Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1871-01-18
HEAVEN. EARTH AND HE'LL

A sun reporter having been sent forth
to find out what SwedenbOrgianism is,
and what its teachers and uphOlders are
driving at, he betook himself to the
Cooper Institute, where he remembered
to have seen a sign hung out to this un-
godly generation, informing them that
the fountain of pure theological truth
was flowing hard by, and inviting them
to come and slake their spiritual thirst
at prices named in the bills. Having
arrived at the Cooper Institute, we, the
reporter aforesaid, discovered that room
20 was the fountain in question, and,
venturing therein, we inquired who was
the head man of the sect thereabOUts,
as we wanted TO find out what the Swe-
denbOrgian doctrines are. To which a
gentleman replied:
There is no head man in our sect; that
is to say, there is no one whose lead we
follow without question. We all think
for ourselves, although, of course, some
are more familiar with the writings of
Swedenborg than Others
do you understand the doctrines?
we asked.
4 do. have studied them about
twenty-five years.
Suppose I interview you, then p
i have no objection
will you oblige me with your name?
Are you known among the Sweden
borgians pretty eXtensively?'
4 am pretty well known among them.}
Very well. 'pll now begin the inter
view, if you please
'GOahead,' said Mr.. Hitchcock.
THE INTERVIEW.
Reporter Well, what are you Swed-
enborgians driving at?
Mr.. Hitchcock-We think we have
the true science of religious truth, and
want to teach it to the wcrld.
Reporter-Scienee of religious truth!
Do you mean to say there is any tence
in religious truth?
Mr.. HitchcOck-We mean to say, and
we do says, that religious truth is as ca
pable of scientific arrangement and ex-
PLANTATION as any other truth, and that
we are able to give this scientific eXpla-
nation. The SwedenbOrgian theology
! bears the same relation to all other the
Ologies that the COpernican system of as
| trOnOmy bears to the PtO le maic, the
| Arabic, the HindOO, and the Chinese
| systems of astronomy. Those system OF
astronomy were based on the mistaken
| appearances of things, whereas Copeani-
Gus and his followers got at the realities.
| Jest so, other system of theology are
based on appearances, while the 'Swed-
enbOrgian system is based on the real
truth.
Reporter-What do you mean by zap
pearances'?
! THE KEY TO sWEDENBORGIANISM.
! Mr.. Hitchcock mean the way that
things appear to the senses. For exannp-
| el, the sun appears to raise and set, and
to 90 daily round the earth. The sky ap-
pears to come down to the earth all
around, forming what we call the horiz-
en-. The earth appears to be stationary
in the centre of her universe. The sun
appears to be small orb, not a millionth
part as large as the earth; the planets
seem no bigger than marbles; and the
fixed stars appear to be mere twinkIing
points. All these appearances are con.
trOverted by science, and the senses
have to yield to reason. It is the same
in spiritual and religious matters, which
abound with fallaciOus, misleading ap.
pearances, and these appearances have
to be corrected, and in the SwodenbOrg
ian system of theology are corrected by
spiritual science.
RepOrter-That all sounds very well
in a general way; but let US get at some
thing specific. What do you say, fo
7 example, to the doctrine of total deprav
ity? used to know a pious old LADY
when was a boy who was strong OF
that doctrine, and who always closes
every argument on the subject by say
ing. We'll. when you take away my
TOTAL DEPRAvITY,
you take away all my religionu Wha
do you say to that?
Mr.. HichcOck-OurdO doctrine as to tha
matter is that all human beings ar
born with sinful inclinatiOns, but nee
not commit sin unless they choose to d
so, and are not accounted guilty of 81
unless they do actually commit it.
Reporter-Then you must hold tha
all children that die before they reac
the age Of moral accountability go t
, heaven, no matter how wicked orheatI
enish their parents may be.
Mr.. HitchcOck-We do, most emphai
ically; it is a mOnstrous error to suppOs
otherwise.
Reporter-But if no babies whateve
go to hell, what becomes of the doctTin
of infant damnation?
Mr., Hitchcock-pm sure l can't say
It unless it goes to hell instead of the bi
/ bies, as it certainly should.
Reporter-But if the doctrine of tot;
depravity is not tue, what need hay
we of a Savior
! Mr.. HitchcOck-To save us from oil
= sinful inclinatiOns and from actual 81
al committed by every one personally.
N Reporter-How did he, orhow does
do that?l
IIr I Mr.. Hftchcock-It is not easy to tel
off-hand how he does it. In order to e,
D. plain it,tit is necessary, in the first i
9 stance, to explain our views of the int
~ mate connection between this wOr
and the spiritual world, including bo
HEAVEN AND HE'LL.
Reporter-That is just what want
get at. Please go ahead.
NJ