The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-23
Signs or tho Times-The World Not So
Bad IS 1t Used To BE.

bad as 1t Used To BE.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HRRALD:-
Who Is 60 blind as not to perceive that we are
living In q wonderful age-even a transitional
age-and that humanity Ia in rapid progress from
an old state to new ones whether the change is
likely to be for the better or worse may not be 80
clear 10 many. Old men, and the leaders of sects
when they see many OF the young and philosophical
portion of the community forsaking the ideas and
creeds In which they have been educated and en-
bracing new theories and doctrines, arc apt to
think that the world Is going to the bad at fear
full rate. But this opinion Is not uniformly
held by even the old men, as the fol-
lowing will illustrate Visiting relative,
an old gentleman between eighty and ninety years
Of age, who held closely to the orthodox doctrines
OF his youth 1 said to him. ''Unce Thomas, what
do you think Of the world now compared with when
you were boy and young man-is IL growing bet
ter or worses" With much animation the old gen.
tleman responded, 1.-THE world is a great deal bet
ter than it was when was young. There Is less
drunkenness Righteousness profanity stealing
and gambling and more bene Violence. The world
New York, but he did live in New Jersey, which Is
next door to New York. The Merites and Second
Adyentlsts have been trying to persuade US that
the speedy destruction OF the, world and
the personal coming OF the Lord in the
hearing one Of the preachers 81 the new sec Sect who
anticipated great things from tho whin OF the tail
settled this question Of the speedy destruction Of
the material earth and our race in the following
TO own The
improvements OF this age-railroads, STEAMBOATS,,
labor-saying machines printing presses the organt,
cation Of benevolent societies, the clearing up OF
the wilderness and draining the marshes of this
new Continent and peopling 1t with new race.
do not denote the speedy destruction of the world
the inhabitants upon it, but rather that hui
manity Is taking step upward and onward
Gential guidance Of our our Heavenly ' Father
This conclusion was reached long before had any
tanned in the writings Of Emanuel swedenborg-
before knew that the Bible was written accord
ing to the SCIENCE OF en 6
in which the Lord was to appear were the Sacred
Scriptures In their literal sense, and the New
material city was to be q new dispensation or
Church, with its new doctrines and life, with Its
call things new;'' that the sun, which was to be
darkcned, was not the natural sun, but the sun OF
heaven-the Lord-and darkness in the mental
earn od wsdo ns
not ever flow down TO man. but because men
and the Church turned from the Lord and neigh
Dor and began to love civil and spiritual power,
money, self and sensual qualifications suprcmely.
The moon, which was to cease to give her light,
the material sun to guide our natural footsteps by
night, but true faith which should reflect upon us
rom Our Lord jesus Christ to guide our footsteps
In the straight and narrow way when the cares,
anxteties and temptations Of life bring us into
knowledge Or truths Of the Sacred Scriptures
'ss s aeeoran ns' 70 e sSs Com
ments-is the only way TO reach heaven,
Heiee are e OF @ whe o
men Of the Church perverted the truths OF reyela.
ton to the framing OF doctrines by which they ex.
an evil life. ana reach heaven short OF constant
living EFFORT to keep the commandments, then the
towards heaven, fail and cease to give their light
to all who were confirmed in such false doctrines.
the dark night through which has passed The
sun darkened or the one God manifested in the
person Of our Lord Jesus Christ no longer recog-
Creator, by his viii or directions, understanding,
externally, by his Soul body and acts
changed go as to represent three persons--a
the Divine Unity and with enlightened reason.
The moon, or true faith, had indeed ceased to give
her light and the stars o. or knowledge Of good;
Scriptures, teaching that If he would be right
In the next world he must do right in this. or Keep
flshness and scnsualism have held high carnival
on earth in the darkness which has prevailed
first Christian Church. But thanks be to the Lord
He has not neglected His second coming, but has
10 s truths MS o Of ee
in the Son and the Holy Spirit or manifestations
OF divine love and wisdom flowing forth through
the Son to give fe light and blessings to mankind.
FIRST, that which Is natural, and afterwards that
which Is spiritual is the order OF regeneration.
How rapidly Is the new dispensatton being ulti
mated in the arts and sciences and on the natural
plane OF life, and the spiritual hitops are also
or cha the New New
rejected down among men, gradually enlighten-
ing the minds and warming the hearts of multi
tudes, within ana without the churches. "The
tidal wave'' is flowing in from the world OF causes
Freedom justice and charity shall yet prevail over
the powers OF darkn Tor the Lord Wills 1t and
has promised 1t. J. Z.
A "Seeker After Truth" Obtains q Little.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The llberality which allows expression In your
Sunday mornings religious columns to such an
interesting variety OF opinions will, hope, per-
NIT reply to last Sundays communication OF
"Seeker After TRUTH
To 'be BRIEF then, would suggest that his
arithmetic Ia much at fault, when, after stating
that the Church OF Rome comprises two-thirds Of
the Christian world, he asks, "In the name OF CON-
mon sense what remains?" and answers, ''Noth-
swsreG d and onetiirG dol Of the s' Chris
tians OF the world constitutes very large increase
the first Teacher Of Christianity and His Apostles
and can only be insignificant to one who could
listen Every c0mplacently" as Seeker alter Truth
did, to a sermon revirng two-thirds Of the Chris
Again, when he says that Christianity .'proves it.
self an imposition and sham" because
account Of Imputed corruptions OF Of the
true faith. his reasoning Is about equal
to his arithmetic and needs no reply: but when he
charges that the great aim in life Of the champions
Of Christianity is "tO make man an enemy to his
felow.man,n take the liberty Of answering that
he states what Is not true, mlsled no doubt, by
his rejecting (s mind" which discovers In the
Pope's ceasing to be political ruler and the dis
eyp Se
or true religion What he understands by the
"w0rld,' In whose estima ton he Gays Christianity
IA irctl mad fn linn 10 lofto
will care to know. Christians, 1t is said, expect
unjust condemnation nom "the world, the flesh
and the devil"
He concludes, "To err is human,r and proves
1t very complacently, "To forgive divine which
he probably learned through that Christianity about
which, In seeking after truth, he seems to have
discovered 80 little. Respectfully,
A STOCKBROKER.
Bsblo Truths Not Genealogical Conun-