New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


essay is devoted, Mr. James adopts the platform Of
Swedenborg his startingpoiRt although he deals
with the evolution of principles that are perhaps of
equal interest to the universal body OF Christian be-
levers He addresses himself primarily to supposed
member of 4" the Church of the New-Jerusalem," not
because he acknowledges SwedenbOrg, or any other
man of mortal mold as an iniable master, but be-
cause he regards his writings as the best antdOte to
the fectaran virus of any book exant save OF course
the New.Testament OF which overlooking reservoir
they are in fact but very ample and very artless
seryice-pipe."
The new church according TO Mr.. James, which is
destined express Gods full pleasure in humanity and
to be the crown and concentration of all past churches
is not to be mere rival competitor of any existing
church, mere second edition Of the current ecces
asticism-but truly spiritual church, embodyng the
incouuptble life ofwhch the past churches have been
only preparatory embryonic organizatiOn-and iden-
teal with the most comprehensive charity in the ex
perience of refusing to become identified With any
private separate arrangements whether in relation to
person. place. or ritual of worship Not that the out
ward ceremonies of religion TO be set aside or to
be undervaued as barren and insignificant in any stage
of spiritual progress.
Iii very far from my intention because it is very far
from my desire, to cast dsparagement upon any insttu
tons of social worship IL to mo entirely proper
and inevitable those who sympathZe with each Others
views Of Christian doctrine should together at suit
able times and places for social worship Nothing eSaa
animated solely by spirit of charity toward all other as
semblies and having nothing to gain by d'paraSng them
in public estimation An assembly like his united in cor
dial alteration Of the divine love, and intent only ou cele
brang his nciable perfection would stand in an attitude
of the tenderest sympathy toward all o'her assempie
Ii would dream Of mpugnng the truth Of their
worship by publishing itself the only true church OF
God in New York but it would strive the contrary
TO show them the riches Of spiritual consolation which
ore embodied ia the Christian ordinances wherever al
mnistered and prove how every particular of their own
worship is fragrant with the inward Acknowledgements of
divine mercy and peace No, let worship gether in
this spirit to our hearts content and under whatever
orderly routine BELTS taste Let have architecture
let have music let u have singing let US have preach
ing and the concerted voice of prayer st have in
short whatever graceful and glowing forms may be
deemed suitable to express worship cordial anl there
fore so cheerful so rational and er fore 20 profoundly
reyerentia that which is inspired by the truths
must necessarily be- All this right and sweet and beau
tiful and | can't imagine any hut q ami
surly sectaran Directing to il. No one, indeed,
can object to it, unless he he disposed to deny free
dom of worship altogether. Every Que the contrary.
must that is suitable and deeorOus thing for per
whose intellects forming tho same general
class of truths seek each others sympathy in pn6c
social worship. But what every has right TO
plain of IA an unsuitable and ndecorous thing for this
company thus coming together for worship 10 rogae to
themselves the and authority of the Lord in anysuch
preudces the equal right OF any other worship
in the interior truths of the Scripture they unfJled
by Swedenborg, aud | instruct my family in the
knowledge of those truths, so far as their ten.
der understandings capable of receiving them.
Have / thereupon the right 10 say that my family
worship is whit truer mo- q acceptable in a
heevenward way than that Of my next door neghbor WHO
heard of any interior 10 the Scripture he
has deems very great and delusiOn aud steadily
worshrs, Notwithstanding according the penary Pres
by terrain platform Asur, dly not Shall the truth of any
and worship ofthe great Being who
and redeems and him. hinge upon his possessing
adequate conceptions of the divine perec,ion AMI offer
ing homage therefore which shall be worthy of those
perfecti'ns God he the best Of US in that say
For this is to place worsbpn ground entrelyno
longer in of the profound wants of the
longer In the deep and cordial and overwhelming Of
own deficiencies Of relative nohingness and
vanity, and OF Gods boundless suiceucy-bat rather ia
ones intellectual acquisitions in the sentiment Of possess
log superior illumination to other people.
But the ecclesiastical conception of the church
receives DO mercy at the hands of our author who
wields against it the fatal weapons of his unrelentng
Logic with terrible effect The essence of this coDcep-
ton lies VA the idea that the church is visible cOrpor-
atoR constituted hierarcheal system, whose life
lie implicated in the ritual worship Of the sanctuary
and whose legitimate activity consists in promoting all
the resources aud interests of that worship. Hence
atains the highest standard of humanity BY virtue
Of bis connection with that visible body wish is the
medium to him Of the divine blessings so that b may be
eoicu W honoi inc m0aer, Win
the propriety tina, he may be called on to honor
God bis spiritual Father This ia the prevailing idea
of the church. But argues Mr. James, ir finds con-
sistent and worthy representative only n the Roman
Catholic Church No person who holds the ecclesias-
teal conception Of the church. has any right to dscam
the Paerna authority Of Bishop Hughes. He may call
himself Protestant against the church Of Rome until
he is black in the face but he cannot with the slightest
preensiOn to consistency, deny the paramount claims
OF the Catholic hierarchy upon his allegiance Ii the
church Of Christ necessarily possesses an nseparable
external organization founded upon the distinction of
clergy and lay, then the Romsb Church Ia the only
true church. because it alone permanently secures such
an organization.
The Roman Catholic makes the church TO consist wholly
in The Pope and his inferior clergy Just az the Old theories
OF the state eft out the people the little boys wien
ney i9rm amateur military companies. make them to con
tst wholly Of captains Ieutenanis and corporals Wa
may smile at this inantne simplicity on the Dart of tine
chufcb or weep over its bOundless spua arrogance "a
W. please but affords neverhele only infaIibe "a
ere Tor the churchs perpetniiy considered "a an ec,ei
neu'uuon III we waDt conviction onths point we
pave Only 10 refer TO the utter disorga atom winch h
hefanhea idee or the church considered az hs 49,; a.
'e' arabic ecclesastical orgsnz ation encoauer AZ P
nstai hands Inc Protestant democraZea the idaa og
he church making il TO consist not Of one poyer ao,e
hoI % ne clergy simply but of the clergy and peoas
IT,. b.t WIS iheosy ye"mmiYiDg the two orders and
leaving tier respective parts wholly nnde6ne5 lie III
tsiy company whose officers and nrvates sbo1l5 o,ss
tt authority, j. destructive Of all d.eione a,d 80
tn'ny ended In be complete dsorganiz ati,n Of ths
church as Al eccesiasticilm " "
Both Catholicism and Protestintism. however beva
performed en- important service in the religious devel