The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-11-20
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.

/
Rev. T. A. King, pastor of the New Church
in this city, delivered last evening his lecture
in his course on the Doctrines OF the New
| Church." The New Jerusalem Church claims
to be the Church of the Lords second coming
| into the world. The doctrines of this church.
while they differ materially from the doctrines
| of all churches yet bring to bear upon the
| Bible a system of Interpretation that seems to
rescue the Sacred Book from the overthrow
with which RaUionalsm threatens it.
| The system of the New Church maintains
the Supreme divinity of Christ The verbal
inspiration of the Bible, and the necessity of
| the New Birth" These doctrines, they
claim, constitute a truly Evangelical Chris
tianity. The lecture last evening was on
| Redemption and Atonement." Mr.. King
stated the doctrine taught on this subject in
the current theology, and then, by way of
friendly contrast, showed wherein the teacuing
| of the New Church differed from it. He said,
"The old doctrine of the atonement involves
three things which we fail to find in the
| Sacred Scriptures, viz: 1.-THE idea that God
exists as three distinct persons. I'd. That
| He is capable of the passion of anger, and
| thirdly, That He can change His attitude to-
| wards the human race.
| He LAID great stress on the personal oneness
| of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and
| claimed that if God was one person, then, there
could be no such thing as vicarious atone
ment. He said, "If God is love, then He is
not capable of anger, and If He is unchangable
| He needed 20 reconciliation to man." THE
New Church" said MIR. King, Believes that
human redemption rendered necessary
because OF the power the Deyll nad gained
pies place intermediate between good and
evil, and his equilibrium between the two
endows him with moral freedom to turn to
whichever side he pleases, but at the time of
the incarnation, hell had succeeded in getting
perfect control of human minds, and thus de-
stroyed that free moral agency which is neces-
sary to salvation when this state was reached
God assumed our nature, and in 1t subdued
hell, thus breaking its power over human
minds and bringing them into states of moral
freedom" He said, THE Lord Jesus spent
His life in casting out Devils, and by that
means-as Saint John says destroyed the
work of the Devil" "This was redemption,
snd it was accomplished in the Spiritual
world, and man in the natural world was
made free to work out his own salvation with
fear and trembling" He said that "Atone-
ment meant something entirely different from
redemption. Atonement means reconciliation,
Christ at-oned His humanity TO His divinity,
aud thus made it possible for US to be at-oned
to Him. Redemption was a universal work
all men are redeemed. But atonement is a
Lord redeemed us that we might be free to |
bring our minds into union with His mind, so
that while all men have been redeemed in the
sense of having restored to them that moral
freedom which they had lost, yet no one is
at-oned to GUd until he uses his freedom in |
stunning evil as sin against Him. Mr.. King |
said, "The death of Christ was the last great
act in the dramt of redemption; without it no |
human being could be saved" His blood is |
the sympol of Divine truth, which, when APP |
piled to life cleanses us from all unrighteouS- |
ness, and makes sons of the Heavenly |
Father
His next lecture will be on the christian
Life" as taught in the Doctrine of Life for |
the New Jerusalum," by Swedenborg.
SECOND PARISH CHURCH.
At the close of the afternoon service at the |
Second Parish church yesterday, Rev. Mr.. |
Richards, who effciated in the absence of the |
pastor, read the following letter of resignation
from Rev Mr.. Dickinson:
PORTLAND, Nov. IS, 1882.
To the Second Parish Church:
NY Dear Brethren 1t is not without |
feeling of deep sorrow that hereby lay down |
the work to which you called me four years |
ago; bit after protracted and prayerful delib- |
GRAFTON am convinced that it is my duty to do |
so. For long time have felt that the null |
tidudinous demands upon my time and |
strength which are peculiar to this large and |
i'm portant field were not only making it i'm |
possible for me to pursue that course OF private |
study which is essential to my future efficiency |
as minister of the Gospel but were also seri- |
ously endangering my health.
These reasons together with others OF a very |
grave nature which am obliged to consider |
have led me to my present decision.
Having received an urgent call to field, |
the conditions of labor in which / am fully |
convinced will be more conducive to my con- |
tinued usefulness. / have felt, in view of all |
the circumstances, that ought to accept it. ] |
therefore ask that my PASTORAL connection with |
this church be dissolved within the next ten |
days. and that you unite with me in calling /
council to advise in the matter.
For your sake as well as my own desire to |
avoid much as possible the pain which
might be occasioned by too many final words.
Accordingly take this opportunity to express
to you my warmest gratitude for the kindness
and generosity which have uniformly experi-
enced at your hands. My relations to you per-
sonally have been altogether pleasant. My la
Joy. For these reasons and many others you |
viii ever hold sacred place in my memory |
and affections.
My prayer for you is that you may speedily |
Call to this important field one who shall more |
than fill the place which now relinquish, and |
that united under him you may grow in grace, |
and in the know ledge of our Lord and Saviour |
Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless you and |
keep you May he lift up his ceuntenance up |
on you and give you peace.
Affectionalg,
Your friend and pastor,