The Portland daily press., 1880-11-29
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.


foundation for belief in the actual existence
of Christ was examined Leaving aside the
question of inspiration, it is evident that if the
New Testament can be established as correct
history we are as much bound to believe that
Christ lived, died and rose from the dead, as
that Alexander or Caesar ever existed. The
charge that the books of the New Testament
were written at a later day than the time of
their reputed authors, and are, therefore, spu-
rious, has been thoroughly refuted. The early
Christian fathers, during the period 40, A. d.
-42O A. D., either quote or allude to the
books of the New Testament, thus showing
that it must have been in existence during
that early period. Strauss comedies the histor-
ical authority of the writings of Luke and
Paul. The historians, Tacitus and Josephus,
allude to Christ. The actual appearance of
Christ on earth can alone account for the pic
ture of Him which the Gospels give u.s. That
picture is absolutely faultless. We see in it
love- devoid of anything like sentmeutality;
gentleness, without weakness meekness,
without servility; wisdom, devoid of any signs
of pedantry; firmness. without harshness;
power, without its immoderate exercise; maj
esty, without oStentatious display. 1t is
moral impossiblity that so sweet picture
could have been drawn in such absolute dark
ness. But Furthermore, Christ's actual ap-
pearance among men can alone account for his
wonderful teachings, his miracles, the estab-
lishment OF Christianity, and the conversion of
souls
Passing from the historical to the doctrinal
phase of this subject, we find wide diversity of
views. Christ is said, by many, to be not God.
but man, the best and purest of all teachers
of morality and religion, who stood in
peculiar relations with God. and became
the pattern of goodness and wisdom as
they exist in the divine being. But
surely He was more than man, whose con-
cepSion and birth were as described in the
Gospels. We cannot deny the miraculous
conception without endorsing Joseph's suspi-
cions in regard to Mary. Christ's resurrection
and final ascension were not those OF man.
expense of a multitude of Scripture passages
which, in the Old Testament, foretell the COM
ing to earth of Jehovah God, and not human
exemplar. and which, in the New Testament,
identify Christ as God Himself.
The other general answer given to the queS-
ton, "Who was Jesus Christ" is that He was
the Son of God, the second person in the Trini-
ty, which is composed of Father Son and
Holy Ghost. These are declared to be three
but, at the same time, only one. The
certainly necessitates two distinct beings-be-
ings, too, of quite different, if not opposite
character. But is it not the plain testimony of
Scripture that there is but one Lord, beside
whom there is none else?
The New Church believes that God is one
and indivisible, and that Jesus Christ was that
God, made manifest in the flesh. She be-
lieves in trinity of attributes The Father is
the paternal love; the Son was the embodi-
ment of the truth, which he came to preach
the word made flesh; and the Holy Spirit is
the divine sphere or breath that is constantly
oir,u fort 10 tn rto1c
trinity is to be found in man, who, according
to the divine declaration was created in the
image and likeness of God. Every man has
will which is the seat of all his affections, emo
tions, desires, aspirations, etc.; an understand
ing which is the repository of all his thoughts,
ideas, knowledges, etc.. and sphere OF lnf1u-
ence, which is constantly going out towards
others. These three elemental divisions in
our nature are the reflection of the attributes
of love, wisdom, and their proceeding power in
the divine nature.
This trinity is also seen as soul, body and OPP
The Father was the soul or in-dwel-
ling Divinity; what men called the Son was
the human manifestation of the Deity; and
the Holy Spirit was the divine power. Christ,
then, according to the New Church doctrine,
was not the second person of a trinity who
came to earth, but was God Himself, envel-
loped in human form and in human nature.
But why did He essume this fallen nature of
ouIS? Because by means OF it He was enabled
to accomplish great work. 1t enabled Him
to come into direct contact with evil spirits
whom He had come to repulse;: An evil spirit
could never have tempted God in the wilder
ness, unless God had been enveloped in this
earthly nature, to which evil spirits have &C
cess. When, however, on one occasion, three
of the Disciples on the Mount of the Transfg-
uration were enabled to look for moment be-
Of that in-dwelling glory of the Deity and
they fell down on their faces in awe. Christ
went about among men teaching them the doc
trine of salvation, impressing His preaching
by miracles, healing the bruised and marred
bodies of men, yet all the time carrying on
this great invisible work of resisting the infer
nal powers. And when at length the evil
spirits were overcome, when their grasp was
from the bodies as we'll as the souls
of men, when they shrank back in fear and
mankind was redeemed from threatened de-
then the assumed humanity was laid
away, the risen Christ appeared to His disci-
Piles in His gori6ed humanity and assembled
finally out of their sight
1t is true that Christ affirmed that the Father
sent Him; but we may understand this in its
fgurative sense as meaning that the divine
love in the Deity prompted the Incarnation.
The Jews and Gentiles did not SO understand
it; but the promise was given that when the
Lord should speak to the world no more in
proverbs that than they should see plainly of
the Father. Had the Jews been made to be-
leVe InaI CnflSI was JenOVan, OF. WnOm tDey
stood in such awe aud dread, they would not
have dared to approach Him, but would have
fled from His presence And so, too, Christ
on more than one occasion prayed to the Faith
err but it was the pryor of that assumed hui
man nature which felt weak and tried, that
was addressed, not to separate person, but to
that indwelling Divinity, even as we sometimes
"turn to our better nature" when
tempted or in distress
The testimony of the Bible was then consid-
cred and Scripture proofs were cited for the
following points:-1-God is One Mark xii,
xiv, 81
2-The sacred prophecies foretold that Jeho-
yah Himself would become the Saviour, and
not a second person in the trinity or human
exemplar.-Is. Xviii, 1.3. ibid. TX, &c., Hosea
xiii, 4, Zech. xiv, 8. f., Is. XII /, 8. TO-
3-The prophecies were fulfilled. Matt j.,
%. %.
Christ identified as Jehovah.-Is. XII, g.,
comp. John i. 23., Ps. xiii, l., COMP John
K. A., Ps. xii, 16. IS. Z. 8.
5-Christ declared to be the Creator-John
j., 3. TO-, comp. Gen. l., 1.
6-Christ existed before Moses and Abraham
John l., As, viii, 56. IS.
THE book of Revelation procaims the
risen Christ, "the Alpha and the Omega, the
Beginning and the End, the First and the
Last, xxi. 49,, and as being above all Gods,
= xvii. IA
The lecturer affirmed that we should have
correct ideas in regard to Christ. If there
is but Que eternal God and Jesus Christ is that
God, let us pray directl, to Him and worship
Him. But if there is more than one God and
Christ is necessary as an intercessor let us, as
is so generally done, seek the divine favor of
this Mediator and ask for divine blessings for
His sake. The New Church takes the former
view of the matter. We look to but one Col
we pray to but one God, for so Christ while on
earth taught His disciples to do in the only
prayer that He gave to men. 1t is most un-
just, said the speaker in conclusion, to accus
US, as some do, of denying the divinity of
Christ We stand alone as a denomination in
declaring unequvocaly that Christ was the
Supreme God HIMSELF the Creator, the great
Il Am" who appeared among men human
form. To Him we pray, to Him we raise our
songs of devotion, before Him we tow. This
is our faith and may it be that the world shall
some day grow ready to accept and acknowl-
edge it.
CHESTNUT STREET CHURCH.
This church was crowded yesterday with the
members of the Methodist societies of this
city, at the union service, to listen to Bishop
Jesse T. Pecksof this conference, his first an
pearance here since his election as Bishop.
His text was taken from LIST Corinthians ii, 20: