, 1881-03-27

4 sEcCISCT EXPLANATION OF THE DOC
TRINEs OF THE sTEDENBoRG1AS CHURCH.
National Republican.
A correspondent who signs himself ~.
II. ST." sends us the following: "NVith ref
erence to the article which appeared in the
Republican OF Monday, under the caption
Of The New Jerusalem,' and in view of the
interest which has probably been awakened
i'll the public mind by the entrance Of the
Rev. Mr.. King into the communion to learn
something of the doctrines of the Church,
you will perhaps be gratitied to publish the
following brief statement respecting the lead
ing views held by New Church people. The
fundamental doctrine Of the New Church is
that in the Lord Jesus Christ resides the
trinity Of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, In
the same manner rs there is with man tho
indwelling spirit or soul, the natural body
inclostng it, and a sphere Of influence
proceeding from these two. Previous to the
incarnation there was no Son; neither was
there 4 Holy Spirit. as it is said in the
Word: ''The Holy Spirit was not yet, because
Jesus was not glorited.' The incarnation
consisted in the assumption by Jehovah Of
the human form in the person of Jesus Of
Nazareth. This natural body was gradually
made divine, Or glorifed, until at last all
tS
and one with the indwel1ing divine, and is
now the abiding tabernacle Of deity. Hence
our Lord left nothing III the sepulchrc, but
rose with all his parts glorified or aeifed. at
the time of the advent men for ages had been
spiritually declining, until the lowest limit
was re ached, and the devils Of He'll were
actua lily taking complete possession of them,
as recorded iii Holy Writ; and unless the
Redeemer had come all would have been
totally lost God out of Christ Is cotsnrn-
ms fire. Therefore Jehovah, as He is In His
Hell and reduce them to order; butby the as
sumption of glorltied human form and pass
age through the world of spirits He could do
so. Neither could lie have comnluned with
man, for the brightness Of His presence
lite. 'God was in Christ reconciling the
world to HIMSELF; and q sacrifice Of one
God was not. made to appease the
wrath ot another, and thereby recon-
Of the M % vas The ast act IN the
making the human derived from Mary a part
Of the internal divine. Our Lord appears in
the heavens as Il sun, and from Him proceed
spiritual heat and light, corresponding to the
natural world; and this proceeding divine,
termed the HOLY Spirit, enters mai as i'm
perceptibly as do the rays Of the sun into
vegetation. This proceeding divine is in all
!!lcHs Aot L1o ASAt Sill1ictH Ill uhrkueSS, lnu
The darkness conlprehendetIl it-not'; but,
like the gentle, alt-embracing sunlight which
fills and animates our natural universe,
raises some into the life Of the angels, be-
cause Of their receptiylty, and in others it is
received as in the SUMS rays by rank and
noxions vegetation: but it is the same gen
erous sun which shines upon alt-hower and |
weed alike. Unless, therefore, man opens |
the door and permits the warm fountain Of |
life to enter III its fulness, and coijperates |
with the divine by stunning evils as sins
4 gainst God, lie lives contrary to the law Of |
lis being and opposed to God. and, upon |
death, voluntarily enters into the society OF |
Ehe evil, because like seeks like, and tie can
not endure the presence of the good and the |
true.
Hell has not been formed By any arbitrary
licta, but is the result OF a law correspond
ne to the we'll recognized law of affinity.
He'll has been formed by vast bodies Of men |
and living similar existence In |
the world OF spirit which they had followed
II the natural, for Immediately upon death
zach individual seeks the society Of those, |
good or evil, who are in like state with
himself; and this he does most freely, be-
,ause the life of Heaven is to him intolerable
.nguish. and it is a nerciful dispensation Of
Divine Providence that he is permitted to do