The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-23


greatest moderation and charity have been observed
In selecting them. This Is, no doubt, attributable
to the general sentiment OF liberation and TO the
latOrs. But suppose that some religious question
should be before the community, and house pretty
to each other upon this question, The election for
chaplain might be warm work. Lei us nave no
%sS the the od
Koran is at any rate excluded. Here Ia decidedly
religious discrimination. Marriage, known 70 the
laws OF this country civil contract only, Is
solemnized by clergymen. or course those OF all
denominations are on the same footing In this mat
ter. and feels the least repugnance to their
acting; but still they do II under power delegated
to clergyman aud withheld from o carpenter Let
ahead. II they will be shocked let them 50 shape
'A' SILVIA 'A"' !" A''' ''DN''' " PRUNER.
The Swedeub0rgians Not Spiritualists.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
In the HERALD few Sundays ago some questions
were asked concerning Swedenborgians and Spirit
ualists, which many Of your readers would like to
have answered, some for the sake Of knowing the
truth, aud others for the purpose OF correcting the
very common mistake under which your correspond
ent seems to lie-namely, that the SwedenbOrglans
and Spiritualists IDENTICAL or nearly so. In belief
Swedenborg was not Spiritualist as that word is
now understood. He docs. indeed, claim that his
spiritual senses were opened and that he
freely with spirits and angels for many years. But
that of itself does not constitute Spirtuast. Nor
does the belief in the possibility OF open spiritual
vision. II 1T did all Christians would be Spiritual
ists they believe that the prophets and apostles
John Patmos, had their spiritual senses opened,
and what they saw and heard Is recorded in the
sacred Scriptures.
Swedenborg's case was unlike any Of the modern
mediums He was net In a state OF trance, but re-
tanned the full CONSEQUENCES OF all his natural facu
yUhtl hIa m IA
scenes OF the spiritual world.
The opening OF his spiritual senses was not sought
by him. but was. as he claims, q gift for special
purpose, and that as that he might from expert.
ence make known to men the substantial exist
Of the spiritual world and Of man as spiritual
being. He repeatedly declares that conscious inter-
course with spirits very dangerous except those
who specially prepared for 1t, and contrary TO
divine order, and he shows how and why 1t Is dan
gerous. He described the phenomena Of modern
Spirtualism with as much accuracy as any one who
has been familiar with all It's phases could do. He
showed It's dangers. and how unreliable any com.
by revelation.
swedenOOrg was distinguished from modern
Spirtualsts by devOut Delief In the divinity
III the Bible. He regarded 1t as a divine Book. as
written IN divine manner and as superior TO all
books OF merely human composition, rs the Lords
works are superior to mans works He constantly
refers to the Bible as the Word OF God as the re-
posItory OF Infinite wisdom and the only
reliable source OF knowledge concerning spiritual
and divine things. The greater part OF his theo-
woks e was sneya1 Gas tne Bs de
clares that he received his communication from the
spiritual world while he was reading the Word.
means OF conjunction with the Lord. No candid
mind can read Swedenborgs works without being
| profound reverence for the Lord and his Word.
| The Swedenborgians desire no other evidence
| than that which they ind In Swedenborg's writings
| to convince them OF the dangers OF Spirtualism.
rhe only points Of agreement between them and the
Tea ana Tia Of the spiritual World
| and Of man as spiritual being, when separated
from the material dody. For the benefit OF
know will menuon few fundamental points on
which they totally diner.
| absolute divinity OF Jesus Christ. They call him
Lord and they regard Him the only proper object
Father, Son and Holy Spirit is combined in His per.
| son. the Father Is In Him as mans soul Is In his
s1s SEy sRTi III. boS into Ct Oh
The Spirtuaists are mostly Unitarian or deistical
In their ideas OF God. and their writers and mediums
often speak Of the Lord In manner which makes q
The swedenOOrglans believe that the Bible Is the
and spiritual truth from Him. They believe that II
is written In peculiar style, according to the rea
Therefore. that It can never be superseded ven.
ture to say that there are no people who place SO
nlgn value upon the sacred scriptures or accord
on the other hand. the Spirtuaists very generally
reject the Bible as the Word or God and regard the
communications OF their mediums as later and more
correct Information from the spiritual world.
the Spirrtualiss regard evil ~ undevelOped good
and believe in the endless progression OF all men
The Swedenborgians regard evil as thesopposite
good r6y believe that ma mans ma ra
those In whom the principles OF goodness have
begun to germnste In this world win continue TO
advance In knowledge, goodness and happiness In
the other lie. The false principles and EVIL pas.
sions Of the wicked may become less active AMI
the gulf in their own characters which separate
them from the good. These are some OF the radical
BELIEF BELIEF. / make no attempt to say which is right
have only aimed to answer your correspondent
and 10 correct the mlsapprehensions OF many minds
| borgians aud Spirltualists.
the Swedenborgians, or New Church men. as they
call themselves, are not unbeevers or diabelievers
Tney accept the great cardinal OF Christianity
the fullest manner. They differ from other Chris
cardinq any vital doctrine but in getting rationa
| and Scrptural view OF IL They fully sympathizf
with your correspondent IN the desraneness and
which will satisfy the head aud the heart. IL was
the desire to find such system OF spiritual truth
| which FIRST leo them 10 examine Swedenborxianism,
and they have the great happiness Of knowing thai
they nave found what they sought: ,or
| Tho Restoration Of tho Temporal Power oil
| tho Pope Predicted.
To TIE EDITOR or THE hERALD-
IL Is strange that the HERALD, with all Its saga
city, should make such statements az "At last Rome
has become the capital OF Italy free and united, '
| when 1t knows 1t is neither the one nor the other
| and that 1t Is only q question OF very short time
when the smouldering volcano Will burst into
revolutionary connagratlon such as Italy has never
| yet seen. The Roman correspondent OF the HERALD
though prejudced In favor OF the Italian hlIbusters
tells pretty plainly that there is no unity
| IN
| rying out OF Papal guarantees OF whicf
| we have heard SO much, the following
| paragraph from the HERALD's Roman letter speaks
| volumes. II tells that the Roman people dare no
display Papal nag or Illuminate on the day OF JUDI
lee, the twenty fifth anniversary OF the nrst Pope
who mas reigned 50 long for 1900 years. The para
l rpad