New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-02
A UNIVERSAL CHURCH.


IN, Rev Cnaun.,y OLE the Church Of The New Jeru'aI,n
By special request the Rev. Chauncey Giles
Yesterday at Church Of the New Jerusalem
in Thirty-dfthst. sermon 1.-THE Church OF the New
Jerusalem which he preached recently at the Kew D.
Freeman Carkes church in Boston. An ample abstract
ia given below:
The new church has drawn her lines around little
section OF infinite TRUTH and says ono distinct step be-
yond these lines is possible; new facts may be dscov-
cred within them; the opinions already held may be
modified; truths may be discovered; but that
there be distinctly new aud radical step beyond
the ppresent seems Incredible" L doubt whether q
proposition can be made the Christian world which
would appear more preposterous than that such step
is possible and especially that men are now taxing It,
But the purpose of my discourse to teyou that this
step has been taken that what is known as the New
Church or the Church OF the New Jerusalem. is that
STEP and TO explain, far my tme.and ability VIII
permit what that step s II Is not Spritisn, with winch
Is so often COMPOUNDED 1t has less in common with that
phenomenon than has with any other church, or form
principles practices 1t not vague aud dreamy y
tcsm with which thinkers of note have associated
It, One OF its fundamental principles IA that " All
religion has relation To life. anu that the ire OF rogoh
do good" It's doctrines are rs substantial reasuc
and practical the mathematics. IL IL not system OF
disbelief unbelie IL cordially accepts al Inc great
spiritual truths Of revelation. IL believes ia the Lord
In not only the inspiration but the divinity Of the sacred
crptures and in the absolute necessity 10 salvation Oh
life according TO the commandments IL does Go ucs
differs from Protestant Presby teran from Methodist.
Tnaran from ynara9 n,S 6u by sG n1 r
ectpg Others II all that is true among all sects coun
that is false could be eliminated from them, it
would not form the system Of the new cherep p
dcnborg is no more the author Of 4, than New
ton Is the author OF the solar sgsen We gratefully
t1mSn for commnncating this system OF spiritual
truth TO men and IN doing It, we believe he has per-
formed the greatest service that rendered to
IN nv any BlI
than any any society OF men, az the ocean
of light broader and deeper than any plant or forest
can embody, than earth or ocean reflect
Let us see how man, the spiritual word the Sacred
Sep'uSs 'o ~ an, ,h & t snTit and
has material body which is merely temporary gar
ment Tor a momentary use. As "A spirit, man Is in the
human FORM has brains aud heart. eye and hand, and
every organ external ana internal which belongs to
spirit receives all its power from IT, and In every part
car is merely an instrument for the service OF the
the terror of humanity in all ages is seen to be an
orderly step in life. That great change which has hed
the eyes Pagan and Chrston alike with tears. and all
human with and which has been regarded
by saint aud sinner as the dres curse OF God Is seen to
beginning II look at the spiritual world the home
OF spiritual being, shall as great trans
formation from common opinion formed from an earthly
point OF view as we have in relation TO man himself.
From the earth. and seen darky through the glass OF
nature the spiritual world has appeared dlm vague
unreal realm OF silence and darkness, the habitation
the ages to be reemboied aud to regain substantial
existence. I know there Is much said and sung
doubts. disbelief But from point Of view it Is the
real world. Spirit Is substance. Spirit is the mold OF
all forms Tue material world gets It's form and the
form OF every mineral plant and animal from IT, This
feeting that is the permanent this the wayne, the
distinct the rude the simple; that ID the definite tue
various In form, color quality. and more glorious In
beauty than any material object can be the lines
finely and sharply drawn and the objects themselves
Tot md fria U so
beautiful that words cannot describe them aud all the
~ h OF ,ne world a ar sn adspsS TO he
each with perfect exactness Heaven Is an orderly
attainmens in which the freest play aud the largest
scope given for the exercise and development OF every
human faculty. and the attainment OF every human
The New Church is Unitarian in the broades. and
fullest and absolute OF the term God IL one In
aud person. - the fundamental principle, the
germ out OF which grows every doctrine and every par
tcuar truth. That adhere TO- and never admit any
thing which tends to obscure or conflict with IT, The
divine unity is something more than unity OF number
acter, unity Of purpose. unity Of method TIE New
Church Ia Unitarian but it is not the Unitariansln Of
the jew modern times. IL is a Unitarianism,
which includes the idea of unity in much wider and
specific idea of the Trinity of Father, Son. and Holy
Spirit in the person OF our Lord Jesus Christ The
any other church but 1t is not the Trntaransm
Of tho Ncene or Athanasan creed IL not only admits
The New Church Is Catholic; but It's pope is
not Pho N0uo nor swedenborg. but the lniaible
ell times the same. The New Church is Evangelical;
but is not the EvaDgelcity Of modern orthodoxy,
winch limits yangeca truth to its own conception OF
1t. Ii believes more fully, more implicitly, more pro-
foundy in the divine truth contained IN the Gospels than
any other CHURCH, The New Church Is liberal. broad as
tBt principles 81 humanity snt 10 berality docs not
In the that one creed rs a gOou
another. The New Church is rigid, realisS telel-
ism; but IL Is the realism which the glory OF the
spirit In the letter. values the letter for the spirit
adheres with scrupuous fidelity law because II Is the
path OF freedom and happiness. The New Church Is
rationaistic. 1t believes in the freest and larg-
est OF the reason In suhjecting divine aud
spiritual truth TO the most critical scrutiny; but 10
has sympathy with that narrow, purbnd
rationasm. which rejects all that 1t compre.
bend. The New Church Is Universal Church not by
NUMBERS not by organization. but by virtue OF being
measure OF man. OF man in the earth Of tho material
body, Of man In heaven angel and is exactly
adapted 10 all his spiritual wants. solving for him the
problems OF life and leading him by the shortest path
TO the attainment Of the highest good. II Is the science
OF the spirit, and 1t will work out the results his
spiritual condition that natural science ID affecting IN
his phys and natural condition throws light
his earthly condition, solves his doubts, dispes his
fears lifts his burdens increases his strength him
patience 10 wait aud Zeal TO work shows him the true
relations between himself and nature and man the
common Father OF all enlarges his freedom, draws
aside the vail which hides the endless future reveals to
him n new world more real, more substantial, more
gloriou8 than this, and him his endless way
ness.
THE PROBLEM OF HUMAN LIFE