New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-27

emily reject evidences of this kind, though theli
consistency is purchased at the price OF an assup'
| ton which renders it ludicrous. The religious
believer however, cannot avail himself OF the same
| avenue of escape 1t is not given TO him TO ueny
| the possibility of these abnormal occurrences save
| az the sacrifice of the foundations Oh MS own
belief and is clearly not possible TO draw haro
and fast line in such matters and to say that Oh one
side of that line such things shall be credible OUT
not be credible on the other side.
| Mr. Worcester has wrought lovingly and enthusi-
asticaIy upon his biographical task and though
| there are extant many other lives of SwedenDorg
| the present volume is welcome, aud 1t is wen VIII
ten 1t presents succncty as possible, the sa'len'
| features of body of doctrine and inspiration
whose amount and difuseness render 1t repuS n@h'
| TO the majority OF men i'll a busy ana hnrrlou aee'
| Mr. Worcester is perhaps less successful in his
remarks upon the mission of Swedenborg' Ior
which we will endeavor TO make clear II, indeed,
Swedenborg had mission of the kind imputed 10
him. it is mistake to look for its accomplishment
in the comnarat ively few years that have elapsed
since his DEATH For on the hypothesis that there
ia shirt world whose influence affects If 1t does not
control this physical world. IL IS necessary 10
assume a very much broader and larger area OF
time than we are accustomed to. If. indeed there
are spiritual revolutions ii is certain that they are
rot less gradual, but more So than the revolutions
of purely physical change. The history OF Chris-
tianIty may be cited in support OF TINS POSITION
For centuries and not once but several times since
its foundation, il has appeared TO be III danger OF
pershing 1t has waxed and waned from age 10
age Internecine conflicts have convulsed 1t. Inc
excuses of semi-civilized humanity nave
brought Odium upon 1t. 1t has suffered from the
stagnating effects of theological dogma. 1t has
a.. ut al
supremacy It has been dcbauched by prosperity
until Reason rebelled against what 1t had degenerat-
ed into 1t has seemed the point OF rushing
into the abyss of anarchy. 1t has staggered under
the blows of Materiasm And yet every assault
upon il has served TO relieve 1t of somc abuse to
remove from it some misehievous accretion; to
force il 20 return nearer to its fundamental prnci-
pies Often its influence upon mankind has seemed
evil rather than good. Often ii has seemed TO be en-
ployed merely rs an engine of oppression Often 1t
has seemed to be rather a buttress 10 the tyranny
of feudalism than guide to liberty. For spiritual
revolutions move in large arcs, and 1t is not oten
given to unasssted human intelli gence to trace
their movements. The brightest minds the world
has known, from remote past down to the present
day. have speculated vainly upon tho mystery of
the universe, and the problem of mans Whence and
Whittier. 1t is therefore perhaps presumptuous to
suppose that those vast but subtle movements by
which the ultimate destiny OF mankind is to be
determined and which are of necessity controlled
by Power external to this world, can be followed
and explained when they have been but begun. AT
least we may venture to say that Swedenborg
was phenomenal man, and that lie did work tue
effects of which are probably destined TO be very
much greater than can be realized now. And 1T may
also be said if he because of the backwardness
of his age in many respects, could not avoid iailacy
and error it is not the less clear that the general
tendency of all his teaching was elevaing and pro-
gressive and sound aud pure, and that the churches
and the world have been benefited by his work. AS
Emerson observes concerning him, the truths when
he taught, passing outof his system into general
circulation, now met with every day. qualifying
the views and creeds of all churches aud of men OF
80 church