The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-19
THOMAS LAKE HARRfa
Told OF BY Gao who Knew Hin, HIS Frac.
tees asa His Comnuuity.

Lake Harris and his peculiar doctrines which
has boon awakened By Mrs. Oliphants memoir
OF Laurence Oliphant. leads the writer. who
was greatly attracted by his teachings for
some years prior to the establishment Of the
community at Brockton. to publish some
"reminiscences OF this remarkable man.
Harris is an Engishman and Ia now nearly
seventy years Of ago. In his early manhood
he was q Universaliss minister. and at ono
time ofllciated for tho late Rev. Dr. L. N. Cha
pin In his church In broadway. between Spring
and Prince streets. lie atterward became
Spiritualst and developed unusual powers as
a trance medium. Like his distinguished dis
ciplo, Oliphant. he believed Ito was chiefly In.
srirsd by the spirit OF his departed wife. At
this time he preached frequently. expound-
ing his belief In spiritual manifestation.
Although Harris was never n SweGenborg'an
preacher. as Mrs Oliphant has stated. lie ro-
garded Swedenborg as a seer In the spiritual
degree while he. Harris. was seer In the
celestial degree. anu had been called to pene-
trato diviner sphers." At this period he was
In the so. called trance state three-fonrths OF
the time. and dictated an amount OF matter
absolutely astounding, his devoted vito acting
as amanuensis.
Between the years 1855 and 1858 he had die
tated and published Tho Lyric OF the Golden
Age." q remarkable poem OF prophecy. some
800 pages long; THE Epic OF tho Starry
Heavens" a poem shorter than the preceding:
Charity Green" a novel OF COO pages. lashing
the social follles OF the day. exposing spiritual
wlckedness in high places and In some in
stances quite exceeding what would DO called
decorum by ordinary mortals. aud this book
appeared under tho pseudonym OF Theodore
Hartman: the first volume OF the "Arcana OF
Christianity" an unfolding OF the celestial
sense OF the Divine Woryi. largo octave OF 500
pages Tho First Book OF the Christian Re-
ligion." and u volum, OF some 200 hymns. be-
sides writing for and editing Tho Herald OF
Light n monthly magazine.
In tho year 1857. with some devoted friends
and followers he formed q religious society
which no called The New Church" Services
were held In the small chapel OF the University
for Ave years. The New Church was defined
as Tho body Of Christ including within itself
the good OF every sect and persuasion through
out the world. excluding none. In It's visible
form It embraces all who confess that jesus is
the Lord. receive the Holy Scriptures as con-
tanning His Divine Word. and accept tho doc
trne OF regeneration through obedience to tts
comm andments and in the uses OF Godly and
self denying life" According to this catechisn.
the Church was divided into three degrees. the
natural. the spiritual and the celestial. In
the celestial degree were included thoss who
received the doctrines relating to the inner
life " with its peculiar requirements as later
inculcated by Harris.
In 1859 Mr. Harris. with his wife. went to
England In response to "aa internal COM
mand." 1t was at this time Laurence and
Lady Ollphant Miss Ina Fawcctt afterwnrL
Mrs. Cuthbert and Mr.. Cuthbert first heard
Harris. Mr.. Harris returned to America at the
beginning OF the war and resumed his minis
tra,ions in the University Chapel He electri-
fed his heaters BIZ his stirring patriotic sor-
mons. Each week he added q hymn OF free
dom to the collection no had already written.
He Was also strong advocate OF the Chris
tian Men alarms" an organization formed
for service In the rebellion. which never
advanced beyond learning military tactics.
although many Of its members alterward dis
tinguishcd themselves in the fleld. About this
time he published Regina a mystical poem.
which also contained collection Of poems
written at Bolton Abbey ana Whtby. England.
In 1852 he bought property at Wassaic (which
no said was Indian for hard labor. in Armenia.
Duchess county. New York. and began 10 pro-
mitigate his theory OF Internal respiration"
whereby those who Rave up self and the " Ord
to servo God would breathe divine aura and
re.urn to tho state OF the golden age. Harris
claimed to have received this breath directly
from Christ and being thus enabled to under
stand tho hidden things Of God. he W as His in
sha Gs F she
defined as an influx from ths heavens He
GOOD breathed this breath. and were supreme.
Gradually. however. evil grew a"d many fell
W ass s seH Evil Wis ITALY " p.came ram" "u
pan. and the physical or9ansm underwent
ural air instead OF breathing tho heavenly
aura. The external air. moreover, could not
c0% S5 the loss Of nS nsIs
however: those who were saved from this del!
yee. and these were T called "N9ah% Their
they were able to breathe the natural air and
thus saa AL q
was the first person in modern times who was
able TO breathe this internal Lr.ath;," He
oso taught ssa EFF S
Would conform to the spiritual cond ition. and
rom % Would Se rss nor
editary blemlshes and BECOME radiant with
nnH for shSs snnE Ss n.
I. a. ssn ties eaE from
Of heredlty might be cast out.
This new doctrine caused many OF his follow.
era to leave his ministry. A score or more OF the
community at Was.aic whittier H." had gone to
llVo IN 1oclusIOn. Inc HISL TeflulI 0tntnC after
the seeker for tho HIGHER life had made the 70.
quest to he taken int" tho Use" was that oil
family tics must 10 sundsrsd. as well Tor the
SAKE. "i the ono desiring to ,join the Use" as
friendly or inimcsl TO Harris. teachings Asin
the case OF Laurence Oliphhnt. hushan - w"re
commanded 70 lsaye their wives until they
In many cnss, whore the internal resplra-
tory organs were to be opened 1t was neces-
sarj TOR Mr. Harris TO he pres mt. Al thus GER
e.nony or rite he was assistel by his wue aud
hv ~ .iS yn n M N,,lt
and we'll known IN New Yor;i society: WHO had
% the community. Earnest prayer by oil and
iiorce conflict on tho pa!t OF NJ Harris til
hours before they wo's brought into sub sr-
lion in Gods name. were the means ON yed.
Intense rhysica! exhaustion, would often
at times sesm to nave fed from tho sxor:
c-er. Those In whom the inerna,
rsspira. lon ,wns openei would become the
spiritual children n II ,rrIs, calling him b., his
h" VA. known in III. community; The noyice
was then set to- tasks OF manual labor. A Wall
street banker. for sXampc. Was told that 10
short time his cutting. sowing. AMI bnttonhoIes
r those of an 0Xuort literary woman