The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-02
MADE A HOUSE OF GOD.
TEE PARK NEW-cHURcH PORN
ALLY DEDICATED.

| Oe01SGtOty 6efl4Ou-&ho ET1HC1ple5
of the Nsw.chnrch Doctrine-The
Differences IN Belief Between
the New Church and the Roman
Catholic and Protestant Churches
Rev. ]. 3. Smiths Address.
The Park Esw-Church was crowded yes
terday at the dsdoabory service. The pulpit
and chancel railasg were decorated with
flowers, and the interior OF the church was
bright snd chserful.
The serv1os epsned with singing by Prof.
W. n. Smith and his quartstte. Rev.
Chauucsy Giles and Rsv. J. T. Saith read
bhs opening service: The Lord is in his
holy temple, let all the earth ksep silence
before him" The Lords prayer was then
ehanted. followed By an anthem By Prof.
Smtsh and Mrs. Rich.
Rev. Mr.. Smith read the scriptural lesson
from L Kings, etn chapt9r, and Rev. Mr..
Giles preached the deaioatory sermon
| Rev. xxi, 81.
why should the people who have done
| this work, spend SO much tfme and labor
| and money in erecting q new hons of wor-
ship Ia Savannah" the preacher asked In
beginning his discourse, andfhe added, SIT
| may be profitable for those who belong to
that they may be more assured Of toe wis
| dom Of the step, and the responsibilities of
| their relations TO their fellow-man. 1t may
be interesting aud profitable to others, to
| learn the real difference between our faith
and that which generally prevails in the
| established churches, that they may see
| why we find 1t necessary to erect houses of
worship, and form new organizations.
THn NRw-cHURCH BELIEF.
/ L. So
| q doubt, that by the Lords divine mercy
we have come into possession of new, dis
| tinct and satisfactory knowledge, which
| throws new light on all religious questions,
| and gives US the most important assistance
| in the work of regeneration and of gaining
eternal life The new EARTH which John
saw in the spirit, is this New-Church,
| and the holy city, New Jerusalem. coming
| down from God out of heaven, is repre-
sentation of,the New-Church as to doctrine;
the declaration contained in the words,
| Behold, make all things new" is one OF
the distinguishing characteristics OF the
church. Its doctrines are all new. 1t
views all things, spiritual and natural,
from new positions, and estimates their
value by new standards. The New Church
is not a new Sect differing from the Cath
olic and Protestant churches as they differ
| from each other It is a new dispensation
OF divine truth, differing from the old as
| the christian church differs from the jew
| ish.n
| The speaker said that while the New
| Church has to express some Of its terms as
other churches do, new ideas are attached
to them although they are the same out
| wardly they are different inwardly. The
| New-Church doctrine of the Lord as to his
| form, attributes and relation to man, is en-
| tirely new. The New-Church doctrines
declare that God is one in essence and per-
son and that the Father is not a distinct
person from the Son. 1t de-
clares that God is in the human form
de is the prototype Of all human qualities
and forms His form was not changed by
| coming into the world. The New Church
doctrine afffrms that the Lord is love and
wisdom itself. This love led him to assume
mans nature, and, like q good shepherd,
come into the world to seek and save those
who had wandered from his fold.
MAN A SPIRITUAL BEING.
The doctrine of the New-Church concern
ing man is also new. Is regards him as es-
sentially and really spiritual being, The
spirit is the man himself in the human
form. The material body is no part of the
real man. IL is only garment that clothes
and protects him; an instrument that he
works with in this world. It bears the
same relation to the real man as the
cbaff to the wheat, the husk to the corn
Death is, therefore, no loss of life, but a
step forward in life. 1t is no loss of any Of
the senses, because it is the spirit that loves,
feels, thinks and acts. Man loses no more
by dying than the ear of corn or grain of
wheat loses by being stripped of the husk or
chaH. Death is mans resurrection into the
spirit world.
The spiritual world, also, the New Church
regards as the real and substantial world.
1t differs in form from this world only in
being more beautiful and perfect Man has
no life in himself except he receives it by
continual influx from the Lord.
Another distinct characteristic of the
New-Church is a new and rigidly scientific
method OF interpreting the scriptures
While the letter of the Word treats Of Jewish
history and merely natural events, and con-
tains an imagery which conveys no intell:gi-
BILE meaning; it is full of spiritual truth and
of universal application. Everything about
it is inspired. When the letter says the
Lord is angry-full of fierce wrath and
| fury, that he hates and punishes-when it
speaks of great changes which will take
place upon the earth and in the heavens. the
New-Church interprets it spiritually to
mean that great changes will come to man
spiritually. They do not believe in the
method Of interpreting these declarations
in a natural sense.
NEw-CHURoH DOCTRINE NOT A FAITH.
| "Our doctrines" the preacher said, "have
the same recreating power upon all our
social, civil and domestic relations
A fundamental characteristic he said.
or the New-Church is that its doctrines and
philosophy are not a faith or belief based
upon authority, but a statement of the laws
of a mans life and of the divine life. and
their relations to each other. They are not
| an opinion of one man, or of any number of
men. They are not true because anybody
said so, but because they were true in the
constitution of the creation. The New
Church, the speaker said, has taken the
same step in spiritual truth that scientific
men have taken in natural TRUTH
The sermon was lengthy, but it was very
interesting.
After the services were concluded Rev.
j. E. Smith made an address. He stated the
fundamental principles Of the New-Church
aad gave the reason why people believe in
the doctrines
The music was an especial feature of the
service. Prof Smith sang the offertory.
Rev. Mr.. Giles lectured last night upon the
descent of Man." aud tonight he will
lecture upon the "Unity aud Trinity In
Man a Type Of the Unity and Trlaity in
| God"
To Libel the w. G. Sargent.
United States Deputy Marshal Arrived