The Portland daily press., 1874-07-31
THE NEW CHURCH.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MAINE ASSOCIATION
OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH

The societies and isolated members Of the
composing this body, begin their annual ses-
sion in this city, at the.house of worship Of the
Portland society on New High street, this
morning. Business meetings will be held Fri
day and Saturday, mornings aud afternoons,
with religious and social exercises interspersed,
while on the Sabbath there will be several SER
vices for divine worship, and on Monday next
an excursion.
New Churchmen. as they call themselves,
Swedenborgians, as they are generally termed
by outsiders, are in some respects peculiar in
their religious belief. While in the common
affairs of life they are much like others, being
found in all ranks and classes of the more in
telligent of our people, they strike a new OBJ
server as being remarkably unconcerned on the
subject of the extension of their denomination
in point of numbers. They are few in this re.
gard. Their societies are small, the largest
that of Boston, comprising some six hundred
members. bit being greatly in excess of any
other in this country They have in this state,
at the present time, only three soceties-those
of Portland, Bath and Gardiner Neither of
ohSSC AaSC Jultc TWO uuuuIeu
They say when you ask them if thiss not
feeble showing, or why they do not make more
Jealous efforts to enlarge their numerical Dor.
ders, that they are abundantly satisfied with
the growth of the Church. That it is as fast as
could be expected, and according to their mode
of estimating absolutely marvellous. They
claim that the church is one of new ideas, of
higher, more genuinely true and spiritual doc
trine than the world has ever known before.
That these teachings require maturity of intel
lect and an ability to look beyond a sensual ap-
pearance of truth to the rational fact itself.
But the mass of men are willing to drift along
IN religious concerns without the careful ration
al scrutiny which they feel bound to exercise in
their business affairs. There is, however, a
great awakening from this lethargy all over the
world. Wherever men are exercising their
reason, requiring their religious faith to stand
the test of common sense and enlightened in
tellIgence as well as warm affection, there the
New Chnrch is being received. The wonderful
modification of almost every creed within the
last century has been. and is, the extension of
the New Church. SO that they reckon every
man as more of new churchman than he was
who possesses more consistent and truly ra ation.
al IDEAS of divine and spiritual things.
You cannot arouse Swedenborgiaus to a re-
vival heat of desire for new members, but they
grow enthusiastic in talking of the glorious ad-
vance of spiritual belief
From what we have sal it must not be sup
posed that all the New Church teachings are
regarded as requiring keen intellectual vision.
On the contrary. they say they have much,
even more than others, which is adapted to the
mind Of the child. OF course we cannot in
these limits do Justice to these people, who are
so ready to talk with you and give reason for
the faith that is in them. Our readers must
inquire tor themselves to know it all.
Amoung those who are expected to officiate
during the meeting are J. R. Hbbard, D. D,
of Chicago, ILL.,, and the Rev. Frank Sewall,
President of Urbana University, Ohio.