The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-10-11

Ian Outline OF the Future Religion of the
| World,' is the title of book of 600 pages by
| I. Lloyd Stanley who informs us that his OBJ
| ject Is to introduce general theorem as the
probable basis of such practical doctrines as
can be maintained in the future, now that
theological criticism has demonstrated the
uDsouDd foundations of many of the hitherto
received dogmatic beliefs He begins by
consideration OF past and future CONCEPTIONS of
religion, passing from this to we'll considered
argument on the rational expectation of
another life on physical grounds. Space will
not permit presentation of this argument,
but an illustration used will serve to give the
reader the drift of it. 1t is from Lord
Brougham's diary of his Swedish travel in
1861, under the date of December 10, written
near Gutenberg at place where he made a
short stop.
cat one in the morning, arriving at decent
| inn, we decided to stop for the night, and
| found couple of comfortable rooms. Tired
with the cold of yesterday, was glad to take
advantage of hot bath before turned in,
| And here most remarkable thing happened
| to me-so remarkable that must tell
] the story from the beginning After
| l left the high school went with
| G., my most intimate friend, to attend
| the classes in the university. There was no
divinity class; but we frequently in our WALKS
discussed and speculated upon many grave
subjects, among others upon the immortality
| of the soul, and on future state. This ques-
ton and the possibility, will not say of ghosts
Walking, Out OF t06 DEAD appearing TO the liv-
ing, we're subjects of much speculation;
| and we actually committed the fol-
| ly OF drawing up an agreement, writ
| ten with our blood, to the effect that
! whichever of us died first, should appear to
\ the other, and t. us solve any doubts we had
entertained OF the "life after deah." After
| We had finished our classes at the college,
| C. went to India, having got an appoint
| MEM there in the civil service. He seldom
| wrote to me, and after the lapse of few years,
hoA oil fopUn IL
| family having little connection with Edin-
| burgh, l seldom saw or heard anything of
them, or of him through them; so that all the
| old schoolboy intimacy had died out, and had
| nearly forgotten his existence. / bad taken,
| as have said, a warm bath, and while lying
in it and enjoying the comfort of the heat
| after the late freezing I had undergone, I
tnrned my head round, looking towards
| the chair on which I had deposited
my clothes; as l vas about to get up
| looking calmly at me. How 1 got
| out of the bath l know not; but, on recover
ing my senses, I found myself sprawling on
the floor. The apparition, or whatever it was
| that had taken the form of C., had dis
appt AIRED. This vision produced such shock
that had no inclination TO talk about it or to
1 speak about it even to Stuart but the i'm
| preston it made upon me was too vivid to De
easily forgotten; and SO strongly was affected
| by it that have here written Down the whole
history, with the date, 18th December, and all
| the particulars, as they are now fresh
before me. 1 recollected quickly enough our
| old discussion and the bargain we had made
| could not discharge from my mind the inn
| preston that G. must have died, aud that his
| appearance to me was to be received by me as
| proof of future state" Elsewhere in the
Journal, under date of Oct 16, 1862, appears
| the sequel to this story. 81 have Just been
copying out from my journal the account of
| this strange dream. CertiSSinaG na0rtiS image
| And now TO finish the story, begun above sixty
| years since. Soon after my return to Edinburgh
| there arrived letter from India announcing
| G-'s death, aud stating that he had died on
| the 10Th of December This is the story re-
| lated by Lord Broughsm, the clear-headed
| lawyer, politician and statesman. From this It
may be seen that our author adopts the views
| held by our New Church or Swedenborgian
| friends, relative to the objective existence of
| the spiritual world and the possibility under
| certain conditions, of temporary open vision,
| and the New Church doctrine of future state
| we may infer will therefore be one of the doc
| trines of the future religion of the world. All
| the great religions OF the world are taken mp
| and their salient features presented in clear
| and succinct manner naking the book valuable
Tor reference as well as instruction in the SUBJ
| jects treated of. The concluding summary of
| future religion will not meet all views, but APP
pears to be written in an honest and reverent
spirit, and cannot fail to interest any reader,
theologian or layman.