The Portland daily press., 1882-11-27
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH


Rev. L. j. King, pastor OF the New Church
IN his city, delivered lecture last evening
on the "Chrstian Life" as it is taughtin the
writings OF the New Church. He said that
the New Church occupied theological stand
point entirely new; that the new doctrine of
Christ as the Supreme God brous hit to view
for the purpose of redeeming man from sin,
constituted new centre in the theological
world, and all who gained this new centre
were presented with with erander and deeper
views OF the Christian religion, Mr. King gave
full statement of the doctrine of "justi6ca-
tion-by faith alone" as it is taught by so-called
evangelical churches, and then vent ON TO
argue that it rested upon and grew out Of the
doctrine OF tri-personal trinity. He said,
"hemovo the idea that God the Father, sent
the Son into the world to suffer in mans
stead the penalty due his broken law, and
that the Holy Ghost works to bring men into
states where God, the Father, can impute the
merit and Righteousness of the Son to them,
and the whole superstructure OF faith alone
falls to the ground" He said "The old doctrine
of salvation by faith in the blood and merit OF
Christ grew out of the idea that man SUSTAIN
ed legal relation to the Lord, and that il he
violated the divine law, its penalty could be
borne by an innocent substitute But this
position is false, Gods laws are not the arbitrary
dictates OF an arbitrary monarch; they are with
III as, not outside us, Chrisl's death on the
cross did not abrogate the moral law or change
mans relation to it. The suffering of the ia
noeent can make no change in the relation Of
the guilty to the laws they have broken. Ii
mau, through the violation of physical law,
breaks his arm, to punish some Innocent one,
or to break the arm of another man will not set
the the one that is already broken" He said.
Every NAH must bear the penalty of his own
sins, while the sin is cherished the
penalty must be retained. The doctrine
OF Justification by faith alone" was
brought IN as means OF saving men from the
consequences of their sins while it left the great
fountain of sin in the deprsved heart untouch-
ed "The New Church" said Mr.. Kirg, "holds
that man is born into the love of self and the
world: that he Is thoroughly evil, and must be
porn OF God in order to be saved. But We hold
that obedience to the commandments is the
means by which he attans truly Spiritual
life. Christ came that He might give us pow
or to obey this law, and as we look in faith to
Him for that power we receive 1t, and thus
gradually grow in the divine life. The just
God cannot call us just unless Wa are just; aud
we do not become just In His right by simply
ascenting to mere doctrine. Men are justi-
ned In Gods sight only so far as they are just.
man Is Justified and saved only as he lives
life consecrated to God and the good of human
lty; there Is no religion but the religion OF life
Men are not admitted into heaven by an act OF
immediate mercy. Heaven is state of purity
and none enter it but those who have had
heaven formed within them here. Moral char
acter determins ones place in the spiritual
world. Thus no one is intautaineonsly regen-
Grated Let men understand that salvation
consists IN good character, and that character
Is termed by keeping Gods law, and we will
not hear SO much about men passing from the
gallows into the kingdom OF he ven." MIR.
Kings next lecture will be on prayer. The
New Church teaches that payer does not al
fect God and yet it insists that prayer is great
means of blessing TO man.