Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-01-18

10 get at. Please go ahead.
Mr.. HitchcOck-Thes spiritual world
IS not remote from this world, on
some unknown planet, as is COM
monty supposed. II is right here,
close to this world, and within II.
When q man lives a good life he
draws angels and good spirits who
inhabit the spiritual world near to
him II he lives an evil life, he draws
evil spirits and devils around him.
Reporter-What Is the difference
between a good spirit and an angel,
and an evil spirit and q devil /?
Mr.. Hiteheoek-A good spirit is q
good human being who has passed
from this world, but has not yet be-
come an angel. An angel is q good
human being who has been perfected
i'm the spiritual world up to the status
Of angelhood, and been thereby ele-
waited into heaven. An evil spirit Is
q wicked human being who has passed
from this world, but has not yet be-
come 8 devil. A devil Is q wicked
human being who, having passed into
the world OF spirits, has blosss0ned
out into fuli-blown devilhOod ana
gone to his home In hell.
Reporter-YOu talk about the world
of spirits as though It were place to
which good and bad spirits go in COM
mon previous TO their being sent to
heaven or hell.
Mr.. Hitchcock-Yes, the world Of
spirits is an intermediate state be-
tween heaven and hell. It is where
we all 20 Immediately after death,
before we are finally sorted out and
disposed of according to our real char
acters. Now, to come back TO the
spirits which a man draws around
him in this world by his life, and on
which 1 must predicate my explana-
ton of the work of salvation when
the Saviour did for us. By the IN
strumentality Of good spirits and
angels the Lord is always trying to
save us from the Vaccinations Of evil
spirits and devils. But when the
whole human race is unspeakably
wicked, as it was at the time Of the
Lords appearance on earth, special
| efforts to this end are necessary. AT
| the time Of the SaviOur's advent the
/ evil spirits and devils had got such q
hold upon men as to take possession
not only Of their minds and hearts,
but Of their bodies, also, as we read IN
the gospels, and the instrumentaiity
of angels and good spirits was not
sufficient to resist them. The Lord
therefore, came himself down TO the
plane Of human life, and on thai
plane fought with his own omnlpO'
tenee against hell and its allies, drove
them back, and thus saved men from
destruction.
Reporter-DO you mean that it wa
God himself who did this?
Mr.. Hitchcoek-Yes, I do. There
is but one God. The Son Of God il
the name given to the manifestation
of Himself here on earth, and the
Holy Spirit is the holy influence tha
proceeds from Him.
Reporter-Wbat becomes Of the vi
carious atonement, then?
Mr.. HifcheOek-The viearious at
tenement, as expOunded by old-fash
ioned theOlogians, is q misconceptioT
of the truth, just as the PtOlmaic sys
tenn of astronomy was q misconeep
ton OF astronomical facts. It rest
upon the assumption that God wa
angry with His creatures, and needeI
to be pacifed, and would not let VI
Oh the offenders until somebody hat
been adequately punished for thei
offences. Gods alleged anger is g.
appearance produced by our guile
conscience. The truth is that 60
loves the sinner Just as much as h
loves the saint, and always seeks tn
sinners good. To remove this ap
pearance OF anger, it is only neces
sary for us to repent Of our sins an
. - H1,a funf IN n0u1
from night TO day, 1t is necessary 70
the earth to turn, and not for tn
, sun to change its position. The SUI
shines en- just the same all the time
whether it be hidden by clouds o
shut out from US by the earth's turn
ing away from it; and so, too, doe
the Lords love shine on just th
same all the time, no matter how
NAV be obseured by the clouds {
evil, or shut out Of our hearts by ou
turning away from the Lord. So yo
: see that redemption was a delivel
ance from the powers of hell to enabl
e US 10 turn again TO God, and was NJ
a deliveranee from the wrath of Co
IS that phrase is usually understOO'
s The work which the Lord did in r
3 demption was indeed vicariOus. b
did in our place what We could m
:, do for ourselves. AtOnement, agail
s / means sFeeOnciliatiOn-or, as 1t Is SOM
t times spelled, at-one-ment; and 1t
}, We who are recOneiled to God, an
: not God to us. He does not need an
: recOneiling, but we do, because 1t
! is we who have gone astray.
: is we who must be brought bacl
o I To repeat our astronomical illustr
: ton. there Is no change in God an
L more than there is in the sun 1t
: the earth which must turn in our o
n der TO receive the suns heat ar
: light. ,
Q RepOrter-Au the preachers say u
4 same thing-that we must turn 10 q
J, Lord and seek salvation. Is yOI
S way Of doing that different fro
theirs?
y MI. Hitchcock will not atbem
to state their method, but will on
tell you what ours Is. Our way
turning to the Lord is to repent
y ones sins, pray to the Lord for hel
Z and above all to keep the eomman
= ments.
Reporter-That seems to be Orth
{ dox. I was brought up q Methods
and that is Just what they preached.
There does not seem to be much pra
!. teal difference after all between "
y and the rest of the religious world.
: Mr.. Hitchcock should be We
= glad to believe that that was so. III
= use Of all religion Is to make go
Z men and women on earth. and ang'
e in heaven. So far IS the hethodi
l. Catholic. or Mahomedan religion C
do that, it has my hearty sympath
\ Indeed, SwedenbOrg teaches that,
y the providence Of the Lord, believe
of all forms of religion are saved,
= they only live good lives according
, their religious preeepts.
VI Reporter-Whst is the advantage
st your form Of religion, then. over OF
~ ers?
Of Mr.. Hitcheoek-The advantage co
n sists in being free from the errors al
rs misconceptions which embarrass a
10 mislead believers in other systems.
le RepOrter-What errors and m
~ conceptions do you refer to?
~ Mr.. Hitehcoek-That OF Gods
at ing angry with US, and demanding
victim to appease his wrath, for
to ample, and the consequent miseC
rs eeption of the real nature OF the Atol
ut mant. the trinity Of three distiI
ey persons the doctrine that heaven a
ed hell are arbitrarily given by the 10
ly and are not the result OF eternal Lay
these. and kindred errors flowing trl
~ I 49, ,.,,-.T. ,v,d aon fuSa naODl