The New York herald., 1868-04-20

taking as the theme of his discourse "Swedenborg
as a Man. being the last but one Of series Of lee
lures on the ife character and work OF that eminent
divine.
The reverend lecturer began by saying that 1t was
necessary in order TO deal properly with subject OF
this nature to have some true standard to be guided
by but there was but one perfect standard and the
highest OF men was infinitely below Him. According
to the teaching and language or Christ ne was the
greatest who performed the greatest service
measured ' ia like ike 'aa manner. s' No man AN was
great saeatv merely 5.n by the possession OF one
losopher or statesman ne might be so bigoted or su-
perstitious as 10 be almost useless as nau. Real
Intellectual aeues Mese e eveoDsd s Sra sn Sar @
monious, aud 1t was this combination OF qualities
which made swedenborg essentially great man.
HIS iacultles We're large, well developed, well bal
anced and there was nothing in him that was pre-
cocious or merely brilliant in his early years. and the
Keynote OF his whole life was given in his childhood.
The highest life brought down into practical use and
service for man is a true idea Of religion, and this
borg's whole character His father gave all his sons
the choice OF their profession, and Swedenb0rg
evinced a strong desire for natural science and
mathematics and in this field gave early promise
OF attaining great eminenca. AT an early age
he went to England, which he considered u
most anspicious field for his labor and research in
philosophy. Here he soon became prominent as an
inventor, and his whole attention was absorbed In
utilizing the material substances and forces. On his
return to sweden, his native country he engaged In
the publication of a magazine. Among the inven-
to open and Shut" "a machine driven by ire' (and
this it should be remembered, about century
and half ago. before the age OF s eainl new sys-
tenn Of constructing docks air guns, submarine yes.
sels musical Instruments, airtght stoves, Improved
methods Of building houses, &c. Ihe discovery oi
bank OF fine clay suggested to him that sweden
could make her own pottery. At that time he was
not in any way impressed with spiritual desires or
aspirations, nor was there, on the other hand,
any evidence that he was carried away by the scep-
ticsm OF his age and country. lie was applying ms
wisdom and talents for the material benefit OF his
fellow men, ana was obtaining that complete know
ledge OF nature and the laws of the universe which
veop the doctrines which he propagated and origi
mated in his after years. The lecturer then proceeded
to characterize in eloquent erms the great and dis
tngulshing traits OF the character OF the illustrOuS
man whose works and talents formed the subject OF
his remarks, and gave the following as the moral
maXims of Swedenborg's lie as found III his writ
ings, but never yet publshed:-First TO read Often
and mediate We'll, on the works Of the Lord second
to be always resigned and contented under the dis
pensations OF Divine Providence; third, always to
observe propriety Of behavior and 10 preserve
conscience clear and void OF Offences fourth to obey
that which is ordained to be fatidi IN tle discharge
of my employment and 10 do every thing In my
power to render myself universally as useful as
possible.
vi. Auguste COmte on Fifth Avenue-Imp0rted
Fabrics i'm Religion.
Mr. Edgar, OF considerable n0toricty In certain
circles as adherent and advocate of N. Augusta
COmte's positive philosophy ecturcd yesterday be-
fore moderate audience at DE GarmQs Hall, in the
Conservatory of Music building, corner OF Fifth
avenue aud Fourteenth street. The programme OF
the day included two services rathertwO lectures,
in advocacy of the Introduction Of Comte's religion
OF humanity, which forms sort of appendix appli-
cation Of hts scientific system to social questions,
and which has, curiously enough, Notwithstanding
the considerable popularity of his system OF scen-
tihc philosophy, made very little progress at home.
In some circles it Is asserted that the attempt 10
transplant Comtismto this country has ts origin in
general intention on the part or the few believers
In his religious system to concrete in the form or
actual experiment the social principles laid down by
their acuteiy analytic master. In accordance with
this intention the attempt IL being made to found a
congregation In this city, IL being believed that tho
distractions OF the philosopher may be wrought
into practice in connection witl the culture and in
tenlgence which at present prevail in the better
social circles Of this city. Besides New York im-
ports manners, morals, modes oil living, modes OK
dramatic expression and the modes par excellence
can be no SUFFICIENT reason why New York should
not import her religion from Paris aso thus finding
an American market for Comtisn and F0urtersin
and any number OF other isms which ,iallican brains
may see tit to invent. The principal reasons urged
Were ' drawn % more fai rom @ ei
degeneracy OF the Old than from nny alleged super.
the World Was ripe i fui religious revolution, more
| complete perhaps and more subyeisive Of old prin-
| cipes than the Lutheran Reformation, which was
really caused not by the struggle OF Luther against
what he deemed the abuses OF Romanism but by the
fact that the thought OF the age was ripe for revolu
tion The weird Gothic fabric OF ritual and super
stitOn which prevailed up TO the time OF Luther was
ltS uay Iact, III
accurate mirror OF the thought and sentiment OF the
age which originated IL. The world, however, out
grew "Goticism" (as M. Zaine would express the
medieval recling; and the world had nearly out
grown the views and theories OF the Reformation.
Scientific mode OF thought had In a great measure
taken the place Of the splendid though lunatic abb
stractions which were the spholding pillars
of the present system, and, In fact the
religious speculation OF the age had taken
scientific coloring AS scientific investigation had
proceeded 1t had been found that the principles OF
science were just applicable to social ana
| religious subjects as to any one OF the physical
scences-beng, in its broadest sense, nothing more
less than the investigation Of the laws OF being
and well being, physical, late .lectua moral and
spiritual. Hence followed the possibility that q
system Of religion based upon the purest principles
| Of scientific philosophy might be made applicable 10
every human need and every human wanL-whether
physical or spiritual.
Starting from such reasoning this, the Lecturer
| proceeded to explain the leading principles OF
| Comte's religion of humanity, the logical deductions
OF which Is that God Is obsolete idea, only neces
sary an unscicnhc stage OF CIVILIZATION and that
the ethics Of science are yet to take the place OF the
less realistic ethics OF the present system OIL religion
These lectures were yesterday, morning and even-
ing quite well attended, though obviously more OUT
Of curiosity than out Of any liking on the part OF the
| hearers for the religious novelty proposed, which,
was in the opinion OF the lecturer, " bring about
Il aA..e dc ..tft