The Portland daily press., 1884-01-14
The aldermen then adjourned.


Nov. Juliau IA OmJtDs formerly pastor OF
the Now Church Society in this city, but now
of Boston Highlands, delivered a lecture yes
ttrday evening upon Ssedenborg and the
New Church, misunderstood and misrep-
resented" From Scripture and from the
present divided state of Christianity, Mr..
Smyth argued the necessity of a revelation of
truth by which the Bible can be correctly in
terpreted and churches be brought more nearly
together. We have, sad the speaker, the
fact of our Lords life, We have the assurance
nay, in His resurrection we have the proof
OF immortality; we have the Bible as the re-
pository OF Divine Wisdom, and now what we
need is the divine unfolding of these central
truths of religion. He who announced them
must also explain them; for man left to him
self will only 60 on multiplying our present
differences. Now the claim of the New
Church is nothing less than this: that for the
fuller development of Christianity revelation
of new truths has been made known, not as a
substitute for, but as an interpreter of the
Holy Word. The proof of such claim Is not,
OF course, to be found in its mere announce
ment but in the reasonableness of the truths
set forth, their adsptablity to human wants
and their agreement with the Scripture. Every
New Churchman has exercised the rieiit NJ
determining this claim b, an examination of
the truths themselves. Thus, as has been
properly said, "the proof of Swedepbors,s
mission comes after the proof of doctrine and
grows out of it,
ton: some from indifference, some from mere
prejudice, and some from suspicion of Sweden
borg's saint.
or Swedenborg himself, said the lecturer. I
need say but little, since neither praise nor
must be judged py his teachings. Iu the face
OF the testimony which is at hand, both of his
contem poraries and of independent scholars
since bis day, believe it to be- undeniable that
he was wonderfully gifted, pure, sober-mind-
ed man. But others have regarded Sweden.
borg With disdainful eye, and-it NAV be
from the most honest of motives-have at
tempted to belittle him. W here we see the
wise, well-baanced mind, others have seen a.
dolt; where we see pious, god-fearing soul,
others have seen mailman. How long Swe-
denborg must be trcked out in the erotesoue
attire some see fit to dress him in; how often
we must see him paraded as an object for ridi-
cule, know not. And yet, do not cav that
there is nothing strange or even startling in
SWedenborg's writings. Must we not say the
same of the letter of the word of God? What
the church has right to be offended at is that
overlooking everything that is beautiful, help
full and essential, which can only be under
stood in the light of his general teachings, and
which are taken for the most part from writ
1ngs which he never published, and from these
invite the world to form its estimate of him.
From the misiudgmenta of Swedenborg as
man, Mr.. SmyLh passed to the misiudgments
of the New Church, chief among which,
he said, is that common impression
that we are indifferent to tue essen-
tias OF religion; that whilst we
have many beautiful theories concerning death
and the future life, nevertheless our whole sys-
tenn is fancifui, and that in this religion the
Lord and the Bible are forgotten or denied.
Amaz ng charge to bring against q church that
st .nds alone today in wership. q Jesus Christ
in His elorifed humanity as God. Strange ac-
cusatien to urge against religious system
which now in the very hour When nearly all
churches are recanting their faith in the
penary inspiration of scripture, which is be-
ing assaulted as never before, and lies at the
very hazard OF victory, prociaims to untalt-
ering belief in its absolute divinity. What
sun and moon are to The physical uni verse.
that are these two doctrines to the church. Be-
side them all other truths are but stars iu
faiths firmament 1t is time that men of other
creeds should recognize in the New Church a
stroug ally of Christian faith and Charity, We
40 n It presume To ask that all shall see the
claims OF this church as we see them; but now
IN these days OF religious perplexity, when
former beliefs seem slipping away, and when
there is such need for unity, we speak for fair
ness OF judgment aud an honest examination
OF those tut IS which we believe TO have been
dlvnely given. Those teachings, instead of
being mere vagaries concerning the future life,
are in reality most concerned with the duties
of this world; they insist at every turn upon
char ty to the neghbor; urge useful aud honest
living as the only real test of religion; enioin
us to be devout, believing men; lead us ever
from the goddess PHILOSOPHERS that are sspping
christendom of its strength, to the Word of
God; and bring MS as applicants to the Lord
Jesus Christ as the one and only object of our
alterations,