The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-17
new Church IN SCRANTON
Differs from All Christian and Other
Forms OF Worship.
ITS VERY LIBERAL BELIEF
Heaven in n Material Sense Is Like This
World hut pcrfcct-llcil Is Not
u Place Of Eternal
Torment.


! u Place Of Eternal
Torment.
There is to lie new church in Scran-
| ton, not new temple, but a new faith,
for the first time presented publicly I'm
our city, a new Christianity, which
claims to be as different from all other
forms OF belief, Christian or other,
wise. as the Christian church itself
was different from the religions Of Jews
and Genties IN ancient times.
For many years there has existed in
| Scranton II small circle OF persons who
| accept the doctrines revealed through
Emanuel SweGenborg, the famous
| Swedish philosopher and theologian.
No efforts have been made. however. to
| meet for public worship or pronounce
| the teachings of the new church" in
a general way. until yesterday. when
Rev. c. Theodore Odhner, of Philadel-
phia. conducted divine services and
preached on the subject OF the Incar-
| nation In the cheerful school room at
Az Adams avenue. In the evening Pro-
| fessor Odhner delivered lecture on
the Life and Character of Emanuel
Swedenborg," and the leading doc
trlres of The New Church, contrasting
these with the general teachings Of the
"old church." Protestant as well as
Catholic.
Emanuel Swedenborg was born on
! Jan. 30, 1858. and died ON Dee. 90. l712.
He was the son of u famous Swedish
bishop. JesDer Swedenborg. who is
known in the history of America as the
bishop over the old Swedish churches;
In Delaware and Pennsylvania. Eman-
uel received an excellent education and
soon achieved fame. first as Il writer of
Latin poetry, then as Il brilliant mathe-
matician. naval engineer, metallurgiSt.
geologist. astronomer and natural
philosopher. whose works and discoV-
cries rivalled those Of Newton
lie Was in High Favor.
By the great war lord. Charles XII,
the madman of the North" Sweden
borg was appointed assessor in the
Royal College of Nuries. and con-
tinued In high favor with this mon
arch. In 17l9 Swedenborg was en-
nObled by Queen Ulrica Eleonora, the
sister and successor of Charles XII.
Being a man of fortune, he made fire.
Quent foreign journeys. publishing
abroad the great scientific works which
soon placed him in the front rank OF
European learning. His one great aim
was 20 find scientific road to the
knowledge of the human soul, and in
this pursuit his attention was more and
more drawn to the study of the human
body. on which subject he published a
number of volumes, which to this day
stand unrivalled in penetration and ra-
tional deduction.
While thus engaged he began. about
the year 1886, to have peculiar spiritual
experiences which eliminated in 1143,
when, as he sOlemnly declared. the
Lord himself appeared to him in per-
son, calling him to the Office OF reveal
ing to mankind the doctrines of the
New Jerusalem. which. in the form of
a new, spiritual church. was about to
descend to earth. From that hour
Swedenborg gave up an worldly pur-
suits and devoted himself to the ex-
ploration of the mysteries of the Word
Of God and of the spiritual world
which now were OOened before his
eyes. Until the day of his death he
continued to have ooen and conscious
communications with the inhabitants
of the other world. and to write and
publish the many and wonderful writ
ings in which the doctrines of the New
Jerusalem were revealed by the direct
inspirat tion and dictation of God him
self
Understood II in Its Spiritual Sense.
These doctrines he based upon the
Word of God, as understood i'm its in
ternal or spiritual sense. which is with
In the bible" or the literal sense. as
the soul is within the body. and with
out which the Bible cannot be under
stood.
The fundamental doctrine of the
New Church is this: There is only one
Cod. i'm one Divine person, the Lord
Jesus Christ, while all other churches
hold that there are three persons in
the God-head, each Of whom is God
by himself. and yet only one God. This
Swedenborg declared to he un- Biblical
and Irrational lie admits a Divine
Trinity, but holds thai this exists in the
one Divine person. as there is Il trinity
OF soul. body and operations in each
man.
Starting from this noint. the New
Cnurch denies the vicariOUs atonement
the bloody sacrifice of Christ. and the
salvation by faith alone. and holds that
the Father himself came down to earth.
took upon himself human nature. made
this divine by victory over all evils in
Testing man. thus breaking the power
of hell and redeeming mankind. The
blood Of Christ Is the divine truth.
which He revealed to men. and men
are saved by this. not merely by believ-
Ing in 1t. but by obeying it and living it,
The New Church. among other
things. denies the resurrection of the
body, and holds that man arises. three
days after death, in a spiritual body,
which has perfectly human form. The
other world is real world. including
all real things, to which man is accus-
toned in this life. A. first he wakes
up in a world. inter- mediatad between
heaven and hell. and here he is pre-
pared for heaven or judged to hell. The
latter is not a sea of material fire but
the grand society of all evil persons.
who continually burn in the fire of evil
lusts. The worst punishment and tor
ture in hell is that the devils are
forced to abstain from evil-doing and
compelled to work and be of use to the
neighbors.
What They Believe IicnvcnIs.
Heaven Is not cloudland. where the
angels forever fly about with wings on
their backs. praying and shouting and
'loafing round the throne" but heaven
Is Kingdom of uses, world of love to
God and love toward the neighbOr
which Is expressed by the performance
of good works and uses. Hence the
angels find their highest happiness i'm
the various occupations of their call
ings. There are three distinct heavens,
one above the other and innumerable
societies.
The angels have all been men on
earth, and they lead perfect human
lives. have cities and temples and man.
atnna Uornapfc nj .raa1 fnol III -