Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-02-06
/ WHOLE NUMBER 525.

imagine man better fitted 10 perform such o dn-
y, than such an one have described? Ii
he cannot, let Us beseech hin. to 20 one step fur
Their. and bring himself to believe that, posSiblg,
Swedenborg may have leen commissioned 10
write what he has written, and thar, possibly,
refusal 70 examine his claims creGibliily, may
/ be a voluntary closing OF the mind IN tho recop
+ ton OF the truth, and rejection of know ledge
which may lead 10 sais alton. Let not the cry ,
''he has Il devil and Is mad deter him from loo
king at ms writings in spirit of soberness, The
only spirit IN which serious uijects ought to be
approached. Let him recoiiect that the Christian
. Church established N the age Of the apostles,
not by those who rejected their testimony with
oGt an examinations bu; by those who were viii
ling to hear them. Let him rccoIlect that there
i such in eraal evidence in religious trnth.
that may "huuy Of the doctrine whether
it be OF Cod and let him ponder well upon the
"a :stion, why should men who never condemn,
without d perusal, works which profess TO point
the road % eternal riches and happiness p
We aware of the p1ojIdlces that many must
overcome before they can DO induced 10 comply
with this invitation. Silly stories have been, time
after time, within the last forty years, circulated
IN this community, respecting the followers OF
Swodenborg, some of whom have been confident
~ represented 10 set plates At their tables for
their deceased relatives TO pay for seats Stage
coaches for Invisible travelling companions. ond
to haveb cen n the streets Concsscdly tai .rg
off their hats to Noses, or some Of the prophets
which have had their origin 10 the leyIty or fall
sty OF those who fabricated them, and in the
cFedulity of those who have been induced 10 be-
lieve their fables, may appear as an uncaied-ior
measure; and so We should have considered II,
had not the fact como to our knowledge, that
~ recently, in company IN Philadelphia, com
posed IN part Of clcrgymen, ono of thom related,
TO all appearances rs If he truly believed it, that
a minister Of the Church in question, who had
first received orders IN the Episcopal Church in
that city, had been known 10 take off his bat to
Moses IN the street and 10 secure Il seat al table
On board Of a steamboat, for fellow traveller
whom nobody could Be IT then known and
we pledge our characters for the truth Of what
we now assert, that not only arc all these stories
attcriy untrue but that receiver Of Sweden
borg s writings, In this any other country, as
we are firmly persuaded, has ever be en- guilty of
the folly described TO any Of these particulars,
inasmuch the supp0sIiIOn is impossible aud ab-
sQrd, on the principles of the New Jerusalem
Church, which maintain that space md locality
arc not practicable of spiritual beings.
Wish these remarks designed with the cole OBJ
jcct of enabling others 10 enjoy The light which
We ourselves posses, we shall conclude this snort
and humble appeal with the declaration of few
Of the leading doctrines upon which the New
Church Is founded, from which viii be seen that
n justice has been done us by those whc with
7ut iuquiling into our faith, havo ascribed TO us
'enets which are the very oPposites Of what
believe.
They are as follows
]. God is One both in essence and in person. in
whom, nevertheless, is Divine Trinity, conss-
Ing Of Father, Son, aud Holy Spirit, like soul,
body, and operation in man; und that the Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is that God.
Hence, when the Lord said 10 Philip, 81 and my
Father one;n "he that seeth me seeth the Fa-
her;" and when ST John sa id, ''the Word
Iod,'' ard 'siho Word made flesh and dwelt
among us' and when ST. Paul said, sin Jesus
Christ dweeth ali the funess Of the Godhead
bodily, and IN him YOU are complete,'' and when
he Lord said 10 ST. John in the Revelations, 81
I'm Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end
ng, saith the Lord. which is, and which was, and
which is 10 come, the Almighty.'' 81 am 'ho first
md the last, am he that liveih and was dead''-
hey all spal<e in accordance with this doctrine.
2. That the word Of The Lord, or sacred Scrip
ure, written BY Divine inspiration; that il
Contains three distinct senses, celestial, SPIRITUAL
nd natural, which united by correspondence,
md that IN each sense it is Divine truth, accom-
nodated respectively TO angels, spirits, and men.
3. That all evils, whether OF affection, OF
bought o. life, ought to be Stunned as SINS
'anst God, because they proceed from the devil,
ma, Is, from bell, and destroy in man the capacity
f enjoying the happiness of heaven. But that,
N the other hand. good affections, good thoughts,
nd good notions, ought to be cherished and per-
ormed, because they of God aud from God
nd that every act Of love and charity, OF justice
nd equity, both towards society in general, and
Owards indiv iduals particular, ought 10 be done
" man Gs of himself: nevertheless, under tho
nowledgment and belief that they really and
rally from the Lord, operating in him and by
lin.
T. That every event occurrence IN human
fe, whether of prosperity or of adversely, is IN
er the immediate superintendent and direction
f Divine Providence; and that nothing does or
befa!l man. either in bis collective or ihdiVid-
al capacity. but what, even IN The most minute,
8 well as in the more important circumstances
ttendinr IL, Is made contribute, IN n way
nown only to Infinite W.sdoms to his final benefit
md advantage.
5. That man has free will in spiritual things,
nd that consequently, if he be not saved, 1t is
us own fault.
Fir,y-fve years have passed away since the
writings of Swedenborg were first in,roducedi in