Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-06-15

ton of Swedenborgians has continued
in active session with an increased at
tendance of delegates after the first day,
and very large attendance of interest
ed spectators. But little business OF
general interest was transacted before
the last day of the session. The item OF
most interest to Tennesseans is the
licensing yesterday, by vote of the
convention, of a missionary for our
State, to travel, and preach, and teach
the SwedenbOrgian doctrines. This
geetleman is
HON. J. P. SMITH,
q McMinnville, formerly a circuit
Judge with considerable local reputation.
He was quite new to the work, but it is
evident that he will be well sustained
by the friends of this cause who live in
other States. This is made apparent
from the plan that has been to-day
adopted, and which will probably prove
of great interest to the people of this
denomination in our State, as the ques-
ton has been to-day considerably dis
cusSed on the floor of the convention of
missionary work in Tennessee.
1t was under proposition introduced
for the creation Of board of missions
was finally adopted with great una
nimity. 1t appeared from the discus
sions on this subject that the attention
of these people is now largely directed to
Tennessee and Texas; and two men,
bersi of the new board of missions are
Rev. P. Stuart, of Ohio, and Rev. w.
II. Hinkley, of New Orleans, who have
both performed missionary work in
Tennessee, and are anxious to see it
prosecuted. Itseems to be the intention
to sustain the new missionary from
McMinnville. This gentleman will, no
doubt, soon be at his work in the State,
and il may be of some interest to inquire
what he will teach the people of Ten
nessee. On inquiry, find these
NEW DOCTRINES,
to be somewhat as follows:
First-A new doctrine as to the Lord,
holding that Jesus Christ is the only
God, and based upon the text declaring
that Gin him dwelt all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily" This Godhead is
declared to be not three persons, but
three attributes or manifestations of the
one only God.
Second-A new doctrine as to the
bible, holding it to be the inspired word
of God, holy and divine both in letter
and spirit, but putting plainly forward
the proposition that it has necessarily a
spiritual sense, generally different from
the literal sense, but agreeing with it, as
the soul does with the body, and being,
in fact, the soul or spirit which exists
within the body Of the literal sense.
Third-The doctrine which, while
stilf new, is now so very largely recOg-
nized by all the churches, that religion
is life, not theology, and that saving
faith consists not in a mere belief, but
in belief which is made part of the
very self by being carried out or "ulti-
mated" in every act of the life. This is
otherwise described as "a life according
to the commandments of God"
The Swedenborgians claim that these
constitute all the essential and ne
cessary.. doctrines OF any church., and
that these doctrines are becoming grad
ually adopted by all the denominations
of the church, and as to all others,
christians are agreeing to differ among
themselves quietly because they are nom
essentials.
They say, therefore, that this proves
their theory to be correct, that the whole
church is becoming new, or in other
words, that the New Jerusalem is now
descending from God out of heaven.
We may not all agree in these ideas
and beliefs, but it is evident that they
are honestly entertained and are based
on the bible; and they seem to be worthy
our attention. The system does not
seem to depend especially upon Sweden
borg, and / have found his disciples
talking but little about his wonderful
visions, but talking a great deal about
the Lord Jesus Christ and his holy word.
The convention adjourned to-day after
a most interesting session. The time
and place OF the next annual convention
are not yet announced.
An English writer, dating at Wellfng-
ton, New Zealand, in the early days of
the present year, referred to the proba-
bility of renewal of the Maori war,
and to the then existing position of the
white settlers in the colony, in the fol-
lowing words: "There are unquestion-
ably the germs of fifty Abyssinian wars
in the various parts of the British en-
pire. All about the eastern and southern
seas small bodies Of Englishmen are in
contact with barbarism or perverted CIV
ilization, and no human being can say
what strange difficulty or danger may
not arise at any given moment from the
conflict of interests or ofpassions. These
countrymen of ours have right to claim
our aid and protection in their troubles,
but are we to be perpetually adding to
their number? The power whose respon-
sibilities begun with India and Canada
and then continue in a nearly 1nterml-
nable series and may well hesitate before
1t attempts war conquest Of the Moaris
or the absolute annexation of the terri
tory Of the Fills.
Miss Agnes Strickland, most illustri=
Gus of five talented sisters, descended
from a good old family, at Reydon Hall,
suffolk, commenced her historical writ
ings before she was in her teens: for at
the age of twelve, she wrote the rhymed
chronicle of The Red Rose. Three
years later, in 1921, when she was fifteen
years of age, she produced her first pub
hshed work-of which we possess an
original copy. II was called Worcester
Field; or, The OdVoIieT, and was q poem
in four cantos. 1t was reviewed in very
high terms by Thomas Campbell, In the
NeaV Monthly Magazine. Its, however,
as q writer of historical prose, and not
verse, that she viii be judged by posteri-
ty. Her championship of Mary, Queen
of Scots, seems TO US to be one of the