Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-25
coLoRED swEDENBoRa1ANs.
A Methodist Preacher and Some Of His
Followers Enter the New Church.

| A Methodist Preacher and Some Of His
Followers Enter the New Church.
An interesting ceremony will take place Sun
day at the clorch corner Of and 10th streets
northwest The Rev. Mr. Louis. formerly Of
the Methodist denomination. will be ordained
| into the ministry Of the New Church Sweden
borgian) by the Rev. CLANCY Giles of Philadel-
phia, president Of the convention of the New
Church In America. assisted by Rev. Frank
Sewall pastor Of the Church OF the Holy City.
About forty Of Mr.. Louis old congregation
followed him into the New Church and will be
baptized and partake of the communion.
1t 10 noteworthy to state that this 10 the first
organization Of colored people into the New
Church Cor Swedenborgian, as it is moro gener-
ally called, ) in the world. In this connection
sn interesting historical fact not generally
known is related and that is that the first move
ment made toward the abolition OF the slave
trade was made by followers Of Emanuel
Swedenborg. In 1879 committee Of Sweden
borgians met in Sweden to formulate plans for
introducing into Africa the benefits Of the new
religion. They found that slavery was a bar to
progress, that slave hunters menaced every at
tempt to establish colonies on the continent
The work of this committee interested followers
of swedenbora in England. A DR.. wadstrom
and Henry Candy, 1.-The Bristol Swedenborg,"
visited the coast OF Africa for the purpose of
carrying out the ideas of the Swedish COM
mittee.
In l7S8 Henry Candy, in letter to DR.. Wad-
strom, says: II have written our friend, Thos.
Clarkson, and also limited the same TO that
champion OF true liberty, Granville Sharp, esq.,,
entreatlng them to use their interest and in
fuence with the good and great to obtain bill
for the encouragement of free and friendly
commerce with Africa. which would soon
pave the way for that kind of intercourse that
would naturally counteract the system Of those
who are deaf to the cries of the poor and the
signs Of the needy" Associated with these
men was Mr.. Wilberforce, who, in l79l-eight
years after the formation of the Swedish COM
mittee-''moved in the British house of COM
mons for leave to bring in bill to prevent the
further importation Of slaves into the West
Indies"
The scene of the labors of DR.. wadstrom and
Henry Candy was upon Cape Mesurado where
Monrovia. the capital Of the republic OF Liberia
stands. Edward ". H. Blyden, LII. D.. envoy
plenipotentiary Of the republic of Liberia to
Great Britain, in an address recently delivered
in London. said: "Swedenborgians have
sort Of claim upon Liberia and right to feel
interested in her prosperity and success, as the
only aboriginal prince ever brought away from
her territory for training in England WAS
brought away by o follower Of Swedenborg,
and the most exhaustive account Of the region
Of country now occupied by the republic, given
hundred years ago, was by DR.. Wadstrom,
that eminent Swedenborgian who lived among
and toiled for the people of Mesurado long be-
fore Liberia was settled. Providence in per-
uniting Liberia to be founded there seemed to
be following up and putting seal upon the
labors Of those self-denying members of the
New Jerusalem Church."
The late Gen. h. Il. Mussey was deeply in
terested in the establishment of this church.
1t was through his sympathy and earnest sup
port that the Rev. Mr.. Louis, who had long
been . receiver Of the doctrines OF the New
Church, decided to come out and openly en-
brace its doctrines
This mission has been fostered by Gen.
Mussey's widow, Mrs. Ellen s. Mussey, and she
has earnest co-workers in Prof. ]. W. Hunt. Mr.
Eugene E. Stevens. Mr.. Albert N. Prentiss and
DR.. Malcolm Cameron.