautionary measure in the event of an enemy attack on this town in the near future. The older classes of the school have thus been dispersed for the time being, and Miss Champion has been given six months' leave of absence. It is hoped that, when October comes around, the whole school will reassemble after the Michaelmas Holidays, but in the meantime Miss Pemberton is carrying on with five Kindergarten pupils.
     As regards the remainder of the Society, the Ladies' Class resumed on the morning of February 28, and although numbers are somewhat reduced, it is hoped to carry on the weekly study of the True Christian Religion throughout this year without interruption. The weekly evening Doctrinal Classes began on April 16th.
     The Easter Celebrations in Durban were very quiet, and no parties were given this year, but in spite of our absentees, attendances at services were excellent. Palm Sunday coincided with the National Day of Prayer, and this service was very ably conducted by Mr. Garth Pemberton, who deputized on this occasion, owing to the indisposition of the Pastor. At the Good Friday Service, which was held. as is customary, at 9.30 a.m., Rev. Elphick referred to the relationship between the Jewish and Christian religions, basing his theme on the text of John 19: 15, "We have no king but Caesar."
     On Easter morning two services were held. The Children's Worship was at 9.30 a.m., and at the adult's service at 11 a.m. the Holy Supper was administered to 24 communicants. Mr. Elphick's Easter subject dealt with doubting Thomas, John 20: 27. 28, as seen in the Scriptures and in modern times.
     P. D.C.

     Death.-The Bishop has been informed by cable that Mr. R. Melville Ridgway passed into the spiritual world on May 23.


     PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY.

     Bryn Athyn, May 16-17, 1942.

     A session of the Assembly was held in the Choir Hall of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral at 3.30 on Saturday afternoon. The meeting was opened by Bishop de Charms with prayer and a reading from the Word. There were 108 persons present. The attendance from the district as a whole was good. The small number present at this meeting was due to a small representation from the Bryn Athyn Society.

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     The Bishop welcomed the visitors on behalf of the Bryn Athyn Society. He spoke of the effect the war will have upon the life of the church, and stressed the need of carrying on the work of the church so far as possible. The District Assemblies might have to take the place of the General Assemblies during a part of the war period. If this should prove to be the case, the District Assemblies would take on added responsibilities, and we should therefore make every effort and sacrifice to continue these meetings. These few remarks introduced what proved to be the general theme running through the Assembly, namely, the need of the church, and our greater responsibilities to it, in the present crisis.
     Following the Bishop's remarks, reports were invited from the Societies of the district concerning the steps that had been taken to make available to the members the material published by the church.
     Before these reports were given, the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt asked for the privilege of the floor. He spoke of the great importance of these meetings to the life of the church. He said that we should regard it as a great privilege to be present; that our church was founded upon the principle of council and assembly, and that the practice of these should not be given up except under the most extreme circumstances. He spoke of the need of meeting together with the Bishop, and the power of the sphere of meeting in the Name of the Lord. He referred to the conditions in England under which the work of the church and the gatherings of its members are continued under the most difficult conditions. He thought that such fortitude should be an inspiration to us to carry on with the uses of the church, as exemplified in such meetings as these, in spite of the difficulties and seeming hardships of any circumstances arising out of the war.
     The Rev. Bjorn Boyesen reported on behalf of the Northern New Jersey Circle and the New York Society. He said that representatives had been appointed in both places to collect and display the various publications of the church. In New York a discussion group had been formed which intended to make use of the Pastoral Extension Pamphlets in their debates.
     Mr. Arthur Williamson reported for the Philadelphia Society on behalf of his wife, who was the official representative. It was their intention to make up a book containing a synopsis of each publication. This book would then be taken to each meeting of the Society, and he available for the members to consult.
     There was no official report from the Baltimore Society, but the intention was expressed of reviving the Arbutus reading circle and using the Pamphlets as subject matter.

     Address.

     After these reports had been presented, the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner delivered an Address upon the uses and needs of the South African Mission and our responsibility to it. We cannot adequately review this beautiful address, which it is hoped will be made available to the members of the district in print. This was the request of the meeting.
     From the Bishop's pamphlet on the needs of the South African Mission the members had already been informed of the present state of the Mission work, and the need of support from the members of the General Church as a whole for the continuation of the use.
     Dr. Odhner, from the general doctrine of charity, and from personal experience in the work, presented the responsibility of the members of the church so clearly that the meeting was unanimous in realizing its duties. From his personal experience he dress a vivid picture of the work of the church among the natives of Africa-their loving and simple reception of the teachings and offices of the church. (See p. 309.)

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     The discussion of the paper made clear that the meeting was in full sympathy with the sentiments of the speaker, and that, if the same spirit is sustained, there will be no difficulty in collecting the amount needed for the continuance of this important work.
     The Bishop concluded the discussion by expressing his belief in the usefulness of the work of the Mission, from his experience with the native people. He said that their comprehension of the doctrines was astonishing, and pointed out that it was not the intention of the church to take on anything new, but merely to meet present needs, that there might not be too great a hardship upon those of the Mission who, in freedom, have elected to remain with the General Church.
     The Meeting adjourned at 5.15 p.m.

     Banquet.

     In the evening, at 7 o'clock, 350 persons gathered in the Assembly Hall for the Banquet. The tables were decorated with bowls of beautiful flowers provided and arranged by the ladies of the Bryn Athyn Society. Mr. Heilman was in charge of providing the natural food.
     The Rev. Bjorn Boyesen presided as toastmaster. In opening the program, he spoke of the use of Assembly in strengthening us in the love of spiritual things, which is especially necessary in the present crisis. While it is the Lord who builds the church, yet there is need for man's cooperation. We must dedicate ourselves to the uses of the church; we need to have our courage and devotion increased.
     He then announced the subject of the evening as being the present conditions and their relation to the church-the need of the church in the world and to us. He pointed out that the subject of the afternoon session had been a specific use of the church, and that the speakers at the banquet would treat of the general uses of the church.
     He then read greetings from Mr. and Mrs. Curtis K. Hicks and Mr. and Mrs. E. van Doren. The Rev. Homer Synnestvedt brought greetings from the friends in Pittsburgh, and spoke of the need of putting the church first in all things-first in attendance as welt as in interior things. "If we put the church first, all else will be well."
     The toastmaster stated that the speakers would answer the question:
"What are the responsibilities of the New Church to the world?" He then introduced Prof. Eldric S. Klein, who addressed himself to the subject of "Past and Current Uses of the Organized Church." He pointed out that New Churchmen have a source of absolute authority, and therefore stability. This does not exist outside of the church, where sensual experiences are the only authority; and as these are not absolute, no stability can result. He then presented an interesting and thorough summary of the present activities of the General Church for the preservation and spread of the Doctrines, listing fourteen different agencies by which this is being done-quite a prodigious number for a small body like ours. He believed that all efforts for the spread of the church must be adapted to the state existing at the time, and that we cannot fairly make a comparison between past and present efforts; for while the duty remains the same, the methods must differ with each generation, according to the state of the times. However, he concluded with the question, "Can we not do more to spread the Doctrines than we are doing now
     The next speaker, Mr. Herman Gloster, spoke on "Practical Considerations for the Growth of the Church." Mr. Gloster's ideas were received with attention and interest, especially as he is a newcomer, having joined the church a short time ago. He showed that a Society has two uses-one to its members, and one to its neighbors. If a society existed only for the sake of its members, then its interests must become self-centered. It must also exist for its neighbors, in that it must seek to interest others in the church. This is especially necessary in urban areas.

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He mentioned ways in which this can be done, and said that societies in cities must think of themselves as pioneers in the church; while their first duty is the establishment of the church with themselves, the end of this must not be themselves, but that they may spread the church to others. He concluded by saying, "However these suggestions may be taken, we must acknowledge that our duty is to spread the church, and that we must continually try to do so."
     The final speaker, the Rev. Morley D. Rich, took as his subject, "The Doctrine of Charity in Relation to the Composite Man." He made an interesting comparison of the degrees of the neighbor, as given in the Doctrine of Charity, with the growth and development of the organized church, and drew the general conclusion that, while the efforts of the church start with its own preservation, they must gradually increase in scope to include the whole world. We gather that he felt that the church at present is not devoting enough effort to the imparting of the Doctrines to others. His comparison of the growth of a mind from childhood with the growth of the church as an organization was thought provoking; and while the speaker said that he did not wish to draw a strict comparison, he left the idea that a consideration of the subject from this angle would be of value.
     Between these speeches there were toasts and songs. The toastmaster managed the banquet in masterful fashion He thanked individually those responsible for the arrangements (a dangerous undertaking) and succeeded in including everyone. He concluded by stating that, while the building of the church is in the hands of the Lord, yet we all have a part, priests and laymen.
     The Assembly concluded with the Sunday morning service, at which the Rev. Morley D. Rich delivered a powerful sermon on the subject of "The Rod of Iron." (Rev. 12: 5.)
     I feel it should be recorded that the spirit of the Assembly is growing each year, and seems to be doing much to increase interest in the uses of the church in the district. We feel, year by year, a stronger oneness of the district in establishing upon earth the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Divine Human.
     ELMO C. ACTON,
          Secretary.

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     Swedenborg's Birthday celebration was held at the church on Saturday, January 31. Mr. Alan Waters, as toastmaster, was unavoidably absent, and his place was taken by the Rev. Martin Pryke. A very interesting program was arranged. Four short papers were presented, as follows: "The School in Relation to the First Two Rules of Life," Miss May Waters; "Conduct," Mr. John Motum; "Friendship," Mr. Alvin Motum; and "A Summary of the Rules of Life as Applicable to the Home," Mr. Kesel Motum. The last named paper was read by Miss Beatrice Waters. Toasts were honored to each, and the whole program was very enjoyable.
     The feast was again made possible by parcels received from Australia. the United States, and Canada. Thirty-six persons were present, including two visitors-Rev. Henry Heinrichs, of Kitchener, Ontario, and Miss Edith Elphick, of London,-whom we were very glad to welcome. Mr. Heinrichs preached at our service on Sunday, February 1.
     Our faithful treasurer, Mr. Alwyne Appleton, had just completed twenty years of service to the society, and as a small token of appreciation for his work he was presented with an armchair to the accompaniment of a toast and song He was taken quite by surprise. Some very jocular remarks were passed, and he made a fitting response.
     A young people's class has now been started, and meets fortnightly. Unfortunately two more of the young men have been called to the Service,-Mr. John Motum, and Mr. Donald Boozer.

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All the boys come home in turn on their leave. We have also welcomed the Canadians-Leonard Hill Joffre Schnarr, Lawrence Izzard, Cecil James, and the Rev. Henry Heinrichs-and we hope to see more in the future.
     On Sunday, March 1, a party of Colchester friends made the journey to London to be present at the Ordination of the Rev. Martin Pryke into the second degree of the Priesthood, Bishop Tilson officiating. The service was impressive, and all went well.
     Doctrinal class and singing practice continue weekly, and they are both useful meetings. We are studying The True Christian Religion, and wish more could attend.
     Whist drives have been held to raise funds for the Red Cross and Warships Week. They are an enjoyment, and a help to the great cause.
     E. M. B.

     SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION.

     The Forty-fifth Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association was held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Wednesday, May 20, 1942, at 8.00 p.m., the President, Dr. Leonard I. Tafel, in the chair. Fifty-six members and friends were in attendance.
     The meeting unanimously adopted a Resolution expressing to Dr. C. E. Doering the appreciation of the Association for his valued services as Treasurer covering a period of approximately thirty-eight years. Mr. Edward F. Allen was elected a year ago to succeed him.
     The membership of the Association is now 211,-the same as reported last year. The Treasurer, in his report, urged all members to try to increase the membership by interesting friends in the work of the Association. The dues of a membership of 300, together with our special contributions, would go far toward solving our financial problems.
     Mr. Allen reported that copies of our publications sent to Mr. Alfred Regamey of Lausanne, Switzerland, had been safely delivered.
     Reporting as Editor of THE NEW PHILOSOPHY, Dr. Alfred Acton stated that he had experienced difficulty in obtaining suitable articles and papers for the magazine.
     An Address on the subject of "The Cerebrospinal Fluid" was delivered by Dr. Leonard I. Tafel. In the discussion that followed, Dr. Acton clarified some of the points raised in the address, with the aid of a model of the Brain. He also contrasted the marvelous extent and range of Swedenborg's philosophy with the limited scientific field of his day, emphasizing the fact that Swedenborg's approach was philosophic rather than scientific, and that his method was the one for us to follow. Other speakers dwelt upon the scientific and philosophical nature of Swedenborg's earlier works.
     In conclusion, Dr. Tafel defined the strict limits of the modern scientific spirit, and agreed that it is inadequate to meet the needs of a New Church philosophy.
     A sale of our publications was held after the meeting.
     The President and other Officers of the Association were reelected for the ensuing year, with the addition of Dr. Eldred E. Iungerich as a member of the Board of Directors.
     WILFRED HOWARD.
          Secretary.

     ACADEMY SCHOOLS.

     At the Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty on June 6, the Secretary, Mr. Edward F. Allen, presented a summary of the Annual Reports which are to be published in full in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.
     The Address was delivered by Bishop de Charms, who dealt in a direct way with developments in the Academy during the recent past, in both the scholastic and economic aspects, in which he found encouraging signs of progress. But he felt some concern for the immediate future and the adverse effects upon our uses likely to be produced by the war, and by the conditions in the world unfavorable to the maintenance of private schools.

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Yet we have deep reasons for a trust in the future of a school whose aims are essentially spiritual. "We have profound confidence that the principles revealed in the Writings-clearly understood and wisely applied-will produce the highest type of education the world has ever known. . . . To labor at that task is a use of surpassing value to mankind. It is our high privilege to have been called to that use, and we believe that, so far as we respond to that call, the Academy will continue to receive the blessing of the Lord's protection." The full text of this significant Address is to be published in the BULLETIN OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY.
     A large audience attended the closing exercises of the Bryn Athyn Elementary School, held in the Assembly Hall on June 12, when Certificates of Graduation were presented to 10 boys and 16 girls, and Bishop Acton gave a fitting Address.
     On the following morning the Assembly Hall was again filled for the Academy Commencement, which marked the conclusion of the 65th school-year. Bishop de Charms conducted the service, presented the diplomas, and announced the awards. Dean Doering read the Lessons, Isaiah 55, and from the Writings on "Order" (P. T. W. I, p. 154), and Bishop Acton pronounced the Benediction. The schools sang the 46th Psalm and other selections in a beautiful way. The valedictorians, in making their acknowledgments, were manifestly aware of the portents of the times in which we are living, and grateful for the power of religion and truth which their school had sought to impart. And all present listened with close attention and interest to the wise counsel given by Mr. Arthur Synnestvedt in his Commencement Address on "Returning to First Principles," the text of which will be published in an early issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE.


     ACADEMY AWARDS.

     Degrees.

     BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION: Elizabeth Brown, Katherine Howard.
     BACHELOR OF ARTS (in absentia): Robert George Scott.

     Diplomas.

     JUNIOR COLLEGE: Anne Davis, Paula Suzanne Finkeldey, Margot Alene Hilldale, Cedric Franklin Lee.
     BOYS ACADEMY: James Fuller Barry, Warren Frederick David, Justin Hugh Davis, Donald Spencer Edmonds, Leslie Arthur Evens, Keith Ivan Frazee, Alfred Merl Glenn, James Duncan Hilldale, Kenneth Perry Holmes, David Pitcairn Lindsay, Jr., Jonathan Hanford Olds, Garthowen Pitcairn, John Alton Posey, Henry Sydow Rosenquist, Huard Ivan Synnestvedt. Certificate of Graduation: Robert Eggleton Packer. Certificate of Credit: Karl Richardson Alden, Jr.
     GIRLS SEMINARY: Beatrice Jean Alden, Joan Asplundh, Marion Gloria Asplundh, Doris Bellinger, Ruth Bostock, Margaret Elise Brown, Elaine Carswell, Virginia Lowrie Childs, Mary Jane Heilman, Muriel Natalie McQueen, Gwynneth Merrell, Sylvia Rose, Barbara Alethea Smith, Gloria June Smith, Nancy Elizabeth Stroh, Beth Anne Synnestvedt, Mary Saunders Walter, Dorothy Zent.

     Honors.

     Alpha Kappa Mu Merit Bar: Gloria June Smith.
     Deka Gold Medal: Sylvia Rose.
     Theta Alpha Scholarship: Muriel Natalie McQueen, Joyce Lenore McQueen.
     Sons of the Academy Gold Medal: Huard Ivan Synnestvedt.
     Sons of the Academy Silver Medal: Warren Frederick David, Justin Hugh Davis.
     Oratorical Prize-Silver Cup: John Tafel Synnestvedt.

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE       LYRIS HYATT       1942

     No complete list of our men and women serving in the armed forces of their country has been published since the April, 1942, issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE. Unfortunately it would take too much space to give them here together with their military addresses, but we feel that the members of the Church will be interested in having at least the names, and, where possible, the home address of each one. Some of the addresses may be incorrect; in a few cases they are of necessity only guesses. It is hard to decide what "home" is for some of our men. Is it where they were brought up, where they were employed before the war, where their parents live, where they expect to live after the war, or where they go most often on leave?
     We are sorry not to have space in which to give the correct military addresses, but we shall be very glad to forward any mail sent in our care. Many of the letters received from the soldiers express the desire for letters, and it is our hope that this list will inspire the Church members to write letters, renewing old acquaintances or making new ones.
     The Committee wishes to take this opportunity to thank all those in Akron, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Bryn Athyn who have contributed to the work of the Committee at society suppers or on other occasions. This help is encouraging, and we shall try to make good use of it.
     LYRIS HYATT
          For the Committee.

Ahren, Vrpl. Olof, Stockholm, Sweden.
Alden, Sgt. Gideon T., Bryn Athyn.
Alden, Cpl. Guy S., Bryn Athyn.
Alden, Cpl. Theodore S., Bryn Athyn.
Allen, Pvt. Ralph E., Bryn Athyn.
Anderson, Pvt. Edward C., Chicago.
Anderson, Pvt. Irving, Chicago.
Appleton, Cpl. Eric D., Colchester.
Appleton, A.C. 1 Roy, Colchester.
Baeckstrom, Korpral Gunnar, Stockholm, Sweden.
Bamford, Pvt. Frank D., Durban.
Bellinger, P. 0. Alfred G., Kitchener.
Bellinger, LAC. John H., Toronto.
Bellinger, Leigh R., Kitchener.
Bellinger, L.A.C. William G., Windsor, Ontario.
Bond, A. W., 1 Lillian D, Waterloo, Ontario.
Boozer, Dvr. A. E., Colchester.
Boozer, Donald, Colchester.
Bostock, P.F.C. Edward C. Jr., Bryn Athyn.
Braby, Capt. Horace C., Durban.

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Braby, A/P J. Septimus, Durban.
Brickman, Cpl. Elmer G., Weslaco, Texas.
Buss, Sgt. J .24., Durban.
Burnham, Pvt. Roy M., Glenview.
Caldwell, Pvc. Neil V., New York.
Carter, LAC. Orville, Toronto.
Cockerell, John, Durban.
Cockerell, A/M Neville, Durban.
Cockerell, A/M P. Graham, Durban.
Cockerell, A/Cpl. Peter, Durban.
Cole, Pvt. Harold F., Glenview.
Cole, Lt. William P., Bryn Athyn.
Cooper, Capt. Philip G., Bryn Athyn.
Cooper, S/Sgt. Rey W., Bryn Athyn
Cowley, A/P Robert W., Durban.
Cowley, L/Cpl. W. S., Durban.
Cronlund, Lieut. (3g.) Philip R., Norton, Va.
Daly, Lt. Jean, Bryn Athyn.
Davies, Sgt. John 0., Telford. Pa.
Davis, S/Sgt. Charles F., California.
Davis, Pvt. Edward A., California.
Davis, Sgt. Tech. Richard L., Bryn Athyn.
De Charms, Lt. Comdr. Richard, Bryn Athyn.
De Chazal, P/N D. Suzanne, Durban.
De Maine, Sgt. Robert F. Lee, Washington. D. C.
De Villiers, Pvt. 0. B., Durban.
Evens, Pvt. Robert A., Blair, Ontario,
Field, Lt. George A., Bryn Athyn.
Fine, PEC. Raymond F., Oregon.
Finkeldey, Cpl. Philip, Bryn Athyn.
Finley, LAC. H. M., Durban.
Fountain, Cpl. Arthur A., Toronto.
Fountain, Tpr. Thomas J., Toronto.
Fraser, Cpl. R. F., Durban.
French, Arthur W., Walled Lake, Michigan.
Gansert, Pvt. 0. Gideon, Johnsville, Pa.
Gardiner, Pvt. J. O., Durban.
Gibb, Air Sgt. J. F.. Durban.
Glenn, Pvt. Curtis R., Philadelphia.
Grant, Major Fred M., Washington, D. C.
Greenhalgh, Sgn. Colin 2,1., England.
Hamm, Lt. Linda, A.N.C., Bryn Athyn.
Hammond, A/P A. N., Durban.
Hammond, Pvt. H. V., Durban.
Hammond, L/C Harry B., Durban.
Heaton, Pvt. George B., Jr., Bryn Athyn.
Heilman, Anthony W.. S 2/c, Bryn Athyn.
Heilman, S/Sgt. Grant, Tarentum, Pa.
Heinrichs, Lr. Clara, AN.C., Philadelphia, Pa.
Heinrichs, Sgt. Henry, Kitchener.
Heldon, Tpr. Lindthman, Sydney. Australia.
Heldon, Sgt. Norman, Sydney. Australia.
Heldon, AC. 1 Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Hill, Sgt. Leonard E., Waterloo, Ontario.
Hill, LAC. Ralph R., Waterloo, Ontario.
Hilldale, Pvt. Richard 74., Millerton, N. Y.
Howson, Lt. Maurice, Durban.
Hyatt, Pvt. Edward 0., Bryn Athyn.
Iungerich, Ensign Alexander, Philadelphia, Pa.
Iungerich, Sgt. Stevan, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Izzard, P/O Laurence T., Toronto.
James, Sgt. Cecil J., Kitchener.
Jesseman, Cpl. Leonard, Toronto.
Jeunechauup, Le Commandant Eugene, Paris.
John, L.A.C. O. Haydn, Toronto.
Johns, Et. Col. Hyland F., Southampton, Pa.
Jones, Harold C., Northampton, England.
Junge, A/C Carl F., Chicago
Kintner, Capt William R., Bryn Athyn.
Kirsten, A. C. Theodore, Sydney, Australia
Kuhl, Cpl. A. William, Kitchener.
Kuhn Lt. Raymond T., Glenview.
Lee, Tech/Sgt Harold, Glenview.
Lee, Pvt. Raymond E., Glenview.
Lindrooth Pvt. Jim E., Saginaw, Michigan.
Lindsay, Lt. Alexander, Pittsburgh.
Loomis, P/1 Lyman S., U. S. A.
Loven, Lojtnant Tore, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lowe, Major Walter G., Durban.
Lumsden, Sgr. F. H. D., Durban.
Lumsden, Pvt. J. M., Durban
Lunden, Vrpl. K. Gunnar, Stockholm, Sweden.
McClean, S /Sgt. A. P. D., Durban.
Morris, 0/Cadet David, England.
Motom, L/Cpl. John, Colchester.
Nelson, Pvt. Gerald F., Glenview.
Nilson, A/C Gunnar N., Bryn Athyn.
Odhner, Pvt. Ray S., Bryn Athyn.
Odhner, A/C Sanfrid E., Bryn Athyn.
Parker, Pvt. S. F., Durban.
Parker, F/Li. Sidney R., Toronto.
Pendleton, Sgr. Philip C. Bryn Athyn.
Peterson, Cpl. William F., South Haven, Michigan.
Pitcairn, P.F.C. Michael, Bryn Athyn.
Potts, Sgr. John, Bryn Athyn.
Powell, Lt. Oliver I., Birmingham. N. Y.
Reuter, Sgt. Warren A., Glenview.
Richards, Pvt. W., Transvaal, South Africa.
Ridgway, L/Cpl. A. F., Durban.
Ridgway, Lt. B. 24., Durban,
Ridgway, Cpl. C. B., Durban.

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Ridgway, Lt. C. 0., Durban.
Ridgway, A/M C. R.. Durban.
Ridgway, Signaller G., Durban.
Ridgway, Pvt. H. A., Durban.
Ridgway, A/M L. A., Durban.
Rott, Cpl. Thomas F., New York.
Rydstrom, Lt. Jean F., Glenview.
Sandstrom, A., Karlskrona, Sweden.
Schnarr, L.A.C. Joffre G., Kitchener.
Scott, Gnr. Bruce H., Toronto.
Scott, L/Cpl. H. G., Kitchener.
Scott, AC. 2 Robert G., Toronto.
Simons, Pvt. David R., Bryn Athyn.
Smith, Lt. Edmund G., Glenview.
Snyder, Donald, Middleport, Ohio.
Snyder, James Eugene, Middleport, Ohio.
Soneson, Pvt. Carl, Erie, Pa.
Starkey, Sgn. Healdon R., Pouce Coupe, B. C.
Stebbing, Capt. Philip, Washington, D. C.
Steen, L.A.C. Howard, Kitchener.
Steen, Sgt. George K., Kitchener.
Stein, Pvt. Frank, Pittsburgh.
Strowger, Mrs. Arthur R., Toronto.
Taylor, AC. 1 Thomas D., Sydney, Australia.
Tilson, Cpl. B. V., Wembley, England.
Tilson, Gnr. R. J., Wembley, England.
Tinker, Harry, Heywood, Lancs., England.
Von Mosebrisker, Cand. Michael, Philadelphia, Pa.
Walker, Marvin J., Detroit, Michigan.
Walter, U. Richard, Bryn Athyn.
Walter, A/C Robert E., Bryn Athyn.
Waters, Lt. Comdr. Gilbert O., Fife, Scotland.
Waters, Gnr. Michael T., London.
Waters, Philip. London, England.
Watson, Pvt. Francis, California.
WESTERN CANADA 1942

WESTERN CANADA              1942




     Announcements



     During the Summer the Rev. Elmo C. Acton will undertake a tour of pastoral visits to members of the General Church in the Canadian Northwest. After attending the Annual Meeting of the Sons of the Academy in Kitchener, June 26-28, he will leave Toronto on June 29, traveling by rail to British Columbia and return.
BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1942

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS        Celia Bellinger       1942

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn from time to time, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE,
     Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman,
          Bryn Athyn, Pa.
BISHOP R. J. TILSON 1942

BISHOP R. J. TILSON       Rev. A. WYNNE ACTON       1942



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NEW CHURCH LOVE
VOL. LXII
AUGUST, 1942
No. 8
     Address at Memorial Service.

     "His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25: 21.)
     We gather here this morning in commemoration of one who, for the greater part of his long life, ministered to the spiritual needs of this Society. We meet in a spirit of thankfulness to the Lord for all the benefits that He has imparted to us through the life of this, His minister. We give thanks to the Lord, for He alone is the bestower of every spiritual blessing; but at the same time we revere the memory of His human servants who labor to prepare men to receive these Divine blessings.
     As is immediately suggested by the words of our text, those who have labored for the advancement of the Lord's kingdom, to whom it was said, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant," do not cease their work upon leaving this temporal world, but enter into a higher and wider sphere of its exercise. Those who have been spiritually faithful in performing the duties of their calling on earth-and this means those who have looked to the Lord in their daily lives and work-continue in the interior uses of their work in the freer and more effective sphere of heaven.
     We see in Bishop Tilson a good and faithful servant in that particular use to which, in the Divine Providence, he was led.

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He believed that he was called to the priesthood of the New Church by the Lord, and he ever looked to Divine Revelation to guide him in the performance of this use. In the particular sphere in which he was called upon to exercise the work of the ministry he was faithful to the Divine charge, and therefore his work has had a wide influence in the establishment of the Lord's kingdom, and will now have a far wider influence. For it is said to the faithful servant, 'Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things."
     Let us recall the fact that the true church must be first established in the other world, and that it is only by influx thence that it can descend and be received in the minds and hearts of men on earth. We are told in the True Christian Religion: "It is in accordance with Divine Order that a new heaven should be formed before a new church is established on earth. . . . Just so far as this new heaven, which makes the internal of the church, increases, so far does the New Jerusalem, that is, the New Church, descend from it." (T. C. R. 784.) The church on earth can only grow as the church in heaven grows. Thus it may be an occasion for spiritual joy when good and faithful servants of the Lord leave this earthly plane of work to enter into the higher uses of the church in heaven.
     Far from believing that Bishop Tilson's use is finished, we can see that in a fuller sense it is just beginning. He has completed the preparation for his eternal use in the Lord's kingdom, and it is to that use itself that he has now been called. The realization of this truth may make us thankful to the Lord that the work which he has done is now to enter a wider and a more effective phase, and thus to be of even greater benefit to the church. It must fill us with rejoicing that in entering into this greater use he is entering into the "joy of his Lord,"-a joy the more profound as we picture him meeting the members of that faithful band whom he has loved and who have gone before, and of once again joining with them in furthering the uses of the Lord's kingdom. What delight he will have in renewing these old friendships in the church, and in being introduced by them into the wonders of the Lord's spiritual kingdom!
     In the New Church we are taught that the spirit is the real man. The body which man has in this world and the lowest degree of his external mind are as it were the womb in which the spirit is being formed and when that formation is completed, the body, with everything pertaining to it, is cast off, to the end that the spirit, or the man himself, may live in his own proper world.

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This spirit, interiorly considered, is nothing other than a form of use,-a spiritual form which can receive and ultimate the Divine uses of the Lord. This form of use is the man, and is built according to his loves and thoughts. If the man loves the Lord and his neighbor, and performs the duties of his calling sincerely, faithfully and justly, he then becomes a form of heavenly use; otherwise, his spirit becomes a form of hell, opposed to all good uses.
     The use which a man performs is therefore his real being, and it is this that we are commanded to love in our neighbor. We cannot see this use as it is in itself, for it is spiritual, and is determined by the inmost affections and motives which animate him in his life. We can, however, see something of this spiritual use of a man as it is displayed in his thoughts, in his desires and aspirations, and in the acts of his daily life. Man's natural abilities are the talents which are given by the Lord freely to every man in greater or less degree, and the spiritual man loves his neighbor in the degree that he uses these to further the uses of the Lord's kingdom. It is only of the use of these talents for this purpose that it is said, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"
     We have said that man is a form of use, for all uses in themselves are Divine. This can particularly he seen in the office of the priesthood. It is the priest's duty to teach the Divine Truth of the Word, and through this teaching to lead men to their salvation. This is the actual occupation in which the priest is engaged. But, in reality, who can teach any man save the Lord? For He alone can dispose the thoughts and affections of men so that they can receive the truth, and so be taught. And who, save the Lord, can bring man to his salvation? And so, when we honor the use which the priest performs, we are inmostly bringing our homage and thankfulness to the Lord, who is the origin of this use. We must have this in mind when we pay our respect to, and testify our love of, those men through whom the Lord has chosen to effect His Divine uses.
     Bishop Tilson was deeply impressed with this truth, and constantly acted upon it throughout his life. He rejoiced in the exalted office to which he had been called, because he thought of the Lord's accomplishing His Divine uses through the work which the priest does.

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It was for this reason that he placed that office, and everything pertaining to it, on such a high plane. He knew that no man can fulfill this use of himself, but that the Lord accomplishes it through the man who looks to Him and the teaching of His Revelation. And therefore, also, he continually worked for an orderly establishment of the priesthood within the church, since this is the Lord's office among men, and no man-made expedients can be substituted for the true order as laid down in Divine Revelation. He knew and taught that "dignity and honor should be paid to the priest because of the holy things which he administers." (H. D. 317.) But, like a wise man, he attributed the honor, not to himself, but to the Lord, from whom alone is everything that is holy. In this doctrine we may have some insight into the essential character of the man. Above all other things, he labored for the establishment of the true doctrine of the priesthood, and for acceptance of the Divine Authority of the Writings.
     But now, let us note some of the outstanding events of his career, that we may learn to think of him in his use,-in that use in which he is now more fully engaged than ever before. Our thought of him cannot be separated from the use which he loved, and which was in reality his whole life, for "love is the life of man."
     Bishop Tilson always felt most deeply thankful that he had had Dr. Tafel as one of his instructors at the New Church College. Through him the doctrinal stand taken in the Academy was presented to his receptive mind, and he was initiated into that love of studying the Writings as the Lord's Word to the New Church which characterized his whole life. Thus from the beginning of his studies he was introduced into the spiritual sphere of the Academy movement, which marked such a revival in the development of the distinctive doctrines of the church. Some of his happiest days were later spent when he came into personal contact with Bishop Benade and other members of the early Academy.
     His first pastorate upon leaving College was at Liverpool. Here he found an old-established Society, but one which had been taught very little of the distinctive doctrines of the church. This he soon remedied by his teaching; and especially among the young people did he awaken a love of spiritual things which has remained with them ever since. His path, however, was not made smooth.

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Such strong teaching of the distinctive doctrines of the church did not suit some of his congregation, and he has told the present speaker how it was intimated to him that his own position would be more comfortable if he did not antagonize people by such direct teaching of the Writings. Needless to say, such advice did not move him, and he continued to teach the distinctive truths of the church as the Lord gave him to see them; and he was honored and revered for it by the great majority of the members of his Society.
     Later, when he was called to the Camberwell Society, he continued to bring before his hearers the new and distinctive doctrines of the church. His powerful exposition of them, and especially the doctrine of the Divine Authority of the Writings, was well accepted and helpful to the vast majority of his congregation, who knew and appreciated that they were being led to the Lord as He had revealed Himself at His Second Coming. But, sadly enough, this brought trouble upon him in the wider field of the Church, and he was made to suffer because of his teaching.
     One of the most inspiring chapters of the history of the New Church in this country is seen in the Bishop's defence of the authority of the Heavenly Doctrines against those who preferred to ignore it, or even to deny it. He bore the brunt of an attack which should never have been made, simply because he would have no compromising with the Divine Truth as the Lord had revealed it. Powerful forces were brought to bear against him, and he had little external support, but he was fearless in stating the teaching of the Word, and resting his case upon that, whatever the consequences to himself might be. Although he was little heeded at the time, and was practically forced out of the external organization of the Church-that is the history of many reformers-yet there is no doubt that his action, and the strong stand which he then took, has later had a great effect for good in the Church as a whole.
     The dissensions in the wider body of the Church eventually led to Bishop Tilson's resignation from the Camberwell Society, together with a majority of his members, and opening this present building as a particular Church of the Academy of the New Church. For forty-six years Bishop Tilson served as the faithful Pastor and Leader of this Society.

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All this time he eloquently expounded the new doctrines of the Church, inspiring the members of his congregation with the love of knowing these doctrines, that they might become a part of their lives; and he was ever ready to advise his people with wise counsel based upon spiritual principle. Despite a physical ailment, which at times caused him the most severe pain. he loyally and faithfully fulfilled the duties of his calling,-to teach the Divine Truth of the Word, and thereby to lead men to the good of life.
     We might recall many delightful memories of Bishop Tilson. We think of his faithful fulfilment of his use, his solicitous care for those who were placed under his spiritual charge, his powerful but friendly personality, his loving family life. To him was given more than the usual degree of external gifts, but he was a faithful servant, in that he turned them all to the better performance of his use-to the furtherance of the Lord's work in building the church. He showed his true humility by constantly seeking to know from the Lord in His Word how he was to accomplish his chosen work.
     As we look back upon that work, his outstanding contribution to the New Church seems to have been to establish the Doctrine of the Divine Authority of the Writings,-that the Heavenly Doctrine is the very Word of the Lord to His New Church. Together with this, he constantly worked for the establishment of a true order in the Church, beginning with the priesthood. Although by nature he was an affectionate, loving man, he became a most powerful protagonist in defending these truths. He had no use for those who did not seek and develop the new Doctrines of the Church which to him were so many jewels in the King's Crown. And he strongly opposed any attempt to modify these truths or to commingle them with man-made accommodations. He ever insisted upon the pure truth as the Lord had revealed it to His New Church. Humanly speaking, this congregation, and the Church as a whole, does indeed owe a great debt to his teaching in all the distinctive doctrines of the Church. But above all, we have profited by his exposition of the Divine Authority of the Writings, and the establishment of the Church on their teaching as the only secure foundation.
     Now we honor his memory, and the work which, in the Divine Providence, he was permitted to do for the Church. And it is right for our own sakes that we should do so. But we should be false to his memory if we looked merely to the work of a man.

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He was ever the first to decry his own ability, and to acknowledge that everything good and true comes from the Lord alone. The real honor we may pay to his memory is to further those uses for which he strove, to enter into those things which he loved and taught from the Word. As we do this, he will be constantly with us, and his spiritual sphere may help us in our efforts to carry out the teaching of the Lord's Word. By knowing, loving, and living those things which the Lord teaches us, we ourselves are prepared for the performance of spiritual uses, so that when our time comes to enter into eternal life, it may be said to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Amen.

     BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

     ROBERT JAMES TILSON was born at Tydd Gote, Lincolnshire, on April 3, 1857. As a youth he worked in the drapery and general shop of his father-a pious and strict man who delighted in reading his Bible, and who had become acquainted with the Doctrines of the New Church through Mr. Richard Gunton, the Conference Missionary, and received them gladly, though he never joined any organization of the Church.
     In the year 1876 Robert left home for London where he became an assistant clerk in a drapery shop. The following year he went to work for Mr. Isaac Gunton, a member of the Camberwell Society. In Mr. Gunton's home he met his future partner, Miss Edith Gunton, to whom he was married in 1881. Mrs. Tilson survives him, together with two of their four children-Mr. Victor Tilson and his sister Olive, Mrs. Frank Harrison; three grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. In 1941, Bishop and Mrs. Tilson had the unusual pleasure and rare distinction of celebrating their Diamond Wedding.
     Although the young man got along well in his business employment in London, his real love was in working for the Church, and so he entered the New Church College to study for the ministry. Here the deepest impression was made upon his mind by Dr. Rudolph L. Tafel, who was in close touch with the newly formed Academy. On the completion of his course at the College in 1879, he was sent to the Liverpool Society. A noteworthy feature of his work here was the great interest he aroused in the study of the Doctrines, especially among the young people. (Bishop Acton was one of the boys in his classes.) In 1885 he was called to the Camberwell Society, where he was pastor for six years.
     At the meeting of the General Conference in August, 1890, he was severely attacked because of his connection with the Academy, and because he was agent for NEW CHURCH LIFE. He had little active support in the meeting, but steadfastly held his ground upon the direct teaching of the Writings. Shortly afterwards he disassociated himself from the Conference.

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[Photograph: Bishop R. J. Tilson.]

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On March 16, 1891, he resigned his pastorate in the Camberwell Society, and fifty-nine of the members left with him to form a "particular Church of the Academy of the New Church." When the present building in Burton Road, Brixton, built at the expense of Mr. C. J. Whittington, was opened on September 4,1892, he and the Rev. E. C. Bostock jointly conducted the service, which was attended by a congregation of 154 persons.
     Earlier in the year 1892, Bishop Tilson had visited America, and on June 19, at Philadelphia, he was ordained into the Second Degree of the Priesthood by Bishop Benade. In 1897, he joined the newly formed General Church of the New Jerusalem, but only for a time. In September, 1898, the Society in Burton Road was organized as an independent Society of the New Church (NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1898, p. 190), and a group of the original members broke away to form a Society of the General Church, worshipping at Peckham Rye, London.
     For over twenty years the Burton Road Society flourished as an independent Church, having no connection with any general body of the New Church. During this period an Academy School was maintained for the children. Miss K. Madeline Dowling being the teacher, and the Rev. Glendower C. Ottley gave his moral support and occasional ministerial assistance.
     But Bishop Tilson was not very happy about this isolated position. In 1919, following a chance meeting with Bishop N. D. Pendleton in London, he and Mr. Ottley joined the General Church, and were received as members of the Clergy in that body. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE. 1919. pp. 486, 778; 1920, p. 553.) Most of the members of the Society in Burton Road also joined the General Church. The following year, in June, 1920, the two priests attended the Council of the Clergy in Bryn Athyn, where they were warmly received and delivered notable addresses which were published in NEW CHURCH LIFE, September and October, 1920.
     In 1928, at the General Assembly held in London, Bishop Tilson was ordained into the Third Degree of the Priesthood, Bishop N. D. Pendleton officiating.
     Ten years later, in 1938, he came to the conclusion that it would be for the good of the Society-Michael Church-to give up his active leadership, because of his age. And so, on June 17, 1938, at a special service, he inducted the Rev. A. Wynne Acton as Pastor to succeed him. This concluded a single pastorate of forty-six years, and active work in the priesthood for fifty-nine years. When he resigned, there were a few members of the Society to whom he had been Pastor continuously for fifty-nine years-surely a record!
     Bishop and Mrs. Tilson continued to reside near the church, and regularly to attend and support all of its activities. He occasionally preached, and took part in special celebrations. His last official act, on March 1, 1942, was the Ordination of the Rev. Martin Pryke into the Second Degree of the Priesthood. This was the fourth Ordination at which he had officiated. In the course of his career he had baptized over 480 adults and children.
     Following a sudden attack of pneumonia on May 11, he passed into the spiritual world on May 14, and a Memorial Service was held at Michael Church on Sunday, May 24.
     A. WYNNE ACTON.

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CHURCH AND HUMANITY 1942

CHURCH AND HUMANITY       Rev. WILLIAM WHITEHEAD       1942

     (At the Public Session of the Council of the Clergy, April 10, 1942.)

     We are living today in a world in which the formerly accepted standards of human culture and human relations are being steadily blasted, both in the external structure of society and in men's minds. The uses of humanity are being swept by a tornado of falsities and hatreds so piercing and irresistible that hardly anything that we formerly prized seems to have escaped its force and fury. And into those devout minds still able to believe in the God who judges men and nations there comes a feeling not unlike the sense of awe which follows the passage of a mighty storm that breaks the cedars and brings down ancient buildings in wreckage to the ground.
     The Lord, who knows the states of life of all in the heavens and on the earths from Himself, because He is the Divine Truth itself, has indeed again come in Divine Justice and Judgment. And we hear His voice: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10: 34.)
     It seems ironic at this time to ask, "What is humanity?"-and still more ironic, "What is its relation to the Christian Church?"
     It was but a few years ago that a learned professor remarked that if he were asked, "What in your opinion is the most marked change which has come over this country during your own lifetime?" he would answer, "Beyond doubt the rapid growth and extension of humanitarianism. As religion has declined, the gospel of humanitarianism has pan passu gained in strength and support. It is our new religion." (Professor Macneile Dixon in Gifford Lecture, "Human Situation.")
     Yet only last year Walter Lippman, in a searching article, entitled "Education Versus Western Civilization," pointed out that ". . . Modern education . . . is based on a denial that it is necessary, or useful, or desirable for the schools and colleges to continue to transmit from generation to generation the religious and classical culture of the western world.

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There is now no common faith, no common body of principle, no common body of knowledge, no common moral and intellectual discipline. Yet the graduates of our modern schools are expected to form a civilized community. They are expected to arrive by discussion at common purposes. When one realizes that they have no common culture, is it astounding that they have no common purpose? . . . We have abolished the old curriculum because we are afraid of it, afraid to face any longer the severe discipline and the deep, disconcerting issues of the nature of the universe, and of man's place in it and of his destiny. . . (Article in the AMERICAN SCHOLAR, Spring, 1941.)
     Here we get from two brilliant and gifted contemporary scholars:
(1) an affirmation that we have quite recently gotten ourselves a new religion-a religion of humanity that has displaced the declining churches; and (2) a flat statement that, though we have abolished the old order, we have not established anything like a new common purpose for the human race, either in religion, morals, philosophy or science!
     Recent events would seem to indicate that the latter writer is the more accurate diagnostician of the two. One wonders how the old humanists of 15th century Italy and 16th century England, France and Germany would have felt had they known that the classic learning of ancient humanity, whose resurrected life helped to break the power of mediaeval dominion, would itself some day be put on the same educational scrap-heap with the broken remnants of Protestant liberalism. Of course, historical investigation is supposed to have discovered that the "humanists" were merely devoted to classical research, rather than interested in humanity and the humanities, in reaction from mediaeval theology and metaphysical abstractions. Yet we know that the knowledges of the truth and good of the Ancient Church were so preserved, and passed northward and westward into Europe, even for the sake of preparing the human race for further revelations in the Word. Indeed, all the laws of truth and right for man's guidance flow from the order and life of the heavens, and are carried to him in this world along the mysterious and conflicting currents of the Divine Providence, to each generation according to its need and effort.

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Thus the final refuge of the remains involved in classic learning is clearly to be in the use and service of the New Church for a new humanity.
     Now that which makes the greater wars and calamities of the human race today so much more damaging to the cause of religion than was the case, say with the Greeks or the Romans, is the fact that spiritual faith is far more vulnerable. Thus in A. C. 232 we read: "At this day, when men can confirm the unbelief of the senses by knowledges unknown to the ancients, it is much worse than formerly. The darkness therefrom is so great that it cannot be described. If a man knew how great is the darkness from this cause he would be astounded."
     This darkness in the Christian and the Gentile worlds, concerning the place and mission of a true spiritual church with the human race, can only be seen in the Lords light; and because Anus reigns now, not secretly, but openly, the light now revealed through the Divine Human in His Word blinds unreceiving men into still greater darkness. As we read in A. C. 231: "The evil, not only of the Most Ancient Church . . . but of the Ancient Church and of the Jewish Church, and then of the new church, or church of the Gentiles, after the Lord's advent, as also the evil of the church of the present day, is, that they do not believe in the Lord, or in the Word, but in themselves and in their senses. Hence there is no faith; and when there is no faith, there is no love of the neighbor; and thus all is false and evil."
     This close relation between the denial of the Divinity of the Lord,-the regarding of Him as merely a man like ourselves-and the false concepts of human brotherhood runs through the entire history of man. The Arcana reveals explicitly the steps by which even the men of the Most Ancient Church finally fell into natural good then were withdrawn from even the knowledges of good and truth; and were finally enmeshed in their own filthy loves and persuasions, so that the total destruction of their celestial civilization became imminent. And only the miraculous creation of a conscience for the individual and for society could put human relations back on their feet upon a new but more ultimate plane of life. A new type of social culture was therefore made possible by the establishment of a new principle of working religion.

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     The very doctrinals of the Ancient Church revolved about the life of charity, and to such a degree that, despite the wide variety of nations and races and cultures and social classes, there was an astonishing degree of cooperation in human use. History testifies clearly to the social happiness, sound morality, and rich variety of industries and arts in the Old Kingdom of early Egypt before the fall of the Ancient Church. It bears witness also to the peaceful and harmonious cultural relations between the two great Gentile nations of China and India, stretching across a great area of centuries, with never a war between these two great races, whilst in the meantime the nations and classes of the Christian world have been split to their foundations, and ravaged again and again by unspeakable cruelties, revenges and barbarities in the name of national honor, or family prestige, or class interest, or even doctrinal loyalties.
     Granted that both China and India have lapsed into long states of collective pacifism, mental inertia, social castes and depraved religiosities, yet certain ideas of human charity to the neighbor have been preserved in integrity in the family, clan or tribal structure. Certainly these remains of the ancient Gentile world have never added the love of the world to the love of self with so fierce a greed for wealth and worldly power over others as the Christian empires-and this from the Rome of Constantine to the great powers of today. Is there not a lesson for the modern world, with all its vaunted scientific knowledge and technical efficiency, that out of the very love for their racial home and their family life, the Chinese people have waged for long years a successful war of defense against the most formidable warrior nation that the Orient has ever seen?
     Certainly, the history of all religion demonstrates that there is some undying vital power in the recurring idea of a spiritual bond that should not only unite men with men, but that in some way relates man with God. When churches fell, in the remains that were always preserved with those in whom some good and truth of faith remained there was involved the hope of a reunited humanity living a life of charity and peace-living in a new state of cohesion-a city of God.
     Ancient and mediaeval history alike-however dark the time might be-witnessed the constant appearance of the idea of a human society on this earth that should in some way be also heavenly and Divine.

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This vision of a civilization that should also be a Church shone like a star before the minds of the Greeks. And some scholars in recent years have insisted that only by returning to the old ideals of the "good life" and the "good society," laid down once for all by Plato and Aristotle, can we find salvation for the state and the individual. And although they do not explain why the Greek ideal proved inadequate, both for the Greeks and the Romans, and had to be replaced by Christian communities, still the power of the ancient idea of an inevitable spiritual "brotherhood" among men can still be felt over the centuries.
     In the century of the Last Judgment it was revived with marked power, and was a potent factor in those national revolutions which liberated a host of humane impulses, struck fierce blows against all forms of natural slavery, and laid the groundwork for what we call "democracy."
     A deadly blow was struck, however, at the notion of a connection between a human and in some way Divine society when Darwin bared the supposed revelation that "the human race was but a continuation of animal life going back to unknown time." (F. S. Maryin, in CONTEMPORARY REVIEW, Feb., 1942, p. 105.) The way was paved for a purely naturalistic concept of humanity. One French philosopher even went so far as to work out a religion to be based entirely on science and human evolution. "Humanity was to be worshipped, but, that worship was to be directed only to those good forces in humanity which have brought the race higher in creation." Therefore the good and great men of every age and clime who had helped man to emerge from the slime of animal life should actually be worshipped and respectfully studied. He even believed that his religion of humanity would have triumphed before the end of the last century, with France, England, Germany, Italy and Spain knit together in a brotherhood, and leading the world. Although the learned world balked at the idea of actually worshipping the world's greatest men, and Positivism faded out as a sect, still its founder but logically expressed a prevailing idea,-that there is no God to worship but man, and no City of God to attain-only a very high animal association in which the Founder of Christianity had one noble part, together with Zoroaster, Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed and Maimonides.

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     This is a far more common concept than is perhaps realized by us. As an illustration, when America's "Town Meeting of the Air," seven weeks ago (Feb. 19, 1942) discussed "The Brotherhood of Man-Fact or Fiction" neither of the two brilliant scholars who introduced the question seemed to feel that religion had anything to do with it. A woman present, presumably a Catholic, asked the following question: "Dr. Smith, can we have a brotherhood of man without the recognition of the Fatherhood and Motherhood of God?" Dr. Smith replied: "Well, I'll let each one of you answer that for himself. I, for one, suppose that the notion of the Fatherhood of God is derived from the brotherhood of man, not vice versa. But each to his own opinion."
     It would be easy to show, however, that always in times of great human crises, especially during and after great wars, both pessimists and optimists have tended to connect the restoration of sane, brotherly relations amongst men and nations with religion. For example, two years after the last world war, no less a supposed agnostic than H. G. Wells wrote in his greatest book, The Outline of History,* as follows:-

     "Out of the trouble and tragedy of this present time there may emerge a moral and intellectual revival, a religious revival, of a simplicity and scope to draw together men of alien races and now discrete traditions into one common and sustained way of living for the world's service. We cannot foretell the scope and power of such a revival; we cannot even produce evidence of its onset. The beginnings of such things are never conspicuous. Great movements of the racial soul come at first 'like a thief in the night,' and then suddenly are discovered to be powerful and world-wide. Religious emotion-stripped of corruptions and freed from its last priestly entanglements-may presently blow through life again like a great wind, bursting the doors and flinging open the shutters of the individual life, and making many things possible and easy that in these present days of exhaustion seem almost too difficult to desire. . . .
     * Cassell & Co., London, Eng., 1920 edition.
     "The divorce of religious teaching from organized education is necessarily a temporary one, a transitory dislocation. Presently education must become again in intention and spirit religious. The impulse to devotion, to universal service and to a complete escape from self, which has been the common underlying force in all the great religions of the last five and twenty centuries, an impulse which ebbed so perceptibly during the prosperity, laxity, disillusionment and skepticism of the past seventy or eighty years, will reappear again, stripped and plain, as the recognized fundamental structural impulse in human society." (Pp. 602-3.)

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     This is a historian's frank admission that there is a greater historic force in the desires of men's wills to conjoin themselves in service to their fellow men and to a God than in any reformatory plans born in the realm of science alone. Of course, his prophecy has not yet in any sense come true. Only four years afterwards a gifted thinker wrote in the NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW:

     "Among the contrasts between the time of the World War and the time of the unpeaceful peace which has followed it, scarcely any is more marked or. . . more ominous, than the decline of spirituality. During the War there was universal recognition, in this country and among the Allies, of a vast accession of faith, of spiritual exaltation, of religious devotion in the noblest interpretation of the term. Today, that tide is at full ebb. Never before in present memory was this nation more deeply immersed in crass materialism than in the year just ended. That Vision, without which the people perish, has been supplanted. . . . Even those who might be supposed to cherish reverence and to exhort mankind to follow the Gleam seem too often to have joined the rout. . . When such things prevail, it seems scarcely censorious to cite the inquiry, 'When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?'" (Willis Fletcher Johnson, January, 1924, p. 136.)

     From whence comes then this strange impulse to re-unite men in some kind of brotherhood-in willing service in a higher type of human society-some union that will be the very antithesis of the brittle, short-lived dominations of tyrants? It is a historic ever recurring impulse that seems deathless and unquenchable. Whatever it is, it survives the wreck of all treaties, all unions, all Leagues. And yet it seems ever to be defeated-always a gleam of human hope seeking fulfilment in a Divine end. Let us read from the Arcana where the Divinely human society and the merely natural society are placed in antithesis:

     ". . . A people is said to be 'one, and their lip one,' when all have for an end the common good of society, the common good of the church, and the kingdom of the Lord; for thus the Lord is in the end, from whom all are a one. But with him who has for an end his own good, the Lord can never be present. What man regards as his own estranges him from the Lord; for it so bends and turns the common good of society, and that of the church itself, yea. of the kingdom of the Lord, to himself, that it is as if it existed for him. It thus takes from the Lord what is His, and puts itself in His place. . . This does not so manifestly appear in the life of the body as in the other life. That which rules in him manifests itself there by a certain sphere which is perceived by all around him. . . . The sphere of him who has regard to himself in everything . . . absorbs everything that is of advantage to him, thus all the enjoyment of the spirits around him, and destroys all freedom among them. . . .

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But when a people is one, that is, when the common good of all is regarded, one does not appropriate to himself another's enjoyment and destroy another's freedom, but so far as he can he promotes and increases it. Hence the heavenly societies are as a one, and this solely through mutual love from the Lord. And so it is in the Church." (A. C. 1316.)
     Again: "That the love of self is diametrically opposed to mutual love, and thus is destructive of heavenly order itself, may be evident from evil spirits and genii in the other life; and also from the hells, in which nothing but the love of self reigns. . . . Mutual love with those in heaven consists in loving the neighbor more than themselves. Hence the whole heaven represents as it were one man; for all are so consociated by mutual love from the Lord, and thus the blessings of all are communicated to each one, and those of each one to all. Consequently, the heavenly form is such that every one is as it were a certain center, thus a center of communications, and accordingly of felicities, from all; and this in accordance with all the differences of mutual love, which are innumerable. And because those who are in that love perceive the highest happiness in being able to communicate with others that which flows in unto them, and this from the heart, hence the communication becomes perpetual and eternal; and on this account, as the Lord's kingdom increases, so the happiness of each one increases. The angels, because they are in distinct societies and dwellings, do not think of this, but the Lord thus disposes all things and every particular. Such is the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens. Nothing else endeavors to destroy this form and this order but the love of sell; . . . for the love of self communicates nothing to others, but extinguishes and suffocates their enjoyments and happiness. Whatever enjoyment flows in unto them from others, they take it to themselves, concentrate it in themselves, turn it into the filthiness of self, prevent its going any further, and thus destroy all that tends to unanimity and consociation. From this comes disunion, and consequently destruction. And because every one of them wishes to be served, courted, and adored by others, and loves no one but himself, hence comes dissociation, which results and displays itself in lamentable states, so that they perceive nothing more enjoyable than to torture others, in direful modes and by fantasies, from hatred, revenge and cruelty." (A. C. 2057.)

      In these passages you will perceive the truth, not only about "individualism," both true and false, and about "socialization," genuine and otherwise, but it will be clear that, when the Divine influx flows into all things of the individual natural man, and into all the co-operate uses of societies of natural men, both evil and good uses must needs arise, and this of Divine mercy. Between the forces of spiritual and natural society, therefore, there is perpetual struggle; and only those types of use survive-types adapted, each to its new environment-which are capable of performing ministries of mercy for the human race.

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In this sense, the life of humanity is a series of continual adjustments of external to internal relations which adjustments involve that each part of the organism must adapt itself to those interior planes which press upon it during its formative stages, and by which it is able to organize itself. If it does not so serve, it gradually recedes, and in time it is unable to survive in a higher type of humanity,-which is the mission of all remains.
     It is the will of the Lord that the whole social organism of man shall ultimately build or organize itself, as of itself, in His image,-the image of the Divine Human. In such a State, the laws of civil life and the laws of moral life, as set forth in the fourth to the tenth commandments, will actually make the body of the Church as well as of the State, if man, by living according to them, will thus conjoin himself with the Lord. (A. E. 1027.) These are the laws, we are taught, which regard the neighbor (T. 55); and they are the only enduring basis for a genuine brotherhood amongst men; nay, they are the only genuine containant for a lasting world-order.
     If these laws are obeyed in spirit and in life, whatever the order and form of civil government, whether of tribe, city, duchy, republic, kingdom, or even empire, there can be what is of true justice and judgment in its laws of justice, its political laws, and even in its economical laws. (T. 55.) And all this because such a life-lived in such a spirit from genuine love to the neighbor-is derived from the laws of spiritual life, as set forth in the first three commandments,-which laws regard the Lord as the head of the Church, and by means of which He conjoins Himself with man.
     And if these three laws are also obeyed in spirit and in life, through the order and form of ecclesiastical government, there is spiritual communion between angels and men. It is in this sense we may say that, in a genuine order of human society, spiritual use is actually prior to and makes the structure of civil and moral uses; and thus at last, in the struggle for the existence of a spiritual life in a higher type of human society, the spiritually fit are destined to survive on earth as well as in heaven.
     Certain things in the history of humanity are very clear to a New Churchman. That the effects of the uses, both good and evil, performed in the struggle of life are incarnated in the structural parts of the social organism, and may therefore be transmitted from one era to another, is obvious.

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It is also plain that there is a constant striving by Providence within the uses of man to cast off what is hereditarily evil from the human past, in order that the Divine Human may appear to the spiritual sight of man.
     In other words, the law of Divine reflux, by which all things of the human seek to reascend to the Divine through the things of nature, may also he seen in the evolution of man's civil and moral uses. Thus the Divine influx presses in immediate contiguity-knocks at the door, as it were-not only upon man s outermost body and through the ultimates of nature,-but we may now see intellectually that in each renaissance, reformation, revolution or bloody war throughout man's history, the movements of this Divine conatus have convulsed the very body of humanity,-ever changing its conditions, restraining its insanities, and healing its natural diseases,-to the end that the mind of man may be kept ever in freedom, and the way from man to God be kept open.
     The greatest fact in the whole of history is the love of God for the human race. He came into this world out of love for human beings. He has come again a second time out of love for human beings. Today, in this horrible nightmare of war, when multitudes of men seem as beasts devoid of external and internal bonds, His love is unceasingly at work for human beings. For He is the God of the German as well as of the English. He is the God of the American and also of the Japanese. His love is toward all His children, of whatever race, or color, or belief or condition. He will deal with all His children according to His mercy, which passes all understanding.
     We must teach hatred against evil and resistance to what is false. We must be loyal to the duties which Providence puts before us. But we must not hate human beings.
     It is said in the Writings that the human race is the neighbor in the widest sense. (C. 87.) This is because the life of love towards the universal human race is life from the Lord. (A. C. 6467.) And "in this love the Lord is present." (A. C. 6495.)
     Let us order our thoughts and lives in this difficult time in a larger view of what is taking place, and not lose ourselves in the natural anxieties and perplexities of what is happening to our world today, or may happen to it tomorrow.

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Let us try to understand enough of the doings of Divine Providence that we may better perform our duties to men.
     Our doctrine of the state of the Christian world is no ivory tower into which we should retreat in the spirit of condemnation for all who do not live within its walls. It is no warranty for a bigoted and suspicious form of escapism. It is given to us as a revelation about ourselves and about our own times, and how uses may be rationally performed in a world that hangs in equilibrium between heaven and hell. It reveals to us the work of Divine Providence in providing for the conjunction of good and truth in others through relation and purification, and how even the evil in the worst miseries of their state may, in the Divine mercy, perform uses to others and to themselves.
     This doctrine has never had so tremendous a confirmation, nor so clear an opportunity for presentation, as is now afforded in this present war. It is the duty of each generation to examine in its light the ferments of its own day; for this is not only necessary for rational citizenship in the world, but it is part of the work of the Church in extricating, not only ourselves, but also our children, from the leading spheres of thought and affection which unhappily prevail in the Christian world. And to see the truth as to the current states of falsity and evil in the fields of religion, philosophy, morals, civil use, and all other aspects of life, is a work that must be done. It is not enough to give a formal intellectual assent to the doctrine of the state of the Christian world as an article of creed or a mere statement of dogma. As the Writings say: "The Lord cannot flow into anyone who deprives himself of everything into which power can be infused. It is as if one were not willing to learn anything without a revelation to himself." (A. C. 1712.)
     It is perhaps well, just now, to ponder over the internal sense of these verses in Matthew 25: 31-40:
     "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

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     "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
     "Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?
     "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
RETURNING TO FIRST PRINCIPLES 1942

RETURNING TO FIRST PRINCIPLES       ARTHUR SYNNESTVEDT       1942

     Academy Commencement Address, 1942.

     Like all the host of earnest commencement speakers who have preceded me, I find myself struggling to find that new approach, that fresh appeal, which shall challenge your attention and enkindle high resolves. Yet it is not always the novel or the startling that meets with the greatest success. Indeed, the plodding and faithful adherence to well-tried and time-tested procedures-the earnest and patient return to fundamentals or first principles-is often more liable to be rewarded with firm and lasting progress than is the more brilliant, novel and spectacular advance. Indeed, the very return should give the freshness that we seek. Just think for a moment of the annual return of Spring, the season which is just drawing to a close. What is more refreshing than the annual marvel of Spring, no matter how oft repeated? And if, each year, a garden is well tended and cultivated, well stocked with new flowers, shrubs and trees, and well guarded from the cold of Winter, how much richer and more beautiful is each recurring Spring-how much more fragrant, fresh and delightful its appeal-how much more fruitful the promise of the coming Fall!

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     So it is, or can be, with the gardens of your minds. It has been the purpose of the Academy to sow in these gardens the seeds of the most important and fundamental truths that the Lord has ever given to mankind, and I am confident that their growth has well begun. My plea, therefore, is to return to them as your guide in all the years to come, and through all the joys, the trials and problems, which those years are sure to bring.
     Obviously, I cannot enumerate or even attempt to summarize those principles-that is not the function of a Commencement Day address. They have been patiently and painstakingly unfolded to you during the years that you have been here at school, and all that I can do is no more, certainly, than has been done by many a previous speaker on past Commencement Days, namely, briefly to touch upon some major point or points, in the hope that I may be of help in enkindling high resolve and strength of purpose.
     For instance, last year, if you were here and, more important, if you listened, you heard Mr. Merrell's timely presentation of the nature of true freedom, that it consists in the right to do good voluntarily, to restrain one's self rather than to be restrained, and that, in the degree to which an individual preserves order in his own life, to that degree can he enjoy true freedom.
     And in 1940, if you were here, and, again, if you listened, you heard Mr. Davis' excellent discussion of responsibility, how widely the quality is sought after, and some of the ways in which the New Churchman should assume responsibility.
     And three years ago, in 1939, if you were here and, once more, if you listened, you heard Mr. Kintner's most useful analysis of some of the "remains" which a student takes with him from the Academy-namely, a knowledge of the Lord, of His creation, of marriage, of a life of use, and of the life to come.
     Some of you in the graduating class may not have been fortunate enough to be here for four years, and, therefore, may have missed one or more of those addresses to which I have just referred. But, assuming that most of you were here, I might add to my "if you listened" and "if you have remembered," and, should the answer be in the affirmative, I could right here and now fold up my paper and win your lasting affection by closing with the words: "Those are my sentiments too."

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     But you are not to be so fortunate; for I am sure you haven't remembered, even if you listened, because I didn't remember either, although I distinctly recall the sense of pleasure which those addresses brought to me, and the silent wish that I could do as well. However, for the moment I have the advantage of you, because I spent some time in looking up those addresses in the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE. I returned to them, and refreshed my recollection with profit and delight, and, frankly, with the hope that I might find in them some guide or help to start me on the planning of my own address.
     And this brings me back to the major thought, already touched upon, which I wish to leave with you today. To be sure, it is not new with me, but it is fundamental, and therefore bears much repetition. Look forward by ever returning to those first principles which you take with you from our own Academy! In the flush of worldly success or the gloom of misfortune and apparent frustration, turn back constantly to renew your faith in the teachings of the Writings, to which teachings the doors have been but barely opened while you were here in school. Learn to measure every act and secret thought by the yardstick of those principles. This, at times, may seem a difficult and remote thing to do, especially in the struggle for a living, and many a conflict will arise between those principles and your personal desires. If so, try always to sacrifice the merely personal desire-not the principle.
     But what do we mean by returning to first principles, and how and when should we do so? Just a few examples will best illustrate what I have in mind.
     What is more fundamental than the truth that we should love the Lord above all things and the neighbor as one's self? And yet, there will be many times in the lives of each one of us when this may be forgotten; when the loves of self and the world will crowd it hard, and conflict will arise-conflict between this principle and some merely personal desire. When such conflicts come, remember that we implement the love of the Lord by a life of usefulness to the neighbor. So return and hold fast to that principle, and strive to make whatever decision may be at hand in the light of that eternal truth.

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Ask yourself whether or not the desire or the course of action you are contemplating is being viewed with the idea of furthering your usefulness to your fellow beings, and helping them better to perform their own particular use and attain a life of greater happiness. Then make your decision accordingly, and in so doing you will be ultimating your love of the Lord and of the neighbor in the only way that counts.
     And this example leads logically to another. In performing your use, most of you, at least, will have to take into consideration the ever pressing and ever urgent matter of earning a living, and of making the money necessary for this purpose; and the amount of money you can get for your work will often seem of more paramount importance than the use itself. In this struggle, which is often very hard, try not to be led astray into looking merely at the money angle of the problem. In your efforts to provide a living, and at least some simple pleasures for those who may be dependent upon you, be careful not to embrace the love of wealth as a substitute for use. And, as the Writings so carefully point out, this does not mean that one should never strive for better position and greater income, for this is entirely proper and much to be commended when its end is to serve more fully and completely the uses to which you have been called.
     Another principle which is fundamental to steady growth as a New Churchman is that which tells us to avail ourselves of all the means of instruction which the Lord has provided for the building of His Church. Now what is the Church, and where is it to be found? From the Writings we know that no man is genuinely in the Church unless the Church is in him. Mere membership in an external organization is not enough. Only a true internal love as manifested in a life of use will suffice. But the Lord uses many means to lead men to this internal love, and I feel sure that there is no one here who does not hope and firmly believe that our General Church organization and its various local society organizations, as well as our Academy, which actually is the foremost educational arm of the Church, constitute the most important means which Providence has seen fit to give us for this purpose. Attendance at church, therefore, and the support of the work of the Church and of the Academy, by personal as well as by financial effort, are your precious privileges, as well as your major responsibilities.

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Wherever and whenever possible, therefore, and to the full extent of your capabilities, take an active part in the work which these external organizations are doing, for in this way you will best be helping the performance of the internal or spiritual uses to which they have been dedicated.
     Yet, no matter how firmly we may feel that this principle has been implanted in our minds, many a conflict will arise as between attendance at church or support of its uses and some purely personal activity or desire. If, for example, you find yourself frequently planning or doing other things instead of attending church, stop and think-return to the principle which you know to be true, and try to find out whether or not the other activity is furthering the growth of the church in your mind and heart. If so, then you are perfectly justified in missing church occasionally, but, if not, then forego satisfying the purely personal desire, and seek illumination and inspiration by turning to the Lord in attendance at church.
     The mention of attendance at church bespeaks just a word about the importance of association, whenever feasible, with other New Church men and women. We cannot attend services or doctrinal classes in places where there are no other, or too few, fellow New Churchmen, and some of you undoubtedly will be called to posts of duty where there will be no services or classes. This need not be necessarily a handicap-it may even be a blessing, for it is likely to stimulate more diligent individual effort than is required of those who are associated in established New Church centers. However, association and cooperation with other New Churchmen is a very real need for most of us, since there are but few of us who are strong enough to develop true New Churchmanship entirely without contact with other New Churchmen. Remember the principle, is all I want to say, and, whenever possible, avail yourselves of all opportunities to meet and work with others of our faith.
     Much the same comments can be applied in considering the principle that we should regularly read and meditate upon the Word of the Lord. You know and believe firmly that this is right, and I'm sure that you have pledged yourself to do just that. No one can attend our Academy without having the importance of reading the Writings thoroughly impressed upon his mind. You will, no doubt, even feel strongly a certain weariness with my repetition of this truth.

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Yet, many, many times in the days and years to come that duty will be neglected. No matter how you hope and plan to set aside some regular time for turning to that glorious Revelation to which the Lord has led us, still you will find that the things of this world press in upon you and swallow up the fleeting moments which cant at best, be given to this use. What we must do is to keep alive the desire to read-always to remember the principle and to return to it; and then gradually, as we persist, the occasions when we turn to the Writings will steadily increase in number, our love for them will grow, and our lives will more and more be molded by their truth.
     And now, just one more example, if you will bear with me a few moments longer.
     The Lord's Providence is leading you to new duties and to new responsibilities, and, as you leave here, none of you can say with any certainty just what you may be doing, even in the very near future. This is always true in the best of times, but in times of war uncertainty is insistent-it seems to press upon our consciousness, and steals away repose. We are worried and concerned-the days ahead look long and black, and we wonder if we'll ever be able to follow the plans we've made-to lead the lives we've hoped to live. A moment's reflection, however, will show that what we are doing is to violate the principle of trusting in the Providence of the Lord and being content with its dispensations. We know full well that this Providence is constantly leading us in all things, even the most minute; that everything that happens to us is in some way connected with the best interests of our lives to eternity. The Lord, the Writings tell us, foresees our every act and choice, and His Providence, in all that it does, regards the infinite and eternal, and temporal things only in so far as they accord with the eternal.
     Remember this truth when worries creep in, and especially during these troublous days of war. Since the Lord's Providence regards the infinite and the eternal, let us realize that in some way He will make use of this war to further the building of His Church with men. Just how, we are not permitted to know, but we may be sure that His work is right.
     And in trusting the Providence of the Lord, strive also to be content; not passively and lazily content; not selfishly and meritoriously content-in a word, not complacently content, but, rather, militantly and aggressively content, striving ever to bring to greater usefulness the truths for which we stand, but without rebellion in your hearts if the leading of the Lord does not always serve your plans. In short, try always to enter willingly and fully into the stream of the Lord's Divine Providence.

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     Now, in closing, may I say that, when measured by the distance which most of us have to travel, we of the older generation are not so many steps ahead of you. So think of us as working with you in a constant effort to cooperate with the Lord in the building of His Church. We may have just a bit more experience, and, it is to be hoped, as a consequence, just a bit more wisdom; and one thing that you can do-one thing that we as parents and teachers all hope that you will do-is occasionally, at least, to seek our advice, remembering that we love you, and that we want and crave the chance to be of help, if we possibly can.
     I should like to say also that the very writing of this speech-the return to first principles made necessary by the task-has refreshed and confirmed my love of all that is represented by our own Academy. It has brought a keener realization and appreciation of the truths with which we have been blessed, and I want to thank the Bishop for the opportunity to speak to you today, as well as to thank all of you for so patiently listening to another commencement address.
ANIMALS NOT GOVERNED BY SPIRITS 1942

ANIMALS NOT GOVERNED BY SPIRITS              1942

     Extract from 'The Word Explained,' Vol. IV.

     3681. . . . Animals and wild beasts cannot be ruled by evil spirits as men can, because they do not enjoy a rational mind which the spirits can excite. In man it is the rational mind from which the man is ruled. As this mind is acted on, so also is the man. Hence man can be driven by evil spirits into insanities and their direful effects, and also into phantasies; but not so an animal or wild beast unless it be a disease of the body. Beasts, therefore, are safe from the assault of spirits; for the latter are able to excite man according to his memory and the imagination drawn forth therefrom which moves the thought of the rational mind; but with beasts there is no such memory, they being actuated by an instinct which flows from their soul.

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The soul of beasts is not moved into various states except in accordance with the objects of their senses and the state of their blood; for all their science descends from their soul, and since this is not formed as the rational mind is formed in man, they cannot be driven into insanities. This, however, cannot readily come under the understanding so long as the common people, so called by the learned world, live in dense ignorance concerning the soul and its essences, and indeed in such ignorance that they know not whether there is a soul properly so called, and whether it is a substance, and that the human soul is supracelestial, and thus eminent above the souls of brutes.
     The above passage may be compared with the statements on the same subject in the later Theological Works.
     In the Spiritual Diary, nos. 2376-2378, we find the following statements on the subject:
     "That Societies have their Spirits with Men-Societies of spirits sent spirits to me, or selected for themselves spirits to be near me, whom I have before called 'subjects'; for through them they know what is thought and what is spoken. Wherefore they sent their spirits to me a number of times, for the sake of communication, which otherwise would be taken away. . . . Hence it was given me to conclude that there is no man with whom there are not such spirits for without them there would be no communication with the world of spirits.
     "As respects brute animals, it is different, for they live according to the order of their nature, nor have they need for any spirit to be with them."
     And in Heaven and Hell we read: "That man is governed through spirits from the Lord, is because he is not in the order of heaven; for he is born into the evils which are of hell, thus altogether contrary to Divine order. Wherefore he must be brought back into order, and he cannot be brought back except mediately through spirits. It would be otherwise if man were born into the good which is according to the order of heaven; then he would not be governed by the Lord through spirits, but through order itself, thus by general influx. . . . Animals are governed by a general influx from the spiritual world, because they are in the order of their life; nor have they been able to pervert and destroy it, because they have not the rational. What the discrimination between men and beasts is, may be seen above, no. 39." (H. H. 296; see A. C. 3646, 5850, 5993.)

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SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS 1942

SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS       Editor       1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE

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     BALAAM'S ASS SEEING THE ANGEL.

     "By what mode did Balaam's ass see the angel of the Lord? Certainly not by an opening of its spiritual sight! Was the appearing of the angel by 'illation,' or by some other mode?"
     This question has been referred to us for consideration, and we offer some suggestions looking toward a solution of the problem involved. So far as we are aware, the answer to this particular question is not categorically given in the Writings, although the spiritual sense of the Balaam story is fully set forth. (A. E. 140; A. R. 114.) Nor is this question answered in The Word Explained, where also the meaning of the Scripture account is given. (Latin, Vol. IV: 7528-7551.) In both places we are told how the ass spoke to Balaam, but not how she saw the angel of the Lord. Yet this opens a legitimate field of inquiry for the rational mind; for the Writings, in setting forth the spiritual sense of Scripture texts, frequently disclose the modus operandi also; as, for example, in the case of the miracle of the sun's standing still in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Aijalon. (Joshua 10: 12, 13.)

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Of this we are told: "If this miracle had taken place in just this way, it would have inverted the whole nature of the world, which is not the case with the other miracles in the Word. . . . And yet without doubt there was given to them a light out of heaven,-a light as of the sun in Gibeon, and a light as of the moon in Aijalon." (A. E. 401:18.)
     As no specific answer is given to the question as to how Balaam's ass saw the angel, we must have recourse to general teachings that bear upon the problem, and especially to what is made known to us concerning animal mentality, as it may be called.
     For the convenience of the reader we quote the Scripture account of the incident:
     And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And Gods anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.
     Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand. And the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
     And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again. And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled,, and he smote the ass with a staff.
     And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
     Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head, and fell upon his face. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me; and the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times. Unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
     And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.

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So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. (Numbers 22: 21-35.)

     As to the general meaning of the Balaam story in the light of the Doctrines, we may here briefly recall that Balaam was an evil man a hypocrite, and the ass upon which he rode represented the understanding of truth with an evil man, which understanding is not accepted in heaven, because of the evil within it, for which reason the angel of the Lord opposed the ass.
     Balaam was a sorcerer-a diviner or wizard-and had communication with spirits (S. D. 2534), as was common in the Ancient Church, and survived with these "sons of the east" in Israelitish times. Reputed to enjoy the prophetic gift, with its power to bless and curse, which he sold for gain, he was called by Balak, King of Moab, to curse the Israelites, but instead was compelled by a Divine intervention, and against his will, to bless them. Later he exercised his real will by teaching Balak how to bring about the destruction of the Israelites through the worship of Baal-Peor.

     How was the Angel seen by the Ass?

     Our correspondent is undoubtedly correct in dismissing the idea that the angel was seen by the opening of spiritual sight with the ass, since no animal is capable of spiritual sight, lacking the mind (mens) which with man can be opened to see angels, spirits, and the objective things of the spiritual world. As we know, the animal "mind" is the animus, which determines all the senses of the body to the earth, and possesses no faculty of elevation above the world of nature. "Brute animals are such that they cannot otherwise than look downwards, thus only to terrestrial things." (A. C. 3646.) "Because animals cannot think, they cannot elevate their minds towards heaven, still less have faith in the Lord, and because they are destitute of that faculty, they cannot live after death." (S. D. 2769; D. L. W. 255.)
     As to the suggestion that the angel appeared to the ass by "illation," we presume this would be effected by an embodiment of the angel in a material, physical form, visible and tangible, since this term "illation" is used to describe the mode whereby the miracles of the loaves and fishes, and of the manna, were performed. (Invitation 60; see P. T. W. I, p. 152.)

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But if it had been effected in this way, by an actual bodily appearing before the eyes of the animal, the angel would have been seen by Balaam also, which was not the case until later when "the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way." The same would apply if we were to suppose that the angel had taken on a physical embodiment like that of the angel with whom Jacob wrestled, as described in The Word Explained, II: 1457.
     This brings us to a third alternative. From the fact that the ass could see the angel, but Balaam could not do so until "the Lord opened his eyes," we may suppose that the form of the angel was induced upon the sight of the animal from within, that is. upon the imagination, and thence upon the eyes, having the same effect as if it entered the eyes from without. For the animal enjoys the faculty of imagination, which normally is wholly dependent upon its love or cupidity, these two faculties making its animus or mind, upon which forms may also be impressed through the senses (D. P. 96:4; T. C. R. 335:6), or may be induced by influx from the spiritual world under special circumstances, as in the case of Balaam's ass, when it was done for the sake of Divine Revelation. For we are told that the speaking of the ass "was actually so done with Balaam, to the end that the historical event might be described in the Word for the sake of the internal sense in every particular of it." (A. E. 140:5.) The same might well apply to the seeing of the angel by the ass.
     While it is revealed that animals live by an influx into their souls from heaven, in the nature of a "universal conatus" (S. D. 2770), and "are ruled by the general life flowing forth from the activities of spirits and angels, and influx thence" (S. D. 167), thus from the spheres of spirits, good and evil, to which they correspond, still animals normally have not spirits present with them as man has. (S. D. 2378.) Yet they have a plane in which spirits can operate, as is evident from the Gospel account of the swine into which the demons were sent, of which we read: "And all the devils besought Him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out [of the man] and entered into the swine." (Mark 5: 12, 13.)

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This, too, was done by the Lord for the sake of the Word, and because the swine corresponded to the evil of avarice in which the unclean spirits were. (A. E. 6596.)
     With regard to the faculty of imagination with animals, we are told that "man has a certain natural mind which is almost the same as the animus of brutes, and to it belong cupidities, phantasies, imagination, to which are attributed material ideas." (S. D. 1827.) Below the rational mind with man "there is another faculty which is to be called the 'lower mind,' which man has in common with brute animals. To this is attributed imagination, and its ideas are called material." (Word Explained 643; see also 916, 918, 919, 988.) "Animals possess imagination, but not thought; their nature being distinguished in this respect from human nature." (E. A. K. Vol. II: nos. 279, 346.) "In place of thought they have an internal sight which makes one with their external sight by correspondence." (D. P. 74.)
     The animal love, affection, cupidity has within it the science of all things proper to its life (A. C. 6323, etc.), and from this cupidity it sees in imagination the objects of its love, which are all material and terrestrial. Thus the bird must see in imagination the nest which it is about to construct, as well as the eggs and the young which it is about to bring forth. May we not suppose that the dog's love for his master carries with it an image of the master from which he is recognized at sight, as well as by smell, the sound of his voice, and other means? Animals know persons and places, friends and enemies, by sight, and the images of these must remain in the animal memory, and be seen in imagination when not present to the sight. All of this operates instinctively with an animal, without any such conscious reflection as man, possessed of a rational mind, enjoys.
     If, then, the personal image of a man may thus be impressed upon the imagination of an animal, may we not conceive that an image of a spirit or angel can be induced upon its imagination, and thence upon its sight, by a special influx from the spiritual world? In the case of Balaam's ass, this would be effected by a Divine influx through heaven for the sake of the Word. For this is implied in the exposition of the spiritual sense of the story, which we shall now briefly cite:

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     "The arcanum respecting the she-ass upon which Balaam rode, which three times turned out of the way from the angel seen with a drawn sword, and its speaking to Balaam, I will here explain in a few words. When Balaam rode upon the ass, he continually meditated enchantments against the Children of Israel; the riches with which he should be honored were in his mind. . . In heart he was a soothsayer, and when he thought from himself, he thought of nothing else. By the 'she-ass' upon which he rode is signified, in the spiritual sense of the Word, the enlightened intellectual; wherefore to ride upon an ass or a mule was the distinction of the chief judge or the king. The angel with the drawn sword signifies the Divine Truth enlightening and fighting against falsity. Hence by the fact that the 'ass turned three times out of the way' is signified that the enlightened intellectual did not agree with the thought of the soothsayer, which is also meant by what the angel said to Balaam, 'Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is evil before me.' (v. 32.)
     "It was heard by Balaam as if the ass spoke to him; but still she did not speak, but the speech was heard as if from her. That this is so, has often been shown me by living experience. It has been granted me to hear horses as it were speaking, when yet it was not from them, but as if from them. It was actually so done with Balaam, to the end that the historical event might be described in the Word for the sake of the internal sense in every particular of it, in which is described how the Lord protects those who are in truths and goods, that they may not be harmed by those who speak as if from illustration, and yet have the animus and intention to seduce." (A. E. 140:4, 5; see S. D. 2354.)

     The Ass Speaking.

     A more detailed description of the mode by which animals may be heard to speak is given in The Word Explained where the Balaam story is treated:
     As further regards the ass speaking, see the things that follow. Here, as a premise, let us merely say that an ass can never speak, for this is contrary to all Divine order. But this is how it is done.
     The man with whom angels speak, and indeed internally, he, when it is well pleasing to God Messiah, can hear no otherwise than that a beast or an inanimate object speaks. For the sound which the beast or inanimate object gives forth has with it the words which are inwardly dictated to the man. This, by the Divine mercy of God Messiah, has occasionally been made known to me by the testimony of living experience. I have heard the very hoofs of a horse, his neighing, yea, the blows of hammers, as if speaking the very words which were said inwardly in me, so that I could not at all perceive otherwise.
     Concerning this matter I conversed with the angels who were around me, and it was then shown to me that such was the speech of the ass that spoke with Balsam. It was as if the words adhered to the sound, so that they could not be separated by the hearing.

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Yea, I thought that the words would likewise be heard by those who were standing near, because the sound that carried the words into the ears was external. We do not read here that Balaam knew this; still it is not said that he marveled that the ass spoke to him, for he answered her as he would a man; from which we may conclude that to him such things were also in familiar use. (W. E. Latin IV: 7534-7535. See also S. D. 1770.)

     A consideration of the subject before us brings to view a law that operates in the communication of angels and spirits with men-that which comes from within may seem to come from without.
     With respect to communication by speech to the hearing we have the familiar example in the Word where Samuel, to whom the Lord was speaking inwardly, thought that Eli called him. (I Samuel 3: 1-10. See also Acts 2: 8.) And this phenomenon is explained in the Doctrine: "The speech of an angel or spirit with man is heard as sonorously as the speech of man with man, but it is not heard by others who are present, but only by the man himself, because the speech of an angel or spirit inflows first into the man's thought, and by an internal way into his organ of hearing, and thus moves it from within; whereas the speech of man with man inflows first into the air, and by an external way into the organ of hearing, and moves it from without. Hence it is evident that the speech of an angel or spirit with man is heard in the man; and because it equally moves the organ of hearing, it is also equally sonorous." (H. H. 248.)
     Reverting to the original question, and our effort to throw light upon the problem of the ass seeing the angel, we suggest that this same law may apply to the organ of sight,-that the ass saw the angel before it, though the form of the angel was communicated to her eyes from within.

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SOUTHWARD BOUND 1942

SOUTHWARD BOUND       BJORN A. H. BOYESEN       1942

     Reports

     A Pastoral Visit.

     From May 17 to June 15 I made my first trip as Visiting Pastor to the Southern States, succeeding in this work the Revs. Norman H. Reuter and Victor J. Gladish, whose ministrations in the South are everywhere remembered with pleasure. Unfortunately this first trip had to be shorter than desirable, thus cutting down the time for my stay at each place, and making it impossible, this time, to visit some places which belong to this field. It is hoped, however, that this condition may be remedied in the future.
     Nevertheless, in the course of this trip I ministered to 40 adults, most of whom are members of the General Church, and to 35 young people and children. I conducted 9 services of Divine Worship and 11 doctrinal classes for adults, 3 young people's classes (2 for one young man), 6 services and 4 formal classes for children, and family worship 3 times. There were 9 administrations of the Sacrament of the Holy Supper, 3 Baptisms (1 adult), and 1 Confession of Faith. That there were so few classes for children was due to the fact that almost everywhere the children keep the minister so busy telling stories from the Word and showing pictures that his whole stay becomes an almost continuous children's class. It would have been artificial to arrange for special classes, the formal uses of which were in this case better served by services and family worship.
     On Sunday evening, May 17, after the close of the Philadelphia District
Assembly, I left Bryn Athyn for CHARLESTON, W. VA., and arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Williamson and their four children on Monday morning, May 18. They have a lovely pre-constructed house situated high on a mountain, commanding a fine view. The two older girls, Nancy and Dorothea, who are eight and five years of age, were very anxious for stories and pictures. We spent a large part of the afternoon in this way, except for an hour or two which I spent with Walter. age 13, when he came home from school. He was a pupil in our school in Pittsburgh when I was there in 1940. Little Wilma, who is only two, will have to wait for a couple of years for her instruction. After dinner and a drive around the city, which, incidentally, is beautifully situated below mountains on the Kanawah River, we had a children's service. Thereafter the little girls were ready for more stories and pictures, but were somewhat disappointed, I fear, when told it was already long past their bedtime. The rest of the evening was taken up with most interesting conversation on doctrinal subjects with Mr. and Mrs. Williamson and Walter. This was the first time, I believe, that their home had been visited by a minister. I certainly enjoyed their friendly hospitality, and was sorry that I had to leave the next morning; but I look forward to another visit in the near future.
     In the afternoon of Tuesday, May 19, I arrived in WYOMING, OHIO, for a visit with the Wyoming Circle, whose members I knew from a few months' stay with them in 1939.

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This group is now on the itinerary of the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, but as I was going through Cincinnati on my way to Birmingham, Ala., and had been asked by Mr. Reuter to stop over, if possible, for a day or two in Wyoming, I could not resist the temptation to renew old friendships and bring some extra-curricular ministrations to the people there. I was hospitably entertained at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Smith, and on Tuesday evening, after a delicious dinner served by Mrs. Smith to the adults and near adults, we had a doctrinal class. Wednesday afternoon was taken up with a class for young people and a children's service, and the evening provided an opportunity for a continuation of the doctrinal class of the night before. After another children's class on Thursday afternoon, I left Wyoming that evening, comforted by the thought that it will remain conveniently "on the way" to the South.
     On the morning of Friday, May 22, I arrived in BIRMINGHAM, ALA., where I stayed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Echols, Sr. Unfortunately there were members of our group there whom I did not meet. Mr. Lewis Kendig was away on business, and Mr. Ferrell Storey, whom, I believe, is now in military service, was also absent. Mrs. W. A. Posey, who formerly lived in Birmingham, is now with Mr. and Mrs. Hansell R. Wade in Brunswick, Ga., and I met her there. At the time of my visit, however, Mr. Russell Echols from California, with his wife and little son, were visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Echols, Sr. During my stay in Birmingham I had two classes and several conversations with Magill Echols, 15, who is the youngest son of the senior Echols. He hopes to go to the Academy next year. There were also several formal and informal classes with the children of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Echols, Jr. There are four boys of 11, 10, 8, and 4, and two girls, one of 6, and one only a few months old. These children, too, seem never to get enough of the things of the Word, and are a pleasure to teach. I also conducted one children's service, at which the baby daughter of the junior Echols was baptized, two doctrinal classes, and one service with the administration of the Holy Supper. I left on Monday morning. May 25, hoping that I might soon he back for a longer stay.
     My next visit was in ATLANTA, GA., where I remained from Monday afternoon until Thursday evening, May 28. There is quite a little group of New Churchmen in Atlanta. The first doctrinal class, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Barnitz, was attended by no less than thirteen people, including Messrs. Michael Pitcairn and Robert Walter, of Bryn Athyn, both in military services; also Downing and Dawn Barnitz, the two younger children of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Barnitz. It is not unusual, where the ministrations of the church are infrequent, that the children patiently take part in the functions of the adults. On Tuesday we had another doctrinal class at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Smith. In addition, I conducted one children's service for the Barnitz children. And, after a delightful dinner for the whole group at Mrs. T. D. Crockett's home on Wednesday evening, May 27, a service of Divine Worship with the Holy Supper was held. Unfortunately, Mrs. George Nottingham of Macon. Miss Lydia Bancroft of Milledgeville, and Mr. Donald I. Howe of Albany, could not join us at these functions; nor was it possible for me, this time, to make separate trips to visit them, but I hope to do so in the future. My last day in Atlanta, Thursday, May 28, included no formal junctions. I left in the evening of the same day, after having been very hospitably entertained at the homes of both Mr. and Mrs. Henry Barnitz and Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Smith, who have a fine little adopted boy, as yet too young for formal instruction.

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     From Friday morning, May 29, until Monday morning, June 1, I stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Merrell, who have a lovely home on the Gulf of Mexico, at DUNEDIN, FLA. We had been hoping that Miss Janet Richey, Miss L. M. Meech, and Miss Beatrice Campbell, of St. Petersburg, would be able to join us for a dinner and service on Sunday, May 31, but Miss Richey had gone North, and the other two ladies were unable to come. However, I conducted a doctrinal class for Mr. and Mrs. Merrell each evening, and a service of worship with the Sacrament of the Holy Supper on Sunday morning. Apart from these functions we had much discussion of doctrinal and other church subjects; so my stay in Dunedin, apart from being very delightful, was also most profitable and interesting. The Merrell home is an oasis of meaningful relaxation.
     The whole day of Monday, June 1, was spent in transit through Florida to MIAMI, where I visited Mr. and Mrs. David P. Lindsay, their two sons Edward and Colin, and a young nephew of Mrs. Lindsay's. The two older sons, David and Jack, were at school in Bryn Athyn. I had a class and a children's service for the two boys on Tuesday, and in the evening a service of worship with the Holy Supper for Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay and two ladies, Mrs. Z. McGino and Miss C. Fritz. Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay have a lovely new home in Miami Shores, and it was a great pleasure to see them again after the interval since our last meeting when they lived in Pittsburgh.
     On Wednesday morning, June 2, I arrived in WEST PALM BEACH, where Mr. Jordan Johnson had engaged a comfortable room for me in the Hotel Salt Air. Mr. Johnson is a very busy lawyer, and I had little opportunity to see him and his family except in the evenings; but the two evenings which I spent at his home, with his wife, ten year old daughter, and baby son, were so filled with interesting discussions and services, that they well made up for my more or less unavoidable inactivity in the daytime. I conducted family worship on Wednesday evening, and a service of worship on Thursday evening, this including the Baptism of his daughter and the administration of the Holy Supper. Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are fairly recent members of the Church, and have the enthusiasm of newcomers, which rejuvenates the church. Mrs. Johnson is also a very thoughtful hostess.
     In the afternoon of Friday, June 5, I arrived in OAK HILL. FLA., where reside Mr. and Mrs. J. Harry Hilldale and their three children, Elizabeth, 10, Joan, 9, and David, S. Here is another group of children who never seem to get enough of the things of the church. Their thirst for knowledge and the stories from the Word leaves one with a feeling of inadequacy in the endeavor to supply their needs.
     Home Aids.-One cannot but admire what parents all over the South-and I presume in other isolated districts too-have been able to do in the matter of implanting remains with the meagre instrumentalities at their disposal. The Theta Alpha material for children and the Parent-Teacher Journal have become-almost everywhere-a splendid help. But they are not enough. One could wish that the religious material for each grade, as taught in our elementary schools, could be systematized and published for distribution to our isolated children. It would be of inestimable value, not only for the children, but also for the parents and travelling ministers, who have neither the time nor the specific ability required to draw up appropriate courses for each age-group. When one considers that in this way all our children might have, at least in religion, something of our elementary school training in preparation for the Boys' Academy and the Girls' Seminary, this thought becomes even more attractive.
     While in Oak Hill I spent many happy hours telling stories to the children and showing pictures from the Word; I conducted family worship on Friday and Saturday evenings, a children's service on Sunday morning, and a service of worship with the administration of the Holy Supper on Sunday evening.

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On Monday, June 8, it was time to go on, and as usual I left with a feeling that my visit had been much too short.
     JACKSONVILLE, FLA., was my next stopover, where I had a most pleasant visit with Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Burnett, with whom I stayed from Monday evening until Wednesday morning, June 10. We had as much conversation on church matters as time would allow, and also a service of worship with the Holy Supper, which was also attended by a friend of the Burnett's, who lives in the same house. Besides the service I also read a paper on the specific meaning of the Communion in the New Church.
     From the early afternoon of Wednesday, June 10, until the breaking of dawn on Friday, June 12, I stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Hansell R. Wade in BRONSWICK, GA., and Mrs. W. A. Posey, formerly of Birmingham, Ala., who is now a member of the Wade household. The Wades also have a little son. Hansell Edwards, who is four years old. Here, again, is another little child whom it is almost impossible to satisfy. Naturally his interest is as yet mainly connected with pictures of stories from the Word, but he also wants to know what they are all about, and can sit and look and listen for hours. Besides spending many happy hours with little Hansell, I also had much conversation with Mrs. Wade and Mrs. Posey, and in the evenings of Wednesday and Thursday, after Mr. Wade had come home from work, we had doctrinal classes. On my next trip I hope to spend a longer time at this friendly home.
     In COLUMBUS. S. C., I visited Mr. Leighton W. Cozby at the Gresham Hotel for the late afternoon and evening of Friday, June 12. He introduced me to Mr. Patrick H. Kennedy, who has been deeply interested in the Writings of the New Church for some years, and who has devoted much time and energy in making known and presenting copies of the Word of the New Dispensation to others. In the room which Mr. Cozby had provided for me at the hotel, we had a service of worship in the evening, at which Mr. Kennedy was baptized into the Faith of the New Church; and the Sacrament of the Holy Supper was administered to these two gentlemen. The sphere of this service will always make it a memorable occasion to me. Much penetrating discussion of New Church doctrines was crowded into the few hours that I was able to stay with them, and I am sincerely anxious to see them soon again, and to discuss with them the things which they so deeply love.
     My last visit was with Sergeant and Mrs. Stevan Iungerich (n& Fanny Boggess Lechner) in QUANTICO, VA. I arrived at their home late on Saturday night, June 13. Mr. Iungerich had come down from New York, where he has been stationed for the last several months. On Sunday we had a service of worship, at which Mr. Iungerich made his Confession of Faith, and the Holy Supper was administered to him and his wife. On Monday, June 15, Mr. Iungerich and I went on to New York. and thus my first southern trip came to an end. It was a delightful experience, and I look forward anxiously to my next trip south in the Fall.
     BJORN A. H. BOYESEN.

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE              1942

     It is gratifying to learn from letters received recently that the Military Service Committee's literature is reaching its destinations more or less regularly, even in Australia and Egypt.

     The Middle East.

     A number of our friends from Durban are with the Middle East Forces.
     LT. C. O. RIDGEWAY writes on February 25: "It was indeed a pleasure to receive both your Christmas card and the letter written on behalf of your committee by Mrs. P. C. Pendleton. Way out here in this desert, little things like that mean so much to us; and, above all, contact with our Church helps such a lot in times of stress. I have lost some of my dearest friends out here, and it is sometimes very hard to console oneself with the thought of Divine Providence behind it all. At such times a little spiritual help from our Church is most comforting. Of course, we have a Church of England Padre attached to our Unit, and he does go out of his way to try to furnish the spiritual needs of all denominations, but the principles of our faith are so different that a religious discussion is rather limited. . . There is the most dreadful sandstorm on at the moment-outside it is impossible to see more than ten yards even in the comparative haven of my dugout the dust is filtering in, so you will have to excuse any seeming soiled state of my letter. I have received three copies of the LIFE since I have been here, and I find them very interesting; and they gratify my curiosity as to what the rest of our societies are doing. . . . We all feel ever closer ties with you people, now that you are fighting side by side with us for world freedom."
     SGT. F. H. D. LUMSDEN, in his letter of February 12, writes: "At present I am in the Middle East, where I have learned a great deal about Egypt and its long history. Any literature which can teach me more about this country and its connection with Scripture will be most welcome. There is much of interest here, even in the vast expanses of the desert, where, some months ago, we were digging fortifications and excavating at the same time an ancient Roman town, details of which, for military reasons, cannot now be related."

     England.

     MR. HAROLD C. JONES of the RAF., who, with his wife, joined the General Church last year, writes on March 20: "I was particularly interested to learn of your intention to keep Service men in touch with Church life through the medium of personal letters, and to keep them informed on opportunities of meeting other New Church people.

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Personally I would welcome letters from friends in your country, and would very much like to meet any who are now serving in England. As you know, here we are a relatively small band in number, and up to the present I have not been fortunate enough to come in contact with any members of the Church whilst in the RAF. . . . Opportunities for quiet reading are not as plentiful as one could wish. Nevertheless time can always be found for such reading as this (NEW CHURCH LIFE and the Sons' BULLETIN) and any other New Church literature which happens to come my way, such as the 'News Letter' which I receive regularly from London. These are most welcome and appreciated, I assure you. . . . Again thank you for all you are doing to keep us in touch with Church life, and with what, after all, are the real and permanent things of life. I think we can see in the developments of this present upheaval an indication of a future closer cooperation between our two countries, hinted at by Bishop de Charms in his message in the BULLETIN. It does seem to me that this ideal is definitely being helped by this war, and that we 'may see in all this the calm leading of Providence which is to prepare the way for the ultimate establishment of the New Church on the earth.' Does it not also seem significant that it is in our two countries that the Doctrines of the Church are mostly accepted?"
     MRS. WYNNE ACTON writes that several Canadians have visited 45a Groveway, London, recently. CAPTAIN PHILIP G. COOPER, of Bryn Athyn, so far the only one of our U. S. members in England, also visited the Acton home. LANCE CORPORAL TOM FOUNTAIN, of Toronto, was the Actons' guest on March 15, and writes: "It is Sunday afternoon at the home of Wynne and Rachel Acton. What a grand change from the routine of Army life to be able to meet and talk to New Church friends! It makes one feel much closer to home. Owing to censorship I can't say much of what I've been doing since leaving Canada's shores, but I am happy to say that, in spite of a long wet winter, spring seems to be here at last. Mail comes through fairly well-and the more mail the better! 'Cheerio' to everybody, and some day maybe this mess will be all cleared up. And here's hoping I will be seeing you all at the next Assembly
     LAURENCE IZZARD, of Toronto, Pilot Officer on a Sterling bomber, writes (May 17): "I've been kept pretty busy this spring. As you probably gathered from the newspapers, my 'business' has been booming lately I was in London for a week recently-one grand, glorious, riotous week of fun! I went to church on the Sunday, and had lunch with the Wynne Actons afterward, but that's about all I saw of the Church people. I had hoped to spend the following week-end in Colchester, but unfortunately my leave was cut short. I have an invitation to spend the June 19th week-end in Colchester. I hope to make it, but it will be just luck if I do. Leaves are hard to come by these days! . . . Are any of the Bryn Athyn boys likely to get over here with the U. S. forces? Tell them to look me up if they do. A note to the usual address (P/O L. T. Izzard, J 7462-R.C.A.F.) will reach me wherever I am. There are quite a few American uniforms to be seen around London these days, so evidently some of your troops are over here somewhere."

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     Early in March the Society began to take up the round of activities planned for the year. The program differs very little from those arranged for recent seasons. Services will be held on Sunday mornings and on the second Sunday evening in each month, the Holy Supper being administered monthly. The doctrinal class meets on the first and third Sunday evenings, and the Arcana class on the fourth. As in 1941, the young people's class will be held at ten o'clock on the first and third Sunday mornings in the month, and the Philosophy Class every second Wednesday evening. The Ladies' Guild and the local Chapter of the Sons of the Academy have their usual monthly meetings, and the Sunday School and monthly study circle for teachers continue as before.
     At the first doctrinal class of the year the pastor began a short series of lectures on "The Miracles of the Word." The Philosophy Class resumed at its first meeting the study of Swedenborg's Rational Psychology, which should be completed by the end of the year. In the young people's class the Four Doctrines were again taken up, the section for study at present being the Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture.
     With half of the members in the armed forces, it is not easy to continue Sons' meetings, but the remaining members are determined to carry on, and two interesting meetings have been held. At the Annual Meeting held in March the pastor was elected President, and Mr. Fred Kirsten Secretary-Treasurer. An informal address on "The Uses of the Sons" was given by the pastor on this occasion, and at the April meeting Theodore Kirsten gave an illustrated talk on "Aircraft Identification."
     Talks to the Sunday School children were of a varied nature earlier in the year, but an extended series on the Book of Revelation has now been begun.
     The festival of the Lord's Resurrection was naturally predominant at the end of March and the beginning of April. On Palm Sunday the sermon was on "The Redemption of the Angels," and at the service held on Good Friday evening the pastor spoke on "The Death on the Cross." The Glorification was the theme of the Easter sermon, which developed the idea that while in the Lord the Human was made Divine, the Divine also was made Human. The usual children's service was held in the afternoon, and was followed by a Feast of Charity. As social life is at a regrettably low ebb, this function was looked forward to even more eagerly than usual, and it turned out to be particularly interesting. In short addresses, Mr. Alfred Kirsten and Mr. Ossian Heldon presented two different interpretations of what is meant in the Writings by the "Gentiles" with whom the New Church will be established. There was no element of debate in the proceedings, but a clear contrast of views, and this led to stimulating and useful discussion.
     As the Easter Monday holiday had been cancelled, we spent that day on more serious matters than our usual picnic. But there will yet be an Easter season that will find us able to indulge the holiday mood that follows the spiritual re-creation to be found in celebrating the first "Lord's Day" as only the New Church can.
     W. C. H.

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     KITCHENER, ONT.

     In May we were looking forward to a nice long visit from Miss Creda Glenn, as her work is greatly appreciated by all. Unfortunately, owing to the gas restriction, her visit was brought to an abrupt close. During her short stay, however, the Young People managed to claim her for an evening of music, held at the home of Mrs. Rudolph Schnarr.
     The annual 24th of May picnic was held on our beautiful school grounds. Fine weather, along with the Rev. and Mrs. Gyllenhaal and company, put the final touch to make it an entirely successful day.
     Sergeant Henry Heinrichs has been transferred from Niagara-on-the-Lake to somewhere in British Columbia. Previous to this transfer he was sent to a seaport as a guard, escorting German prisoners from there to somewhere in the Canadian West. Pilot Officer Alfred Bellinger has received a second stripe, making him a Flying Officer.
     The hosts of the Young People's classes this year were the Rev. Alan Gills, the Nelson Glebes, and the Rudolph Schnarrs. The final meeting of the season was sponsored by the three couples at the Rudolph Schnarr home.
     The Rev. Norbert Rogers gave the school closing address. It was inspiring to see the ten graduates of our school stand up and receive their copies of Conjugial Love,-a custom observed here for many years. Miss Nancy Horigan is to be congratulated upon her fine work with the children and the good results of her entrance class.
     Our Nineteenth of June celebration was a delightful occasion. The Rev. Alan Gill gave a most interesting paper on "The Founding of Carmel Church" and the "Laying of the Corner Stone," which took place 50 years ago. The entrance class made their debut that night into the social life of the church. The evening was brought to a close with informal dancing.
     The Sons' Meetings were sensational! Thanks, visitors, for your turnout and splendid spirit, renewing again the comradeship and common ideals of our Church! The president, Mr. Carl Asplundh, made a remark which, to me, illustrated this comradeship so well: "All New Church children are Sons and Daughters of our Church; it should be our common desire that all be given the opportunity to receive the lasting foundation of truths that is given in our Bryn Athyn Academy." Mr. Stanley Ebert, representing the Academy. gave a very fine paper at the opening session.
     An outstanding feature of the meetings was the banquet, managed and served by Mrs. Nelson Glebe, aided by a committee of ladies and young people. Sons and Daughters Potential (Future Props of the Academy) waited on the tables, and their presence was a constant reminder to the Sons that there are many students yet to be paid for. Mr. Philip Pendleton, as toastmaster, introduced the speakers of the evening:-Rev. Elmo Acton. Mr. Daric Acton, and Mr. Sydney Lee, who read Mr. Richard Kintner's paper.
     Informal social gatherings at the various homes added that extra touch which makes for success. The BULLETIN will carry on from here. Here's to the Sons! Long may they live!
     H. H. S.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     With the closing of school and the celebration of the Nineteenth of June, the activities of the Pittsburgh Society were brought to a close for the duration of the Summer season, although this year there will be Sunday morning services all through July and August. If all the Summer services are as well attended as the one on the last Sunday in June, statistics may prove that Summertime is the more popular season for going to church here in Pittsburgh; for over ninety people were present at that service,-the largest congregation we have had for some time.

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However, probably the real reason for the increase in attendance is the return of many of our young people from Bryn Athyn.
     School Activities.-The school-closing exercises followed the usual pattern, with a short service, followed by the reading of papers by the graduating boys. This year we graduated two boys who wrote interesting essays having to do with the general subject of Church History. Grant Doering's paper was about how the Church came into existence in Sweden, and Philip Horigan wrote about the beginning of the Church in England. In place of a full diploma of graduation. Robert Stein was given a certificate stating that he had completed the prescribed course in Religion, because he unfortunately could not finish this year at our school.
     Following these exercises, the school gave its annual school-closing play. This year "The Jester's Purse" was the title of the play, and each child in the school had a part and a chance to develop his histrionic ability-if any! At any rate, both the youngsters and the adults get a great deal of pleasure from this annual performance.
     Celebrations.-For many years there was a supper or "graduation banquet" for the children on the day that school closed, but we have changed that custom now, because we thought that so many events on the one day were too tiring. So for the last two or three years we have celebrated New Church Day with the children by giving them a banquet then. This took place on June 18. There was a short service, after which the children marched to the supper tables. Grant Doering, one of our graduates, acted as toastmaster, and Mr. Pendleton, our speaker of the evening, when called upon, gave the children a talk on "Why We Celebrate the Nineteenth of June." The parents of the graduating boys were invited to this supper.
     The adult celebration of June Nineteenth was really a whole week-end of inspiration. The Rev. William Whitehead came to us to speak at the banquet, and he stayed with us until the following Sunday and preached at the morning service. His address at the banquet was one of the most uplifting and inspirational that we have heard for a long time. Although he apologized for his tired voice-the result of a hard year of teaching-none of that fatigue was reflected in his paper, which was delivered with such fervent sincerity that it left us all with the feeling of spiritual uplift which many of the Crusaders must have had,-the willingness to go forward in spite of every obstacle, and with the knowledge that all other wars pall in comparison with the battle between Truth and Falsity which we, as New Churchmen, must constantly wage.
     On Saturday night, Professor Whitehead spoke to the men at a meeting of the local chapter of the Sons of the Academy, and there also he seemed to be in his usual good form. In fact, the reports of this meeting so Impressed the women with the idea that they had missed a treat that on Sunday evening a mixed group was invited to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Horigan, where we heard a talk on Current Historical Events, in which Professor Whitehead, with the aid of maps, reviewed the political divisions of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars and after the First World War, and showed how one war simply leads to another unless a just peace is negotiated. He gave us many things to think about, and while some of those present had the courage to ask questions of the Professor, many of us were willing to ponder silently the outcome of the present struggle in the light of history.
     At the Sunday morning service we were stirred emotionally as well as stimulated intellectually by the sermon, and this seemed a fitting climax to Dr. Whitehead's visit, which we hope will be repeated in the not too distant future.
     Social Events.-The social season culminated in a dance which was held in the latter part of May, and a pleasant feature of this was an outdoor arrangement of lanterns which allowed the dancers the opportunity of strolling on the lawn during intermissions.

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Since it was a delightfully warm evening, this arrangement was a welcome attraction. The shrubbery around the church has grown so tall that we now feel quite sheltered from the neighbors, and this "garden party" idea was repeated on the 19th of June. After the banquet we walked about out of doors and found this to be a pleasant and not too abrupt method of adjournment.
     In reviewing the work of this Society during the past season, there doesn't seem to be anything of outstanding importance to report, and yet we feel that there has been cooperation and a steady "pulling together" which in the end will mean real progress.
     J. M. G.

     TORONTO, ONT.

     As the Olivet Society has not been represented in the Church News for several months, we shall go back and record those events which we think will be of interest to our friends elsewhere.
     Early in May the children of our Day School, under the direction of Miss Zoe Gyllenhaal, gave a dance performance of Tschaikowsky's Nut Cracker Suite. The simplicity and charm of the playlet was enhanced by the very evident joy which the children felt in presenting it. The proceeds of a silver collection were given to the Junior Red Cross.
     On May 29, Theta Alpha entertained the younger married ladies of the Society at a supper and cards. The center of thought was the subject of New Church Education and the preparation of parents in furthering this use in co-operation with teachers and pastors. To this end, an invitation was extended to the ladies of the Society to join with Theta Alpha in the study of Bishop de Charms' book on the Growth of the Mind under the direction of Miss Zoe Gyllenhaal,-the group to meet twice a month, starting early in October.
     On June it many members of the
Society gathered at the home of Mr. Thomas Smith to congratulate him on his 80th birthday. Mr. Alec Craigie acted as toastmaster, and among the responses to toasts Mr. Smith spoke of his long and happy association with the New Church in Toronto.
     On Saturday evening, June 6, ninety people attended a banquet to celebrate the Silver Wedding Anniversary of our pastor and his wife. A varied program of original songs and skits, with Mr. Frank Longstaff as master of ceremonies, created a strong sphere of affection, and showed the deep regard felt by all present for Mr. and Mrs. Gyllenhaal.
     At the school closing held on Wednesday, June 17, the children displayed some concrete examples of the work accomplished during the past year, and the excellence of their training in all lines of endeavor was clearly manifest.
     When the Sons of the Academy met in Kitchener over the week-end of June 27, there was a general exodus from our Society, but only of the male members. New Government regulations regarding provisions of food now make it difficult to serve large groups of people. We hope these restrictions will not interfere with our Wednesday suppers next Winter.
     The banquet on Friday, June 19th, in celebration of New Church Day, and the service on the following Sunday, brought to a close the special activities of the Society for the Summer season. The Holy Supper was administered, and a beautiful sermon on the Second Advent of the Lord was presented by our pastor, in which it was brought out that the twelve disciples, when sent by the Lord to preach the New Gospel in the spiritual world, had each his own province assigned to him, and that these twelve men are still preaching this New Doctrine, and will continue to do so to eternity. They are now and will ever be joined by new disciples of the Lord as people on earth gather zeal for spreading the knowledge of the Second Coming of the Lord.
     This Spring several very useful and interesting papers have been presented at the Forward Sons' meetings.

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Among these was one by Mr. John Parker on "The Protection and Conservation of State," in which he showed the necessity for guarding those things which the Lord has given us for the building of eternal life. The war is bringing about a rapidly changing idea of real values, and men are coming to realize that these lie in sincerity and application to a life of use. Mr. Parker developed the thought that New Church people have a peculiar responsibility in protecting and conserving real values, on both natural and spiritual planes of life.
     A reading and social circle will be conducted at the church every Tuesday evening during the Summer months. The pastor proposes to read aloud sermons and papers by the late Bishop N. D. Pendleton, recently published in the book entitled The Glorification.
     C. S.

     NORTHERN OHIO.

     We have held church regularly twice a month in Akron all winter; also weekly doctrinal classes here, and monthly in Cleveland and Youngstown. Easter was a long time ago, but this is the first year we have had both a Good Friday and an Easter service. The Nineteenth of June was celebrated on the twenty-first with church and a picnic in Youngstown.
     The attendance of the members of this group at church functions has been sadly affected through lack of tires. In the "good old days" we counted on thirty to forty people at our dinner meeting on the first Sunday of every month. The Renkenbergers, Norrises and Williamsons drove fifty miles to attend these meetings. The Frank Normans and Smiths came thirty-five miles from Cleveland. Now our attendance is limited to those fourteen adults and their children who are resident in or near Akron.
     There are problems and changes imminent, once again due to the war and tires. The Edmund Glenns and Ralph Browns have bought new homes outside of Barberton to be near their work. They join the Chester Stroemples who had the foresight to build in the same district. Dr. Philip de Maine expects to be called into the army any day. This will mean that the majority of resident members will be in Barberton instead of Akron.
     We have held church in the De Maine home for the past two years and are now faced with the problem of a place to hold worship. This will be discussed and, we hope, decided at our first September meeting.
     The Summer sessions closed with a church service followed by a picnic at the Browns. The pastor, Rev. Norman Reuter, and his family leave soon for a month's vacation in Bryn Athyn.
     A. B.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     The village of Glenview is growing up! Our old-fashioned mail boxes-for fifty years the faithful receptacles of news, good, bad and indifferent-of bills and checks-notices of weddings and funerals, births and baptisms-are being relegated, one by one, to the scrap pile. Now, twice in every twenty-four hours, a man wearing the uniform of a postman comes to our very doors, and puts in our hands the mail which we have so long had to go out and get for ourselves. Somehow it seems like an unnecessary luxury, and we have a feeling of being "much obliged."
     And also, just north of The Park, the United States Government is spending millions of dollars on the construction of a naval base. We feel as if we were being hemmed in-there's so much doing in what used to be a very quiet little town.
     The Glenview Chapter of the Sons of the Academy held its annual installation banquet on Saturday, May 16, with only the men in attendance this time. Mr. Pierre Vinet, of Rockford, spoke on the Future of New Church Education. The officers reelected were: Mr. Edwin Burnham, president; Mr. John Gyllenhaal, secretary; and Mr. William Hamm, treasurer.

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     On Tuesday evening, May 19, a group of school children under the direction of Mrs. Lowrey and Mrs. Synnestvedt entertained a large audience by singing a number of old American songs.
     At the Friday supper of May 29 the Society presented a silver dish to Mr. and Mrs. Oswald E. Asplundh as a token of esteem on the occasion of their Silver Wedding Anniversary.
     The closing exercises of the Immanuel Church School were held on June 17, and the graduating pupils of the 9th grade were: Evangeline Wright, Jean Fuller, Sally Headsten, Gwendolyn Holmes, Benjamin McQueen, David Holmes, John Alan, Kendall Fiske, and Daniel McQueen. Each read a short paper, and all were presented with diplomas.
     During June our boys and girls returned from a year's schooling at Bryn Athyn, and on the 27th the customary home-coming dance was held in their honor.
     "Progress" was the theme of the speeches at the New Church Day banquet on June 19th, and our pastor as toastmaster introduced the three speakers on phases of this subject: Messrs. Pierre Vinet, Alan Fuller, and Arnold Smith. He also read a telegram which he had sent to the New Church Day banquet in Bryn Athyn, and a telegram of greetings which he bed received from the Pittsburgh Society. It was a pleasure to have with us on this occasion the Rev. Walter E. Brickman, of Weslaco, Texas, and he addressed the banquet on the importance of a consistent study of the Letter of the Word, as a means of obtaining a clearer and more complete understanding of the Writings.
     On Sunday evening, July 5, the Sons' Chapter held a meeting to hear from those members who had attended the annual meetings in Kitchener.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     DEATH OF MR. ROBB.

     E. DONALD ROBB, nationally known architect, passed into the spiritual world at his home in Boston on July 8 at the age of 62. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Robb have long been members of the Newtonville Society of the General Convention.
     During the building of the Cathedral at Bryn Athyn, Mr. Robb spent many months working in our architectural office at the Church, after the work had been transferred from the Boston office of Cram and Ferguson. He came into our architectural studios at about the same time as Mr. Harold T. Carswell, to take part in the redesigning process at the Church. Our model shop and studios of architectural arts, with their craftsmen and artisans, had been established; and the growing proportions of the Church were here developed and reduced to drawings and models for study purposes. To Mr. Robb was entrusted work particularly in the chancel and sanctuary, and he made drawings for a number of the full-sized plaster models.
     In 1915 he designed the Church and School buildings of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois.
     Many members of the Bryn Athyn Society will recall with pleasure his sojourn in our village during his work on the Church. The manner of its building appealed strongly to his sincerity of character as a man and as a most earnest and sensitive artist, who entered whole-heartedly into the spirit of our architectural organization.
     Among other important undertakings, Mr. Robb devoted many years to work on the Washington Cathedral at the nation's capital. And previous to this he was associated as "Gothicer," to use his own expression, with the architectural firm which built the Collegiate Gothic dormitories and Memorial Tower at Yale University.
     RAYMOND PITCAIRN.

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CHURCH AND THE WAR 1942

CHURCH AND THE WAR       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1942




     Announcements





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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
SEPTEMBER, 1942
No. 9
     Some Thoughts for Christians.

     That in the world today there is great confusion of thought, who can deny? People find it hard to reconcile war with the so-called Christian code of morality and ethics. To help dispel the perplexity, if possible, let us consider from the start the proposition that Christianity, truly understood, requires the defense of society against evil forces, and the honorable discharge of one's duty to insure the common good. To resort to arms is not necessarily against the Christian religion. To fight may become a Christian duty.
     Men have different opinions as to those things which are necessary to the common good of society, and many of these opinions may be in error; yet it is good Christian ethics for a man to fight, if necessary, against those things which threaten the security of the state and are destructive of order. It is recorded that Jesus Himself drove moneychangers from the temple with a whip.
     The confusion of thought is even worse confounded when, horrified at the results of war, men set up the cry that all war is foolish and destructive, and therefore ought to be stopped by one means or another. By what means it may be abolished, no one knows; but all men of common sense agree that war is an enormous evil periodically afflicting human society. It should be equally clear that to fight is not always to sin. Indeed, conditions may arise, and do arise, in which it would be a sad desertion of duty not to fight.
     We can well understand that it is not of the Divine will and pleasure that wars take place, because they are accompanied by the killing of men, by depredations, violence, cruelty, and other enormous evils which are diametrically contrary to Christian charity.

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Yet wars cannot but be permitted under Providence, because the life of men has become of such a nature that it wants to have dominion over others, and at length over all. It also wants to possess the wealth of the world without limit. These two loves, which are infernal, cannot be held within bounds; for it is according to Providence that every man be allowed to act in freedom according to his reason; and without this permission, man cannot be led away from evil by the Lord. For unless evils were permitted to break forth, man could not see them, and therefore could not be induced to resist them. (Swedenborg, Divine Providence, no. 251.) It must be evident, therefore, that wars which have as an aim the protection of our country and of the church are not contrary to charity.
     The Christian aim in war is victory for the sake of the common good. And though there may seem to be no mercy toward those who fall in battle, yet there is mercy in the recognized aim of saving many from destruction. The Christian officer does not love war, but peace. Even in war he loves peace. He does not go to war except for the protection of his country. But when the war is on, he becomes the aggressor when aggression means defense.
     It should be evident to all that the world today, even in so-called Christian areas, is in a most unholy state. If this were not so, we can safely say there would be no wars. But because there are deeply seated and unrecognized evils in mankind, and it is necessary that even in evil states men must be left in freedom, the scourge of war must fall upon society.
     The internal state of the world today lies the more deeply concealed from view by reason of the abundance of apparent good. For there appears to be much good among men, even in the presence of much evil. The good that men do covers over many inward evils. Beneath the surface of external humanitarian virtues, modern society is inwardly corrupted by many iniquitous and vicious trends which are little recognized as such. There is an appalling lack of love and charity and unselfishness. Avarice and greed is a most common perversion,-the love of money, and the power of it. And the spirit of adultery and unchastity prevails among Christian people more than among others. Many strive for almost nothing else than for greatness or material gain.

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And it is not mere pessimism that leads us to say that the Christian way of life has degenerated into an unmistakable love of self and of the world, with unhappy results. There are many who among themselves think and speak of little else than filthy, obscene, and profane things. The Christian doctrine teaches love and charity and chastity more than any other religion in the world; but there are few who live according to it.
     It is possible that modern society, through religious tolerance, through science and the sad experience of war, may hit upon some political and economic system that will be more productive of freedom and justice for all. But even if it were possible in this way to abolish war and to preserve peace-a rather Utopian dream-yet it would not furnish the means or the desire to abolish the deep-seated evils of life which prevent the establishment of the kingdom of God and leave men spiritually desolate. The love of dominion and the love of wealth, the love of worldly and sensual pleasure, cannot be uprooted by any new order or social evolution. So long as hell is not removed from the hearts of men, there will be no nearer approach to heaven.
     All this leads to the point that a civilization in which God is more or less forgotten places men outside the protection of God. And when universal war prevails, it is more than probable that religion needs a complete renovation, and that the falsities which go by the name of religion are more than incidentally responsible for it. Therefore no mere revival of the old religion will be sufficient, but only a complete reconstruction. Yet it is likely that Christians themselves will be the last to realize how spiritually bankrupt they are.
     If the high teachings of Christ are taken seriously, then death when it overtakes God-fearing men, is not in any sense a calamity to those who die, but it is promotion to a happier world. And believing this, we can see that the many who fall in battle, fighting in faithfulness to what they conceive as duty, are far and away more blessed; while those who fall, but are not God-fearing men, by their death leave the world better for their removal from it, making room for new minds that are more receptive to new and more spiritual things. So may we believe that Providence turns the evils of war to some greater good.

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     If we believe in a future and better life, it does not appear unreasonable to think that the Divine permits death to overtake so many people, most of them helpless and innocent of the guilt of war, partly because they are needed in that eternal world beyond this life, and partly because new types of minds are needed on earth, into which new ideas can be more readily received. For does it not appear that all the evils men bring upon men, in the freedom that cannot be denied them, are permitted by the Lord, who turns them to a greater good? Of course, the answer that will be given to this question by those who do not believe in the Lord or in the reality of heaven will be, No.
     It took this people's war to show up the military weakness of the democracies and their false security. It may take much more than the war, we suspect, to show up Christianity's religious desolation and false security. Its inward weakness, poverty, and depravity in regard to spiritual things, combined with that of the so-called heathen peoples, which is the inmost reason why wars cannot be prevented or stopped, is a thing that few suspect. Proof of it, however, lies in the fact which we all recognize that the common interest in spiritual things, or in worship, is less than at any time in history. For it is quite evident that if people were filled with a sense of their spiritual destitution and leanness of soul, they would turn to theology and religion with zeal, and the churches would never be poorly attended.
     There are few who suspect there is anything seriously wrong with the world or with themselves in regard to spiritual life and religion. Yet, is it not a fact that the world has never been so highly enlightened in scientific knowledge, and at the same time so ignorant of spiritual truth-so little interested in it? The idea prevails with many that they cannot be sure of any authoritative source of spiritual truth. But how can this idea ever be put forth convincingly? It is the subject itself that draws no interest. Who cares very much about what he believes? Kindness, generosity, the impulse to give to those who are less fortunate than oneself, are about all that is commonly thought desirable; and in the public mind spiritual values do not extend far beyond them. These are qualities, however, which in themselves constitute only a kind of creature good, like those of gentle domesticated animals. They have little to do with moral principles, or with aims that transcend the natural plane of life.

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And this kind of good is exercised by people who are morally bad, as well as by those in every way respectable. Amiability, good nature, and good sportsmanship are rather generally accepted in lieu of a higher justice and spirituality.
     It seems reasonable to assume that to build up a religion worthy of the name, as in the creation of anything else, knowledge is power and the only means of progress. Christian thought, however, is confused because of the deficiency of spiritual knowledge. In the Christian world today there is not recognized any sure and practical knowledge of God; nor of the true nature of Christ; nor of heaven and hell and the state of life after death; nor of the means of attaining to the truly spiritual life. There is no guiding Light on the problems of human relationships and the highest social good. On world affairs there is great perplexity and distress of mind. The meaning of human life is a thing to which the answer is largely unknown. Is it not so?
     In what direction can one look for a satisfactory answer? Christian dogma is of little help. In general, that dogma proposes a deliverance from the evils into which we are born, and a new birth to a righteous life. But how that deliverance from evils is to be accomplished, and what a righteous life really is, still remains to be defined. To perform our duty to God and our duty to the neighbor is set forth as the daily aim of Christians, to be strengthened by prayer. But what this duty is in both directions, and to whom we are to offer our prayers, are matters of uncertainty and confusion. And this, we believe, is due to the unfortunate and irrational idea of God which is presented in the traditional dogma of the Trinity.
     The nature of our Lord Jesus Christ is not understood by the clergy of the Christian Church, nor His office as the Redeemer and Savior of mankind. Who Christ was in relation to the Father, and the nature of the work He did for the redemption of men, is a question to which the orthodox Church from its beginning has given no answer that is intellectually sound. But it has given one that is both foolish and harmful. It has divided God into three Persons, and thus has destroyed all rational thought upon all subjects of theology. It has robbed Christian people of all theological truth. In the opinion of many, such a statement will doubtless seem unwarranted, or perhaps will be rejected with indignation as false.

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But if the clergy and all faithful churchmen would admit the possibility that Christian dogma is in error, there might be some possibility of a great revision in Christian thought, which would restore the power of leadership which the Church manifestly has lost. Admit the possibility of error in the traditional teachings of Christian churches, and there might be progress. But it is probable that no such admission will be made by the modern defenders of the Faith.
     But what is offered as a more reasonable doctrine concerning the nature of Christ? There is a teaching, little known to Christians, which makes of God one Person only, and identifies that one Person as no other than our Lord Jesus Christ. It makes God one, and not three. It makes Jesus to be one with the Father, in the same way as the person of any man is one with his soul. It contemplates Christ, who was born of the virgin, as having no other soul than the Divine Life Itself, which was the "Father" of whom He spoke, and of whom He said that the Father was in Him, and was one with Him.
     Now, admitting the possibility of the truth of this idea, and that no other interpretation can be placed upon the Gospel of Matthew, where His conception and birth are described; in other words, believing what is plainly said in the Scripture; no one can rightly think of Jesus except as a Man whose Soul was God Himself, and whose body or human form is called the "Son of God," because it was conceived and formed in the virgin mother from the Infinite Being of the Creator. The idea is, that in Jesus God Himself became Man, and added to His Divine Essence the human form, afterwards making that human form to be Itself Divine; so that Jesus, slain by men, arose from the dead, to be united forever with the Divine Soul which was in Him from conception. For since He had no human father as other men have, His Soul could not have been other than the Divine Life Itself.
     With such an idea of our Lord, the whole structure of theology would necessarily undergo a radical change, and all Scripture would be seen in a new light. Gone would be the idea of Jesus as less than God, as the Unitarians believe; and gone would be the idea of Him as but one of a trio of Divine Persons; and there would remain the idea of Him as the only God, who came into the world and became Man also, in whom is fulness of Divinity bodily.

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     Gone, also, would be the old irrational scheme of salvation, according to which one God, the Father, punishes another, His Son, for the sins of the human race, and forgives all men who say they believe that Christ died for them on the cross, taking the punishment which He did not deserve, to satisfy the Divine justice.
     Then our Lord would be seen by all as the one and only Divinity. And directing the mind to Him alone in prayer and worship, men would receive enlightenment from Him on all the problems of our modern life, which is meant by the sending of His Holy Spirit. Then the Christian man would rise above the confusion of thought as to where his duty lies in a warring world, and would know that to defend human society from the evil forces which threaten to destroy its good is Christian charity itself.
PROFOUND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE LORD 1942

PROFOUND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE LORD              1942

     "Of all the spirits who are from the earths of this solar system, the spirits of Mars are the best, being for the most part celestial men, not unlike those who were of the Most Ancient Church on this Earth. . . They acknowledge and adore our Lord more than other spirits. They say that He is the only God, and that He rules both heaven and the universe, and that all good is from Him. They said that it is the Lord who leads them, and that on their earth He often appears among them. That the Lord rules both heaven and the universe is also known to Christians on this Earth from the Lord's words in Matthew, All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth,' (28: 18); but they do not believe it as those who are from the earth Mars do.
     "On one occasion, when the Lord was named, I saw that those spirits humbled themselves so inmostly and profoundly that it cannot he described. For in their humiliation they had the thought that of themselves they are in hell, and are thus utterly unworthy of looking to the Lord, who is the Holy itself. So profoundly were they in that thought from faith, that they were, as it were, outside of themselves; and in that thought they remained on their knees, even until the Lord raised them, and then drew them as it were out of hell. When they thus emerge from humiliation, they are filled with good and love, and hence with joy of heart. When they humble themselves in this manner, they do not turn the face to the Lord, for this they dare not do then, but turn it away. The spirits who were around me said that they had never seen such humiliation." (A. C. 7476-7478.)

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UNPUBLISHED PARTS OF THE ARCANA COELESTIA 1942

UNPUBLISHED PARTS OF THE ARCANA COELESTIA       Rev. ALFRED ACTON       1942

     THE MANUSCRIPT.

     It is probably known to many readers of the LIFE that there exists an autograph copy of the Arcana Coelestia; but it is not so well known that this copy comprises only what was printed in Volumes II to VIII of the quarto edition published by Swedenborg himself. The reason for the omission of Volume I (nos. 1 to 1885) is, that Swedenborg himself superintended the printing of that Volume in London, and when the printing was finished, the manuscript was destroyed-as was the case with all the manuscripts printed under Swedenborg's supervision. When this Volume was printed, Swedenborg left London for Aix-la-Chapelle, where he wrote the manuscript of Volume II: and a year later, he returned to Stockholm and there completed the writing of the remaining volumes.
     It is these manuscripts, written in Aix-la-Chapelle and Stockholm, that are still preserved; for Swedenborg did not post his only draft to the printer in London-indeed, that draft, with its numerous erasions and corrections, was wholly unsuited for the printer-but he made a neatly written copy. When the copy was printed, the printer naturally destroyed it; but the first draft still remains. And in this draft, we have the evidence, not only of Swedenborg's having made a clean copy, but also of the progress of the copying. For there, in the margin, are found, here and there, two vertical strokes, indicating that somewhere in the line marked by these strokes would be found a single vertical stroke, either between two words or in the middle of a word. This stroke indicates the last word, or part of a word, which Swedenborg had copied as the last word of a page: and it was a convenient guide whereby he would know what word (or part of a word) to begin with on the next page. There is abundant confirmation of this in others of Swedenborg's manuscripts, but very specific confirmation is afforded by entries which he wrote in a small pocket almanac for the year 1752.

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Here Swedenborg notes the number of the last page he has copied and posted to John Lewis, the London publisher, and also the last word of the copy so posted. Turning, then, to the first draft we find the vertical strokes above referred to, on this very page and at this very word.
     The only Latin edition of the Arcana published subsequently to the now very rare original was that edited by Dr. J. I. Im. Tafel in Tübingen, 1833-1842. This also has now become very rare; and for some time past the Swedenborg Society of London has had in mind to publish a new Latin edition. With this in view, that Society has entered into correspondence with other New Church publishing houses. Naturally, the publication of such an edition cannot be undertaken while the present war is raging, but some preparatory work has already been undertaken. The Swedenborg Society appointed the Rev. P. H. Johnson to make a preliminary examination of the first draft. This examination is still going on, and Mr. Johnson has already published some results of his work in the NEW CHURCH MAGAZINE, of which he is the Editor.
     Prior to this, the same work of comparison was entered upon by Prof. Camille Vinet-whose skill in reading Swedenborg's manuscripts is too well known to need comment-and myself. This work has been going on for some time, and it will doubtless interest the readers of the LIFE to learn some of the results.

     CORRECTIONS OF THE PRINTED TEXT.

     In the first place, the idea, so long cherished by Mr. William McGeorge, Jr., as to the significance of the capital letters used in the original printed editions of the Writings, must be entirely abandoned. In the autograph it is frequently impossible to determine whether Swedenborg wrote a capital letter or a small; and, in any case, a comparison of the first draft of the Arcana Coelestia with the printed edition shows that the capital letters in the latter are largely due to the current practice of the printers of that day, of making a liberal use of capitals. Certainly the capitals of the printed edition are vastly more numerous that those in the first draft. It must be admitted that Swedenborg himself was not always consistent in the use of capitals, and it would seem that, in a new edition of the Arcana, some rule for their use should be established, irrespective of what occurs in the first draft or in the original edition.

394



     There are many minor differences between the draft and the printed edition which do not affect the sense. But occasionally the first draft supplies words omitted from the printed copy, but which yet are necessary for clear comprehension, or for correct grammatical construction. Thus (and in these and subsequent citations, italics indicate words omitted in the printed edition but found in the first draft) in n. 1893 we read: "With children there does indeed appear, as it were, a rational." In n. 1895: aliquid jucundum seu aliqua affectio"-grammatically the added word is necessary. The same remark applies to n. 1943: "The Rational is thus said to receive life or to be in the womb." In n. 1903: "The most ancients instituted, as it were, a marriage between these two affections." No. 1937: "They suffer themselves to be led equally by evil spirits as by good." No. 1986: "Man must first remove filthy loves and their foul cupidities." There are many similar cases.

     OMISSIONS IN THE PRINTED EDITION.

     Again, in the copying, Swedenborg sometimes omits one or more lines, being deceived by the fact that the last word copied occurs one or more lines lower down, and in the same position in the line. Thus, in n. 1949 (italics indicate omissions supplied from the MS.) "He looks at everything from truth, and at nothing from good; in a word he is a hard man. The only thing that softens his hardness is the good which is of charity, for the soul of truth is good. When this draws near and insinuates itself in truth, he becomes another man and is hardly recognized. By Isaac is represented the Lord's Rational Man from good, and not from truth separated from good. Hence it is that Ishmael," etc. In n. 1984: "No idea concerning things corporeal . . . can ever pass over to angels; but they . . . are wholly removed at the outer threshold when they go from the man, and are changed into celestial and spiritual ideas, and so into such ideas as are of the internal sense." No. 1992: "Abram in his young manhood . . . did not reject the god Shaddai from his mind. Therefore it is here said, I am God Shaddai, by which, in the sense of the letter, is signified the name of Abram's god." No. 2135: "By twenty and ten [the angels perceive] intercession for those with whom, by means of temptations . . . or of other states, goods are present.

395


That these things are contained in the internal sense, can never be apparent from the letter, but that such is the case is yet true."

     PARAGRAPHS OMITTED FROM THE PRINTED EDITION.

     On at least one occasion a whole paragraph is omitted by inadvertence; I do not now recall the number. At any rate, the number is skipped over in the Latin edition, but it is found in the draft; it consists, however, of only two or three lines, and adds nothing new to what had previously been written.
     In another case a paragraph is omitted, but one is left in some doubt as to whether or not the omission was intentional. In the printed work we have paragraphs 3055, 3056, 3057, 3058, 3059, etc., but in the draft are the paragraph numbers 3055, 3056, 3057 (altered to 6), 3058 (altered to 7), 3059 (altered to 8) and 3059. Thus the first paragraph marked 3056 in the draft is omitted in the printed copy, and, having noticed the omission by the time he had written n. 3059, Swedenborg crossed it off and altered the subsequent numbers accordingly. The omitted passage explains words of the text which are not explained in the printed copy, except summarily in n. 3053. The crossed off passage reads:
     3056. "At the well of waters," that this signifies for the receiving of the truths of faith is evident from the signification of well of waters as being the Word, from which is the truth of faith and also truth itself, treated of in n. 2702. Here it is said "well of waters," while frequently in the following verses it is said "fountains." What the difference is in the interior sense when well of waters is mentioned, and when fountains, may be seen in the passage cited.

     "Gadt forbi"

     The last two words are Swedish, and mean "passed by." What this signifies is doubtful. The passage itself was crossed off by Swedenborg, and to make up for its omission he altered the paragraph numbers that follow up to 3059 which needed no alteration. It is evident, therefore, that the words Gadt forbi were written before the writing of n. 3059. Swedenborg could not have "passed by" n. 3056 when making his clean copy, for in the first draft n. 3059 is numbered to make up for the crossed off paragraph.

396


Or shall one suppose that he wrote the paragraph number 3059 by mistake instead of 3060, and decided to cross off 3056 so as to adjust his paragraph numbers? This seems highly improbable, for the omitted passage contains an explanation of a part of the text which otherwise remains untouched on. The natural supposition is that Swedenborg inadvertently omitted this paragraph while making his clean copy for the printer. But how, then, shall we account for altering the following paragraph numbers so as to adjust them to n. 3059? Or for the fact that he crossed the paragraph off, instead of inserting it in his clean copy after discovering that it had been "passed by"?
     In the first draft, there are also many paragraphs, long and short, which are crossed off by the author, although, in some cases, they contain new matter. It would seem advisable in a new Latin edition of the Arcana, to include some at least of these passages, in the form of footnotes, indicating that they were crossed off by the author.

     PASSAGES IN THE MS. NOT INTENDED FOR PRINT.

     Notable among these crossed off or intentionally omitted passages is an article on Miracles numbered 2870-2887, several paragraphs concluding an article on Man's Freedom, and two paragraphs on the character of the Jewish Church.
     The article on Miracles is written at the end of Codex 80, on leaves 23-26, and follows immediately after the exposition of Genesis XXII (nos. 2760-2869). Pages 23 and 23a are crossed off, but since page 23a ends in the middle of a sentence, it would seem as though the author had intended crossing off the remaining pages, namely, 24-26, but refrained from doing so because, as will be seen later, he anticipated that some portion of this article would be used in his substituted article on Man's Freedom, as in fact it was. This superseded article on Miracles is presented below. (Page 400.)

     ON MAN'S FREEDOM.

     After writing this chapter on Miracles, Swedenborg decided to give it another title. He therefore crossed off the title "On Miracles," etc., and substituted the title "On Man's Freedom."

397


He then crossed off the first paragraphs of the chapter on Miracles, with a view, apparently, to making "Man's Freedom" the main subject. and introducing the teaching on Miracles only incidentally.
     In an earlier Codex (Cod. 8), he had already written on Man's Freedom, and much of what he had there written he incorporated in the article on Miracles.
     It would seem that, before giving a detailed exposition of the chapters of Genesis, Swedenborg first wrote out, in a separate codex, his own translation of those chapters, together with a summary of the internal sense. At any rate, this is true of chapters 26 to 43, being the contents of Codex 8. It is in this Codex, inserted between Genesis 34 and 35 that he wrote the above-mentioned chapter, consisting of ten paragraphs, on Man's Freedom.
     Returning now to the chapter on Miracles, which is contained in Codex 80, Swedenborg finally abandoned the idea of publishing this chapter (perhaps with alterations) under the new title "Man's Freedom," and decided to write a new chapter on the latter subject.
     To understand what follows, it should be known that the pages of Codex 8 (a folio volume) are unnumbered. But the pages of Codex 80 (a quarto volume) are numbered by leaves (not pages). In the latter Codex, the exposition of Genesis 22 ends on leaf 23, and on the latter half of this leaf is written the commencement of the article on Miracles, which is continued on leaves 24, 25 and 26. Following leaf 26 come two leaves containing the new article on Man's Freedom, substituted for the article on Miracles. Normally, these leaves would have been numbered 27 and 28, but instead of this we find them numbered 25 and 26, indicating that they were to be substituted for leaves 25 and 26 of the chapter on Miracles. The exposition which precedes the latter chapter ends on leaf 23, and therefore the new and substituted article on Man's Freedom should commence on leaf 24, whereas we find it on leaves 25 and 26 (second numbering), as already noted. Where, then, is leaf 24? The matter is easily explained.
     Leaf 25 of the substituted chapter commences in the middle of a sentence. The beginning of the sentence must surely be found somewhere, and where better could we suppose it to be than in the previous article on Man's Freedom, written in Codex 8? Turning, then, to this Codex, we have the confirmation of our supposition; for at the bottom of the page entitled "On Man's Freedom," we read as follows (brackets indicate words crossed off): "Infernal freedom is [from hell, and heavenly freedom is from the Lord (etc.)].

398


Swedenborg thus ends with the word "is," but he leaves us in no doubt where to find the continuation of the sentence, for above the line he wrote "(in quarto)," thus pointing to the quarto volume, Codex 80. And there, on leaf 25, we find the continuation of the sentence.
     Furthermore, while all the other leaves of Codex 8 are unnumbered, the leaf containing the article on Freedom is numbered "24" and while the paragraphs in the article in Codex 8 were originally unnumbered, Swedenborg now adds paragraph numbers, beginning with n. 2870, and the paragraphs so numbered, together with the continuation in Codex 80, are word for word the same as the text printed in the Arcana (nos. 2870-2893) as a substitute for the original article on Miracles, numbered 2870-2887.
     The printed text includes only about two-thirds of the article as written in Codex 8. The rest he crossed off, continuing the article with the new matter on leaves 25 and 26 of Codex 80. The crossed off portion is as follows:
     "2874.* ... and that infernal freedom is from hell but heavenly freedom is from the Lord. It is also clear that from infernal freedom man cannot come into heavenly freedom save by means of reformation by the Lord, and that no one can be introduced into this heavenly freedom save by means of the affection of good, that is. save by the good of life, wherein shall be implanted the truth of doctrine.
     * The beginning of n. 2874 is the same as in the printed work.
     "2875. [This is practically the same as nos. 2875-76 of the printed copy. Now follow the unnumbered paragraphs:]
     "They who are in the freedom of the affection of good and truth have conscience, and are ruled by the Lord by means of the bonds of conscience; the bonds of conscience being nothing else than affections of good and truth. But they who are in the freedom of the cupidities of the love of self and the world have no conscience, and are ruled by the Lord by means of external bonds; external bonds being nothing else than fears lest they suffer loss of honor, gain, reputation, life. Yet, as to affections and thoughts, such men are in freedom, but in infernal freedom because without conscience.*
     * Confer n. 2883 of the article on Miracles.
     "Infernal genii and spirits cannot comprehend what heavenly freedom is, and even though its nature be told them thousands of times, they do not perceive that it can have any existence, the reason being- *
     *This unfinished paragraph was crossed off during the original writing.

399



     "Infernal freedom, although appearing as freedom to those who are in it, is absolute servitude. But few, if any, know how that is servitude which appears to be so free. Many indeed know that to serve cupidities is to be the slave of cupidities, but because all who are without conscience believe that the cupidities of the love of self and the world are not evil [they also defend them as being useful and good*], therefore they think of them as anything but servitude.
     * This was crossed off during the original writing.
     "Many men wonder why all are not saved, seeing that the Lord's mercy is infinite, and, at the same time, His Omnipotence Divine, and seeing that men can be compelled in manifold ways to the doing of good and the believing in truth; as, for instance, by miracles, by apparitions, by dreams, by the hells being opened to them, by the heavens being opened, by the dead appearing to them, and, moreover, by admonitions coming from them in a living voice. But they who so think do not know that all such things compel men to the doing of good and the believing in truths, and this can never be implanted save in freedom."

     WORSHIP BY THE EVIL.

     In the folio volume, Codex 8, there is another long unpublished passage. It precedes chapter 34 of Genesis, and reads as follows:

     "That representatives, even such as are holy, can be set forth in external form by evil spirits, can he evident from many circumstances. First, because with men who have been in the sordid love of the world, only evil spirits are present. being such as are like themselves. It is also evident from Enthusiasts and from such men as are in both falsity of doctrine and evil of life, in that they can still speak things pious and holy, and this with simulated affection, when yet it is evil spirits that lead them. And, furthermore, from the most wicked of church leaders, in that they can still preach in a pious and holy way. It can also be evident enough from those who are in Christian Gentilism, and are called monks, of whom those who are adulterers, devoted to rapine, deniers at heart of the Lord, believers in nature alone, can yet move the minds and hearts of their hearers by pious and holy preaching, and this so completely that, by the simple, they are acknowledged as saints. Nevertheless, with such men, there are none but evil spirits, being spirits like to themselves, for they are in the society of such spirits, since every man has with him spirits of the same nature as he himself is in general. When such men are in holy worship, these spirits are inspired with the love of self and the world, and when they are in this, it is this that is then the fire that moves the men, even in their affection. This affection flows in with such men, and it is from this that they speak such things, they themselves, for the most part, not knowing that this is their fire or their affection therefrom. Were that fire to be suddenly removed, they could then speak nothing, but would be as though deprived of all life. So likewise was it with the posterity of Jacob. When they were in holy worship, this fire was with them from the love of self and the love of the world; for they were thinking of nothing else than that they might become the greatest people in the world, and the most wealthy, and some of them, that they might get possession of their inheritances, and might not be driven out by their enemies.

400


Of life after death and of internal worship, they thought not at all. When they were in their worship, this ardor flowed in from spirits who were of the like love and affection; and, nevertheless, it was then miraculously provided by the Lord that things holy should be represented in heaven. just as things holy are also represented by a preacher of the worst kind of life. But this can be more clearly evident from experience, for I have been informed as to how the case herein is, by much experience; [but to insert the experience here would be too lengthy a matter].* The like is also the case with the Jews at this day when engaged in their rites, and also when they read the Word of the Old Testament in their synagogues. With such men, although this ardor, which appears as holy when they are in worship, is carried off into heaven by Divine means, nevertheless the worship does not in the least affect them, that is, make them blessed. They are still in the society of evil spirits in the other life also, as they are in the world; for their communication with the heavens is effected by that disposition of evil spirits, of which mention has been made.
     * Crossed off by the author.
     This, therefore, is confirmed by the Lord, in that He named Jacob Israel (Gen. 35: 9, 10).
ON MIRACLES. 1942

ON MIRACLES.              1942

     On Miracles, and that at this day, about the End
     of the Age, none are to be expected.

     (Translated from a phototype copy of the manuscript of the Arcana Coelestia by the Right Rev. Alfred Acton.)

     BY EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.


     2870. It may be said by many that none can speak with those who are in the other life, and relate anything thence; but this is because they do not believe in the life after death, thus believing that the dead are not to rise again, even though they know that in ancient times speech with spirits and angels was common. By others it may be said: There is no need of anything more coming down out of heaven, because all things necessary to salvation are revealed in the Word; and that other revelations are not to be expected. But they say this for the reason that each may remain in his own dogma; for those who are in heresy say the same thing, which, moreover, they confirm from the literal sense of the Word.

401


It is the Word which alone teaches, but its interior sense, wherein are the truths of faith, is what is now revealed. By others it may be said: Who can know whether this is so? the future is not foretold; things hidden are not revealed; nor do miracles take place; if we had these, we would believe. But it is well known that such things are not to be expected at this day; it was also so foretold, and this from causes spoken of in what follows.
     2871. Spirits devoid of faith, who had been men of this sort in the life of the body, are exceedingly insistent on the seeing of miracles and on the knowledge of things hidden and future, saying that without these they cannot believe. But answer is made them that with those who do not have faith, miracles have no effect whatever, and that with those who do have faith they are not necessary. The reason was also stated, namely, that faith is not enrooted by miracles, but is only somewhat confirmed; and that this is confirmed from the Word, as in the case of Pharaoh, who, though he saw so many miracles, yet hardened himself; in the case of the sons of Jacob, who, when they had seen so many miracles in Egypt, yet, after a few days, when they came to the sea Suph, believed nothing; and when they had seen such great miracles from mount Sinai, yet, after a month, worshiped a golden calf; and, furthermore, when they had had manna every day, and yet, from their infidelity murmured so many times; and, moreover, when they had a cloud over the tabernacle by day and fire by night, and thus the presence of Jehovah every moment, they yet became, not better, but worse; not to mention the miracles wrought later in the land of Canaan by many, and especially by Elijah and Elisha, as is clear from the historical narratives of the Word. What effect miracles have, can thus be evident.
     2872. When, on a time, spirits spoke of miracles and signs, and those who were without faith were insistent on them, the Divine was perceived as in a sphere, which was such as cannot be described. Within it was a something, as it were, loathing and destructive of faith, being as though a foreseen procreator of infidelity, and at the same time a tearing away of the power of any further enrooting of goods and truths with those who love to ascribe to nature even things Divine. From this it could be evident that manifest miracles which are Divine cannot exist at this day.

402


Divine miracles are those that are wrought by the Lord, and signify and involve Him, His Kingdom and Church, and which descend from Him through heaven, and affect those spirits without any cooperation on their part from their own proprium. These miracles are Divine, and are called the finger of God. Such were all the miracles spoken of in the Word. The miracles done by the Lord-of which so light an opinion is entertained, as that they consisted merely in the blind receiving sight and the deaf hearing, and so forth-all signify and involve things Divine, to wit the states of His heavenly Kingdom and Church. This is an arcanum hitherto unknown.
     2873. As to why manifest Divine miracles do not exist at this day, the reason was disclosed to me, namely, that the interiors of faith, which we have from the Lord cannot be insown and enrooted in what is compelled, but only in what is free; and so not by the terrors and the stupefaction which miracles induce. Things which flow in in a state of compulsion, or by means of miracles, are of such a nature that they affect the man's interiors and persuade him, not doing this in due time and order. Hence, with those who have faith from no other source, the goods and truths of faith, which then flow in at the same time, are adjoined to falses and contaminated with evils; and since they have no other root, in a short time they are either perverted or denied. Hence the danger of the profanation of what is holy, a danger from which man is withheld by the Lord so far as possible. This also every man can know. If miracles, such as were wrought in Egypt and such as were wrought in the land of Canaan by Elijah and Elisha, were done at the present day, would they not first infuse something holy even to the point of acknowledgment? but would not men at once reason concerning them? would they not be invalidated in various ways and finally be ascribed to nature?-and this by learned men and geniuses,* as they are called, more than by the simple? and finally, by them the latter also would be persuaded; hence their latter state would be much worse than the state in which they had previously been. That profaning consists in first acknowledging and then perverting and denying, see n. 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 2051, 2426.**
     * Up to this point, the article on Miracles is crossed off by the Author.
     ** Swedenborg first wrote n. 301, 302 303, 571, 582," but the references he crossed off.

403



     2874. There ascended from behind a crowd of spirits, proceeding onward over the occiput and beyond this upon the head: and finally it rested in front above. The spirits of this crowd were inconspicuous, but were seen dimly. I thus thought that they were subtle spirits, but it was said that this crowd consisted of a peculiar kind of spirits who were inconspicuous in a spiritual sphere, but conspicuous in a natural sphere; (a spiritual sphere is the sphere of those who think spiritually, and a natural sphere, of those who think naturally); and this for the reason that when they had been men they had not believed any spiritual thing to be possible, but only a natural. From this faith such a sphere remains with them after death. These spirits, believing that nothing spiritual was possible, were also unbelieving in respect to there being a hell or a heaven, and, consequently, a life after death. It was said that they were of an illustrious, free, and mercantile nation in Europe. I then spoke with them, and noticed that they strove with the utmost care and adroitness, to the end that nothing of what they were thinking might be divulged; and to secure this, they knew how to snatch away from others their ideas and to bring in such ideas as would turn their thoughts in another direction. This they did for a considerable time and in a cunning way. Thence it was given me to learn that in the life of the body their character had been such that they had not wished that anything of what they were thinking and doing should be discovered, and also that they had been eager to snatch away from others their goods, but yet did not make a pretence of falses so as to deceive by means of lies. Nevertheless, theirs was a peculiar kind of deceit. They then carried on for about ten hours, that I might learn the nature of those who are such on earth. Because they had no belief in hell, heaven, and the life after death, it was granted to ask them what they think concerning their belief now, when they know that these do exist; and what they think concerning life in the world, which to them had loomed so large that it was the only life, when yet that life was hardly a minute point of life; for in the present life, in which they now are, a thousand years and ten thousand are scarcely anything. When they heard this, they engaged in thought but gave no answer. Later it was granted to speak with them concerning the truths of faith-truths which, being spiritual, they had also rejected when living in the world. But to this also they gave no answer.

404


I noticed that they were continually repugnant to the truths of faith, their sphere being more repugnant thereto than that of other spirits. Hence it became evident to me throughout the whole day, how hard it was to bring them to an acknowledgment of faith, for they were continually resisting with their silence: nor did they advance any open contradiction, and, what is remarkable, they could not bear that the truth should be demonstrated to them by living experience. Moreover, differently than others, in the natural sphere, they appear to be clothed with garments, even breeches like men of the earth; but in a spiritual sphere they are seen as monsters. In that sphere they have a face so indrawn that they appear to be hardly anything but a grate of teeth, the reason being that, in the world of spirits, interior spiritual things are represented by a face, but natural things by teeth. In the other life, those of them who had lived a moral life, and had not treacherously snatched away from others their goods, are not instructed in the truths of faith like others, but are left to themselves to think concerning the kingdom wherein they are, and concerning its government and the laws there; and also concerning what should be done, since in that kingdom are no laws save those of good and truth: and, furthermore, concerning the state that will remain for them-and this with anxiety. In this way they are finally led, as if of themselves, to do something health-bringing; but later they are instructed that it is not of themselves. When I was in speech with them, a spirit appeared who was lifted up from the left toward the right, into heaven, and it was said that he was one who had recently died, and had been led by angels straightway into heaven. There was discourse concerning him, and concerning the fact that some spirits are carried into heaven immediately after death; see n. 317, 318, 319, 1112, 2119, 2130. But there was perceived from them a sphere of incredulity; for they were held in the same thought wherein they had been in the world when hearing such things. The sphere of incredulity was a gathering together of many thoughts confirming the impossibility of its being so. Later, because the spirit had been seen, they began to wonder, and later to be touched with envy, in that others were carried off into heaven while they themselves were standing below, and not far from hell. The envy increased when it was said that he who had been carried up to heaven was of a nation neighboring on theirs, with which there was competition.

405


Finally, I spoke with them concerning miracles, and it was then allowed them fully to open their mind as to the belief which they had, and which they would have had, if they had seen miracles done in the world. At first they said they would have believed, had they seen miracles, such as the raising of one from the dead. But it was said to them that still they would not have believed, and perhaps would have believed less afterwards than before. Then, when left to themselves to think on this matter, they said from their heart that had they seen a man on his bier raised from the dead, they would have thought first that there was fraud; and, when convinced that there was no fraud, they would have said that the soul of the dead man had some secret communication with the one who raised him up; but, had they seen the same thing done by him many times, they would then have thought that it was something of a secret which they did not comprehend, inasmuch as there are many things in nature which are not comprehended, and which cannot be searched into, and would never have thought that it was supernatural; and so, at last, they would never have believed. Their state would thereby become worse than it had previously been, for then, because of the miracle, they would have still more confirmed themselves against the truth that there is a resurrection and a life after death, and also that any such Divine thing could exist in things infranatural. From this it could be evident what kind of men they would become by reason of miracles who are of such a nature, and have not previously believed that there is a heaven or a hell.
     2875. Some may wonder why, in the other life, the unbelieving, when they hear these things and so know them, do not at once come into a state of faith, and acknowledge that the Lord rules the universe, and adore Him from the heart. Respecting such unbelievers, I have been instructed by angels that the principles of falsity from a life of evil which they have imbued in the life of the body are repugnant to this. The principles of falsity and the life of evil so cleave to their minds that they cannot be uprooted, in them being their only life. To take away these principles of falsity and their evil would be to take away their life; and so they remain in them. The case is almost the same with man, but with a difference; for man has an exterior or corporeal memory, and he has the use of this more especially when living in the world.

406


The things which are of his interior memory terminate in his exterior memory as in the ultimate of order. In the life of the body, it is the exterior memory that can be perfected; and it is perfected by means of concordances with the interior memory. But in the other life, while the exterior memory is indeed present, it is not allowable to draw anything from it. Yet, there also the exterior memory serves the interior as a base. Hence it is that in the other life man's interiors can be no further perfected than according to the amount of concord which these two memories have with each other, or can have, in the non-resistance to evils and falses. Respecting these two memories, and the nature of the one and of the other, see n. 2469 to 2494.
     2876. Some think that evil men can be saved, and can become good miraculously, and come into heaven, by the Lord's Omnipotence: and that they can be purged from all evils and falses, howsoever the man has lived and believed, provided only he gives forth sighs of faith in the last hour of death. But the evil with which a man has been imbued cannot be turned into good; nay, were evil to be miraculously taken away from one who is in evil, he would then have so little life that it would be hardly any. From the principles which he had acquired in the life of the body, a certain spirit* spoke in this way, and became insistent and forced others to his own persuasion; but, to the end that he might be instructed that such was not the case, evil and falsity were miraculously taken away from him, and they saw how much residue of life he had. He was then seen as an infant with floating hands which he could hardly move. At the same time he was in such a state that he was less able to think than any infant, could not speak at all, nor take in any knowledge. Soon, however, he was restored. Hence it could be evident that evil men cannot miraculously become good and come into heaven.**
     * This spirit was the Apostle Paul (Mem. 4322). In A. C. 2871. he is spoken of as an evil spirit.
     ** In the autograph, n. 2876 is crossed off by the Author, who included it, in part, in n. 2871 of the article on Man's Freedom which he substituted for the present article.
     2877. The common belief at the present day is that all are saved who have some pious thoughts toward the end of their life, and speak from the heart concerning salvation and concerning the Lord, and especially so if they then confess that the Lord suffered for them, confirming their opinion by the Lord's words to the thief Luke 23: 431, and by a dogma in the mouth of many men, that the tree remains where it falls; and this, howsoever the man has lived throughout the whole course of his life.

407


Such thoughts are indeed a consolation to the dying, and dissipate the anxiety of thought concerning their past life; yet the case is quite different, it being the past life that makes a man happy or unhappy. Piety before the hour of death takes nothing away from that life. What makes the man think piously at that time is the fear of death, and especially the ceasing of the love of self and the world, that is, the laying asleep of things corporeal and mundane; and when these cease or are laid asleep, every one is such, it being the loves of corporeal and mundane things that alone make resistance against the receiving of good which continually flows in from the Lord. As regards the thief to whom the Lord's words were addressed, he had been previously prepared;* and as regards the dogma that the tree remains where it falls, such is not the case. Still, it is of use that the dying shall have consolation, it being impossible to know what, interiorly, has been the character of the man in his past life.
     * A similar statement is made in The Word Explained, n. 3158.
     2878. It was said that there is no faith by means of miracles. Faith is rooted in the interior man, and there conjoins itself with the affection of good. Faith which does not so conjoin itself is not faith, because it is not of the heart. The affection of good is insinuated by the Lord by way of the soul, that is, by an internal way, without any knowledge on the part of the man. But the doctrinals of faith enter by way of the hearing, that is by an external way, and they are brought into the memory, and are called forth thence by the Lord in their due time and order, and are conjoined with the affection of good. This takes place in man's freedom. Man's freedom is from affection, there being no other freedom than that of affection. Such is the sowing and enrooting of faith. Whatever is effected in freedom is conjoined, but never what is effected in compulsion, nor, consequently, what is effected by miracles, these being of such a nature that they compel. Nay, things insown by miracles, if they fall not down of themselves, are uprooted, because they affix themselves to falses and adjoin themselves to evils.

408



     2879. Men who had no internal worship, but only external, such as the Jews and Israelites-for the church with them was merely representative of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith which belong to the true church-had to be compelled, not only by miracles, but also by manifold terrors and manifold punishments; for there was nothing internal which held them in bonds, and the external without the internal is carried hither and thither like a reed by the storm. Miracles were done among them because these could not affect the interiors where the affection of good is conjoined with the affection of truth. Nevertheless, in order that freedom might not be taken away from them, it was permitted the magicians of Egypt to do miracles which were the same in external appearance as those done by Moses, and this that they might thus be in a position to choose. But after interior truths had been revealed by the Lord, then, for reasons previously spoken of, miracles ceased.
     2880. I have spoken with angels concerning the truth that man ought to compel himself to the doing of good as against his own cupidities; and that he ought to compel himself to the believing of truth as against his own opinion; but ought never to be compelled; and it was said that compelling oneself comes from freedom, because from interior affection, and that being compelled comes from non- freedom, because from an outer force; and that miracles are things from which man does not compel himself, but by which he is compelled.
     2881. Few know what freedom is, and what non-freedom. All that appears to be free which is of one's love and its delight, and not free, which is contrary to that love and its delight. That which is of the love of self and of the love of the world, and of the cupidities of these loves, appears to man as if it were freedom, but it is infernal freedom; while that which is of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor, and, consequently, of the love of good and truth, is freedom itself, and is heavenly freedom. Infernal spirits know no other freedom than that which is of the love of self and the world, and this because such freedom is their life. If it were taken away from them, no more life would remain with them than the life with a newly born infant-respecting which matter, see above, n. 2876;* and every such spirit is in this freedom when, as a vile slave, he serves some one of the devils; but as soon as he does not serve him a lamentable state arises, and the one torments the other in direful ways; and this takes place alternately.

409


Such is the freedom that remains with all those who recognize no other freedom than what is of self and the world; and, what is to be wondered at, heavenly freedom is utterly unknown to them, and if it were described before them in a thousand ways, and were shown to the life, they would still not believe it to be anything.** Heavenly freedom, on the other hand, is that freedom which is from the Lord. In this freedom are all the angels who are in the heavens. It is, as was said, the freedom of love to the Lord and of mutual love, thus of the affection of good and truth. The nature of this freedom can be evident from the fact that everyone who is in this freedom communicates his own bliss and felicity to another, and this from inmost affection; and his being able to communicate these is to him beatitude and happiness. Hence each individual is a center, as it were, of beatitudes and felicities: and because each individual is such, there is a perennial circle and a perpetual communication and this solely from the Lord. Thus it can be evident what is the nature of heavenly freedom. Because, from His Divine Mercy, the Lord wills that all shall be given this freedom, therefore the affection of good and truth is inseminated in such freedom.
     * Up to this point, n. 2881 is crossed off by the Author, having been incorporated in the clean copy of nos. 2870-71 of his substituted article on Man's Freedom.
     ** From this point to the end of the paragraph the writing is crossed off by the Author, having been incorporated in the clean copy of n. 2872 of the substituted article.
     2882. It is well known in the other life, but entirely unknown in the world at this day, that no one can think and will from himself, but only from others. Such is the connection of all things from the First of Life, that is, from the Lord, that the unconnected has no existence. They who are in evils and falses have connection with the hells; their thinking and willing is from thence. And those who are in goods and truths have connection with heaven, and from thence is their thinking and willing. Thus it can also be evident whence is the one freedom and what its nature, and whence and what the other freedom. That such is the case has been shown many times.*
     * No. 2882 is crossed off by the Author, having been incorporated in n. 2886 of the substituted article.

410



     2883. From what has been said above, it can be evident that it is an eternal law that every individual be in freedom in respect to thinking and willing, but that doing must be held in bonds, He who is in the affection of evil and falsity must be held in external bonds, which are fear of the loss of honor, gain, reputation, life, and fear of the law's penalties; without these, each such man would rush against another who does not serve him, as they do in hell. At this day, many men are ruled by the Lord by means of these bonds; and yet they then appear to themselves to be in freedom. But they who are in the affection of good and truth are ruled by the Lord by means of internal bonds, which are bonds of conscience, these bonds being love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor; and when they are in them, they are then in heavenly freedom. All loves and affections are called bonds, though they do not appear as bonds.
     2884. Man does not wish to believe, and hardly to know, that he does not live, that is, think and will, from himself. And, such being his faith, evils and falses become his oxen and cleave to him: for he appropriates them to himself, and so long as he remains such, good and truth cannot be imputed to him, Not so would it be if he believed what is really the case, namely, that all evil is from hell and all good from the Lord. Evil would not then become his because it is hell's, nor would he attribute good to himself, because it is the Lord's, Thus, in the other life, he would not be punished because of evil, and this, not from any deserving, but from mercy.
     2885. Many false miracles were done of old, and they can still be done, but only with those who are in falses as to faith, and so are not in internal worship, but in external; for the miracles cannot enter in and contaminate interior truths, there being no such truths there. And although such miracles are not in themselves miracles, aside from the fact that many of them are feigned, yet they move simple minds to a kind of pious and holy external, which, in that they are in falses, is impure.
     2886. Magical miracles, such as were done of old in Egypt and Chaldea and elsewhere among the gentiles, were done by artificial means and sorceries, and for no other end than to induce the opinion that the miracle workers were deities, and that they might seize an empire even over souls, and might acquire the wealth of the world. In themselves, these miracles were contrary to Divine order, but yet, in external form, they appeared like Divine miracles.

411


In the other life, many such miracles are wrought by diabolic spirits, who, when set free, devote their thought to naught else than the imitating of things which are of heaven, and to the deluding of minds by means of imitations, especially to the end that they may exercise rule and do harm to others. These imitations are illusions by means of induced persuasions and phantasies, and are distorted applications of correspondences by which novitiate spirits are especially fascinated. In front, in the plane of the sole of the foot, there is a place, somewhat extended lengthwise, where such spirits are present in great number. Also there, but in caverns beneath, is the hell of the Egyptian and Chaldean magicians. All who, in the life of the body, have filled others with cunning deceits are associated with such spirits.
     2887. The Divine miracles which exist at this day are not manifest, but concealed; and in the series of their contingencies are many such miracles, which, because they do not appear as miracles are ascribed to fortune, or to prudence, or to nature, save with those who acknowledge Divine Providence in every single thing. They are concealed, for the reason already told, lest they unduly affect minds which are being interiorly prepared by the Lord for the reception of good and truth, and that such minds may be in freedom, that is, may see faith from interior affection. Hence it is that the Lord said to Thomas, "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that do not see, and yet believe" (John 20: 29).

412


UNIVERSALITY OF THE FINAL REVELATION 1942

UNIVERSALITY OF THE FINAL REVELATION       J. S. PRYKE       1942

     (Address at a 19th of June Celebration, Colchester, June 20, 1942.)

     The task before me this evening is to try to offer some worth while reflections upon the character, agency and timing of that revelation which led up to the events that make the 19th of June a day of special observance for adherents of the New Dispensation; that is to say, the instauration of the Lord's New Church amongst angels and men. At the same time, it has been tactfully hinted that brevity is the soul of wit.
     There is a doctrinal statement to the effect that, of the different forms employed by the Maker in disclosing His mind to man, the historical is the one most liable to confine thought to the natural degree. For that reason, although the general subject of the evening lends itself to historical and even biographical treatment, I propose to rise above persons, dates and places, attempting to trace the line of use which rises superior to all three, although forming the actual content of them. I am, of course, thinking of spiritual use.
     The first consideration, then, which suggests itself is the universality of the final revelation; indeed, that very word implies this. Revelation is the Divine voice, and when the Lord speaks, it is to every created being, whether he is encompassed by a material body or not, and wherever his place of abode may be. Perhaps such a statement may seem a little strained, but it is implicit in the doctrines of omniscience and omnipresence, and it describes the Divine intent as distinct from the varying degrees of human receptivity or non-receptivity. The final revelation of the New Gospel is proclaimed to all nations, peoples and tongues, as witness the mission of the twelve apostles to preach it throughout the whole spiritual world, This, when the active inter-relation between the two is studied, is seen to embrace the mundane world also. For whether we have in mind our own or some other planet of our system, or even planets of other solar systems, the truth remains invariable, namely, that the spiritual is ever the world of cause and impulse to which the natural can do no more than respond.

413


A perception that the Lords Second Advent was in effect made to all humanity will add depth and warmth to our rejoicings this evening.
     What is the distinguishing characteristic of a communication which is unlimited in its appeal? What hidden quality does it contain which had never previously been disclosed? What arcane wisdom does it uncover and make accessible?
     Proceeding directly from the Lord, as it does, its most obvious use would be to tell us about the Divine attributes, purposes and actions, and make them clear and simple to enlightened spiritual reason and perception. This in fact it does; and henceforth it will be possible for men to comprehend their position-and, if you like, prospects-both as regards the present transitory phase of existence and of the life eternal. There is this to be added: the revelation which brought into being a church which functions reciprocally in two worlds, and will never come to an end, deals with spiritual and eternal matters, and only with those which are material and temporal by way of illustration and covering.
     The next great quality of the revelation, therefore, is that its appeal is to the immortal in man, and must perforce become the sole guide and inspiration of his life. It is not adequate to the establishment of the New Church that doctrinal passages be learned, be piled one upon another, and recited with candor and verbal exactness. True it is that the spiritual mind must be constructed with the aid of spiritual cognitions, just as is the case with the natural mind. But spiritual reflection must also be awakened and the dawning of a new perception take place. There must be, so to speak, a spiritual saturation of the twin hemispheres of the mind-the intellectual and the voluntary-so that the spiritual may be given its authentic role as illustrator, governor and director over the entire sweep of human consciousness. After all, this is but the operation of the Holy Spirit by means of Truth Divine, and conduces not only to genuine enlightenment and reason, but also to quiet confidence in God's wisdom and mercy.
     Accordingly, a third prominent feature to be noted is that the revelation itself is not our personal property, although we are invited to enjoy it.

414


For by it all men may be brought into the presence of the Almighty, All-wise, and Ever-present God in the Human Form, and are furnished with abundant and cogent reasons for staving their lives upon Him, Though there are reverential awe and deep humility before the Lord, there is no longer any room for gruesome dread, which in any case is the product of perverted imagination,
     Another, and for our present purpose, the last and most striking attribute of the revelation is that it enables men to join intelligently in the affairs both of this life and of the next, in a condition of rationality and freedom which, though enjoyed without restraint, is yet never divorced from its spiritual partner, namely, self-compulsion.
     After all, perhaps its supreme value is the invitation it gives to men to become truly the sons of their Maker, and the fact that it is addressed to an illumined mind now able to grasp that Maker throughout the ages as none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, it is consistent with, explains and confirms, every single previous Divine utterance ever made before, which in itself is logically sufficient to confirm the existence of a First Cause. For it is as incontrovertible in the domain of reason as it is in that of matter that from nothing there can be derived nothing. There can be no kind of generation from a non-entity.
     Since we now come to a consideration of Divine procedure, it is worth noticing that the chosen method was precisely similar to that employed in all previous revelations: that is to say, human cooperation was enlisted and means taken to ensure permanence. "What thou seest: what thou hearest; that tell and write!" was the command, the recipient of the message meanwhile being reduced to a state of holy awe, at times indistinguishable from a belief that he himself was actually the Divine Being. The first style of writing was upon the inward parts of men; those which followed used the parchments and writing-fluids of the day, and this was so in Swedenborg's case.
     But an important addition must be observed, The Old Testament utterances may be said to have been directed to the emotional in man; they awakened feelings ranging from reverence to fear which were fundamentally impermanent. Much the same may be said of the New Testament, which is not so much a record of what was understood and believed as what was seen and heard, and how men were affected by events passing before them.

415


Sufficient, of course, it was, as were those which preceded it, for the salvation of all to whom it was given, but its hidden value belonged to the future, when the soul might be brought forth, and the dry bones of mere acts and words made to live.
     That is why the form of the crowning revelation was so immensely different from its forerunners. They were limited, not of course in the Divine intent, but as to the human receptivity, since at that time all the degrees of the human mind had not been opened. Even the inner meaning of the breath-taking events of the Lords life and death stimulated no rational perception in those d)f His day; and, apart from the New Church, they still remain "as tales that are told" with a strong dilution of modern skepticism. Nevertheless, there was provided the possibility of a bridge to the natural rational, which might have been enlarged, had not the fatal falsity of a Divine tri-personality been admitted to the early church by contemporary Quislings, whose hidden object was the establishment of a personal rule destined in intent to spread the world over and even up to the gates of heaven. It is important for us to hold the inner nature of this evil in mind, because it still persists as the opponent and persecutor of truth.
     The supreme and concluding disclosure of the mind of God called into service the spiritual-rational, which is an immortal degree, capable of holding the higher degrees of truth, and halting only before the Divine Itself. Such is the heritage provided for the humble and teachable member of the New Church, before whom stretches a vista of truth, unending indeed, yet never approaching wisdom as that word ought to be understood.
     Obviously, the vehicle selected for the great transmission would have to be a human being possessing a natural mind well coordinated and developed by science and philosophy, with the capacity for spiritual reasoning, having a strong vein of veneration for its Former, and a literary facility which perhaps has never been excelled in its adequacy for the particular use undertaken. Such a one was found in the person of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose personal piety, integrity and unwearying industry rightly entitle him to the name of Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ-not the servant.

416



     Yet, if we wish to avoid an obstacle to continued growth, we ought not, I suggest, to fall into the error of regarding Swedenborg as marking the limit of expansion, for this would be tantamount to missing the inmost quality of the revelation. Divine Truth has been given once for all, and to the extreme limit of man's comprehension' vet, although the suggestion may appear an impossible one in view of the state of present mentality, theoretically at least Swedenborg may be outdistanced in his perception of the truth, as committed to written words, although most likely his many excellencies may enable him forever to remain in the van of angelic wisdom,
     The avoidance of dates has been hinted at, but this may be said as to the time selected for giving the revelation, and the reason for the choice. In fact, the answer covers both points. It can be drawn, one suggests, from the spiritual side of the story. Primarily, the revelation was a setting forth of spiritual truth. It was also the Advent of the Lord for the purpose of establishing the doctrine of His own Divine Human upon an impregnable foundation and for all future time. Each coming of the Lord, we are told, takes place when the state is full, when "unless those days be shortened" there can be no salvation.
     So in the present instance. The growth and diffusion of natural science had led to the renaissance of the natural-rational, which, owing to the rule of the proprium, would otherwise have been submerged in a materialistic view of life, beyond amendment, Accordingly, at this point and for that reason, a new conception of the Lord was made known; an entirely novel idea of what the rational mind really meant was given to the world; and thence onwards no argument against the existence of a Divine Being, with all it covers, can logically be framed. The leaves of the tree were given for the healing of the nations, and spiritual health was placed within the reach of all. Yes, of all! Since everyone who tries to conform his life to the tenets of his particular religion can be led to a knowledge of the truth and to heaven.
     The last point to be touched upon deals with the promulgation of the New Gospel throughout the natural world, which presumably is not limited in idea to our own earth. To extend our consideration beyond that point, however, would call for a lengthy study of what has been told about the varying qualities of the inhabitants of planets outside our own system, and lead us beyond the time at our disposal. What follows, therefore, relates to our own earth.

417



     The salient point here is whether the New Gospel and the New Church are destined to be permanent. Speaking for myself, the answer is undoubtedly in the affirmative. The mere fact that the revelation was made through a man of this earth to the inhabitants of this earth seems to me to be conclusive, and it accords with the methods which the Lord has ever employed. Moreover, our planet is the most ultimate of all creation, and if the knowledge of the New Gospel were lost, it would also mean that an ultimate had been removed, and that either the planet would become depopulated or that a race of human beings would dwell upon it who were forever outside the possibility of salvation. This is unthinkable. On the other hand, this is not equivalent to a claim that a knowledge of the New Gospel, a belief in the Second Advent, and membership of an organized church, will remain with those to whom these blessings are at present entrusted and their lineal descendants. The specific teaching is, that unless the will and the understanding are definitely committed, there can be no lasting growth.
     As to how the fact that the Tabernacle of God at last dwells amongst men in full power and glory is to be disseminated, I would repeat that the message itself is spiritual, discretely different from any piece of natural science, and should be approached spiritually. It does, of course, in appearance come to rest upon the natural, although in fact it is ceaselessly bringing the latter into order with itself. Natural facilities are not necessarily debarred, but when employed it should be done discriminately, and never with the intention of stimulating a jaded curiosity. Our aim is the arousing and development of the spiritual relationship with God; "seek ye first" being the Golden Rule. The Lord never fails to open the door to a genuine response to His knocking.
     For this reason, although soliciting the assent of none, I feel a profound distrust for the employment of Broadcasting and similar publicity methods which are so popular just at present. In the spiritual degree, such arrows are shot very wide of the mark, and may bear with them the danger of levity, if not of actual profanity. There should be, I agree, the continual publication of the Writings, without too meticulous care for modern readable English, and including all the footnotes and cross references,-in themselves most valuable, and likely to attract the serious reader.

418


Clear, cogent and fearless preaching should be maintained, with a realization of the Divine character ever before the mind of the expositor. There should be doctrinal classes, carefully prepared for by leader and students alike, with sufficient vocal response by the latter. There should be, of course, well-ordered public worship, dignified and reverent on the part of all; proceeding from the Lord, and offered back to Him in solemnity and gratitude. All these have their uses, and are not to be neglected. Yet, in all probability, the best missionary work and the most permanent will always be made within the walks of daily use, provided he or she has been fitted to speak and act with discretion and conviction, The preparation needed, however, will furnish a field of activity for individual self-compulsion.
ROBERT MELVILLE RIDGWAY 1942

ROBERT MELVILLE RIDGWAY       Rev. F. W. ELPHICK       1942

     Address at the Memorial Service.

     "And I heard a voice from heaven saving unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." (Revelation 14: 13.)
     These words were heard by John when in the Isle of Patmos, and when he was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day." In their context they refer to the apocalyptic visions seen by that apostle-visions associated with the prophecy of strange happenings which were to take place in the spiritual world at the time of the Last Judgment and prior to the descent of the Holy City New Jerusalem. These visions referred to temptation, struggle, conflict and judgment. For not only do such things occur in the spiritual world-and specifically took place at the time of the Last Judgment but they also refer to the struggle and conflict and judgment as applied to every individual soul.
     This is so because the New Church as a city-the New Church as to doctrine, faith, truth; as well as the New Church seen as a bride-the New Church as to life, charity, love-does not come into the hearts and minds of men and women without the ordeal of these very things-temptation, struggle, conflict and judgment.

419


And since the preparation for the reception of the New Church is the principal theme of the greater part of the Apocalypse, so the text we have selected bears relationship and meaning to conditions of preparation. "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."
     When we hear these words, we think of them as written. We picture in our imagination how they may apply to those who have left us and gone before. For all those who have lived a Christian life-fighting the good fight-are indeed blessed "from henceforth." This is announced by a voice from heaven, but it is confirmed by a second voice, with an additional idea: "Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors: and their works do follow them." Certainly this is a comforting thought after the toil and labor, the anxieties, temptations, victories and disappointments of this earthly life, with its ebb and flow. Such thoughts may be associated with the text. Indeed, similar and different interpretations may be put into the sacred words, according to individual knowledge and experience. But this "voice from heaven" and the confirmatory statement by "the Spirit" have deeper meaning, even a meaning revealed and certain, as now given in the Heavenly Doctrines. Let us follow this meaning for a moment.
     "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth." This signifies a prediction from the Lord concerning the state of those after death who will be of His New Church, which is, that they who suffer temptations on account of faith in the Lord and life according to His precepts will have eternal life and happiness. . . . . "To hear a voice from heaven saying" means a prediction from the Lord. By "Blessed"-happy-are signified they who have eternal life and happiness; and by the dead" are signified those who afflicted their soul, crucified their flesh, and suffered temptations, that is. spiritual temptations, which exist with those who have faith in the Lord and live according to His Commandments, when they drive away evil spirits that are with them. . . .

420


"Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors," signifies that the Divine Truth of the Word teaches that they who do so afflict themselves shall have peace in the Lord, or rest of the soul, when no longer infested as before by evils and falsities. . . . "The works which follow after them-or "their works do follow them-signify all things which remain with man after death. (See A. R. 639-641.)
     Such, briefly, is a part of the inner, revealed spiritual sense of our text. And the subject-matter coincides with the ideals and hopes and experiences of all those who realize what the Lord's New Dispensation is-that is, His New Church, the True Christianity. It was these ideals and hopes and experiences which were realized by our departed member, Robert Melville Ridgway, who was beloved by us all-husband, father, brother, friend.
     Passing from us just after completing his sixty-third year of life on earth, he has now entered the life beyond. After declining health for a number of years, he was mercifully prepared for this change between the natural and the spiritual world, for he was unconscious of this world before the cessation of natural life.
     All circles in which our friend moved-the legal profession, business, political, and even those connected with the war-days of forty years ago-will recognize him as a man of sterling honor and uprightness, a lover of justice and fair dealing. But we, in a common faith with him-striving to be worthy of the title "New Church"-know to some extent how these qualities were based upon spiritual values; that is, they were the result of his great faith in the Lord and of striving to keep His Commandments. And this striving effort will follow him; it is one of the many attributes of the spirit that will continue to be of service in the hereafter, where "their works do follow them." For this attitude of spirit is a part of the interior form of use,-use in the world among men, use in the church on earth; and this will lead to and develop eternal uses, of which we on earth are unaware, and which we cannot describe.
     But as regards the uses on earth, especially those in the organized church on earth-with all its human failings, trials, and temptations, calling for the greatest patience among men-we know how our friend took part in these. He was intimately associated with the uses of the Durban Society from early manhood to the time of his passing.

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He was the faithful Hon: Secretary for over twenty-five years, one of its chief legal advisers, and a friend to anyone in trouble. He entered understandingly into the theology of the New Church, contributing on many occasions to the intellectual and practical matters of doctrine. He supported the efforts of New Church education, and was twice elected President of the Durban Chapter of the Sons of the Academy. When asked to lead in Sunday public worship, he carried this with marked ability; yet he was conscious of the truth-and of its practice-that ministerial uses are detached from any ideas of personality. He was also a great lover of music.
     And now he has passed over. He is not here, but has risen into that spiritual world about which he had read so much in this world. He will meet those gone before,-those who passed over many years ago, as well as those who have recently departed. For the spiritual world is a world of state, and is not governed by time,-though there are the appearances of time. He will be able to answer the question, "What news of the earth?" Truth will be seen in clearer light: good will be sensed in greater degree. And after spiritual cleansing and judgment-matters only known to the Divine Providence of the Lord, and happening to all who pass on-falsity and evil will cease to infest. It will be the resting from labors. "Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors." For him it is a birthday into spiritual life.
     But what of those left-wife, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and all relatives and friends? For no matter what the truth of doctrine may be concerning the surety of the spiritual world, the natural separation will be felt. Affections are affections. And yet there can be comfort,-comfort and gratitude that, by means of the Lord's Second Coming,-a universal faith of the whole of the New Church,-men and women can the more fully realize the meaning of life,-life with its pleasures and pains, labor and rest, its uses in this world, its uses of spirit and eternal life.
     For the spiritual world is near to us all the time. It is, indeed, unseen, untouchable, yet present. And at times, when dear ones pass to the other side, we feel the unaccountable pressure of forces, correspondential and invisible. There is a right "communion of angels and men,"-a communion established by means of the Lord's Divine Revelations, and of His influx into the souls of men, that there is a God, that He is one, and that there is a life beyond physical death.

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"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me: Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." Amen,
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 1942

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.              1942



     ROBERT MELVILLE RIDGWAY-Solicitor, Notary Public and Conveyancer-was born in Durban, Natal, on May 18, 1879, the youngest son of the late Rowland Ridgway (Architect) and the late Elizabeth Ridgway (nee Upton), both of the New Church. On June 3, 1908, he married Amelia Laura Attersall, daughter of the late Harold Attersoll of Durban, who survives him, together with four daughters-Joyce, Viva (Mrs. J. Ball), Elsa, and Rona-and three sons,- Brian, Glen (Ginty), and Lyall. Two of the sons are now on active service in North Africa,-Lieut. Brian M. Ridgway and Signaller Glen M. Ridgway.
     In his early days, Mr. Ridgway served for ten years with the Natal Carbineers and Natal Mounted Rifles, and saw active service in the Boer War of 1899-1901, including the defense and siege of Ladysmith. He was much interested in the political affairs of Natal, being a member of the Executive of Closer Union Committee (1909-1910) for Federation as opposed to Unification, and was one of the original promoters of the Home Rule Movement in Natal.
     A life member of the Durban Society of the Church of the New Jerusalem, he was Hon: Secretary for over twenty-five years. He was thus in intimate association with the work of the Society, first under the leadership of the late Mr. A. S. Cockerell, and then under the late Rev. J. F. Buss and the succession of General Church pastors. When a Chapter of the Sons of the Academy was formed in Durban, he was twice elected President, which office he held at the time of his death.
     F. W. E.

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[Photograph: ROBERT MELVILLE RIDGWAY.]

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ZULU LITURGY 1942

ZULU LITURGY       GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942

     We have just received a copy of a Liturgy in the Zulu language, published at Alpha, Ladybrand, O. F. S., South Africa. in 1941. It is a praiseworthy product of native craftsmanship, having been printed on the Mission Press under the direction of the compiler, the Rev. M. B. Mcanyana, with the Revs, P. J. Stole and P. H. Sabela assisting.
     It forms a neat pamphlet of one hundred pages, bound in paper, and containing for the most part translated excerpts from the latest edition of the General Church Liturgy. The First and Sixth General Offices are reproduced in full, as are the two forms of Family Worship and the form for School Opening. All the Sacraments and Rites except the Rite of Ordination are included in their entirety. We find also eight selections from the Psalter, and brief extracts from the Law, the Gospel, and the Doctrine. Thirteen hymns are added, some of them being translations from the General Church Liturgy, while others are original compositions. The music throughout is printed in Do Sol-fa notation.
     The Preface, printed in both English and Zulu, is written by the Rev. F. W. Elphick, Superintendent of the Mission, He says in part: "After a long period of preparation, the publication of a Zulu Liturgy is now possible for the use of the New Church wherever the Zulu language is used. . . . Allowing for differences of dialect and of various methods of orthography-for the Zulu language is not a settled one-it is hoped that the Liturgy will be the means of providing a distinctive sphere of New Church worship."
     We believe it will do this and more. The Church requires for its growth, not only doctrine, but also worship. Its worship must be an appropriate expression of its faith, The affection of spiritual truth, ultimated in worship through correspondential rituals, brings a powerful influx and inspiration from those in the other world who are in the faith of the New Church.

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It brings present the sphere of the New Christian Heaven, now formed by the Lord at His Second Coming. And this sphere is invaluable for the upbuilding of the Church on earth.
     Furthermore, a common form of worship, around which affections gather with increasing power through constant use, creates a sense of unity between societies, however widely they may be scattered in various parts of the world. This sense of unity transcends national and racial boundaries, for it is based upon spiritual consociation. It arises from a similarity of religious belief, and from a striving together for a common cause,-the cause of establishing the Lord's Kingdom among men.
     We rejoice, therefore, in the thought that distinctive worship among the Zulus will be greatly strengthened by this publication. And we congratulate Mr. Elphick, the Editors, and the entire membership of the Mission upon what we regard as a definite and important forward step in the development of the New Church among them.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS.
SUMMONED FROM THE EARTHS 1942

SUMMONED FROM THE EARTHS              1942

     "The universal heaven resembles a man, who is called the Gorand Man, and all and single things with a man, both his exteriors and interiors, correspond to that Man or Heaven. But to constitute that Gorand Man, those who come from this Earth into the other life are not sufficient. These are relatively few, and they must come from many other earths. And it is provided by the Lord that as soon as there is anywhere a deficiency in the quality or quantity of the correspondence, they who supply it are immediately summoned from some earth, so that the proportion may be preserved, and heaven may thus maintain its consistence." (A. C. 6807.)

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RADIO TALKS. 1942

RADIO TALKS.       HOMER SYNNESTVEDT       1942

     Detroit, Michigan.

     In this day of a growing reliance upon radio to convey information of all kinds to the largest audiences ever known, the New Church has not been indifferent to its responsibility to use this medium for the spreading of its surpassing "News from Heaven," as Johnny Appleseed called it. In the General Church, our experiments in this direction have been sporadic rather than consistent, but several ministers of the General Convention have maintained broadcasting with regularity, and with some success in spreading a knowledge of the New Church teachings and selling copies of the Writings.
     On a recent visit to Detroit it was my privilege to listen to such a broadcast by the Rev. William H. Beales over Station CKLW on a Sunday afternoon at two o'clock. The program took the form of a discussion with Mr. Roy Morrison, an expert in radio publicity, who asked the questions and raised the objections which are in the minds of many Christians, to which Mr. Beales replied as fully and clearly as the fifteen-minute period would allow. I was impressed with the succinct and effective diction and the pleasing tone of the speakers.

     A Booklet.

     In response to many requests, Mr. Beales has published a 46-page booklet entitled, "Behold, I make All Things New," in which he prints a selection from the "series of radio talks on the deeper meaning of the Bible and religion" which he gave throughout the past Winter, and concerning which he states "that the basic teachings expressed are to be found in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg." At the end of the volume, six works of the Writings are listed as obtainable in an inexpensive form at the Swedenborg Foundation, Inc., New York. Copies of this booklet may be obtained free of charge by addressing The Swedenborg Fellowship, 5082 S. Clarendon, Detroit, Michigan. There is no mention of any other organizations of the New Church.
     After a brief prefatory reference to Swedenborg, his eminent standing, and the widespread influence of his religious teaching among Church leaders, Mr. Beales' presentation of the New Church teaching proceeds through successive broadcasts to explain and illustrate the spiritual sense of the Bible on the basis of the science of correspondences, and the authority for this faith is ascribed to the Writings-with a capital W. For it is a most important thing to proclaim in no uncertain terms our belief that these new Doctrines are the Holy City, New Jerusalem, now descending from God out of heaven, and that they are now being embodied in a New Church in heaven, and slowly on earth, which will doubtless assume different forms in different places and at different periods.
     Early in his series of talks he deals with the foundation truth of all, "How shall we think of Christ?" clearly showing the Unity of the Trinity in Christ, with a brief allusion to the mistakes" of the early teachers. This subject is well presented to anyone willing to listen to the Bible and accept it as the sole authority; for so the genuine truths of the letter must come to any Christian not yet of the New Church.
     One of the best talks is on the subject "What Lies Beyond the Grave?" The questioner is assured that the spiritual world is "as real and substantial to those dwelling there as our world is to us." and illustrations from things seen by Swedenborg are given. But the treatment of this subject might have been strengthened by some disquisition upon what is involved in the teaching that the natural world is material and the spiritual world substantial, although the other life is like this one in outer form.
     For one who is still in an unquestioning faith in the Holy Book, and who asked, "How are these homes-the 'many mansions' of John xiv-secured?"-it was enough to answer:

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"We are told that they are the free gift of the Lord God." One or two things, however, might have been added; as, for example, the fact that the homes promised to us in "my Father's house," and which are given to us gratis, are substantial in a most real sense, and that in heaven they have a sun of their own, atmospheres, and even ground of their own to rest upon.
     The certainty of this is given to anyone who reflects upon these facts:
(a) That every function requires a suitable organ and medium; (b) that the functions of the higher mind, even while we live in this world, are distinct from and quite other than any of the merely natural functions which we share with animals; and (c) since the spiritual life is not such that it is subject to the accidents of the solar system, there must be another entire world. To postulate another life in the sky, with no human organism and functions to bring it into effect, is utterly against all the laws of order, involving discrete degrees, the internal and external man, and other things now revealed in the Doctrines.

     A Suggestion.

     This would suggest that those who are planning the radio phase of our publicity might give serious study to the later developments of more up-to- date features by Academy teachers, answering not only the Biblical questions of the Protestant public, but also the more modern questions of many, by presenting our doctrines of the human organic, of creation in general, of discrete degrees, intercourse between the soul and the body, and so on.
     Thus it might be demonstrated that our sun is utterly incompetent to produce the light of rational thought or of human affections; that the air and ether of our world are primarily mediums of the outer senses and the forces of matter; that the planets are not able to sustain, to receive and reciprocate, mental or spiritual impulses, although they do clothe these higher activities with a body, until death supervenes as the result of the heart's inability longer to continue reciprocating the impulses from above or within. All of which leads to the evident conclusion that we, as to our inner human part, even while as to our bodies we are still subject to the tides and times of this world and its sun, must have a living sun or center of life-impulses of its own, and atmospheres that are sensitive to the transmission of thought and its affection.
     If, then, our Creator has furnished us with these two planes of life, what is to prevent His creating and maintaining two earths or planes of ultimate reaction or sustentation-one below the other, ever interacting, yet so distinct that the lower, in itself, is dead and merely reactive, apt only to outer sense organs, while the other uses it for a time, and draws forth from it at death a perfected but far higher and distinct organism-the immortal spirit, now free from matter, and clothed, as Paul says, with a "body of incorruption,"-apt to live and breathe in a higher atmosphere, and to walk upon an earth exactly adequate to the pressure of the foot of the spiritual man?
     HOMER SYNNESTVEDT.

     Editorial Note-The issue of THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER for July 8th contains an Obituary of the late Rev. Jedidiah Edgerton, who passed into the spiritual world at Springfield, Mass., on June 5. 1942, and gives an interesting account of his broadcasting over a period of years under the title of "The Cavalry of The White Horse."
     We may also note that a Methods and Results Bureau, of which the Rev. John W. Stockwell is Director, is described in the MESSENGER of June 10, 1942, p. 189. Among other things, this account states that Fellowship Clubs similar to the one in Detroit are successfully operating in Wilmington. Delaware, and Baltimore, Maryland, the idea being to bring together those who are led by radio talks to an interest in the Doctrines, but who have not as yet attended meetings of a New Church Society.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     GENERAL CONVENTION.

     The 121st Annual Session of the General Convention was held June 19-21, 1942, in Hurlbut Memorial Church, Chautauqua, N. Y., and a report of the meeting is given in THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER of July 8 and 22.
     There was an attendance of 42 ministers and 79 delegates, a total of 121 who signed the roll, but there were many others present who were not entitled to vote. The report remarks: "Whether due to the brevity of the session or to a mental condition induced by the war we cannot say, but there was a marked absence of controversy. Ministers and delegates alike exercised great self-restraint, and seemed anxious to preserve an affirmative attitude on nearly every subject. This does not mean that there was a lack of intelligent discussion, but all the speeches were brief and dispassionate."

     New Church Day.

     On Friday evening, June 19th, a Special New-Church Day Observance service was held, with the Rev. Franklin H. Blackmer presiding and the Rev. William H. Beales, of Detroit, delivering an address on "Why the New Church?" In the course of this interesting paper, the speaker contrasted the large numbers belonging to the Protestant denominations with the few members of the Convention, and went on to say:
     "In point of numbers, we are an insignificant body, in spite of our one hundred and twenty-one years. And we are not very well, either. We are losing weight. Our blood-count is low, and still dropping. We haven't enough red corpuscles. I think we have spiritual anemia. And it is not because we haven't known it, and searched for the remedy. Why, if all the papers which have been read on 'Why Doesn't the New Church Grow?' during my short life-time could he gathered together, and turned into synthetic rubber, there would be enough to re-tread all the tires in the United States.
     "And it is not because we haven't consulted physicians. We have. For years we had the spiritual 'regulars,' the orthodox practitioners. They prescribed more doctrine, in larger and stronger doses They are still with us. And then along came the spiritual homeopaths, and they said: 'You are all wrong; what is needed is smaller doses of doctrine, properly mixed with other materials-attenuated. People don't like strong medicine these days.' And we have had our spiritual osteopaths and chiropractors. . . .
     "But, while we are not in a very robust condition. I do not agree with the man who said to me, two years ago: "Mr. Beales, there will be no organized New Church in ten years. That is all wrong; we are not ready for the undertaker-and never will be. But we do need to catch a new and clearer vision of our mission as a Church. And we do need to give a great deal of attention to how we can best fulfill that mission. And the first thing, as I see it, is to remind ourselves that we are not only a branch of the First Christian Church-we are the, perhaps unworthy, beginning of a new Church, a Church with a new message."

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     The Presidency.

     The Rev. Fred Sydney Mayer, of Baltimore, has been President of the General Convention for ten years, having been elected at Chautauqua in 1932. He had expressed his desire not to be re-elected, and the newly elected President is the Rev. Everett K. Bray, pastor of the Cambridge. Mass., Society and professor of theology in the Theological School.
     Prior to the election, the Convention unanimously passed a motion limiting the term of the president, for the future, to "not more than four years, and providing that "a member who shall have served for four years shall be ineligible for re-election." As hitherto, the President will be elected annually, but at the end of four years he may not succeed himself.
     The Council of Ministers met in private or executive session on June 18, but "the business transacted was almost exclusively of a routine nature." The Chairman, Rev. Leonard I. Tafel, reported that "there were certain ministers who desired to serve as Army or Navy Chaplains, but some difficulty had arisen, due to the fact that the General Commission of Army and Navy Chaplains made it a rule to approve only of ministers representing religious bodies of 50,000 members or over. This automatically barred ministers of the New Church." The Chairman was authorized to press the matter further, and it was also voted to seek to have a member of the New Church appointed on the General Commission.

     GENERAL CONFERENCE.

     Transactions which in normal times have occupied nearly a week were concentrated into less than two days when the 135th Annual Meeting of the General Conference met June 16-17 in the Swedenborg Hall, Bloomsbury Way, London. A Report of the Proceedings by the Rev. Brian Kingslake appears in THE NEW-CHURCH HERALD for July 4 to 25, inclusive, and from this we gather some items of special interest to those of our readers to whom the HERALD is not available.
     The Roll of Attendance contained the names of 38 Ministers. 8 Trustees and 44 Representatives-90 in all-the same as last year. It was disclosed that three Ministers had signed the Roll for 50 years in succession,- the Revs. J. G. Dufty. S. J. C. Goldsack and G. W. Wall-the last named having missed once.
     Early in the first session the delegates, by a rising vote, expressed high regard for members who had departed this life during the past year. In addition, "the Conference, by a rising vote, expressed sympathy with the relatives of the Rev. R. J. Tilson, Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, who recently passed into the spiritual world."
     The Rev. E. J. Pulsford, who has served as President of Conference for the past year, delivered an Address to the Members of the New Church in the United Kingdom, and this was "a profound and beautiful discourse on the need for mutual love and forgiveness within the Societies of the Church." (HERALD, June 27, p. 122.) The Rev. Erie A. Sutton, Principal of the New Church College, was then appointed President of the Conference for the coming year, and the Rev. P. H. Johnson was chosen President Nominate, to take office next year, according to Conference custom.
     Mr. Pulsford, in a report of his Presidential year, "said he thought he must have broken a record in visiting no less than 60 different Societies, Study Circles and other institutions of the Church, traveling in all about 10,000 miles. Other probable records were: preaching in three different counties on one Sunday, and occupying nine different beds on consecutive nights! He gave it as his considered opinion that the troubles of the world today were largely due to a failure to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the one and only God."

     Church Attendance.

     The Secretary, Rev. C. Newall, in presenting his Report and Statistics, "drew attention to the serious decline in attendance at Public Worship.

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During the last seven years the average attendance had decreased by almost 2,000 per Sunday. During the last two years alone there had been a drop of 730. He said he wasn't despondent or pessimistic; but, at this rate, there would be no organization left in about another ten years time, and we should be a collection of Isolated Receivers! In certain sections there was apparent apathy. He was amazed that so-called New Churchmen could calmly discuss closing down a Society when there were 20, 30 or 40 members in the district U' He went on to say, however, that he realized that the past two years had been exceptional, owing to war conditions, and this was emphasized by other speakers. But Mr. H. N. Morris expressed the opinion that "one of the causes of the trouble was that the Church was overburdened by the weight of its properties. Argyle Square, a Society of 144 Members, with an average attendance of about 50, had possessed a building seating 500 and valued at L25,000 to L30 000. This building had now been providentially demolished by enemy action, and he hoped that twenty little buildings would be erected in its stead, where the people lived. He urged a multiplicity of small places of worship, with just one large church in each centre for united gatherings of Conference."
     The Secretary also drew attention to the importance of work among the members of the Military Services away from home, and stated that 870 men and women are in the Forces, and 73 in whole-time Civil Defence work, totalling nearly a thousand and continually increasing. The care of these had been entrusted in the past to the Conference Secretary, but he urged that a special Secretary be appointed to deal with it. Later in the session the Rev. Harry Heap accepted an appointment to this task.
     In his excellent Inaugural Address as President, Mr. Sutton gave eloquent expression to the New Church outlook upon the world today. He said in part: "The catastrophe that has befallen the world has not overwhelmed the New Churchman with a sense of defeat. He has been led by revelation from heaven to expect and prepare for the breakdown that has taken place. He sees the present chaos, not as one of many assaults upon the Christian faith, but as one consequent upon the fundamentally unchristian character of faith, and providentially preparative of a new and intelligent spiritual awakening. Though no one could have foretold the precise manner of the present chaos, those of the New Church who perceived the real nature of the events which took place in the spiritual world in 1757 have long realized there could be no quiet drift of humanity from its past ignorance, error and evil into the spirit and life of the New Age. , This is no local dispute; it is no mere domestic concern of Christian civilization. It is humanity as a whole that is roused; and the alarm is begotten of a common need upon which the continued existence of the race depends. That need is the one, true, all-sufficient faith proclaimed by the New Church, the knowledge, acknowledgment and love of the Lord Jesus Christ, belief in His Word, the shunning of evils as sins against Him, and life according to His Commandments."

     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

     Sharon Church.

     It is a little over a year since Sharon Church last sent a news report to the LIFE This was not because there was nothing worth writing about, but for several reasons it has been one of those things which had to be postponed.
     The most important event was the coming of our new minister, the Rev. Harold Cranch, and his family. The only dimming of this pleasure was the fact that it meant saving good-bye to the Rev. Morley Rich and his family; but our loss in this respect has been the gain of the Advent Society in Philadelphia.
     Mr. Cranch has accomplished an amazing amount for one man.

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Besides his duties in Sharon Church,-weekly services and classes, various meetings, visiting, etc-he has been assistant to the pastor of the Immanuel Church in Glenview, where he has conducted classes for the young people
every other week and taught Religion and Hebrew in the school. In addition he has conducted classes for the group on the South Side, Chicago, every two weeks, has held monthly services in Rockford, Illinois, and occasionally visited the Circle in St. Paul, Minnesota.
     Our monthly Sunday dinners have been successful, though attendance at these and at Sunday services has been affected by the serious illness of different members, as well as by the call of our Country to the men. To help counterbalance this, there have been new members, including three babies, who have come to us.
     During the Spring and Summer we have had the pleasure of visits from different ministers who have conducted services and preached-the Revs. Raymond G. Cranch, Gilbert H. Smith, Morley D. Rich, and the Rev. Walter E. Brickman twice.
     In addition to our being well cared for on the spiritual plane, our society is having the gratification of seeing external improvements in our church building under way. The place of worship is to be remodeled with a side entrance and a wood-panelling of the room. There is to be a partition built that will cut off the view of the stairway that leads to the second floor, and the chancel will also he remodeled.
     The passing of valued, useful members brings the other world closer, and our loss by their passing is made more easy by the sense of unity with the spiritual world that it brings. We take this occasion to make brief mention of two of our members who have gone from among us since Mr. Cranch came to Sharon Church.
     MR. JOHN PEARSON ANDERSON, who died on August 19. 1941, at the age of sixty-three, was born in Sweden, and came to this country in his early youth. When only nineteen years of age, he served his new country in the Spanish-American War. He became interested in the Writings through his father and the Rev. John Headsten. After Mr. Headsten's death, he came to Sharon Church, and was a most useful member. As was stated in the Memorial Address: "In his business and social life, in a quiet and unassuming way, he influenced everyone he met. And he had the happy faculty of implanting in others some of his good-tempered philosophy. Steadfastness in all things of his life was a marked trait of his character: and his love and fidelity to his family, his country, and the church were based upon a full acceptance of the true Christian religion. He is survived by his wife and four sons, and a sister.
     MISS EUGENIE HEADSTEN passed to the other world on November 20, 1941, at the age of fifty-four years. The foundation of her love of the church was laid in her early years by her parents, the Rev. and Mrs. John Headsten. While her father was attending the Theological School of the Academy at Bryn Athyn, she took courses in the College, and when he later established his Circle in Chicago, she played the organ and taught in the Sunday School. After her father's death, the Circle joined Sharon Church, and she became a very active member. For a while she taught music and domestic science in the Public Schools, and later was engaged in the insurance business. She had to endure an unusual amount of physical suffering throughout her life, and in her last illness she was an inspiration to all who visited and talked with her, for she lived her religion. Although she had many interests, her great loves were for the church and for her work. In these loves she was steadfast, and remained as active as she was able to be. To the end of her life she manifested a calm trust in Providence and a wonderful bravery and strength of character.
     V. W.

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CHARTER DAY 1942

              1942




     Announcements



     All ex-students of the Academy of the New Church are cordially invited to attend the Charter Day Exercises, to be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17, 1942.
BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS 1942

BRYN ATHYN ACCOMMODATIONS        Celia Bellinger       1942

     For the information of those who may desire to visit Bryn Athyn from time to time, and prefer to come as paying guests, we wish to state that a few rooms are available at moderate rates. Breakfast if desired. Address:
     THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE,
     Miss Celia Bellinger, Chairman,
          Bryn Athyn. Pa.
HOLY SUPPER ADDRESS 1942

HOLY SUPPER ADDRESS        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
OCTOBER, 1942
No. 10
     "He was known of them in the breaking of bread." (Luke 24: 35.)
     On the day of the Lord's resurrection, two of His disciples journeyed from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The Lord walked with them, and though "their eves were holden that they should not know Him, . . . He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself." They saw Him, and as they listened to His words, their hearts burned within them for joy and wonder. And yet they did not see Him, for they knew not who it was that spake with them. When they had reached the village, the Lord, at the urgent invitation of the disciples, "went in to tarry with them." And then it was, "as He sat at meat with them," and "took bread and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them " that "their eves were opened and they knew Him."
     Man is so created that he may see God, and to all who are pure in heart this vision is promised in the Word. But what is the true vision of God? As to His material body the Lord was seen by all who came in contact with Him during His life on earth. And the Lord said to Philip, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also." Yet, of those who denied and crucified Him, it could not be said that they had seen God. Even the disciples-although they acknowledged Him as the Messiah promised in the Word, did not see Him truly; for they thought of Him merely as a man possessing supernatural power and wisdom-a man who was to deliver Israel from her conquerors.

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This idea could be changed but slowly by instruction, and by an objective spiritual vision of the Lord, first as He appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, then as He showed Himself after He had risen from the grave, and finally as He was seen by John in the visions of the Apocalypse. Even then something of natural thought remained. Throughout the Christian era the simple in heart have seen the Lord and have worshipped Him as God. But they have seen Him much as Mary did when, outside the empty tomb, the Lord appeared to her, and said, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father." That is, they have seen His glorified Human objectively, as a child might see it, but not with perceptive understanding.
     Objective spiritual vision is not identical with spiritual insight. The prophets of old beheld in heavenly vision things they recorded but did not understand. Spirits, and even angels, see things in the other world which, without instruction, they do not understand. After the Lords body had been dissipated in the sepulchre, He could become visible only by an opening of the spiritual sight. It was therefore with the eyes of the spirit that the two disciples saw Him as He walked in the way to Emmaus. And yet it is said that "their eyes were holden," and not until He brake the bread and gave to them were "their eyes opened and they knew Him."
     In this we note an indication of the difference between the way in which the Lord could be seen in the Christian Church, and the way He may now be seen in His Second Coming. By the final temptation of the cross, the process of glorification was in fact completed, and after His resurrection the Divine and the Human in the Lord were in fact fully united. But men were not yet prepared to understand this supreme miracle. They were even like the blind man whose eyes were healed, yet who at first saw men "as trees walking"; and only after the Lord had touched his eyes the second time did he behold all things clearly.
     It was foreseen by the Lord that those who belonged to the First Christian Church would be unable to advance beyond an objective spiritual vision of the Human glorified. And this is the reason why the Lord promised that He would come again speaking no more in proverbs, but showing men plainly of the Father. Until this had been accomplished, the union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord through glorification could not be understood by men.

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In this sense, for those who belonged to the First Christian Church, it remained true that the Lord was not yet ascended to His Father. In objective vision Jesus walked with men, and they hearkened gladly to the teaching of His Word. But still "their eyes were holden that they should not know Him." Only those who, at the end of that Church, when its day is far spent, when even this vision of the Lord is rapidly disappearing amid the gathering shadows of skepticism and unbelief-only those then who anxiously desire the Lord to abide with them, and who sit down to meat with Him at the table of spiritual instruction provided in the Heavenly Doctrine-can come at last to see truly the glorified Divine Human-to see it with something of spiritual insight and understanding. Even with these, an objective vision must precede, in order that perceptive insight may be granted. In childhood we can see the Lord only objectively, and on the basis of this vision we must first learn to love and worship Him. Only at adult age, after the rational mind has been formed, can the Lord be seen spiritually in the glory of His opened Word. This vision is not assured to us merely because we have been brought up in the New Church, or because we have learned the teaching of the Writings. But the truth of the Heavenly Doctrine makes it possible to us. And in this new vision of Him lies the true Second Coming of the Lord,-the only Coming that can establish His promised Kingdom on the earth. For the Lord is not to come again in Person, but in the internal sense of the Word seen with perceptive understanding. Not otherwise can we come to know the Lord as He really is,-the one God of heaven and earth, who with infinite Love and Wisdom directs the destiny of the race, and watches with unceasing tenderness over the life of every man.
     This inner vision can be given only in the breaking of bread. The Lord Himself must break the bread; and the bread that He breaks must be that which "cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world." This is the meaning of the Holy Supper, concerning which the Lord said to His disciples, "This do in remembrance of me."
     In ancient times the breaking of bread was a pact of friendship. That bread, the sustenance of life, should be offered to another, and that it should be accepted, was a sign of mutual love.

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The bread of heaven, the source of all spiritual life, is the Divine Love for the salvation of the human race. This the Lord offers perpetually to man in the ceaseless operation of His protecting Providence. Man accepts this bread-he eats at the Lord's table-when from love to the Lord he shuns evils as sins. Only active resistance to falsity and evil, in thought, word and deed, can open the way for the reception of heavenly truth and good. This alone can disperse the clouds whereby our "eyes are holden" that we should not know the Lord. It is the removal of evil through the conflict of temptation that opens the eyes of the spirit, not merely to see the Lord objectively, but to perceive the Divine quality of His Love and Wisdom-to understand His lovingkindness, His mercy, and His justice-to see them actually present and actually operative in the world of nature, and in the world of human life, and thus to see in all things the wise dispensations of Providence.
     Of this inner vision,-the fruit of victory in spiritual temptation,-the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the outer sign and seal. And for this reason we are taught that actual conjunction with the Lord is effected by the Holy Supper "according to repentance before it."
     They of the New Church who seek by daily reading and reflection to understand the Divine teaching now' given in the Writings may come to see the Lord in a new way,-a way that was impossible before this Revelation had been given. But this may be no more than a different and more perfect objective vision of the Lord. With these indeed the Lord may walk in the way to Emmaus, "expounding unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself" until their hearts burn within them. Yet their eves will still be holden. It is only they who eagerly invite the Lord, when the evening falls, to abide with them-they who through temptation endeavor day by day to shun the evils that the Truth makes manifest in their own hearts-these it is who worthily approach the Lord's table. And these it is who, as they sit at meat with Him, will with gradually increasing perfection truly come to know the Lord in the breaking of bread. Amen.

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ENLIGHTENMENT 1942

ENLIGHTENMENT       Rev. F. W. ELPHICK       1942

     "In Thy light shall we see light." (Psalm 36: 9.)
     Like the majority of the Psalms, the thirty-sixth, in its internal sense, treats of the celebration and worship of the Lord. The verse from which our text is taken contains the precept that "it ought to be acknowledged that all good and truth are from the Lord." (P. P.)
     "In Thy light we shall see light"; or, in better translation, "In Thy light we see light." (A. C. 353.) "Thy light!" What is this? It is the Lord Himself, the Divine Wisdom from the Divine Love, yet as a One. It is the Divine Proceeding. It is the Spiritual Sun, the Divine Light, the Celestial Origin of all light.
     "We see light!" What does this involve? First, that in the heavens the angels receive Divine Light. As grateful recipients of that Light, accommodated and conditioned to each one's state of reception, they receive angelic wisdom, angelic illustration, angelic enlightenment. They receive it in innumerable degrees brilliant light to lesser light, yet never to darkness.
     "We see light!" This also means that men, while they live in the world, if they acknowledge and worship the Lord, and hearken to His teaching in the light-giving Revelations which He has given to them, will also be grateful recipients of that light, accommodated to each one's state of reception-will receive knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, spiritual light, illustration, enlightenment. And these are likewise received in innumerable degrees. Yet, because of evil and falsity and earthbound affections, men have alternations of light and darkness-day and night-states of illustration and states of obscurity.
     So the leading idea of our text is that of spiritual light, illustration, enlightenment. But before noting in more detail the nature and quality of this enlightenment, in the light of the New Church Doctrines themselves, let us note the setting of our text in the Psalm, reflecting upon what goes before and what comes after.

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It reads: "For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light shall we see light. 0 continue Thy loving kindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart! Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me!"
     First is the mention of the "fountain of life," as a direct acknowledgment of the Divine Source of life. For in this Divine Life are Divine Good and Divine Truth-the "two are one." Indeed, one translation reads: "With Thee is the fountain of lives." (A. C. 353.) This is to convey the idea of the dual nature of Life Itself. The same idea is also given in Genesis, where it is said that the Lord breathed into man the "breath of lives"-that is, the life of the will, and the life of the understanding. For it is a universal law, operating in both the spiritual and natural worlds, that light is from heat, that truth is from good, that faith is from charity. So it is that the Lord's love appears as light; just as the natural sun is pure fire, and gives heat and light. Hence it is that the Scriptures, when understood in the light of revealed doctrine, contain and convey the true doctrine concerning Life and its relation to Light. "With Thee is the fountain of lives; in Thy light we see light."
     Then the Scripture reads: "0 continue Thy loving kindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart!" This refers to the Lord's protection of those who acknowledge Him by living according to His truth, who possess good and truth, yet acknowledge the Divine source of these attributes.
     The concluding words of the series are: "Let not the foot of pride come against me," or in another translation, "Let not the foot of pride come upon me." This refers to the very conditions which prevent enlightenment; namely, self-love, self-pride, self-merit, self-elation,-the ultimates of man, the sensual, the "foot," here used in a perverted sense. Yet even these conditions may be met and fought; for there is the Lord's protection and the prayer for it: "Let not the hand of the wicked remove me!"
     Such is the general internal meaning of the verses associated with our text. But on this occasion we wish to concentrate upon the subject of spiritual light-enlightenment-illustration. "In Thy light shall we see light."

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     While men live in the world, what is spiritual enlightenment? What is illustration from the Lord? How can man acquire these? And, if acquired, how can he be sure of their verity? These are questions which, from time to time and state to state, will have to be answered by each one who is endeavoring to become a true member of the Lord's New Church on earth-verily a Church which, by virtue of the accomplished Second Coming, has revealed light in such abundance, mercifully given by the Lord Himself.
     Spiritual light-the light which enlightens the spirit of man while he lives in the world-is an interior light, corresponding to that exterior light which is sensed by the eye. For "unless there were an interior light which is life, and to which corresponds the exterior light which is of the sun, no vision would be possible." (A. C. 3628.)
     This interior light which is life we have already identified. In- mostly it is the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom of the Lord-the Divine Proceeding. This is Life Itself, and from it is a light which is interior to natural light, and even to natural heat. It is not indeed interior in the relationship of continuity-a passing from a refined material to a grosser one; but it is related by correspondence, that is, by what is discrete, cut off, set apart, yet corresponding, the inner with the outer, the higher light with the lower light, as affection is within thought, and thought is within speech. In fact, unless this interior light were within exterior light, no human soul could live, speak, see and understand.
     We should note in passing that while the emphasis of this discourse is on light, yet the condition of spiritual heat, and even of natural heat,-love in all its forms,-is both actually and doctrinally associated with light. When speaking of light, its relationship to love or heat should be in mind. Both from doctrine, and from a reasoning which acknowledges a Divine Source, it can be seen that there must be an interior light within natural light. The natural sun cannot exist without the spiritual sun, for the natural sun, in itself, is dead; it is by virtue of the force and law of correspondence that it receives activity from the spiritual sun,-a conception that is yet to be admitted by the scientist. Indeed, it is a conception not easy to grasp and realize even by those who have the theological and philosophical doctrines of the New Church to help them.

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But from these considerations we can see that even the basis of the spiritual-natural creation of light, from the spiritual sun, through the natural sun to the souls and bodies of men while they live in the world,-the cosmic form of light,-is a truth contained in and confirmed by the Scripture phrase, "In Thy light we see light."
     Such is the doctrine of enlightenment in its broadest and most general application. But the Doctrines of the New Church teach that there are several kinds and degrees of enlightenment. These are described as follows: Enlightenment from the Lord, interior and exterior; enlightenment from man, interior and exterior. (D. P. 168.) Spiritual enlightenment, natural enlightenment (A. E. 176:4); fatuous enlightenment (A. E. 242:6); enlightenment by means of the Word, enlightenment by means of Religiosities (A. E. 1177); The Holy Spirit and Enlightenment. (T. C. R. 146.)
     The mention of these various kinds of enlightenment will indicate the extent and depth of the subject, and the continual need for doctrinal qualification and balance; in other words, the need to see a subject in this way or in that way, in this series or in another series,-all true, yet of varied aspect, of different degree and of different use. At this time we shall deal with two forms only: Enlightenment from the Lord, and enlightenment from man.

     What is enlightenment from the Lord? The Doctrines answer:
"By interior enlightenment from the Lord, a man perceives at first hearing whether what is said is true or is not true. Exterior enlightenment is from this in the thought." (D. P. 168.)
     What is meant by enlightenment from man? The Doctrines answer: "Interior enlightenment from man is from mere confirmation, and exterior enlightenment from man is from mere knowledge." (D. P. 168.)
     But the Doctrines do not leave us with mere definitions. Examples of these kinds of enlightenment are given. Of the first kind-enlightenment from the Lord-it is said that men can see at once the truth of such statements as these:

     "That love is the life of faith, or that faith lives from love; that whatever a man loves, that he wills, and what he wills, that he does; and therefore that to love is to do. Also, that whatever a man believes from love, this he wills and does, and hence that to have faith is also to do. Furthermore, that an impious man cannot have a love of God, thus not a faith in God."

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     "It is also by interior enlightenment that the rational man at once perceives the truth of these things when he hears them: That God is one; that He is omnipresent; that all good is from Him; that all things have relation to good and truth, that all good is from Good Itself, and all truth from Truth Itself."
     These and other like statements "a man perceives interiorly in himself when he hears them That he perceives them is because he has rationality, and thus is in the light of heaven which enlightens." (D. P. 168.)

     Now, if we reflect, we can see that this inward sight, this interior enlightenment, is the light which later on, as we develop in the application of truth to life, enables us to see the particulars of the many truths which make up our faith in our thought. Without the presence of this interior sight we would be spiritually blind. And so the Doctrines tell us that exterior enlightenment from the Lord "is an enlightenment of the thought from interior enlightenment, and that the thought is so far in this enlightenment as it continues in the perception which it has from interior enlightenment, and also so far as it has knowledges of truth and good, because from these it draws reasons by means of which it confirms. Thought from this exterior enlightenment sees a thing from both sides; on the one side it sees the reasons which confirm, and on the other it sees the appearances which invalidate; the latter it disperses: the former it collects." (D. P. 168.)
     Hence it is that the exterior enlightenment from the Lord depends upon the interior enlightenment,-upon that simple affirmative attitude, "Yea, yea; Nay, nay," as applied to such axioms as: "God is one; He is omnipresent; all good and truth are from Him; everything has relationship to good and truth," and so on. These are, indeed, simple axioms, yet they contain profundity of truth. That they are so, we know because of this interior enlightenment from the Lord. And when this perception is carried over into our more external thought-the thought which develops with the knowledges of good and truth, of faith and charity, as given in Divine Revelation outside of man,-then we have exterior enlightenment from the Lord.
     But this enlightenment only abides with us by reason of interior enlightenment. Moreover, it is only in so far as exterior thought continues in the perception which it has from interior enlightenment that exterior enlightenment from the Lord can be preserved. And all this is only possible with the Lord's light to guide. "In Thy light we shall see light."

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     But what of enlightenment from man? This is also interior and exterior. Here, again, we shall let the Doctrines speak for themselves:

     "Interior enlightenment from man is wholly different. By it man sees a subject on one side, and not on the other; and when he has confirmed it, he sees it in a light apparently like the interior light from the Lord, but it is a wintry light. For example, a judge who judges unjustly because of gifts or for the sake of gain, when he has confirmed his decision by laws and by reasons, sees nothing but justice in his own judgment. To some the injustice may be evident, but as they do not wish to see it, they mystify and blind themselves, and thus do not see. The same is true of a judge who is influenced in his decisions by friendship, or by a desire to gain favor, or by the ties of relationship. Such men regard in the same way everything they hear from the lips of a man in authority, or a man of celebrity, or that they have hatched out from their own intelligence. They are rationally blind; for they have vision from falsities which they confirm; and falsity closes the sight, while truth opens it. . . . Those have exterior enlightenment from man who think and talk from mere knowledge impressed on the memory. Such are scarcely able to confirm anything from themselves." (D. P. 168.)

     To be delivered from this condition-enlightenment from man-we may well pray in the words of the Psalm: "Let not the foot of pride come upon me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me!"
     It is a happy and comforting thought that the understanding of truth-illustration-enlightenment-will be given to those who really love and believe in the New Church. "All who are of that Church have the understanding enlightened, from which they can see truth from the light of truth, that is, whether a thing be true or not true. And because they see the truth in this way, they acknowledge it, and receive it with an affection which is of the will. From this, truths with them become spiritual, and consequently the spiritual mind, which is above the natural mind, is opened with them. And when this is opened, they receive angelic sight, which is the seeing of truth itself from its own light." (A. E. 759:4.)
     But there is one only way to gain such enlightenment. And this answers the question: How can we be enlightened? The Doctrines state:

     "It is known that faith from love is the essential meals of salvation, and thus is the principle of the doctrine of the church; but since it is important to know how a man can he in such enlightenment as to learn the truths which must constitute his faith, and in such affection as to do the goods which must constitute his love, and thus can know whether his faith is a belief in truth and his love a love of good, this shall be told in its proper order, as follows:

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Let him read the Word every day, one or two chapters, and learn from a master and from preachings the dogmas of his religion; and especially let him learn that God is one, and that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth (John 3: 35; 17: 2. Matthew 11: 27; 28: 18), that the Word is holy, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death. Let him learn from the Word, from a master, and from preachings, what works are sins and that they are especially adulteries, thefts, murders, false witness, and the others mentioned in the Decalogue; likewise that lascivious and obscene thoughts are also adulteries, that frauds and illicit gains are also thefts, that hatred and revenge are also murders, and that lies and blasphemies are also false witness, and so on. Let him learn all these things from infancy to youth. . . . Afterwards, as he grows up and becomes old, he must shun them as damned, and must turn away from them in thought and intention. But in order so to refrain from them, and shun and turn away from them, he must pray to the Lord for help. . . . Then, so far as he detests adulteries, so far chastity enters; so far as he detests frauds and unlawful gains, so far sincerity and justice enter; so far as he detests hatred and revenge, so far charity and truth enter; and so far as he detests elation of mind, so far humility before God and love to the neighbor enter; and so on. From this it follows that to shun evils is to do goods." (A. E. 803:2.)

     It is this regenerative effort within each individual, and within the church as a whole, that brings enlightenment. The "foot of pride" has to be conquered, before light from the Lord and love from Him can enter.
     From the teaching given in the Word and the Doctrines of the New Church we can now see what enlightenment is. We can discern the line of thought, the thread of reason, that will indicate wherein lie the answers to the questions enumerated in the commencement of this discourse.
     Spiritual enlightenment is illustration from the Lord. "For illustration," we read, "is from the Lord alone, and is with those who love truths because they are truths, and make them uses of life. That enlightenment exists with those who love truths because they are truths, and make them uses of life, is because such are in the Lord, and the Lord in them. For the Lord is in His own Divine Truth, and when this is loved because it is the Divine Truth (and it is loved when it is made of use), the Lord is then in it with man." (S. S. 57.)
     Man acquires this enlightenment by means of regeneration-by shunning what is evil and false as a sin against God, even to the ultimate things of life.

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He also acquires illustration by learning from the Word and from the Doctrines of the New Church, when in a state of affection for the truth for the sake of the uses of life.
     And if this enlightenment is acquired, can he be sure of its verity? If the condition of "elation of mind" is to be shunned-which includes any conceit of one's knowledge of the vast storehouse of Doctrine as given to the New Church in its Divine Revelation of the Second Coming-and if it be remembered that no one knows the real state of regeneration which is molding his own spirit, then it can be said that there is never absolute verity. All that can be said is that one hopes that he has something of such illustration. For in itself this illustration is not sensibly felt in this life. The alternating states of tranquillity and remorse of conscience (H. D. 133) are the nearest external conditions, so to speak, of that inner light and progression toward interior things, which are of the spirit in the spiritual world. (A. C. 4598.)
     The men and women of the church, while they live on earth can only hope, and trust, and pray that, in so far as they shun evil against the Lord, and do good; that in so far as they learn with affection the truths of the Divine Revelation which is outside of themselves, and apply such truths to the uses of life; that so far they are preparing for the true light of heaven,-illustration and enlightenment from the Lord.
     "For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light shall we see light. 0 continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart! Let not the foot of pride come upon me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me!" Amen.

LESSONS:     Psalm 36. John 8: 12-27. A. E. 18611, or H. H. 309-10.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 36, 45, 46.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 501, 513, 576. Psalmody, Psalm 48.

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REV. F. E. WAELCHLI 1942

REV. F. E. WAELCHLI       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1942

     Memorial Address.

     It is a doctrine often repeated in the Writings that man's spirit, after the death of the body, rises on the third day in to the spiritual world, or into the world of spirits; and that there he resumes his life where it was cut off. Resuscitation from death commences, of course, the moment man dies; yet it is not completed until the third day.
     This involves a spiritual law-the law of influx by which interior and inmost things affect externals, and express themselves in forms. The inmost things of man's spirit are first formed, and after this more exterior things.
     With the death of the body, man's spirit has to be readjusted to life in the spiritual world-readjusted to life in a purely spiritual environment. And that this readjustment may be complete, all the heavens are called upon to assist, and to stoop, in mercy, to serve the bewildered spirit of man as it becomes disentangled from the things of this world.
     All the heavens bend to assist. For every man's mind or immortal spirit is built in the image of all the three heavens,-built to receive something of life through each, built so as to be able in some measure to respond to the influx of each heaven.
     A man's life-as viewed by other men-is measured by its worldly achievements, by its joys and satisfactions, by its accumulations of wealth or learning, or by the degree to which he served the public with honor. And especially when he has just died do we review the events which shaped him, and which he helped to shape, reflecting upon his struggles and labors, and upon his failures or successes.
     Sometimes we erect a monument to the position which he attained on earth, and prepare for him a place on the pages of history,-the history of his community or his nation or his church; and even those who lack any real faith in the survival of the soul are willing to concede that he has achieved an earthly immortality in the works which he has accomplished, and in the hearts of those who knew him.

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     This is quite rightly so. But the angels who attend him at his resurrection are little interested in all this. For they are concerned, not with what man has done, but with what he is, and what he shall yet be able to do. They are concerned, not with the events of his past life, but with what the man himself has gathered out of those events. They are concerned with all his spiritual riches-the treasures of the heavens which moth and rust cannot corrupt, and thieves cannot break through to steal.
     For man's spirit-the spiritual body and the active mind within it-is made up of nothing else than the spiritual things of good and of truth which he has received throughout his life:-the early states of innocence and humility which were received, first, as celestial remains in unremembered, tender years, and were later confirmed by worship and love of the Lord; the later states of spiritual charity, and of the doctrinal understanding which is to become of man's own faith; the states of moral life and use which, from the arduous days of youthful self-compulsion, ripen into fruits that bring friendships and loyalties and the external delights of a genuine charity.
     These accumulating states are what constitute and make up the spirit of man; they are the very substance of his after-death mind and body. Every man born has something of remains-seeds of these states that are of spiritual significance-which the angels at his resurrection seek to quicken and gather together, so that around them all other states with him may be reoriented and integrated and reconstructed for an unending life in the Lord's eternal kingdom of uses.
     Thus, in the holy process of resurrection, man's spirit is awakened from its inmosts, from within, by celestial angels; and later by the spiritual angels and the good spirits among which he is introduced; so that he is adjusted to live consciously in the spiritual world, and, by degrees is brought into a place where his spiritual usefulness can find its fullest scope and most ample expression.
     This adjustment, this integration and centering and gathering of the spirit, cannot be effected until the time of death, when the things of earthly life become of no moment.

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Yet in old age, when the duties of office have been laid aside, there comes with some an apparent beginning of this spiritual reconstruction. This was seemingly the case with the dear friend whose passing into the spiritual world has now been completed. "Father Waelchli" spoke with profound gratitude of his opportunity in recent years-after a life of pressing duties which drove upon him without surcease-to be able at last to read the Divine Writings again in leisurely sequence, with time for reflection, as a preparation for his eternal uses, whatever these might be. This was his great delight, as his natural powers abated; and he felt this study of spiritual things as something which made ever clearer the distinct reality and human quality of the spiritual world, and brought nearer his reunion with his beloved wife, whose name always brought a deep emotion into his voice. His mind wandered back in great affection to the early days of the church, to its struggles and its temptations, and traced the hand of the Divine Providence in the bitter necessities and deprivations, out of which crystallized the spiritual states by which the church was moulded and matured.
     It is sometimes difficult to picture what the spiritual uses of heaven are like. Yet here we have a life devoted to spiritual ends, whose profession was to teach and preach spiritual truth and spiritual charity. He lived wholly for the church which he served, and was ever willing to forego his preferences, and endure personal discomforts, and go wherever the work for which he was so peculiarly adapted called him.
     His was not an easy, but an arduous life. From his callow youth, when, fired by the teachings of his beloved teacher, Bishop Benade, he went forth as a teacher in the school of the then German speaking New Church Society at Berlin, Ontario, he became a pioneer in establishing New Church education in Berlin (now Kitchener), and a missionary in bringing the principles of the Academy to Kitchener, and later to many other places. By zealous and patient work-for some twenty-five years-he was instrumental in making the Kitchener Carmel Church" one of the strongholds of the Academy and the General Church. The society was poor; but to carry on the work, while raising a large family, he acted at times, not only as Pastor and Head Master, but also as teacher and caretaker.

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As a teacher of children he was most successful. As a champion of the Academy he was formidable.
     Yet his power lay in his character and steady convictions, rather than in any intellectual brilliance or special eloquence. His power lay in his deep understanding of the essentials which must make the church and further its welfare and security. His emphasis was on the general doctrines of the Writings and the general principles and uses of the Academy. For this reason he could, as no one else, be an instrument to kindle into flame-wherever he went-the latent love of truth, even among simple and uneducated people, and stimulate a desire for reading the Writings and for organizing the uses of worship, first in the homes, and later in groups which he formed into possible nuclei of the General Church. Always he inculcated a loyalty to the central vision of the Academy-the authority of the Writings.
     It was this ability and zeal that led him increasingly to assume work in the field of church extension. In the year 1897 he organized an Academy Society in Baltimore among the German New Churchmen there. After 1913 he labored amongst Germans in the Canadian North West. From the year 1918 he devoted himself fully to work among isolated groups as the "Visiting Pastor of the General Church. He was spoken of with deepest affection by New Churchmen, all over the continent-in Ontario and the Northwest. in Oregon, California and Florida, in Detroit and the Middle West, Pennsylvania, and many other places. Those who loved the Writings spontaneously became his friends. Long after he had ceased to minister to them as Pastor, their letters bespoke the deep trust and friendship which he evoked. To some he was a firm anchor, to others a trusted pilot.
     His plain teachings occasioned more than one judgment n societies and groups to which he ministered. By those who saw the New Church only as an offshoot of the old Christian Church, and who sought to perpetuate the New Church by imitating the Old (hiding the new light under a bushel), Father Waelchli was feared. These-unwilling to assume the responsibility of proclaiming the Lord's Second Advent, and of standing up for the teachings of the distinctive New Church without compromises-sometimes accused him of being a "Society-Splitter"; although it was one of his principles that he never went to teach or preach except where he was invited to do so.

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     His discourses, ringing with his sincerity, could make an audience feel the power and importance of the revealed words of the Writings. But in his pastoral work he had concern, not alone for teaching the straight truth directly from the Writings, and leading toward repentance and to the establishment of the church-and this without that hesitation and worldly prudence which caters to external gains and considers vanity or personal favor-but he could also minister with kindliness to others than the strictly orthodox, and refrained from breaking the bruised reed. He was uncompromising in the truth, but he was also able to adapt his teachings to the simple and the young, and accommodate the ministrations of the church wisely to states as yet unready, and to situations which did not call for judgment, but for patience.
     For this man-one of the last of our "Church Fathers" of the early Academy-knew the meaning of hardship and failure and human weakness. He understood men, respected their freedom. He himself never flaunted any pretense to great learning or culture, was not unassuming to claim for himself any heights of spiritual illustration or regenerate perfections. He wrote his discourses with laborious effort, and undertook each task with painstaking forethought. He took delight in simple things, but especially in the progress of the church, both with individuals and societies, wherever this came about. And he saw much of the fruit of his own work.
     One of his delights was the never-failing, deep friendships which bound him together with other youthful Academicians-Dandridge Pendleton, Enoch Price, C. T. Odhner, Charles Francis Browne, and others-whom he is now ready to meet again, because of the immortal bonds of a common love for the church. And he delighted also in the fact that his seven children all found New' Church partners and that already thirty-five grandchildren had been baptized into the church. His great remaining longing was for reunion with his brave wife, whom he had waited to see for over eleven years.
     We have dwelt upon the life and work of this grand New Churchman because it is this life-with all its states and experiences, all its loyalties and yearnings, all its affections of use that was done from conscience and from sincere duty-that is now gathered up and presented in the other world as a spiritual man-form, a form of charity and specific use.

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[Photograph of REV. F. E. WAELCHLI.]

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     We cannot doubt that this, his spirit, shall now gain a power and a range of usefulness that cannot be compared to the limited power and narrow scope of his work here on earth. For wherever the love of truth is lying unawakened but receptive in the hearts of new spirits in the other world, there comes a call for that type of zeal, and that warm, kindly instruction, which was so characteristic of Mr. Waelchli. He will continue to teach and lead, and gain souls for the New Heaven; he will find his true place in the pattern of eternal life. And the sphere of his loyalty and faith, which touched us so directly in every word he spoke, will continue to affect us and strengthen us, not only through the ways of memory, or through his surviving writ ten words, but in that hidden way of spiritual influx through which the New Jerusalem will become strong on earth.
     We can know neither fear nor weeping in this New Jerusalem. But our eyes are to be lifted to the mountains of salvation, whence cometh our help-to the Lord, who finds men to do His work in its season. And of this man,-this, our friend-nothing more appropriate could be said than the words of the Lord: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. . . . Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Amen. (LESSONS: Psalm 90; A. C. 4622.)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 1942

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.              1942

     FRED EDWIN WAELCHLI was born in Sardis, Southern Ohio on September 14, 1865, the son of John and Mary Waelchli, who had come from Switzerland to Ohio, where they met and were married. Here John received the Heavenly Doctrines through the Rev. A. O. Brickman, who also encouraged him to move to Allentown, Pa., as editor of a newspaper. In time the Waelchli family became associated with the Academy movement.
     In 1883, at the age of 18, Fred entered the College Department of the Academy of the New Church at Philadelphia, and graduated in June, 1887, receiving the degree of Bachelor of the Liberal Arts. During that Summer, as an Authorized Candidate of the General Church of Pennsylvania, he was engaged in ministerial work at Allentown, Pa.

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     At Philadelphia, on June 10, 1888, he was ordained by Bishop Benade into the first degree of the priesthood, and was invited to take charge of the New Church school that was to be opened in the Fall at Berlin, Ontario. The school, we learn, was formally opened on September 3, 1888, the exercises being conducted by the pastor of the society, the Right Rev. F. W. Tuerk, who addressed the parents and children in German, while Mr. Waelchli spoke to them in English. The latter's ability to speak and preach in both languages was a valuable asset throughout his career, especially in Berlin for thirty years, in Baltimore, and in the Canadian Northwest. (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1888, p. 159, and 1890, p. 204, where the first school is described.)
     The developments during the epochal three years, 1888-1891, are set forth by Mr. Waelchli in an article entitled "Recent History of the New Church in Berlin, Canada," published in NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1891, p. 191. The cause of distinctive New Church education was signally advanced, but the division between the Academy and the Convention, which was taking place at that time throughout the Church, brought a cleavage in the Berlin Society, and finally the formation of a new society under the pastorate of Mr. Waelchli in 1891. On the 19th of June in that year he was ordained into the second degree of the priesthood. His part in the defense of Academy principles during the conflict of those years was fully told in NEW CHURCH LIFE and NEW CHURCH TIDINGS.
     In 1897, Mr. Waelchli took an active part in the organization of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and in the Fall of that year he accepted a call to become pastor of the German New Church Society in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for three years. He has written an account of the developments during this period, which led eventually to the formation of a General Church society in Baltimore, and this paper is preserved in the Academy Archives.
     In September, 1900, he returned to Berlin as pastor, and here he remained for seventeen years. It was his custom to visit the isolated members in Ontario during the Summer months, and in 1913 he undertook the first of nine visits to the Canadian Northwest (1913-1921), which he described in NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1940, pp. 311-325.

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When, in 1914, the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner became assistant to the pastor of Carmel Church, Mr. Waelchli was able to undertake more extended journeys during six months of the year, both in Canada and the United States, and in 1915 he was formally recognized as Visiting Pastor of the General Church.
     In June, 1917, he resigned the pastorate of Carmel Church to devote himself entirely to the work of Visiting Pastor. In October, 1918, he settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, as resident pastor of the Circle there, but made regular visits to other localities in the Middle West. During the Summers he went to the Canadian Northwest, and in 1921 extended this journey to members of the General Church residing in the States of Washington, Oregon, and California. In the years following he visited the Pacific Coast every Summer, making in all ten visits (1921-1931). He also visited the Southern States in the Spring-seven times (1925-1931). (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1926, p. 514; 1935, p. 277.)
     Owing to advancing years and failing strength, Mr. Waelchli retired from the office of Visiting Pastor in 1936, and took up his residence in Bryn Athyn, though he was still called upon to undertake ministerial work in various places, being visiting pastor of the Arbutus Circle; and for a year (1937) he was again with the Cincinnati Circle at Wyoming, Ohio.
     Down through the years he was an active participant in the Assemblies and Councils of the General Church, and for fifteen years (1903-1917) he was Secretary of the Council of the Clergy. And he officiated at 408 Baptisms, 26 Betrothals, and 64 Marriages.
     This sketch will serve to recall the outlines of a distinguished career of over fifty years, in the ministry of the New Church, the details of which are largely recorded in the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE, to which he also contributed many sermons, doctrinal papers, and historical accounts. In due time, we trust, a fitting biography will be written, with an account of those many journeys which have contributed in such great measure to the conservation and extension of the General Church.
Title Unspecified 1942

Title Unspecified              1942

     The marriage of Mr. Waelchli to Miss Alena Hughes took place at Berlin, Ontario, on April 25, 1889, and she preceded him to the spiritual world on March 11, 1931. (NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1931, p. 313.)

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They are survived by the following children: Olivia (Mrs. Geoffrey S. Childs); Victor (married to Lucy Boggess); Flora (Mrs. Loyal D. Odhner); Constance (wife of the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner); Carol (Mrs. Richard Kintner); and Richard (married to June Alberta Rotert); also by 35 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Mr. Waelchli is survived by a brother, Noah, and by four sisters,- Lily (Mrs. Enoch S. Price), Laura (Mrs. Charles Stoneburner). India (Mrs. Arthur Sunny), and Alma (Mrs. Brad Campbell).
     W. B. C.
ITALY IN THE WORLD OF SPIRITS 1942

ITALY IN THE WORLD OF SPIRITS       EDITH ELPHICK       1942

     (A paper read at a meeting in Michael Church, London.)

     Of that contribution which every nation makes to the world,- its special gift and its special place-it may be said that Italy's was due to two things,-that the Roman civilization lingered even after the Roman Empire had died, and that the Catholic Church ruled from Rome. To Italy, especially the Italy that gave the Renaissance, the eyes of men have often turned for inspiration. Peculiarly dear to Englishmen-especially the English poets-Italy has seemed a country rich in association, rich in poetry, art, and scholarship. A lovely land-and a much loved land!
     How, then, does this country, to which men have turned so fondly in the past,-how does it appear to the eyes of Swedenborg in the world of spirits? It is an ugly picture. In the Spiritual Diary there are several references to the Italian nation as it was in his day, and sombre reading they make. There the diabolical loves of self and the lust for power reign supreme, and we are shown all the horrors that result from the profane imaginings of those whose loves are perverted. Indeed, one paragraph cites the Italian as being one of the three worst nations in Europe.
     At the time of the Last Judgment, Swedenborg was permitted to see the societies in the world of spirits arranged according to the nations from whence they came. Of these he writes: "After the Last Judgment, all societies were disposed according to nations, in an admirable order. The order was according to affections in the heavens, and according to cupidities in the hells." (L. J. Post, 176.)

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     In a mountainous region, appearing as similar to the mountains described in the Apocalypse, dwelt the evil and profane. In such a correspondential background, representative of self love, Swedenborg recounts the Italians as dwelling. He observes, significantly, that from Rome were those in the insanity, not only of rejecting the Divine, but also of arrogating the Divine to themselves and desiring to be proclaimed as gods. Those from Naples, he says, were the most cunning and the worst of all Italians. From Sicily were those who had wholly rejected their religion and adopted falsities which, curiously enough, they acknowledged to be false. With the cunning of the insane, they had divided their mountain region into two; in one part dwelt the worshippers of falsity, in the other those who were in external holiness. The ingenious idea being that by worshipping the devil on one side, and the Divine on the other, they might be protected, and whichever way they turned, they would be in security,-a policy which is often carried out in this world, though perhaps not quite so blatantly! The devil worshippers, in their profanation, possessed books which were written after the manner of the writing in the celestial heavens, in curves and simple inflexions, and in these they utterly denied the Divine, extolling and worshipping the devil. It is added: "Such also had been their interior religion when they lived in the world, although the exterior appeared different." When it was asked why they should behave so, they replied, "That we may rule over all others round about, and possess all."
     Elsewhere it is stated that those from the lower part of Italy worship idols of nature. Such worship is ingrained in them from the worship of images on earth. (See S. D. 5043, 5097, 5629-5637, 5648-5658, 5847.)
     At first reading, it seems difficult to reconcile these horrible pictures with our historical concept of Italy, with its love of art and beauty, its soft melodic language, and its rich contribution to the learning of the West. But the more penetrating can observe, beneath the bloom, a rottenness that is of the very core. The dirt, disease and beggary which every traveller noted were all evidences of a corrupt and indifferent government, the over-abundant ritual too often clothing a hollow sham; and one has to confess that the Borgias and Medicis and their like were as representative of Italy as Michael Angelo or da Vinci.

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     The Catholic Church, governing from Rome with its Inquisition, exercised a crushing effect upon the freedom of Italy, stultifying its intellectual life. That, and the constant succession of petty princes who governed as despots over the cities and communes, prevented national unity, retarding any natural striving towards a free, democratic government.
     These are causes, spiritual in their origin, operating in the natural world with deadly effect upon the political and national life, and in the other world revealed as vile and degrading in their ultimate expression.
     Of this lack of freedom in speech and writing, Swedenborg has this to say in contrast between the English and Italian governments of his time: "In England there is freedom to speak and write on both civil and spiritual things, but no freedom at all to use deceit and cunning to deceive others, nor to lie in wait to murder, rob and kill and if they do it there is no remission. But it is the opposite with the Italians at this day. In Italy there is freedom to deceive by cunning and guile, and also to kill; which freedom they have from so many asylums, and from the dispensations; but there is no freedom at all to speak and write adversely on ecclesiastical and civil affairs there; for there are inquisitions there. Hence it is that the Italian nation retains such things within, and thus a fire, which is a slow hatred, revenge and cruelty: which fire is like that which lies hidden long under the ashes after a conflagration, and consumes." (L. J. Post, 5.)
     It is of the very life of man to be free; for in no other way can man form a conscience, into which the influx of the Lord may flow. Here a quotation from a recent speech of Bishop de Charms on "The Development of Government in the Academy may point to the use which should direct human authority. Speaking of the influx from the Lord, he says, "All human administration-through the offices, functions, and agencies of government-is to provide for this influx, and to create channels through which this influx may actually rule the church and guide its destiny." (NEW CHURCH LIFE, March. 1942, p. 98.) Although this was said specifically of church government, the same principle, one must suppose, applies to civil government-though how painfully far from recognizing this is the world, it is only too obvious.

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     That the ecclesiastical and civil authority in Italy completely denied this use-to "create channels through which the Lord's influx may flow,"-can be seen in her history, and in those passages already quoted from the Diary.
     We read in the Arcana: "The sphere of one who regards himself in all things absorbs all the delights of the spirits round about him, and destroys all their freedom; but when the general good of all is regarded, then one never appropriates to himself the delight of another, and destroys his freedom, but so far as he can he promotes and increases it. Hence the heavenly societies are as one." (A. C. 1316.) Contrast this statement with this political illustration from a modern writer on medieval Italy: "Each city desired peace, but each wished to prevail over its neighbor; so political development was conducive to conflict rather than peace."
     It is said in the Writings that all who truly love their country will in the other world love the Lord's kingdom. One is tempted to say of the Italian that, since there were few who loved the Lord's kingdom, there were few who loved their country well enough to free it from its degrading fetters.
     But what of Italy today? Compared with some countries, Italy has never realized complete freedom, though there have been periods when Church and State frowned less heavily upon free and critical thought. But now the Italy that Mazzini and Garibaldi inspired into unity has gone. All those dearly bought privileges have been brutally swept away by Mussolini. It is only too evident what the love of power, the tyranny exerted by unbridled dictatorship, can do when given rein. Sometimes it seems as if we have, enacted before our eyes, the very scenes Swedenborg describes in the world of spirits-when men deny the Divine, and attribute all power and glory to themselves. It would seem that there is a force in Italy today which by association with the evil spirits who seek to destroy and dominate, would in time vitiate the whole nation, bringing to pass a spiritual state similar to that described in the work on the Last Judgment.
     It is no part of this short essay to probe the causes why so few, apparently, were found to oppose the rule of the Fascists, nor whether its acceptance is interiorly in the heart of the Italian people.

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But we are led to ask whether the Writings give us an account of the Italians as they will be for all time-whether, in the main, they are of such a nature that the loves of self and of domineering will forever hold sway. Surely we must look at these references to countries and to peoples, not from the idea of time, but from that of state. And then we may see in them, not so much statements about nations and persons, but rather illustrations of what happens when the right of free speech and free thought is denied, when individual conscience is killed by excessive state authority and the proprial loves allowed to smoulder unchecked. Nations may come and go-the good and evil loves of man remain.
     Nor is it much more than idle curiosity to speculate on the place the Italians hold in the other world, or to speak of that interior perception held by the English because of their freedom. Considered thus, the statements in the Writings are historical references, which may or may not hold true in future ages. The essential thing is to remember that these evils of self love and pride are common to us all, and that even the natural and civil freedom which we possess will gain us little if we neglect the only freedom worth striving for. "For the life of freedom consists solely in being led by the Lord." (A. C. 892.)
     What is said of the English may remain true, and we hope it will. What is said of the Italians may become untrue, and we hope it will, and that in the future years they will know civil freedom and, with the gradual increase and spread of the New Church, spiritual freedom. When Mussolini's shadow has dwindled away, may not a new Italy arise,-an Italy worthy of Dante, da Vinci, and Garibaldi? The shifting map of the world, which has seen so many frontiers vanish or alter, as man's lusts have been given rein, will see many changes in the future. So does the spiritual state of man ever react naturally upon the boundaries of the world. How much more in that spiritual geography of the other world! And it is not for us to judge where Italy or any nation has its place.
     There is but one guiding principle that is applicable alike to men as individuals and to men as nations: "In the spiritual world, every nation has its place allotted in accordance with its idea of God as a Man, for in this idea, and in no other, is the idea of the Lord." (D. L. W. 13.)

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GOG AND MAGOG 1942

GOG AND MAGOG       Rev. E. E. IUNGERICH       1942

     Two articles by the present writer appeared recently in the pages of NEW CHURCH LIFE. (November, 1941, and March. 1942.) They were entitled, "Swedenborg in the City of Sodom and Egypt," and "The Millennium-A. D. 1757-1765." The general theme involved in both is now carried further and brought to a conclusion in the following account of Gog and Magog, mentioned in the Apocalypse (20: 9). For the sake of convenience and a thoroughness of treatment, the subject is presented under three heads, with a particular discussion of the contents of verses 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the 20th chapter of the Apocalypse.

     I: Verses 7-9.

     Detrusion into hell of the lowest dregs of perverted Christianity, who were in a dead worship devoid of any internal, after a foray of the dragon into the world of spirits.

     "And when the thousand years haze been consummated, Satan shall be loosed from his prison." (v. 7.) "And he shall go out to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea." (v. 8.) "And they ascended upon the breadth of the land, and encompassed the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire descended from God out of heaven, and consumed them." (v. 9.)

     "And when the thousand years have been consummated."-After the eight years' interval of the incarceration of the dragon, A.D. 1757-1765, all those fitted for the internal heaven of Christians (A. R. 878), which is in the southern quarter of the South to North axis or the spiritual kingdom, had been elevated thither: whereas those who were to be sent to its northern quarter or the external heaven of Christians, needed to undergo one more crucial ordeal, which they were now ready to sustain.

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     "Satan shall be loosed from his prison."-The dragon had been called "the devil and satan' (v. 2), to signify, respectively, evils of the will and falses in the understanding. It is to be noted that those who are being elevated out of the Lower Earth are first led to the left, where is the hell of those who are in a faith separated from charity coupled with manifest external evils. For the spectacle of their evil life counterbalances any allurement that a faith of truths without goods might exert with them. Now the dragon, during its incarceration in hell, had been thoroughly moored there as to its ruling love, which was a lust of evils from the will. Upon its issuing from this abyss, it went forth under the guise of the understanding, and is therefore spoken of here as "Satan." But inasmuch as these falses were no more than a spearpoint to the evils of their will the latter would betray themselves as soon as their falses had been confuted by truths.
     "And he shall go out to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them to battle."
     Upon issuing from the abyss into the world of spirits, the dragon, under cover of its cold, intellectual, satanic lures, would draw to its side all who were in a merely external or natural worship devoid of any spiritual internal, and excite them against those who worshipped the Lord and lived according to His commandments. The latter who were thus assailed were those called "the rest of the dead" (v. 5), who were in the Jerusalem cities in the world of spirits. After their combat, they were to be elevated to compose the spiritual-natural heaven.
     Gog and Magog are words which in Hebrew are connected with a root that signifies an external, superficial panelling-tectum et tabulatum (roof and floor), which are the externals. (A. R. 859e.)
     Concerning those who are meant by these names, we read in the
Doctrines:

     "There were some at the back who said: "What need is there of cognitions, thus of truth? It is enough to be in a holy worship.' . . . It was then said to them that a holy external without the cognitions of truth and good is not holy, because there is nothing from heaven in it; for it is from an empty man, from whom nothing is perceived.

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It was also said that a man's love, namely, of truth and good, is in all and everything of his worship. If, therefore, there is nothing within, of what quality is the worship, or of what quality is the holiness? For they are then thinking about themselves and from themselves. A man, accordingly, cannot have heaven in himself without cognitions; for it is as if he knew nothing about the Lord, as that all good is from Him; or about himself, that all evil is thence; from which is the humiliation of his worship. If these things are not in his humiliation, there is nothing in it. except what the mouth puts forth, while the heart does nothing. The case is the same with many other [cognitions]. Men must know them before their understanding and will, or their faith and love, can be formed. It was monks who were such, because they keep all in what is most obscure and in a thick darkness. Thence is the papist thick darkness. . . . Those who are such, namely, who loathe cognitions, by which, however, is the way to heaven, and who put all worship in externals, are the Gog and Magog in the Apocalypse." (S. D. 5450.)
     "Almost directly above me were those who placed everything in reading pious books, who were full of prayers and sang psalms, believing that worship consists entirely in these things. Because they were above me, they were extinguishing [with me] the entire understanding of the Word as to the internal sense, and were dulling the spiritual affection of truth as well. They have also posted, all around below, many of a similar religion who were besieging [me], as it were. I spoke with them then, and they said that they read only such books, and have supervisors who visit them in their society to see whether they are diligent in their reading. They were asked if they do not learn truths. They said that they do not care about them, supposing that they inflowed from God without any reception of them [on their part] or any thought about them, thus without any cognitions which they should apply themselves to learn. I replied to them that a man without truths is empty, and that readings and discourses from them are [in their case] as a sound from what is empty, and that they should certainly learn truths and should be at work, and not in such idleness. And it was perceived that such were Gog and Magog." (S. D. 5960.)

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     "As to what God and Magog are further, this may be evident from Rosenstolpe,* who had diligently read the Word and Scriver,** and had attended church assiduously and prayed ardently, and yet was not versed in anything of truth, and [knew] hardly a single one, nor had understood the Word as to a single doctrine. Yet his life had been that of an unjust man, because he had handed down juridical decisions in favor of his friends. He appears therefore like a stock, devoid of spiritual life, and it was perceived that such are Gog and Magog." (S. D. 5960.)
     * His state in the other life is further described in S. D. 5863-5866, 5948(3), and 5977.
     ** Undoubtedly this was CHRISTIAN SCRIVER (1629-1693), "a German Lutheran devotional writer who opposed the formalism then besetting Lutheranism, and prepared the way for Pietism, even while himself maintaining strict orthodoxy." (Schaff-Herzog.) He accompanied Swedenborg when he visited a Mohammedan region in the other life, and from him the Mohammedans 'apperceived what Christians are like.' (S. D. 4831.) On the margin of S. D. 4832, Swedenborg wrote the name "Scriver," thus identifying him as the "preacher and exceedingly pathetic writer" who was present with Swedenborg when he visited the Fifth Earth in the Starry Heaven. Scriver had not believed that there are any earths besides our own, and he cherished a tripersonal idea of the Godhead, as fully set forth in A. C. 10735, 10752-10757; also in E. U. 157-164.

     The crew, therefore, which now flocked about the dragon, and constituted the greater part of its army, consisted of those who had been in an external worship devoid of any spiritual internal. They were church goers who attend to the eloquence of the preacher, and not to the substance of what he says, but are somewhat stirred by prayers given with an emotional delivery. Such are sinners who never reflect upon themselves and their own lives; for after attending to their conventional religious obligations they make nothing of adulteries, obscenities, revenge, hatred, clandestine thefts or depredations, lies or blasphemies, and of concupiscences or evil intentions of every sort. At heart they do not believe in any God, and still less in the Lord. When asked what they know about the goods and truths of religion, they say that such knowledges are of little importance. They live for themselves and the world, thus according to their whims and the cravings of the body, and not for their spirit or soul, and still less for the sake of the neighbor, and thus for the Lord.

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They are prone, yea, eager, to accept the heretical dogma of faith alone, being especially pleased on being told that a man can do no good from himself, and that this dogma has freed men from all anxiety at being under the yoke of the decalogue or of the law. (A. R. 859.) Their worship, which masks an inward astuteness, malice and violence, is a piety into which inward villainies inflow, thus like muddied waters. It is therefore a kind of profanation. (A. E. 1061.) The war to which the dragon rallied them is one of falses against truths, and of truths against falses (A. E. 734:8), as is set forth in the discussion between the dragon's emissary and the wise man in the Jerusalem city. (T. C. R. 388.)
     "Whose number is as the sand of the sea."-This comparison expresses how great was the multitude of those called Gog and Magog, and also recalls the fact that John had previously said that `he stood upon the sand of the sea" (Apoc. 13: 1) when the dragon had been cast by Michael upon the earth in the world of spirits, and was relentlessly pursuing the woman who had fled into a desert. "The sand of the sea" at that time contained many of the simple, who were good but naturally minded Christians, who could welcome John's advocacy of good works, which he spiritually symbolizes. But these were then intermingled with hordes of those called Gog and Magog. These simple good ones were at present in the Jerusalem cities in the world of spirits; whereas the latter, to whom spiritual subjects seem dry, boring, and not stimulating, were marshalled under the standard of the dragon, which had emerged from the abyss to take command of them.
     "And they ascended upon the breadth of the land, and encompassed the camp of the saints and the beloved city."-Their contempt for all truths of the church is meant here by their treading "the breadth of the land" underfoot. And their attempt, under dragonistic leadership, to destroy all things of the New Church, and specifically its doctrine of the Lord and a life according to His commandments, is signified by their "encompassing," respectively, "the camp of the saints" and "the beloved city."
     "And fire descended from God out of heaven, and consumed them."-When evil lusts with spirits inwardly consume the mind, which is related to the body as the sky above is to the earth beneath, fires appear in the spiritual world, descending from on high upon the wicked who are standing below. (A. E. 504:22.) This is a sign testifying to their being in evils and falses, and on the point of perishing spiritually to eternity. (A. R. 599.)

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     After the emissary of the besieging army of the dragon had been discomfited by the controversial logic of a wise man in a Jerusalem city, and a report had been made by him to the besiegers, the latter then said among themselves: "`Let us call together still more of our friends, and storm the city. Let us make ladders, scale the wall, and rush in by night, and cast out these charities.' But when they attempted this, lo, there appeared as it were fire from heaven, which consumed them. But the fire from heaven was an appearance of their anger from hatred against others, because they had cast down faith from the first place into the second. The reason why they appeared to be consumed as if by fire was because hell opened under their feet and swallowed them up. Similar things happened in many places at the time of the Last Judgment, and this is what is meant by the words of Apocalypse 20: 8, 9, 'The dragon shall go out to seduce the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, . . . to gather them to battle. . . . And they ascended upon the breadth of the land, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, and fire descended from God out of heaven and consumed them.'" (T. C. R. 388; A. R. 655.)
     It is not beyond peradventure to presume that the present global war, which has literally spread to the four corners of the earth, witnesses a still more ultimate assault by the hells. This is an attempt to blast the very foundations of morality and of religious and civil liberties. But these foundations must be preserved, if the Lord is to establish "a camp of the saints" and His "beloved city" in this benighted world.

     II: Verse 10.

     Final damnation of all who were in the evils of the love of self abetted by faith alone.

     "And the devil who seduced them was cast into the pool of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they were tormented days and nights to ages of ages.-Reasonings from the natural man and confirmations from the Word, to bolster up the dogma of salvation by faith alone, had already been adjudged to be infernal. (Apoc. 19: 20.)

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Divested of these supports, this satanic dogma had been suppressed during the eight years of the dragon's incarceration. Its resurgence for the foray just described was in order to purge the world of spirits further, and of those who had no interest in intellectual argumentations, whether based upon pseudo-rational arguments or upon Scripture quotations. For they welcomed that dogma just because it gave them a feeling of security in living on as they did according to every pleasurable whim that struck their fancy, and without having to be bothered about any examination of their motives or any need to repent of anything.
     The present verse also makes it clear that the proponents of the solifidian dogma, after they had been stripped of such pleasure- loving and ignorant supporters, termed Gog and Magog, would no longer be able to maintain a foothold in the world of spirits, to which they had clung tenaciously after being cast down thither in the defeat of the dragon by Michael. (Apoc. 12: 12.) Already moored in hell, because their wills were in evils of life and their understandings in falses of doctrine, they themselves were now sent for permanent confinement to the place where their reasonings from the natural man to show the shunning of evils as sins to be unnecessary, and their perversions of the letter of the Word to sanction this effrontery, had already been consigned as satanic and diabolical. In that hell the cupidities of their evils and the love of their own falsities unceasingly plague them to eternity. For everyone in hell is tormented by the love and concupiscences that make up his life, because of the stern prohibition against their gratifying them and reveling in the only things that are delightful to them. (A. R. 864.)
     It may be seen better from these events why no flesh could have been saved by the Lord, if there had not been a Last Judgment and the establishment of a New Church. For as long as the dragon, after its defeat by Michael. had been able to maintain a foothold with its crew in the world of spirits, no Divine Truth united to Divine Good could pass from the Lord through that world to men on earth without suffering a perversion that frustrated every prospect of salvation. (B. E. 94.) For by the dragon and its two beasts are meant those who excelled in artifices to swell up and excite others to evils on a plane of interior thinking, while embittering their animus against the Lord and Divine Truths from Him. They were like hired agitators in an explosive mob.

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Like a poisonous leaven that causes dough to ferment for toxic purposes, they plotted to destroy all who acknowledged and worshipped the Lord as God, and who were in Divine Truths from Him. (L. J. Post. 40.)

     III: Verses 11-15.

     Rearrangement of hells to prevent enduring imaginary heavens from ever again arising.

     For many centuries prior to the Last Judgment, those who were in no spiritual good, but in a merely moral and civil good, and who had appeared outwardly like pious Christians, had been allowed to remain in the world of spirits, where they had made for themselves seemingly permanent abodes, to which, through an abuse of correspondences and the exploitation of divers phantasies, they had implanted an appearance of heavenly reality. But when their numbers, and likewise their divers artifices, had multiplied to such an extent as to intercept spiritual light and heat between the superior heavens and men on earth, the Lord enacted the Last Judgment, and dissipated these fictitious heavens, so that no vestige of them should ever again appear. This was effected by a suppression of the external activities of their minds which had enabled them to feign to be pious Christians, and by a manifestation of their internals, as to which they were devils. They were then seen by others for what they were, and last of all by themselves. After this there was little to allure them to remain in the world of spirits, and much to repel them from trying to do so. They accordingly cast themselves, freely and from choice, into the hells of those who were similar to themselves.

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CHRISTIAN CONFESSIONS 1942

CHRISTIAN CONFESSIONS       Editor       1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE

Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa..
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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     In times of war, when the bonds of society are loosened the hidden evils of mankind come forth abundantly into speech and act, and manifest themselves for all to see. But in times of great material advancement, when peace and prosperity reign in the natural affairs of men and nations, the unregenerate state of the race as a whole is not so plainly seen and acknowledged, being covered up by the prevalence of outward civility, morality and piety. And this general condition with the composite man-nation or church-is then mirrored in the life of the individual, who is unaware of the cherished evils of his heart so long as they remain hidden under the veneer of his own natural good. Beneath his outward works of charity and piety, he may foster many evil affections,-selfishness and love of the world, contempt for others in comparison with himself, even hatred and malice, which he hides with deceit and cunning for the sake of his reputation and gain. And these evil affections grow and increase under the surface until something happens to check them, and thus to make the man aware of their existence. By this he is brought to a choice,-either to remain in his evils and confirm them, or to confess them before God and man, repenting of them by resistance and combat for his soul's salvation, and cultivating the good and righteous life from the sincerity of religion and faith in God.

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     But if a man is not in the path of interior repentance; if the exhortations of the Word and the church are unheeded by him, entering one ear and passing out of the other; then there are other means in Providence, which operate to check the growth of his interior evil, for his own sake and for the sake of society; as, for instance, when evil affections come forth into speech and act, they are resisted by other men. If he is not one who is willing to check his own evil impulses and thoughts from within, then it may be permitted of Providence that he suffer calamities and misfortunes, with their attendant anxieties which will have the salutary effect of bringing him to a consciousness of his hidden states, and to a temporary reform. "The devil sick, the devil a saint would be." In other words, natural temptations may perform a use with one who is incapable of spiritual temptation.

     One Use of Wars.

     Now it is for such a purpose, we are told, that wars, with all their terrible afflictions, are permitted by the Divine Providence, and not prevented,-that the hidden evils of men and nations may not remain unknown and unacknowledged, but that they may be removed by some form of repentance, external or internal. For if not thus checked, evils would foment and increase under the surface, to the eventual destruction of mankind, both spiritually and naturally. But when they are brought to the surface, to be seen and known there may be an outward healing, if not an inward cleansing by that genuine repentance which is only possible with those who have conscience and are thus capable of regeneration.
     Let us recall the teaching on this subject: "It is not from the Divine Providence that wars exist, . . . but still they cannot but be permitted. For without permissions man cannot be led from evil by the Lord, and thus be reformed and saved; for unless evils were permitted to break out man would not see them, thus would not acknowledge them, and so could not be led to resist them. Hence it is that evils cannot be inhibited by any Providence; for so they would remain shut in, and like the diseases called cancer and gangrene would spread and consume all that is vital in man.

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For man is from birth like a little hell, between which and heaven there is a perpetual disagreement. No man can be withdrawn from his hell by the Lord unless he sees that he is there. and unless he is willing to be led out; and this cannot be done without permissions, the causes of which are laws of the Divine Providence. It is from this cause that there are lesser and greater wars. . . ." (D. P. 251.)
     Such a disclosure of the inner state of mankind is taking place throughout the world, both Christian and gentile, as one result of the present war. And New Churchmen, who understand the phenomena of a general judgment, with its revealing, punishment and vastation of evil, have noted with interest the confessions it has engendered, especially on the part of Christians.
     Many are disturbed by the thought that those who claim to fight in defense of Christian principles may not be practising what they preach. While horrified at the manifest evils of the enemy, and determined to combat and remove them, Christians may not be fighting those evils in themselves and in their own nation. Some ask: "Are men sincere in fighting for freedom, if they desire only their own freedom, not that of other men?" And if that be the case, how can they "come into court with clean hands" when they sit down to the peace table? We often hear it said that the world can only be regenerated by the regeneration of the individual, according to the prayer: "Lord, reform the world-beginning with me!" From common sense alone, men realize that in fighting for a just cause they should be consistent, and practise justice in their personal and national life.
     We are familiar with this trend of Christian thought and confession, but we would here recall two outstanding examples:

     Protestant.

     "While any free constitution or system is worth preserving for the sake of the many good things which can be developed through it, only one kind of freedom deserves for its own sake alone to be preserved, namely, that which springs from faith in God. It is therefore of the utmost consequence that, even while we fight to preserve our heritage of freedom, we should he taking care to strengthen its spiritual roots. For I am convinced that all the values which we are trying to preserve are rooted in the eternal realm. . .
     "Our enemy is to be judged, not as a self-seeking gangster, which is a merely symptomatic characteristic of him, but as the efflorescence, the exaggerated expression, of a tendency discoverable in every modern country.

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Our task is first to defeat him and his associates in all nations, so that they may not rivet their odious system upon us, but also to turn back the tendency he represents, and base our ordering of life upon the principles which he repudiates-The Most Rev. William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury.

     Roman Catholic.

     "When the causes of the present calamities are examined-causes which leave mankind perplexed-the opinion is frequently ventured that Christianity has failed in its mission. No! Christianity, whose force derives from Him who is the way, the truth and the life, and who is with it and shall remain with it until the consummation of the world, has not failed in its mission, but men have rebelled against that Christianity which is true and faithful to Christian doctrine. In its place they have fashioned Christianity to their liking, a new idol which does not save, which is not opposed to the passions of carnal desires, nor to the greed for gold and silver which fascinates, nor to the pride of life; a new religion without a soul or a soul without religion, a mask of dead Christianity without the spirit of Christ, And they have proclaimed that Christianity has failed in its mission
     "Let us burrow deeply into the conscience of modern society. Let us seek out the root of the evil, Where does it thrive? Here again, of course, we do not wish to withhold the praise due to the wisdom of those rulers who either favored always or who desired, and were capable of restoring to its place of honor, the value of Christian civilization in the amicable relations between Church and State, in the safeguard of the sanctity of marriage, in the religious education of youth, But we cannot close our eyes to the sad spectacle of the progressive de-Christianization, both individual and social, which from moral laxity has developed into a general state of weakness, and brought about the open denial of truth and of those influences whose function it is to illuminate our minds in the matter of good and evil, and to fortify family life, private life, and the public life of the State.
     "A religious anemia, like a spreading contagion, has so afflicted many peoples of Europe and of the world, and has created in their souls such a moral void, that no spurious and Pharisaical religious organization, and no national or international mythology, will serve to fill this emptiness. Is it not true that, for decades and centuries past, men have directed their every thought, word and deed to their sworn objective of tearing from the hearts of our young and old alike their faith in God, the Creator and Father of all, Rewarder of good and Avenger of evil? And have they not striven for the accomplishment of this goal through a process of radical change in education and instruction, opposing and oppressing by every art and means the diffusion of the spoken and written word, and by the abuse of scientific knowledge and political power, the religion and the Church of Christ?"-Pope Pius XII, Christmas Broadcast, 1941.

     We need not comment in detail upon these examples of Christian confession in high places.

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Let us assume that these Christian shepherds are concerned for the spiritual welfare of their great flocks, and are animated by a measure of genuine Christian conscience-based upon the simple elements of the Gospel, and not upon the false dogmas of tripersonality and faith alone, which call for no deep repentance. For these false teachings have produced a spiritual inertia which is the real cause of the tide of evil that is flowing forth from the interiors of men, and which has brought the Christian Church to its ruin and its end.
     The above quoted utterances by leaders of the Old Church are at least frank admissions that all is not right with the spiritual health of Christians, and of so-called Christian civilization, and that there is urgent need for a revival of a true Christian faith and life among men. They manifest at least an awareness of the need of spiritual reform among men and nations.
     But such an awareness is not enough. A distinction must be drawn between an awareness or conscious knowledge of evil and a true conscience with respect to good and evil. Conscience, we are told, is "a spiritual willingness to act according to religion and faith." (T. C. R. 666.) And that faith must be the belief in one God whose precepts a man wills and loves to obey, regarding any violation as a sin against Him. Such a faith and such a conscience are impossible with a Christian who is confirmed in the idea that he is saved by faith without works-by faith in Christ as the Son who intercedes with the Father, or in Christ as a mere man. For this faith demands no soul-searching repentance, no interior resistance to evil and bitter combat against it, and so brings about no removal of the "root of evil," no deliverance from hell for the soul's salvation.
     It will be said by some New Churchmen that the false dogmas and formulas of the Christian Church are being modified and discarded, and we can agree that something of this kind is taking place as the result of the freer state of thought on matters of faith that followed the Last Judgment. In the light of common sense and common perception, men reject the idea that the heavenly reward is granted for believing alone, and without the price of repentance and good works. There is a cry for a return to the simple teachings of Christ, and to the brotherly love of primitive Christianity, which is all right if those simple teachings include the precept that a man is to confess in heart that he is a miserable sinner, and that he is to take up his cross and follow the Lord, even through bitter conflict with evil in himself, and furthermore that good works and a show of love for God and the neighbor are no substitute for this life of repentance, without which a man remains wholly impure within.

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     We cannot judge the interior state of life with any individual. We know from our Doctrine that there is a remnant of good Christians, and that there are also Christians who may be terrified into piety by the signs of the times. And we know from history that there have been transient revivals in every declining and dead church,-revivals which perform a use in checking the growth of evil, and in preparing a remnant for salvation, but which should not he mistaken for permanent restorations of the spiritual state of mankind, for this can only take place through a new and distinctive church. Let us note a teaching of our Doctrine upon this matter:

     THE VASTATE CHURCH.

     "How the case is with the rejection of an old church and the adoption of a new one, scarcely anyone knows. He who is not acquainted with the interiors of man, and the states of those interiors, and thence with the states of man after death, cannot conceive otherwise than that they who are of the old church, with whom good and truth is vastated and thus no longer acknowledged in heart are about to perish, either like the antediluvians by a flood, or like the Jews by being driven out of their own land, or otherwise. But when the church is vastated, that is, when it is no longer in any good of faith it principally perishes as to the states of its interiors, thus as to states in the other life. Heaven then removes itself from them, and consequently the Lord, and transfers itself to others who are adopted in their place. . . . At that time, they who are of the old church, and thus removed from heaven, are in a sort of inundation as to the interiors, which is not apperceived by the man himself while he lives in the body, but he comes into it after death. It appears manifestly in the other life like a cloudy mist, by which such are encompassed and thereby separated from heaven. The state of those who are in that cloudy mist is, that they cannot possibly see what is the truth of faith, and still less what is its good; for the light of heaven, in which is intelligence and wisdom, cannot penetrate into that mist. This is the state of the vastated church." (A. C. 4423.)

     With the remnant, who are adopted in a new church, that mist can be removed, so that the light of a new revelation can enter. In the views expressed by the Pope and the Primate we see no acknowledgment that there may be something wrong with the doctrine and worship of the Christian Church, still less that these are the cause of the evil which they deplore. And we believe there is no evidence that the Christian Church itself is ready to discard its false dogmas and its worship of a tripersonal God, and therefore that there is no hope of its revival.

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     Meanwhile its externals remain,-the outer forms of piety and worship, and the teaching of the Word-and by this, in Providence, each rising generation is told what evil is and what good is, and is thus made aware of the need of repentance before God. And there is a small remnant of Christians who will heed the plain teachings of the Word of God, and so be brought to a knowledge of evil in themselves, and to something of a Christian conscience. Those who belong to this remnant will come to the true light of the Second Coming, and to the acknowledgment of the Lord in His Divine Human as God and Savior, whether they do so in this world or the next. It is chiefly for their sakes that the disclosures of evil are made by wars at this day, though it is also for the sake of the whole human race, that it may not perish from the earth.
     The great good intended for mankind by the Divine Providence in permitting the great evils of warfare is not seen and realized until afterwards, when "the mists have cleared away" from the mind of spiritual faith and discernment. The merely natural mind is prone to ascribe all calamities to God, thinking that He who permits also wills them. But the Lord can will good only, and He permits the evils of a judgment as the sole means of removing evil and imparting good. When it says in the Word that God tempts, it is speaking according to the appearance; "it is according to the internal sense that God tempts no one, but in the time of temptations is continually delivering from them, as far as possible, and is continually looking to the good into which He is leading him who is in temptation. . . . It is the evil within man which causes, and also leads into, temptation." (A. C. 2768.) There was a perception of this truth among the early Christians, as voiced by the Apostle James: "Let no man say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted of God'; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man; but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1: 13, 14.)

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE       Editor       1942

     South Africa.

     The General Church Military Service Committee has Oh its list the names of 33 men and one woman from Durban. This number represents a large percentage of the society's man-power, and shows a keen sense of patriotic duty. Recently a letter was received from Air Pupil R. W. Cowley, which said: "Actually I was the last able-bodied man to join up from the Durban Society (and that was because my studies had prevented my doing so before)
     A great number of our friends from Durban have seen action in Libya over a long period of time. The entire Church is concerned over the fate of these men, and we want to publish the latest official news we have received from Durban.

Lieut. Colin Owen Ridgway-Missing.
Private Frank D. Bamford-Missing-Believed Prisoner of War.
Lieut. Brian Melville Ridgway-Missing-Believed Prisoner of War.
Corpl. Colin Bernard Ridgway-Missing-Believed Prisoner of War.
Sig. Glenn (Ginty) Melville Ridgway-Missing-Believed Prisoner of War.

     Lieut. C. 0. Ridgway was reported as Missing in Action a few days before the fall of Tobruk in June, while the others presumably were taken prisoners when Tobruk was obliged to surrender. Others whose units were taken at the same time were feared lost, but Corpl. R. F. Fraser had been wounded previously and is now in Durban. Pte. D. B. de Villiers is believed safe, as he was not with his unit at Tobruk, owing to his having been seriously wounded last January. Miss D. S. de Chazal has recently changed units and is all right, although her old unit, the 17th Field Ambulance, was captured at Tobruk.
     In July a message was broadcast by the Vatican Radio from the South African General who was in charge of Tobruk, and who took the responsibility for its surrender. This, and other unofficial messages which have filtered through to relatives, lead us to suppose that the prisoners are in Italy. Unfortunately, only next of kin are allowed to send messages to the prisoners through the Red Cross, and therefore our Committee will be unable to send literature to them until they are freed.
     Our sympathy goes out to the families and friends of these brave men, the first of our New Church casualties.
     Later: Since the above news was received, further word has come to us from Durban stating that both Lieut. Colin Owen Ridgway and Lieut. Brian Melville Ridgway are now prisoners of war in Italy, Camp 122, their names having been mentioned in a broadcast by, the Vatican Radio.

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                    Australia.

     The Hurstville Society has five men in the armed forces, of whom three are brothers. L.A.C. Sydney Heldon, with the Royal Australian Air Force, writes July 5th:
     "Yesterday, and you know what day that is, your lads here had a great celebration, including a grand march in the morning, competitive sports in the afternoon, and a July 4th Ball to finish things off at night. Unfortunately I was on duty yesterday and could not witness any of it, nor could I get to the Ball, but according to this morning's paper they had a grand time, especially the dance last night.
     "Linda Hamm and Clara Heinrichs are both in the same place as my brother Norman, and Mrs. Henderson and my sister wasted no time in writing to advise them of the fact. I guess there will be quite a lot for them to talk about. As they are not such a long way from Australia, we may get a visit from them also. Here's hoping we do
     "The Church celebrated the 19th of June in the usual manner on Sunday the 21st, having quite a nice Banquet, an address from Mr. Henderson, and various toasts and songs. It was well attended under the circumstances, but I was the only one from the Services able to attend. A message from the Bishop arrived in time to be read to us, which we always appreciate, now that we know him and Mrs. De Charms personally.
     "We are hoping that some of the Bryn Athyn or other New Church boys get stationed near here, so that we can show our appreciation in the right manner; and also there is nothing like personal contact to get news which we are always anxious to hear. . . . One of the boys here, Theo Kirsten, may be able to call on you in time, as I think he will he doing his training for Air Observer over there. So, with a spot of luck and a bit of leave, he should manage all right."
     Later: Since the receipt of Mr. Heldon's letter we have received more from LAC. Theodore Kirsten, who is now in Canada at Mountainview, Ontario, where he is attending an eight weeks' course at Bombing and Gunnery School. On his way from Australia he landed somewhere in the United States, and passed through Washington, D. C., Philadelphia, and New York City. Although he had two hours' leave in New York, which afforded him an opportunity to see the Empire State Building, evidently he had no time in Philadelphia, and therefore could not pay even a brief visit to Bryn Athyn. We are sorry indeed that he came so many thousands of miles, and was within fifteen miles of Bryn Athyn, yet missed it.

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[Photograph of the NEW CHURCH DAY AT COLCHESTER.]

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     Interesting Innovation.

     This Summer we have held, in Colchester, a special weekend celebration for all the young people of the General Church in England. In doing this we hope to have started an annual assembly of boys and girls, roughly between the ages of fourteen and twenty.
     Wartime conditions made it necessary for us to restrict the occasion to a weekend, where we had hoped to devote a whole week to the scheme; but in spite of travelling difficulties we had a good muster. Eleven out of a possible eighteen of the young people scattered throughout England and Wales joined with the young people of the Colchester Society to make a total attendance of about 25. Unfortunately none of our boys in the services were able to arrange their leave at the right moment, or we would have had even more attending.
     On Friday, August 7, we commenced our proceedings with a class held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Cooper, the subject of discussion being "The Five Churches."
     On Saturday most of us went to a nearby river and beauty spot for boating, swimming and a picnic, Although the weather was not as kind as it might have been, everybody was able to have a good time, and there was a splendid opportunity for getting to know one another better.
     On Saturday evening a supper was held at the church, and after this a few short speeches on the subject of "Service" were delivered by the young people themselves, under the guidance of Mr. Garth Cooper who was chairman. This was followed by a social evening which kept us all amused until we were compelled to think of retiring for the night.
     The Sunday morning service was particularly directed to the young people, and in the afternoon there was held the Betrothal of Mr. Eric Appleton and Miss Martha Mardell, which gave an opportunity for a number who had not previously attended such a service to learn something of this impressive rite.
     We feel that a useful step has been taken in bringing about a closer cooperation amongst the members of the Church in this country. It was a small beginning, but now that the ice has been broken we think much may come of it. We, in Colchester, certainly look forward to being able to entertain our young guests on many more occasions.
     MARTIN PRYKE.

     DURBAN, NATAL.

     June 30, 1942.-Except for a Beetle Drive on May 15, and the Annual Church Picnic on May 25, on social functions were held by the Durban Society during that month. Everybody was working hard for the Bazaar which we were determined should take place on Saturday evening. June 6, war "scares" or not, and take place it did, much to everybody's satisfaction, as the threatened "scare" passed off and we were able to meet together and gather in well over ?40 for the church.
     But our jubilation was short lived, for on June 9 Durban had its first "alert," and then, following a week of rumor and speculation as to the sinkings we read were taking place off the east coast of Africa, we were ordered a "permanent black-out for an indefinite period." As the Church and Hall are not blacked out, this meant that all our carefully laid plans for the 19th of June celebrations had to be cancelled, and another lot of plans prepared for our commemorations to be held during the hours of daylight.

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     Accordingly, on Saturday, June 20, from 1 to 3 in the afternoon, fifteen children sat down to a lovely spread prepared in the Hall by members of Theta Alpha. The Rev. F. W. Elphick acted as toastmaster. After Toasts to "The Church" and "The King," short papers were read: "Children in Heaven," by Jane Forfar; "The Homes of the Angels," by Maureen Ridgway; "Writing in Heaven," by Jill Buss; and "The New Church Writings Seen in the Spiritual World," by David Levine. Then six of the younger children,-Erroll and Gillian Edley, James (Tookie) Forfar, Gwynneth Levine, Naomi and Serene Schuurman,-gave a Recitation from Revelation XXI, and effectively sang the song "Flowers Bloom in Lovely June."
     The grown-ups held their celebrations on Sunday, June 21. The morning service, which was a combined one, was devoted to the theme of New Church Day, and after our Acting Pastor had given a simple but impressive Address the children present were allowed to file quietly out of the church, leaving the adults to complete the service with the administration of the Holy Supper.
     Then from 3 to 5 in the afternoon, some 60 guests took tea together at an informal social afternoon which had been arranged by the Women Guild. Rev. Elphick acted as toastmaster again on this occasion. After toasts were honored to "The Church" and "The King," a message of Greeting from Bishop de Charms was read, and during the afternoon three short Addresses were read as follows: "Freedom," by the Rev. A. Wynne Acton, London (read by Major W. G. Lowe), "Human Freedom," by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, of Hurstville, Australia (read by Mr. L. Garth Pemberton); and "Why We Observe New Church Day," by Mr. James Pryke, of Northampton, England (read by Mr. A. Cooke), The toast to "New Church Day" having been honored, the toastmaster read Greetings from members and friends up country who all expressed their regret at being unable to attend: Mrs. Bamford, Mr. W. M. Buss, Mrs. J. Martin Buss, Mrs. F. Gardiner, Mr. Morgan Gardiner, Pte. W. Richards, Mrs. Richards, Mrs. Viola Ridgway, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. N. Ridgway, Miss Taylor, and also from Mr. Ivan Ridgway and Mr. E. J. Waters.
     Following the interlude, Mr. James J. Forfar contributed some useful reflections on the subject of "Free Will." Sufficient time was left for some impromptu toasts which were selected: "Friends Across the Sea," "To Our Friends on Active Service," and "To Our Academy," after which, blackout time being very near at hand, all returned home after a very happy and enjoyable afternoon. On this occasion, the collection, which amounted to L11, 10/-, was handed over to the Red Cross.
     Death of Mr. R. Melville Ridgway.-By the passing into the spiritual world of Mr. Melville Ridgway on May 22, the Durban Society has lost one of its most hard-working and faithful members. Although for the past few years Mr. Ridgway has been unable, through failing health, to take much active part in the Society's work, he maintained interest in it right to the end, and was always available to give advice and aid, even to leading in public worship, should the Pastor for some reason be unable to officiate. A Memorial Service was held in the church on Sunday evening, May 24. This beautiful service was very well attended, and the Memorial Address given by the Rev. F. W. Elphick was based upon the text, "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me: Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." (Rev. 14: 13.)
     P. D.C.

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     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

     A Tribute.

     Every member of our group feels a sense of real, personal loss in the passing into the higher life of our dear old friend and former leader, Rev. F. E. Waelchli. It is probably true that, had it not been for Father Waelchli's earnest and devoted efforts, covering many years, the Detroit group might never have come into existence. Starting with a single family in Windsor, Ontario, which is directly across the river from Detroit, and gradually augmented by a few devoted New Church people who would cross the river to attend Mr. Waelchli's services, this group has shown steady growth. To-day, under the able leadership of the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, the group shows real promise of soon becoming an organized society of the General Church.
     Our group last saw Mr. Waelchli at the Geoffrey S. Childs residence in Saginaw, Mich., on May 31, 1942. We had assembled there at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Childs for a service and dinner. Mr. Waelchli, who was visiting the Childs, seemed in excellent spirits, responding to a toast to the Church in his usual scholarly manner. While it was evident that his health had failed since his previous visit with us, we little realized that we were seeing our old friend for the last time on earth. We share the sorrow of his family in their bereavement, and extend to them our deepest sympathy.

     Summer Meetings.

     Our meeting at the Childs home was well attended and very much enjoyed. However, the feeling was expressed that, due to restrictions on automobile travel, it would probably be the last time many of us would be able to journey so far for a service. So perhaps, for the duration, meetings at the Childs' home may have to be abandoned.
     During July our annual Summer picnic was held at the Walled Lake home of the French family. Commencing with a service at noon, conducted by the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, and followed by lunch, the remainder of the day was devoted to swimming, fishing and other outdoor diversions. A meeting with "Pa" and "Ma" French is always a memorable occasion, and this was no exception.
     It is worthy of special mention that the French's three sons are all fighting for Uncle Sam in the Navy, and that their dad is working overtime as a foreman in Henry Ford's huge Bomber Plant. We are wondering how many General Church families can equal this 100 percent war record.
     We are pleased to announce a notable accession to our ranks in the person of Miss Sylvia Synnestvedt, formerly of Bryn Athyn. Sylvia is now a member of the Faculty at Grace Hospital Nurses' Training School in this City. It has been a great pleasure to add her name to our group membership roll, and we trust that she has a long term contract with the Grace Hospital.
     Our most recent series of meetings were held on August 27, 29 and 30. Unusually large attendances marked the doctrinal class on Saturday evening, at which 18 were present, and the Sunday service with an attendance of 43. Several visitors were noted with pleasure, among them Miss June Macauley, of the Faculty at Bryn Athyn, and her sister. Mrs. Bertil Larsson, of Nutley, N. J. We also had with us the parents, brother and sister of Miss Barbara Macauley, a niece of Miss June, who is to enter the Bryn Athyn Seminary this Fall. From Toledo, Ohio, journeyed Mr. and Mrs. Toby Longstaff to worship with us, and we were very happy to have them with us.
     We are looking forward to a visit from Bishop George de Charms during the late Fall, and committees already are making plans for a dinner and suitable program for the occasion.
     W. W. W.

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CHARTER DAY 1942

              1942




     Announcements



     All ex-students of the Academy of the New Church are cordially invited to attend the Charter Day Exercises, to be held at Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17, 1942. The Program:
Friday, 11 a.m. -Cathedral Service, with an Address by the Rev. Norman H. Reuter.
Friday Afternoon-Football Game.
Friday Evening-Dance.
Saturday, 7 p.m.-A Banquet in the Assembly Hall. Mr. Donald F. Rose, Toastmaster.
     Arrangements will gladly be made for the entertainment of guests if they will write to Miss Celia Bellinger, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
HOW WE LEARN 1942

HOW WE LEARN       Rev. C. E. DOERING       1942



481



NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
NOVEMBER, 1942
No. 11
     An Address of Welcome.

     (Delivered at the Opening Exercises of the Academy Schools, Bryn Athyn, Pa., September 18, 1942.)

     We begin this, our sixty-sixth school-year, as we have in the past, with prayer and worship, that our minds may be raised to the Lord, and that His blessing may be upon our work. This is the more necessary at the present time, when the whole world is at war, and there is great confusion of thought as to its causes, and as to the remedies for preventing such conflicts in the future. This state arises from the fact that the Last Judgment is being more fully consummated in this world, because men have become more materialistic and have drifted farther away from the acknowledgment of God and trust in His leading. Because the world does not look to Him as the Source of light, but to man, it acknowledges no absolute standards of truth from which to think and conclude, but does its thinking from man-made assumptions, not knowing that the Lord alone can give the truths that will clear away the obscurity of confusion, and that He has done so in His Word and in the Revelation of His Second Advent.
     Because the Academy stands for and teaches that Revelation, and strives to have the light of it enter into its teaching, that is the reason why you are here, that you also may share in that light. On behalf of the Faculty, it is a pleasure to welcome you, not only so many of our former pupils, but also many new ones, and we trust that they also will find a congenial home here, and that the life of all of you among us will be a pleasant, happy and useful one.

482



     School life is not all work, nor is it all play. Each has its part in your growth and mental development; and upon the way in which you make use of your time in both directions will depend that development. In this beginning of another school-year, I wish to talk to you of the importance of your part in that development.
     Many years ago, Bishop N. D. Pendleton, in discussing man's spiritual development, stated that it was not a continuous progress, but one of retrogression and advance, because of his weaknesses and lapses; and he made a statement that I should like to pass on to you, because of its bearing upon your attitude of mind toward what is before you to do. He first quoted from the work on Divine Providence, 202, as follows: "Every change and variation of the human mind changes and varies something in the series of things present, and thereby in things consequent; what then must it not do in the progression to eternity? It is like an arrow shot from a bow, which, if its direction at first should decline ever so little from the mark, would diverge immensely at the distance of a mile or more." The Bishop concluded: "Man can be what he will be, but he cannot be what he might have been."
     I would like you to get this thought early in your life,-namely, that your destiny depends upon you and your own effort. "Man can be what he will be " and this will be determined by your attitude, determination, application, intention, affection and thought, because all these induce states on the mind and enter into the formation of it, making its quality good or ill. The teaching is so universal that it makes us realize that every moment of our life has consequences to eternity, because of the changes of state which affect all consequent states.
     We need to appreciate this early in life, when the mind is still in the formative state-a state that is preparation for the uses of adult life. Youth is the time for making high resolves and envisaging high ideals, and also for acquiring knowledges and that stability of character which will determine that those resolves and ideals will become realities. For merely forming high resolves and ideals is of no value unless there is the will that determines that these be carried out.

483


Our Doctrines tell us what those resolves and ideals should be, and the attitude we must take toward them.
     The love of knowing, given by the Lord to every infant, must grow into the love of the knowledges learned, and then into the affection of truth,-an affection that enkindles the mind and gives the light to see and perceive truth and good, and to distinguish them from falsity and evil,-that is, the ability to see right from wrong in the problems that are before us. It is the time of life set apart for learning,-learning about the Lord, learning about the spiritual world, learning about the natural world, and learning about human society; for all these knowledges are the food that nourishes the understanding. It is formed by these, and it is important that the food be of the right kind, that there may be a true understanding, since this is given man, as Swedenborg says, "in order that he may contemplate ends and choose the best, whereas the will is given him in order that he may produce into act, and thus obtain, that which he has as an end." (W. E. 916.)
     These two parts of the mind,-the will and the understanding,- are to be formed and developed for use. But how they are formed, and what use will be made of them, is in a large measure your responsibility. I say in large measure, for your teachers also have a measure of responsibility in preparing and presenting to you truths spiritual, philosophic, and scientific, in a way accommodated to your growing capacities, to the end that by thought and reflection thereon you will be enabled to see,-see from the light within you that which you had not seen before. And this seeing only comes to you when you are affected by the truth and your mind is active on it.
     The teaching is, that "the truths and goods which are learned, and with which man is not affected, do indeed enter the memory, but adhere as lightly there as a feather does to a wall, and which is blown away by the slightest breath of wind." (A. C. 4018.) In order that you may retain permanently what you hear, some reaction is required on your part; that is, you must be affected by it.
     Now what does this mean? No other than that your will is touched, so that you bring the truth to your mind and reflect upon it, viewing it in your own light with delight, from which comes the will to make it your own.

484


Everyone knows that the thought is active on what he is interested in, and so we have the further teaching that "to learn is to perceive interiorly in oneself that a thing is so, which is to understand, and thus to receive and acknowledge. He who learns in any other way, learns and does not learn, because he does not retain." (A. R. 618.)
     Note the definition of learning here given. It is "to perceive interiorly in one's self that a thing is so." It is to see the truth. No one can give you this interior perception but the Lord, and He can do so only according as you are affected by what you learn, and by a contemplation of it with a desire to make it yours. You all know that you cannot learn to play a musical instrument except by practice,-practice until the motions of muscles and fibres become automatic. The same is true of learning to drive an automobile. No one ever learned to drive but by driving. If he had an instructor, he had to think what his instructor told him, and do what he was told,-doing it repeatedly until his reflexes and reactions became instinctive. So it is with all learning. There must be application and doing on the part of the learner, that the fibres of the mind may become habituated to what they are to do.
     So, I repeat, in order that there may be learning,-real learning,-the mind must be active, and not remain passive, simply trying to absorb what is taught. As a wise angel once said, when it was proposed to discuss a certain subject: "Let us communicate together by question and answer, for the perception of a subject imbibed from hearing alone, though it flows in, does not remain unless the hearer also thinks concerning the subject and asks questions." (C. L. 183:2.) Here, in a sum, is given the mode of learning. The hearer must think about what he hears, and in order to do so he must attend to the speaker, since by attention the mind is concentrated upon what is said, so that it enters the memory, wherein is the stuff from which he can think, and this leads to his desire to know more. Hence arise questions.
     This mode of learning is the opposite of attending a classroom and hearing what your teachers have to say with the mind directed to anything but what is said. I once had an illustration of this. I was explaining something, and after a while I asked a student what I was talking about. He very naively answered, "I don't know, sir, I just came into the room," although he had been sitting in his seat all the time I was speaking.

485


Another attitude of mind that prevents learning is that of one who opens his book, looks at what he is to do, and makes a faint-hearted effort without success, and then concludes that he can't do it. He adopts the attitude of the defeatist.
     During my many years of teaching-now beginning the fifty- second year-I have frequently heard pupils say, "I can't!" And yet, after some concentrated thought, that which seemed impossible was done. The trouble was not that the pupil was unable to do what was expected of him, but really that there was not the will to make sufficient effort to overcome difficulties.- Remember, "can't" never did anything. That attitude closes the mind against learning: it shuts out the light that gives the ability to learn. For what gives the light is the affection of truth arising from the will; and to have this, there must be first of all an acknowledgment of the Divine standard, and an effort on the part of each student to adopt that standard as his own. The Lord gives the standard. Your teachers are His standard bearers to present it to you, but your reception of it depends upon your taking the standard and holding it aloft. If you make the effort to receive what is offered, if you hearken to the instruction of that wise angel, you will truly learn to be prepared to think clearly, and thus to do that which Providence gives you to do.
GREATEST IN HEAVEN 1942

GREATEST IN HEAVEN              1942

     "I have conversed with spirits who were of the opinion that heaven and heavenly joy would consist in their being the greatest there. But they were told that in heaven he is greatest who is least; for he who wants to be the least has the greatest happiness; and because he who is the least has the greatest happiness, it follows that he is the greatest. What is it to be the greatest, except to be the happiest? They were further told that heaven does not consist in one's desiring to be the least in order that he may be the greatest, for then he aspires and desires to be the greatest; but it consists in this, that from the heart he wills better for others than for himself, and to serve others for the sake of their happiness, from no end of self, but from love." (A. C. 452.)

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POVERTY AND WEALTH 1942

POVERTY AND WEALTH       Rev. BJORN A. H. BOYESEN       1942

     "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of the heavens." (Matthew 5: 3.)

     Many believe that the poor are saved more easily than the rich, because of the Scripture saying that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matt. 19: 24.) The Lord spoke these words to His disciples as a comment upon the behavior of a young ruler who asked Him what he should do that he might have eternal life. When the Lord exhorted him to keep the commandments, the young man said that he had kept them from his youth up; whereupon the Lord told him that, if he desired to be perfect, he should go and sell all that he had, and should then come and follow the Lord. But when the young man heard this saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matt. 19: 16-22.)
     Here is a powerful example of the teaching that wealth is an obstacle in the way of salvation, and it is not the only incident in the Scriptures where the Lord denounces the possession of riches. When He sent forth His disciples to preach, He commanded them to "provide neither gold nor silver, nor brass in their purses, nor scrip for their journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves" (Matt. 10: 9-10); He exclaimed: "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation" (Luke 6: 24); and in keeping with this exclamation He received into heaven the poor Lazarus who begged at the rich man's door, while the rich man himself was delivered to the torment of damnation. (Luke 16: 19-31.) Apparently the incidents of Scripture testify overwhelmingly to the effect that wealth is detrimental to salvation, while poverty is held forth as highly desirable. And when, in addition, the Lord openly declared, "Blessed are the poor, for their's is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6: 20), there seemed to be no doubt that poverty is not only desirable, but even a requirement for salvation.

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     But the Writings of the New Church teach that the Lord's Word is not primarily concerned with the things of man's natural life, but with the things of his spiritual life. Consequently, when the Word speaks of wealth or poverty, it does not refer to the presence or absence of natural possessions, but to the presence or absence of spiritual possessions. This is sometimes clear even from the literal sense of the Scriptures. For example, when it is said in Luke, "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God," this is rendered in Matthew, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of the heavens."
     Now the reason why the Lord's Word is primarily concerned with spiritual things is because "the Lord's Divine Providence, in everything that it does, looks to what is infinite and eternal" (D. P. 46); and natural possessions are neither infinite nor eternal; on the contrary, they are finite and temporal. We read further that "temporal things are all things that are proper to nature; and the things proper to nature are especially spaces and times, both having limit and termination." (P. 219.) "These things are manifold, but they all relate to dignities and riches; they are such things as either perish with time, or are merely terminated with man's life in the world." (P. 215.)
     From these teachings we may conclude that-as far as man s eternal life is concerned-it does not matter whether he is rich or poor in natural things. For this reason, also, we read in the work on Heaven and Hell that "the rich enter heaven as easily as the poor, and that no man is shut out of heaven on account of his wealth, or received into heaven on account of his poverty; both rich and poor are in heaven, and many of the rich in greater glory and happiness than the poor." (H. H. 357e.) We are further taught that poverty may lead and draw man away from heaven just as much as wealth may do. "There are many among the poor," we read, "who are not content with their lot, who strive after many things, and believe riches to be blessings: and when they do not receive them, they are angered, and harbor ill thoughts about the Divine Providence; they also envy others the good things they possess, and are as ready as anyone to defraud others whenever they have opportunity, and to indulge in filthy pleasures." (H. H. 364.)

488



     From these statements we may conclude that it is not the presence or absence of natural possessions that determines man's admissibility to heaven. It is rather the quality of his spiritual character, and of his life thence. In themselves considered, worldly honors and possessions are neither blessings nor curses, but they become blessings or curses according to the character of the man to whom they are adjoined. For this reason we are told that honors and possessions were blessings in the world to those who are now in heaven, and that they were curses in the world to those who are now in hell; or that they are blessings to the good and curses to the evil. "Anyone may know why they are blessings, and why they are curses," we read, "if only he reflects about it from reason. . . . They are blessings to those who do not set their hearts upon them, and curses to those who do set their hearts upon them. To set the heart upon them is to love one's self in them, and not to set the heart upon them is to love uses in them, and not self." (P. 217: 2.)
     We are further told that in the world both the evil and the good are exalted to honors and advanced to wealth, because the evil equally with the good perform uses; but in heaven this is not so, for there dignities and possessions are granted to those who have love and wisdom more than others; and these are they to whom dignities and possessions were blessings in the world. The evil perform uses for the sake of honors and profit to their own person; they regard the uses as instrumental, and the honors and the profits to their person as the end; but whereas what they gather to themselves in this manner is temporal and perishable, and therefore a curse, they are like the man who pulled down his barns, and built greater, and who bestowed in them all his goods and his fruits, and who said to his soul:
"Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry!" But God said unto him, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?" These words are added: "So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12: 18-21.)
     While the evil perform uses for the sake of honors to their own person, the good do it for the sake of honors and profit to the work itself; they regard the honors and the profit to their own person as instrumental, and the honors and the profit to the use itself as the end. In heaven they are in magnificence and glory like that of kings on earth; indeed, they receive honors and wealth suited to the dignity of each one; but these they attribute, not to themselves, but to the uses; and because all uses are from the Lord, they attribute the honors and the wealth to the Lord, from whom they are.

489


For this reason they are not like the foolish man who "laid up treasures for himself," but are indeed "rich toward God." They lay up for themselves "a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." (Luke 12: 33.)
     It is clear that dignities and possessions are curses to the evil, and consequently temporal and perishable, but that they are blessings to the good, and consequently spiritual and eternal. Therefore the quality and quantity of man's natural possessions are not what determine his admissibility to heaven, but rather the quality of his spiritual character, according to which honors and riches are correspondentially adjoined to him. For this reason, also, we are told that "the poor come into heaven, not on account of their poverty, but because of their life. Everyone's life follows him, whether he be rich or poor. There is no peculiar mercy for one in preference to another; he that has lived well is received, while he that has not lived well is rejected." (H. H. 364.)

     II.

     We have pointed out that in heaven dignities and riches are adjoined to the angels according to the measure of their love and wisdom, and according to the usefulness of their lives from these. This is because the Lord's Divine Providence "looks to eternal things, and to temporal things so far as they agree with eternal things." (P. 214.) In other words, the end of the Lord's Divine Providence is first, that man's spirit should be rich in love and wisdom, and then that the appearances of worldly honors and possessions are also adjoined to him in direct correspondence with his spiritual dignity and wealth. Apparently the end of the Lord's Divine Providence is that man should be rich in spirit. And yet it is said in the words of our text, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of the heavens."
     That we may understand this apparent contradiction, we must realize that man's spirit is neither Divine nor material.

490


The spirit of man is placed as it were in the middle between the Lord and nature. Consequently, it may by choice take on a character either from the Lord or from the world.
     We have already noted that temporal things "are all things that are proper to nature, and that these are especially spaces and times, both having limit and termination." (P. 219.) To the extent that man's spirit takes on its character from these things, it too becomes temporal and perishable. It is for this reason that we read in the Writings that "temporal things are not only all that are proper to nature, but also all things from nature that are proper to man." (P. 219.) These things are "such as belong to man's own will and his own understanding, and consequently to his affection and thought, and especially to his prudence; these, it is admitted, are finite and limited." (P. 219.) And again, concerning man's prudence, we read that "it is from man's proprium, which is his nature, and is called his soul from his parent. This proprium is the love of self, and the love of the world therefrom. . . . As there is no love without its mate, and as the mate of the love or will in man is called the understanding, therefore, when the love of self breathes its own love into its mate-the understanding-this in the mate becomes conceit, which is the conceit of one's own intelligence. This is the origin of one s own prudence." (P. 206.)
     From these things we may see that, if man were allowed to take on entirely the qualities of nature, all of which are temporal and perishable, he would commit spiritual suicide. Indeed, some in hell are very close to this state; wherefore, those who are in hell are said to be "dead," and damnation itself is called the "second death." (Rev. 20: 6.) For this reason, also, we read that "those who acknowledge nature alone, and human prudence alone, constitute hell." (P. 205.)
     Now the acknowledgment of human prudence alone is nothing but the love of self, and the acknowledgment of nature alone is nothing but the love of the world. And they who are in these loves are like the men of Tyre, who "in their wisdom and their intelligence made wealth for themselves, gold and silver in their treasuries; but against whom the terrible strangers of the nations were brought, who drew their sword against the beauty of their wisdom, and defiled their brightness." (Ezekiel 28: 4-7.)

491



     It is clear from what has been said that there is a difference between the "things that are proper to nature" and the "things of nature that are proper to man." The things that are proper to nature are material things, and these do not necessarily interfere with the acquisition of heavenly love and wisdom; but the things from nature that are proper to man are especially the love of self and the love of the world, and from these the conceit of one's own prudence; and these do interfere with the acquisition of heavenly love and wisdom. For this reason, when it is said in our text, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of the heavens," the meaning is not that man must be poor in the things that are proper to nature, but in the things from nature that are proper to man.
     However, the things from nature are similar to the things of nature in this respect, that they are also temporal and perishable. For this reason the Writings say that "human prudence is nothing; it merely appears to be something." (P. 191.) Consequently, unless man has acquired some spiritual wisdom from the Lord within his natural prudence, he has nothing whatever that is spiritual and eternal; and then in "the second death" he becomes like a "fool." He may believe, like the men of Laodicea, that he is "rich, and increased with goods, and has need of nothing; and knoweth not that he is wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." (Rev. 3: 17.) For "what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matt. 16: 26.) He must surely learn to renounce the love of self and the world, and the pride of his own prudence, and thus to be truly "poor in spirit," for "whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for the Lord's sake, he shall find it." (Matt. 16: 25.) It is only he who will lose what is temporal and perishable that will gain what is infinite and eternal, and this it is with which the Lord's Divine Providence is primarily concerned.

     III.

     But now, let us ask ourselves how it is that man, who is a part of creation and thus temporal and perishable, can receive and retain what is infinite and eternal? It is clear from the teachings of the Writings that the Infinite and Eternal in Itself is the same as the Divine, and that this Divine is in the Lord, and therefore that the Infinite and Eternal in Itself is proper to the Lord alone, thus that the Divine in Itself can never be regarded as being proper to man.

492


But the Writings make a distinction between the Divine in Itself and the Divine from Itself. While the Divine in Itself-or the Infinite and Eternal in Itself-is the same as the Lord Himself, the Divine from Itself-or the Infinite and Eternal from Itself-is the same as the Lord's Divine in finite things, especially in men, spirits, and angels. (P. 52.) This Divine of the Lord, or the Lord's Divine in finite things, is the same as the Divine Proceeding, which is also called the Divine Providence. (P. 55.) This it is that makes heaven. Therefore, when it is said that the Lord's Divine Providence, in everything that it does, looks to what is infinite and eternal, it is the Infinite and Eternal from Itself, or the Lord's Divine in finite things, that is meant.
     It should be carefully observed, however, that not even this Divine from Itself can ever be regarded as proper to man. It is the Lord's alone. Yet it is different from the Divine in Itself in this respect, that while the Divine in Itself can never be given to man to be even as if it were his own, the Divine from Itself can-by an act of Divine mercy-be given to man to be as if it were his own. This is the reason why man alone, of all created things, is immortal. But this gift of the Divine from Itself by the Divine in Itself to men, spirits, and angels is of the nature of adjunction rather than conjunction; or, let us say, that it is a conjunction by contiguity or contact. (P. 58: e.) Consequently, it is only by the touch of the Lord that man can be given eternal life. This is represented by the fact that human life properly begins with the contact of the air with the lung tissue, according to the statement in the Word that "God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." (Gen. 2: 7.) For the same reason, also, the Lord, while He lived in the world, touched those whom He raised from the dead or healed from disease.
The raising of the dead and the healing of the sick were only representative acts; but what the Lord did to the natural life of men while He was in the world, He does perpetually to man's spiritual life.
     By an act of Divine mercy, the Lord, who alone is infinite and eternal, adjoins to man, who is finite and temporal, the infinite and eternal things of true immortality. These are the loves of the Lord and the neighbor and the love of use for its own sake.

493


These, therefore, are the spiritual riches with the imparting of which the Lord's Divine Providence is especially concerned. But let us remember that they cannot be given man unless he acknowledge in humility of spirit that in himself he is nothing but evil, and, in fact, is nothing at all, while the Lord alone is Good Itself, and, in fact, the All in all. So it is that man must be "poor in spirit" if he is to receive from the Lord the heavenly blessings of immortal life. Amen.

LESSONS:     Ezekiel 28 (portion). Matthew 5: 1-12. D. P. 197.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 448, 467, 595. Psalmody, page 23.
PRAYERS:     Revised Liturgy, nos. 20, 97.
PARABLE OF THE TALENTS 1942

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS       Rev. NORBERT H. ROGERS       1942

     The Unprofitable Servant.

     The circle of man's life is to know, to understand, to will, and to do. (A. E. 242:4.) Things that are to make man's life come to him first as knowledges; these are examined as to their quality, sorted out and fitted together, and their application determined in the understanding; they are then received into the will, becoming intentions; and finally they are put forth into the acts of life. By "life" in this connection is not meant animation-the living force-which everyone receives from the Divine, but rather that form which the man as an individual causes the life he receives to assume and manifest itself,-the channel which from choice he causes it to take.
     If the circle is broken in any place, that is, if the knowledges presented to man do not pass through the thoughts of his understanding and the intentions of his will into the acts of his life, he does not live as a man, for he cannot then be responsible for his acts. Thus it is axiomatic that with every normal human being the circle of life is carried out.
     But all knowledges do not pass through that circle. The functions of the understanding and will-the reason why they have been established as essential links in the chain connecting knowledges with acts-are to judge the qualities of the knowledges, to select some and reject others, and to determine how those which have been chosen shall be used.

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And it is what the understanding and will have selected, and how they have decided to use it, that qualifies the man's life, that gives it its form, that directs it along the channel which leads either to heaven or to hell.
     Generally speaking, if knowledges of evil and falsity are taken, up and passed on, the man's life is evil, deriving its spirit and quality from hell, and drawing him downward towards hell. But if knowledges of good and truth are selected and used, the man's life is good, conforming with the essence and quality of heaven, and leading him upward towards heaven. In other words, those knowledges which pass through the full circle of life qualify the man's life and remain with him. But those which are not permitted to pass through the full circle, but are stopped on the way, do not qualify the life; nor do they remain with the man as his own. Thus he whose life is evil does not possess as his own what is of truth and good, and he whose life is good does not possess as his own what is of falsity and evil.
     Actually, a life of evil and falsity is not life, but a caricature, in which all the essentials which make life are absent, except in appearances and in the veriest externals. Only a life of good and truth, thus a heavenly life, is truly life. And so, strictly speaking, the circle of life concerns only the bringing into act of such knowledges as are of good and truth. Man lives if the circle is completed. But he ceases to live as a man if in any way the circle is broken or distorted that is, if the knowledges of good and truth presented to him are either not used or are not properly used in his life.
     Fulfilling this circle of life is man's responsibility while he is on earth. Whether he shall fulfill it, and in what manner he shall do so, are matters in which he has complete freedom and authority of decision. And, as with all responsibilities, man must in time render an accounting and receive his due, being judged as to his worth from his decisions and consequent actions. If he had decided wisely and done well during his earthly life, he progresses into a fuller life in the other world; but if his decisions had been inexcusably foolish and his actions unprofitable, he is cut off from fulfilling uses in heaven.
     This is the subject taken up in the parable of the talents, where the Lord, in speaking of the Last Judgment, taught clearly that it is what a man does with what is given him, when he is by himself without supervision, thus what he does in freedom, that determines his future life.

495



     According to this well-known parable (Matthew 25: 14-29), a man gave his servants certain talents.* "Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one,"-the number varying with each according to his individual capabilities. And the man then departed on a journey of unspecified length. Though no instructions whatsoever had been given them, two of the servants made use of the talents entrusted to them during their master's absence with the result that each was able to report on his return that the money had been doubled. Their master rewarded their enterprise, industry and faithful service by making them "rulers over many things," and allowing them to "enter into the joy of their lord." But the third servant was not able to show any profit. He had been unwilling to take the risk of using his master's talent, and had therefore hidden it in the ground for safekeeping.
     * In the original Greek of the Gospel the talent as a sum of money was a certain weight of gold or silver, from talanton-the scale of a balance. The use of the word in English to denote a special aptitude or faculty with a man probably originated in the Parable of the Talents. (Webster.)
     The first two servants, taking a positive view of the matter and endeavoring to do their master the best possible service, had regarded it as their responsibility to use every ability they possessed, and every possible opportunity to the fullest extent, in order that they might make the greatest use of the talents entrusted to them. But the third servant, taking a negative view, had sought to avoid censure rather than to render service to his master. He was concerned with the legality of his acts, so to speak, in that under the law he would be liable to punishment if he should lose a part of what had been given him; but if he returned it intact, he would not be in the least liable. And as his master had given him no instructions as to what he was to do with the talent, he felt that no more could be legally required of him than to return the talent intact. He considered that he would have fulfilled his responsibility to the satisfaction of his master simply by meeting the legal requirements. And therefore he was content to do nothing with his talent.
     Because this servant considered only his own safety under the law
and not his usefulness as a servant to his master, he did not see that his legal responsibility fell short of the least that could be and was fairly and justly expected of him.

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Being a servant, his duty was to render service. And to return the talent unused was not the way to serve his master, but to make a profit for him with it. If he was not willing to take the risks involved in doubling the money, as the others had done, still the least he could have done was to put the money to the exchangers, for then his master would have received his own with usury. But he had not attempted to do even this least service, showing himself to be an unworthy servant. For this reason, his master punished him by taking away his talent, and by casting him into outer darkness.

     The Spiritual Meaning.

     The master who gave his servants talents according to their several abilities represents the Lord, who makes all the provisions necessary for the regeneration of every man born into the world, each according to his individual needs. And having made these provisions, the Lord as it were departs on a long journey; that is to say, He withdraws from man the consciousness of His Divine presence, even to the extent that it appears as if He does not exist. This is necessary, that man may be in freedom-that he may live and act as of himself, and so, by his own choice, and as if by his own efforts, may conjoin himself reciprocally with the Lord.
     If man were in the least conscious of the Lord's presence, or even of His existence, he would cease to be a man, and become an automaton. He would lose sight of the fact that he is a free being, and hence he would cease to be free. It would seem to him that he was nothing, having no control whatever over his own destiny, but that he was merely a powerless entity, inextricably caught in the machinations of the Divine will. He would cease to desire to receive or to return the Divine Love, he would lose his taste for living, seeking only to die.
     Though a man may acknowledge from the Word and from genuine conviction that the Lord is omnipresent, and that all things in heaven and on earth are from Him; though he may at times have a perception akin to an awareness of the Divine presence and operation; no man is ever conscious of the Lord and of His guidance when he is making decisions or performing deeds, thus when he is actively living.

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He then acts entirely as of himself, assuming full responsibility for the consequences of what he does.
     The master's return from his journey, to take an accounting of his servants, represents the last judgment which every man undergoes in the other world before finding his final abode there. This judgment is effected by the Lord's approaching man, now a spirit, that is, by the man's becoming conscious of the Divine sphere. And it is based upon the man's reaction to it. For they who have wisely used on earth the provisions made for them by the Lord receive Him joyfully at His coming, and are raised by Him into heaven; but they who have abused those provisions and their time on earth are distressed by the Divine sphere, and separate themselves from it.
     The servants who received the talents are, in general, all men. For the Lord regards and provides for the welfare of all men born on the earths of the universe. But those who are here specifically meant by "servants" are those who belong to the church. For by joining the church men take upon themselves to serve the Lord. They, above all, have the tools to render positive and specific services. In other words, they who are of the church, more than all others, are able to go forward in their regeneration while they live on earth. By means of the Word and of the church they are able to know the way to heaven, and to be in communion with heaven.
     By the "talents" here are meant all the provisions, both general and specific, which the Lord makes for the regeneration of man. These include all the faculties, remains, and other things with which a man is endowed by the Lord, and all the innumerable things outside man which affect him both openly and secretly. But what is chiefly meant is the Word,-that is, the knowledges of truth and good, called scientifics, which are derived from the `Word. These are the principal instruments by which, through use, man is prepared for and given life.
     The scientifics themselves do not give life, for they are not truths and goods themselves. They are only vessels capable of receiving truths and goods, and thus life. And they are vessels which all men both the good and the evil, may possess. But the mere possession of them does not ensure that they will be filled with life-giving truths and goods, for this would mean that evil men could be saved merely by acquiring scientifics from the Word, when actually much more is needed.

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That which causes goods and truths to inflow into the scientifics which man has acquired is the affection for good and truth. If such an affection is not active in man, his scientifics remain empty and are in time dissipated; and those he does retain become distorted by his affection for evil and falsity, and are filled with evils and falsities. For this reason, scientifics are compared to wealth. Like wealth, they can be acquired by the good and the evil alike. And though, in themselves, scientifics are neither good nor evil, they become good with the good who perform good uses with them, and they become evil with the evil who employ them to further their evil ends.

     Equal Opportunity.

     Every man is an individual human being, different from every other man. This difference is not only as to quality, but also as to his capacity for receiving things and his ability to put them forth into act. Yet, for all their differences, all men have equal opportunity for regeneration. It is no more difficult for one than for another to attain heaven, though it may not so appear outwardly. For the Lord provides that each man shall be in perfect equilibrium between heaven and hell; that is, the forces of evil and falsity which draw him down towards hell are most exactly compensated by forces of good and truth which elevate him towards heaven. Consequently, every man is spiritually in absolute freedom to turn himself either way,-towards heaven or towards hell. As a result, all men can regenerate with equal ease, though it may require a longer period of time with some than with others. Moreover, all men can with equal ease attain their maximum joy in heaven, though these joys are not the same with all, but only relatively so, because of the differences among men. The only thing that can disturb the equilibrium between heaven and hell is the man himself. He alone has the power of making his regeneration more or less difficult, and this according to the manner and degree in which he turns himself towards heaven or away from it.
     The fact that men are different, and yet have equal opportunity, is recognized in the parable by the servants being given varying numbers of talents, each according to his ability, but that they who made use of their talents were able to make equal profits-profits equal, not as to amounts, but as to ratio or percentage.

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He who had been given five talents gained five more, while he who had been given two earned two besides. Thus each made a hundred percent profit, and was rewarded accordingly by being made "ruler over many things."
     Another aspect of the case in point is illustrated in the similar parable recorded in Luke (19: 12-27), where it is said that a nobleman gave ten of his servants ten pounds,-to each one pound. On his return, one servant reported a tenfold increase, another a fivefold increase. Each received the same amount, but made quite different profits. What is here taught is that all men are given equal opportunities, but achieve quite different results, though one may be just as zealous as his fellow. Every man of the church has the Word at his disposal, and all have the same opportunity to derive the same things from it. And yet one will derive relatively much from it, and another relatively little. All will derive different things; they will understand them differently, and apply them differently, securing different results.
     "All who are being reformed and regenerated," we are taught, "are gifted with charity and faith by the Lord, but each according to his capacity and his state. For there are evils and falsities with which man has imbued himself from infancy, which stand in the way of one person's receiving a like gift with another. These evils and falsities must be vastated before man can be regenerated; and in so far as there is a residue of heavenly and spiritual life after vastation, this can be enlightened with truth and enriched with good." (A. C. 2967.)

     Making Use of Scientifics.

     Material wealth, in itself, contributes nothing to life. It is valuable only in so far as it can secure the things which are useful to life. That it may do so, and continue to do so without exhausting itself, wealth must be invested in business and used in trading, from which a living may be made. The same is true of scientifics. They are not life, but are used to gain life. And that they may do so, they must be used and brought into the circle of life; that is to say, having been acquired from the Word, they are not to be forgotten in the storehouse of the memory, but must be taken out, examined, and thought about in the understanding, received and intended by the will, and put forth into act.

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By using them in such a way, man has awakened in him affections for truth and good which infill his scientifics with the truths and goods of faith, by which he becomes intelligent and wise, and because of which he is given life eternal by the Lord. To realize a profit by trading with one's talents means nothing else than to become intelligent and wise by means of scientifics. Such trading, however, is not to be attempted for the sake of one's self, thus for the sake of proprial and evil ends, but solely out of respect for the Lord's will. For he who trades selfishly falls in with evil companions who eventually destroy him.
     To hide one's talent in the earth, thus not to trade with it, is not to make use of the scientifics of the Word, but to bury them in the memory, where they are in danger of being tarnished and spoiled by the evil things that are there. Only natural men are foolish enough to bury their talent, for we are taught that "those who are in spiritual affection are interested in the Word, and desire nothing more earnestly than to understand it" (A. E. 112), and thus to make use of its scientifics to gain intelligence.
     The memory is said to be the "threshold" of the mind, and the things that are in the memory are said to be "outside" of man. Thus what is in the memory, as long as it remains there, has not the least effect upon the spiritual life of the man. And therefore "he who has knowledges from the Word in the memory only, be they ever so many, if he has not committed them to life, remains natural as before. Committing to life is thinking about them when in freedom and willing them, and doing them because they are true." (A. E. 193:10.)
     It may appear that leaving scientifics in the memory, though it may not be profitable, does no harm. Nevertheless, it is an evil of the gravest sort-one that is unforgivable. Ignorance excuses man spiritually. But he who knows, or has the opportunity of knowing, and who does not act according to that knowledge to the best of his ability, is held responsible for everything he thinks, wills and does for every evil he commits and every good he omits. Nor is neglecting to act excused by one's inability to discover from the Word how he is to act. The Word is a guide containing many truths. It makes known certain evils that must not be done, and teaches certain goods that ought to be done-but it does not dictate how truths are to be specifically applied. This is something every man must judge for himself, exercising his reasoning faculty.

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It is so willed by the Lord. For if the Lord were to tell a man exactly how he is to apply every truth he learns, the man could not become rational or free, nor could he appropriate anything to himself.
     To hide one's talent in the memory is not merely an indication of mental, moral and spiritual laziness; it is not merely the result of putting off action because of one's inability to recognize the opportunity, because of his seeking for a better opportunity until it is too late, or because of a falsely modest unwillingness to make for himself the necessary opportunities; but actually it is nothing else than the direct result of the self-love which lurks in the secret places of the heart. For "they who have acquired nothing of intelligence (through the scientifics of the Word) are inwardly evil, and therefore the truths and goods of heaven and the church, which they possess in the memory only, they misuse in exercising dominion over the simple good who are in the lowest heaven, and in doing evil to them." (A. E. 675:8.)

     Burying the Talent.

     He buries his talent who, like the Jews, possesses the Word and punctiliously observes the letter of the Law, regularly going through the motions of worship and outwardly leading a blameless life, but who does not regard the spirit within the Word, and so, whenever possible, perpetrates the evils which he secretly cherishes. He buries his talent who knows from the Word what evil is, but does not examine his thoughts and intentions. Recognizing no sin in himself, he performs no repentance. He buries his talent who openly or tacitly subscribes to the doctrine of faith alone, that is, who considers or acts as if he considered, that he can be saved merely because he believes in the knowledges he has from the Word, and therefore neglects to put them forth into act.
     He also buries his talent who does not exercise prudence in directing all things belonging to his life and employment, or who, imagining his prudence to be his own, places more faith in it than in the Divine Providence. To be led by the Divine Providence is to walk in the way of heaven, and he so walks "who uses prudence as a servant and minister who faithfully dispenses the goods of his master. . . Prudence itself seems to be man s own, and he believes it to be his own so long as he keeps shut up within him the deadliest enemy of God and of the Divine Providence,-the love of self.

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This has its abode in the interiors of every man from birth. If he does not recognize it (for it does not wish to be recognized), it dwells securely, and guards the door lest man should open it, and the Lord should thereby cast it out. Man opens the door by shunning evils as sins as if from himself, with the acknowledgment that he does it from the Lord. This is the prudence with which the Divine Providence acts as one." (D. P. 210.)
     Membership in the church does not necessarily mean one is, or will be, a profitable servant, but only that he may become so. It does not ensure that one will not abuse his talents. For becoming a member of the church simply indicates that one has accepted outwardly the responsibilities of being a servant of the Lord. To become a profitable servant, one must apply the things of the church to his life, and in the performance of his daily uses, and this ever more fully and perfectly. To do so involves taking the risks of misusing the Lord's talents and of losing them entirely. But there can be no progress without risks-without incurring the danger of falling into more direful evils than before. And it is to be remembered that he who acts prudently, and confides in the Divine Providence, will be safeguarded against evil. It is far better for a man to acquire knowledges from the Word, and to bring them into his life, even though by so doing he may commit errors of interpretation and application, than for him to remain inactive and neglectful. For such inactivity and neglect there is but one sure judgment: "Thou wicked and slothful servant, . . . thou oughtest to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, . . . and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

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CONTENTMENT 1942

CONTENTMENT       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1942

     The Lord's love goes out continuously and equally to all men, because with infinite fulness. It is never withheld or withdrawn from anyone, even for a moment; and it is never offered in greater or lesser measure to one man more than another, or at different times in the life of one man. Out of His Infinity the Lord wills to impart to every man the blessings of eternal life and salvation, and of everlasting happiness in heaven. But those only who return His love can receive and enjoy these blessings, and their reception and enjoyment is according to the measure in which they do reciprocate it. For those who trust in the Divine, and whose hope the Lord is, everything of life advances toward a happy state to eternity. Whatever befalls them in time contributes to that state. The Divine Providence enters into every least particular of human life, and those who are in the stream of Providence are continually borne along toward everything that is happy, whatever may be the appearance of the means.
     This Divine leading-which is as imperceptible and irresistible as an ocean current drawing a ship-is particularly active in determining those factors which regulate man's lot on earth: -his particular race, nationality, family, religion, and generation; his environment and material advantages, and the exigencies of his situation his physical and mental abilities; his capacities of understanding and his powers of will; the forces that determine character, and his qualifications for spiritual achievement. Divine blessing is to be happy to eternity, and eternal happiness consists in performing a use in heaven. Every human soul is an individual and unique creation, fashioned by the Lord for the performance of a specific use in the Gorand Man. From infinite love the Lord desires the use: from infinite wisdom He foresees it, and foresees also the qualities requisite for its performance. And with the precision of infinite wisdom He endows the soul, potentially, with the abilities, capacities, powers, forces, and qualifications necessary for the preparation of the man to enter into that use, and thereby into the greatest happiness he is capable of sustaining.

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     From His infinite awareness of all the present and future needs of the Gorand Man, the Lord is able to create every individual soul at the precise time, and into that race, nationality, family, religion, and environment in which those conditions of spiritual and natural life obtain through which alone it can be prepared to enter into its use. While this preparation goes on, the Lord, who foresees the course of every man's life, is continually and infinitely aware of his needs as a potential instrument of use. And because, from His infinite love for man's true happiness, He regards eternal things as of supreme importance, and temporal things only as means to them, He provides from infinite wisdom that man shall have only those material advantages which will not endanger his opportunity of eternal happiness, and that he shall not receive any which would be bound to harm him spiritually. Thus the things which make up a man's lot on earth-and which are, for the most part, entirely outside his control-are determined by an all-loving and infinitely wise Providence, operating particularly, and indeed uniquely, in the case of every man, from an infinite awareness of his needs as an individual instrument of use, and for the sake of his eternal happiness. And for the good, who receive His mercy in time, these things are all such that, whatever may be the appearance to the contrary, they contribute to the happiness of their eternal life, and are the only things that can contribute to it in the state of life they have chosen by the exercise of their freedom.
     All true happiness consists, therefore, in being content with one's lot, and so in being content in God. And all unhappiness comes, fundamentally, from fruitless striving after another destiny than that in which is the realization of one's true happiness. But what is meant by being content with one's lot must be rightly understood if serious misconceptions are to be avoided. It does not mean resignation, a martyr-like endurance of what cannot be altered, or mere acquiescence in what is conceived as a plan predetermined by God for creatures who have no freedom; for this is essentially a passive state in which men cease to strive for or against anything, and simply bear unquestioningly whatever comes to them. To be content with one's lot is to prefer it to any other.

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For true content is essentially an active and happy state, a state in which man-from supreme confidence in the love and wisdom of the Lord-joyfully accepts the things which make up his lot as the only ones that can contribute to his eternal happiness, and then seeks to develop them to the highest possible degree, in order that the use for which they were given may be done.
     Nor is content to be confused with complacency; for it does not mean satisfaction with one's states, or with the state of the world and the organized church, in so far as they are evil. A continual striving for personal purification, for the betterment of world conditions and for the improvement of the church, is not inconsistent with content in God, for these things can be effected only through man's "as of himself" endeavor. What is involved is full use of the materials, equipment, and circumstances available, from a heartfelt conviction that they are the very best the Lord, from His infinite wisdom, can provide in the conditions we ourselves make.
     In a word, to be content with one's lot is to be fully satisfied, not with what one is, but with what one can become with the potential endowments the Lord has provided. It is to be so satisfied with the gifts which the Lord has bestowed that there is no desire to change them for others, and to develop those gifts to the very height of one's powers; and this from a realization that eternal life is essential, and that the Lord has provided everything necessary for its attainment. And not to be content with one's lot is to despise, neglect, and reject the gifts which the Lord has bestowed. It is to desire to change those things which cannot be changed, to have other and greater advantages, abilities, capacities, powers, and qualifications than those with which one is born. Of course, no one really desires to become another person, another individual, than he is; but many, failing to realize that this would be the result of a change of gifts, make their lives miserable by fruitless strivings to find happiness in a destiny other than their true one, while spurning the happiness that might be theirs.
     Those who are content with their lot make wise provision for the future, for themselves and their dependents. They make and attempt to carry out plans for their advancement, well-being, and happiness. And they have their ambitions and desires, as have other men. But because they trust in the Lord, and submit their destiny to His Providence, they face the future without anxiety or solicitude.

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They are untroubled whether they attain the objects of their desires or not, and they do not grieve over the loss of them. If they become rich, they do not set their hearts on riches. If they are raised to honors, they do not regard themselves as more worthy than other men. If they become poor, they are not saddened by the loss of their possessions; and if their circumstances are humble, they are not dejected on that account. For they know that the Lord provides or withholds material advantages according as they are not or would be hurtful to the good, and that all such advantages are as nothing when compared with uses. And they are not troubled by the fact that, in their other gifts also, they differ from other men; for they know that there are indefinite uses to be filled, that each needs its own special gifts, and that all who perform uses from the love of use are equal, in that each receives from the Lord the greatest happiness he is capable of sustaining.
     But mere knowledge of the laws of Divine Providence is not sufficient to produce in the man of the church a spiritual content with his lot. That content springs, in the first place, from implicit trust in the Lord's love and wisdom as desiring for him the greatest happiness he can experience; as being able to see, as he cannot see for himself, where that happiness lies; and as being able to prepare him to enter into it. In the second place, it is born of absolute confidence that he has been born into that race, nationality, family, and environment and age necessary for his preparation; that his material advantages or disadvantages, and the exigencies of his life, are all contributory to his preparation; and that his physical and mental abilities, his capacities of understanding and powers of will, the forces determining his character, and his very qualifications for spiritual achievement have been pre-selected by the Lord with the precision of infinite wisdom as the only ones through which he can attain to the greatest happiness he can know, and to which he is destined by the Lord's love.
     With such a trust and confidence, a man cannot be otherwise than content with his lot. He may be, and should be, dissatisfied with the limited use he makes of the gifts which the Lord has bestowed upon him, and with the states of evil that hinder their development. But he will never wish that those gifts were other than they are, for he knows that in their development to the height of his capacity lies the fulfilment of the Divine end in his creation, and the realization of his own truest happiness.

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     And this confidence and trust is never an intellectual thing alone. It is the faith of love in the Lord,-spiritual trust in the Divine - that alone introduces men into the stream of Providence, and gives them really to believe in heart and mind that the Divine Providence is in all things of human life. Such confidence and trust is always the ultimate expression of a regenerating state, for true content is grounded in that love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor which manifest themselves in the good of life. And it cannot exist apart from something of the innocence of wisdom, of that innocence which consists in attributing nothing of good to one's self, in regarding all things as gifts received from the Lord, in wishing to be led by the Lord alone, and in loving and being delighted with that only which is good and true. It is only those who are receiving these high qualities through personal regeneration who can be truly contented with their lot,-material, physical, mental, and spiritual; for they alone believe that they receive from the Lord as much as is profitable for them, and that they themselves do not know what is profitable.
     Where nothing of spiritual love has been received through regeneration, there can be no content with one's lot, for when such love is lacking, man is dominated by the delights of the loves of self and the world. He is led astray by persuasions of falsity from the love of the world, and desires a reward for everything he does. And these things lead him into the insanity of discontent; for they impel him to seek continually for more than others possess, and to seek to go beyond his native abilities; and he is discontented whenever he fails, as fail he must. The man who is led by these loves has no trust in the Divine, and no regard for the things of heaven. He sees happiness solely in the possession of the things of this world, and trusts entirely in himself to discern and achieve his greatest happiness. He therefore has a constant solicitude about things to come, and an increasing desire to possess the property of others and to rule over them. He is grieved if be does not obtain the things he wants, and is filled with anguish if he loses any of his gains or other possessions. For him there can be only a constant discontent, a feeling that happiness lies in something that is always just beyond attainment.

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He rejects his native abilities in seeking powers he does not possess; and as he also rejects the Lord, there is no consolation for him.
     On the other hand, the man who loves the Lord and the neighbor, and from the faith of love in the Lord and His Providence submits his life and his destiny to the Divine law revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine, has the happiness of heaven deep within him even while he lives on earth. It is true that he cannot perceive this happiness as long as he remains in this world. And it is true, also, that he is not exempted from worldly cares and anxieties or from the deeper stresses of spiritual temptation. Indeed, it is these which prevent the peace and happiness of heaven that are within him from coming to manifest perception during the life of the body. But however adverse external circumstances may be, in whatever turmoil he may be involved outwardly, he has an inner rest of mind that nothing can take away from him. The peace within him sinks down among his cares and anxieties, and produces an obscure delight in which there is true blessedness; for within that blessedness is happiness, the happiness of being content in God. The blessedness itself is interior, and of the spirit, and is therefore imperceptible. But when the natural mind has been reduced to agreement with the spiritual, it can flow down as tranquillity from contentment of mind.
     Only the wisdom which is born of the conjunction of good and truth,-the deep wisdom of regeneration-can enable a man to trust so implicitly in the Divine Providence that he has full content in God. And whatever may befall him in the life of the body, such a man never lacks the essential things of life. He is glad that he was born when and where he was, and is satisfied with his material advantages, his situation, and his environment, because he knows and believes that they have been selected by the Lord from infinite love and wisdom for his eternal welfare. He has no desire to exchange for others his abilities, capacities, powers, and qualifications, for he knows that they have been given to him as the only ones that can prepare him for his use. And he strives to develop them to the best of his ability, seeking to change only those things which prevent him from so doing. He truly accepts as contributary to his eternal happiness the things that befall him, by seeking to use them to that end; and as a result, in all his alternations of state, he never lacks good and truth, is not affected by lusts, and has no fear of losing good and truth, even in the agony of temptation.

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SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS 1942

SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS       Editor       1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa..
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     GENUINE SENSE OF THE LETTER.

     The spiritual sense of the Word, now revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine, not only enlightens the rational mind of man, but also imparts new meaning to the natural sense of the Word, illuminating the letter of the Scriptures with the "glory" shining through the "clouds." And this will bring to the New Church a knowledge of what may be called the "genuine sense of the letter,"-the true and correct meaning of the words, phrases and incidents of the Old and New Testaments as the necessary basis of the internal sense and in correspondential harmony with it. For the Scriptures were originally given by Divine inspiration to be the natural embodiment or clothing of the celestial and spiritual truth of the internal sense, that the Divine Truth as it is received by the angels of heaven might be accommodated to the minds of men in the world.
     In the New Church, we are told, the internal and external man-the spiritual and the natural-are to be enlightened together, without which both are in shade. (T. C. R. 109.) And this will come about in course of time as men advance in both the understanding and life of the Word, which will bring with it a perceptive wisdom in their reading and study of the books of Divine Revelation.

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"No others grasp the genuine meaning of the Word than they who are enlightened; and they only are enlightened who are in love and faith in the Lord; for their interiors are elevated by the Lord into the light of heaven." (A. C. 10323.)
     When we speak of the "genuine sense of the letter" we mean that the sense of the letter with a man is genuine in the degree that it is in agreement with the spiritual sense, illustrating and confirming it. The natural sense is not genuine, but spurious, when the mind is fixed in the fallacies of appearance, and still more when it confirms and establishes false ideas and beliefs. The fallacies and falsities derived from the sense of the letter can now be dispersed when the Scriptures are read in the light of the Heavenly Doctrine. Herein the Divine Truth is revealed to the rational of man, from which he is able to view all things in the natural and set them in order. Herein the "doctrine of genuine truth," which can come only from the Lord introduces the mind of man into the spiritual sense of the Word, and thence into a genuine understanding of the natural sense of the Word.

     Christian Translations.

     In the Christian Church the lack of that inner spiritual light, which could be imparted only after the revealing of the spiritual sense of the Word, has led to many incorrect renderings of the Scripture text, however well-intentioned these were on the part of earnest and sincere students of the Bible. The King James Bible represented a devout effort to be faithful to the meaning of the original, according to the lights of the translators, and it was a work of fine literary art. But we are now in a position to establish the correct reading of many passages which were obscure or puzzling to the translators, and also to explain aright those passages which have been interpreted to favor such false dogmas as the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Bearing upon this, we read:
     "It is to be known that those who live evilly, and yet say that they are saved because they have faith, have scarcely any genuine truth however many things they know and draw forth from the sense of the letter; for the sense of the letter of the Word is such that, if it is not interiorly comprehended, it can be explained in different ways; and if that sense is not regarded from genuine truths, it is believed according to the letter, and is falsified. . . .

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That such have scarcely any genuine truth, was found to be the case with some in the spiritual world who had confirmed faith alone in doctrine and life; they knew and acknowledged not even one genuine truth. The angels made the examination and marveled." (A. E. 720.)
     The corrections in the English text that will be needed to bring the letter into conformity with the internal sense will be made eventually in a New Church version of the Scriptures,-one of the many important tasks that await future generations. In the meantime it has been customary with our ministers to make such corrections when reading and expounding the Word in public worship. Here we would recall a few examples that will indicate how the Writings enable us to determine the proper rendering of words and phrases which are incorrectly rendered in the English Bible.

     Examples.

     Cain's Confession.-In the English Bible this reads: "And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear." (Genesis 4: 13.) This, however, is a complaint, not a confession of sin. It should read: "And Cain said unto the Lord, Mine iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven,"-an acknowledgment that his killing of Abel was so great an iniquity that it could not be forgiven-could not be removed or taken away (aujeratur), which is the correct translation of the Hebrew and the genuine meaning of the words. In the Arcana, therefore, we are told that this saying of Cain "signifies a kind of confession that he was in evil, from a certain internal grief and despair thence; from which it is evident that in Cain there still remained something of good; but that all the good of charity afterwards perished, is evident from Lamech, of whom we read in vs. 19-24." (A. C. 383, 384. See A. C. 200.)
     In further support of this are the many things now revealed concerning those who are here represented by Cain, which is but the generic name for states and types of mind that developed in the course of the gradual decline of the Most Ancient Church with those of that Church who departed from the faith of love and its interior perception, and turned in thought to the senses and a mere knowledge of the truths of faith.

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In the literal story, Cain is the firstborn of Adam, but in reality this involves a number of generations of the posterity of the Most Ancient Church in the decline from its integrity. Not all of these destroyed love and charity by their "faith separate," as is depicted in the slaying of Abel, but some were led by the knowledges of faith to a kind of conscience, from which they acknowledged their evils, as in Cain's confession. With such, the knowledges of faith were kept sacred, and thus preserved for the use of later generations; for which reason a mark or sign was placed upon Cain, that none should destroy him. So the Lord "distinguished faith separate in a singular manner, that it might be preserved." (A. C. 396.) And it was among those who are represented by Cain and his son Enoch that the perceptions of the Most Ancient Church were formulated in doctrine and eventually reduced to writing as the beginnings of the written Word on this earth. (See A. C. 337, 371, 394, 689, 920:4.)
     These, and many more things now revealed concerning Cain, establish the "genuine sense" of his confession.

     The Hundred Sheep.-The English text of the Gospel reads: "If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray?" (Matthew 18: 12.) A correct translation of the Greek would read: "Doth he not leave the ninety and nine in (or upon) the mountains, and goeth to seek that which is gone astray?" For so it is rendered in the Writings, where it is explained that the "'sheep in the mountains' signify those who are in the good of love and charity; but by the 'one that is gone astray' is signified one who is not in that good, because from ignorance he is in falsities." (A. E. 405:33.) The shepherd of the church as it were leaves those who are already in the good of love and its truth, and seeks to enlighten and save those who are in the falsities of ignorance-children, the simple, and gentiles. "Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (Verse 14.) Thus He does not seek the lost sheep "in the mountains," but rather in the valleys.

513



     But a greater theme than this is involved in the parable-the truth, now revealed, that the Lord came into the world to save the spiritual,-the posterity of Cain,-not the celestial (or Adam), whom He as it were left in the mountains of celestial love, that He might descend into the valleys of the world to seek and to save "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." For we read:
     "The Lord did not come into the world to save the celestial, but that he might save the spiritual. The Most Ancient Church, which was called man (Adam), was celestial, and if this church had remained in its integrity, the Lord would have had no need to be born a man; wherefore, as soon as this church began to fail, the Lord foresaw that a celestial church would wholly perish from the world, and on this account a prediction of the advent of the Lord into the world was then immediately made. (Genesis 3: 15.) After the time of that church there was no longer a celestial church, but a spiritual church. The Ancient Church, which was after the flood, was a spiritual church. This church, or those who were from that church, could not have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world. These things are meant by the Lord's words in Matthew, 'They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,' ix. 12, 13. Also by these words in John, 'And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd,' x. 16. Also by the parable of the hundred sheep in Matthew 18: 11-13." (A. C. 2661.)
     We may note that the Parable of the Hundred Sheep also occurs in Luke 15: 3-7, where it is said that the man left the ninety and nine in the wilderness" while he went to seek the lost sheep. The hundred sheep here represent the salvable remnant in the wilderness or desert of the vastate church. (A. E. 675:10.) Among the few who constitute this remnant there are those who are in good and have a longing for truth, who are protected and instructed by the Lord "in the wilderness" while He also seeks to save those who go astray into sin. Of the latter who return to the fold it is said in the parable, "Likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance." (Luke 15: 7.)

514


Thus "wilderness" here denotes protection, as in the case of the woman who bore the man child, "who fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three-score days," and where "she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent" (Apoc. 12: 6, 14)-the New Church among a few while preparation is made for its extension to many. (A. R. 561.)

     "Behold the man!"-In the English version of the Gospel this declaration is attributed to Pilate. (John 19: 5.) But the translators who inserted his name were unaware of the true significance of the words, now revealed in the Writings. The verse should read: "Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe, and saith unto them, Behold the man!" Thus it was not Pilate, but the Lord Himself, who thus called upon the Jews to look upon their Own church, here meant by "the man," and the violence it had done to the Divine Truth of the Word as represented by their mocking Jesus as a king. For "all things that were done to the Lord by the Jews, when He was crucified, signified states of their church as to the Divine Truth of the Word." (A. C. 9144.) In further explanation of this we read: "The crown of thorns placed upon the Lord's head when He was crucified, and His being saluted 'King of the Jews' then, and saying, 'Behold the man!' represented what was the quality of the Divine Word then in the Jewish Church, namely, that it was suffocated by the falsities of lust; and the salutation 'King of the Jews' signified the Divine Truth. . . That the Lord, when such a crown was upon His head, said, 'Behold the man!' signified 'Behold the Divine Truth such as it is at this day in the church!' For the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord in heaven is a Man and so heaven is a Gorand Man. Hence, also, the Lord's celestial church was called 'man' (Adam), and it was this church that was represented by the Jews." (A. C. 9144; Doctrine of the Lord 16.)
     As this was the deeply significant import of the declaration, "Behold the man!" it could not have been Pilate who made it; for he was a gentile, and in ignorance of the Word. Concerning this we read: "From the question of Pilate, 'What is truth?' it is evident that he understood that the Lord called truth 'king'; but because he was a gentile, and did not know anything from the Word, he could not be instructed that the Divine Truth is from the Lord, and that He Himself is the Divine Truth.

515


Therefore, immediately after his question, he went out to the Jews, saying, 'I find no fault in Him.'" (A. E. 318.) And so also he sought diligently to have Jesus released from his accusers, "for he knew that for envy they had delivered Him." "And when Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person; see ye to it!" (Matthew 27: 18, 24.)

     Peter and John.-In the Gospel of John 21: 21, 22, we read that Peter, seeing John following the Lord, "saith to Jesus, Lord, what of this man? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." It would appear that these closing words were addressed to Peter, but they should read: "Follow thou me, John!" Peter here depicts the contempt felt by those who are in faith alone toward those who are in the good of charity, who truly follow the Lord. (A. C. 607:3; A. E. 250:7.)

     Justification by Faith.-Many Christians have confirmed themselves in the doctrine of faith alone by a wrong interpretation of the words of Paul, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3: 28.) "They adore this saying as they who adore the sun," and do not see that by "the law" Paul meant the Jewish rituals, which were abrogated for Christians, but not the Decalogue, which they were to keep. (D. P. 115.) Therefore he also wrote: 'Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law." (Rom. 3: 31.) And he also wrote: "Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Rom. 2: 13.)
     That Paul did not teach that a man is saved by faith without the works of charity was fully demonstrated in the other life before the Christian clergy who had "glorified in the fame of their learning because they knew the arcana of justification by faith alone." (Memorable Relation, A. R. 417.)

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FEAR AND LOVE 1942

FEAR AND LOVE              1942

     Extract from 'The Word Explained,' Vol. IV.

     4412. Love and fear mutually correspond to each other; but the more of love there is, the less is there of fear-according to the description of fear, of which also we shall speak, God Messiah granting.
     4413. There is a difference between "fearing one" and "fearing for one." Fearing one" means fear according to the description of fear, namely, the fear of one because he is terrible, and inflicts punishments, and these the most direful, that is to say, infernal, upon those who do not observe his law; thus the fear of one who punishes, not the body, but the soul.
     According to the increase of the love of self and the love of the world, such is the increase of this fear or terror, and such the increase of those bitings of conscience from which the terror comes because such the increase of hatred against God Messiah and against all that comes from God Messiah, inasmuch as there is so much the more that condemns. This is the reason why Jacob and his descendants were to be driven by such things as smote them with amazement and terror.
     As regards the effect of fear in man, it is of this nature, in order that he may come into thoughts concerning punishment because of his wicked deeds, and thus into thoughts concerning himself. Thus the things which he has done come to his mind together with their punishments, that is to say, together with the condemnation of himself.
     Such is their first temptation in this life; for by the fear and terror of punishment they are brought to a knowledge of the wickedness in themselves, that is to say, of their wicked deeds which are opposed to the kingdom of God Messiah, etc., etc. Therefore it is here said, Fear not, for God is come for this, that He might prove you. That their thoughts were aroused, and thus the impurities of their heart and that so the image of death came before them, is evident from their speech in verse 19, where they say "lest perchance we die."
     The very sight of God Messiah reveals all the opposing things which are in man, that is to say, the impurities of his heart; for God Messiah is holy, while all men are profane. This sight is His presence in the mind, and when the mind is impure, it cannot stand.

517


Hence, things which are contrary are aroused by those which are entirely opposed to impurity, and fear arises; for no one can see his wicked deeds in shade, but only in light. In shade they appear as beautiful simulachra, but in light as terrible; hence comes fear. This is the reason why it is so often said that no one can see Jehovah the Father and live [chap. 33: 20]; and that no one can see Jehovah the Father without the mediation of God Messiah [John 1:18.]
     4414. And now, as touching love, it was said [no. 4412] that the less there is of such fear, the more there is of love. Love is indeed never unaccompanied by fear, but it is a different kind of fear, being like that of a friend in respect to a friend, of a loving consort in respect to a consort who loves him, and of a son in respect to his father. Thus, as the love is, such is the fear, and as the degree of the love, such the degree of this fear. It is conjoined, not with terror, but with ardent striving, and it has in view that love shall not perish. Thus it fears [the loss] of the love on which it is intent. This fear, however, can hardly be described, because it is so conjoined with love that they cannot be separated. The more of this fear there is, the more there is of love, but the less of the fear described above.
     4415. As to the nature of this fear, and how it is conjoined with the other fear and how separated therefrom, this can hardly be described. Nay, even the sight of God Messiah is feared, not because the man is terrified, but because he is fearful of his own impurity and his own impotence to do and execute that which is enjoined upon him by the presence of God Messiah, the holy One Himself. For he sees that he should then cast away all within him that is profane, and all that resists, and also all that is not holy. And because he sees in himself the impotence or the impossibility, as it were, of separating this from himself in his thought, will, and action, therefore he fears the sight, that is to say, the presence, of God Messiah, or that God Messiah should speak with him. Therefore such speech is effected by means of others, and this according to the disposition and capacity of the man. This fear is described from experience in myself. As to whether it would also be such in others, had they been in the same state of speaking with the spirits of God Messiah and with so many other spirits, this I do not yet know.

518


MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE              1942

     OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SERVICES.

     AUSTRALIA.
     Hurstville.
Heldon, Tpr. Lindthman,
Heldon, Sgt. Norman,
Heldon, L.A.C. Sydney,
Kirsten LAC. Theodore,
Taylor, AC. 1 Thomas D.

          CANADA.
     Kitchener.
Bellinger, P/O Alfred G.,
Bellinger, Leigh R.,
Bond, A.C. 2 J. W.,
Bond, Cpl. Lillian D.,
Heinrichs. Sgt. Henry,
Hill, Sgt. Leonard E.,
Hill, LAC. Ralph R.,
James, Sgt. Cecil J.,
Kuhl, Cpl. A. William,
Schnarr, Cpl. Joffre G.,
Scott, L/Cpl. H. G.,
Steen, LAC. Howard,
Steen, Sgt. George K.

     Toronto.
Bellinger, Sgt./Pilot John H.,
Carter, Sgt.-WAG Orville A.,
Charles, Pvt. William A.,
Fountain, Cpl. Arthur A.,
Fountain, Tpr. Thomas J.,
Izzard, P/O Laurence T.,
Jesseman, Cpl. Leonard,
John, LAC. D. Haydn,
Parker, F/Lt. Sydney R.,
Richardson, AC. 2 David K.,
Scott, Gnr. Bruce H.,
Scott, A.C. 2 Robert G.,
Strowger, Mrs. Arthur R.

     Elsewhere in Canada.
Bellinger, P/O William G., Ontario.,
Starkey, Sig. Healdon R., British Columbia.

     ENGLAND.
Appleton, Cpl. Eric D.,
Appleton, A.C. 1 Roy,
Boozer, Dvr. A. E.,
Boozer, Donald,
Cohen, Maurice L.,
Greenhalgh. L/Cpl. Colin M.,
Jones, Harold C.,
Morris, 0/Cadet David,
Motum, L/Cpl. John,
Tilson, Cpl. B. V.,
Tilson, Gnr. R. J.,
Tinker, Harry,
Waters, Lt. Comdr. Gilbert O.,
Waters, Gnr. Michael T.,
Waters, Philip,
Waters, AC. 2 Ronald D.

     SOUTH AFRICA.
Braby, Capt. Horace C.,
Braby, A/P J. Septimus,
Buss, Sgt. J. M.,
Cockerell, John,
Cockerell, A/M Neville,
Cockerell, A/Cpl. Peter,
Cockerell, A/M P. Graham,
Cowley, A/P Robert W.,
Cowley, Cpl. W. S.,
De Chazal, P/N Miss D. S.,
Dc Villiers, Pvt. D. B.,
Finley, L.A.C. H. Michael,
Fraser, Cpl. R. F.,
Gardiner, Pvt. J. O.,
Hammond, A/P A. N.,
Hammond, Pvt. H. V.,
Hammond, Sgt. Harry B.,
Howson, Capt. Maurice.
Lowe, Major Walter G.,
Lumsden, Sgt. F. H. D.,
Lumsden, Pvt. J. M.,
Lumsden, P/N Miss B. Penelope,
McClean, S/Sgt. A. P. D.,
Parker, Pvt. S. F.,
Richards, Pvt. Walter,
Ridgway, L/Cpl. A. E.,
Ridgway, A/M C. R.,
Ridgway, Pvt. H. A.,
Ridgway, A/M L. A.,
Schulz, Pvt. C. D.

     Prisoners of War.
Bamford, Pvt. Frank D.,
Ridgway, Lt. Brian M.,
Ridgway, Cpl. Colin B.,
Ridgway, Lt. Colin O.,
Ridgway, Sig. G. M.

     UNITED STATES.
     Bryn Athyn.
Alden, Lt. Gideon T.,
Alden. Sgt. Guy S.,

519



Alden, Sgt. Theodore S.,
Allen, P.F.C. Ralph E.,
Bostock, Cpl. Edward C., Jr.,
Cole, Lt. William P.,
Cooper, Major Philip G.,
Cooper, A /C Rey W.,
Cronlund, Lt. Elizabeth G..
Cronlund, Lt. (jg) Philip R.,
Daly, Lt. Jean,
Davies, Sgt. John G.,
Davis, Sgt. Tech. Richard L.,
De Charms, Lt. Comdr. Richard,
De Maine, Sgt. Robert E. L.,
Doering, Lt. Andrew A.,
Doering, Lt. (jg) Karl W.,
Field Lt George A.,
Flnkeldey, Sgt. Philip,
Gansert, Pvt. Otto G.,
Glenn, Pvt. Ernest Bruce,
Gyllenhaal, Pvt. Charles P.,
Hamm, Lt. Linda.
Heaton, Pvt. George B., Jr.,
Heilman, Anthony W., HA 2/c,
Homiller, Pvt. William,
Hyatt, Pvt. Edward D.,
Johns, Lt. Col. Hyland R.,
Kintner, Capt. William R.,
Nilson, A/C Gunnar N..
Odhner, Pvt. Ray S.,
Odhner, A/C Sanfrid F.,
Olds, Jonathan,
Pendleton, Sgt. Philip C.,
Pitcairn, P.F.C. Michael,
Pitcairn, Pvt. Nathan,
Potts, Cand. John W.,
Powell, Lt. Oliver I.,
Schnarr, Donald, S 2/c,
Schnarr, Ronald, S 2/c,
Simons, A/C David R.,
Walter, Elizabeth, WAVES,
Walter, Lt. Richard A.,
Walter, A/C Robert E.,
White, Pvt. Harry J.

     Chicago and Glenview.
Anderson, Cpl. Edward C.,
Anderson, P.F.C. Irving,
Burnham, Edwin, C. P. O., U.S.N.R.,
Burnham, Pvt. Roy M.,
Carlson, Pvt. Robert F.,
Cole, Sgt. Harold F.,
Gunsteens, Pvt. Edmund Y.,
Holmes, Harvey J., S.F. 3/c,
Holmes, Pvt. Leslie B.,
Junge, A/C Carl F.,
Kuhn, Lt. Raymond T.,
Lee, Cedric,
Lee, Tech. Sgt. Harold,
Lee, Pvt. Raymond E.,
Melzer, Pvt. James,
Melzer, Pvt. Roger,
Nelson, Cpl. Gerald F.,
Reuter, Sgt. Warren A.,
Rydstrom, Lt. J. F.,
Smith, A/C Arnold M.,
Smith, Lt. Edmund G.

     Michigan.
Childs, Pvt. Walter C.,
French, Arthur W., B.M. 2/c,
French, Gerald M., G.K. 2/c,
French, Robert H., AS.,
Lindrooth, Pvt. John E.,
Peterson. Sgt. Win. F.,
Walker, Marvin J., U.S.N.

     Philadelphia.
Glenn, Pvt. Curtis R.,
Heinrichs, Lt. Clara,
Iungerich, Ensign Alexander,
Packer, E. W., Jr., A.S.R., LT.S.C.G.,
Von Moschzisker, Lt. Michael.

     Pittsburgh.
Brown, Cpl. William E.,
Doering, Capt. John A.,
Iungerich, Sgt. Stevan,
Lechner, Pvt. Frederic B.,
Lindsay, Lt. Alexander H.,
Stein, Pvt. Frank.

     Elsewhere in the United States.
Anderson, Pvt. Walter I., New Jersey.
Brickman, Cpl. Elmer G., Texas.
Caldwell, Pvt. Neil V., New York.
Carpenter, Lt. (jg) Philip S. P., Fla.
Davis, Tech. Sgt. Charles F., Calif.
Davis, Pvt. Edward A., Calif.
De Maine, Lt. Philip B., Ohio.
Fine, P.F.C. Raymond F., Oregon.
Grant, Major Fred M., Washington, D.C.
Hilldale, Pvt. Richard M., New York.
Rott, Cpl. T. F., New York.
Snyder, Donald, U.S.N.R., Ohio.
Snyder, James F., U.S.N.R.. Ohio.
Soneson, Cpl. Carl, Erie, Pa.
Stebbing, Capt. Philip, Washington, D.C.
Storey, P.F.C. Ferrell A., Alabama.
Wilde, Lt. Comdr. John, New York.

We shall be glad to furnish the latest known addresses or forward letters sent us for that purpose.

520


Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH.

Enrollment for 1942-1943.
College               21
Boys Academy          66
Girls Seminary          80
Elementary School     163
     Total               330


     SWEDEN AND NORWAY.

     These lines are intended as a brief account of the situation and the latest activities in Sweden and Norway.
     In Norway the present state of the world has had a greater effect upon the work than in Sweden. As is known to your readers, the Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom used to make regular visits to Norway before the war came to that country, but since then this has not been possible, owing to severe tourist regulations, although every effort has been made to secure a visum. Mr. Baeckstrom, however, keeps up the work through the mail service by sending sermons for each Sunday; and letters from the group in Oslo, and from individual members in other parts of the country, indicate that the cause of the Church has not been weakened over there. The last mail received by Mr. Baeckstrom stated, we learn, that the 19th of June this year was celebrated for the first time by the Oslo group.
     In regard to Sweden, there have been some temporary curtailments in the work with the young people in Stockholm and with the group in Jokoping, owing to a three-months' period of military service for the Rev. Sandstrom and later on a term for Mr. Lennart Alfelt, who acts as leader of the activities in Jonkoping in the pastor's absence-In the Army. Mr. Sandstrom had charge of the educational, social, and entertainment work with a regiment. This work afforded several opportunities for pastoral functions although such functions were not immediately involved.
     The latest activities in Stockholm were a Spring Festival given by the Young Peoples' Club, and the Society's celebration of the 19th of June. The Spring Festival, held at the end of May, was marked by a bazaar and a comical play, both very successful. On the 19th of June the members met traditionally in the home of the Rev. and Mrs. Baeckstrom. When the weather has permitted in the past years the refreshments have been served in the garden, but this time it was chilly enough to send the attendants indoors.
     A deeply appreciated message from the Bishop was read in translation by Mr. Baeckstrom, as also other messages from near and far, among which one from the friends in Oslo was particularly welcome. Then the young people's chorus sang some beautiful songs in three parts under the very able leadership of our organist, Mr. Rydvall.
     Mr. Sandstrom delivered the address of the evening. The theme was taken from the introductory words of the Memorandum in T. C. R. 791: "After this work was finished ...," and it was shown that the Gospel that the Lord God Jesus Christ doth reign could not have been preached before "The True Christian Religion, containing the Universal Theology of the New Church" was concluded, that is, before the setting forth of the Heavenly Doctrines was completed by the bringing together of these doctrines in connected series; for the Lord, ruling over free men and women in His Kingdom, reigns by means of His Word, in which alone He stands forth visible, to be received or rejected according to choice.

521


Therefore He now exercises His power in heaven and on earth by means of the Heavenly Doctrines, in which the Word is restored, opened, and glorified-The address called forth a lively discussion, in which both varieties and differences of opinion appeared, but wherein the spirit of charity nevertheless was manifest.
     E. S.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA.

     August 5.-Although there has been no improvement in attendances, but rather a further falling off which in some instances increases the difficulty of maintaining a particular use, the full program mentioned in our last report had been carried out during the period from May to July. The first of these months was a quiet one, an interlude between the Easter and New Church Day festivals; and concerning it we need mention only a special meeting at which the Society, spontaneously and unanimously, undertook a modest share in the support of the South African Mission which is so much deserved. However, the record would be incomplete without reference to the birth of a son to Trooper Lindthman and Mrs. Heldon, on Sunday, the 31st. In a small, compact group such as ours we all rejoice in these happy events, just as if we were members of the family!

     June Nineteenth.

     The month of June, providing by its significance for a turning to the ends and realities behind the present world chaos, was again a time of revival and exaltation for those who entered into its sphere.
     Our celebration of New Church Day began, as in former years, with an evening service on the Nineteenth itself. The sermon dealt with the fact that John could discern no temple in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, and showed that it does not mean that in the New Church there will be no external worship, but that there will be no external separate from the internal of worship.
     As the Sunday School is both smaller and younger this year, the children were given a party on the following Saturday afternoon instead of the usual more formal banquet. The change was evidently a move in the right direction, for the children seemed to enjoy equally the games, the refreshments, and the short talk given to them by the pastor; and grateful acknowledgment is made to Mrs. Fletcher, who suggested it and catered for the function.
     The subject of the sermon at the Holy Supper Service on the 21st was "The New Communion." It was shown that the Communion, as administered in the New Church, is new because it is the Divine Human that is approached therein, not the crucified body, and that in the conjunction given through it is attained the end of the Second Advent and the supreme purpose for which the New Church was established. The children's service was held in the afternoon, and a talk was given by the pastor on the changes made in both worlds by the Last Judgment.
     In the evening of the same day we met for our New Church Day Banquet. There was, of course, a number absent, some unavoidably so; but there was, as ever, a fine, strengthening sphere, and we knew that those who were kept away by duty or infirmity were with us in thought. Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Hubbard performed amazing feats in providing a most attractive meal at pre-war prices even in these times.
     Mr. Ossian Heldon, as toastmaster, arranged and carried through in inspiring fashion a varied program of toast and song, and greetings were received with enthusiasm from Bishop de Charms, Trooper Lindthman Heldon, Sergeant Tom Taylor, and Mrs. White of South Australia, who never forgets us. Toasts to "The Church," "The Day We Celebrate," "Absent Friends," "Our Own Society," and "The Ladies Who Furnished the Feast," were proposed by Mr. Kirsten, the pastor, and Messrs. Ossian Heldon, Thomas Taylor, and Fred Kirsten, and impromptu toasts testified to the affection held by members for each other.

522



     The pastor was the speaker of the evening. His address on "How May We Think of the Lord?" stressed the fact that the inmost significance of the giving of the Heavenly Doctrine is the revelation of the Divine Human, for which reason the Church should be characterized by active thought of the Lord. It then went on to show the importance of thinking of the Lord both concretely and abstractly, since either mode is invalid by itself, and concluded by indicating that concrete thought could be based on the Old and New Testament, while abstract concepts were to be found in the Writings. An interesting discussion followed.

     July Meetings.

     A sermon delivered the following Sunday on "The Future of the Church," which stressed the contrast between immediate and more remote prospects, rounded off another June month, and we then turned again to our normal society uses. On the 19th of July, Trooper Lindthman Heldon being on leave again, Dennis Lin, the infant son referred to earlier in these notes, was baptized by the pastor.
     A meeting of the Hurstville Chapter of the Sons of the Academy, arranged to fall during this leave of its former President, heard a stimulating address from Mr. Ossian Heldon on practical applications of the doctrine of faith. The Chapter is facing increasing difficulties, but as long as there are two Suns left to address one another it will continue in some form or other.
     With the July meeting the monthly Arcana class attained its first birthday. We believe that this class-providing as it does for a sustained, consecutive, and common reading of the Writings,
-is playing an important part in the development of the Society, and it is to be regretted that its benefits are not shared by a larger group. The few members who attend are finding the present series of doctrinal classes on "Heredity" of particular interest.
     We were disappointed to learn that Second Lieutenants Linda Hamm and Clara Heinrichs had only called at Australia on their way to another destination. Our own service members are becoming even more widely scattered than before. Sickness has further thinned our ranks recently, but those affected are now either convalescent or fully recovered. In one way and another the Society is quite fully engaged in the war effort. Five young men are in the fighting services,-Lindthman and Norman Heldon in the A.I.F., Sydney Heldon, Theo Kirsten, and Tom Taylor in the R.A.A.F. Mrs. Fletcher is attached to a first-aid post, and is doing other war work. Mrs. Heldon, Mrs. Henderson, and Mrs. Hubbard are serving in civilian aid rest centers. Messrs. Alfred Kirsten and George Morgan are air raid wardens, and the pastor is second-in-command of a division in the warden service and officer-in-charge of the evacuation and civilian aid service in the same division.
     W. C. H.

     KITCHENER, ONT.

     Now that Summer has gone and Fall has put in its appearance, it's time we Kitchenerites got back into the news columns.
     During the Summer, three of our girls again did Farm Service Work,-Gloria and Audrey Stroh, and Vivian Kuhl-who came home with a fine coat of tan. Miss Korene Schnarr also worked in one of these Service Camps, buying food and planning meals for the girls.
     Our school opened with an enrollment of twenty-seven pupils. There are seven new ones in the first grade. Miss Phillis Cooper will teach the young ones up to grade five; Rev. Norbert Rogers will instruct the older grades in the mornings, and Miss Nancy Stroh will teach them in the afternoons.

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The high-school entrance class consists of four boys.
     The Young People's Classes are being held in the homes as before, with Mr. Gill instructing the older group and Mr. Rogers' last year's entrance class. The men's Reading Group, meeting at the different homes, has resumed its sessions.
     The opening meeting of the Sons' and Men's Club was held at Mr. George Schnarr's home. Sgt. Henry Heinrichs being the guest of honor. He had been sent East prior to his return to England to take up new training in the Intelligence Corps. Now he is en route to England.
     On September 23 a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Schnarr (nee Phylis Bellinger) of Ottawa.
     Mrs. Alfred Bellinger (nee Alena Roschman) announces the engagement of her son, Flying Officer Alfred, to Miss Margaret Elspeth Bone, of Vancouver, B. C. They expect to be married soon and come to Kitchener on their honeymoon.
     Sgt. Pilot Ralph Hill is en route to England. The youngest Hill, Stanley, has joined the air cadets. His mother, Mrs. Jadah Roschman Hill, can be proud of her three sons in the service. P/O Bill Bellinger is now in England. Randolph Stroh has joined the Ottawa Circle, taking a position as stenographer with the civil service.
     A surprise shower was given Evangeline Gill at her home before she left for Bryn Athyn to attend the Academy. She was the only girl in a strong contingent of boys-Paul Bellinger, Fred Hasen, Keith Niall, Murray Hill, Philip Heinrichs, Richard Roschman, Leon Stroh and Kenneth Stroh. How do you like that for a crowd, Sons of the Academy?
     The young people recently had a delightful wiener roast out at the Heinrichs' home, and on September 18 the school children enjoyed a picnic out in the woods, given by Theta Alpha.
     The Society gave a surprise shower for Miss Phyllis Schnarr at her home, in anticipation of her approaching marriage. Carmel Church, its chancel decorated in flame and russet tones, provided a lovely setting for this Autumn wedding on September 19, when the marriage of Miss Phyllis Schnarr to Mr. Edward J. Cranch was solemnized by the Rev. Alan Gill. The Fall shades of the attendants' gowns formed a beautiful background for the stunning bride. Miss Lucile Schnarr was the maid of honor, and the Misses Rita Kuhl, Shirley Havey, Doris Bond, Marion Schnarr, Audrey Stroh and Nancy B. Schnarr were bridesmaids. Sandra Schnarr was the sweet little flower girl. Mr. John Cranch was best man.
     The music was provided by an orchestral group composed of members of the Nathaniel Stroh family-Miss Alberta Stroh and Mr. Leon Stroh. The reception was held in an artistic garden setting in our social hall. Mr. George Schnarr, as toastmaster, introduced the speakers and proposed the toasts. The decorations and reception were planned and directed by Miss Korene Schnarr. A number of visitors were present, in addition to the groom's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Cranch, his grandmother, his aunt, sister and brother.
     Thumbs Up!
     H. H. S.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     Summer News.-July and August being vacation months, there was a constant going and coming of our members-to and from their favorite places of retirement. Also, we have had visitors-lots of them-from points near and far.
     Since our last report, several more of our young men have joined the armed forces, and the service flag hanging at the entrance to our Park now contains seventeen stars-mute evidence of our desire to do our part to help win the war.
     Two engagements have been announced-Shirley Blackman to Harvey Holmes, and Natalie Henderson to Hubert Rydstrom.

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On August 8, the Rev. Harold Cranch officiated at the wedding of Virginia Neely to Aviation Cadet Carl Junge. The ceremony was followed by a reception in the parish ball.
     As usual, our lake, with crystal clear water running into it, has been used daily for swimming by many children and adults. When the village water main sprung a leak, and the water was turned off for several hours, we of the Park were the only people in these parts who could get water!
     Neville Wright has taken his family to Burlington, Iowa, where he has been doing war work for the past several months. We miss the Wright family, and look forward to their return when conditions become normal.
     At the Sons' meeting on August 16, Hubert Rydstrom gave an informal talk on the Glacial Periods in the Midwest.
     Our pastor enjoyed several weeks of vacation, and in his absence the Rev. Harold Cranch preached each Sunday, except July 19, when the Rev. Walter Brickman delivered the sermon. He and Mrs. Brickman had been visiting in Chicago and Glenview.
     Our very good friend, Mrs. Virginia Lowndes, mother of Lorna Hicks, died after a long period of illness. Mrs. Lowndes was the kind of person who could always be "counted on" to handle a banquet or other social occasion in a most efficient manner. Her service to our society has been a long and useful one. We shall miss her.
     The interiors of our buildings are being painted, and it would seem that the "olive gray" color used on the window sash has created, shall we say, mixed feelings on the part of some. One school of thought insists that the shade blends with the green of foliage and grass in summer," while the other intimates that in their opinion the color looks to them "like an accident." Those of us who are colorblind hope that by the time autumn activities get into full swing, and our buildings are once more in constant use, the new color of said window sash will have assumed less importance than is the case at the present writing.
     Autumn-Three major events always take place in September-here in Glenview-making of this month a very definite stepping stone from one period of the year to another. First, we generally get a touch of chilly weather, when a fire in the grate is mighty comfortable. Then there is the exodus of our young students to Bryn Athyn-this year eighteen strong! And lastly the opening of the Immanuel Church School.

     School Opening.

     You men and women of the younger generation of 1898-can you remember way back 44 years? Do you recall the school you started then-the Immanuel Church School in Glenview-with a handful of pupils-a teacher or two-and little if any equipment? Look at it today-the opening day on September 21, 1942. Count them! -53 boys and girls assembled to start another year of New Church education. Your work, my friends, so courageously begun, is prospering.
     See what we have today: Nine grades and kindergarten. Four full-time teachers and one half-time teacher. Gym Classes. Singing lessons. Art classes. A school orchestra and a rhythm band. Miss Gladys Blackman teaches the 9th and 8th grades; Miss Helen Maynard the 7th and 6th; Miss Lois Nelson the 5th and 4th; Miss Venita Roschman the 3d and 2d; Miss Susan Scalbom the 1st and kindergarten. Twice a week Mrs. David Gladish has gym classes for the 4th, 6th, 7th and 9th grades. Mrs. E. J. Lowery gives singing lessons; Mr. Smith conducts an art class; Miss Lois Nelson the rhythm band; and Mr. Jesse Stevens the school orchestra. A number of our children are doing Red Cross and British Relief work, as well as being active in the Junior Civilian Defense. Many of the older ones already have their First Aid Certificates.
     The boys who graduated from our school last June were invited to attend the September meeting of the Sons.

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Mr. Harvey Brewer was toastmaster, and for his speakers he had chosen four of our young men who had graduated from the Academy Schools at Bryn Athyn. They spoke of their appreciation of the work of the Sons, and also gave the visiting boys some idea of what they could look forward to during their first year in Bryn Athyn.
     Another of our families has left Glenview since our last report: Mrs. Donal Hicks and children have moved to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where Mr. Hicks is located in connection with his work for the Asplundh Tree Expert Company.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     TORONTO, CANADA.

     Outstanding leadership has marked the progress of the Olivet Society during the past year. Through days which have put a strain on the unity and purpose of church activities we have been encouraged, in sermon and in doctrinal class, to meet the responsibilities which a rapidly changing world has brought to us in new and unfamiliar forms. We have been disturbed and bewildered at times, but these states have passed into more wholesome perspectives, emerging into new visions for the future of our church, under the sympathetic leadership of our pastor.
     We open a new season with the thought that the church of which we are members has a future, as well as the present in which we live. Our predecessors took thought for the morrow, or our church would not be the strong body that it now is. Whatever may be the duties that absorb the individual attention, we should take time to lift up our eyes and look into the future. In his annual address to the society, Mr. Gyllenhaal stressed the great responsibility which lies with each one of us in personal relationships within the church, and in collective spiritual uses in the economy of our country.
     A fitting herald for the coming season was the wedding of Miss Penelope Anne Sargeant and Mr. Ray C. Orr. The singing of the 19th Psalm as an introduction, together with the charming simplicity of chancel decorations, enhanced the spiritual beauty of the ceremony. A sphere of heavenly blessedness from the conjugial was manifestly present during the soft singing of "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" by the congregation while the newly wedded couple received the Sacrament of the Holy Supper. Alter the ceremony a reception was held in our beautifully decorated assembly hall, when more than one hundred wedding guests joined in toasts and songs to wish the young couple all the joys of a happy married life.
     The reports presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society in September demonstrated the type and variety of services which have engaged the interest and time of our members during the past year, and all showed promise of progressive work in the future. These reports were made by the Pastor, Teacher, Finance Board, Ladies' Circle, Forward Sons, Theta Alpha, Alpha Pi, Social Committee, Red Cross and War Services, Chance] Guild, and Olivet Estates.
     The Day School reopened for the autumn term on September 9 with a children's service in the chapel, to which parents and friends were invited. Miss Zoe Gyllenhaal has charge of all grades from one to seven, and is assisted by Mrs. Sydney Parker, who teaches social studies one hour each day.
     C. S.

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND.

     June 19th.

     Delayed-Our celebration of New Church Day, with a banquet on June 20 and a service of worship on the 21st, seemed like a miniature assembly. A number of visitors gathered from far and near, and their presence added greatly to the sphere and enjoyment of the occasion. [See group picture in the October issue, p. 476.]

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     Between 50 and 60 persons sat down to the supper on Saturday, June 20, and the toastmaster, Mr. Colley Pryke, opened the program by reading Messages of Greeting which had been received from Bishop de Charms, Mr. Fred Waters, and Mr. Charles Ashley. Two interesting papers were read. The first was by Mr. James Pryke, on "The Universality of the Final Revelation." [September issue.] The second was by Miss May Waters, who treated of what has been and what will be the effect of the promulgation of the New Revelation in the natural world.
     Toasts were honored to "The Church," "June 19th," and "New Churchmen Throughout the World"; also to "Our Pastor," which was enthusiastically acclaimed. Tributes to Bishop Tilson and his life's work were voiced by several members, and a message of affection was sent to Mrs. Tilson. The evening closed with the singing of "Great and Wonderful."
     Among our visitors were: Captain (now Major) Philip Cooper, of Bryn Athyn; P/O Laurence Izzard and Sergeant Cecil James, of Canada. From London: Rev. and Mrs. A. Wynne Acton, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Stebbing, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Wainscot, Miss Mary Lewin, Mr. and Mrs. Clennell, Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Law, Mrs. Beryl Dale and Miss Brenda Dale. Also Mr. W. Clover, from Brentwood, and Miss Rachel Howard, of St. Albans.
     On Sunday, June 21, the Holy Supper Service was conducted by our pastor. It was fully attended, and a strong sphere of unity prevailed. In the afternoon a Betrothal Service for Miss Freda Appleton and Mr. Denis Pryke took place, and during tea which was served in the church grounds a shower of gifts was presented to them. A meeting in the evening heard a most interesting paper by the Rev. A. Wynne Acton on "The Church of the New Jerusalem as the Crown of All the Churches," which was followed by discussion and questions. We closed by singing the 45th Psalm, and so ended a memorable time.
     The marriage of Mr. Denis Pryke and Miss Freda Appleton took place on July 11, the bride wearing white with veil, and her bridesmaid, Miss Marion Appleton, wearing blue with pink trimmings and pink headdress. Both carried bouquets of multicolor sweet peas. Mr. Eric Appleton was best man. The reception was held at the church, and all were invited, including the children. It was an ideal event.
     E. M. B.


     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

     Sharon Church has begun its activities for the new season, which promises to be one of development and advancement.
     When the congregation returned to resume services after five weeks without them, it was obvious to all that our pastor had not spent those five weeks resting. Only those who have seen our place of worship in the past can fully appreciate the improvements that have been made. Instead of being a room in a house used for worship, it has taken on the dignity and the sphere of a church.
     On Sunday, September 27, there were very few empty seats at the service. The baptism of a baby seems to bring heaven a little closer, and renew hope for the church to come; so we were delighted when it was announced that the little daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Harold Cranch was to be baptized on this occasion, the Rev. Gilbert H. Smith officiating. We were also pleased to welcome a new member-Miss Orida Olds. The service was followed by the first monthly dinner of the new season, attended by over fifty persons, among whom we were glad to have several visitors from Glenview.
     Doctrinal classes are to be held on the South Side every month, and the Doctrine of Life is to be studied, with introductory teachings, questions and answers. Emphasis will be placed upon reading the Writings themselves, with readings given to each class for reference.

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This group is increasing in numbers. There are nine newcomers, who are not members of the Church, but regular attendants at these classes.
     On the North Side the doctrinal classes will be divided. Those held on Fridays will study the Doctrine of Life, while the Sunday classes, held after the monthly dinners, will treat of the doctrinal aspect of the sermon delivered at the service. There will be occasional classes in the homes, on topical subjects.
     During the Fall months, and until Christmas Day, the subjects of the sermons will be from the Old Testament and the prophecies of the Advent. From then until the 19th of June the texts will be from the New Testament, and thereafter, until July, general subjects will be chosen from the Writings and the Apocalypse.
     There are enough children in the society to make the introduction of a Sunday School for them another use to be developed. Through the work done by Miss Ruth Cranch, our pastor has been able to obtain some slides of pictures taken from the stories of the Word. As these were not colored, he has tinted them, and the result is lovely. The children will learn recitations and songs, and we hope that these services will become occasions to which they look forward.
     V. W.

     CAPTAIN J. D. COZBY.

We have received from Mr. Leighton W. Cozby, a member of the General Church residing in Columbia, South Carolina, the following account of his brother, Captain J. D. Cozby, of Pineville, S. C., who passed into the spiritual world on November 30, 1941, in his sixty-ninth year:
     "A son of a Presbyterian minister and a graduate of the Citadel at Charleston, S. C., he volunteered and went overseas as a captain of infantry in World War I. He was gassed in the trenches of France, but survived and was slated to go over the top the morning after the armistice was signed. Returning to this country, he was amazed and horrified at the passage of the 18th Amendment. He wrote a number of newspaper articles defending our Lord's doctrine of temperance, and published a pamphlet entitled 'The Christian Doctrine of Temperance versus the Mohammedan Doctrine of Prohibition.'
     "A few months after this, my brother ran across a copy of Heaven and Hell in a lawyer's office in Greenville, S. C. He took the book home and was delighted with it. I saw him soon afterwards, and he ordered a number of Swedenborg's works. From then on he was a constant reader of the Writings, and recognized their Divine Authority. He was in sympathy with the Academy position, and would, I think, have united with the General Church if an opportunity had presented itself. He is survived by his widow and three married daughters."-L. W. COZBY.
     A review of the above mentioned pamphlet in NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1923, p. 630, notes the author's contention that the Bible contains numerous cautions against drunkenness and gluttony, but "not one single passage that can be said to teach that man should abstain from drinking on account of some drunkenness, that he should abstain from eating on account of some gluttony, or from talking on account of some profanity."

     WEST AFRICA.

     From THE NEW-CHURCH HERALD of September 12, 1942, we learn that the Rev. Africanus Mensah, leader of the New Church Mission in Nigeria, passed into the spiritual world on August 23 at the age of 67 years. He came to the attention of the General Conference in 1934, and in 1938 he paid a visit to England and was ordained, as noted in our pages, 1936, p. 285; 1939, p. 44. The story of his career is told by the Rev. Brian Kingslake in the HERALD for September 12 and 19, 1942.

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ORDINATION 1942

ORDINATION              1942




     Announcements



     Odhner.-At Pittsburgh, Pa., October 11, 1942, the Rev. Ormond de Charms Odhner, into the Second Degree of the Priesthood, the Right Rev. George de Charms officiating.
SON OF GOD 1942

SON OF GOD       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1942



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NEW CHURCH LIFE
VOL. LXII
DECEMBER, 1942
No. 12
     An Advent Sermon.

     "Therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1: 35.)

     In all the earths of the vast universe, God is worshipped under the human form. Wherever God is acknowledged in heart, He is thought of as the Divine Man. Fear and awe before the irresistible forces of nature carry with them nothing of that religious acknowledgment which binds man to God with the bonds of love and can see mercy and wisdom in the provisions of His universe. Thus nothing can cause men to humble themselves before God as the source and origin of love and intelligence, and cause them to cooperate from the heart with the eternal ends of creation, except the sight of the truth and all-pervading fact of the universe,-that God, the Creator and life-giver, is Divine Man, in whose image human beings are made.
     This acknowledgment was implicit in the order of man's creation. It is implicit in the soul of every man born. So long as man dwells in the garden of innocence-like Adam in the Eden which the Lord God planted in the ancient East-there is nothing of experience that does not testify to this truth and confirm it. No babe can imagine a Creator who is not Divine Man. It is only when the order of life is disturbed by self-will and its phantasy, and man begins to flatter himself that he is like a god-that he lives from himself, and can from himself determine what is good and evil; it is only then that this supreme truth is brought into doubt.

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     Therefore, on every earth inhabited by men, there is the possibility of their denying that God is essential Man, infinite God-Man. There is the possibility of self-worship, of idolatry, and of the deification of men. These perversions occur in many earths, in forms which vary with the genius of their peoples. And in order that this denial, which evil brings about, should be countered, and human freedom maintained, there is Divine revelation given them by various accommodations, and instruction by open visions or by dreams, by which at least guidance and warning may be provided. Such revelations must be constantly renewed, lest they become perverted and perish. (A. C. 9358.)
     And lest there be established any tendency to attempt to worship God as invisible and thus destroy the idea of Him as Divine Man, the Lord appears to the spirits of many of these earths-in their innocency-in a human form, as walking among them in an angelic human (A. C. 9359, 7173, 7252, 7477, 8949), even as He appeared as the "angel of Jehovah" to the ancients on our own earth.
     But that the Lord actually assumed the Human on our earth is not known except to a very few among the inhabitants of the unnumbered earths in the universe. (A. C. 6700.) This Gospel will be imparted, so far as its effect is needed; and where it has become known, the incarnation of God will be confirmed as having been necessary for the salvation of the human race. It will he confirmed, not from knowledge or from sensual proof, but from inward perception, from a reflection on general principles, because it is the fulfilment and glorification of a universal law of Divine love.
     For although the earths of the universe are far apart-separated by distances which cause the mind to swoon-yet there is no isolation of the spirits of men, from whatever earths they come. The spiritual world is a unit, and it appears in the Lord's sight as one Gorand Human Form in which the mankind from each planet serves its own distinctive function in the organic whole. Such uses are distinct according to needs foreseen from all eternity. No single earth is sufficient to provide for all the spiritual needs of human souls, or to anticipate these needs and furnish a means of unending development toward greater perfection and deeper eternal happiness.

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     It is by means of the spiritual world that the Lord's Divine government extends into all the details of human life. No single human thought is possible except by the collaboration of untold spiritual influences and media, and by the maintenance of order and the performance of uses among the spirits and angels of the Gorand Man. None of the mental faculties which we take for granted as automatic within us-such as memory, imagination or reason-could exist and function subconsciously within our minds, except in the reflected sphere and by the borrowed powers of spiritual beings who may stem from the utmost bounds of the universe. For spiritually-as to the general uses of the human form-the universe is a one. Each planet with its inhabitants is made to yield its own specialized use for the common good of all; and each draws its specific powers from all the rest.
     Only upon one of these earths-and that one the least worthy-did the Lord of all life descend in corporeal form. To the inhabitants of other planets He had been revealed, by the opening of their spiritual eyes, in angelic form; and they knew Him as the Only Lord. But here He was born of a virgin, in order to assume the very matter of the earth; and thus He became known as "the Son of God,"-"the only begotten Son of God." He was conceived of the Divine Itself and of the Divine only. Yet His assumed human developed in the womb of Mary in the manner of men; His new-born body had to grow, and within it a mind which had to be instructed; until this human became the abode and sanctuary of the Divine presence in ever-increasing fulness. This advent was as it were secret and gradually unfolded, and only a few realized that this was none other than the Son of God. For this truth-that God was here being manifested as Natural Man, or in His own Divine Natural,-was too great for men to bear.
     The truth of the Divine Human born might have been received with deeper understanding and greater joy in other planets. But He was born here, where the human race had closed itself to His spiritual presence: here, where the fact of His coming could constitute the only remaining salvation, the only possible challenge against the forces of evil and falsity. He was born here because "without this no flesh could be saved," because the hells, with their evils and falsities, had here been encouraged beyond the point where human reason could resist in freedom, and because hell had usurped the very citadels of the Church of God, and had begun to use them as a center for the opposition to the very Divine laws of mercy and order which it had been their function to announce and promote.

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We read in the Writings of hells formed from other earths than ours, but we do not read of any perversion so systematic and drastic as that which marks the story of the Church on this earth. For here even the foundations were being destroyed.
     Ever since the celestial church passed away on earth (S. D. 4376, 1741), it is the genius of the men of this earth to rely on external things. Such a genius was confirmed only by slow degrees, in the course of men's exercise of human freedom. But it was foreseen from eternity, and therefore a definite spiritual function was provided by the Lord for our race,-a function which, if sincerely performed, would not only open heaven to us, but also become a means of an ever-increasing service to the universal heavens, and thus to mankind on all the earths. This function, as viewed with reference to the Gorand Man-form of spiritual and celestial uses, is likened to the office of the natural or external senses of the body. Sensation is the ultimate, the foundation, in which the interiors of life close, and on which they rest as on their common basis. The interior life of the mind-with its free changes of state, its flashes of perception, its self-chosen attitudes and affections-can gain no permanence or stability, unless confirmed in the things of actual sensation or sense- experience. By the senses of the body there are furnished ultimates for the mind-spiritual ultimates which serve to bring the interior states into remembrance, and which give to the chosen affections of the soul an orderly environment and a protective basis of definite knowledge and correspondential representation.
     Thus we are informed that in the spiritual world, where all are named from spiritual functions, they call the spirits from our earth "knowledges"; and, indeed, not knowledges abstracted from material things, but knowledges conjoined with material things. For here the Fall into evil was directly caused by the eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Our race-thenceforth of "spiritual" or intellectual genius-thus assumed for itself its representative function, and made its own salvation impossible, unless the Lord could make it known from knowledge that God is a Divine Man (S. D. 4782.)

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The fact is especially mentioned in the Arcana Celestia, that if the celestial church "had remained in its integrity, the Lord would have had no need to be born a man" on earth. (A. C. 2661.)
     The Lord came to save "the spiritual," not the celestial. He came to be present with men in a new, an ultimate form of Divine Truth whereby the Divine Love-the Divine Celestial-could reach down even to the low estate of those who were of a spiritual genius. To these in their dire distress the Lord could come only by a new way,-from without, from ultimates. He could not come to them as the Only Lord manifested for their spiritual vision, but only through the senses of their bodies, by His being born of woman as the Son of God.

     II.

     Therefore the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto the virgin Mary at Nazareth to announce the miracle of all ages: "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name 'Jesus.' He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High. . . . The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: and therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." And when the Babe was born at Bethlehem in Judea, there were none to acclaim His birth except a few shepherds who were keeping watch at night. These, in their simplicity, could hear the glorifications of the heavens, and could recognize Him as the Messiah, the Lord. The busy world around moved on unconcerned. But these few simple folk felt the sphere of the celestial heavens around the Prince of Peace. It was not for them to argue the questions of high theology-as to Who this was, this Savior and Christ. They only knew that God had not left them alone but that redemption was drawing nigh.
     And in this troubled world of today, those who are babes-in-heart (whatever their learning) still respond in some manner to the celestial sphere of the Babe whose birth we celebrate each year. Controversy ceases awhile, doubts are laid aside, and the secret hopes of mankind for the eventual coming of spiritual safety are rekindled in a brief flame, which then dies down into its bitter ashes, where only childlike faith can smoulder on.

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The Writings reveal that there are very many who find their spiritual solace in the thought that the Lord rules-rules even in the minutest things of thought; thus dismissing disputes about the relation of the Human to the Divine, and to the Holy Spirit. (S. D. 4441.) In the reflection that the Lord rules, they find relief and "sweet rest." Such was the faith of the apostles and early Christians in their Redeemer: a faith which saw more deeply than they could penetrate with their natural understanding; a faith which caused them to recognize the features of the Lord whom they had seen on earth, in the glorified Human Form that appeared to them after death in the heavens. (A. C. 7173.)
     The truth that the Lord of all life would be born on earth was a celestial truth, which could be perceived only in the sphere of celestial love. The external fact of the birth of Jesus was known to many. But that He was the Son of God could be seen only by those who, like the shepherds, could be taught by love in a language which transcends words. For only love cares anything about the Advent of the Lord.
     Into this truth-embodied by the Babe in swaddling clothes, worshipped by the Judean shepherds and also by the Wise Men of the East-there converge the simplest acknowledgment and the most profound perceptions of angelic wisdom. Simplicity and wisdom both have their source in innocence, which is the putting away of self-life for a willingness to follow the Lord.
     The Lord comes to men in innocence and as Innocence. It must needs be, therefore, that He made His Advent into the world as a little Child-thus as the Only-begotten Son of God. The men of our earth, relying on much knowledge (as if knowledge was wisdom!) might scoff at the idea that God became incarnate as an ignorant and helpless Babe. But this is because they do not understand that man is but a vessel of inflowing life, and that all the intelligence which man may appear to acquire for himself is as nothing to the wisdom which his soul, his inmost receptacle of life, is already receiving at very birth. It is that inflowing wisdom-borrowed from the Creator-which unconsciously moulds and governs the tender body in the womb. It is that unconscious wisdom which, unaided by man's thought, causes the miracle of growth, the maintenance of the bodily processes, the beating of the heart, and the feeding of the brain with sensations.

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Without this wisdom of the soul, omniscient of its little realm of finite needs, there could be no knowledge, no affections, nothing of that human life which we boast as our own. And the wisdom of the soul consists in this, that in its action it follows unquestioningly the order of life,-the Divine laws of creation which contain the wisdom of omniscience.
     Even as a Babe in the manger at Bethlehem, the Lord was the Son of God. In obvious appearance, the "holy thing" born of Mary was a human child; and Christians falsely drew the conclusion that He derives from Mary all His human-both body and rational, human, soul. But if so, to call Him the Son of "God" would be but a rhetorical phrase, and redemption would have been impossible! For it is the soul which determines the inmost limits of one s life. The human soul is a vessel of life, finite and limited to receive only that of love and wisdom which its body and mind require. Its wisdom does not transcend its ruling love, which is determined as to type and genius by heredity from the father, of whose soul it is an offshoot. But the Lord had no such prior limitation from within. His Soul was the Divine Itself, His love an infinite love of all His creatures. He was conceived by Jehovah, and "was Jehovah from conception"; a Son Whose name should be called God the Mighty, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace, God- with-us. His infinite Soul could act through all the heavens, taking nothing from the angels there. He had within him the whole of heaven, as to all the Divine formative powers therein. The limitations of His life when born were all from without. And they could therefore be broken and disbanded,-opened and released. (S. D. 4845.)
     By the "Son of God" is therefore meant Jehovah God in the finite human and the material body,-a body assumed from Mary, and thereby subject to the infirmities, not alone of its finite nature, but of the hereditary perversions which flesh is heir to. In respect to this maternal human He had contact with the hells, and through it He could even in first childhood become aware of their efforts to resist the laws of life, as if these efforts were bending His developing mind. In the maternal human He was as if separated from the Divine. Infirmities were as it were inwoven in the lower degrees of His human, and it had to be purified by gradual stages. Its vessels had to be reformed by instruction-in the manner of men.

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By truths of knowledge from the Word-which at first were couched in human appearances-vessels were furnished for the ever-nearer influx of His Divine Soul, that-all things maternal being put off-His Human essence also might be made Divine Truth in ultimate fact, and thus become "the light of heaven"! (A. C. 1458.)
     Yet, even at His birth, He was "the Word made flesh." His Divine Soul, which governed the universe, imposed upon its assumed body an order representative of itself. It is indeed stated that in His infancy there was as yet "but little of the Divine" in His sensuous degree. (A. C. 1425, 1428; comp. 1573:6.) But this has reference to the fact that knowledges were needed as vessels to open the way for a descent of the Divine. (A. C. 1495.) The fact stands that the Lord was Divine at birth-He alone among men being "born into good" (4644), or born "spiritual-celestial." And since good has truth with it, all truth was within His human prior to instruction, hidden in His internal man (1469), which caused that He was born with a longing for good and a thirst for truth, differently from any man. (A. E. 449; De Dom., fin.) And He could lead Himself into the states of Divine use which are called the states of the glorification of His Human, by which He accomplished the work of redemption. He was the Son of God-the Divine Truth, the Divine Order of life, incarnate; the Divine life operating on the lowest level of physical ultimates, there revealing to men's eyes and senses the form and power of Divine love, teaching men s minds the laws of charity and directing them back to the internal truths long forgotten, by which the hold of corporeal loves and sensual illusions might be broken.
     On this earth of ours He came as the Son of God. As such He was never known-and can never become known-on any other. He is no more the Son of Mary, nor is He now to be known as the Son of God. His Human was made Divine even to ultimates, and He is present as God-Man on all the planes of human life.
     This glorification, this redemptive presence of God in ultimates. is eternal, and its effects are felt by all in the heavens and all in the universe, by all who died in the past and all who are to be born in the future. The focus of this event of Divine Birth was this earth,-where Divine Truth is so singularly recorded in a written Word, in ultimates of order that can be preserved against perversion and be propagated despite the fickle states of men.

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Its preservation rests on the genius of our race for scientific knowledge and invention, on its passion for information about natural laws and events. Far from being interior, such a love leads the spirit, through fallacies of sense, toward sensual uses,-uses like that of the skin and its sensories. Yet every use, if rightly performed, can be elevated into an interior use, through a process of regeneration. Our humble origin does not predestine our spirits away from an interior progress after the externals of our natural mind have been vastated. The knowledge of the truths of faith-which are centered in the Advent of the Lord-serve as the soil in which spiritual and celestial truths can be sown: and these facilitate the regenerate men of this earth in attaining to the interior and inmost heaven." And of such, some (we are given to know) may "serve as ministries for the instruction of others." (S. D. 1531; cf. A. C. 6929.)
     In this sense it is true that "the Lord has loved our earth above the others"-as one to whom much is forgiven. On this earth, and on no other, truth Divine has been given "in the letter which is called the Word. (A. C. 9360.) In the supreme sense this Word-which everywhere contains correspondences with Divine things-treats of the Lord and the life of His universal kingdom; and whenever this Word is read or preached, that spiritual content is "presented to the angels in heaven, from whatever earth they come." (A. C. 9357; S.D. 4663:10.)
     The Word-the prophecy and gospel of Jesus Christ, the book of His holy generation-is thus a uniting basis of all the heavens, by which the Divine order may be perceived apart from the shifting states of our understanding. If we fail to understand its deeper testimony, the heavens of other earths will yet do so: provided always that there shall be a church on this earth. And such a church is promised-an eternal church whose function it is to announce the everlasting reign of God-Man, the visible Divine Human now rationally revealed, even before the natural minds of men. For it is in this truth of the incarnate Word, Whose birth and life gave a Divine meaning and a Divine valuation to all human states, that the progressive states of all the heavens will forever have a common foundation of Divine order; and by this there is given an assurance of salvation for the simple and the wise. Amen.

538



LESSONS:     Luke 1: 26-39. Athanasian Creed 112, 113, 115, 119, 121, 122; or A. C. 9350-9356.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 528-535.
PRAYERS:     Nos. 55, 117.
PARABLE OF THE WEDDING GARMENT 1942

PARABLE OF THE WEDDING GARMENT       Rev. GILBERT H. SMITH       1942

     The Marriage of the King's Son-Matthew 22:1-14.

     Most of the Lord's parables begin the same way,-"The kingdom of heaven is like unto." . . . It was as if He were always putting into words some description of His kingdom. That seems to have been His principal subject of discourse-His kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. Ever and again He drew the attention of His listeners to some simple story or comparison, and told them that His kingdom was like that. It was like the householder, the merchantman seeking goodly pearls, like leaven, like a net cast into the sea, like ten virgins that went out to meet the bridegroom. And here it is like a certain king who made a marriage for his son.
     The explanation of this fact lies in the knowledge which is ours that the Lord, even from His early childhood, became aware of all things that were happening in the spiritual world. This is one of the greatest single features of the Lord's life which has not been known until the Lord revealed it to the New Church. None of the men who have written books on the `Life of Christ' have known this most important thing. He has been treated of as a man in whom the life of God dwelt, and a man of keen insight into the hearts and lives of men living on earth but the far more important thing has not been known,-that He also knew what was going on among the vast multitude of souls and spirits in the other life.
     He always has His kingdom in view,-His kingdom which was principally in the other world. He knew the sad state of those there who belonged to His kingdom. He knew when the kingdom of heaven suffered violence. He saw the effect of His own words and deeds upon many in the spiritual world. All through His life, from first childhood, by means of His many trials, He was fighting against evil spirits who in the other world were attacking Him and overrunning His kingdom.

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In this way He performed one act of judgment after another, and each time He did so, some change was effected in the other world; evil spirits were put to flight, new arrangements and groupings of living souls were accomplished.
     Keep this great fact in mind-that the Lord knew what was going on in the spiritual world all during His life on earth, and then it may be seen how it was that from time to time He uttered some parable about His kingdom,-a parable which described in the spiritual meaning the things that were going on in the spiritual world.
     The disciples scarcely understood these parables, save where the Lord explained them further, as in the case of the Parable of the Sower. They got from them only general notions even as men today can get only general notions from them until the spiritual meaning is made known. From this parable of the wedding and its guests, and of the man who had not on a wedding garment, anyone can get the general notion that something was wrong with the guest that was cast out, that he was in some way unprepared or unworthy to enter into the Lord's kingdom, but just what it was that disqualified him can only be known from the spiritual sense of the parable.
     By this parable we are to understand, not the marriage of a certain king's son, but the marriage of the Church itself with the Lord. The king's Son represents the Lord Himself in His Human. He is the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church. The Lord's kingdom is here set forth as a marriage, that is, a conjunction, between the Church and the Lord's Divine Human, which marriage is made when the Human of our Lord is regarded and loved as Divine. This marriage cannot exist with those who think of God as in three Persons, for that would be like a marriage covenant between a bride and three husbands.
     This parable, as we have said, was descriptive of the Lord's kingdom after certain things should take place in the spiritual world. It looked forward to the Last Judgment upon the Christian Church, which was foreseen and foretold by the Lord. At the time of the Last Judgment this marriage between the Divine Human of the Lord and the Church was to take place. For it was only after the Last Judgment that the doctrine of the Divine Human of the Lord could be brought forth and believed.

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At that time the Lord judged and drove away from those who were to be saved a vast multitude of spirits who were called the Babylonians, and another vast multitude of them who were called the Philistines; and only after this was done could the doctrine of the Divinity of His Human shine forth in its light before good spirits and men. This was the preparation for the marriage, the conjunction, of the Lord with His true Church; for His kingdom is His Church in both worlds.
     The Babylonians were all that vast host of spirits in the other world, who, from the time the Lord was on earth, had perverted the true Christian doctrine of the Lord by bringing in and formulating the false idea of the Trinity, declaring, first, that the Son of God was a different Person from the Father, and then that the Lord, as merely the son of Mary, had transferred all the power of saving men to the Holy Roman Church. And the Philistines were all that other great multitude who had received the idea of three Gods, and developed the false doctrine of the vicarious atonement-the idea now reigning in the Christian world. The same are meant by the dragon in the Apocalypse. After both these multitudes had been judged, and separated from the company of the others, then the true doctrine of the unity of God and the Divinity of His Human was seen in the spiritual world, and this is what is meant by the king's having prepared a marriage for his son. For here was the doctrine which was to unite the Church with the Lord in a true marriage, which is elsewhere called the "marriage of the Lamb."
     To "make a marriage" therefore means to be conjoined with the Lord in spirit by a true belief in His Divinity, and to be married" in this sense means to be received into heaven by the Lord.
     But the king's invitation to the marriage of his son was not at first accepted. He sent his servants to call them to it, but they would not come. And so he sent forth other servants to tell them, "My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage!" But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise, and the remnant slew his servants.
     As it was in the spiritual world, so in this. Even after the Lord has given to men freedom in spiritual things, and invited all men to come to Him and be conjoined with Him in spirit, the response of men is disappointing.

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The love of the world is so great. They go to their farm and their merchandise.
      As the Last Judgment proceeded in the spiritual world, after the casting down of the Babylonians and of the Philistines, there still remained a multitude of spirits who were merely natural. They were spirits of no religion. The Babylonians and the Philistines were religionists,-very much so. They had been the leading spirits guiding the destinies of the Christian Church from its first decline when the idea of God was divided. But these were spirits of no religion. They were naturalists. They had their own ideas of what is good and what is true. This is signified by the farm and by the merchandise. For "merchandise" means truth, and the "farm,"-the soil for planting seeds,-signifies good.
     By turning to their farms and merchandise, they rejected what was offered them by the Lord instead,-that is, His oxen and His fatlings. "My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and everything is ready." The Lord adapts His teaching even to the natural mind, and to the simple, as well as to those who are more highly intellectual. His "oxen and fatlings" signify His Divine instruction in what is good,- His instruction as to what is good and true in accommodation to simple minds and to the natural life. But when men turn from this simple instruction to the farm and to the merchandise, it represents the turning of men to their own ideas of what is good and true. Hence the servants or messengers of the king were slain by them.
     Here we are brought to behold that third most prevalent and powerful drawback to the true marriage of the Lord with His Church,-the reliance of man upon himself. This type of man does not believe that the Lord was different from other men. He has no idea of His Divinity. To him the Word is a mere book of history, principally of the Jews, but also of the Christian Church in its beginning. Jesus Christ was merely a human being who managed to impress His personality and His ethics upon the world with greater completeness than any other man has ever done. And man knows nothing but what he himself has learned from experience.
     Now there are certain things which mankind has learned to guard against because they are harmful to natural life, and certain other things which have been found by experience to lead to order and prosperity.

542


To the merely natural man, the history of the human race presents a gradual ascent from savagery to enlightenment. Of himself, he knows enough of what is good and kind; and as for life, he thinks that the greatest spoils belong of right to those who are the most ingenious, and who can take the leadership over their brothers. To such a man there is no necessity to worship God, no necessity to keep the Sabbath as holy, no necessity to regard the Lords name as holy, though the rest of the Commandments ought to be kept, because they are laws which the human race has found to be necessary to the order and safety of society.
     Such are the kinds of good and truth that are called natural, and which are meant by the "farm" and the "merchandise" in the parable,-natural good and natural truth. But the Lord, who is the king in the parable, has given to men what is meant by His "oxen" and His "fatlings"-that is, a kind of good and truth which simple minds can well receive, and which cause a man to be conjoined with Him and prepared for heaven. It is to love and worship the Lord as in some way Divine, though a man may not be able to follow the intricacies of theological thought and history, and may not be able to comprehend the great truths involved in the Incarnation. And it is, on the other hand, to regard the Commandments as Divine laws given from God, and therefore to be kept in spirit and letter, because to do otherwise is a sin against God. These two are what are meant by the oxen and the fatlings which have been made ready for the marriage.
     The invitation of the Lord is universal, that is, to all people. Therefore the servants of the king were said to have been sent out to gather in as many as they could find in the highways. The way of approach to Him is not foreclosed to anyone, for the Lord continually invites everyone to come to Him. He has issued enough truth concerning Himself for all to see, and He has given all the opportunity and the power to receive it. This is what is meant by gathering in as many as could be found in the highways.
     To be "in the highways" means to be in possession of truth from the Word, and all Christians are there. And if it seems that the king compelled the guests to come in to the marriage, as is said in one of the Gospels, the meaning is still that the knowledge of the Lord and His teaching surrounds all those who live in Christian lands; for the Lord never compels any man.

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Yet the knowledge itself is compelling, and is to be found on every hand.
     It is next said that the servants brought to the feast as many as they found, both good and bad, and the wedding was furnished with guests. So all those who have any knowledge of the Lord, and of Christianity, are, as it were, brought to the wedding feast, or into the Lord's presence. For that knowledge causes Him to be present with them, even if there be no conjunction with Him.
     And among the guests thus brought in there was found one who had not on a wedding garment, who therefore was cast out. And the parable concludes with the saving, "For though many be called, few are chosen." What is the meaning of this?
     We read: "By a wedding garment is signified the intelligence of the spiritual man, derived from the knowledges of good and truth; but by him who had not on the wedding garment is signified a hypocrite, who by a moral life feigns the spiritual, when yet it is merely natural." (A. E. 195.) Again: "Garments in the Word signify truths and intelligence from them." (H. H. 180.) And again: "It sometimes happens that hypocrites insinuate themselves into societies of heaven,-hypocrites who have learned to hide their interiors and to compose their externals so as to appear in the form of the good in which those are who belong to that society, and thus to feign themselves angels of light. But these cannot stay there for long, for they begin to feel inward anguish." (H. H. 48.)
     Many are called or invited by the Lord to accept His truth and to prepare for heaven or conjunction with Him, because this truth is on every hand, wherever His Word is known, and every truth of the Word is an invitation. His call is universal, addressed to every man. But the few who are chosen, or who are appropriately clad in a wedding garment, are those who have put on spiritual intelligence, or who have grown intelligent by means of the truth and knowledge from the Lord. But the hypocrite has nothing of spiritual intelligence. Man may progress from spiritual knowledge to spiritual intelligence, and from spiritual intelligence to spiritual wisdom. These three are in the order of progress. The highest angels have wisdom because they love what they believe. The spiritual angels have intelligence because, while they have not attained to that inmost love of truth, yet they are sincere in their belief, and wish to live honestly in accordance with it.

544


The hypocrite is one who pretends to such a sincere belief in the Lord, and so can come in among the others who are sincere. He composes his external life so that it agrees in external form with that of the spiritually intelligent, and thus covers over the real thought of his heart. Such a one is in the mere knowledge of spiritual things, but not in spiritual intelligence. His external does not correspond to his internal; the two are disjoined; he has not the wedding garment.
     Such spirits cannot long remain among the good. For the societies of the good and sincere proceed to the performance of spiritual uses according to their intelligence; and when this is done, the hypocrites find themselves oppressed and in anguish, and cast themselves out.
     So this parable is spoken against two types and states of men,- those who are merely natural, or naturalists, and those who profess belief in the Lord and live according to Christian standards, but do not clothe their minds with the real spiritual intelligence which is meant by the wedding garment. And while it is true that the mere naturalist is spiritually dead-for it is said that those who went to their farms and merchandise were destroyed, and their cities were burned-yet it cannot but be that among those who have the truth of the Word there should also be hypocrites.
     This parable is in reality a prediction by the Lord that, among those who are called Christian after His name, there would be both the sincere and the hypocritical. But this was discovered "when the king came in to see his guests." And the king's coming in to see them refers to the time of the Lord's Second Coming. The whole Christian era, up to the time of the Second Coming, has been pictured by the assembling of the guests to the wedding. Many have been called to it, but the wedding itself is the wedding of the New Church to her Lord. In the New Church alone is the true idea and belief in the Lord's Divinity and the oneness of God, the Divine being in the Human of the Lord as the soul is in the body.
     The guests at the wedding are all Christians. The king's coming to see them is the Second Coming of the Lord. And all those who have been and can be the guests who remain until the wedding are they who have put on the wedding garment of spiritual intelligence, because they have believed in the Lords Divinity and have lived according to the spirit of His Commandments.

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These will receive the Doctrine of the New Church in heart and life. But this Doctrine will discover the hypocrites, and they will depart from the wedding; for the uses to be performed by the New Church, when clearly seen and rightly performed, will drive them away, because these uses require the laying down of the thought and life of the natural man, and absolute sincerity in doing the things which the Heavenly Doctrine teaches.
BROUGHT TO THE LIGHT 1942

BROUGHT TO THE LIGHT       Various       1942

     How I Came to a Knowledge of the New Church Doctrines.

     BY THE REV. MOFFAT B. MCANYANA.

     As I was born in an American Board Mission Reserve, I was baptized in infancy, educated in their schools, and brought up under the influence and doctrine of their respective denomination. I attended their Sunday School and Sunday Services, and was there taught many good things which the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did for the human race, which the Father, in His terrible wrath, was about to destroy with fire, and not with the flood of water as He did before. That coming wrath of God did not have any effect on my mind, but instead a strong desire was formed in my mind to see and be near this good Jesus after death, and a hope of being more happy near Him. Then a worrisome inquiry in my mind, as to which of the many churches could teach me clearly the way to Him, began to be the trouble of my serious thoughts.
     As the Sunday Schools, services, and doctrinal classes of the American Board Church did not satisfy my questions, I then attended other churches to hear what they taught. Still unsatisfied, I happened to be employed with another native who was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, who advised me that his church was the only one having the true knowledge of what I was seeking after, and that in that church I would receive satisfactory answers to all my questions. I then decided to attend their services and doctrinal classes, as I had found no help at all in the Zulu and English Catechisms which had been loaned me. In these I found more prayers directed to human beings than to the Lord Jesus, about Whom was the trouble of my inquiry.

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I then felt that this church would lead me into more obscurity than the former ones; having attended their services for nearly two years, I gave it up, never to attend any more.
     I now made it my rule never to pass by a book store without examining it as to what good thing in religion they were selling. This led to much financial expenditure and the accumulation of religious books and commentaries, so that when I later came to know of the Doctrines of the New Church, and did not want to read these books any more, I found no people who would buy them all. So I had to give them away to those who wanted them without charge, as I not only would not read them, but they were disturbing my mind.
     At that time I was a member of the Wesleyan Church, which had trained me as a preacher with the intention of sending me to their theological school, although before I entered this training I had expressed to them my inefficiency in preaching, as there were many things in the Word which I did not understand, and had not found anyone who could explain to me what they meant. But this greatly increased my trouble, for this time it was not only my personal needs, but I was expected to teach others.
     So I put my questions more plainly. "Who was Jesus Christ?" The answer, as I now recollect, was: "He is the Word of God." I asked: "If He is the Word of God, what is He then? What is it that is really meant by the Word of God?" They answered: "He is the internal and the external Word of God." So I asked: "But what is He as the internal, and what as the external? Which of these two of His attributes came into the world and was made flesh?" The answer was: "Some of these things are the mysterious statements of the Word which are not to be known."
     I further wanted to know what evil was in Cain that caused the Lord not to have respect to his offering. The answer was given:
"There was no evil with Cain, but it was in the things his offering was made of." "Does the Lord ever disrespect a good man's offering simply because of its nature?" Answer: "Yes, if He is not pleased with its odor." "Then why, in later ages among the Jewish people, did the Lord accept offerings made of the same things as that of Cain?" Answer: "You are worrying us with these questions pertaining to God's mysteries."

547



     Again, I asked them if they could kindly explain to me what was meant by Melchizedek. "Do the things said of him make him to be understood as a human being?" At this I was given a volume of Hestig's Dictionary of the Bible (if I am not mistaken as to the name of the author). This gave me four explanations, including its own and asked me to pick the best I preferred. I handed back the book with thanks, and said that I did not need it any more, for I wanted a book that would tell me one thing only.
     While I was employed in Block A compound, Randfontein, the manager hired a native by the name of Joel Maduna, and ordered him to help me in my work. Whenever we got time I introduced a religious subject for our discussion. As he also could not help me with my many questions, he told me that he was in possession of a book which might help me, and that it was the first volume of a set of twelve volumes, of which he had only the first. This he kindly lent to me, because it treated of the first chapters of Genesis. This book was called the Arcana Coelestia. This name I had never come across among the many religious books I had read, and I had a hope it would explain to me the sin of Cain. I looked up the explications pertaining to Cain, but this book had many things to say about the spiritual sense of the Word, and this being the first time for me to hear about such a thing as that sense, I did not waste time to try to understand, because the sin of Cain it was my desire first to know. As for that, my friend who had kindly lent me the book did not appear to have read much of the book, and so could not help me.
     A very disappointing incident took place. A quarrel arose in the compound, in which Mr. Maduna was involved, and the manager believed that the only way to maintain peace in the compound was to send him away. So Maduna left the compound, taking his book with him.
     It may have been a year after that, some time in 1918, that I met my friend in the street, and he told me that the books he was reading teach that there never was an individual called Cain, but a sect of religion, and that this is also meant by Noah, who was the First Ancient Church. But I replied that it seemed to me that he had not understood his books, because I had read in a heathen bible about the same story of the Deluge, although Noah was there called by a different name.

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He went no further, but produced a circular entitled THE SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN LETTER, by the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, treating of marriages in heaven. After reading it through, and believing it was possible that there are marriages in heaven, I wrote to the Rev. Gyllenhaal, but as I received no reply, I concluded that I had the wrong address.
     Following my rule not to pass by a store selling books without examining what new thing in religion it had to sell, a few months later I came upon a book entitled The True Christian Religion in a second-hand book store. I was surprised that a book can so call itself, and did not believe it, as I had been seeking for this religion for years in vain. When I was about to leave the store, I went back to see the name of the author, as the first pages of the book were open, and I found the name of Emanuel Swedenborg,-the name I had seen in Maduna's book. I hurried back into the store, asked the price, paid it, and went away with it to read from it day and night, being very much surprised that there could be a book teaching that true Christian religion, as it calls itself.
     Seeing that it spoke of a New Church, I said to myself that there must be that Church somewhere in the world publishing these books. I began seeking for the whereabouts of Maduna, and found one who directed me to Block B., Langlaagt. I then proceeded to that compound, and found him in possession of the True Christian Religion and Heaven and Hell, in addition to the Arcana Coelestia. He loaned me Heaven and Hell, and said he had seen a white Minister of the New Church, whose address he did not know, but he knew the address of a native Minister. He gave me the address of Samuel Mofukeng. I wrote to him two letters, asking him for the New Church books. He forwarded my letters to the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn, who made them appear in NEW CHURCH LIFE of July, 1920.
     This is how I came to a knowledge of the New Church Doctrines.
     MOFFAT B. MCANYANA.


     II.

     BY THE REV. JOHN M. JIYANA.

     In September, 1916, I was employed as a clerk in the mine office at "Block B.," Transvaal.

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The following year I was asked by my Wesleyan Society to train as an Evangelist, as the society saw that I refrained myself from the immoral practices which the Wesleyan Church could not tolerate, and above all that I was well versed in the Word, and devoted most of my time to reading and discussing it with people.
     In 1918 I met Joel Maduna, who was also interested in the Word, faith and charity. He said things which were never heard, and on my request he lent to me the first volume of the Arcana Coelestia. I tried to read this book, but failed to understand it well. Even the owner of the book, Mr. Maduna could only explain some few paragraphs, most of which he also failed to explain well, and we would go on discussing what he knew

     Before very long Mr. Joel Maduna all of a sudden received a letter from the Rev. Gyllenhaal in Durban, asking him from whom he had heard about the Writings of the New Church, what church he belonged to, and what position he held in his church. Mr. Gyllenhaal presented him with the following books: Doctrine of Faith, Doctrine of Life, Doctrine of Charity, and Heaven and Hell, and a copy of THE SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN LETTER which contained an article about marriage in heaven.
     Because of the presentation of these New Church books, a class of six people was formulated under the leadership of Mr. Maduna for all those interested, namely: Joel Maduna, John Jiyana, Walter Masuku of Glencoe, Kaiser Bacela and Dolly Mnhlonhlo of Cape Province, and Thomas Nxumalo of Mbabane, Swazieland.
     When we began reading the books, there was a big cloud upon Maduna and others, imposed by the article in the OPEN LETTER which dealt with the marriage of Count de Ia Gardie and the Empress Elizabeth of Russia which Swedenborg saw in heaven. They said: "How could people marry in the other life?" I was the only person who tried to advise them that such a thing could happen; for we are told that the world of spirits is the world of causes; therefore those who die before they are married, their marriage should take place in the other life, from where our natural marriage comes. But this warning did not appeal to them.
     The class continued reading these books, and my favorite books were Heaven and Hell and the Doctrine of Life, for they gave me more light. While we were still busy reading the books, we had a visit from the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn,-our first time to see a New Church Minister.

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This was in June, 1919. In August there was another visit from the Rev. Samuel Mofokeng in accompaniment with Berry Maqelepo, who was only a new member of the New Church then. The Rev. Mofokeng presented me with one copy of the True Christian Religion, Vol. I.
     As the year 1919 was the last year for Mr. Maduna at the "Block B." Mine, that was the end of our class, owing to the fact that we had no one with a better understanding of the Doctrines of the New Church. In September I went home for a visit, and while I was there a letter came from the Rev. R. W. Brown, saying: "I have heard from Mr. Maduna that you are one of those who read the Writings of the New Church. Here are some of the books which you may need. If you already have them, please pass them to your friends who may like to know about the faith of the New Church." The books were: Heaven and hell, Doctrine of Life, Doctrine of Faith, and the True Christian Religion. When I received these books at my home, my happiness was as if I arose from the dark chambers of death. And I at once decided to alter the length of my holidays at home, for I thought it wise for me to go to work, in order to have enough money to buy more books that I was interested in.
     In October, 1920, I went to Johannesburg, and was employed in the State Mines, No. 4 Compound Office. After two months, in January, 1921, I sent to the Rev. R. W. Brown an order for the six volumes of the Apocalypse Explained and four volumes of the Arcana Coelestia. These were sent to me at the price of 3 shillings each, and a letter was received from Mr. J. H. Ridgway, asking me if I would like to work for the New Church. I answered his letter that if it be in my power I would like to work for the New Church. He then sent me twelve copies of Heaven and Hell to sell to people at one shilling each, which I did with pleasure. I sold one of these books to the manager of the Compound, Mr. G. Lishman, who afterwards returned it, saying, "The books will lead you and all your fellow readers astray." When I refunded his shilling, he refused it. This experience made me very much amazed, and the cloud came again upon me; and I began to suspect the teaching of the books which even white people do not like to read.

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But because of the people who admired them whenever I spoke about them I kept courage, although I was in need of a person who could give me a clear light to the many things that I did not understand.
     In September, 1921, I received a letter from the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn at Maseru, asking me kindly to meet him at the Carlton Hotel, Johannesburg. I went and met him, and we had a long discussion about the New Church Doctrines. Mr. Pitcairn was very pleased to notice that I was studious, and also answered all my difficulties regarding the Writings. He asked me to leave my work and go to study the Writings at a Theological School at Maseru. It was difficult for me to decide. On my return after dinner I was accompanied with Julius Jiyana, who was working at Jeppe, in Johannesburg, and Mr. Pitcairn gave us both a class and explained more of the mysteries of faith and the teachings of the New Church. When he repeated his wish that I should go to the Theological School at Masero, I told him I should notify my parents before making any decision, but Julius intervened and said I should not worry my parents, as they might disturb me from what I have been convinced.
     Mr. Pitcairn also asked Julius if he would go to study under Mr. Moffat Mcanyana in Durban, and he consented. And I also, after considering the matter, made a promise to go to Maseru. In November I received a letter from Mr. Elphick saying that the Theological School at Maseru was now open, and that I should go to Maseru and Julius to Durban. I gave notice to my employers, and in January, 1922, I went to the Theological School at Maseru. Here I studied for five months, and was sent to Greylingstad on trial while I was preparing myself to go overseas.
     On September 21, 1922, I went to Bryn Athyn to attend the Theological School of the Academy, where I stayed for three years, returning to South Africa in July, 1925. This marks the beginning of the establishment of the New Church in Northern Natal, the first members of which were baptized by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton on January 11, 1926, at Lusitania and Esididini.

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CELEBRATING THE LORD'S ADVENT 1942

CELEBRATING THE LORD'S ADVENT       Editor       1942


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. B. Caldwell, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     When the angels of heaven perceive the fallen state of mankind and the destruction of the church on earth, they supplicate the Lord to descend and effect a judgment, to liberate men from the dominion of hell and lead them back to the ways of heavenly order and peace by the establishment of a new church. "How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? . . . And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle and reap; for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe." (Rev. 6: 10; 14: 15.) And those who belong to the remnant in the church at its end likewise pray to the Lord for deliverance. When He came into the world there were those who "waited for the consolation of Israel" and "looked for redemption in Jerusalem," who received the Lord with joy when the church and the world of that day rejected Him.
     So today, when men of faith and trust in God see the signs of a Divine judgment in the prevailing violence and disturbance, though they be partakers of its terrors and deprivations, they rejoice in heart that this is the way of the Lord's deliverance from evils which can no longer be tolerated if the race of men is to survive-the way of His merciful leading to the good which He has foreseen and is providing for all mankind; for "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

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In the spirit of such an acknowledgment will the men of the New Church celebrate Christmas in the midst of war.

     Festivals of the Church.

     It may not be amiss at this time to offer some thoughts upon the subject of our festival observances, and to recall what is revealed concerning the essential idea in the feast days and festivals of the Ancient Church and of the Primitive Christian Church. First, let us note that a distinction is made in the Writings between a feast or festival (festum) and a feast of charity (convivium). The central feature of the festival is a gathering of the people to worship the Lord and to unite in partaking of the holy feast of the Lord's Supper. But the festival may also include "feasts of charity" or social suppers and dinners, as well as other forms expressive of neighborly affection.
     "Feasts, both dinners and suppers, took place in ancient times within the church, in order that they might be consociated and conjoined as to love, and that they might instruct each other in the things of love and faith." (A. C. 7996.) "In the Primitive Christian Church they were instituted that they might be glad from the heart, and be conjoined with one another." (T. C. R. 433.) "The feasts (convivia) in the Ancient Churches were feasts of charity, in like manner as in the Primitive Christian Church in which they strengthened one another to abide in the worship of the Lord from a sincere heart." (T. C. R. 727.)
     The customs of the New Church will be a matter of growth and gradual adoption, but in its central idea the festival of the church will be a celebration of the Lord. Properly speaking, therefore, every festival of the church is a celebration of the advent of the Lord, and the festivals now commonly observed by us during the year are celebrations in remembrance of what may be called four great comings of the Lord,-His coming at creation, at the incarnation, at His resurrection, and His coming in glory.
     Creation itself was a Divine coming, as also is His perpetual creation and providence, His presence and operation in the created world. And this is acknowledged when there is a festival of thanksgiving at the time of harvest, when the productions in nature bring to remembrance the Lord God who created the universe, even by a Divine proceeding, a "finiting of His infinity by means of substances emitted, sent forth, from Himself,"-a giving of Himself that there might be a habitation for men and angels.

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The incarnation, or the advent of the Lord by birth and the assumption of the human in the world, is commemorated at Christmas. The Lord's resurrection and reappearing is celebrated at Easter. His coming in glory, and the manifestation of the Divine Human to the New Heaven and the New Church, in remembrance of this is the Festival of the Second Advent.
     These four comings of the Lord are the great events of all history, ever to be commemorated and celebrated with joy and thankfulness of heart by the church on earth; for the race of men owes its existence and preservation to these four comings of the Lord.
     Festivals are observed by formal worship and thanksgiving in praise and acknowledgment of the Lord, and by expressions of mutual love among the members of the church, united in bonds of love to the Lord. For at His every coming there is the bestowal of the gifts and blessings of His mercy. "I came not to be ministered unto," He said, "but to give my life a ransom for many. I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." So He comes to give himself for the happiness of His creatures, and is received by those who are in mutual love, and who delight to share the Divine blessings, one with another.

     Songs of Victory.

     In the formal worship at such times there is especially the confession of His Divine greatness, and praise for His manifold mercies. "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised." And this is expressed by glorifications of the Lord in song. In the Ancient Church, we are told, the songs of the church were glorifications of the Lord on account of His expected advent and redemption by Him. Of this we read:

     "The songs in the Ancient Church, and afterwards in the Jewish, were prophetic, and treated of the Lord, especially of His advent into the world, of His destroying the diabolical crew, at that time more raging than ever, and of His liberating the faithful from their assaults.

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And because those prophetic songs contained such things in their internal Sense, by them is signified the glorification of the Lord, that is, celebration of Him from gladness of heart; for gladness of heart is especially expressed by singing, and the gladness breaks forth as of itself into sound. In such songs, therefore, the Lord is called Hero, a Man of war, the God of armies, the Conqueror, the Mighty One, a Defence, a Shield, and Salvation; while the diabolical crew which was destroyed is called the enemy that was smitten, swallowed up, overwhelmed, and cast into hell.
     "Of old, they who knew nothing of the internal sense believed that worldly things were meant in their songs-worldly enemies, combats, victories, defeats and overthrows,-of which the songs treated in their external sense. But they who knew that all those prophetic songs involved things celestial and Divine, and that these latter were represented in the former, knew that the subject treated of was the damnation of the unbelieving and the salvation of the believing by the Lord when He should come into the world. And they who knew this to be the case, and who thought it, and were internally affected, had internal gladness; and at the same time the attendant angels were also in glorification of the Lord And they who sang, and they who heard the songs, had heavenly gladness from the holy and blessed things which flowed in from heaven in which gladness they seemed to themselves to be as it were taken up into heaven.
     "Such an effect had the songs of the church among the ancients, and such an effect they might also have at this day; for the spiritual angels are especially affected by songs which relate to the Lord, His kingdom, and the church. . . . So it was that the glorifications of the Lord among the ancients who were of the church were performed by songs, psalms, and musical instruments: for they derived a joy exceeding all joys from the recollection of the Lord's advent, and of the salvation of the human race by Him." (A. C. 8261.)

     This, therefore, is the sublime theme of the church festival, in the present as in the past,-the acknowledgment of the Lord's coming with grateful reception. Nor is this confined to the festival occasion, but every service of worship is a representation of the advent of the Lord, which is then acknowledged in prayer for His coming and presence, in praise for His continual gifts, and in actual reception of the Divine Light and Life in the instruction from His Word, and in most ultimate and holy form in the sacrament of the Supper.

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Man enters spontaneously into these formal celebrations when he is in a daily heart's acknowledgment that the Lord's presence is perpetual with everyone, and that His advent takes place with those who receive Him by believing in Him and doing His commandments.
     And this perpetual presence of the Lord, and His advent to the individual to impart life and to save, was not only manifested and represented by the incarnation, when He actually appeared unto men in the body of man, but by that coming, and by His glorification. He took to Himself a new and more intimate presence with men, even in the Divine glorified Body,-the Divine Human-in which He is present and perpetually coming with power to instruct, to lead, and to save all who receive His glorious Word of Revelation, wherein He comes to bless with the gift of salvation and eternal life.
     Yet these Divine gifts could be imparted to men only after the Lord's conflicts with the hells and His victories over them. It was the Lord's peace that was then given unto all who were worthy to receive it,-the peace of His union with the Father, a peace that came about in both worlds after His combats and victories, a peace imparted to the regenerate after their victory in temptations. `I am come to send fire on the earth," He said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I am not come to send peace, but a sword."

     But after the fire and sword of judgment came a Divine peace, the peace of omnipotent power to redeem and save, to impart spiritual peace to the men of the church, after they had passed through the trials of their own judgment. "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." This gift, too, was promised and declared by the angels of the nativity, as the great mercy and blessing of the Savior born into the world-the peace of love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor-Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE              1942

     General Church of the New Jerusalem

     THE ROLL OF HONOR.

     Who does not remember and love him who fights even unto death that his country may be free. (T. C. R. 710.)

LIEUTENANT RICHARD ALVIN WALTER. United States Army Air Corps. Killed on the Asiatic Front. October 18, 1942.

     [Photo of Richard Alvin Walter.]

     RICHARD ALVIN WALTER, affectionately known at "Pat" Walter, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 14, 1916, the son of Harry Charles Walter and Myra Saunders Walter. He entered the kindergarten of the Bryn Athyn Elementary School in 1921 and the Boys Academy in 1931, graduating in 1935 and receiving the Sons of the Academy Silver Medal for "continued faithfulness and excellence of work throughout the entire four years." Two years later, on June 11, 1937, he was awarded the Junior College Diploma. Thereafter he attended evening classes at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 1937-1941.
     He was called to service in the United States Army on June 9, 1941, and after several weeks' training at Fort Meade, Maryland, he answered the call for volunteers and enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was transferred to Maxwell Field, Alabama, where he graduated as Navigator in April, 1942, and received his commission as Lieutenant. In May he left with a squadron of bombers for service in Africa, Arabia and India. In this region he took part in thirty-one bombing flights over India, Burma and China, crossing the Himalayas several times. He was in his twenty-seventh year.
     A Memorial Service was held in the Bryn Athyn Cathedral on the evening of November 3d. with a very large congregation in attendance. Bishop de Charms delivered the Memorial Address which follows.

558


MEMORIAL ADDRESS 1942

MEMORIAL ADDRESS        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1942

     We are gathered to pay a last tribute of gratitude and affection to one very close to our hearts who has been called upon to give his life for the protection of our country. We knew Richard Walter as a boy of outstanding ability, with a keenly active mind, a power of application, and a conscientious devotion to duty, combined with a cheerful, kindly disposition and a strength of character that gave great promise for the future. He showed qualities of leadership that won the respect and admiration of his companions. He clearly grasped the principles of the Writings, and gave evidence of a spiritual conviction beyond his years.
     At the threshold of manhood, Richard eagerly sought responsibility in connection with the uses of the Church and the Academy, fulfilling with distinction every office with which he was entrusted, manifesting a spirit of loyalty born of a deep personal appreciation of the teaching he had received. All these qualities entered into his ready response to the call of his country in her time of need. That response was prompted by the realization that in making it he was not merely meeting the patriotic obligation of every citizen toward the land that has nurtured and protected him, but was at the same time fulfilling his duty to the Lord as a faithful member of the New Church, called upon to defend the principles of justice and of freedom without which the kingdom of heaven cannot be established among men. He knew that more was at stake in this war than the political supremacy of one nation over another. He knew that not only American democracy was threatened, together with all the worldly advantages it has brought to our country, but that the very foundations of human society-moral uprightness, and honor between individuals and between nations, upon which all hope of mutual confidence and cooperation must be built-were being rapidly undermined. And he knew that without these the Church itself could not be maintained; nor could there be any possibility of spiritual development for mankind.

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Because of this, his love of country was one with his love of the Lord's kingdom.
     Having entered one of the most hazardous branches of the Service as an aerial navigator, Richard earned his commission as a Lieutenant, and was sent to far distant lands, where he was engaged in active combat on the Asiatic Front. Here, after only a few months, he met accidental death in the line of duty. The news of his passing brings with it an inevitable pang of disappointment, sorrow, and a deep sense of loss. Yet our natural grief is not unmingled with spiritual exaltation, and with gratitude to the Lord, who in infinite mercy has saved him from long suffering, and has opened before him all the wonders of new life in the spiritual world. In such a cause as that for which he fought, it is glorious to die for one's country and one's faith. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." And he who has given proof of that love is under the Lord's protecting care in death, as truly as in life. If, in human judgment, Richard could have been of great service to the country and the Church had he remained on earth, we can be assured that his power of service will be immeasurably increased in the other world; and in performing there his appointed use, he will be blessed with a joy and happiness such as he could not here have known.
     We may indeed be grateful to the Lord because He has revealed to us in the Heavenly Doctrine the truth that even in war the Divine mercy governs all things. War itself-we are taught-bringing with it wanton destruction and cruel suffering, is not of Providence. Yet Providence is in it and above it, directing all things toward the ultimate spiritual development of the race, and at the same time looking to the highest eternal good of every individual engaged in it. In this the Lord's government is perpetual, unceasing in war as in peace. It is infinitely wise, and infinitely merciful. When indeed we are passing through the valley of the shadow of death, we cannot see the mountain tops beyond toward which the Lord is leading us. And yet we are told that in the midst of temptation- when it appears as if the Lord had forsaken us-He is even more present with us than in happier times. Unseen, His loving hand sustains us, guiding us gently through whatever trials may be necessary to our regeneration, leading us ever toward a goal of spiritual victory, peace, and joy eternal, that He alone foresees-a goal that cannot be attained by any other path.

560



     For him who fights from love to the Lord, from charity toward the neighbor, from zeal for the truth revealed by the Lord out of heaven, war is not merely a natural trial. It is at the same time a spiritual temptation. Outwardly it brings to judgment external forces of evil that over a period have gathered and increased in strength until they have imperiled the freedom of our country. But it also offers every man an opportunity to recognize, within his own heart, deeper evils whose destructive quality he had not realized before. These deeper evils are indeed the inner cause of war. Only as the hearts of men are purified from their subtle poison can there be any assurance of permanent peace or safety in the world. The battle must be won-not on sea, or on land-but in the spirit of man.
     For, interiorly viewed, war is not a conflict of material forces- of guns, and tanks, of ships and planes, designed to destroy the body; it is a conflict of minds-of opposing loves and thoughts, and thus of spiritual forces whereby a judgment is effected and a violent change produced in the internal states of men and nations. It is this inner conflict to which the Lord has primary regard. It is this that, in His Providence, He overrules with a constant view to the attainment of His eternal ends-guarding the spiritual life of every man, and in wonderful ways preparing for the final establishment of His kingdom on the earth.
     The sure knowledge of this truth-now plainly revealed in the Writings-is a blessing from the Lord. It gives us a light of faith and hope that can pierce the smoke of battle, proclaiming in the darkness the presence of the Lord, imparting strength and courage to face every danger and every trial, because we know that the Lord is watching over us with loving kindness and tender mercy. This light of truth concerning the Divine Providence of the Lord, which we can see but dimly, shines with great brilliance in the other world. And our friend, Richard Walter, whose mind was opened to it here, has now come into that light. Looking down upon the clouded minds of man, he now can clearly see the Lord's directing hand, gently bending the hearts of men toward a reception of His love and wisdom-and this even by means of the cruelty and suffering of war.

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This the Lord in love permits, because there is no other way, in freedom, to break the hold of evil on the human heart.
     Knowing this to be true, realizing that the trial must be met, our friend would not have us grieve for him. His highest wish would be that we might come to acknowledge in heart that inner truth which he can now more fully understand. He would inspire us to face with new courage the tasks before us-true to our faith, calm in our trust, ready to accept every dispensation of Providence, and to say with fullness of heart, "Thy will, O Lord, he done."
     It is because those who give their life in defense of their country, from a principle of religion, exemplify in the highest degree love to the Lord, charity toward the neighbor, and confidence in the Lord's leading, that in the sight of heaven they offer their all for the salvation of mankind. And for this reason it is said in the Writings: "Who does not remember and love the man who, from zeal of love for his country, fights with her enemies even unto death, that he may thereby deliver her from the yoke of servitude?" So will we remember and love our friend, Richard Walter.

     LOVE OF COUNTRY.

     "One's country is more the neighbor than a single community, because it consists of many communities, and consequently love towards the country is a broader and higher love. Moreover, loving one's country is loving the public welfare. One's country is the neighbor because it is like a parent; for one is born in it, and it has nourished him and continues to nourish him, and has protected and continues to protect him from injury. Men ought to do good to their country from a love for it, according to its needs, some of which are natural and some spiritual. Natural needs relate to civil life and order, and spiritual needs to spiritual life and order.
     That one's country should he loved, not as one loves himself, but more than himself, is a law inscribed on the human heart; from which has come the well-known principle, which every true man endorses, that if the country is threatened with ruin from an enemy or any other source, it is noble to die for it, and glorious for a soldier to shed his blood for it. This is said because so great should be one's love for it. It should he known that those who love their country, and render good service to it from good will, after death love the Lord's kingdom, for then that is their country; and those who love the Lord's kingdom love the Lord Himself, because the Lord is the all in all things of His kingdom." (T. C. R. 414.)

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MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE 1942

MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE       Editor       1942

     OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SERVICES.

     AUSTRALIA.

     HurstviIle.
Heldon, Tpr. Lindhman,
Heldon, Sgt. Norman,
Heldon, L.A.C. Sydney,
Kirsten, LAC. Theodore.
Taylor, AC. 1 Thomas D.

     CANADA.

     Kitchener.
Bellinger, F/0 Alfred G.,
Bellinger, Leigh R.,
Bond, AC. 2 J. W.,
Bond, Cpl. Lillian D.,
Bond, A.C. 2 Thomas A.,
Heinrichs, Sgt. Henry,
Hill, Sgt./Pilot Ralph R.,
James, Sgt. Cecil I.,
Kuhl, Cpl. A. William,
Schnarr, Cpl. Joffre G.,
Scott, L/Ctl. H. G.,
Steen, LAC. Howard,
Steen, Sgt. George K.

     Toronto.
Bellinger, Sgt./Pilot John H.,
Carter, Sgt.-WAG Orville A.,
Charles, Pvt. William A.,
Fountain, Sgt. Arthur A.,
Fountain, Tpr. Thomas J.,
Izzard, F/O Laurence T.,
Jesseman, Cpl. Leonard,
John, L.A.C. D. Haydn.
Parker, F/Lt. Sydney R..
Richardson, A/Cpl. David K.,
Scott, Gnr. Bruce H.,
Scott. LAC. Robert G..
Strowger, Mrs. Arthur R.

     Elsewhere in Canada.
Bellinger, P/O William G.. Ontario,
Starkey, Sig. Healdon R., British Columbia.

     ENGLAND.

Appleton, Cpl. Erie D.,
Appleton, A.C. 1 Roy,
Boozer. Dvr. A. F.,
Boozer, Donald,
Dawson, LAC. Geoffrey P..
Greenhalgh, L/Cpl. Colin M.,
Jones, Harold C.,
Leonard, Maurice, Eng. Comdr.
Lewin, Ronald,
Morris, 0/Cadet David.
Motum, L/Cpl. John,
Tilson, Cpl. B. V.,
Tilson, Gnr. R. J.,
Tinker, Harry,
Waters, Lt. Comdr. Gilbert 0.,
Waters, Gnr. Michael T.,
Waters, Tpr. Philip A.,
Waters. AC. 2 Ronald D.

     SOUTH AFRICA.

Braby, Capt. Horace C.,
Braby, A/P J. Septimus,
Buss, Sgt. J. H.,
Cockerell, John,
Cockerell, A/H Neville,
Cockerell, A/Cpl. Peter,
Cockerell, AM P. Graham,
Cowley, A/P Robert W.,
Cowley, Cpl. W. S.,
De Chazal, P/N Miss D. S.,
De Villiers, Pvt. D. B.,
Finley, L.A.C. H. Michael,
Fraser, Cpl. R. F..
Gardiner. Pvt. J. 0..
Gibb, Air Sgt. J. E. Wounded and honorably discharged.
Hammond, A/P A. N.,
Hammond, Pvt. V. R.,
Hammond, Sge. Harry B.,
Howson, Capt. Maurice,
Lowe, Major Walter G.,
Lumsden, Sgt. F. H. D.,
Lumsden, Pvt. J. H.,
Lumsden, P/N Miss B. Penelope,
McClean, S/Sgt. A. P. D.,
Parker, Pvt. S. F.,
Richards. Pvt. Walter,
Ridgway, L/Cpl. A. F.,
Ridgway, A/H C. R.,
Ridgway, Pvt. H. A.,
Ridgway. A/H L. A.,
Schulz, Pvt. C. D.

     Prisoners of War.
Bamford, Pvt. Frank D.,
Ridgway, Lt. Brian M.,
Ridgway, Cpl. Colin B.,
Ridgway, Lt. Colin O.,
Ridgway, Sig. G. Id. 562

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     UNITED STATES.

     Bryn Athyn.
Alden, Lt. Gideon T.,
Alden, Sgt. Guy S.,
Alden, Sgt. Theodore S.,
Allen, P.F.C. Ralph F.,
Bostock, Cpl. Edward C., Jr.,
Cole, Lt. William P.,
Cooper, Major Philip G.,
Cooper, A/C Rev W.,
Cooper, Pvt. Theodore E.,
Cronlund, Lt. Elizabeth G.,
Cronlund, Lt. (jg) Philip R.,
Daly, Lt. Jean,
Davies, Sgt. John G.,
Davis, Sgr. Tech. Richard L.,
De Charms, Lt. Comdr. Richard.
De Maine, Sgt. Robert, E. L.,
Doering, Lt. Andrew A.,
Doering, Lt. (jg) Karl W.,
Echols, Pvt. John C.,
Field, Lt. George A.,
Finkeldey, Sgt. Philip.
Gansert, Pvt. Otto G.,
Glenn, Pvt. Ernest Bruce,
Gyllenhaal, Pvt. Charles P.,
Hamm, Lt. Linda,
Heaton, P.F.C. George B., Jr.,
Heilman, Anthony W.. HA 1/c,
Homiller, Pvt. William,
Hyatt, Pvt. Edward D.,
Johns, Lt. Col. Hyland R..
Kintner, Capt. William R.,
Nilson, A/C Gunnar N.,
Odhner, Pvt. Ray S.,
Odhner, A/C Sanfrid E.,
Olds, Jonathan,
Pendleton, Cand. Philip C.,
Pitcairn, PEC. Michael,
Pitcairn, Pvt. Nathan,
Potts, Cand. John W.,
Powell, Lt. Oliver I.,
Price, Pvt. Kenneth,
Schnarr, Donald, S 2 c,
Schnarr, Ronald, S 2 c,
Simons, A/C David R.,
Walter, Elizabeth, AS., U.S.N.R.,
Walter, A/C Robert F.,
White. Pvt. Harry J.

     Chicago and Glenview.
Anderson, Cpl. Edward C.,
Anderson, P.F.C. Irving,
Asplundh, Cadet O. F.. Jr.,
Burnham, Edwin, C. P. 0., U.S.N.R.,
Burnham, Pvt. Roy H.,
Carlson, Pvt. Robert F.,
Cole, Sgt. Harold F.,
Gunsteens, Pvt. Edmund Y.,
Holmes, Harvey J., S.F. 3/c,
Holmes, Pvt. Leslie B.,
Junge, A/C Carl F.,
King, Pvt. John B. S
Kuhn, Lt. Raymond T.,
Lee, Cedric,
Lee, Tech. Sgt. Harold,
Lee, Pvt. Raymond F.,
Melzer, Pvt. James,
Melzer, Pvt. Roger.
Nelson, Cpl. Gerald F.,
Reuter, Sgt. Warren A.,
Rydstrom, Hubert, AS. V7, U.S.N.R.,
Rydstrom, Lt. J. F.,
Smith, A/C Arnold H.,
Smith, Lt. Edmund G.
Starkey, George C.

     Michigan.
Childs, Pvt. Walter C.,
Freud,, Arthur W., B. H.,
French, Gerald M., G. K. 2/c,
French, Robert H., A.S.,
Lindrooth, Pvt. John E.,
Peterson, Sgt. Win. F.,
Walker, Marvin J., F.M. 2/c.

     Philadelphia.
Cranch, Eliot, R.T. 2/c,
Glenn, Pvt. Curtis R..
Heinrichs, Lt. Clara,
Iungerich. Ensign Alexander.
Packer, F. W., Jr., A.S.R., U.S.C.G..
Von Moschzisker, Lt. Michael.

     Pittsburgh.
Brown, Cpl. William F.,
Doering, Capt. John A..
Ebert, Ensign Charles H., Jr..
Iungerich, Sgt. Stevan.
Lechner, Pvt. Frederic B..
Lindsay, Lt. Alexander H.,
McGaffe, A/C H. R..
Stein. Pvt. Frank.

     Elsewhere in the United States.
Anderson, Pvt. Walter I., New Jersey.
Brickman, Cpl. Elmer G., Texas.
Caldwell, Pvt. Neil V., New York.
Carpenter, Lt. (jg) Philip S. P.. Fla.
Davis, Tech. Sgr. Charles F., Calif.
Davis, F.E.C. Edward A., Calif.
De Maine, Lt. Philip B., Ohio.
Fine, P.F.C. Raymond F., Oregon.
Grant, Major Fred H., Washington. D. C.
Hilldale. Pvt. Richard M., New York.
Joy, A/C Fergus H., Calif.
Leonard, Pvt. Jeremy, New Jersey.
Rutt, Cpl. T. F., New York.
Snyder, Donald. U.S.N.R., Ohio.
Snyder, James F., U.S.N.R., Ohio.
Soneson, Cpl. Carl. Erie. Pa.
Stebbing, Capt. Philip, Washington, D. C.
Storey, P.F.C. Ferrell A.. Alabama.
Wilde. Lt. Comdr. John, New York.

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DIRECTORY 1942

DIRECTORY              1942

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.

     Officials and Councils.

Bishop:     Right Rev. George de Charms.
Secretary:     Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner.
Treasurer:     Mr. Hubert Hyatt.

          CONSISTORY.

     Bishop George de Charms.

Right Rev. Alfred Acton,          
Rev. Elmo C. Acton,     
Rev. Karl R. Alden.     
Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom,     
Rev. W. B. Caldwell.     
Rev. C. E. Doering. Secretary,     
Rev. F. W. Elphick,
Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal,
Rev. E. E. Iungerich.
Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner,
Rev. Willard D. Pendleton,
Rev. Gilbert H. Smith,
Rev. Homer Synnestvedt.


     EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

     Bishop George de Charms, President.

     Mr. Edward H. Davis, Secretary.

     Mr. Hubert Hyatt, Treasurer.

Mr. Kesniel C. Acton,
Mr. Edward C. Bostock,
Mr. C. Raynor Brown,
Mr. Geoffrey S. Childs,
Mr. Randolph W. Childs,
Mr. David F. Gladish,
Dr. Marlin W. Heilman,
Mr. Walter L. Horigan,
Mr. Alexander P. Lindsay,
Mr. Nils F. Loven,
Mr. Charles G. Merrell,
Mr. Hubert Nelson,
Mr. Philip C. Pendleton,
Mr. Harold F. Pitcairn.
Mr. Raymond Pitcairn,
Mr. Colley Pryke.
Mr. Rudolph Roschman.
Mr. Paul Synnestvedt.
Mr. Victor Tilson,
Mr. Frank Wilson.

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     The Clergy.

     Bishops.

DE CHARMS, GEORGE. Ordained June 28, 1914; 2d Degree, June 19, 1916; 3d Degree, March 11, 1928. Bishop of the General Church. Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. President, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ACTON, ALFRED. Ordained June 4. 1893; 2d Degree, January 10. 1897; 3d Degree, April 5, 1936. Pastor of the Society in Washington. D. C. Dean of the Theological School, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     Pastors.

ACTON, A. WYNNE. Ordained June 19, 1932; 2d Degree, March 25, 1934. Pastor of Michael Church, London. Address: Altona Lodge, 45a Groveway, Brixton, S. W. 9 London, England.
ACTON, ELMO CARMAN. Ordained June 14, 1925; 2d Degree, August 5, 1928. Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ALDEN, KARL RICHARDSON. Ordained June 19, 1917; 2d Degree, October 12, 1919. Principal of the Boys' Academy, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
BAECKSTROM, GUSTAF. Ordained June 6, 1915; 2d Degree, June 27, 1920. Pastor of the Society in Stockholm, Sweden. Address: Svedjevagen 20, Appelviken, Stockholm, Sweden.
BOYESEN, BJORN ADOLPH HILDEMAR. Ordained June 19. 1939; 2d Degree, March 30, 1941. Pastor of the New York Society and of the North Jersey Circle. Visiting Pastor of the Southern States. Address: 118 West 78th Street, New York, N. Y.
BRICKMAN, WALTER EDWARD. Ordained 1st and 2d Degrees, January 7, 1900. Address: P. 0. Box 306, Weslaco, Texas.
CALDWELL, WILLIAM BEEBE. Ordained October 19, 1902; 2d Degree, October 23, 1904. Editor of New Church Life. Professor of Theology, Academy the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
CRANCH, HAROLD COVERT. Ordained June 19, 1941; 2d Degree, October 25, 1942. Pastor of Sharon Church, Chicago, Ill. Assistant to the Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, ILL Address: 5220 Wayne Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
CRONLUND, EMIL ROBERT. Ordained December 31. 1899; 2d Degree, May 18, 1902. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
DAVID, LLEWELLYN WARREN TOWNE. Ordained June 28, 1914; 2d Degree, June 19, 1916. Secretary, Council of the Clergy. Instructor, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn. Pa.
DOERING, CHARLES EMIL. Ordained June 7, 1896; 2d Degree, January 29, 1899. Dean of Faculties, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ELPHICK, FREDERICK WILLIAM. Ordained February 7, 1926; 2d Degree, June 19, 1926. Acting Pastor of the Durban Society. Superintendent of the South African Mission. Address: 135 Musgrave Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.

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GILL, ALAN. Ordained June 14, 1925; 2d Degree, June 19, 1926. Pastor of Carmel Church, Kitchener, Ontario. Address: 37 John Street East, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
GLADISH, VICTOR JEREMIAH. Ordained June 17, 1928; 2d Degree. August 5, 1928. Address: River Drive, Box 29, Route 2, Wilmington, Illinois.
GLADISH, WILLIS LINDSAY. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees. June 3, 1894. Address: Glenview, Ill.
GYLLENHAAL, FREDERICK EDMUND. Ordained June 23, 1907; 2d Degree, June 19, 1910. Pastor of Olivet Church, Toronto, Ontario. Visiting Pastor of the Montreal Circle. Address: 2 Elm Grove Aye., Toronto, Canada.
HEINRICHS, HENRY. Ordained June 24, 1923; 2d Degree, February 8, 1925. Address: R. R. 3, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
HENDERSON. WILLIAM CAIRNS. Ordained June 10. 1934; 2d Degree, April 14, 1935. Pastor of the. Hurstville Society. Address: 107 Laycock Road, Pennhurst, N. S. W., Australia.
IUNGERICH, ELDRED EDWARD. Ordained June 13. 1909; 2d Degree. May 26, 1912. Pastor of the Society in Paris, France. Professor of Languages. Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
LEONARDOS, HENRY. Ordained, 1st and 2nd Degrees, August 5, 1928. Pastor of the Rio de Janeiro Society. Address: 42 Prc Eugenio Jardim. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
LIMA, JOAO DE MENDONCA. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees, August 5. 1928. Pastor of the Rio de Janeiro Society. Address: 123 Rua Dezembargador Tsidro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
MORSE, RICHARD. Ordained, 1st and 2d Degrees, October 12, 1919. Address: Dudley Street, Hurstville, Australia.
ODHNER, HUGO LJUNGERG. Ordained June 28, 1914; 2d Degree. June 24. 1917. Secretary of the General Church Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Professor, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ODHNER, ORMOND DE CHARMS. Ordained June 19, 1940; 2d Degree. October 11, 1942. Assistant to the Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, Pa.
PENDLETON, WILLARD DANDRIDGE. Ordained June 18, 1933; 2d Degree, September 12. 1934. Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh, Pa.
PRYKE, MARTIN. Ordained June 19, 1940; 2d Degree. March 1, 1942. Pastor of the Colchester Society. Address: Shaftesbury House, Culver Street.
REUTER, NORMAN HAROLD. Ordained June 17, 1928; 2d Degree, June 15, 1930. Pastor of the Akron Circle. Visiting Pastor of the General Church. Address: 920 Peerless Aye., Akron, Ohio.
RICH, MORLEY DYCKMAN. Ordained June 19. 1938; 2d Degree, October 13, 1940. Pastor of the Advent Church, Philadelphia. Pa., and Visiting Pastor of the Arbutus, Maryland, Circle. Address: 2528 Gratz Street, Philadelphia. Pa.

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ROGERS, NORBERT HENRY. Ordained June 19, 1938; 2d Degree, October 13,
1940. Assistant to the Pastor of Carmel Church, Kitchener, Ontario. Address: 163 York Street, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
SANDSTROM, ERIK. Ordained June 10, 1934; 2d Degree, August 4, 1935. Assistant to the Pastor of the Stockholm Society, and Visiting Pastor of the Jonkoping Circle. Address: Levertinsgatan 5, Stockholm, Sweden.
SMITH, GILBERT HAVEN. Ordained June 25, 1911; 2d Degree, June 19, 1913. Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois, and Visiting Pastor of the North St. Paul Circle.
STARKEY, GEORGE GODDARD. Ordained June 3, 1894; 2d Degree, October 19, 1902. Address: Glenview, Illinois.
SYNNESTVEDT, HOMER. Ordained June 19, 1891; 2d Degree, January 13, 1895. Professor, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
WHITEHEAD, WILLIAM. Ordained June 19, 1922; 2d Degree, June 19, 1926. Professor, Academy of the New Church. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     Ministers.

CRANCH, RAYMOND GREENLEAF. Ordained June 19, 1922. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ODHNER, VINCENT CARMOND. Ordained June 17, 1928. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     British Guiana Mission.

     Pastor.

ALGERNON, HENRY. Ordained. 1st and 2d Degrees, September 1, 1940. Pastor of the General Church Mission in Georgetown, British Guiana. Address: 273 Lamaha Street, Georgetown 4, Demerara, British Guiana, South America.

     South African Mission.

     Xosa.

KANDISA, JOHNSON. Ordained September 11, 1938. Minister of the Sterkstroom Society, Cape Province. Address: P. O. Sterkstroom, C. P., South Africa.

     Mosuto.

MOTSI, JONAS. Ordained September 29, 1929; 2d Degree, September 30. 1929. Pastor of the Greylingstad Society. Address: Box 38, Greylingstad, Transvaal, South Africa.

     Zulu.

BUTHELEZI, STEPHEN EPHRAIM. Ordained September 11, 1938. Minister of Hambrook District. Address: Hambrook, P. O. Acton Homes, Ladysmith, Natal, South Africa.

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LUNGA, JOHANNES. Ordained September 11, 1938. Minister of the Esididini Society. Address: Esididini, P. 0. Kalabasi, Daunhauser, Natal, South Africa.
MATSHININI, TIMOTHY. Ordained August 28, 1938. Minister of the Society at Alexandra Township, Johannesburg. Address: 165 11 Avenue, Alexandra Township. Johannesburg, South Africa.
MCANYANA. MOFFAT B. Ordained August 12, 1928; 2d Degree, September 30, 1929. Pastor of the Mayville Society, Durban Address: 104 Oakleigh Drive, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
MKIZE, SOLOMON. Ordained, August 21, 1938. Address: Pangode Halt, P. 0. Melmoth. Zululand.
NIMANDE, BENJAMIN ISHMAEL. Ordained August 21, 1938. Minister in the Deepdale and Bulwer Districts, Natal. Address: c/o Inkumba Government School, P. 0. Bulwer, Natal, South Africa.
SABELA, PETER. Ordained August 21, 1938. Missionary. Minister to "Kent Manor." Address: "Kent Manor," P. 0. Entumeni, Zululand. South Africa.
STOLE, PHILIP JOHANNES. Ordained September 29, 1929; 2d Degree. August 7, 1938. Pastor of the Turner's Avenue Society. Address: 19, Turner's Avenue, off Berca Road, Durban. Natal, South Africa.
ZUNGU, AARON. Ordained August 21, 1938. Assistant Minister to Kent Manor Society, Headmaster of the School. Address: "Kent Manor," P. 0. Entomeni, Zululand, South Africa.



     SOCIETIES AND CIRCLES.

     In order to avoid confusion, it seems well to observe, in the Official Records and the Official Journal of the General Church, the recognized distinction between a "Society" and a "Circle."
     In general, a "Society" may he defined as a congregation under the leadership of a resident Minister or Pastor while a "Circle" is an organized group receiving regular visits from a non-resident Minister or Pastor.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS,
          Bishop.

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Church News 1942

Church News       Various       1942

     ACADEMY SCHOOLS.

     Charter Day.

     For some years past we have been favored with fine weather in which to begin the observance of this day with a march from the Academy to the Cathedral, but rain this year on Friday, October 16, made it necessary for the Faculty, Board and students to assemble in the choir hall, and to enter from there for the Service of worship. The large congregation included many local and visiting ex-students with their banners.
     Bishop de Charms conducted the service, and Dean Doering read the Lessons. The address was delivered by the Rev. Norman H. Reuter, of Akron, Ohio, who dealt in an interesting and effective way with the essential aims of the Academy Charter,-the propagation of the Heavenly Doctrines and the establishment of the Church of the New Jerusalem upon the earth. After the service, all retired to the choir hall for the singing of school and church songs.
     In the afternoon, the football game was played under difficult conditions, and the Academy team was not the victor; but this was accepted in good Spirit and seemed not to dampen the ardor of our young folk, who enjoyed a lively dance in the evening.
     The banquet on Saturday evening was especially delightful, though not without its solemn features as our genial toastmaster, Mr. Donald Rose, had arranged a wartime program which opened with the calling of the roll of General Church members in military Service, both in the present war and the last. It was noted that the first Charter Day Banquet was held in the year 1917 in the midst of World War I.
     The speaking program opened with remarks by Mr. Harold Pitcairn, who dwelt upon the problems which we face in maintaining the Academy uses under present and prospective conditions. "But the Lord is our General," he said, "in whose judgment we all, as soldiers, must have confidence." Mr. Robert Synnestvedt emphasized the militant nature of our Church and the duty to wage war for one's country, for which "it is glorious to shed one's blood." A stirring call to duty was also voiced in a paper by Mr. Griffith Asplundh, portions of which were read by the toastmaster in his absence.
     Moving pictures were then shown on the screen, depicting Bryn Athyn scenes of twenty-five years ago, evoking much amusement and also enthusiasm as we looked upon the familiar figures of those days, some of whom are no longer with us in this world.
     In a concluding speech, Bishop de Charms emphasized the truth that zeal for the right is what we need to win the war, but not hatred. The first is consistent with love to the Lord and charity, but hatred is one with the love of self.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     Although the Autumn season really began with the opening of our Day School and the return of many of our members from their Summer vacations, we feel that the season was really initiated by the celebration of our Fiftieth Anniversary. This may sound like an anachronism, since at this time last year we reported the celebration of the Centennial!

570


However, what we celebrated last year was the Hundredth Anniversary of the New Church in Pittsburgh, while this year we celebrated the Fiftieth Anniversary of the General Church Society after it moved over from the North Side. And we are very proud of the fact that we have had a Day School during all those years, with no break in its continuity.
     Our Local Assembly was held in connection with the Anniversary during the week-end of October 9th. At the first session, on Friday evening, Bishop de Charms addressed us on "The Importance of Doctrine." We were pleased to have several out-of-town visitors to enjoy with us his inspiring address.
     On Saturday afternoon a tea was given at the home of Mrs. Edwin Asplundh to welcome our guests, many of whom came from Bryn Athyn. This year the lack of transportation facilities made it difficult for visitors to come from Glenview and the Ohio district, as they have formerly done.
     Over ninety people sat down to an enjoyable banquet on Saturday evening. The serving was accomplished most smoothly and efficiently by our young high-school boys and girls. The Rev. Ormond Odhner was toastmaster, and the papers which were read as the various speakers were called upon were thought-provoking and inspiring. The evening's program was brought to a close by remarks from the Bishop, who rose to such heights of emotional oratory that our hearts were stirred with hope for the future, because we have the assurance that the Lord's Truth, as revealed to us, will live forever.
     On the Sunday morning of the Assembly the service was made the more impressive by the ordination of the Rev. Ormond Odhner into the second degree of the priesthood. The Bishop preached on the subject of the Difference between Reformation and Regeneration.
     Education.-Carrying out the idea that our New Church education should not stop with the day school, Mr. Odhner is conducting a high-school class once a week, for which our boys are given credit in their high school; also a Young People's Class one evening a week for those of college age.
     The society doctrinal class is being continued as it was last year, Mr. Pendleton taking a series of several classes, and then Mr. Odhner a series. These classes, as well as the Friday Suppers preceding them, are well attended. Mr. Pendleton is also giving a series of classes to the women of the society at their regular meetings once a month, but the Arcana Class has been discontinued, owing to the fact that so many of our members have several evenings of the week taken up with duties brought about by the war. Transportation may also be somewhat of a problem this winter, as several of our members live at a distance from the church.
     A Children's Service is held each Sunday morning, and provides for the needs of a number of the pre-school children as well as for those of school age. The Day School has an enrollment of seventeen pupils this year, our largest class being the eighth grade, which we are preparing for high school.
     Social Events.-A new Social Committee was appointed this year. Mr. and Mrs. Charles ("Chuck") Ebert, who took charge of our social events during the last three or four years, have moved away temporarily. With Charles' enlistment in the Navy, Mrs. Charles moved to Bryn Athyn, and we miss them very much, as indeed we miss all our young men who are departing one by one to take their places in some branch of military service. This wholesale departure of young men is going to cause a real problem in our social life, as it is bound to do in all small communities.
     Several social events, however, have been planned for the coming year, to celebrate the various holiday seasons. Our first society social was a shower for Miss Marion Cranch, our teacher, who is to be married to Mr. Robert Kendig on Thanksgiving Day. This was held in the Auditorium after Friday Class, and they received many beautiful and useful gifts.

571


Mr. Pendleton proposed a toast to the "Bride and Groom," who were betrothed on the Sunday before. Among other things, Mr. Pendleton said that, although we are sorry to lose such a fine teacher as Miss Marion, we are glad that she is leaving us only for a higher use. We shall not lose her immediately, as she has promised to stay with us for the rest of this year.
     This happy social event gives promise of more to follow this Winter, in which case we shall be able to keep things moving in spite of restrictions imposed by the war.
     J. M. G.

     NORTHERN OHIO.

     Despite our fears of last Spring, church has been held once a month, starting in September with a very good attendance, averaging about thirty people.
     Our yearly meeting was held on Sunday, October 4, following church at the home of the Edmund Glenns' and a dinner at the Browns' at which thirty-one people were served, including the children. The pastor reported that our numbers remain the same as last year. We have lost the five De Maines and gained three Glenns and two babies,-Mark Reuter and Priscilla Stroemple.
     The pastor, Mr. Reuter, plans to hold church once a month in Akron, and go to Youngstown and Cleveland alternately the third Sunday of the month. Classes will be held twice a month at different homes, in order to distribute the necessity for travel and "baby watchers." New officers and a board of five were elected by the group.
     Bishop de Charms spent Friday, October 30, in Youngstown, coming to Akron on Saturday. That evening there was a social gathering at the Ralph Browns' attended by the Akron group with the addition of the Frank Normans of Cleveland and the Robert Barnitzes of Urbana, Ohio. The Bishop showed us the model of the Tabernacle, and gave us a most interesting explanation of it.
     Sunday morning we gathered at the Glenns' for church. There were over forty people present. We heard a hopeful sermon on Divine Providence and foreseeing the future. After church we were happy to bid farewell to the children, sending them to a neighboring home before preparing our banquet. The Bishop addressed us afterwards, giving us a clear picture of the state of religion today and the immense need for true doctrine and Divine guidance.
     Our place of worship in the future is still an unsettled question, but we expect to carry on in different homes, adding to our activities regular Sunday school and Women's Guild meetings. Whatever the future brings, we feel we have made a good beginning in a new and troubled season.
     A. B.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

     Bishop de Charms paid our group his annual visit on Thursday, October 22, dropping off at Detroit while on his way to Glenview. We gave a dinner, at which he addressed us on the subject of Doctrine, pointing out its absolute necessity in our progress toward regeneration. It always sets us up for another year of earnest effort, just to have Bishop de Charms with us and to hear his inspired words.
     Our toastmaster on this occasion was Mr. William F. Cook, and the other speakers were: Mr. Geoffrey S. Childs, who spoke on the subject of "New Church Life," (the periodical), and Mr. Norman Synnestvedt, whose topic was, "Why I shall send my children to Bryn Athyn." Following several responses to Bishop de Charms' address, he again arose, this time to augment Mr. Childs talk with many good reasons why every New Church family should take and read the Church's official organ, NEW CHURCH LIFE. It was a most convincing sales talk.
     On the Sunday following the Bishop's visit we held our usual monthly service, conducted by our pastor, Rev. Norman Reuter. On this occasion we were happy to welcome another new member, Dan Horigan, of Pittsburgh, Pa.

572


His uncle, Norman Synnestvedt, learning that Dan was working in Dayton, Ohio, lost no time in securing a position for him in Detroit. Within a week Dan was here, bag and baggage, and we have taken him to our hearts. He is going to be very popular with the younger set in our group, and we are mighty glad to have him with us.
     Also, we are happy to announce an addition to our cradle roll-Patricia Ann, infant daughter of Edith and Willard McCardell. (Edith is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Win. F. Cook.) Baby Patricia was born on October 22d. We expect to have more announcements of this nature to make in the not far distant future. Such evidence of real growth is most encouraging, and must have been in the mind of our pastor when he recently opined that, some day, the Detroit group would need its own school. We are inclined to agree with him.
     Following the service and luncheon on Sunday. October 25, we held our annual business meeting. Reports of officers were read and discussed, and the following officers were elected to serve until the next Annual Meeting: -Treasurer. Win. F. Cook; Recording Secretary, Norman Synnestvedt; Corresponding Secretary, Muriel Cook. These three, together with the pastor, form an executive committee to handle the temporal affairs of the group between regular meetings, which are held twice a year.
     Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey S. Childs recently presented our group with a supply of the new Liturgies. They had hardly been unpacked when Miss Creda Glenn arrived with a carload of paraphernalia for the purpose of teaching us how to sing the chants. Never before had we seen such a dynamo of energy in action. After several sessions in rapid succession, which left some of us gasping for breath, Miss Creda kindly said we were showing marked improvement, which was not surprising in view of her forceful leadership. She then left for Glenview, promising to pay us another visit soon. And we are going to need more of her expert assistance, too, if we are to master the new chants and amens in the revised Liturgy.
     Our next meeting will include the children's Christmas service and party, to be held on Sunday, December 20. In spite of the fact that this will probably be one of the saddest Christmases the world has ever known, and that our Country faces many dark days and much suffering before victory can be achieved, we are planning to make our Christmas celebration as happy as possible under the circumstances. The service will feature songs selected especially for the children, an address to the children by our pastor, presentation of gifts, to be followed by an extra-special luncheon as befits the occasion, then an hour of musical entertainment and the singing of Christmas carols.
     Thus will end what we feel has been a successful year for our group. We are grateful for our blessings; but are already looking forward to the accomplishment of bigger and better things during 1943.
     W. W. W.

     MONTREAL, P. Q.

     The New Church Circle in Montreal had the great privilege of receiving an extended visit from Bishop Alfred Acton during the latter part of October. The day after his arrival we had a doctrinal class in preparation for the Holy Supper, which was administered at a service held on Sunday, October 18th.
     On the following Tuesday, Bishop Acton delivered a lecture on the life of Swedenborg and his preparation for the work of Revelator. On Thursday we had another doctrinal class at which the subject was "The Incarnation," and on Friday a lecture on the "Bronchial Artery." This latter was particularly instructive, and seemed to make us understand what had gone before it much better.
     At the Sunday service we sang a number of familiar hymns, and this added a great deal to the enjoyment of the service.

573


In the future we intend to continue having singing, and the gift of several copies of the Liturgy by the Bishop to the members here will make it very much easier, and will also enable us to have more full and complete services.
     Being so far from larger church centers made us appreciate the visit to the largest extent, and we all look forward to the next visit with great pleasure.
     ARNOLDA A. C. DUQUESNE.


     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS.

     We have had a most interesting and useful meeting of the CHICAGO DISTRICT ASSEMBLY, which opened with a Banquet on Friday evening, October 23d. After brief introductions and greetings, Bishop de Charms delivered an address on "The Use and Importance of Doctrine" which was greatly enjoyed and brought forth an appreciative discussion.
     On Saturday afternoon there was a ladies' meeting to which the men were invited, and the Bishop spoke on the general subject of Evolution, as connected with the study of the growth of the mind. In the evening he addressed a men's meeting held under the stewardship of the local chapter of the Sons of the Academy, and this was a treat to all who were present. Here he dealt with the subject of Swedenborg's Psychology, repeating his address to the Swedenborg Scientific Association last May,-a deep subject very ably and simply illustrated. This led to a good discussion, bringing out strongly the value of studying the philosophy of Swedenborg, as well as the unique work of the Swedenborg Scientific Association. The general characteristic of these meetings, therefore, proved to be the study of the nature of the human mind, and the Bishop's addresses constituted a valuable course of lectures.
     The service on Sunday morning included not only a good sermon by Bishop de Charms on the subject of "Reformation and Regeneration," but also the unusual opportunity to witness an Ordination-a rite by which the Bishop inducted the Rev. Harold Cranch into the Second Degree of the Priesthood and recognized him as a pastor in the General Church.
     The final meeting on Sunday evening was delightfully informal, and after a cafeteria supper the Bishop gave another paper, this being on the subject of "Reception."
     G. H. S.

     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

     Events of the month of October with us centered around the Chicago District Assembly, held at Glenview. We shall not attempt to discuss the papers of Bishop de Charms which were such a delight and inspiration to us all, but we hope they will be published for all to read.
     It was of special interest to Sharon Church that our minister, the Rev. Harold Cranch, was ordained into the pastoral degree of the priesthood at the service on Assembly Sunday, October 25. This is always an impressive ceremony, and especially so when it takes place in the presence of the members of his society. We feel that he is so well fitted for this highest of all uses, and were much affected by the rite.
     As we have been unable to find any record of a dedication of the building in which the uses of Sharon Church have their home, the recent remodeling made it seem an appropriate time to have this ceremony. The first part of the meeting with our society at which Bishop de Charms presided was devoted to an impressive dedication of the repository, chancel, and the room to the uses of the church and its worship of the Lord. Those who had the privilege of attending will long remember this occasion. It was followed by an inspiring talk on the Tabernacle in which the Bishop showed the model of its parts and furniture. Such instruction brings very vividly to our minds what a living religion we have.

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     The Bishop met our South Side group at a special meeting at the Kitzelman home, and there were present fifteen persons who had not met him before.
     Recently a special social gathering was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Pollock in celebration of their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.
     V. W.

     LONDON, ENGLAND.

     Michael Church.

     That oft recurring phrase in the war Communiques, "There is nothing of importance to recount," might very well sum up our Michael Church doings. We might be tempted to go further, adding that, just as that laconic statement epitomizes the vital but unspectacular work of the forces at war, so also with us the brief sentence does not imply idleness. Clearly we can't expect dramatic episodes in our social calendar-not in such a small society-least of all in time of war. Still, we remain quietly, if unimpressively, busy with Sunday gatherings and the now traditional luncheon meetings.
     And now, having apologized for placing before the reader another bill of fare labelled monotonously, "Lunch, paper and discussion; lunch, paper and discussion," we can bring out with a pardonable flourish a choice item or two by way of dessert.
     Against this background two events stand out-one an occasion for joy. the other for both mourning and rejoicing; the former being the Ordination of the Rev. Martin Pryke into the Second Degree; the latter the death and release from much distress in mind and body of our late pastor, Bishop R. J. Tilson.
     The Ordination, held on Sunday. March 1, was celebrated in London owing to the unhappy circumstance of Bishop Tilson's failing health, but in this particular Michael Church was the gainer, acting as host to a large part of the Colchester Society which travelled up with Mr. Pryke for the occasion. This short service was beautiful and moving in its simple dignity, and
memorable too for its being the last public appearance of Bishop Tilson, who officiated, assisted by the Rev. A. W. Acton. It was remarked afterwards what a power and strength was given the Bishop, upholding him throughout the ceremony.
     After a tea, which we hope did something to warm our guests before they embarked upon their chilly and bleak journey home, a brief and informal programme of speeches followed. Thus we rejoiced to join with Colchester friends in their happy celebration of the widening uses of their Pastor.
     Reference has already been made to the death of Bishop Tilson. This event removes a familiar and to many a life-long friend from the Michael Society. His death severed ties which with some had lasted for more than fifty years. But at the cost of declining powers in body and mind none would have wished to keep him longer. And though his friends sorrow at his passing, there is more joy in the thought of the renewed life and strength awaiting him. To his wife, the unfailing nurse of all his illnesses, go all sympathy and affection.
     Passing to happier events, the celebration of June 19th was held on Sunday, June 14, when our Pastor conducted a beautiful service in the morning, preaching an appropriate and thought-provoking sermon. After lunch he addressed the gathering on "The New Church."
     On Sunday August 30, an interchange of pulpits was made, Mr. Acton preaching at Colchester, Mr. Pryke conducting the service in London.
     During the last few months Mr. Acton has been giving a series of sermons on special subjects. Following the series on the Twelve Sons of Jacob, he dealt similarly with the Parables of Matthew,-a form of instruction that is peculiarly delightful to follow.
     The war, which has touched Michael Church so adversely in many ways. has brought one, and an increasing. compensation of late. Small though we are, we yet hold a unique position geographically; for nowhere but in London is there such a constant flux of soldiers of the Allied Nations.

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Now that America has entered the war, we are expecting to add to the list of our overseas' visitors the names of friends from Bryn Athyn, Glenview and other centers. Already Major Philip Cooper has been welcomed. He, along with Corporal Joffre Schnarr and Private Cecil James, made up our three army guests on New Church Day. Perhaps we do not express, as effusively as our American and Canadian friends would expect, our delight at seeing them; but indeed we do feel much pleasure-a double pleasure; for they are welcomed both as friends from fellow societies and as soldiers fighting in a common cause.
     An unforeseen delay in posting this report permits the adding of a postscript, which, though rather long, justifies itself in recounting that most important event-for Michael Church-the 50th anniversary of its birthday. Friends from Colchester and members normally scattered made a goodly sized gathering on Sunday, September 6. A full service, including the administration of the Holy Supper to 36 communicants, and a hearty singing of the well-loved psalms instead of our usual rather nervous warblings, added its quota to the happy sphere.
     After luncheon, in recognition of the recent National Day of Prayer on September 3, our Pastor conducted a ten-minute service, reading from the Doctrine of Charity.
     To celebrate our Anniversary, five short papers, read or sent by Messrs. A. S. Orme, Sam Lewin, W. Priest, Archie Stebbing, and Victor Tilson, traced varying aspects of the history of Burton Road Church. By delving into past records, personal diaries and amazingly long memories, a flash-back of Burton Road as it was in the long ago was brought into the mental vision of the present. It was an interesting, and to those younger or more recent members, an informative afternoon. Largely through Mrs. Tilson's generous cooperation, a large collection of photos, some of them unintentionally comic in their fashions of fifty years ago, displayed in picture form the social life and celebrities of the old days.
     Mr. Acton wound up the meeting with an appropriate address on "The Church," in which the past history was summarized with its bearings upon the present. Tea, with honey and jam from the overseas' hampers, brought to an end a day of happy reminiscing.
     F. E.
PARENT-TEACHER JOURNAL 1942

PARENT-TEACHER JOURNAL              1942

Articles dealing with Education in Home and School.

EDITOR: Miss Celia Bellinger.
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Mrs. Besse E. Smith.
ART EDITOR: J. Durban Odhner.


Published Monthly, October to May, $1.00.
Address: Mrs. Edward J. Cranch, Business Manager,
Bryn Athyn, Pa.

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ORDINATION 1942

ORDINATION              1942




     Announcements



     Cranch.-At Glenview, Illinois, October 25, 1942, the Rev. Harold Covert Cranch, into the Second Degree of the Priesthood, Bishop George de Charms officiating.