The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-06-18
Firieth Annual Convention of the Sweden.
borgians.

On Wednesday, the first day of the fifteth
annual convention of the Swedenborgians,
nothing of very special public interest occurred,
except the reference to the Ecclesiastical Com
mittee of a communication from the presiding
minister of the Massachusetts, association an
nouncing that he had withdrawn the authority
to oficiate from another minister of the New
Church on account of the adherence by the
latter to the doctrines of T. L. Harris, well
known Spiritualist, which doctrines are held
to be heresy. This matter seems likely to
occasion animated debate. II certainly strikes
be- considered heresy by the New Church,
church organized about hundred years ago
by the followers of Swedenborg, the llustrious
Swedish philosopher and religious writer, who
disavowed any desire to be the head Of a
sect or to connect his name with the new
church which he said was about to be estab-
lished, and who must be acknowledged as pre-
eminently the father of modern Spiritualism.
Swedenborg not only revived the allegorical
mode of interpreting the Holy Scriptures en-
ployed by some of the early Christians ami
even the Jews themselves before the Christian
era, but he professed to have personal imme
date intercourse with the inhabitants Of tho
invisible world. The first volume of his
theological works appeared in l749 under
the title of Arcana Cglestia, or Heavenly
Arcana, which are contained in the Sacred
Scripture, or Word Of the Lord, laid open, be-
ginning with Genesis, together with relations
of wonderful things seen in the World of Spirits
and the Heaven Of Angels" This extraordinary
volume is the fountainhead of all similar
works. including The Principles of Nature,
her Divine Revelations and Voice to Man
kind, by Andrew Jackson Davis, the Pough-
keepsie Seer. Indeed, Swedenborg predicted
in l772 that in about eighty years from that
date events would occur that would greatly
tend to bring his teachings into general notice.
1t is at least a singular coincidence that from
Is43 to 1862, when the eighty years expired,
the spiritual phenomena attested by the Shaker
Societies at New Lebanon and at Waterviet,
and the spirit rappings Of the "Fox girls" at
Rochester, should have inaugurated variety
of psychological experiences, apparently cor
roborating what Swedenborg taught con-
corning spirits and the spiritual world, exciting
universal attention, and resulting in a sort Of
nebulous, comet-tail like sect, which, accord
ing to Judge Edmonds Is now composed OF
FIVE or six million believers in this country
alone. 1t is therefore somewhat surprising to
hear the followers of Swedenborg, the great
Spiritualist, denoupce Spiritualism as beresy.
A remarkable change must have passed over
the spirit OF their dreams.
But still more surprising change is indicat-
ed by the interesting proceedings Of yesterday,
the second day Of the annual convention. We
refer our readers to the full report Of these
proceedings in another column, and particu-
larry to the mastery speech Of Profess
sor Theophilus Parsons, Of the Cambridge
Law School, one of the most learned lawyers
and philosophical thinkers Of the day. His
earnest and powerful protest against the man