SWEDENBORG PORTRAIT       BARBARA B. BARNITZ       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE

Vol. LXII
January, 1952
No. 1

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE TEACHINGS
REVEALED THROUGH EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

Emanuel Swedenborg                              Frontispiece
The Swedenborg Portrait
     Barbara B. Barnitz                              1
Seeing the Future
     A Sermon on Isaiah 42: 9
          Hugo Lj. Odhner                              3
A Talk to Children
     Emanuel Swedenborg
          W. Cairns Henderson                         7
The Psychology of Man and Woman
     Erik Sandstrom                                   9
The Principles of the Academy
     1. Introduction
          Elmo C. Acton                              19
Canadian Northwest
     A Pastoral Visit
          Karl R. Alden                              22
Education in the Name of the Lord
     Charter Day Address
          David R. Simons                              27
Reviews
     The Last Judgment                                   34
     The Word Explained: Indices                         36
Editorial Department
     The Church Militant                              38
     -And Regenerate At Leisure!                         39
Church News                                             41
Announcements
     Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriage, Deaths               47
Annual Council Meetings-January 28-February 2-Program          48

PUBLISHED AT

PRINCE AND LEMON STS., LANCASTER, PA.
BY

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Editor. Mr. H. Hyatt, Business Manager
SUBSCRIPTION: $3.00 A YEAR TO ANY ADDRESS. SINGLE COPY 30 CENTS.

February 1952
No. 2.

Prayer
     A Sermon on Luke 11: 4
          Henry Heinrichs                              49
Order and Organization
     A Revised Statement
          George de Charms                              55
The Pattern of Rational Thought
     Sydney F. Lee                                   64
The Earth is the Lord's
     Kenneth Rose                                   70
Canadian Northwest
     A Pastoral Visit
          Karl P. Alden                              77
The Principles of the Academy
     2. The First Principle
          Elmo C. Acton                              82
The Church
     F. E. Gyllenhaal                                   85
Review
     Swedenborg's Preparation                         89
Editorial Department
     Swedenborg in the Lexicons                         91
     Conjugial Choice                                   92
     The Priesthood in the Home                         94
Communication
     Divine Foresight and Human Freedom
          Theodore Pitcairn                              96
Church News                                             101
Announcements
     Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Death               107

March 1952
No. 3.

Wisdom is Loving Uses
     A Sermon on Genesis 9: 20-23
          Morley D. Rich                              109
The Principles of the Academy
     3. The Second Principle
          Elmo C. Acton                              116
The Mature Mind
     Eldric S. Klein                                   119
Missionary Ingenuity
     William Whitehead                                   127
Rebaptism: An Historical Review
     Roy Franson                                        128
New Degrees in the Academy
     A Statement
          George de Charms                              135
The Pattern of Rational Thought
     Sydney E. Lee                                   136
General Church Sound Recording Committee                    144
Reviews
     Of interest to Young People
          David R. Simons                              145
     A Zulu Hymnal                                   147
Editorial Department
     The Destiny of Evil                              148
     The Bible in Modern English                         148
     Association With Other Churches                    149
     A Spiritual Concept of Service                    150
Communication
     The Nature of Divine Omniscience
          Alfred Acton                              152
Church News                                             153
Announcements
     Baptisms, Confirmation, Deaths                    156

April 1952
No. 4.

Chancel of the Advent Church                         Frontispiece
Dedication of the Advent Society Church                    157
Divine Intercession
     A Sermon on John 17:17
          George de Charms                              162
A Talk to Children
     The Heavenly Joseph
          W. Cairns Henderson                         168
The Principles of the Academy
     4. Second Principle: Social Life
          Elmo C. Acton                              170
Miss Caroline Augusta Hobart
     An Obituary
          Karl R. Alden                              173

     ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS

Council of the Clergy Sessions
     W. Cairns Henderson                              175
Joint Council Session
     Hugo Lj. Odhner                                   177
Annual Reports
     Secretary of the General Church
          Hugo Lj. Odhner                              181
     Council of the Clergy
          W. Cairns Henderson                         184
     Corporations of the General Church
          Edward H. Davis                              189
     Treasurer of the General Church
          Hubert Hyatt                              189
     Editor of "New Church Life"
          W. Cairns Henderson                         201
     Religion Lessons Committee
          Fred E. Gyllenhaal                         202
     Sound Recordings Committee
          Morley D. Rich                              204
     Ministerial Salary Committee
          Philip C. Pendleton                         204
     Visual Education Committee
          William R. Cooper                              205

Editorial Department
     The Advent Society                              206
     The Approach to Doctrine                         207
     Universal Redemption                              108
Communication
     Saving the Lay Student's Time
          Harold F. Pitcairn                         210
Church News                                             211
Announcements
     Baptisms, Confirmation, Marriages, Deaths               216

May 1952
No. 5

The Communication of the Holy Spirit
     Address to Council of the Clergy
          Norbert H. Rogers                              217
The Task of Regeneration
     A Sermon on John 3:3
          Joao de Mendonca Lima                         230
The Principles of the Academy
     5. The Third Principle
          Elmo C. Acton                              235
Every Idle Word
     Hugo Lj. Odhner                                   238
Elsa Synnestvedt
     Karen Synnestvedt                                   242
Editorial Department
     The Mark of the Beast                              251
     The Sense of Guilt                              251
     Gathered in His Name                              252
     The Songs of the Church                              253
Church News                                             256
Announcements
     Academy Joint Meeting-June 7                         262
     Swedenborg Scientific Association-May 27               262
     Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Deaths          262
     Ministerial Changes                              264

June 952
No. 6.

The Second Coming of the Lord
     A Sermon on Matthew 24: 3
          F. E. Gyllenhaal                              263
A Talk to Children
     The Tabernacle of God
          W. Cairns Henderson                         276
The Glorification of the Lord
     Address to the Council of the Clergy
          Karl R. Alden                              274
Behind the Surface
     David R. Simons                                   281
The Principles of the Academy
     6. Third Principle: Continued
          Bishop C. Acton                              283
The Book of Psalms
     Hugo Lj. Odhner                                   286
Pious Frauds
     Eldric S. Klein                                   291
Spiritual Bonds
     Alfred Acton                                   293
Review
     The College: An Accreditation Questionnaire
          E. Bruce Glenn                              294
Editorial Department
     The Rewards of Labor                              296
     The Measure of a Man                              297
     The Rite of Confirmation                         297
     Reading the Writings                              299
     The Marriage of the Lamb                         300
Communication
     Paracelsus and the "Limbus"
          Student                                   303
Church News                                             305
Announcements
     39th British Assembly-August 2-4                    310
     Academy Joint Meeting-June 7                         310
     Sons of the Academy Annual Meetings-June 27-28          310
     Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Deaths          310
     General Church and Academy Changes                    312

July 1952
No. 7.

Marriage and Regeneration
     A Sermon on Genesis 2: 21, 22
          Hugo Lj. Odhner                              313
Safeguards of Marriage
     A Sermon on Matthew 19: 4-6
          Hugo Lj. Odhner                              319
The Principles of the Academy
     7. The Third Principle: Concluded
          Elmo C. Acton                              325
Swedenborg Concordance Jubilee
     Edwin Fieldhouse                                   328
The Moravians and Bishop Andrew Benade
     Eldric S. Klein                                   333
Dr. Anshutz: Editor and Novelist
     William Whitehead                                   342
Two Recent Articles                                   344
Editorial Department
     The Mystique of Modernity                         347
     The Scourge of God                              348
     Church Membership                                   348
     Trust-Or Fatalism?                              349
Communication
     Reading the Writings
          Karl R. Alden                              351
Church News                                             353
Announcements
     39th British Assembly-August 2-4. Program               359
     Educational Council-August 18-22                    359
     Dawson Creek Local Assembly-July 31                    360
     Baptisms, Confirmation, Marriages, Deaths               360

August 1952
No. 8.

The Principles of the Academy
     8. The Fourth and Fifth Principles
          Elmo C. Acton                              361
Commencement Day Address, 1952
     Edward F. Allen                                   364
The Background of Communism
     Donald Fitzpatrick, Jr.                              369
Ordinations-19th of June
     Declarations of Faith and Purpose                    374
Swedenborg's Philosophical Works
     Three Banquet Addresses                              377
London Report                                        385
Editorial Department
     Baptism as an Essential                              388
     Self-Examination                                   389
     The Social Gospel                                   390
     "The Monstrous Regiment of Women"                    392
Communication
     Two Views of Accommodation
          Hyland R. Johns                              394
Church News                                             398
Announcements
     Ordinations, Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Deaths     406
     Educational Council-August 18-22                    408

September 1952
No. 9.

The Education of Children
     A Sermon on Luke 11: 11-13
          A. Wynne Acton                              409
The Principles of the Academy
     9. The Sixth Principle
          Elmo C. Acton                              413
"Words for the New Church"
     A Review and Revaluation
          Kenneth Rose                              416
Use and Human Freedom
     Geoffrey Pell Dawson                              421
Two Recent Articles                                   431
Reviews
     Stories from the Word. Volume V
          Louis B. King                              435
     General Church Handbook                              437
     The Golden Heart                                   438
     General Church Hymnal                              438
Editorial Department
     A Doubtful Analogy                              440
     Leaving, Or Putting in Freedom?                    440
     Two Loves of Spiritual Offspring                    441
     The Conditions of Repentance                         442
     The Revised Standard Bible                         443
     Education for Use                                   444
Communication
     The Pattern of Rational Thought
          Sydney E. Lee                              447
Local Schools Directory, 1952-1953                         450
Church News                                             451
Announcements
     Charter Day-October 17-18, 1952                    455
     Episcopal Visits in October and November               455
     Baptisms, Deaths                                   456

October 1952
No. 10.

Educational Council
     Report of Tenth Meeting
          Lyris Hyatt                                   457
Peace River Block District Assembly
     Report of Proceedings
          Loraine Lemky                              460
The Lord's Presence in the Word
     A Sermon on John 1: 8, 9
          Erik Sandstrom                              462
The New Church and Its Assailants
     A Sermon on Revelation 12
          Stephen E. Butelezi                         467
"An Enlightening Discussion"                              473
The Principles of the Academy
     10. The Seventh Principle
          Elmo C. Acton                              474
Swedenborg Foundation Report                              477
General Conference: The Revised Creed                    478
New Wine from Old Bottles?
     A Study of Milton's "Paradise Lost"
          E. Bruce Glenn                              481
Change
     David R. Simons                                   490
Editorial Department
     By What Authority?                              493
     Shall Neither Break Nor Quench                    494
     The Definition of Heresy                         495
     "Here I Stand"                                   496
     Sickness and Reformation                         497
Communication
     Comments from Australia
          W. R. Homer                               499
Church News                                             500
Announcements
     Charter Day-October 17-19, 1952                    503
     Episcopal Visits in October and November               503
     Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Death               504
     Academy Enrollment for 1952-1953                    504

November 1952
No. 11

Thirty-Ninth British Assembly
     Report of the Proceedings
          Alan Gill                                    505
Where Two Worlds Meet
     Presidential Address
          Hugo Lj. Odhner                               509
The Promise of Harvest
     A Sermon on II Kings 19: 29
          W. Cairns Henderson                         519
A Talk to Children
     Thanksgiving
          Ormond Odhner                              524
The Keys of Hell: A New Concept
     Charles E. Doering                              527
The Power of Ideals
     Opening Exercises of the Academy
          Karl R. Alden                              528
A Native African Church                                   532
The Principles of the Academy
     11. The Eighth and Ninth Principles
          Elmo C. Acton                              533
     12. The Tenth and Eleventh Principles
          Elmo C. Acton                              536
Reviews
     Den Stora Minnisken (The Gorand Man)
          Roy Franson                                   540
     Hemelsche Verborgenheden (Arcana Coelestia)          540
Editorial Department
     Good Coming Through Evil                         541
Communications
     Total Infallibility
          Morley D. Rich                              542
     The Principles: Another View
          Richard R. Gladish                          544
     Rational Applications
          Rowland Trimble                               545
Church News                                             547
Announcements
     Local Schools Enrollment for 1952-1953               551
     Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages                    552
     Episcopal Visits in November                         552

December 1952
No. 12.

The City of David
     A Sermon on Luke 2:11
          Willard D. Pendleton                         553
A Talk to Children
     A Child Born, A Son Given
          F. E. Waelchli                               558
What is Meant by Proprium?
     Address at Episcopal Visits
          George de Charms                              561
Our Uses: A Revaluation
     Richard H. Teed                                   569
Charter Day Address
     Norbert H. Rogers                                   571
Why the Lord Came in the Flesh
     Alfred Acton                                    575
The Principles of the Academy
     13. The Twelfth Principle
          Elmo C. Acton                               580
Editorial Department
     Adeste Fidelis                                   583
     The Immaculate Conception                         583
     Providence and Mental Sickness                    585

Directory of the General Church
     Officials and Councils                              587
     The Clergy                                        588
     Societies and Circles                              591
     Committees                                        592
Church News                                             593
     Announcements, Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Deaths     599
     Annual Council Meetings-January 26th to 31st          600


[Frontispiece: Emanuel Swedenborg from the portrait which hung in his bedroom, now the property of the Academy of the New Church.]

NEW CHURCH LIFE

Vol. LXXII
JANUARY, 1952
No. 1
     (A student in the College of the Academy. Read before the Academy Schools on Swedenborg's birthday, 1951.)

     How many of those who enter the Library of the Academy almost daily have noticed the portrait of Emanuel Swedenborg which hangs over the card-index file? And how many have wondered about it-does it really resemble Swedenborg? by whom was it painted? and when was it made?
     The story is a very interesting one, for this is the very picture that was found in Swedenborg's bedroom in his house in Stockholm after his death in London. The portrait is therefore of great value to the Academy not only for this reason but also because it is regarded as the best in existence and the only one in which the likeness is certain. It is painted on a plain, dark background, and shows Swedenborg holding a scroll in his right hand. [See Frontispiece]
     After Swedenborg's death, his house was purchased by a pewterer named Simon. Some time before 1790, the portrait, which hung in the bedroom, was sold to Carl Deleen, who called himself the oldest receiver of the Heavenly Doctrine in Sweden. Mr. Deleen reported that several persons who had known Swedenborg declared to him that this portrait was a true likeness.
     Some years later, the American Consul in Stockholm, Mr. C. D. Arfwedson, was approached by a Mr. J. A. Brodell who, as agent for Mr. Stephen A. Schoff, was interested in acquiring the portrait and having it shipped to the United States. Deleen was at first unwilling to part with it; but learning that it was to go to a follower of Swedenborg he finally agreed. The portrait was sold for $220.00, and in 1843 it was shipped by Consul Arfwedson from Stockholm to New York City.
     Mr. Schoff's only interest in the matter was to procure a picture from which an engraving could be made. Contrary to the opinion held by Some at the time, it was not the intention in the purchase that the portrait should be given to some organization representing the New Church. But after Brodell's death, Schoff offered the portrait to the Central Convention; both that he might recover the purchase price which he now needed, and that it might come definitely into the hands of the New Church. With the portrait he offered to submit all the original correspondence which proved its authenticity.
     The Central Convention accepted this offer and a committee was appointed to raise the necessary funds. It was resolved that the portrait, when received, was to be held by the President of the Central Convention and his successors as trustees for the use of a New Church college when one was established under the auspices of that body. The committee consisted of Mr. John Allen, the Rev. William H. Benade, and the Rev. Richard de Charms. Funds were raised, and the committee was discharged.
     When the Central Convention was formally dissolved, in 1852, it was resolved that the portrait be held in trust by the President. Daniel Lamotte, the Corresponding Secretary. Richard de Charms, the Recording Secretary, Samuel M. Warren, and the Treasurer, until such time as a true and universally acknowledged General Convention of the New Church should be formed in this country. It was then to be handed over to the university or institution of general New Church learning that was to be established in the "Middle States." It was further resolved that the trustees have power to appoint successors.
     After the death of Daniel Lamotte, his daughter, Anna, wrote to the President of Urbana University, staling that the portrait was now in her possession and that as no college had been established by the Central Convention, which no longer even existed, she considered that it should go to Urbana, which had been instituted under the New Jerusalem Church. The University accepted gratefully, and the portrait was hung in the library.
     Some years later, however, the Rev. William H. Benade wrote to the President of Urbana University, claiming that the institution which he represented was the rightful owner of the portrait: and submitted as proof that Samuel M. Warren, the last of the original trustees appointed by the Central Convention was now active in the Academy School located in Philadelphia. Urbana University acknowledged the claim and sent the portrait to Philadelphia; first, however, having a copy made.
     When the schools of the Academy were moved to Bryn Athyn, the portrait went with them, and it now hangs in the reading room of the Library. In addition, the Library now has all the original letters concerning it. So this portrait has had a long and interesting history, and it is a treasured possession of the Academy; both as having belonged to Swedenborg himself, and as being the best likeness of him in existence.

3


SEEING THE FUTURE 1952

SEEING THE FUTURE       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1952

     "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I make you to hear them." (Isaiah 42: 9)
     It is a commonplace of doctrine that man is not allowed to know the future. If he knew with assurance what events were coming on the morrow, or what the next year would have in store for him; or still more, if he knew beforehand what his eternal lot was to be, he would lose all incentive to use his human faculties. Either he would quail with fear, petrified by the anticipation of misfortune, or he would be lulled into a security that made any effort of his own seem unnecessary and vain. He would be deprived of all delight. He would seem to be a slave of circumstance, and all his actions would become a dull and vacant routine. For it is of the essence of every man's life to act as if the future depended on him, as indeed it does.
     It would be folly to think of the future as if it were a fixed mold of events, or a pattern of absolute necessities that leave no room for the free choices of man. (AC 6487: SD min. 4692) For the Lord provides innumerable contingencies or alternatives among which man can choose. The fact of freedom rules out the idea of necessity. The Lord's government is a framework of Divine laws-and it is as such that we may view the future. Nothing will ever happen that is opposed to these unchanging laws; for what is contrary to the laws of God is impossible. Yet what is seldom realized to the full is that all these laws have respect first of all to human freedom and thus include laws of permission, laws that permit evil; while at the same time no evil or disaster is ever permitted which takes away the spiritual freedom or the individual responsibility of any man. The wickedness of man may temporarily delay the exercise of such freedom; but eventually each human soul will stand before the Lord and be seen in the light of spiritual truth-seen as to the choice he himself has made in states of utter freedom and according to his reason.
     Since the immortal fabric of the spirit can be woven only in states of freedom it is therefore denied to man to know the future. Still, the prophet heard the Lord say: "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I make you to hear them." What could these words mean but that there are ways by which man may know future things?

4


We learn from doctrine that "everyone is allowed to form conclusions about the future from his rational: and in this . . . the reason is in its proper life" (DP 179). What would human life be if man were not allowed continually to look forward to uses and delights to come, to knowledge yet to be gained? How could we survive if we did not by our reason anticipate the needs of the future and prepare against its looming dangers? Surely every task of today, if it is to be of use, looks to eternity! We must plant for coming generations, and store our harvests, rather than waste what is not of immediate need.
     That is the function of human reason, without which man would be lower than the beasts. For animals can rely on instincts which lead them to provide for coming needs, instincts which man lacks. Instead of instinct-which would foreordain his entire life man is given reason, that he may vision the future and yet be free. It is when his reason is not enlightened, when it is obscured and led astray by merely natural and corporeal affections, that his vision of the future becomes contorted and erroneous.
     What is it, then, that man's reason is able to see when it contemplates the unknown future? It cannot see with absolute certainty any individual events. The behavior even of material things is predictable only on the basis of past performances, or statistical calculations, and may vary owing to unknown factors. And among these factors must be counted human freedom, which contradicts necessity.
     Nor can reason foresee the progress of spiritual events with any absolute assurance. We can judge of the course and order of spiritual states only from the past, and only so far as we have learned to view the past in the light of the laws of Providence disclosed in Divine revelation. "For to reveal hidden things and to open future things belongs to God alone" (AC 5331). Even the angels do not know things to come: "The Lord alone knows them and he to whom He deigns to reveal them" (SD 2271).
     What man can know of the future, even if his rational is enlightened, is confined to the laws which govern the course of spiritual and natural life. It is that man may come to know these laws that the Creator endowed him with a reason by which he could order his experience into systematic knowledge: and gave him, through prophets and seers, a body of Divine revelation to provide him with a field of spiritual experiences from which he might draw a knowledge of spiritual laws.
     The entire Word of God is a revelation of these eternal laws and thus an opening of future things. "New things do I declare," saith the Lord. "Before they spring forth I make you to hear them." What in the future is more important to know than the laws and purposes of God and the conditions on which the end of creation can be achieved?

5


And this is what the spirit of the Word reveals.
     Yet in its letter the Word seems to give more specific prophecies of the future! And throughout the world there are many pious men who observe the signs of these troublous times and point to the predictions of the Apocalypse; thinking that we are now in the days when the sixth angel will pour out his vial of Gods wrath, and the spirits of devils, working miracles, will go forth unto the kings of the whole world to gather them to battle in a last Armageddon (Revelation 16: 12-14). And others, believing that the day of doom is even nearer, cite the prophecy that Satan should be loosed from his prison, and go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth. Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea: and should compass the camp of the saints about, only to be destroyed by fire from heaven (Ibid., 20: 7-9).
     Throughout the history of Christendom, whenever natural disasters, wars, and social upheavals have so suggested, Christians have applied such predictions to their own time, and have quaked in fear of the approaching end of the world. Nor is it realized among those who hold the Scriptures as holy, except within the New Church, that prophecy is never literally fulfilled or so intended; but that its symbolic form as historical prediction is meant only to hint at the spiritual laws of God-eternal laws of judgment and salvation, the applications of which are for every age, for every individual. Prophecies do not wait upon time, but are fulfilled wherever states have ripened for judgment.
     Because the Lord, in various ways, reveals these laws of spiritual life, of reformation and regeneration, and also the laws of spiritual judgment which concern the decline of the churches, the corruption of religion, and its inevitable consequences, He can say, as in the text: "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I make you to hear them." For to the wise the past reveals the future. They see the spiritual logic, the internal justice, that lie behind events. They see the mercy and leading of Providence and know that "nothing is permitted except for the end that some good may come out of it" (AC 6489).

     We stand on the eve of another earthly year; uncertain as to what circumstances may attend it, what may be demanded of us, what duties may call, what trials or joys, setbacks or victories, may come. We know that much that will happen of good or ill has roots in the past. Much good, for other men have labored and we are entered into their labors; much evil, for the past was shaped by the free choice of men, and the cumulative results of their neglects and our own failures will surely catch up with us.

6


It is of the Lord's mercy that we cannot know ahead the good and the evil that are to come, except by the surmise of reason and the experience of the past. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." The Lord gives men strength for the tasks of the day, even as we pray Him to give us each day our daily bread. And if we knew the blessings of tomorrow, we would not value them aright.
     But this we know from reason as well as revelation: that behind the turmoils of nations which mark the course of history there runs unbroken the serene stream of Divine Providence. Behind the noise of arms, the show of force, the rise and fall of vaunted theories, and the competitions of economic life with its contrasts of wealth and poverty, of struggle and security, there breathes the real life of mankind with its familiar story of simple joys and earnest endeavors, of kindliness and neighborly help; the story of love, of birth, of innocence, and of tender parental care, repeated in unending generations which all in turn display the same yearnings to explore and embrace the gifts of life and employ their human faculties to reach the greater freedom of reasoned conduct. The triumph of the conqueror is brief. At length it is the meek that will inherit the earth.
     The fundamental natural loves which proceed from the Lord as universal spheres of procreation and protection, and which the Lord instills in every man, lead back the erring race from the precipice of self-destruction. They modify crime and hold ambition within bounds. They allow reason to be restored after impatient passion has had its day, and they help to rebuild the ruins. They furnish that unquenchable flame of hope, which is the essence of reason's own delight as it looks at the new possibilities of a future in which the bowers of love can again be furnished in peaceful enterprise.
     But natural love can do no more than preserve the bare externals of society. For, again and again, it becomes the tool of evil. What it cannot gain by right it seeks to possess by force. It is the place of the rational mind to plan and provide for the uses of the future. But when self-love beclouds one's reason it magnifies the importance of one's own plans and resolves, and confuses what is in itself a matter of indifference with what is essential. Self-low stubbornly insists on its own fixed ideas. If it cannot have its own way, it raves insanely against Providence. And in His wisdom the Lord may then permit, as a lesser evil, the thing on which man insists: knowing that man can learn his folly only through failure (SD 2176).
     The man of the church must therefore examine his plans in the light of the indications of Providence. And the chief sign of the approval of Providence is that what he proposes is in concord with, the doctrine of charity and can be achieved with justice and good judgment, and does not deprive others of their legitimate uses or their spiritual freedom.

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For what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
     Only so-by spiritual love-can the kingdom of heaven be established on earth. The wars and conflicts that affect the church are the combats of spiritual temptation, fought out in the privacy of each man's heart. It is on the outcome of such temptations with those who are of the Lord's specific church on earth that the quality of the future depends: not alone of the church, but of all mankind.
     For the church, through its unconscious offices in the spiritual world, is the guardian and dispenser of the revealed truth whereby the Lord in His Divine Human judges and purifies the world of spirits and controls the destinies of men. And to the church it is therefore given to know the spiritual goals to which the Lord is leading; to see the future with the eves of faith and reason; and to hear the Lord in the sacred Writings declare new things before they spring forth. Amen.

LESSONS:     Isaiah 42: 1-13. Arcana Coelestia, 6486, 6487.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 458, 557, 568.
PRAYERS:     Revised Liturgy, nos. 78, 103.
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG 1952

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1952

     A Talk to Children

     Twice in his life everyone is given a name. The first time is when he is baptized. The second is when he has gone into the other world, and has been made ready for his place there. But there is a difference between these two names. All names have a meaning. Yet although our parents may have picked out a name for us in the hope that we may grow up to be like it, we may not do so at all. Our character may become quite different from the one suggested by our name. But the name we are given in the other world tells everyone there exactly what we are like and what kind of work we do in heaven, because it is given to us by the Lord.
     Sometimes it does happen, though, that the names children are given here become far more suitable than their parents could ever have dreamed at the time of their baptism.

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This was especially so in the case of one man. On Sunday, January 29th, in the year 1688, a little boy was born in Jacob's Parish, Stockholm. His father was a minister, a good man whose greatest wish for his children was that they should come to love the Lord and heaven more than anyone and anything else. And when this little boy was baptized in the parish church five days later he was named Emanuel, which means "God-with-us."
     Years later, when his son was a man of forty-five, his father explained why he had chosen that name for him. He said that he had done so for two reasons: that his son might always be reminded by his name of God's presence and of the fact that He is in us and we in Him: and as a prayer that God might always be with his son until he came at last into the kingdom of heaven. Now the child who was named Emanuel for these very beautiful reasons became the man we know as Emanuel Swedenborg. And his father's hopes in so naming him were fulfilled in a far more wonderful way than he could have imagined when he brought his infant son to Jacob's Church to be baptized.
     When Swedenborg grew up he became a very learned man. He made it his life's work to study nature, the human body, the brain, and the mind. But in all his work he always kept the Lord and the Lord's Word before his eves. Everything he studied he looked upon as the Lord's handiwork in creation. He searched into things deeply that he might see the Lord's presence in them. He always tried to see how the Lord's love and wisdom were shown in His works that he might be able to understand them rightly. And his purpose in so doing was to make men see the Lord's presence in all created things, and so be mindful of Him and worship Him.
     So Swedenborg fulfilled the first hope in the giving of his name. And because of that, the Lord was able to be with him in a way He could not be with any other man. All through his life the Lord was secretly preparing him for this. And when Swedenborg was fifty-seven years old, the Lord opened the senses of his spirit: so that, while he lived on earth, he could also walk and talk in heaven, see the beautiful things there, hear angels and spirits, and taste and touch and smell the things around them, just as if he were one of them. He was given to do this for the twenty-seven years he still lived on earth. And all that time the Lord Himself was with him; telling him in the spiritual world what the Word really teaches about the Lord, heaven and hell, the life after death, and the kind of life that leads to heaven; and guiding his pen in the writing down of these things in our world, so that everyone who wants to do so may learn them.

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     In this way the Lord was with Swedenborg all his life: first preparing him for this great work, and then in the doing of it. And the Lord could be with him because he always wanted to be with the Lord, and walked humbly in the way of the Lord's commandments while he worked hard to be of use to society, to his country, and to the Lords kingdom.
     We do not know what name was given to Swedenborg by the Lord when his earthly life ended and he passed into the spiritual world for good. Nor do we know what his work is now in that world. But we do know enough about him to feel quite certain that the second wish of his good father in naming him Emanuel was fulfilled, and that he went to heaven where he is forever with the Lord in his kingdom. So you can see in what a wonderful way this man became like his name And we should be grateful to the Lord, and to him, that he did. For in the books written by the Lord through Swedenborg the Lord is now with men, is God-with-us in a way He never could be before, to lead them to His heavenly kingdom.
ASPECTS OF THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MAN AND WOMAN 1952

ASPECTS OF THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MAN AND WOMAN       Rev. ERIK SANDSTROM       1952

     In the work, Conjugial Love, we are told that Swedenborg was permitted to visit the heavens of those who had lived in the first four ages, and later, that he might learn what had been the nature of conjugial love with them (CL 74-81). Replying to his observation that the unity of their souls appeared in their faces, an angel-husband who had lived in happy union with his wife since the Golden Age said: "We are one. Her life is in me, and mine in her. We are two bodies, but one soul. The union between us is like that of the two sanctuaries in the breast which are called the heart and the lungs. She is my heart, and I am her lungs; but as by the heart we mean love, and by the lungs wisdom, she is the love of his wisdom, and I am the wisdom of her love: wherefore her love from without veils my wisdom, and my wisdom from within is in her love. Hence, as you said, there is an appearance of the unity of our souls in our faces" (CL 75:5).
     Before we proceed further, let us observe that the likening of their conjugial union to the conjunction of the heart and lungs was not a mere comparison; for, spiritually speaking, the wife was actually the heart of her husband, and he was actually the lungs of his wife; and this in a most full and real way. For this angel couple no longer had material bodies; wherefore the words of the husband applied to their entire beings-if their bodies be regarded from their origin and essence, and not from their appearance.

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     It is therefore clear that, conjugial love itself is illustrated accurately and fully by the relation of heart and lungs in the human body. As the lungs gather up oxygen and give it to the blood stream of the heart, and as the heart pumps it throughout the body that it may reach every cell and there perform its use, so the regenerate or angel-husband takes into his soul the everlasting truths of life and gives to his wife, that she may cherish them in her love, and from her love bend them to uses in every field.
     But this ideal of a lovely union is not only lost but is also entirely perverted in our day, as is shown in the Memorabilia following the one quoted, and as is evident to us wherever we turn in the world. The decline took place through a long series of failures, all of which were initiated, however, by the separation of love and wisdom at the fail. Instead of adhering to the lofty truths of heaven, men began to submerge their minds in the knowledges of the senses. Thus divorcing themselves from heaven they were no longer willing to yield humbly to any fact, heavenly of earthly. The love of truth for the sake of use was turned to the love of sensuous facts; and the love of application was no longer submissive, but was suppressed by brutal strength and by the seeming power of a reasoning intellect.
     So began a long period on earth in which woman was essentially a slave and man her master, and this even when the fact was thinly disguised by the ethical forms of civilization, as in the epoch whose devastation we witness today. This was the striking result in the home of that self-sufficient faith which has nothing in common with use, and least of all with spiritual use.
     At the present day we find a reaction: not only, as is natural, on the part of woman, but also on that of many men who fall in line in the name of an enlightened broadmindedness. The result, however, is that which is possible only when human affairs are governed, not by love of Divine truth, but by love of the good things of the world, sloth, and an easy routine-all gilded with the appearance of enlightened, democratic, human achievement. In this consummation of the first Christian age, the natural cry of woman for liberation is distorted and. leads to the enslavement of all. She persuades herself, and men, that she is seeking equality, but actually she is striving for similarity. She criticizes bitterly this "manmade" world, as she calls it. But she imitates man, consciously or unconsciously, not only as to his manner of thinking but also as to his mode of behavior; and she is quite prepared to take over, or to share in his world as it is, with all its "man-made" institutions and movements intact, while man politely applauds.

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     This is not development but devastation, and it appears more deplorably in the homes than anywhere else. Instead of the harmony of use in them there is the struggle for existence; instead of a mutual desire of husband and wife to complement each other there is a tendency with them to supplant each other; instead of cooperation in the education of children there is an irresponsible toleration except when irritation prevails; instead of the peaceful cultivation of the arts and of the spiritual qualities of life in the home sphere there is a panic-stricken flight from home and from the opportunity for wholesome contemplation: and instead of true conjugial chastity there is either watchful jealousy from selfish pride or a sense of marital right, or the open giving of license which would seem often to be taken liberally by mutual agreement.
     And so, when Swedenborg and his accompanying angel came to those in the other world who were from the "kingdom in which iron was mixed with clay" (Daniel 2: 41), which describes our age, these sentiments were expressed with regard to the matter of living with one wife only. "What do you mean by one wife only? Why do you not ask whether we live with one harlot? What is a wife but a harlot? By our laws it is not allowable to commit fornication with more than one woman; but still we do not hold it dishonorable or unbecoming to do so with several, but away from borne. We boast of this among ourselves. Thus we rejoice in licentiousness and the pleasure of it more than polygamists. Why is a plurality of wives denied us, when yet it has been granted, and at the present day is granted in all the countries around us? What is life with one woman only but captivity and imprisonment? But we in this place have broken down the bolts of this prison, rescued ourselves from slavery, and made ourselves free. Who is angry with a prisoner for asserting his freedom when he can?" (CL 79: 5).

     Universal Distinctions.-Yet the promise of the Lord in His second advent is that love truly conjugial is to be reestablished in the world. What, therefore, is His teaching in the Writings about this love, and about the nature of man and of woman?
     As to this, we note first that there is a clear interior distinction between the sexes which can never be obliterated and which ought ever to be perfected; and that the difference between their bodies so completely corresponds to the difference between their souls that there is not the least thing in the body of each that is not a perfect effigy of a like quality or nature of the soul. This general principle may be seen merely from the consideration that the body is created in the image of the soul.

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     How the souls differ is thus described in the Writings: "The difference consists essentially in this, that the inmost in the male is love and its covering is wisdom, or, what is the same, the male is love covered or veiled by wisdom; and that the inmost of the female is that wisdom of the male, and its covering is love thence derived; but this love is feminine love, and is given by the Lord to the wife through the wisdom of the husband; whereas the former love is masculine love, and is the love of growing wise, and it is given to the husband by the Lord according to the reception of wisdom. Hence it is that the male is the wisdom of love, and the female the love of that wisdom" (CL 32).
     While considering what is involved in this difference let us note carefully that the teaching refers to the inmost nature of man and woman, and that the distinction will therefore manifest itself truly only in the degree that men and women suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord. The boastful pride of self-intelligence in men, and their expectation of admiration, are not born of that inmost quality for the appropriation of which they are created; and a flattering affectation in women is not the true offspring of their inner nature. These things are perversions, and in no way are to be honored.
     In the true distinction between man and woman cited above, the principle of the active and the reactive is involved. Man is formed to be active, and woman to be reactive. This is for the sake of conjunction, for there is never any conjunction except between an active and its reactive. Note, however, that a reactive is not passive in the sense of being inert.
     Man is the active, in that in his soul there is the inmost love of searching out the truths of God, and of gathering them, as if of himself, into logical sequences; just as it is, or should be, his, part on the material plane to acquire the means of supporting his household. This love is not given to woman, nor can she come into it; for to do so would be to change herself into a man. But woman is the reactive, and because of this she is able to see the truths of wisdom with the man, to perceive them to be of wisdom, and to receive them in her love as the womb receives the seed. So also is it the proper part of woman, on the material plane, to use for the good and the perfecting of the home the means acquired by the man.
     The fact that conjunction presupposes an active and a reactive is not generally known or recognized. For it is often thought that the conjunction of man and woman into a spiritual one can be likened, say, to the conjunction of two halves of an apple into one apple. But this is not a proper comparison; for the two halves of the apple are of exactly the same nature, and each half is nothing but half an apple! If the conjugial union were of this nature, the two halves would be either two men or two women.

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Let it be likened rather to the electric current and the magnet, the conjunction of which produces motor power.
     All true conjunction is of this nature because it descends from the conjunction of the Lord and His kingdom. The Lord alone is active in Himself because He is life itself. He has given to His kingdom to have, as it were, a life of its own: and thus to be able to respond intelligently, and of its own volition, to his gifts. But His kingdom is neither active in itself nor passive. It is reactive.
     We are told in the Writings that in a wedding the bridegroom represents the Lord and the bride the church, but that after the wedding the husband and wife together represent the church. (See CL 21: 2) This implies that the conjugial covenant itself of husband and wife is an image of the marriage of the Lord and His church; but that, nevertheless, the husband is not to be regarded as a representative of the Lord in the marriage, because he himself is a receptacle of life-as is his wife, but in a different way.
     Each one receives love from the Lord. But love with the husband is the love of being wise, and this is called a primary love. Love with the wife, on the other hand, is given by the Lord through the wisdom of the husband, and is described as a secondary love (CL 21: 2). Since, however, the love of growing wise does not present itself to view, but only the resulting wisdom, the husband represents wisdom after the wedding; and since, in like manner, the wisdom of the husband which is received in the wife and enfolded in her love does not stand forth as her nature, but rather her love of it, the wife represents the love of that wisdom after the wedding. (Ibid.)
     This being the relation between the inner constitution of man and that of woman, it follows that a reciprocal longing for conjunction is innate in each. For neither is complete without the other. It is true that the love of wisdom acquired-which is the peculiar love with woman-is found also with man; but left to itself with him, it could not possibly do otherwise than love passionately the wisdom within itself, and this would be self-love without a cure. It would grow and grow, perverting everything of true wisdom in the process, and thus destroy the entire mind. Therefore man would not be man in any genuine sense, but a man-monster. And woman could not exist as woman without the wisdom derived from man, for that wisdom is not inherent in her. Without it, she would be an animal.
     But as soon as regeneration begins, the innate longing for interior conjunction is awakened. For then man is attracted to that love which, in the Divine mercy and wisdom, has been taken out of him and implanted in woman, and which is a becoming and a heavenly love exactly in proportion as the object of love is not self.

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So likewise, woman is attracted to that wisdom for the very reception of which she has been formed, and which, when received, enkindles and deepens her love and causes it to be ever more angelically human.
     The ultimate, sexual attraction is then born of this interior and mutual dependence. It is a true likeness, and becomes spiritual from within, when it is disciplined so as to be felt for one of the sex only, and when it is commissioned as the innocent and beautiful ultimation of love truly conjugial. But it is permitted to exist also apart from any such discipline for the sake of the procreation of the human race.
     We should note also that the interior attraction which is perceptible only in a state of regeneration is possible with unmarried people as well. In fact, we are explicitly told that truly conjugial love may exist with one of the married partners, and not at the same time with the other" (CL 226; cf. 280, 281). Nothing external, such as the worldly marriage covenant is in itself, is permitted to bind the spirit. Therefore it may be said that unmarried people, or people who are married to a merely natural partner, are conjoined to the general sphere of regenerating persons of the other sex if they suffer themselves to be regenerated. A man would perceive the lovely sphere of devotion to things rational and spiritual which good women exhibit, and would be inspired and actually nourished by it. A woman would attend to the things of reason and wisdom which are to be found in the world despite corruption and confusion-especially, of course, where the Writings have been truly received-and would, in like manner, be inspired and nourished by the sphere of wisdom. Regeneration and conjugial love can therefore be achieved in the world apart from marriage, though a marriage in this world which has within it the beginning of love truly conjugial from the Lord is obviously an inspiration and help.
     The fundamental requirement for regeneration and for the attainment of conjugial love and happiness remains the same, however, both in marriages and apart from them. And within marriage, or apart from it in the world, the fundamental distinction between the souls of man and woman remains the same, as does the mutual dependence of man and woman in receiving spiritual life from the Lord. The representative statement of that distinction in the Book of Creation has universal and eternal application: "And Jehovah God . . . took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib which Jehovah God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And the man said, This is now bone of my hones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman [Ishshah] because she was taken out of man [Ish]" (Genesis 2: 21-23).

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     General and Particular Aspects.-From the universal distinction between man and woman there arises a world of general and particular aspects. One of the most important of these is that woman, having an inborn inclination for conjugial love, is the guardian of that love. Man does not have that inclination. His nature is to roam. Left to himself, he would light upon a truth here and a truth there without system or purpose, as his native love would urge, and chance take him. Correspondentially, therefore, he has in himself only the general love of the sex not the love of one of the sex. But woman, being formed from wisdom in man, has an innate urge to bind that wisdom to herself, and to unite herself with it, and thus to establish the conjugial. In this she administers the sphere of conjugial love, serving for its transfer from the Lord to her husband, and he is capable of receiving it only through her (see CL 223). By that means the truth of good, which is called the "very masculine principle," is joined to the good of truth, which is called the "very feminine principle" (Ibid., 61), and that is the heavenly marriage. In fact, it is the mode whereby life from the Lord proceeds.
     Let us here take note of the striking teaching of the Arcana on this subject: "Heavenly marriage is that of good with truth and of truth with good; yet it is not between good and truth of one and the same degree, but between good and truth of a lower and of a higher degree; that is, not between the good of the external man and the truth of the same, but between the good of the external man and the truth of the internal . . . this conjunction is that which makes the marriage. It is the same in the internal or spiritual man; the heavenly marriage there is not between the good and truth of that man, but between the good of the spiritual man and the truth of the celestial man, for the celestial man is relatively in a higher degree. Nor is there a heavenly marriage between the good and the truth in the celestial man; but between the good of the celestial man and the truth Divine which proceeds from the Lord. From this it is also evident that the Divine marriage itself of the Lord is not between the good Divine and the truth Divine in His Divine Human, but between the good of the Divine Human and the Divine itself, that is, between the Son and the Father" (AC 3952). This teaching brings out the universal Divine order in which conjugial love with man and woman is set. The heavenly marriage, on whatever plane, is always the marriage of the seed and the ground.
     The "truth of good" which, as just mentioned, is the masculine, is with man the same as the wisdom that has been acquired through the love of becoming wise-the "wisdom of love." That truth is by its nature as a seed. And the "good of truth," or, to be distinct, "the good of that truth" which is the feminine, is with woman the same as the love of wisdom: and that good is by its nature like the ground.

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The result of their conjunction is what is called "use."
     We can see how the case here is, For every good looks upward to a truth to form and guide it, and at the same time looks outward or downward to a truth of its own making by which it may express itself. The conjunction of the latter truth with good, its mother, cannot he called a heavenly marriage; for the will of anyone will engender only truths of its own liking. In fact, such a conjunction is with what is of one's self, and is comparable to the parental love of children, which may spring from the love of self. But the conjunction of good with truth of a higher order is itself a conjunction such as is from the Lord and is a heavenly marriage. (See AC 3952:4.)
     It follows from this that man and woman also think differently. Woman, generally, thinks from affection, and from that which she favors intuitively, without any process of analytical investigation. But man is so created that he ought to think primarily outside of himself, forming a judgment of things from their own merits apart from his own inclinations or desires. "The masculine consists in perceiving from the understanding, and the feminine in perceiving from love: and the understanding perceives also those things which are above the body and outside of the world, for the rational and spiritual sight reaches thither, whereas love does not go beyond what it feels. When it does go beyond, it does so in consequence of a conjunction, which has been established from creation, with the understanding of man. For the understanding belongs to light, and love belongs to heat: and those things which belong to light are seen, and those which belong to heat are felt" (CL 168).
     But thinking from love, as woman does, gives her a peculiar wisdom which is not possible with man. In marriage it manifests itself in her perception of the affections of her husband and in "an utmost prudence in governing them" (CL 166). This wisdom, or perception, with wives is classed "among the arcana of conjugial love which lie concealed with wives" (Ibid.) For it is hidden away irons husbands "on account of causes which amount to necessities, in order that conjugial love, friendship, and confidence, and thus the blessedness of dwelling together, and the happiness of life, may be secured" (CL 167). It seems doubtful whether this wisdom could be opened up to husbands, even if the wives were willing; for it would not readily clothe itself in words, or even in thoughts; wherefore, if the attempt were made, it would probably at once fall away from its own light, and deny itself. It might justly be described as an inarticulate wisdom.
     This wisdom with wives is love in operation, applying and adapting itself, turning and guiding the affections of their husbands toward conjunction with themselves; not for selfish ends, but for the sake of that love the gracious guardians of which they are.

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Along with this, it is also clear that love "is constant and perpetual with the wife, but inconstant and fluctuating with the man" (CL 160). We should remember, however, that this is spoken of love truly conjugial, that is, of the state of regeneration.
     But as the wife has a wisdom which is not possible with the husband, so he has a wisdom that is not possible with her. It is called in the Writings "rational wisdom" (CL 163, 168), and is such as described before. To it are said to belong "rationality, judgment, cleverness, learning, sagacity" (Ibid., 163). But wisdom with man is twofold. He has also what is called "moral wisdom": and neither is this wisdom possible with woman "in so far as it partakes of his rational wisdom" (Ibid., 168). The things which belong to moral wisdom with man are described as "all the moral virtues which look to the life and enter into it, and also the spiritual virtues which flow from love to God and love towards the neighbor, and flow again into these loves" (Ibid., 164).
     Obviously, however, woman is not separated from the things which are ascribed to the rational and moral wisdom with man. Yet she receives them only through man. And it is revealed that the wife conjoins herself to the rational wisdom of the husband "from within," and to his moral wisdom "from without" (Ibid., 163). "From within" means within herself in her own love, by receiving in it or favoring the principles of truth with her husband; but "from without" means in outward life, thus in acts, by accommodations as interpreted, practised, and taught by the regenerate man.
     One might wonder why this moral wisdom is not proper to the wife. The reason is that the principles of morality as well as those of rationality are to be drawn from the Word of God; and the truths of Divine revelation are first to be recognized and received by the man, and through him by the woman. And here we recall the teaching that "it is not the Word that makes the church, but the understanding of it" (SS 76 fi.). To woman, however, is given a keen moral sense which arises from her love of wisdom and zeal for the preservation of the conjugial.

     Applications.-What shall we say, then, of the teachings that the human being is endowed with the faculties of liberty and rationality and is led through faith to charity, although charity is first in essence; and that rebirth begins with repentance, is continued by reformation, and completed by regeneration? Are these teachings to be applied differently to men and women? The answer seems to be: Yes, and no. Interiorly regarded, the applications are as different as are the interior constitutions of man and woman.

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Exteriorly, in respect to outward or practical application, there is no difference.
     Let use try to illustrate this briefly. Woman would seem to come into the use of liberty and rationality only through man, whereas he has them immediately from the Lord. For the inmost of woman is derived from man and in the inmost of man, which is the love of being wise, both faculties must be inherent. So likewise, the things of faith or doctrine are first to be received by men and then given to women. But as for charity, this flows in from heaven into the doctrinals of faith with both men and women, according to the life of each. And with regard to repentance, reformation, and regeneration, the matter is as with faith and charity. Nevertheless these things are unimportant in the practical field, as was said, and they are mentioned only because the question might arise. For the fact remains that, however they are received, both men and women enjoy the faculties of liberty and rationality and are led through faith to charity. The fact remains, also, that man and woman together constitute the Lord's church; that together they are His bride and image; and that their inmosts, the love of being wise and the wisdom derived thence, are on the same degree of reception.

     Conclusion.-These and a thousand more principles relating to conjugial love, that priceless pearl of life, are revealed by the Lord in a world which, for the most part, lives in what is opposite. Instead of a love whose sign and seal is the adoration of the visible God and prayer before the open Word, there is a love that looks to sensuous satisfaction or worldly advantage. Instead of rational wisdom from the Word with men there is a boastful self-assurance in whatever seems intelligent, or comfortably acceptable for the moment. Instead of the wisdom peculiar to wives there are artful means of deception designed to allow them their own way. Instead of conjugial jealousy, the zeal for the preservation of the conjugial, there is angry humiliation when someone else is preferred, a demand for faithfulness for the sake of self-gratification, or the wilful and mutual dropping of all marital laws. And instead of harmonious homes there are places of suspicion and conflict, of frustrated hopes, and fears. From an external point of view, hope seems to be in vain. Yet the doctrines are among us. In them is the Divine omnipotence to heal, to restore, and to make new.
     And this is the restoration, that man put away those things that do not accord with the truly masculine and woman turn aside from all that is not womanly in the heavenly sense, both according to what is revealed. For there is nothing conjugial between unregenerate masculine and feminine qualities. Conjugial love is one with regeneration, and what is said in the Writings about the inmost qualities of men and women is spoken of the regenerate state.

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     In that state alone is there a relation between husband and wife such as that between the heart and lungs, for the correspondence of the human body is only with the things of heaven. Then the husband and wife will supply each other's souls with those spiritual riches which are analogous to the oxygen conveyed from the lungs into the blood; and the nourishing elements which, taken in through the mouth, are digested and sent forth as the return gift of the heart. And then they will actually be as one man before the Lord, their Regenerator; giving and receiving, and sharing between them, all things of the conjugial.
     This is what is involved in the promise of the Lord in His second coming: "Conjugial love, such as it was among the ancients, will be raised up again by the Lord after His coming; because that love is from Him alone, and it is with those who, by Him, through the Word, are made spiritual" (CL 81: 5).
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     1. Introduction

     The "Principles of the Academy" were enunciated by Bishop W. F. Pendleton in 1899. In this first article on them we shall consider their origin, the reason for their being stated, and the attitude we should have toward them at this day.
     These principles were already in existence, and had grown up over a period of many years. But until that year they had existed only in the form of articles, traditions, sermons, letters, and practices. Bishop Pendleton gathered them from the pages of WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH and NEW CHURCH LIFE, and then formulated and condensed them into principles. He was the first to do this; and his reason for drawing together and stating at that time principles which thus originated in the Academy is clear.
     The "General Church of the New Jerusalem," organized in 1897, was a direct descendant of the Academy. Its spirit was that of the Academy-a spirit of absolute loyalty to the Word of the Lord in His second coming. In separating from the Academy, the men who formed the General Church made only a change in external organization. They gave up none of the beliefs which had characterized the internal spirit and life of the first Academy.

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And Bishop Pendleton's purpose in formulating those beliefs into twelve principles was to express this fact beyond a doubt, and to ensure for future generations the spiritual riches of the original Academy. In giving them to a General Assembly he said, as it were: "These are the truths the Academy has drawn from the Writings. Under them the Church has prospered, and we pass them on to future generations lest the wisdom of the fathers be lost to the sons."
     There was no intent, however, to bind the Church to a formulated system of dogma, to establish an authoritative body of doctrine outside of the Heavenly Doctrine itself. Like the Academy, the General Church had been formed with the Writings themselves as its only constitution and then, as now, every member of the Church had the right of appeal to the Writings in matters which concerned the teaching and government of the Church.
     What, then, should be our attitude toward those principles? They should be regarded as the fruits of the thought of a generation which loved and was loyal to the Writings: a generation willing to withstand the world in the belief that truth would conquer all. As the fruits of such loyalty, we cannot but regard those principles affirmatively as the result of a powerful influx of the light and heat of heaven. But at the same time we must acknowledge that their truth and authority is in the Writings, not in the principles themselves, and that they must therefore be tried by each succeeding generation in the light of the Heavenly Doctrine itself. Yet while they do not stand as an authority, they must be tested in the light of the Writings and not in the light of our own self-derived reasonings-reasonings inspired by worldly and selfish considerations, by fear and spiritual cowardice.
     Some regret the formulation of these principles, feeling that they have given them equal authority with the Writings. This abuse now exist with some, but it is not sufficient reason to reject or condemn the principles themselves. The use of their formulation was, and is, that the wisdom and enlightenment of the past may not be lost; that each generation may not have to start its study of the Word de novo, and thus lose much time. Surely the growth of the church is to be by the sons entering into the labors of the fathers; and how can this be done more effectively than by a formulation of the wisdom of the past, such as we have in the Principles of the Academy"?
     When Bishop Pendleton read his paper on these principles he did not ask the meeting to vote on their acceptance. There was no desire to make doctrine and force it upon the future church, but only to express publicly what had come to be believed among the members of the General Church; of stating the doctrines in the light of which they of that generation read the Word.

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The Writings nowhere, as far as I know, condemn councils. What they condemn is setting up derived doctrine as authority above and beyond the Word; or binding the men of the future church to a specific understanding of the Word, so that they look to that doctrine for light and not immediately to the Lord in the Word. The church must formulate doctrine, for the Word cannot be understood without it; and it is not hurtful for the church to put into writing its present understanding of the Word. What is forbidden is the giving of authority to the doctrine; the enforcing of loyalty to the doctrine without seeing whether it is in agreement with the plain teachings of the Word.
     The early councils of the first Christian Church are nowhere condemned in the Writings, nor is the holding of councils for the purpose of arriving at doctrinal truths. We read of many such councils convoked by the Lord Himself in the other world. What is condemned is the setting up of a human authority over the Lord or the Word, and the formulation of doctrine which denies to the people of the church the right to approach the Lord immediately in His Word. If we examine closely what is taught in the Writings about councils, we will find that what is condemned is the motives that prompted them in their deliberations: not the holding of councils, or the setting forth of their findings in formal creeds.
     Doctrine must be formed by the church and by the individual, for otherwise the Word cannot be understood. As the Writings say: "Those who read the Word without doctrine are in obscurity respecting all truth, and therefore their minds are wavering and uncertain; prone to error and open to heresies, which they embrace when favor or authority encourages and reputation is not endangered" (TCR 228). Besides this, there is the teaching that the doctrine of the church is to be examined in the light of the Word that it may be seen whether what the church teaches is true: and if the church does not set forth its doctrine in written form, how can the doctrine be examined? Yet trust is not to be placed in the doctrine but in the Word, and the doctrine is to be believed because in its light truths are seen in the Word.
     There is only one way of preserving truth in the church, and that is to shun evils as sins against God. When man does this he is enlightened to see truths in the Word, and to form doctrine in the light of which he reads the Word. In this way alone can the doctrine of the church be kept pure; for the fallacies which may enter into the understanding of the Word in one generation will be discovered by the next. In this lies the hope of growth.
     From these considerations we draw the conclusion that the "Principles of the Academy" is a useful and necessary document. It is to be read and studied affirmatively by each generation, and examined in the light of the plain statements of the Writings, where it is to be seen whether or not its doctrines are in agreement with the Word itself.

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     That the General Church has not, and does not, set up the "Principles" as authoritative doctrine is evident from the fact that no one is asked to subscribe to them in joining the Church. The General Church is a general body of the New Church. As such, it requires only baptism for admission; and the candidate for baptism is asked only if he acknowledges the Lord as the only God, and that evils are to be shunned as sins against Him. From this it is clear that no doctrine of the church is made binding upon the conscience of its members. Each individual is free to approach the Lord in His Word, and to form doctrine for himself in accordance with the enlightenment given him immediately from the Lord.

     [EDITORIAL NOTE: This is the first of a series of twelve articles on the "Principles of the Academy" written by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton and condensed by the Editor. One of these articles will appear each month throughout the present year].
CANADIAN NORTHWEST 1952

CANADIAN NORTHWEST       Rev. KARL R. ALDEN       1952

     A Pastoral Visit

     June 21 to August 15. 1951

     The Academy Schools closed on Friday. June 15th. Sunday found me preaching in Pittsburgh, Tuesday speaking at the banquet us Glenview, and Wednesday visiting with Dr. and Mrs. John Doering (K. Boggess) at Fort Meade, South Dakota. The following day, June 21st, the first service of the summer was held, in the Doerings' spacious living room. We were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Clark Dristy and their son, Forest, of Rapid City, S. D., to which I went next; the distant Black Hills forming the backdrop for a beautiful thirty mile drive.
     Clark Dristy is a retired rancher who came into the Church in a novel way. While living on a ranch he saw some bargain books advertized in a Montgomery Ward Catalogue, among them the Everyman Edition of Heaven and Hell for eleven cents. That did the trick. He read it many times until he finally understood and accepted it, but it was years before he met a New Church man or knew that there was a church based on Swedenborg's teachings. The first New Church men he met were Dr. Clarence Hotson and then the Rev. Herbert Small. Now he spends most of his time studying the Writings reading the magazines of the Church, writing articles, and corresponding with various New Church men.

     Taking the plane at five o'clock that afternoon I flew to Billings, Montana, and the following days found me in Walla Walla, Washington, more than a thousand miles away.

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A high wind, and the fact that for several hundred miles we were passing over the snowcapped Bitter Root Mountains, made me just a little nervous; but this was nothing to the dust storm we passed through between Spokane and Walla Walla in the small plane to which I had transferred. It was the roughest ride I have ever had.
     The plane was met by Marion and Carol Johns, who took me to their home with Miss Antonia Pribilski. I was pretty tired and had decided to take an evening off. It was Saturday evening, and my hostess agreed; but just as we were about to relax. Olena Fine Zellman, her stepson, and her baby arrived in a pick-up truck. She had come 116 miles to attend a service so we could not disappoint her. We tried to persuade Olena to stay for the Sunday service but this was not possible. It certainly fills one with a deep sense of responsibility to know that people have traveled 232 miles to take part in one New Church service!

     Back in Spokane I arrived in time to conduct an evening service at the home of the Kobberoes. The theme was the Nineteenth of June, and the administration of the Holy Supper followed. The evening ended with music. William Hansen playing the piano, and Carith Hansen and I the violin.

     Next day I took a bus to Trail, B. C., home of the largest non-ferrous smelting plant in the world. As it was their fiftieth anniversary the men were making an effort to look like their ancestors and the varied array of beards was wonderful to behold. Soon I had reached Robson, where ex-trapper Pete Letkemann took me part way up the mountain to his home which overlooks beautiful Arrow Lake A son had been added to the family of three daughters, and a brother-in-law. Peter Peters, was there-one of three Peter Peters, unrelated to each other, who appear in this narrative. After pictures and a service that evening and the following morning I departed by steamboat for Renata. The preceding summer had been a tragic one for these folks as unusual cold had destroyed many of the fruit trees which are their only source of livelihood.

     It was thrilling to welcome back Jake Friesen, who had been wounded in the left arm while bear hunting two years ago, but was again able to play the violin. Renata has a real Sunday School; and thanks to the Renata orchestra consisting of Henry Funk, Agatha Friesen, and Jake Friesen most of the hymns in the New Hosanna have been learned. My routine called for Sunday School at 3:30, orchestra practice at 5:30, and adult service at 8:00. There was nearly a 100% attendance at Sunday School and all services, and the visit ended with a grand picnic on the shores of Arrow Lake.

     After going by boat to Arrowhead, and thence by bus to Revelstoke, I caught the transcontinental bus from Montreal to Vancouver. There I found a group of jolly people who had been traveling together for several days. As soon as the fiddle was seen I was asked to perform. Loud applause greeted the first piece, and with the help of one of my companions I soon had the whole bus singing the old songs.
     Arrived in Kamloops I lost no time in calling on the McLeans. As they were viewing my slides a woman screamed and pointed to the window, through which a huge Indian was leering in upon us. The men rushed out to get bins away. Obviously he had been drinking. The more we pleaded with him the more vile his language became and he began to threaten us with blows. We felt it was wise to call the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

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They came within two minutes of our call and our friend left without argument.
     The next day I called on ninety-three years old A. G. McDonald, who has read the Arcana many times and has a thorough grasp of the doctrines. It was pleasing to find him, mentally and physically, in the best of health. That night I conducted a service at the McLeans' home, using the sermon I had preached in the cathedral. Eight persons were present, and my efforts were received with respect, if not with enthusiasm. Leslie escorted me to the train, which arrived two hours late, at 2:00 AM. This time we discussed the philosophy of Freud and its relationship to Swedenborg as we walked up and down the platform.

     The whole Craigie family met me at Vancouver. Alec had just been made manager of the second largest branch of the Imperial Bank of Canada in the city, so it was an auspicious moment to call. The Craigie home is in West Vancouver, on a hill overlooking the bay, and the atmosphere is one of joyous hospitality. Elden and Margaret Fairburn invited me to lunch. They have sold their home in Mission City and bought one in West Vancouver, a new house with lovely grounds. I showed the pictures to the children and amused them with my violin until it was time to return to Craigies for dinner.
     The service that evening was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pritchett, where Lady Daniel resides. Piano music and an unusually fine set of voices accompanied the service, at which the sermon was on "Following the Man Bearing a Pitcher of Water." The Holy Supper was administered to all the adults; and we had a good old Academy time afterwards, with toasts to the Church, the Academy, and the absent ones.

     On the following day we had children's service in the afternoon and another adults' service in the evening, after which my friends escorted me to my boat for Victoria. I was so tired that I fell asleep before the boat left and did not wake until after it had docked at Victoria, where I was in time for breakfast with Fred and Olive (Bostock) Frazee. It is always a treat to meet these life-long friends. Only the three of us were present at the service the following morning, but lack of numbers in no way militated against a full sphere.

     After a flight of only fifty minutes I arrived by plane in Seattle, and w as soon happily' situated at the Olympic Hotel where Jim and Patricia (Horigan) Snyder called at 10:00 P.M., and whisked me away to their lovely apartment. Jim works for the F.B.I., and is alert and easy to talk to, and before we knew it midnight had come and I had to return to my lodgings.
     A five-hour train ride brought me to Oakville, Washington, where Sterling and Florence Smith were waiting to drive me to their 126 acre ranch. The scenery was beautiful, their house being near a gurgling stream. A road runs down the valley, which is dotted with neighboring faint-houses, some fifteen in all. It is a land of humming birds, cherries, and luscious vegetables.
     By good luck I was able to be there over a Sunday. The first to arrive for service were Hank and Sylvia (Synnestvedt) Mellman, Jennie Gaskill, and Ethel (Westacott) White and the three children. They had driven from beyond Portland, Oregon, more than 200 hundred miles and they arrived at church in time. There are those who might profit by this example! Next came Bruce and Kathleen (Schnarr) Harrel followed by the Rev. Lloyd Edminster, a retired Convention minister, his daughter, Mrs. Richard, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard Wolfard from Tacoma. Washington.

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The room was a bower of flowers, the singing went with enthusiasm, and the service was concluded with the Holy Supper. Toasts to the Church followed the service, and we then had a much enjoyed buffet luncheon.
     I hated to leave my wife's brother and his warm-hearted family; but necessity is a stern master and I accepted the invitation of the Harrels to drive into Seattle with them. Promptly at nine, a young Methodist minister, whom we will call Mr. Jones, met me by appointment. We had exchanged three letters, and recognized each other instantly at this first meeting. Soon we were seated comfortably in my room, and I asked: "How did you come to pick out Swedenborg for your thesis?"
     "Well," he said, "I went into the Seminary library and was browsing around looking for something that would interest me, and I happened to chance on a Compendium of Swedenborg's works. I took it home and devoured it, and the next day I went to the Seattle Public Library and borrowed every book they had by, or about, Swedenborg. Among other books there was one by a Philadelphia lawyer, William McGeorge, called Why Halt Ye Between Two Opinions? By the time I had finished reading them I was really interested. So I looked up in the handbook of Churches in America and found the General Church listed with Bishop de Charms as its head, and in a handbook of religious periodicals I found THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER listed with the Rev. Leslie Marshall as its editor. So I wrote to these two gentlemen."
     We discussed many fundamental points, I being the first New Church minister he had ever met, and it was one o'clock in the morning when he departed, promising to return at ten. This promise he made good, and responded with enthusiasm to my question whether he would like to participate in a service such as I conducted in the families of the church. So we went through a complete service together, after which we had lunch and he saw me off to my train. The point made in the sermon, that one coming into the New Church must cast away the garments of his old faith and be completely reclothed, pleased him. I look forward to knowing this man much better in the future.
     Back in Vancouver a treat awaited me. Mr. and Mrs. Alec Craigie and Mrs. Elden Fairburn were at the station to meet me and we had dinner at the Smorgasbord. After the meal we sat waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Pritchett to join us. They did not come, but three tough looking men entered and my hostess asked me: "Who would you think they were if you saw them in a movie?"
     "Hold-up men," I said.
     "Let's get out of here," was her reply.
     We did. The following day we failed to read in the press that the place had been held up!
     With Mr. and Mrs. Pritchett we went to Mr. Craigie's club for a little farewell party. I was full of my recent contacts with Mr. Jones and the time passed all too swiftly. Soon the whistle for departure was sounding on the S.S. Prince Rupert, and as we slipped away from the dock I waved farewell to some very dear friends.

     The five hundred mile boat trip was quiet and delightful, but after fifty-two hours of ocean breezes we reached the town of Prince Rupert. As it was noon, and the train for Prince George did not leave until 8:00 P.M., there were eight hours to be filled with adventure. So I started the old fiddle game of trying to find someone to play my accompaniments. The postmistress suggested applying to a Mr. Colossi, who sold pianos, so I went to his store and waited until he returned from lunch.

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     "I do not play the piano myself," he said, "but up at the Convent Sister Mary Lawrence teaches the piano, so she ought to know someone in town who would play with you"
     "What do you play?" I asked.
     "Oh, I play the accordion, not too well." he answered.
     He was persuaded to try one piece before keeping a dentist appointment, and we were off in a gale of music. He played well. We had no difficulty in keeping together, and I promised to come back before five. Then we parted, be going so his dentist, and I to the Convent, which was situated upon a beautiful eminence commanding a superb view of Prince Rupert harbor. When I rang the bell a very handsome nun came to the door.
     "Is Sister Mary Lawrence in?" I asked.
     "Yes, and no." was her reply. "She's us the building, but she is on retreat for a week and cannot speak to anyone, so I'm afraid that we cannot disturb her unless it is a matter of great importance."
     "No importance at all," I confessed. "I'm a Swedenborgian minister, and I have eight hours to spend in Prince Rupert. There is no one of my faith here; so, since I am an enthusiastic amateur violinist. I was hoping to find someone who would play the piano for me."
     She promised to see what she could find out for me. When she returned we chatted for a while, and she gave me the names of the music teachers in the town. After bidding her farewell I set out to find Miss M. A. Way, one of the music teachers. She turned out to be a grey-haired lady with a smiling face. Although she was under doctor's orders to do nothing, she consented to play one piece with me. The one piece lengthened to an hour. Then she invited me to partake of a cup of tea. We found that we both loved poetry. Before I knew it, she was reciting to me Thompson's beautiful poem "The Hound of Heaven." Time flew, and I had to say goodby and thank you, and rush off to keep my engagement with Mike Colossi.
     Back at the piano store I delicately inquired of Mike if he was married. Finding that he was, I invited him to bring his wife down town and have dinner with me. As she had no one with whom to leave their two small children he reversed the invitation. After supper we played for his wife and children, and then, back at the store, we had a trio composed of two accordions and one violin. This may not have been balanced musically, but it was a lot of fun and it filled in the time until the departure of my train.

     (To be continued)
ON READING THE WORD 1952

ON READING THE WORD              1952

     "If man knew that there is an internal sense, and would think from some knowledge of it when he is reading the Word, he would come into interior wisdom; and would be still more conjoined with heaven because he would thereby enter into ideas like the angelic ones" (HH 310). "There is no communication if the Word is applied only according to the letter, and not at the same time according to some doctrine of the church, which is the internal of the Word" (AC 9410).

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EDUCATION IN THE NAME OF THE LORD 1952

EDUCATION IN THE NAME OF THE LORD       Rev. DAVID R. SIMONS       1952

     Charter Day Address

     (Delivered at the Service in the Cathedral, October 19, 1951.)

     The uses of New Church education center in the worship of the Lord as He reveals Himself in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem. Every year, therefore, it is most fitting that those who engage in this education, both teachers and students alike, should come into His presence to ultimate their conviction that He alone educates: that His truth is the standard of all truth, and His good the source of all genuine human affections. It was the realization of this truth, it was the burning zeal to prepare minds to know and acknowledge the Lord, which led the founders of the Academy to seek a Charter from the state of Pennsylvania for the purpose of "propagating the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem and establishing the New Church signified in the Apocalypse by the New Jerusalem, promoting education in all its various forms, educating young men for the ministry" (Charter of the Academy). It was the chartered purpose of the Academy to educate in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby to fulfill actively the uses of New Church Baptism.
     We are taught that baptism is one of the universal gates of entrance into heaven (TCR 721). When you were baptized in the Lords name, your parents entered into a covenant to renounce for you the ways of the world, and to keep for you the commandments, until you became capable of being responsible for your own lives. Baptism is the sole requirement for enrollment in a New Church school. It means that parents and teachers together have but one aim and goal-that you may become useful New Church men and women.
     The teaching of the Writings is that baptism serves three uses. It is a gate of introduction into the New Christian Church in heaven and on earth. It provides for the knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord as the one God. And its final use is regeneration. By baptism infants are enrolled in heaven and the church, since "everyone is inserted (by this act] among societies and congregations tin both worlds] according to the Christianity in him or about him" (TCR 680). "What is this first use, the Heavenly Doctrine asks, "But a mere name unless the second follow? In a word to have the name of being a Christian . . . and yet not to acknowledge and follow Him . . . is a thing as empty as a shadow" (TCR 681).

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The final use for which the two prior uses exist is regeneration when the mature Christian from his own free will chooses to be led by the Lord.
     There is a sense in which all these uses are present when parents take their children before the Lord for this holy sacrament. The infant mind is brought into direct contact with spheres of the New. Heaven, and by this contact angelic states of life are indelibly inscribed on it to form heavenly remains. In this way the infant is actually enrolled and numbered in some heavenly society. And since heaven is a state of receiving the Lord-of knowing and acknowledging Him alone-it can he said that he is brought into an interior perception of the Lord and that something of the second use is his. And finally, because these angels are regenerate, it may also be said that the infant experiences something of the essence of regeneration. "When baptism is performed," we are told, "the angels who are present do not understand baptism, but regeneration" (TCR 685).
     Baptism, then, like prayer, brings with it a sense of future accomplishment; and yet also like prayer, it is an internal state, a promise which must be fulfilled step by step by actual living All three uses are present potentially in this ceremony, but an infant can only receive the first. He can only be introduced into heaven and the church. He must come to know and acknowledge the Lord. He must of his own free will elect the road of regeneration. Consequently, we are warned that baptism "confers neither faith nor salvation; but it testifies that [one] may receive faith and be saved if he is regenerated" (HD 207).
     Obviously it is impossible for an infant to know and acknowledge the Lord. Only by gradual steps and degrees can this take place. Only by careful guidance with this goal in mind can the second use of baptism be fulfilled. It was to augment and fulfill this portion of the baptismal vow, it was to aid in fully discharging the spiritual responsibility of opening the mind to know and acknowledge the Lord, that New Church schools were established. All our sacrifices, all our facilities, all our buildings, and all our courses of study are in vain, if we fail in this central purpose. The spirit of the Academy is a devotion to the obligations undertaken by parents before the Lord to initiate children into the knowledge and belief in the Lord as He reseals Himself in His second coming and to prepare them for regeneration.

     The first step parents can take in this direction is to establish family worship. This is the beginning of New Church education. Through regular devotions we bring the Lord into our homes, and we keep Him there when we interpret all the experiences of infancy, childhood, and youth in the light of His presence.

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When it is the Lord who provides for the necessities of the home when it is the Lord who punishes evil and rewards good; when it is the Lord who is the source of all justice and order-then the inner remains of baptism are strengthened and confirmed to become the simple knowledge and confidence that are the backbone of youth. The rule for parents is given in the Old Testament: "Ye shall lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down and when thou riseth up . . . that your days may be multiplied. and that the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware onto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon earth" (Deut. 11: 18-21).
     But there comes a time when the home can no longer care completely for the growing child, when it can no longer expend the time and energy in instruction and habit formation for both mind and body. There is a point at which the home ceases to be fully equipped to meet the child's expanding needs. For this reason we have an extension of the home-the school-in which teachers act for parents in fulfilling their responsibilities.
     It is sad indeed when these schools are not an extension of the home, when we are forced to send our children to schools that lack the spiritual guidance that qualifies New Church institutions. Yet we know that the Lord protects all uses. We know that a sincere love of teaching can be turned in His Providence to good. And we know also that the greatest single influence on a growing child is still the home with all that it stands for. New Church schools also have their limitations Our efforts to apply the sure knowledge that the Writings afford are human and fallible. Yet in so far as our ways are patterned after the troth, in so far as we educate from the Lord and not from self, our work can approach the education of heaven and help fulfill the second use of baptism.

     By names we distinguish one thing from another A name indicates what a thing is like. We often call people by nick-names to bring out certain of their dominant characteristics, and when we hear such names, we often know something about them. Serious names are given with the hope that children will grow up to possess special qualities. The Writings tell us that "the name of any one means not his name alone but his every quality . . . [This] is evident from the use of names in the spiritual world. No roan there retains the name he received in baptism, or that of his father or ancestry in the world: but every one is there named according to his character" (TCR 300).

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When we understand this, we have a basis for understanding what the name of the Lord means and something of what baptism and education into His name involves. For His name "is everything of faith and love by which He saves man . . . therefore when that quality is thought of by man, the Lord becomes present with him, and when this quality is loved, the Lord is conjoined to him . . . this shows how necessary it is that man know the quality of faith and love that is the Lord's 'name' also how necessary it is to love that quality, which comes by doing those things that the Lord has commanded" (AE 815:12), In the spiritual world people become present when named. Hence when we use the Lord's name He becomes present with us, and the more we know about His qualities the more can we receive Him and be moved by His presence.
     In recognition of the truth that when the Lord's name is used He approaches, the first thing of all formal New Church education is opening worship. By this act the Lord becomes present in our midst, as He said:
"Where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18: 20).
     Yet such states of elevation cannot long be sustained. While they do express the essence of our distinctiveness, they are not in themselves enough. We can indeed bring the Lord temporarily present, but we need to keep Him with us, to consolidate and confirm His nearness. Worship is but an introduction to school life. The name of the Lord, his qualities and attributes, must be described and defined in terms of every field of human knowledge and endeavor. We need to come to know and acknowledge Him in the internal truths of worship and religion and in the external truths provided by the other subjects of the curriculum. For unless we see Him in internals and in externals at the same time, we cannot truly be enlightened.

     In our religion classes we examine the qualities of the Lord from His Word. We see Him in the heavens and in the hells, caring for the highest happiness and order of all. We are taught the doctrines of the Church. We learn the universal ways of His Providence. And we are introduced to His most precious gift to man, conjugial love. As we progress we are led to penetrate more deeply into His infinite love and wisdom. Yet as we do not know a man merely from what he says or does in one sphere of use, so we cannot fully know the Lord until we see Him in both worlds, until we know Him as the "First and the Last, the Beginning and the End . . the Almighty" (Rev. 1: 8),
     We can hardly appreciate the wonderful quality if complete giving that is the Lord if we have not opened our minds to the natural sciences and seen there the ordered autonomy, the as-of-self, that permeates nature.

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The Creator so clothes His gifts that they are in no way forced on us. In consequence, we can have the joy of discovery, of finding things out for ourselves, having them as our own, and using them to express our own desires. We are not aware of the hand of the Lord as He acts through spiritual forces to mold vegetable and animal forms to sustain our lives. We can even vary these forms, within certain limitations, to suit our needs and fancy; we can develop seedless grapefruit and wingless chickens. So complete is this giving that we can use the appearance that nature lives from herself against its Creator-to deny God and to set up man and his inventions as the center of our adoration. And since we can reject, since we have the full freedom to deny, our acknowledgment can be truly meaningful. The inmost treasure of the study of science comes when from first-hand acquaintance we recognize that it is the same Lord known to us through revelation who is present in the order of nature. It is the same quality of giving we see in nature that He exemplified by being born into the world, when "God gave His only-begotten Son, . . . that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3: 16,17). And this giving. too, was full. For the Lord on earth took on every appearance of being an ordinary man, so that He could be rejected and crucified, or received with thanksgiving.
     Some understanding of the human body is vital to New Church education. The intricacies of intercommunication and interdependence among the organs, parts, and cells of the body is a microcosmic picture of the unity and harmony of the universe. The way each part contributes to the whole and is at the same time benefitted by the whole gives us a vision of the order and government of heaven. Each angel performs his special use for the Gorand Man, and in turn receives the uses of all. `Each person communicates his joy to all, and all to each, so that each one is a center of all. This is the heavenly form (AC 549). We are clearly taught that "the states of spirits and angels together with all their varieties, can in nowise be understood without a knowledge of the human body, for the Lord's kingdom is like a man (for the Lord is the Only Man, and His kingdom resembles Him" (SD 1145 1/2).
     We come to comprehend the wise leading of the Lord with intelligence by seeing how the thoughts and) actions of men have been led in the past. A part of the Word itself is laid in history. The Jews were most carefully guided so that their national story might contain layer within layer of Divine truth.
     When we see how the Greek philosophers-Socrates. Plato Aristotle-were raised up to give permanent voice to the last flowering of wisdom from the Ancient Word (see SS 115), how they discussed the inner problems of human virtue and the outer forms of civil freedom, and particularly how they developed orderly patterns of conclusive thinking, demonstrating that if certain things are true others must of necessity follow; and when we understand how such teaching prepared the way for men to understand the teachings of the Lord, then we see Providence at work.

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Greek philosophy with its logical thought opened the way for men to grasp the full force of the New Testament: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you [is contingent on] do ye even so to them" (Matt. 7: 12). "Ye are My friends [is conditioned by] if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15: 14). "Know the truth, [has its logical consequence] and the truth shall make you free" (John 8: 52).
     However, such developments in thought would have been relatively useless had they been confined and localized to Greece. It was in Providence, therefore, that the youthful Alexander with unprecedented success should be permitted to conquer the known world, and that centers of Hellenistic learning should be established to carry Greek thought to all corners of the empire-to Rhodes, Pergamum, Antioch, Alexandria. In this way the ancient world was prepared for the advent of the Lord and to accept His new doctrine.
     Incident after incident in the pages of history takes on real significance in the light of internal truth and reveals the guiding hand of the Lord ever providing for the establishment of His kingdom on the earth.
     It would be most difficult to know the Lord without a thorough grounding in the language arts. Language is the carrier of Revelation. Reading, writing, and human speech can open doors to eternity. We need hi) know how to read with intelligence and skill. For behind the written page, behind story and poem, is the mind of its author with his ideas, false and true, and his various affections. If we have no standard by which to appraise and evaluate what we read, the true use of literature will pass us by. We will merely ride on a sea of vicarious experience and emotion without arriving at any destination. Nevertheless, when guided by the compass of revealed doctrine, our voyage can bring new confirmations of truth and develop skills in sound judgment. In learning to comprehend and appreciate the words of man-the inner complexities of human thought and feeling-and in our own efforts to transform the world of our minds into words, we are made ready to glean the meanings of the Divine Word and to discover the Divine mind of its Author.
     Poetry, art, and music open windows to the human heart. They reveal the pulse of love which animates an age or a people. They are especially sensitive to the forces that operate in the world of spirits. While based on science-on measurable rhythms of sound, color, and form-these arts transcend such boundaries and rise into the unmeasured, undefined realms of the human spirit, to reveal quiet meditation and delights inexpressible and their foul opposites.

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By contact with the arts we gain an intimate feeling for the meaning of harmony and are brought to wonder at the works of the Master Artisan who frames all creation in the harmonies of use. We discover the force of His love as it blends, welds, and shapes creation into one.
     Even recess and vacation-time can unfold to us something of the name of the Lord. Recreation is part of the cycle by which man is perfected. Hard work and absorbing play are not opposites but parts of a single way-the way the Lord has provided for our growth and development. Physical rest, when everything of self is dormant, is a time of blessing, when the Lord's love and wisdom are focussed to renovate and renew. At this time the Lord Himself educates and consolidates the things we practised today so that they are ours tomorrow. The effort on our part is slight; the rewards from Him bounteous; "For so He giveth His beloved in sleep" (Psalm 127: 2). Re-creation is a life-process that goes on to all eternity.

     New Church education, then, is to implement the truths of Revelation, to match the world of sense experience with the kingdom of heaven, and thereby to promote the knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord and fulfill the second use of baptism. "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3: 5). Except the mind be prepared by the waters of natural truth, except it be shown the spirit of truth therein, it cannot receive the blessings of heaven. The simple teaching is that "external truths are the first truths man learns, [and] it is provided by the Lord that by means of them [he] may be introduced into interior truths" (AC 3857). The Academy was formed for this purpose. Its organizers were profoundly aware of the teaching that "the Lord having now put on the Divine natural, enlightens both the internal spiritual man and the external natural man; for when only the internal man is enlightened, and not the external as well, there is shadow; and the same is true when the external man is enlightened and not the internal. . . But when both are enlightened, he is, as it were, in the light of day" (TCR 109). For "to the end that order may be perfect, celestial and spiritual truths ought to be enrooted in natural truths" (SD 1531). This is New Church education. It is because this education is possible on our earth, it is because the Lord Himself can be present, known, and acknowledged in the fullness of His Divine Human that it is said, "the Lord has laced our earth more than others" (SD 1531).
     But we should never think New Church education is an end in itself. Education is for life-eternal life. Like baptism, education confers neither faith nor salvation, although it provides for both when it opens the mind to accept of its own free will to follow the Lord.

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Regeneration is the most important use. Regeneration is an education that must take place internally with the Lord as Instructor and the adult as pupil. He who would enter on this road must be baptised with "the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt. 3: 11). He must put his truth to work, renounce the ways of the world and keep the commandments of God for himself. He is no longer to act from his parents and teachers, but he must be fired with a love of truth that he makes his own. Then he is not only in the church, but the church will be in him, and his uses will increase forever. Then he will not only know the quality of faith and love that is the Lord's name, but he will love that quality "by doing those things that the Lord has commanded" (AE 815: 15).
REVIEWS 1952

REVIEWS       Editor       1952

THE LAST JUDGMENT AND BABYLON DESTROYED: ALSO A CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE LAST JUDGMENT AND THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. By Emanuel Swedenborg. Translated by P. H. Johnson. The Swedenborg Society Incorporated, London, 1951. Cloth. pp. 110, plus Notes and Indexes.
     The Last Judgment and Babylon Destroyed is one of five works given to the printer by Swedenborg in London in 1758. Unlike the other four, which are selections from Arcana Coelestia with some additions and variations, it consists of entirely new material. The Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment and the Spiritual World appeared five years later, in 1763, at Amsterdam. It was based largely on an unpublished manuscript entitled Concerning the Last Judgment. Both these works contain large excerpts from the Spiritual Diary, especially from nos. 5843-6090: and "the reason for this Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment is chiefly to make known what the state of the world and of the church was before the Last Judgment, and what their state has become since it took place; also to describe how the Last Judgment was effected upon the Reformed"
(CLJ 2).
     There have been several Latin and English editions of both published works. The volume under review, which comprises the Last Judgment and The Continuation, is an entirely new translation made by the Rev. P. H. Johnson, BA., B.Sc., with the Rev. E. R. Goldsack, MA., as consultant. As stated in the Preface, the intention has been to offer a version "which it is hoped will have a greater appeal to the modern reader"; and it is our opinion that the translator has conveyed the sense of the Latin in readable English without sacrificing accuracy.

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The thought has been reproduced in a style which is close to that of the original and which, for the most part, keeps to the sense of the material.
     It must be stated, however, that the format is not as pleasing as that of some other productions of the Swedenborg Society. The type face and size used are quite legible, the paragraph numbers in the body of the work are printed in boldface type, and the marginal numbers indicating the subdivisions used in the SWEDENBORG CONCORDANCE are easily found. But the type page is rather long; there is not enough space between the lines to make them inviting and easy to read; and although some of the longer paragraphs in the original have been broken up into several paragraphs, there are no spaces between these shorter units. We are aware that this crowding of the material may have been dictated by necessity, but the general result is a formidable page that repels rather than attracts the eye. Footnotes are used sparingly, and there is one place in which a note might usefully have been added. The statement begins: "I have often seen a certain Englishman who became famous on account of a book he published some years ago . . . " (CLJ 46). The reference here is to Richard Allestree, author of The Whole Duty of Man, and in view of the extended statement made about him the reader might have been given this information.
     On a few minor points we might question whether the translator has not sacrificed something with very little if any gain, and we have noted one or two inconsistencies. Thus we are told that there is "a spiritual sense to each and everything in the Word" (LJ 1), a construction that occurs repeatedly. To say "the spiritual sense to this" rather than "of this" may make a greater appeal to the modern reader; but it suggests that the spiritual sense is something extrinsic to the letter which is to be applied to it instead of something that is within the letter. "I would draw your attention to one or two further passages" does not have quite the same force as "I will adduce," the sense of which could have been more accurately conveyed. In nos. 33 and 34, the translator speaks of the "balance" between heaven and hell, but retains "equilibrium" in the citation from Heaven and Hell which occurs in the text: and "balance" does not occur in the Index, while "equilibrium" does. Similarly, no. 50 speaks of "Mahomet" and then of "Mohamedans." But these are lesser points, and "can never surmise what is in the Apocalypse" (no. 43) is better than "can never divine," which occurs in some other translations.
     The Notes appended by J. J. G. Wilkinson to his translation are added to this edition-a happy decision as they refer the reader to other places in the Writings where some of the leading persons spoken of here are mentioned; and there is an Index of Subjects and an Index of Scripture Passages, which in this case are all from the Word, that will be of assistance to the reader.

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The publication of this edition is part of the Society's continuing policy of issuing new translations made under highly commendable principles, and in accordance with regulations and a code which are always under thoughtful consideration: and despite the criticisms which have been offered we congratulate all concerned on this latest production.


THE WORD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT EXPLAINED. A Posthumous Work by Emanuel Swedenborg. Volume IX, Indices. Prepared by Alfred Acton. Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1951. Cloth, pp. 229.
     It was in 1927 that AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WORD EXPLAINED was reviewed in these pages. Volume I of the work itself appeared two years later, and the remaining seven volumes of the English text came from the press at intervals between 1929 and 1948. The publication last year of these Indices as a ninth volume thus completes and crowns a prodigious task carried on steadily in the midst of other duties over a period of nearly a quarter of a century.
     There is no exaggeration in saying that it would scarcely be possible to overestimate the importance and value of this volume to the student of the Writings and of Swedenborg final preparation during the intermediate period of his life, or to the student of the letter of the Word. A good index, so prepared by a skilled craftsman as to make the subject-matter of a work available is at once a guide to the several depositories in a storehouse of treasures and a key which gives access to those treasures. With the publication of these Indices. The Word Explained becomes fully available to the English reader-for reference, for comparison, and for special study; and their appearance should arouse a new interest in the work itself, as it will make the work of greater use in the Church than it could be until this time.
     In a short review it is not possible to do full justice to so extensive an index as we have here and only a most general description will be attempted. The bulk of the volume consists of an INDEX OF SUBJECTS. This is followed by INDEXES OF AUTHORS AND OF SCRIPTURE PASSAGES, and there are five APPENDICES, namely: Additions and Comments, Text of Deleted Passages, Corrections of the Latin text. Errata, and two drawings of Solomon's temple and the great court, illustrating nos. 6250-52 and reproduced from the Breeches Bible, London, 1599, a copy of which was in Swedenborg's library. While the first four APPENDICES, the result of painstaking labor, are of the greatest value to the researcher, the main interest of the non-professional student will be in the SUBJECT INDEX, which can be described only as a monumental piece of work, skillfully conceived and planned and carried out consistently.

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     The general plan is one with which readers of Bishop Acton's translations have become familiar. There is a very complete system of cross references in italics, and wherever possible particular branches of subjects are listed under their general heading. Thus angel, heaven, hell, etc., are to be found as subentries under the main entry, Spiritual World, and soul, mind, ideas, thought, imagination, etc., are listed under Man. Cross references at these terms direct the inquirer to the main entry. References under main entries are not listed in chronological order, but are arranged in such a way as to present a digest of the subject: and while this is done clearly, the catchwords are as commendably brief as they should he in an index. Of special interest, and therefore to be recommended for close attention, is the digest under SWEDENBORG which extends over pages 112-119.
     Only as they are studied carefully can the amount of exacting work involved in the construction of these indices be appreciated. Their appearance will be welcomed by all who are interested in the advancement of New Church scholarship, and Bishop Acton is to be congratulated warmly on this fitting conclusion d)f a long and arduous task, no less demanding because it was a labor of love.
     THE EDITOR.
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word: "The Apocalypse does not, as some have believed, treat of the successive states of the church, still less of the successive states of kingdoms, but from beginning to end it treats of the last state of the church in heaven and on earth, then of the last judgment, and after that of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. That this New Church is the end of this work is evident." (Apocalypse Revealed, no. 2)

     The Writings: "How the Lord was received when He came into the world, and how He was tempted and then made Lord of heaven and earth, and subjugated the hells, reduced the heavens to order, and established the church, is described by the story of Joseph." (Apocalypse Explained, no. 448) "As the natural man must be subordinated to the spiritual . . . therefore Joseph for the sake of the representation of this dominion, was made ruler of Egypt, and under his auspices there was corn in abundance." (Ibid., no. 654)

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CHURCH MILITANT 1952

CHURCH MILITANT       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication Lancaster Pa.

Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor     Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy. 30 cents.
     It has always been recognized by Christians that the work of the priesthood is a warfare and that the Lord's church is a militant body. But what this means has usually been interpreted in a literal manner. In earlier ages, the Christian Church conceived of its charge to be militant as a commission from the Lord to take up arms against the enemies of the faith, and to advance the gospel with fire and the sword. Today, that charge is generally read as a call to go out into the world and do organized battle against the evils which pervade moral, political, social, and economic life.
     Thus the Church has, in the past, inspired and organized crusades against the infidels and waged holy wars against heretics. And even now, many Christians believe that the Church discharges its military mission when the evils of society are denounced from the pulpit: when its activities are centered in crusading against sin and organized vice: and when it is engaged in fighting apathy and indifference, or in campaigning for moral reform, social justice, and economic security. Thus the Christian Church has been militant in waging war on the evils of society but it failed to become a truly militant church by its members fighting individually against their own evils.
     As members of the New Church we do have from the Lord, as individuals, a charge to resist what we see to be evil, whenever and wherever we meet it: a commission to fight against vice, greed, oppression, intolerance, cruelty, exploitation, and flagrant lawlessness.

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But the Writings introduce into a more interior conception than that which is generally held. They show that what is truly meant by the church militant is not an ecclesiastical body fighting in the world, through various organized agencies, against the evils of society, and striving to enforce moral purity, political honesty, social justice, and economic security. It is a body of men and women in whom the church is, each engaged individually in fighting against the hereditary and acquired evils in their own minds and lives.
     The church militant is, essentially, that spiritual communion of men and women who are suffering themselves to be regenerated by entering into the combats of spiritual temptation, in which they fight against the hells by resisting their own evils and falsities. An organized church can fight against the evils of the outside world without advancing one step toward heaven, and therefore without advancing the kingdom of heaven on earth. On the contrary, it may recede from heaven; for it may fight from a desire to impose its own will on others that feeds and grows on resistance and combat. But as its members fight, individually and interiorly, against their own evils, they are regenerated by the Lord; and the Lord's kingdom is further established in the hearts and minds of men and women on earth.


     -AND REGENERATE AT LEISURE!

     There is an attitude into which it is all too easy to fall-that of postponing the meeting of spiritual obligations to an indefinite but more convenient season, when the world shall have become less pressing, and personal affairs have been settled first to our satisfaction. And there has, perhaps, never been a time when it was more easy to do this than the present, especially for those who are establishing themselves in their chosen occupations.
     Every man has an obligation to become as efficient as possible in his career, to make a place for himself in society, and to attain that measure of success which will ensure security for his family and protect his own capacity to perform a use. To meet this obligation takes both time and energy; and never before, perhaps, have the demands of the world on these two things been more exacting. Minimum standards are being steadily advanced. Competition is severe. Proficiency and promotion call increasingly for more and more specialized knowledge and skill. And so it may seem that the struggle to meet our natural obligations must absorb so much of our time and energy that there is little left for anything else.

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     It is just here, however, that danger lies. Unless men are inspired by the spiritual love of use their real desire is for worldly things noel these things will seem so essential that they will feel justified in devoting time and energy first to their achievement, and putting off until some future time when all personal ambitions have been satisfied their individual duties as members of the church. The urge to do this is strong; to feel that the pressures to which we are subjected excuse us. We may easily feel that the demands of our natural life have first call upon us, and that when they have been satisfied we may consider the needs of man's spiritual life; that when we have attained the position we seek, make for ourselves the place in society we desire, and established a home to our satisfaction, then we will read the Writings study the doctrines of the church enter fully into its worship and life, and regenerate at leisure!
     But this is a serious mistake, on at least two grounds. In the first place, procrastination, always dangerous, is never more so than in spiritual things. Those who think they are only putting off their spiritual obligations until such time as they have achieved their personal ambitions are self-deceived, for that time will never come. Because the ambition of self-love grows with success, they will always desire more, no matter how much they attain; will always postpone their duty to a still more remote future.
     In the second place, it is true that a man has an obligation to provide the necessaries of life for himself and his family, both in the present and in the future. Otherwise he cannot be in a position to exercise charity toward the neighbor. But the end should be that he may be in a state to serve the Lord and the neighbor by performing a spiritual use according to the precepts of charity. Thus a man should learn his business thoroughly, seek to extend his knowledge and skill in it, and keep abreast of developments in his field, that he may do his work ever more proficiently. But if he would perform a spiritual use through the doing of it, he must also devote time and energy to learning from the Lord the precepts of charity through preaching and doctrinal instruction, and through reflection and discussions with other New Church men that will help him to see the applications of those precepts to his own life and occupation. He must seek from the Lord through external worship those perceptions in the sphere of heaven, and those implantings and renewals of spiritual affections, which are given in it. And through the life and activities of the church he must seek that fostering of the beginnings of spiritual life which takes place within its sphere, and through its organized uses and its contacts with others who love and strive for the same things. That is why we are counselled in the Word to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness."

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     OBITUARIES

     Mr. Rudolf Roschman

     It was on October 17, 1951, that Mr. Rudolf Roschman entered the spiritual world, in his 91st year. His quiet passing, after a brief illness, closes finally a long chapter in the history of the Carmel Church. For Mr. Roschman was a charter member, and the last survivor of the original members who organized it as a society of the General Church.
     The youngest of thirteen children, Rudolf was born in Ulm, Germany, on April 7, 1861, to August and Julie Roschman, both of the Lutheran faith. While still in his 21st year, he went to Canada to rescue his brother, Richard, from the "queer, spiritistic religion" of which he had been writing home to his parents-only to join him in the New Church, in which he found his spiritual home, and in which he remained to become a patriarch.
     Mr. Roschman was baptized into the New Church by the Rev. F. W. Tuerk on November 12, 1882, and with that began a lifelong participation in the active uses of the Church. In addition to becoming a charter member of the Carmel Church he was Academy representative of the Academy School in Berlin, a member of the first Pastor's Council and Executive Committee of the society-posts in which he continued for much of his life thereafter-and Treasurer of the Carmel Church for nearly twenty-five years. A firm believer in New Church education, and one who always upheld the hands of his pastor, he was one of the main supporters of the society throughout his life; and it owes much to the support given by him, and by his brother. Richard, during its formative years. For many years he was a member of the Executive Committee (now the Board of Directors) of the General Church, and he was an honorary member of the Board at the time of his death.
     On May 6, 1854, Rudolf Roschman married Louisa Rothaermal, who died on August 27, 1889, after became three children: Alena (Mrs. Alfred Bellinger) Fred, who died in 1942; and Eugene. In 1891, he married Mary Rothaermal Stroh, his first wife's sister and the widow of Fred Stroh. The children of this second marriage are Beats (Mrs. Alfred K. Hasen), Yadah (Mrs. Edward Hill) Carita, who cared for her father until his death, and Ruona (Mrs. Henry Heinrichs). At the time of his death, he had 30 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, all but two of whom are baptised into the New Church; and of his descendants, 31 are still living.
     A man of strict convictions, vigorously upheld and expressed in his earlier years, Mr. Roschman was known to the writer of this sketch as a quiet, kindly, and affectionate gentleman; always in his place in church and at class, and frequently, despite his age, at social functions. He once remarked that he "was not a fellow for looking back very much, but for looking forward." And now, full of years and experience, he has entered the life to which all New Church men look forward; the life in which age shall not weary, nor the years condemn to inactivity, and in which he will enter into the fruits of the uses in which he labored.
     W. CAIRNS HENDERSON.

     Dr. William Alexander McFall

     "All reunion is of life, and its life is to do good." In the life of Dr. Mcfall this well-known New Church axiom seemed well exemplified. Dr. McFall was an intelligent and active member of the Church. Each Sunday morning, after the service, he would be the center of a group in stimulated conversation on the subject of the sermon. Although his profession prevented him from being present at all society activities he was interested in everything being done and gave his generous support to its uses. To his patients he was far more than a medical adviser. He was interested in each one as an individual, and as anxious to help them in mind as in body. The New Church doctrine was so vital to his life that he desired that its benefits should be available to all.

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     Dr. McFall practised medicine for 52 years, and the deep affection in which he was held was testified to by the more than 225 persons attending his funeral service, each of whom felt that he had lost a personal friend as well as a doctor of exceptional ability. His genial and enlivening presence each Sunday morning will be greatly missed by the members of the Olivet Church, many of whom were among his patients. But we may be reminded that he has departed to higher uses from which the Church on earth can benefit.
     Dr. McFall was born in Kleinburg, Ontario, on July 25, 1876, and passed from this life on October 16, 1951, after a grievous illness of six months, which he patiently bore. We would express our deepest sympathy to Mrs. McFall in her temporal loss.
     A. WYNNE ACTON.

     Mr. Felix Elphick

     As these notes were being written, news was received of the sudden death of Mr. Felix Elphick. He had been in poor health for some time, but nevertheless the news came as a shock. The sympathy of all will go our to his family at this time. In recent years Mr. Elphick had done much to assist the Church and especially Burton Road. The successful conclusion to the negotiations with the War Damage Commission, and many improvements in the premises, were completed during his period of office in the House Committee.
     Those who knew him well will always remember him for a burning zeal, which he showed at all times for the advancement of the New Church through intensive application to the study of the doctrines revealed by the Lord through Swedenborg.
     PERCY DAWSON.
     (From the News-Letter. November, 1951)


     STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

     Thirty-five years have elapsed since our Society was recognized by the State as an independent religious body. The anniversary was celebrated man Sunday. October 28th, when the members of our Society met in the reception hall at a restaurant in the neighborhood of our place of worship. Thanks to Mrs. Ahlberg's care the tables were decorated with red runners, flowers, and burning candles. After refreshments, Dr. Baeckstrom made a short speech on the importance of the day. Our Associate Pastor, the Rev. Erik Sandstrom, then projected a number of pictures received from Bryn Athyn showing various aspects of the cathedral and the surrounding scenery. On the wall there finally appeared the images of Bishop de Charms, the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, and Bishop N. D. Pendleton, the first two mentioned in their white robes. Then we waited eagerly to hear a tape-recording of a service in the cathedral. We heard the organ, the singing and Dr. Odhner officiating. People who had never attended worship in the cathedral were impressed by the beauty of the Liturgy, and those of us who were familiar with the Bryn Athyn service recalled its spirit with delight. At the same time we admired several colored views of the interior of the church building.
     SENTA CENTERVALL.

     DURBAN, NATAL

     Since his arrival in Durban just over a year ago, the Rev. Martin Pryke has had his time fully occupied in ministering to the Durban Society, visiting the isolated, and caring for the centers of the Native Mission throughout South Africa. This has indeed been a heavy program. Nevertheless there has been steady progress in the uses of the church. The last two parts of the work mentioned involve a great deal of travelling. In July, Mr. Pryke spent a week on a trip to Johanesburg and district. More recently, he covered Northern Natal and Zululand; calling on Mr. and Mrs. Clive Parker, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Buss, and Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Buss and members of the their family, and also visiting three of the Mission stations.

     Services and Classes.-In the meantime the activities of the Durban Society have continued as usual. With the return of summer we have reverted to combined services for adults and children at 9:30 on Sunday mornings. For the next few weeks, Mr. Pryke will be giving at these services a series of sermons on the moral virtues which promises to be interesting and beneficial.
     It is of interest to review the subjects we have been studying in our various classes. At the doctrinal classes on Wednesday evenings Mr. Pryke has been giving for some time now a series of lectures on the inspiration of the Word, and we are now studying the uses of the literal sense of the Word. The young people, who meet together on Friday evenings, have been divided into two groups.

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The senior group has been studying the principal doctrines of the Church, while the juniors have been learning about the life of the Lord. At the present time, Mr. Pryke is giving classes on the work Conjugial Love for the girls, while the subject with the boys is the history of the New Church

     Social Events.-It has been decided to hold a quarterly social instead of the usual monthly one. In the intervening period it is customary to have informal monthly gatherings at various homes on a Sunday. On the first Sunday in September, Mr. Schuurman entertained us at morning tea after early service at 9:30, the swimming pool and tennis court being additional attractions to the garden. A few weeks later it was "Open House" on Sunday afternoon at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Durham Ridgway, who are now living on the church property at Westville. This was a delightful opportunity for us town-dwellers to get away from the city for a short spell, and a very enjoyable afternoon was spent there.
     Another quarterly social, held last Saturday evening in the halt, provided entertainment of a different sort. Mrs. Masson, who has recently become a member, arranged one or two humorous sketches which were acted by the young people and received hearty applause. This was followed by a movie in color, and then came the usual evening tea and refreshments. We remember also a very pleasant evening spent at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sep Braby, when competitions and various games provided an enjoyable social event.

     Personal.-In July, after two years at Verulam, Mr. and Mrs. Derick Lumsden moved back to their own home near Pinetown. Soon after settling in they had their home dedicated at a service conducted by Mr. Pryke, and attended by members of the family and one or two friends.
     During September I visited Bloemfontein to attend the marriage of Mr. Wilfred Waters and Miss Mary Humby. Wilfred is the eldest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Waters of "Alpha," Ladybrand. The ceremony took place on the 15th, in the Anglican Cathedral. Mrs. Elphick, and the bridegroom's brothers, Kenneth and Gerald, travelled from Durban for the wedding, and his two sisters from Johannesburg were also present. While in Bloemfontein I had the additional pleasure of staying with Mr. and Mrs. Rademeyer. Mr. Rademeyer, who has been an enthusiastic reader of the Writings for a number of years, was baptized recently by Mr. Pryke.
     VIDA ELPHICK.

     TORONTO, CANADA

     Eastern Canada Assembly.-We enjoyed entertaining our friends and were pleased that events went with the smoothness of well oiled machinery-though there was nothing mechanical in the atmosphere which pervaded the meetings, meals, and in-between-times. It is always pleasant when, after much hard work and concentrated effort, the results prove worthwhile. We greatly missed our beloved Bishop de Charms, but gained the opportunity of becoming better acquainted with Bishop Pendleton and his charming wife, Gabriele and their return will be welcomed whenever it is possible for them again to visit Toronto.

     Sundays.-Our Pastor, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton, is giving us a most interesting series of sermons on the life of Joseph. During the weekend of September 23rd, Mr. Acton visited the Montreal Circle, and we heard a heartwarming sermon from the Rev. Norman H. Reuter on "Greater love hath no man than this." On October 14th, with Mr. Acton officiating, the children brought forward their Thanksgiving offering to the Lord, an event that is always a great delight. This service was particularly memorable in that the sermon led our thoughts to love of country and to consideration of what a nation can mean.
     Sunday School is again being held during the Sunday morning sermon. Ten ladies take turns in teaching the group, basing their teaching on material received from the General Church Religion Lessons Committee.

     Classes.-The Wednesday supper, which we are inclined to call dinners, have, for the most part, been well attended. The same is true of the doctrinal class which follows, in which Mr. Acton has been giving us an instructive series on "The Divine Providence."
     The young people also attend the two Sunday evening classes have organized themselves into a club which is to have social and utilitarian uses. An executive has been chosen, and one successful social evening held to date, but a name for the club has not yet been found.

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     Day School.-The school is a happy affair this year, with ten pupils and a part-time kindergarten pupil, all wearing navy blue uniform. The Rev. A. Wynne Acton is Principal and Miss Venita Roschman is teacher Assistant teachers are: Miss Edina Carswell, music and French; Mrs. A W. Acton, science; Mrs. John Parker, sewing. Various ladies take turns at supervising the luncheon hour.

     Annual Meeting.-The Annual Meeting of the Society was held after a mammoth attendance at the Wednesday supper of 73 people, 65 of whom remained for it. The following officers were elected: Secretary, Ivan Scott; Treasurer, Charles White; Assistant Treasurer, Thomas Fountain.

     Other Meetings.-The Ladies' Circle has met regularly in various homes, with the Pastor giving interesting papers at the beginning of the evening. The always willing Circle, which assuredly shines at the Wednesday dinners, is at present working on a long list of Christmas projects.
     Theta Alpha has also held regular meetings and sponsored a children's Halloween party which was a gay event. Games were played, and supper was served to the satisfaction of the small guests, who had arrived in wonderful costumes.
     The Forward-Sons held a special meeting at which they presented Seymour Starkey with a handsome traveling bag as a send-off to his school life in Bryn Athyn. At their last meeting they spent a lively evening discussing social life in the Church, almost everyone present rising to express a fray thoughts.

     Social and Personal.-Social items include a happy house-warming party given by Grace and Charles White, who have established a pretty home in Long Branch. More recently Mrs. Ella Brown assisted by Mr. Robert Brown, sponsored a "Plastic Party" at the church; an interesting demonstration, and opportunity to do some Christmas shopping, with the proceeds going to the building fund.
     The students attending the Academy Schools this year are Evelan Barber, Alethe Starkey, John Parker, Jr., John McDonald, and Seymour Starkey. They all appear to be having an instructive and enjoyable time.
     Mr. and Mrs. Ray Orr (Penelope Ann Sargeant) were happy in the birth of a son on October 1st, and on the 28th we were glad to welcome the newborn son of Robert and Gladys (Carter) Scott. Miss Mildred Macdonald, who was baptized into the Church in October, is a welcome addition to the congregation. Her marriage to Mr. Harold Carter is planned for December 15th. Mrs. Nellie Carson came for the Assembly, but enjoyed herself that she stayed fume a month and was a welcome guest on many occasions. Among the Toronto folks who attended and enjoyed the Charter Day festivities were Mr. and Mrs. James Graham (Mary Rose Carswell), whose son was baptized by Bishop Acton during their stay in Bryn Athyn. We regret to report that Philip Bellinger has been transferred to Windsor, but as we hear that he is having a wonderful time with the Detroit Circle we cannot be too rueful.
     VERA CRAIGIE.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN

     Ten of our members, including our Pastor and his wife, attended the District Assembly of the Pittsburgh, Detroit, Northern Ohio groups, held at the Pittsburgh Church, Oct. 26 and 27. We are pleased to report that this Assembly was well planned and carried out; the papers being of unusual interest and the banquet, held in the assembly room of the Le Roi Road Church, something to be remembered with much pleasure.
     Our Circle was distinguished by having three of its members on the program. Mr. Norman Synnestvedt officiated as toastmaster; the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers addressed the Friday evening meeting, his subject being: "the distinctiveness of the New Church." Mr. Hugh Scott Forfar spoke at the banquet, making a plea for financial help so that more of the young people in the Society at Durban might have the advantage of attending the Academy Schools at Bryn Athyn; the expense of traveling so far preventing some from acquiring a New Church education.
     We Detroiters who attended want to congratulate the Pittsburgh folk on a good job, well done; also to say how very much we appreciated meeting and hearing Bishop N. D Pendleton, who presided at the meetings in such a gracious and masterly manner. It was a real treat, particularly for those of us who rarely have an opportunity to hear him.

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     Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10th and 11th, found our Pastor away on his monthly visit to the Northern Ohio group. In place of the lay service held on such occasions our Circle had invited the Rev. Norman H. Reuter to conduct a service. Mr. Reuter, our leader and visiting Pastor for 13 years, for whom we have great affection, arrived on Saturday accompanied by Mrs. Reuter. In their honor a reception was held Saturday evening at the John Howard home.
     At the service on Sunday Mr. Reuter's sermon subject was "Freedom," and his text: "The truth shall make you free." In the evening he attended a meeting of our Sons Chapter, where, after a business session, he spoke on "Reciprocal Response to the Lord." Much interest was shown by the extended discussion which followed.
     Mrs. Gustave Woelfle and Miss Evangline Gill, of the Kitchener Society, accompanied the Reuters to Detroit and were welcome visitors at our Sunday service. Come again, ladies

     On Sunday evening, Nov. 18th, at the home of Walter and Bratty Childs, an "open house" was held in honor of the 40th wedding anniversary of Wm. F. and Ivy Cook, who have been members of our Circle since its inception under the leadership of Father Waelchli. In fact the Cooks, their children, grandchildren and in-laws associated with our Circle, total 23 at the latest count; close to one-half of our present membership. It was indeed a pleasure to offer "Bill" and Ivy our most sincere congratulations, together with a token of our love for them.
     The members of our Women's Guild have discovered that, when their treasury is at a low ebb, the quickest way to replenish it is to hold a Rummage Sale. While there may be conflicting opinions about such sales, there can be no question as to their success in raising a quick dollar, and, at the same time, providing a ready market for discarded clothing and household equipment. The two sales our Guild members base already held proved quite successful from a money-raising standpoint and the ladies are already planning for another one in the near future.
     Acquiring a new member is always a noteworthy event in a small group, and so we are happy to welcome to our ranks Mr. Philip Bellinger of Toronto, an insurance adjuster transferred to the Windsor office of his Company. Windsor, just across the river, is not too far from our place of meeting and Mr. Bellinger attends our services.
     November proved to be an unusually busy month for us, including, on the evening of the 24th, our semi-annual business meeting. Then, to top things off, the Women's Guild put on a Christmas Fair and Barbecue Luncheon following the service on Sunday, Nov. 25th. A great variety of articles were offered for sale and there were games of so-called skill, where prizes were hotly contested. The whole affair was, frankly, an effort to get as much money as possible out of the more-or-less willing victims. From this standpoint it was certainly a big success, a substantial sum being added to our slowly-but-surely growing Building Fund.
     We are faced with another heavy schedule for December, including our first effort at presenting tableaux of the Christmas Story, a special Christmas service, and a party for the children. May we wish all readers of NEW CHURCH LIFE a most happy and successful New Year!
     WILLIMA W. WALKER

     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-The Theological School, Cambridge, Mass., reports an enrollment of seven students at the beginning of the fall term.
     It is reported that Urbana Junior College has closed its dormitories, and will operate entirely as a business college, retaining only three members of its faculty.
     The report of the Western New Church Union states that during the past year about 472 contacts were made, 1,061 books sold, and 176 tracts and pamphlets distributed.
     After almost two years of intensive planning and work, the Vancouver Society formally dedicated its new church building last October, the occasion being marked by special services.
     Having sold its church building for the purpose of securing a more suitable location, the Toronto Society is now engaged in raising funds with which to erect a new church.
     An organ donated to the Tokyo Mission by the Pittsburgh Society was dedicated by the pastor and missionary, the Rev. Yonezo Doi, at a special thanksgiving service held last September.

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     General Conference.-The New Church College began its fall term with an enrollment of seven theological students, two of whom are from Melbourne, Australia.
     The first week in October was chosen as a suitable date to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Acerington Society. Leader of the small group of men who originally formed the society was Mr. Dean, curate of St. Paul's, Blackburn, and a friend of the Rev. John Clowes.

     Swedenborg Society.-After nearly sixteen years of service, Mr. Dan Chapman has resigned as Honorary Treasurer. He has accepted the unanimous invitation of the Council to become Chairman.

     Australia.-A report from the Melbourne Society in THE NEW AGE mentions a summer school to be held during the Christmas season.

     West Africa.-A short article in the same periodical by the Rev. M. O. Ogundipe, Superintendent of the Mission in West Africa, states that there are 40 societies and 16 day schools in eastern Nigeria, and 3 societies and 2 schools in the west where the headquarters is situated.


     MILITARY SERVICE COMMITTEE

     It is several months since a report of the activities of the Military Service Committee has been submitted to NEW CHURCH LIFE. The reason is probably obvious. Confusion and uncertainty hamper long-range planning or action, and the phrase which occurs to mind in connection with our work at the moment is: "They also serve also only stand and wait."
     However, the committee is functioning according to what seems to be the need of the moment. Its main effect is to offer to men and women in service an easy method of contact with the Church, and to supply them with some spiritual food. NEW CHURCH LIFE is sent to everyone on our list, and other General Church periodicals are gratis on request. One sermon, carefully selected, is mailed monthly, and additional Church literature may be had for the asking.
     THE COMMUNIQUE continues to be published monthly. It is directed solely to the men in the armed services. They want to know something about each other-their situations and their thoughts. Some feel that they have little or nothing to say. If we had a roving reporter he would doubtless discover many interesting things; but we do not and the bare facts we manage to wrest from our 50 men and women are meagre!
     We are far from being satisfied with what has been achieved in the way of personal letter writing, and suggestions from anyone interested in the matter would be welcomed. Such correspondence is important, but it cannot be forced.
     At this time it does not seem wise to publicize the work or to solicit funds for its continuance. However, the situation and the needs may change. In the meantime, the work will continue, quietly and regularly; with the hope that suggestions, questions, and requests will be sent to the committee.
     DORIS G. PENDLETON.
          Chairman.
EVANGELIZATION 1952

EVANGELIZATION              1952

     "By evangelization are meant all things in the Word which treat of the Lord, and all things in worship which represent Him. For evangelization is annunciation about the Lord, His coming, and the things that are from Him which belong to salvation and eternal life. And as all things of the Word in its inmost sense treat solely of the Lord, and all things of worship represent Him, therefore the whole Word is the evangel, in like manner all worship that was done according to the things commanded in the Word. And because the priests presided over the worship, and likewise taught, therefore worship and evangelization were signified by their ministry" (AC 9925).

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ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1952

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS              1952




     Announcements





     BRYN ATHYN, PA., JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 2, 1952

Monday, January 28
     8:00 P.M. Consistory.

Tuesday, January 29
     10:00 A.M., and 3:30 P.M. Council of the Clergy.

Wednesday, January 30
     10:00 A.M., and 3:30 P.M. Council of the Clergy.

Thursday, January 31
     10:00 A.M. Council of the Clergy.
     3:30 P.M. Headmasters' Meeting.

Friday, February 1
     10:00 A.M. Council of the Clergy.
     3:30 P.M. Board of Directors of the Corporations of the General Church.
     3:30 P.M. Educational Council Committee. (Headmasters)
     7:00 P.M. Society Supper.
     7:45 P.M. Open Session of the Council of the Clergy.
               Address by the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers.

Saturday, February 2
     10:00 A.M. Joint Council of the General Church.
     3:30 P.M. Corporation of the Academy of the New Church.

Sunday, February 3
     11:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. Divine Worship.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     1. Man has no other sensation, perception, or knowledge than that life is in himself in such a way that he thinks and wills, and consequently speaks and acts from himself; but nevertheless he should acknowledge and believe that the truths which he thinks and speaks, and the goods which he wills and does, are from God, and thus as it were from himself" (AE 1136).

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PRAYER 1952

PRAYER       Rev. HENRY HEINRICHS       1952


No. 2

NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
FEBRUARY, 1952
     "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us." (Luke 11: 4)

     All prayer, by its very nature, is prophetic. It looks to the future-to the fulfillment of some cherished and desired end. When of order, it is the beginning of a new state and the end of a former one. As prophecy has been, and is, the harbinger of a new church, so, in the regenerate life, is prayer a prophecy of succeeding states of life. In prayer, therefore, we renounce the evils of the past and look to the putting on of a new state wherein the former evils shall have no place-even as the prophets denounced the existing order of things.
     The attitude of renouncing former evils and looking to a new state in prayer is of great importance, for it effects a disposition of the mind and
heart into which the Lord can inflow with saving power. It is the Lord's will that man shall renounce his evils; that he shall forget, also, the evils, fancied or real, that others have done against him. Such renunciation and non-remembrance leaves the subject free for the fulfillment of the Lord's will; which is to give him a new life, new loves, and a new understanding. Thus a new state can be initiated within him, the glory of which shall surpass that of all his former states.

     The renunciation of evil is what we pray for specifically in the words of our text, and is meant by the phrase: "For we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us." For it is only as we renounce the evils of which we have been guilty and no longer remember those which have been done to us, actually or in our imagination, that the Lord can forgive us our sins, our debts. As long as they come to mind from our affections, and in the degree that our affections are active in remembering them, they are not forgiven. They occupy the center of the mind and constitute an active state which is alien to, and void of, the Lord's mercy.

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For the doctrine is: that "what is not attended to is remitted; from which it follows that what is attended to is not forgiven" (AC 10504).
     This is surely a remarkable statement! It places the burden of the remission of sins on man. In other words, the Lord deals with man as man deals with his fellow men. If a man is unforgiving, if he habitually dwells on the shortcomings and faults of others, the Lord cannot accept him. The Lord regards man as a subject. He takes account of man's states, not as they are affected by outside agencies, but as they are generated by man; and He regards and accepts man according to the truth, not according to the appearance.
     Men habitually excuse themselves by attributing their states of anger, malice, impatience, or hatred to others. They say: "He did so and so, and made me angry;" or, "for that I can never forgive him." In this, however, they speak according to the appearance. The truth is that anger, or any evil state, is never caused by things outside man. The origin of every state of affection with man is his own inward acceptance of evil, and the responsibility for his evil states is his own. Moreover, before he can be accepted by the Lord he must acknowledge this truth and act according to it by releasing others from responsibility for his evils; that is, he must forgive others their debts.
     Men cannot get rid of their evils by attributing their cause to others, for the cause, as just said, is in themselves and the Lord regards them according to their own states. He judges them by what is active in their states. Strictly speaking, of course, the Lord judges no one. Men judge themselves because they have the power of self-determination-the power of turning their loves to evil or to good. Of necessity, their loves must have objects, which are primarily other men; and if one wishes to know the nature of his loves he will find an index to them in his attitude toward his fellow beings. Let him but examine and see what it is that he attends to in them.
     If he finds himself very ready to take notice of their faults he may know that he has yet to humble the accusing spirits who have their seat in the self-righteous love of the Pharisee that dwells in him. If he cannot think of a person who has done him an injury at some time without at the same time thinking of the injury, then he may know that he has not the spirit of forgiveness which is the essential of Christianity-the spirit of a genuine spiritual church which the Lord came to restore to a world that had for ages lived by the retaliative law of eye for eye, tooth for tooth, He may know that he has not that spirit of charity which forgives, not only "until seven times," but "until seventy times seven." And "what ms not attended to is remitted; but what is attended to is not remitted, or what is the same, is not forgiven."

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     Do we wonder that this is so? Then let us reflect that this truth is but an application of a universal law-a spiritual law that governs in all human associations, in heaven and in hell, and in the communication between the two worlds, because it is written into the human constitution, and specifically into the memory; the law that remembrance brings presence and conjunction, while non-remembrance brings disjunction.

     From a consideration of this law we shall see the unalterable character of the truth mentioned; more, we shall see that the Lord's Prayer, as is illustrated by our text actually contains in it the life of heaven, and, indeed, all the goods and truths which are the living essentials of spiritual life.
     That which determines associations in the spiritual world is, we are told, the sphere of man's life. Man's life is his love, the loves which he has appropriated to himself by living them. It is this life, or the loves which make it, that proceeds from his sphere. According to the similarity or dissimilarity of the life's loves there is presence or absence in the spiritual world. Thus all in heaven and all in hell are consociated according to the spheres of their loves. Spheres, and the reception thereof, are what make the distinction between heaven and hell and between the societies in each. So also a change of place, or what is the same, a change of state in that world, is nothing else than a reception of other spheres.
     These spheres, being a proceeding of the life's love, must emanate from something that is peculiarly man's. This something is the mind, consisting of will and understanding, of which the memory is the basis. So the memory is the ultimate of man as a spiritual being, the ultimate basis of the proceeding sphere.
     The mind of man is his spiritual world. It is a world intermediate between the Lord, the First, and the natural world, the last; a structure intermediate between the soul and the body. The lowest plane of the mind, or this intermediate world, is the memory, and it becomes the basis of succeeding spiritual formations. But let us see briefly how it is formed, so that we may know its nature and use, and may the better see its connection with the law under consideration.
     The soul is the first receptacle of the inflowing Divine life. From, and by means of it, is formed the body in the image of the soul, in that the body is given to feel life as its own. This feeling that life is its own is the highest gift of the soul to the body and it has its seat in the brain. To the brain is given the ability to receive and retain modifications of form which come to it by means of sensations from the world, and of reproducing or not reproducing these modifications at will. This reproduction of former states-of the modifications of form induced on the cortical glands by sensations received from without-is memory; and the simultaneous reproduction of many states and their varied arrangement is imagination.

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     Thus do things from the world of matter enter into man and become a part of his world. The world without becomes the world within, and it is here that man really lives. Here, within his memory and imagination, his freedom and reason play upon the world, Everything that a man does in outward act, and much more that he never actually does, is acted out in this world of the memory and the imagination. Here his real life is lived. Here his loves and thoughts disport themselves in freedom with whatsoever is pleasant to them; and what is revealed concerning angels and spirits may truly be said of man in this life also, namely, that his eyes are continually turned to the things he loves, and this whithersoever he turns his body. The eyes of the angels are continually turned to the Lord as a sun, and the eyes of the devils turned away from Him. But the underlying truth is that their eyes are turned continually to that which they love; and so it is also with man in his memory and imagination.
     Of the memory we are told that it is the ultimate of order in which spiritual and celestial things are terminated; that it, together with all things in it, is the plane in which the interiors of man are terminated. Men are vessels, the teaching is, and the vessels are in their memory in which their ideas are determined and terminated. These things are said of the external memory which, while rendered quiescent in the other life, nevertheless shows the mode of the conjunction of the spiritual and the natural worlds and enables us to see how man is the ultimate in which all order rests. For all spirits, we are told, are not allowed to come into their own external memory, but must adopt or enter the memory of man. Thus spirits, good and evil, are continually associated with man, and this in his memory. The memory being organic, a body fixing and determining a man's loves and thoughts, emits a sphere which sphere carries the quality of his loves and thoughts: and it is this sphere which attracts or repels angels and spirits. Thus it is the sphere of the life man lives in his memory and imagination that brings presence, that consociates or disjoins; and as this sphere changes so is there a change of state.
     In the formation of the memory man has, as we have seen, the power to change or vary the objects in this inner world. Thus he also has the same power with regard to his spiritual consociations, for these depend upon the loves which are active in his imagination and his memory.
     In general, any change or variation takes place from one of two causes from loves which are active within or from without by external means. In respect to the memory, both of these are independent of, and exterior to it. Although man is a free agent, having the power to chose freely, he is yet merely a receptacle.

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The loves which are active in his memory and imagination are excited either by good or by evil spirits who are around him From power given to him by the Lord man can entertain or repel these spirits; and it is that he may exercise his freedom to turn away from evil spirits that he prays in the words of the text: "Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us."
     Man here prays that he may look at others, not from evil, but from good. He must so pray, because of himself, from his own power, he cannot do this. Without the operation of the Divine law we have been considering-that remembrance brings presence and non-remembrance disjunction-and without the freedom to rule his natural world which is provided continually by the Lord, man would perish in spiritual damnation.
     The removal of evil in the external man and the forgiveness of debts, of evils done to us, is nothing less than a Divine operation because it is done according to the operation of the Divine law we have been considering. As we have seen, this law operates in the whole spiritual world, and it therefore operates also in man's spiritual world, which is his mind. It is therefore the part of wisdom to acknowledge this law and seek its protection. Further, it is of wisdom to acknowledge that both the law and the protection it gives are from the Lord.

     What is not attended to is said to be remitted, that is, forgiven. Let man banish from his thoughts and from his memory the remembrance of evil! Let him banish from his mind the recollection of states of hatred, envy, malice, and all the other evils enumerated in the Decalogue, and turn his thoughts toward the cultivation of states of good, and the Lord will as surely forgive him his sins and remove them from his life, from his ruling love, and endow him with charity. Only with the bestowal of this gift is forgiveness complete; for in charity is the life of heaven, and the reception of this is the end contemplated in the prayer.
     And so we read: "When a man is in good, that is, in the affection of doing good, he then comes into the remembrance of all the truths which have entered into the good: but that when he turns away from good the truths disappear, for it is the falsity of evil which takes them away as if by theft. But the truths which have disappeared come again into remembrance when the man by his life returns into the affection of good or of truth" (AC 9154).
     Those who are in this state, whose sins are forgiven, are described as follows: "They are continually kept by the Lord in the good of faith and of love, and are then withheld from evils and falsities" (AC 9447), like the angels, "if they see evil in anyone they excuse it" (Ibid., 6655). They "observe what is good, and if they see anything evil and false they excuse it" (Ibid., 1079). They "interpret all things for good" (Ibid., 1086).

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"They perceive a delight in worshiping God for the sake of God, and in serving their neighbor for the sake of the neighbor, thus in doing good for the sake of good and in speaking truth for the sake of truth; they are unwilling to claim merit by anything of charity and faith; they shun and are averse to evils, such as enmities, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and the very thoughts of such things with intention" (HD 167).
     In this the example and practice of the angels we see exemplified the duty of forgiveness. When it is said that they observe goods, and if they see evils and falsities they excuse them, this is but saying that they distinguish between the man and the evils and falsities which infest him. They love the man and do not allow the evils and falsities which infest him to destroy their love of him. On the other hand, they; do not allow their love of the man to lead them into an affection for evils and falsities. These they abhor and condemn as being from hell. And they always attribute goods and truths, their own as well as those of others, to the Lord from whom they are.
     The love of man is what they preserve inviolate in themselves, and this they do by condemning evil to its source in hell. They do not condemn the man but the evil. And thus freeing man from the burden of evil and falsity they are ever ready to draw near to him to defend him from his evils. This they can do provided man has not identified himself with evil and falsity by confirming them. The angels never identify evils and falsities with any man, or even with any devil; evil men and devils identify themselves with evil and falsity. So do the angels always forgive men their debts.
     Men should he as the angels. They also should forgive the man who trespasses and charge the evil itself to hell. They should distinguish between the man and the evil, recognizing that as long as a man is in the world he may not be permanently bound to any evil. In this spirit of forgiveness they should, without any lessening of their abhorrence of evil, excuse the evils and falsities in man: especially those of which the man himself is not aware-those which he has never attended to, and therefore has not confirmed. And, like the angels, men should hold themselves ready to give aid and encouragement to good, in so far as the neighbor in his freedom permits. This duty of forgiveness devolves upon roan because he is to become an image of the Lord, who is forgiveness itself because He is mercy itself. Amen.

LESSONS:     Psalm 32. Luke 11: 1-26. Heavenly Doctrine, 166-7.
MUSIC:     Revised Liturgy, pages 460, 434, 487.
PRAYERS:     Revised Liturgy, nos. 43, 83.

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ORDER AND ORGANIZATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM 1952

ORDER AND ORGANIZATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM              1952

     FOREWORD

     The following is not a written constitution. It is simply a statement of the usages and customs of the General Church of the New Jerusalem at the present time as interpreted by the Bishop.
     It will be noted that a number of changes have been made, first by Bishop N. D. Pendleton, and later by Bishop George de Charms, since Bishop W. F. Pendleton wrote the statement which was published in the August issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE for the year 1914. The general plan of that statement has been preserved, and its substance in large part is carried over.
     It is anticipated that in the future other statements will be called for since the General Church is a living body developing under the leading of Providence, to the end that it may ever more fully serve those spiritual uses for which it was established. Nothing in this statement is intended to bind the future.
     The statement is written primarily as a chronicle, lest something of value should be forgotten. It is published for the sake of information as to the present status of government and organization in the General Church.

     PREFACE

     The General Church of the New Jerusalem is organized for the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ as manifested in His Second Coming, and for the performance of those ecclesiastical uses which have in view the teaching of men the way to heaven and leading them therein. It is comprised of members of the New Church, irrespective of national or geographical limits.

     FAITH

     The faith of the members of the General Church in brief is as follows:
     God is one in Essence and in Person, and the Lord Jesus Christ is that God, in whom is the Divine Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

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     The Lord came into the world to glorify His Human, and thereby to redeem and save the human race; and all are saved who believe in Him and keep His commandments.
     The Sacred Scripture is the Word of God and the Divine truth. It has a spiritual sense within the literal sense, and is given for the use of angels and men.
     The Lord has made His Second Coming by means of a man His servant Emanuel Swedenborg, before whom He manifested Himself in Person, and whom He filled with His Spirit to teach the Doctrine of the New Church, through the Word from Him. In the Doctrine so revealed the Lord appears as the Word to establish on earth a new Christian Church, which is signified by the New Jerusalem in the Apocalypse, and which is to be the crown of all the Churches which have hitherto been in the world.

     PRINCIPLES

     In order that a spirit of unanimity may prevail in the government of the Church, action may be delayed at the request of a single objector: but it is not the policy of the Church that an aggressive minority, or even a hasty majority, should determine its affairs. Doubtful matters are delayed for counsel and enlightenment.
     It is not of right or order that council or assembly should, by a majority vote or by pronouncement from the chair, decide doctrinal issues, and thereby bind the conscience of the Church. The Writings, as given, are the supreme authority in matters of faith.
     It is the policy of the General Church, apart from the requirements of the civil law, to avoid passing regulations with a view to controlling its future actions. The object in this is to encourage a free and ready development of the life of the Church as represented in its form and organization.
     In the transaction of formal business, in both council and assembly, the rules of parliamentary order are followed, and decision is affirmed by voting.

     MEMBERSHIP

     Membership in the General Church is primarily individual. Only those who are adult and have been baptized into the New Church are eligible. Local churches may also be received as societies of the General Church, When, however, these societies have members not of the General Church, they are received with the understanding that thereafter they will take into their body only those who are of the General Church,
     Applications for membership are made in writing to the Bishop, and to all who are received certificates are given, signed by the Bishop and the Secretary.

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     PRIESTHOOD

     It is of faith that the Lord leads the Church by the operation of the Holy Spirit with both the clergy and the laity. "But enlightenment and instruction are communicated especially to the clergy, because these belong to their office, and inauguration into the ministry carries these with it" (TCR 146).
     The General Church recognizes the Priesthood as sanctioned by the Writings, and therefore as the Lord's office by Divine appointment in the Church, given for the administration of the Divine law and worship with a view to the salvation of souls.
     To this end men are to be instructed, set apart, and inaugurated into the Priesthood by the laying on of hands in the solemn act of ordination.
     The Priesthood thus instituted is a threefold ministry, namely, the ministry of instruction, of worship, and of government.
     The ministry of instruction is provided for in the first degree of the Priesthood. By ordination into this degree the priest is authorized to preach the Word of God according to the doctrine of the New Church, to administer the sacrament of Baptism, and to hear and receive confession of faith. The sign of this degree is a white stole. The priest, while ministering in this degree, may serve as an assistant to a pastor, or he may be appointed to take temporary charge of a society under the supervision of the Bishop.
     The ministry of worship is provided for in the second degree of the Priesthood by the office of pastor. By ordination into this degree, the pastor, in addition to the duties prescribed in the first degree, is authorized to administer the sacrament of the Holy Supper, to solemnize betrothals, to consecrate marriages, to dedicate homes, and to preside over a local church. The sign of this second degree is a blue stole. A pastor may from time to time be called upon to represent the Bishop in presiding over assemblies, and in dedicating churches, and also to perform such other duties connected with the episcopal office as may be delegated.
     The ministry of government is provided for in the third degree of the Priesthood by the office of bishop. By ordination into this third degree, a bishop, in addition to the duties prescribed in the first and second degrees, is authorized to ordain priests, to dedicate places of public worship and to preside over a general body of the Church. The sign of this third degree is a red stole.
     A priest, by the act of ordination, becomes a priest of the Lord's New Church; he may afterwards be received and commissioned as a priest of the General Church in the degree of his ordination.
     Candidates for the Priesthood whose ordination is pending may, in case of necessity, be authorized by the Bishop to perform, pro tempore, any of the duties of the Priesthood, save that of ordination.

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     In order to nurture the early beginnings of the Church under circumstances which make it impossible to provide regular priestly ministrations, the Bishop, at his discretion, may recognize a layman as the leader of a group, circle, or society, authorizing him to conduct worship. Sunday school, reading classes, group meetings, and other activities. Such authorization is granted for one year, and is subject to renewal.
     A priest in the first degree of the Priesthood may be appointed by the Bishop as assistant to the pastor of a society. He has however no part in the government of the society unless by nomination of the Bishop and acceptance by the society he becomes assistant pastor. This is in recognition of the principle that all government should be by the consent of the governed.
     Religious education in New Church schools is under the supervision of the Priesthood. The pastor of a society is ex-officio superintendent of the Society's school.

     THE BISHOP OF THE GENERAL CHURCH

     To keep the affairs of the Church in order there must be wise and God- fearing governors who are skilled in the Divine Law. There must also be subordination among the governors, lest from caprice or ignorance evils contrary to order be sanctioned. (HD 311, 313)
     The Bishop of the General Church is the chief governor thereof. He is elected by the General Assembly, but his choosing is progressive. He is first named in and by the Council of the Clergy, and the choice of that body is confirmed by the Joint Council before it is submitted to the General Assembly.
     A priest of the second degree of the Priesthood may be ordained into the third degree, but the choice of an executive Bishop of the General Church must he confirmed by act of the General Assembly.
     The executive Bishop must be an ordaining minister. His function as head of the Church, and as chief of its priests, could not otherwise be exercised in accordance with order.
     By virtue of his ordination every priest in the third degree of the Priesthood has ordaining power. Yet it is important for the preservation of order within the organized body of the Church that this power should normally be exercised with the knowledge and approval of the executive Bishop.
     When the Bishop has been elected he continues in office until he is removed by death or resignation, or until he is separated from his office as Bishop of the General Church by the joint action of the Council of the Clergy and the General Assembly.

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     While the power and mode by which the Bishop is chosen may, in case of need, be invoked to unseat him, yet it should be known that the unseating of a Bishop does not take from him any of the ecclesiastical powers conferred by his ordination as a minister of the third degree. The same is true of the powers conferred by ordination upon any priest. These may not be taken from him, either by Bishop, Council or organized body of the Church, for the powers so conferred are from the Lord alone; the laying on of hands is but the sign and medium of their transfer and placement.
     The power of maintaining order in the Church is lodged in the episcopal office. When executive, this power may, in case of need and in accordance with the prescription in the Writings (HD 318), be invoked to remove from membership anyone who wilfully and persistently disturbs the Church.

     COUNCILS

     The Council of the Clergy is composed of all ordained priests of the General Church. Apart from its own intramural affairs this Council is not administrative, save in conjunction with the Bishop and the Board of Directors. It was formed prior to the organization of the General Church, and under episcopal leading it inaugurated the movement by which the General Church was established The Bishop is ex officio head of the Council of the Clergy
     To the Bishop is adjoined a Consistory composed of priests selected by him. The Consistory is an advisory council, and dissolves with a change in the episcopal office.
     Since the administration of the Divine Law and worship is the function of the Priesthood, and the administration of the civil law and justice is the function of magistrates (HD 319), and as there are in the Church uses corresponding to civil administration, it has been a principle of the General Church that its civil affairs should be administered by laymen. This calls for unity of minds as a necessity of good government; and to further this end, the Council of the Clergy and the Board of Directors of the civil corporation meet regularly in Joint Council. To a like end it has been provided that the Bishop should preside over the civil corporation and over its Board of Directors.
     The Board of Directors is a body of thirty men selected by the Corporation of the General Church to serve for a period of three years or until their successors have been appointed, it being so arranged that the terms of ten members shall expire each year.

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This Board of Directors administers the civil affairs of the General Church.
     In case of the death, resignation or separation of the Bishop, and if at the time there is no Assistant Bishop, it will be in order for the Secretary of the General Church to call a meeting of the Joint Council to provide for the government of the Church pending the choice of a Bishop.

     ASSEMBLIES

     A General Assembly of the members of the Church is held triennially, or at the call of the Bishop. In the interim years the Joint Council acts for and represents the Assembly.
     The officers of the Assembly are the officers of the General Church, except that the Secretary is elected by the Assembly. It is customary to choose a priest for this office.
     The General Assembly is distinguished from the General Church in that it is composed of only those members of the Church who are in attendance. However, it represents the whole Church.
     National and District Assemblies are held annually, when possible. National Assemblies are composed of all the societies and individual members of the General Church in the nation. District Assemblies are composed of several adjoining societies, including the isolated members of the General Church residing in the district.
     A Local Assembly may be held at any time with the members of any society or circle of the General Church.
     All Assemblies are called by the Bishop, and are presided over by him or by someone appointed to represent him.

     GROUPS, CIRCLES, AND SOCIETIES OR LOCAL CHURCHES

     The members of the General Church are organized into groups, circles, or societies.
     A GROUP consists of all interested receivers of the Heavenly Doctrine in any locality who meet together for worship and mutual instruction under the general supervision of pastors who visit them from time to time.
     A CIRCLE consists of members of the General Church in any locality who are under the leadership of a regular visiting pastor appointed by the Bishop, and who are organized by their pastor to take responsibility for their local uses in the interim between his visits. A group may become a circle when on the recommendation of the visiting pastor it is formally recognized as such by the Bishop.

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     A SOCIETY or LOCAL CHURCH consists of the members of the General Church in any locality who have been organized under the leadership of a resident pastor to maintain the uses of regular worship, instruction and social life. A circle may become a society by application to the Bishop and formal recognition by him.
     Whenever possible societies of the General Church seek to establish and maintain a local school for the education of the young, education being recognized as the first use of charity to be undertaken by the Church.
     Groups and individuals having no pastor are under the direct supervision of the Bishop.
     Visiting pastors are appointed by the Bishop, but the resident pastor of a society is chosen by joint action of the Bishop and the society, the Bishop nominating and the society electing. When possible the Bishop nominates several who are in the second degree of the Priesthood, and from these the society makes its choice.
     A pastor having accepted a pastorate, he serves in that capacity for an indefinite period. Pastoral changes are made only when the need arises. In order that such changes may be made with due regard to the welfare of the whole Church, the Bishop should be kept informed, both by the pastor and by the responsible members of the society, of any need for change that may become apparent.
     For the same reason, whenever a pastor may wish to resign, his resignation should be presented first to the Bishop and accepted by him before it is presented to the society.
     A priest of the first degree may be appointed by the Bishop to take temporary charge of a society without formal action by the society. It is understood that this arrangement is only for an interim.
     The pastor is the head of the society to which he has been nominated and elected, and as such it is his duty to preside over and maintain order in the church under his charge.
     The pastor of a society may appoint a Council of advisors. This Council holds over after the resignation of a pastor, but dissolves as soon as a new pastor is chosen.
     A society may in addition elect a business committee or board of finance to serve for a longer or shorter period.
     A congregation is composed of the members of a society and others, young and old, associated for the purpose of Divine worship. Those, however, who are not members of the society may have no part in its government.
     The Bishop ex officio administers the ecclesiastical affairs of a society which has no pastor.
     The Bishop is ex officio pastor of the society of his residence.

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     In order that an accurate record may be kept it is important that every priest should promptly report to the Bishops office all official acts to be published in NEW CHURCH LIFE. An annual report is due in January from all priests, together with a statistical report from the secretary of every society.

     THE GENERAL CHURCH AS A CORPORATE BODY

     "The General Church of the New Jerusalem" is a corporate body, organized under the law's of the State of Pennsylvania, and as such is charged with the administration of the civil affairs of the General Church unincorporated.
     The Corporation was first organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, with the following objectives: To present, teach, and maintain throughout the world, the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Church, as contained in the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg: and to take over and carry on all the civil uses of the ecclesiastical body known as the General Church of the New Jerusalem. (See Journal of the General Assembly for 1907. p. 585)
     For reasons stated in NEW CHURCH LIFE for April 1950, pages 184-86, new articles of incorporation were taken out under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania in August 1949, the Illinois Corporation being retained in existence temporarily for legal purposes. The Pennsylvania Corporation however was organized "to engage in the same activities, and to perform the same functions as those heretofore performed by the Illinois Corporation."
     The said Corporation of the General Church holds its annual fleeting in Bryn Athyn. Pennsylvania, and also meets at the General Assembly for the purpose of transacting such business as may come before it under its organization and charter. The Corporation annually elects a Board of Directors to conduct and manage the business affairs of the General Church until the next meeting of the Assembly. Every male member of the General Church who has been a member for five years is eligible to become a member of the Corporation.
     On June 20. 1907, the General Assembly voted that the offer of the Corporation known as the General Church of the New Jerusalem to take over and carry on all the civil uses of the ecclesiastical body known as the General Church of the New Jerusalem, other than those performed by the Corporation known as the Academy of the New Church, he accepted. (See Journal of the General Assembly for 1907, p. 586)

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     THE ACADEMY

     The Academy of the New Church is a body of the Church organized under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania "for the purpose of propagating the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, promoting education in all its various forms, educating young men for the ministry, publishing books, pamphlets, and other printed matter, and establishing a library." These uses of the Academy are now being conducted at Bryn Athyn. Pennsylvania. The annual meeting of the Corporation is held in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Corporation of the Academy elects its members for an indefinite period of time. The Board of Directors of the Academy is elected by the Corporation from its members annually.
     The ecclesiastical affairs of the Academy, including the religious instruction given in its schools, has, by resolution of the Board of Directors of the Academy, been placed under the supervision of the Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. At the present time, all the members of the Corporation and the Board of Directors of the Academy are members of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and the Bishop of that Church is also the President of the Academy.

     THE NEW CHURCH LIFE

     The NEW CHURCH LIFE is the official organ of the General Church. By this is meant that it is the editorial policy of the magazine to reflect accurately the doctrinal thought and life of the General Church. Also this magazine is the recognized medium for the publication of the official reports and transactions of that body.
     Because of this, whenever a vacancy occurs in the editorship the Bishop may make a temporary appointment which becomes permanent only if and when it is confirmed by action of the General Assembly. As the Editor is in a pastoral relation to the whole Church, a priest is always chosen for this office.

     THE ORPHANAGE

     It is recognized that the primary obligation for the care of orphan children rests with the local society of their residence. But an Orphanage Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors to act in conjunction with the Bishop in giving financial and other aid, when necessary, to orphan children of the General Church not resident in a society; and also in cases of necessity to supplement the aid which societies are able to give toward orphans of their own members.

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PATTERN OF RATIONAL THOUGHT 1952

PATTERN OF RATIONAL THOUGHT       SYDNEY E. LEE       1952

     Everyone knows that Emanuel Swedenborg was a man of extraordinary genius. Many have marvelled at the wide range of his inquiries and at the remarkable consistency exhibited throughout his many and varied works. This is not accounted for by his genius alone, but rather by genius plus careful and methodical thinking. Traveling unknown and uncharted areas of thought he checked his reasoning with that of the ancient Greeks, compared his findings with those of his contemporaries, and confirmed his conclusions from the Divine Word.
     In the course of his intellectual journeys the Word was his compass, but he found no chart to plot his course. So with great patience and precision he formulated what he calls his "philosophic doctrines." by means of which things under investigation were tested and judged. The result is that in his books, no matter what the subject, a distinct pattern of thought is discernible. Our purpose is, not only to draw attention to it, but to urge that, in simplified form, the humblest of his disciples may follow it.
     That this pattern may be seen it is necessary to present in very brief form these philosophic or rational principles: for although we may be familiar with them as individual concepts, it is their importance as a coordinated group that we would emphasize. It will be found that there are four major principles with their derivatives. These are the Doctrines of Substance; of Form of End, Cause, and Effect; and of Correspondences.
     With a brief statement of these doctrines before us an effort will be made to illustrate this pattern of thinking by means of examples. Our argument is: that it will clarify our thought, so that we are not unconsciously influenced by the philosophy of the world; and that to the extent that they become our rational background we shall not mistake appearances for substantial things, or non-essentials for things of lasting value.
     First we would establish that it is impossible to think things out without a coordinated system. Here are a few examples:

     1) Philosophers from the time of Plato have been aware of the law of end, cause, and effect, but have not been able to think from it because thee did not recognize that there are discrete degrees. Consequently, men try to correct a cause by eliminating the effect-as, for instance, in "Prohibition."

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     2) Men recognize the power of religion, but would remove doctrine which is its very form and without which it is meaningless.
     3) Not being able to discover God in nature, where a true philosophy declares He is not to be found, men deny His existence; and prefer to think of the marvellous order in creation as a gigantic accident, and of the mind of man as an unexplainable phenomenon.

     Yet a true philosophy will set all things in their proper place. Swedenborg was able to do so; and the secret of his phenomenal success was orderly thinking acquired by means of his philosophic doctrines, from which he built the very structure of his mind. Indeed, we shall attempt to show that these four doctrines are the counterparts of the four leading doctrines of the Church.

     The Four Main Philosophic Doctrines

     Substance. If we would know how the things around us originated we must go back to substance, for substance is "that which underlies all outward manifestations; the real, unchanging essence of all things." And that is not a 'hard saying' of philosophy; it is merely Webster's definition!
     In his Ontology, nos. 33, 34. Swedenborg observes that substances must be modifiable and able to change their state, and must thus he endowed with force, and he states that: "Every form distinct from another is a substance, since it is a subject in which is form, together with its adjuncts and predicates. Thus substance remains substance, even though the state of its form is changed." And the Writings, in speaking of the spiritual sun as the first proceeding of God-Man, tell us: "This one only substance, which is the sun, going forth by means of atmospheres according to continuous degrees or degrees of breadth, and at the same time according to discrete degrees or degrees of height, presents the varieties of all things in the created universe" (DLW 300). The teaching continues that in ultimates they become so dense and inert as to be no longer atmospheres but substances at rest and, in the natural world, fixed like those on the earth that are called matters (Ibid., 302). Even matter, however, is only relatively in a state of rest (Ibid., 304).
     That substantial things are real is seen in that they are the essence of all things and this essence consists of motion and only that which is can be moved. Activity itself being vibration or tremulation, the form of its motion-spiral, vortical, circular, undulatory-marks the degree of its removal from original substance.
     Even the atmospheres of the spiritual world are substantial. There, we are told, "the substantial is a living, or a most pure ethereal, which is formed by the Lord into things so wonderful that they can scarcely be described" (SD 4293).

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     Concerning organic substance the teaching is that love is the life of man. Substance, which is from love, is the stuff of which his mind is made. Swedenborg asserts, however, and the Writings teach, that in order that individual entities may exist they must be separated from substance in general, must be organized as individual uses. All substance must terminate in a lower degree, and all organic substance must be contained. The human mind, therefore, being a complete organic system, is held together or contained by the natural substances which also enter into the composition of the mind.
     Because man is an organic substance, his four faculties-the soul, the intellectual mind, the animus, and external sensation-are all real substances (WE 653). Affections are changes of the state of the purely organic substances of the mind, and thoughts are changes and variations of the form of those substances (DP 279). In the Arcana it is Said that "unless angels were organic substances they could neither speak, nor see, nor think" (no. 1535). But because they are, when truth inflows into the first heaven . . . it is received substantially and appears as a paradise (Ibid., 4411).
     Concerning influx the teaching is that changes of state with men and angels are brought about by an inflowing into their minds of substances more interior and of greater activity. This involves the essential manner in which love and life inflow. It is a successive operation whereby the intense activity of the higher degree flows into the accommodated form of the lower degree. There is an immediate influx of life from the Lord which cannot be perverted; and there is a mediate influx-the sphere of love descending through heaven, which is received in accord with man's genius and desire. That this latter may be perverted is the essential provision for man's freedom (Infl. X: 12).

     The Doctrine of Form. We have said that substance ms modifiable through its form. There is no substance without form, no form without substance. Like good and truth, to which they correspond, they are inseparable. According to Swedenborg. "Form is the entire construction of a body; namely, the composition, coordination, subordination, and determination of the parts, both integral and individual, in a compound, whence that compound derives not only its essence but also the quality of that essence; for it is from its form that an ens is what it is taken to be" (Ont. 5). The activity of love being the only substance, form is the truth or law of its being. It gives it identity and distinctness and makes possible individual entities.

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That there can be many loves, or forms of love, in the mind, which we know from experience, illustrates how there can be many forms of activity in substance as well as in individual organic forms which are replicas of substance in general.
     Angels, then, are in the form of heaven and we are told that "ideas become distinct only as they take form' (AC 1869). The question arises: How does substance, both general and particular, retain its form? Something must give it cohesion. "It is a general truth," we are told, "that nothing can be kept in form except from something else, as by atmospheres" (Ibid., 8036).
     The form of things varies according to their state. State is defined by Swedenborg as: "The coexistence of the determinations in any given form" (Ont. 23); and in the same work it is said that states are subject to variation and modification, and from changes of state, or varieties of mode, new forms arise. We have said that form is the truth or law that governs. This implies design or figure, and Swedenborg defines figure as: "terminations regarded as if outside space" (Ont. 16). Figure is not external form but involves structure and is, so to speak, the geometry of form. However, organic substances and material things do have shape, which represents their form: and shape is defined as the external of form, its embodiment or expression (Ibid., 9). "External things are images of forms: they are compounded of myriads of internal things" (AC 3855).
     Fundamental to the variations in the forms of substances is the doctrine of order, series, and degrees. The manner in which the pure substance of the spiritual sun is accommodated through steps to forms of a lower degree in such a way that each successive form of substance is distinct is explained by Swedenborg in his doctrine of degrees. Continuous degrees are degrees of breadth, that is, of extension on a single plane-as the plane of the air, or of the ether, which surround the earth. Discrete degrees are degrees of height-as of the air and the ether, which remain separate. "The doctrine of degrees," says Swedenborg, "expounds the nature of the veriest form itself. It teaches the manner in which forms are successive, subordinated, and so coordinated, and in what manner they coexist and how they are determined" (1. Econ. 583).
     Swedenborg's doctrine of degrees was entirely new. Its enunciation was a vital preliminary to the second advent. No idea of the spiritual world or of the three heavens is possible without it. Nor is it possible to conceive of very substance proceeding from God and ceasing to be Divine, or, indeed, of any existence outside of the Divine.

     End, Cause, and Effect. The doctrines of substance and form are fundamental. But Swedenborg reached the very height of his philosophy when, in formulating his doctrine of end, cause, and effect, he saw these laws as the presence in creation of the Divine love, wisdom, and use; and recognized that the mind of man is the image of God because it is so molded that, in its finite way, it operates in the same manner.

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     The first end or love, he declared, is in the spiritual world, or, what is the same thing, in the spiritual mind. The cause is truth or intelligence in the rational mind. Together these accomplish their desire through scientifics in the natural mind, and the result is the effect. The first end is love: rational thought is intelligence directing: and the effect is organized use.
     An effect is produced through a cause. It is the accomplishment of the purpose within the cause. Therefore it is the first end going forth. As stated in the Writings: "As love is the efficient, and as it is the efficient through wisdom, the seat of both is in the effect and the effect is use" (CL 8). It should be noted that the material things around us are not effects but represent them; as does any object produced with use in mind. Therefore we are taught that the senses perceive from the physical world, the natural mind from effects, the rational mind from causes: while the spiritual mind regards first ends. And it is added that to think and draw conclusions from effects is to do so from the lower mind for the natural sees from effects, but the rational from causes (AC 3533).

     The Doctrine of Correspondences. Only after the doctrines of substance, of form, and of end, cause, and effect, which involve discrete degrees, had been formulated could this final doctrine be developed. For while it is through this doctrine and its sciences that the wisdom of the ancients is to be restored, the three prior doctrines in their fulness comprise that wisdom on the rational plane. What the doctrine of correspondence does is to provide the means for a fuller comprehension of them.
     Swedenborg found that through his doctrine of correspondence an entirely new field of inquiry was opened up; for he states that while all things on the natural plane can he examined scientifically, yet if the terms used are changed to corresponding rational terms, then instead of physical truths or principles there will come forth spiritual truths and theological precepts, although no mortal could have predicted that anything of the kind could arise (Hieroglyphic Key, 10).
     Several types of correspondence are listed by Swedenborg, but it is "Harmonic Correspondences" that are involved in rational thought. These imply a recognition that between things spiritual, rational, and natural there is a ratio of comparison, indeed a related activity, so that they pulsate together or are attuned. This is taught in the Writings, where we read that "things which correspond act correspondently or synchronously, and as they correspond the one can be seen in the other" (DLW 412).

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In a state of order, it is said further, "external things obey this impulse received from the internal" (AC 911).
     There is, Swedenborg says, a harmonic correspondence between natural, rational, and spiritual things; so that although they exhibit no outward resemblance, they are found to be expressions in their varying degrees of the same fundamental truth or principle-as between natural light, intelligence, and wisdom. These three degrees he defines as:

1) Exemplars
          That which serves as a model or pattern.
          These are in the spiritual world or mind.

2) Images or Types
          These are in the rational mind.

3) Likenesses or Pictures
     These are in the natural mind or in nature.

The following is an example used by Swedenborg in his hieroglyphic Key:
     Concerning Activity. In nature there is a constant striving, impulse, or effort toward activity. This, however, is a blind activity without understanding and without a conscious goal: and Swedenborg calls it "conatus." In the rational mind there is an intelligent striving toward expression which he calls "activity." In the Divine mind there is the desire toward creation, the "Divine operation' These are all activity, but distinct terms are needled in order to perceive the correspondence between them.

The Exemplar          Divine operation-the Lord providing.
The Image or Type      Rational activity-man planning.
The Likeness          Conatus in nature -the obeying of established law (Key. 9-43).

"God disposes, man intends and proposes, nature obsequiously directs to effects" (Ibid., 14).
     It is clear that this doctrine of correspondences, later wonderfully developed in the Writings, belongs to the rational mind. And careful thought will show that the correspondence of one subject to another while of spiritual origin, is basically a mathematical relationship. This is illustrated on every side. For we see the wisdom of God imaged in the mathematical laws of creation and manifested in nature as mechanical operation. So we can see with Swedenborg that the science that will serve this doctrine will be the one science of all natural sciences.

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     This concludes our brief outline of the main philosophical doctrines. As our claim is that they are the background for rational thought, we shall offer four examples in the concluding portion of this article. The first of these will be a test of their application in pursuing a philosophic inquiry; the second, a demonstration of their help in clarifying an abstract concept; the third, their use as a guide when scholars differ; and the fourth, their use in assessing so-called scientific facts.

     (To be continued)
EARTH IS THE LORD'S 1952

EARTH IS THE LORD'S       KENNETH ROSE       1952

     The proved effectiveness of "conversation with a friend" as a means of introducing new blood to the Church gives encouragement to all our missionary efforts. It shows us that the first step in the overwhelming work of spreading the truths of the Lord's second coming through the world is the development of our own zeal for, and love of, the truths of the new revelation. But there must be more to the problem: for most of us have friends, and conversations with them, but many or all of them are still in the same churches they were in when we met them.
     Perhaps the greatest stumbling block is the time element. Those whom we approach with the truths of the New Church want them fast. If we take the time to run them through the essentials we had in freshman religion, we have probably given an excellent basis for further understanding and individual study. The only trouble is that they left before we got to the Christmas holidays, and went next door to learn to play canasta. We cannot hold their interest unless we answer some big questions, and this does not give us time to outline the basic doctrines or define all our terms. We must pick the subject up like a puppy, just ahead of the middle; and leave some elementary considerations, as well as the deeper aspects of doctrine, until later.
     This calls for a starting point that is secure something that a potential convert already believes without discussion. If we know his religion well, we can begin from there. If he has a knowledge of the letter of the Word, that is a place to start-even at the risk of displaying our own ignorance of it With Christians we can talk about the prophecies of the Lord's second coming. With others we may find only a belief in some kind of a Supreme Being, and sometimes not even that. Individual cases of course imply the approach to be used, but something closer to generals would be worth knowing.

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     We are fortunate. There is something-not only an axiom or two, but several vast systems of truths-that are very close to being universally acknowledged in today's world. "Science" they call it. It is hard to define just what science is, but the public trusts it implicitly. It has produced stuff that washes clothes without rinsing, invented the atomic bomb, brought any place on earth within a days journey, and proved eight kinds of cigarettes far less irritating to the nose and throat than any other. In the future it is confidently expected to discover a cure for cancer and market automobiles with a lifetime supply of fuel in the glove compartment. There are, of course, half a dozen very distinct sciences represented in this testimonial, but that doesn't matter. Technical details are unimportant. Science can do anything.
     The more learned, too, have a trust in chemistry, physics and biology, which gives our missionary effort a suggestion of a place to begin that would work almost anywhere. If there are those- so skeptical that they do not acknowledge these findings as true, they are not recommended as subjects for anyone's early attempts at missionary conversation.
     In contrast with this widespread trust in science we find a mistrust of religion in many modern minds. As mankind's knowledge about the world and human beings has grown, the falsities in the dead religions have become more apparent, to the point where religion and science apparently stand opposed to each other. It is the responsibility of the New Church to reconcile the two, and in doing so we have a first step in evangelization, a link established between the facts a man knows and believes and the truths of religion that he has yet to learn.
     There is no conflict between true religion and true science. The creation of the world in which we live, and the one in which we are going-to live, was effected by Divine good through Divine truth. That good and truth are therefore stamped on everything of creation, and the truth takes the form of laws. They operate in the spiritual world as the laws of Divine Providence, and in the natural as the laws of science. You will notice that we leave science in its undefined state. We refer not only to organized physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and mathematics, but also to the elementary facts taught to children Don't drop that or it will break: fire is hot-and the somewhat more advanced truths we can pick up by observation: A red sunset precedes fair weather; a hammer hits harder when swung from the end. All these laws, natural and spiritual, are true because there is an order in creation that must be maintained.
     The worldly sciences are very much concerned with details and special cases, but we can see certain fundamental principles underlying everything. One of them is the law of equilibrium. The laws of physics incessantly operate to keep all matter in such a state that the forces acting on it balance each other.

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If air is forced out of one end of a metal cylinder the pressure inside is lowered. In its enthusiasm to restore equality, more air rushes into the other end with sufficient vigor to clean the living room rug on the way. A coiled wire spring exerts a pull proportional to the length to which it is extended. If a weight is hung from one end of it, it stretches to the exact length at which it pulls the weight up as hard as gravity pulls it down. In subtler ways, too, nature provides for a happy medium in all things. The mixture of gases called air is very reluctant about being suddenly heated or cooled. By this quality it keeps the sun from scorching all life off the earth in the daytime, and the absence of it at night from allowing everything to freeze before morning.
     This principle of equilibrium is also basic to the laws of Divine Providence, which look to the end that man shall always have freedom. He is always being acted on by tremendous forces of good and of evil, and we learn that he is held in equilibrium between them, whereas either alone would destroy him. This holding does not mean that God suspends or changes certain laws if they threaten human freedom. The laws were established from creation to maintain the equilibrium, and it is through them that God operates. Even He cannot make up new rules as He goes along. There is no compromise with the law and no caprice in it. God's mercy to us lies not in allowing us to disobey the law and get by, but in His establishment of the laws so that they all look to our happiness in the first place.
     Another aspect of the law built into the foundations of science comes out in the textbooks as a series of principles comprising the conservation of literally everything under the sun. Energy, for instance, is conserved. The work it takes to place a ball on a high shelf remains with it as potential energy, which, when it rolls off, becomes enough energy of motion to break two vases and roll it under the couch. Heat is also conserved. The heat in the leftover potato is not destroyed when it is placed in the refrigerator. That machine merely transfers it into the air of the room. Momentum is conserved A stone wall apparently stops an automobile. Actually the motion is transferred, first to the passengers, and thence to some small pieces of the windshield.
     Possibly the most striking law of conservation is that matter is never destroyed. When anything burns or rusts or decays it does not perish, but is disintegrated-broken up into little pieces that combine with something else until they are broken up again. Thus all matter is used over and over again, and nothing is wasted. The very matter which is cast out of animal bodies as useless is vital to the growth of plants.
     We can find the counterpart of this principle of conservation in the laws of Divine Providence. No, counterpart is not a good word.

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The relationship between the two worlds is not a chance similarity, but a complete correspondence of two discrete manifestations of the same Divine will. So what we see in Divine Providence is more likely the cause of what we find in nature.
     We see in both worlds one source of the energy conserved and transferred within the limits of the world. The Lord provides men's minds with an unending supply of love and wisdom. Like solar heat and light, they are reflected, transmitted or absorbed by those to whom they come. The man who opens his mind to receive the Divine love is also the one who shows love to others. That love never fades or decreases in its many interchanges. It even seems to grow as it is spread among mankind, because those who really receive it open their minds to the influx of more from the source.
     Above all we see that nothing is wasted in the Divine Providence. Not only the states of infancy, but all the circumstances of man's life can, be seen to be so ordered as to make him as happy as possible and look to his salvation. Often it takes us many years to realize the value of an experience, but can any of us truly look back on an event and say that there was no reason why it happened-not only a cause that brought it about, but an end, a reason why it should have happened? And deeper down we can even see why we did not realize those reasons at the time.
     Science and religion are not opposed, nor even dissimilar. Even the way in which we learn the organized sciences gives us an idea of how we are to approach religion. The race as a whole learns new truths that often take a long time to ripen. Once learned, they are passed on to the next generation, who thereby gain a head start to learn some more. In our college science texts there are things told us that men only suspected when we were in kindergarten.
     But while the sciences grow and are passed on, it is up to every man to accept them for himself. Things once discovered are demonstrated, not just told, to others; so that each man goes through the learning of the race as if he were making his own discoveries, with only the advantage of knowing what he is looking for from the beginning, and of having dead end streets indicated to him by the experience of others. The man who learns these things with an open mind can combine them to learn new truths by himself, and can apply them to situations that his teachers never mentioned.
     Now that a revelation has been made to the rational mind, a similar process can be used in religion. Many of those who are indifferent to religion because it seems so ethereal might welcome one that could be discussed and learned rationally. Sophomores are indifferent to geometry until they see that they can work out the propositions for themselves, without taking teacher's word for the truth of each one.

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     This is one of the best pieces of news we have for the world. Religion is not something to be believed even though it doesn't make sense-which is many people's idea of what faith is-nor is it something that moves the heart on Sunday morning and moves out of it at noon. Religion is to be studied and accepted by every man as of himself, and it is something to be discussed. Medical science grows in regular conferences among doctors. We must discuss our religion too-compare interpretations, advance theories, and consider problems together, in the light of illustration that seems to be granted to a communion of human minds seeking the truth.
     The most important similarity between the laws of heaven and the laws of earth, though, lies in our reasons for learning about them. Many people seem to consider themselves content without religion, and might also have you believe they can get along without any science. That is hard to believe. They may not know Ohm's law or the quadratic formula, but they have learned] not to come down from the Washington Monument by what is obviously the shortest route, and why not. They know that water will boil over a gas flame, if you don't watch the pot, and make a better cup of tea after it has done so. Everyone has picked up some idea of how the world works, and could use more.
     They cannot help it. They learn gravity from the bottom up as they work on acquiring the useful art of walking, and someone tells them before they go to summer camp that big worms with rattles do not make good mascots. There are dangers that man is exposed to which he can best avert by knowing about them. Survival is quite an important reason for keeping eyes and ears open.
     Religion, too, tells us of dangers that we might otherwise ignore or be helpless against. It is the only answer to the horrifying divorce situation. It warns us of the perilous influences from which we must protect our children, and of such dangers as the friendship of love. Millions of people must blunder into these things uninstructed, and probably consider the results "just their hard luck." Their misery will remain inexplicable until they learn the laws of life and how to live by them.
     This is true on every plane. We learn the laws so that we may cooperate with them. It is very frustrating to try to do anything prohibited by a law of physics, a law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or a law of Divine Providence. If we try to build a fire without a draft, all we accomplish is the burning of a lot of old newspapers. As soon as we drive down the left side of the highway the whole world seems turned against us. If we strive to gain happiness through our own prudence we meet with misery. Feeling abused and abandoned in these circumstances is easy, but it is more profitable to feel ignorant and to strive to learn the law. In learning to cooperate with the Divine Providence we take all the power of good and truth to our side, or rather go to their side, and we can not only wither up the fig tree of fruitless efforts in the wrong direction, but can say to any mountain of new problems.

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"Be thou removed and be cast into the sea," and it shall be done.
     This learning is an unending process. We never reach the point where we know enough about the law, except temporarily in senior year in high school. Our learning of it continues, and we always approach closer to the idea of what creation is all about, but never attain it. Maybe that sounds discouraging. Indeed, the popularity of instantaneous salvation as an outdoor sport in this country shows that people would like to have religion all taken care of and out of the way. This would be a sorry situation, and is presented by the fact that there are things of religion that we can never fully comprehend.
     This could be where the similarity of science and religion ends, if even our rational religion is based on mysteries. But these are not things that oppose common sense and rationality; they are concepts that surpass human comprehension, and science has an ample share of them. Chemistry teaches everything about matter except what it is. The greatest biologists cannot yet define life, and all our knowledge of optics has not produced conclusive proof of whether light comes in waves or little pieces. These are really the central ideas of the sciences, but they remain indefinable no matter how far the study of the details advances. The statement that the Divine love makes electrons rotate in their orbits might amuse a freshman in chemistry, but would probably be met with a thoughtful silence by a real nuclear physicist, because he doesn't know what else it could possibly be.
     An example of the religious truths we cannot comprehend is the glorification of the Lord's Human. We can never fathom how it was effected. But we can see that it is so, and why it is so, and we believe it because. . .
     But that is another question. What are our authorities for belief in science or religion? If we can find out why someone believes in science as he does, we can give him as good, and better reasons, for accepting the Writings.
     Science is probably believed primarily because it works. The laws can be seen in operation. Well, we certainly have that on our side. The illustrations given and recollections called for in the Writings make a very vivid impression. We can see that they are true.
     Sometimes the truth is not obvious, and it is when these apparent contradictions arise that we must be careful not to let a negative attitude close our minds to the truth. There is no Inconsistency in the fact that men were created for heaven and yet some do not go there.

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Boys are created for manhood, too, but cannot attain it if they smoke opium or cross Broad Street against the red light. No more can man reach heaven unless he shuns evils as sins against God. We must, in science and religion, recognize all the conditions of a law. The distance a body falls, the physics books say, is proportional to the square of the time of flight. The fact that things do not fall exactly that way does not mean that the law is faulty, but that it carries conditions that must be obeyed. S = 1/2 g2 if there is no friction with the air and if there are no other forces acting on the body. There are more apparent conflicts between science and science then there are between science and religion, and in each of them our limited understanding of the law is at fault.
     There are those who do not care to concern themselves with such controversies, but are content to believe in science because someone older and wiser does so. These need only have Swedenborg's preparation in all knowledge pointed out to them. If study and meditation are criteria, his philosophical opinion should outweigh that of any man who has lived since his time.
     But while we think thus of Swedenborg as a scientist and philosopher we cannot ignore his frequent statements that the contents of the Writings are not from himself. This, indeed, is the final factor that renders religion much more firmly established than science. Only religion has revelation. There are men trained in providence to see new scientific truths when the world is ready for them, but only in theology do we have the whole system written for us by the Author of creation through His servant.
     Now, we have implied that the acceptance of that revelation depends to some extent on our belief in science. We are assured that the Writings are the Word of God by confirmation, as individuals, of the things we read in them, and by their testimony concerning themselves. But after we have accepted them they far transcend any of the truths by which we were initiated into them, and tell us things about which there is not conclusive evidence anywhere else, things that we could not learn without revelation, even though once learned they may seem obvious.
     One of the things we learn from them is what lies behind scientific truths. We see all science in a new light when we realize that it is established to further the end that there shall be a heaven from the human race. This clears up an awful lot of things that scientists can never see without the acknowledgment of spiritual reality. The places where science is against a stone wall are in most cases near the links between spiritual and natural truth. Those links will never be understood by investigation from the natural side. When scientists approach the thought of what matter is made of or what governs human reactions, we see a modern Babel. The closer authorities get to really basic truths, the more they disagree.

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Worldly criteria begin to break down, or to point in all directions at once, and the confusion of tongues is smoothed over to sound very profound.
     Through the Writings we may approach that link from the other side. They teach us of ends and causes that give us a clear idea of the meaning of all the effects that mean so little comparatively when studied by themselves. The study of the phenomena of the world in the light of the Writings not only expands our concept of religion, giving us new fields for illustration and example, but gives all those other 'non-religious' studies a fullness of treatment that could not be had otherwise. The Spirit of Truth is come to lead us into ALL TRUTH. We have an opportunity to apply to every situation in life and every theory presented to the world a set of true criteria revealed by the Lord. We also have the responsibility to give other men that opportunity by introducing them to the truths of the Lord's second coming. In that important work we can and should take advantage of all that men have learned about the world and its laws, for every truth, whatever plane it is on, is evidence of the validity of the Writings.

     (EDITORIAL NOTE: Mr. Kenneth Rose graduated, cum laude, from the College of the Academy in 1951. He is an Instructor in Algebra and Mechanical Drawing in the Boys' Academy and is doing postgraduate work in Mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania.)
CANADIAN NORTHWEST 1952

CANADIAN NORTHWEST       Rev. KARL R. ALDEN       1952

     A Pastoral Visit

     (Confined from the January Issue.)

     After a day's ride on the train, plus an hour in a plane and an hour in a bus, I found myself in Dawson Creek, B. C., where a delightful surprise awaited me. About a decade ago I confirmed Marjory Miller. When she applied for membership in the General Church and I asked who had baptized her she replied. "You did."
     "That's impossible; I only met you yesterday." I said.
     "My mother brought me to Toronto as an infant, she said, "and you baptized me there when you were pastor at Parkdale."
     Later Marjory married and is now the mother of two children, neither of whom had been baptized. Now the first thing she said when I called was: "I want won to baptize my two children, and Elsa Peters (her sister-in-law) wants you to baptize her two children."
     My first meal was at the home of George and Mary Shearer, now staunch supporters of the New Church. Their son Billy will graduate from the 12th grade in 1952, and it is my great hope that he will finish his education in the College of the Academy.

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Supper was eaten at Marjory (Miller) Peters. It seemed that all the children of the neighborhood came in after the meal. They sang for me-becoming the international champions of the "Grasshopper Song" by singing 24 verses without a pause-and I recited the story of the Tar-baby for them. One of the deepest pleasures of the trip is to see the shining eyes of the little people as they enter into these joys! Then I showed my lantern pictures, neighbor after neighbor coming in until the room was packed. The pictures lasted until after twelve, when Marjory served a lunch and I talked to them about the New Church.
     Dave Friesen, and of Jake of Roblin, was on a trip up the highway when I first called, but I had the pleasure of meeting his wife, June, and their four children. From there I went to Marshall Miller Peters' eighth birthday party. He entertained sixteen children and I was amused at the way in which the hostess and co-hostess handled the situations. One stood at the door with a washrag, the other with a towel, and as each child entered he or she was promptly given a clean face!
     On the way back to my hotel whom should I meet but Ed Fugle, master of the lumber camp, who said they were all looking forward to my visit. A little later I met Bill Fugle with his wife, Kae, and their three children. At 7:30 p.m., I showed the Old and New Testament slides at Marjory Peters. This was followed by a period of questions: "Where did Cain's wife cause from?" "If I love my husband will I be married to him after death?" "Can God speak to you so that you can hear His voice in your ears?" The meeting lasted until twenty minutes to one.
     The following day, my fifth call, I found Dave at house and persuaded him to come to church at Peter Peters, where we were having the service. There were really four services in one-four baptisms a children's address, an adult sermon, and the administration of the Holy Supper-the whole lasting more than two hours.
     July 18th had been set aside for visiting Grady Moore, Alvin Nelson, and Mike Kerchuk; but as heavy rainstorms made the twenty miles of gumbo road between Dawson Creek and Ground Birch impassable, and as a bridge went out, it would have been impossible to return if I had gone. Grady was out in the bush with his sheep, and no one knew exactly where he was.
     At the Fugle lumber camp my first task was to get the eleven children to bed; that is, wear them out with singing so that they would go right to sleep upon being given the chance. A dogged effort brought sleep quickly to their tired eyes, and we then had a very simple service consisting of two hymns, a lesson, and a sermon. It was like family worship, except that the sermon was forty-five minutes long. With John 14:1 as the text I talked on the life after death and the mission of the New Church in this world. The service was followed by pictures and social festivities, and it was 2:00 a.m., before we got to bed. Breakfast next morning was a pleasant meal, accompanied by lore of the woods and tales of bear and the killing thereof.
     The following day I returned to Dawson Creek and entertained George and Mary Shearer. George then showed me all over the new high school building-a fine educational plant, up-to-date in every detail. In the evening the Dawson Creek folk gathered at their house and gave me a fine birthday party with presents, a cake, and everything!

     Next day found me in Gorande Prairie, where I learned the glorious news that Loraine Lemky, Ed's daughter, was going to the College in Bryn Athyn. At the time of this writing she is in Bryn Athyn and says: "I love it here, and I'm going to see that my sister gets here to high school."

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Gorande Prairie provided a busy time, with visits to the various members of the family: the Art Patersons, the Oscar Mackeys, the Walt, Ed, Herb, and John Lemkys, and, of course, Mother Lemky, who still presides over the destinies of the great house. Services were held daily, culminating in a banquet in the late afternoon and a service of devotion at 9:00 p.m., at the home of Walt and Maud Lemky. Loraine was confirmed and the Holy Supper was administered. Present with her two children was Marjory Woodward Esak who was first interested in the Church by Mr. Otho Heilman eleven years ago.

     An unusually beautiful plane ride took me to Edmonton, where Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Madill greeted me. In the afternoon I visited Mrs. Frank Norbury- musician, composer, and staunch New Church woman. In days gone by she has often played for the service, but, alas, was too sick to attend. Back at the Madills, my hostess and I prepared a beautiful altar. The service was attended by a loyal and enthusiastic group, among them Mr. Tremblay, a converted Roman Catholic. He was born of Quebec parents and raised in the Roman Church, but from early childhood had a thirst to know about the spiritual world. One day he saw the work on Heaven and Hell advertised in THE FARM JOURNAL. He sent for it and read eagerly.
     "Gradually," he said, "I realized that I was no longer a Catholic. Now I own all thirty of the volumes of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg."
     He is thirty, unmarried, and farms two quarter-sections of land on which he raises wheat. As he has no livestock, he has long periods for study in the winter.

     From Edmonton I went to Secretan via Herbert, where a service was held at the home of Mr. Jacob Zacharias. Henry and Margaret Rempel drove 50 miles to attend and to meet me, and I returned with them to Secretan that night, arriving at 2:00 a.m. The services there and at Coderre were well attended, but the Sunday School which used to be such a delight has literally vanished. Many of the girls have grown up and left the farm, and Ike and Harriet Loeppky have moved to Coderre.

     A day later found me in Broadview, Sack. The Ross Larters drove me in their new Plymouth to the farm for the afternoon and supper, but we went into town to Bruce Middletons for our evening meeting. Pictures were shown and questions answered. The persisting question about Cain's wife-a favorite with the skeptics and unanswerable by the literalist-gave me an opportunity to explain that Cain was a church and his marriage represents union with an affection.
     The Sunday service was held at the Larter farm, and it was a pleasure to be helped in placing and arranging the altar by Jean (Loeppky) Middleton, who started the Secretan Sunday School and ran it so successfully until she left home. With several small children at the service I chose to preach as simply as possible on the meaning of the Holy Supper. After the service Ross took me for a tour of his five section farm. I was delighted to learn that the boys had worked hard on their General Church Religion Lessons and had much work to show me.
     In Regina an old "fiddle friendship" proved useful. Because of a Provincial Fair it was impossible to secure an hotel room, so I thought of Robert Clements whom I had first met on the train six years ago. He generously offered me the hospitality of his home; and at breakfast next morning as we lingered long over the coffee cups his father asked what books of Swedenborg he should get to form a comprehensive idea of the New Church. This new friendship had been based on such real interests that we parted with real sadness, although we had met only a few hours before.

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     After a long, hard journey I found myself very comfortably situated in the Bessborough Hotel in Saskatoon. Early next morning the Rev. Henry Reddekopp telephoned and invited me to his house. The invitation was accepted on condition that he and his wife took supper and went to a movie with me on Saturday night, to which he agreed heartily
     From my standpoint the contact with Mr. and Mrs. Reddekopp was a most happy one. We had a joint service in a school room in Saskatoon and I preached for him in Rosthern, he conducting the service and we had opportunity for many long and interesting talks about the state of the New Church and the relation of the work of Convention's to that of the Academy.
     On the train from Regina to Saskatoon I had met a group of eight young Lutherans who asked me to play for them. They had been attending leader training classes. I told them that I was a New Church minister and explained my mission to them. Their enthusiasm for what they had been taught was impressive, and the two hours spent in their company passed very rapidly.

     From Saskaton I ran down to visit the two Evens families at Benton and Oyen. Bill Evens met me at the train. His wife, Rose, was waiting at the farm with a midnight feast and we had a pleasant chat until 2:00 a.m. The following day the Nelson Evens came over to dinner. Norman had married a year ago and a new baby prevented their attendance at service. However, we had a pleasant visit before I left. Bill Evens had finished a new room which was ideal for our service. Young Bill, his wife, and their two children made a welcome addition to the group. The departure from Oyen is always rather grim as it takes place at 2:00 a.m. I told Bill not to wait, and amused myself by furnishing a one-man concert for the ticket agent, who remembered me from last year.

     Henry Reddekopp surprised me by meeting the train and taking me to my hotel, where we had an interesting talk about our many and varied experiences in ministering to those who do not dwell in large centers of population. The Reddekopps, Irene Zacharias, and Mrs. Agatha Wiebe drove out in his car to Rosthern. Irene, a niece of the Rev. John Zacharias, played the piano at the service in Saskatoon and the organ at Rosthern. She is an accomplished musician and a school teacher and was taking advanced work at the University to improve her standing.

     Gilbert Klassen met me at Flin Flon, and in a few minutes we were at the home of Julius Hiebert, now, after sixty years of marriage, the proud ancestor of 120 descendants! His home was finished, built entirely by its owner; and it was my proud joy to be the guest of the old couple. A service was held the first evening, and next morning Ernine Funk came in and asked if I could have a day time service as he was on night shift. There was general regret on both sides that my time its Flin Flon had to be so short this year. The active young man who had fetched me drove me to the train, and Ernie likewise was there to say goodbye.

     The following morning I woke up in Roblin, Manitoba and was met by a young George Funk, who took me to his father, Ike's house. I was glad to find the master of the house much improved in health. After breakfast I had a service for the seven children; telling them the story of the child Samuel and pointing out that the flowers, the trees, and the animals all speak to us about the Lord, if only we have ears to hear. There were thirty-seven people present at the 2:00 p.m. service. This is one of the places where Erwin D. Reddekopp is doing such fine work.

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They had an attendance of 165 at the meetings of the Western Canada Association in July. There are many active minds among the younger generation, and they love to read and discuss the truths of the Writings. Many of them read not only the Writings but the NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER, NEW CHURCH LIFE, and THE SWEDENBORG STUDENT. One feels that any time spent among these New Church men is well worth while.
     August 10th was one of my busiest days. There was a service for the Funk children right after breakfast; lunch at San Clara, twenty miles away, with the Klassen group; church at Boggy Creek at 2:30, then slides; dinner with Frank Sawatsky at 5:00; back to Roblin for a service at 8:00 in Jake Friesen's home; and then the midnight train for Winnipeg!

     Young Paul Funk, J. J.'s son, was at the station to show me to my hotel. He is a young lad and he had ridden downtown on his bicycle for the express purpose of welcoming me to Winnipeg. Later in the morning the Rev. Erwin Reddekopp called on me.
     At 5:00 p.m., I went to J. J. Funk's, and received a cordial reception. Ann and I played violin and piano together until supper was ready. She also sang "Jerusalem" and all of her parts from the operetta she was in last year. The meal was a happy one, full of doctrinal discussion. Jake is a constant reader of the Writings and loves to talk of what he reads. Mr. Reddekopp conduced the service and I preached. The room was crowded with about twenty persons, among them a man who had come the Sunday before as the result of an advertisment in the paper. Between Sundays he had read the whole of Heaven and Hell. After the service we had a long talk, in which he expressed his dissatisfaction with the religions of the world and I gave him a bird's eye view of the doctrine of salvation. He departed with a pleased look on his face and a copy of Divine Love and Wisdom under his arm.

     The four-hour ride from Winnipeg to Kenora contained one interesting adventure. The last car contained a Winnipeg Veterans Post and their wives, bound for holiday in Kenora. As I suspected, the fiddle was a welcome sight. They were all in a jolly mood and soon the whole car was singing all the old familiar cones
     Ruth (Rempel) Aiken and Leona Rempel met me at the station, but, alas, they had no plans made. Those who make plans for the minister do him a great service for there is nothing harder than to be the guest and the planner at the same time. Finally, about 5:00 p.m. I got a service started for seven adults and six very small children, not attempting to preach but reading the sermon. Ruth then served a delightful supper and I showed pictures until it was time for the children to go to bed. Floyd took me to the hotel where I showed the pictures to Leona, who had had to go back to work at six. Floyd and I then had a nice talk over a cup of coffee.
     Back in Winnipeg, Erwin Reddekopp and I spent the following afternoon in quiet conversation about the many things we have in common. That evening I had the pleasure of entertaining him and his wife at dinner. It was a pleasant occasion. We walked to the train together, and I said goodbye with genuine regret.

     The train to Duluth was two hours late but the Boothroyds were its hand to greet me warmly. The first day contained an unexpected incident. This was my last place of call, and I was naturally rather tired from the constant preaching; so when Mrs. Boothroyd said that a tape recording of my class on the Second Coming had just come in I suggested that we hear it. I had the interesting experience of sitting with my audience and hearing myself give a doctrinal class, more than a thousand miles from the place where it was delivered.

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After the class I was fresh, and could devote myself to answering the questions that were asked.
     The hospitality of this group is far beyond its numbers. I was taken on beautiful trips and dined at exclusive places, yet the highlight of my stay was the communion service at the home of the Boothroyds. A number of interested friends were invited in, and everything considered to make the occasion a satisfying one.

     In Chicago I was the guest of the Rev. and Mrs. Harold Cranch. As my trip began with a visit to Pittsburgh, so I ended it by once again enjoying the hospitality of the Iron City. However, the dessert of the trip was to be found it Broad Street Station, Philadelphia, at 6:30 the following morning, where a certain person was waiting to welcome me!
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     2. The First Principle

     The Lord has made His second coming in the Writings of the New Church, revealing Himself therein in His own Divine Human as the only God of heaven and earth. In those Writings there is contained the very essential Word, which is the Lord. From them the Lord speaks to the Church, and the Church acknowledges no other authority and no other law.

     In presenting this principle Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "That the Divine Human of the Lord appears in the Writings-that the Writings are the Divine Human appearing to the New Church-has not been seen, or has been in doubt or has been denied in the Church at large, from the beginning to the present time. No body or organization has acknowledged it outside of the Academy sphere; and but few individuals have seen or admitted its truth." This fact gave the Academy a reason for existence as an independent body.
     "It is chief among the doctrines of the Church that the Human of the Lord is Divine; and its first and chief application in the Church is that this Divine Human appears as Divine Doctrine in the revelation made to the New Church. This Divine Doctrine in the Writings is the Lord Himself appearing, and is what is meant by the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
     "The idea of the Lord in His second coming is that which consociates the Church with heaven and conjoins it with the Lord; but the idea must be a true idea, the Lord must be seen where He is, where He appears, where He manifests Himself; that is to say, He must be seen in His Word, as laid open by Himself in the Heavenly Doctrine of the New Jerusalem.

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In that doctrine man enters interiorly into the Word, and sees the LORD in His second coming. If the Lord be not seen in the Writings, man only is seen in them; human intelligence is loved and worshiped, and heaven is closed. (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY pp. 6. 7.)
     From the beginning of the New Church there have been two classes of receivers-those holding that the Writings ate the very Word of God, and those maintaining that Swedenborg was only illuminated. (ANNALS. p. 192.) For many years they remained together in the same organizations, the General Conference and the General Convention; and it was not until 1890 that the separation implicit in incompatible positions was ultimated in the formation of the General Church of the Advent. Every difference between the doctrinal positions of that body and the other organizations can be traced back to the question: Are the Writings the Word of the Lord in His second coming, or merely the works of one enlightened from heaven and the first evidence of that coming?
     The years from 1890 to 1897 may be regarded as the formative years of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, into which those who formed the Church of the Advent reorganized themselves at the end of that period; and its birth was the first full formation in bodily form of the heavenly doctrine that the Writings are the Lord in His second coming. The travail that led to this birth began with the first receiver of the doctrine, continued through the formation of the Conference and the Convention, grew sharper with the founding of the Academy, and ended with the formation of the General Church. In its essence, the doctrine is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of heaven and earth whose Human is Divine.
     All New Church men have acknowledged this as an abstract doctrine and as the essential, but have differed as to where the Divine Human is visible. Is the Lord made visible in the Old and New Testaments by the writings of the illuminated herald, or are the Writings the Divine Human. Swedenborg being only the instrument by whom it has revealed itself. The latter is the position of the General Church, and this position is the sole reason for its existence as a separate organization. If the Writings are not the Divine Human, where is that Human visible? If they partake of the enlightened understanding of Swedenborg, how can we say that the New Church is given a vision of the Divine Human? The full worship of the Lord in His glorified Human can exist with those only who acknowledge the revelation of that Human as the Word of the Lord in His second coming. Only through this acknowledgement can the Lord govern the Church, and that this may take place is the sole reason for the existence of the General Church as a separate body.

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     It was this that Bishop Bostock had in mind when he said that the perception of this truth, and of the need for its loyal proclamation and for making the doctrines the actual guide in the establishing of the Church, is sufficient reason for the existence of the General Church; since it was not acknowledged by the existing general bodies though some individuals in them accepted it. As he pointed out: since this doctrine is essential for the interior development of the Church, and we cannot enter into the genuine goods of the internal sense without it, there is need for a body of the Church to live according to this doctrine, and proclaim it to all who are willing to hear. (NEW CHURCH LIFE. 1902, p. 502.)
     Here we need not confirm this statement. It is fully accepted among us. But it is important that each generation bring itself to a free and rational conviction that this is the essential doctrine; for otherwise the work of the fathers will perish with the sons and the Church become merely an external social organization, held together by loyalty to dead traditions, practices and customs. In this sense are we to interpret words of Bishop Benade which apply especially to those born and educated in the Church-that those who leave the Church strengthen it.
     It is therefore important that everyone born in the Church should examine this doctrine when he comes to adult age so that his belief in the Writings as the Word may not be the faith of the fathers in him, but his own faith derived immediately from the Lord through free and rational conviction. If he then does not see that the Writings are the Divine Human he strengthens the Church by leaving it. He must see that the Writings are the Divine Human in visible form; that from, and through, them alone can the Lord enter and form the Church with man. The best work on this subject is The Testimony of the Writings Concerning Themselves, by the Rev. C. Th. Odhner, in which the Writings themselves are quoted so that belief in them may rest on the words of the Lord alone. Every young person should read this little work.
     The remaining principles of the Academy derive their authority from this first one. They exist from a reading of the Writings in the light and spirit of the acknowledgment that they are the Word. They are act endeavor to draw out the truths of life from that revelation that through their application the New Church may descend out of the New Heaven from the Lord and be established on earth, and they should be read in this light; not judged from human reason, but from their agreement with the truth as revealed in the Word for the New Church. And when formed to be in agreement they must be applied. Thus will the Lord enter and rule in the Church; not in an abstract body of doctrine, but as the living Divine truth reigning in the Church's humble obedience.

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CHURCH 1952

CHURCH       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1952

     "The internal of the church and the internal of worship are from the internal of the Word. For the Word teaches what must be the quality of the man of the church, or what must be the quality of the church with man, and likewise what must be the quality of worship with the man of the church; because it is the goods and truths of love and faith that make the internal church, and also internal worship. The Word teaches these goods and truths, and these are the internal things of the Word" (AC 10460).
     Here is shown the true order and relation of the Word, the church, and worship. These three are distinct, yet as to their internals one cannot be separated from the other two. The externals also are inseparable when they are genuine.
     What do the Writings mean by the "church"? The various meanings may be classified under two headings: 1) The church, a Divine institution; 2) The church, a human organization constituted of men. Or the church may be regarded from two viewpoints, namely, as it appears to the Lord and as it appears to men and angels. No true understanding of it is possible without examination from these two viewpoints.
     Both as a Divine institution and as constituted of men the church is organized. The fundamental definition of the church is that it is the body of the Lord, of which He is the head (TCR 176, 379; DLW 24). Concerning the Gorand Man as an organism we read as follows in the Writings: "That the whole of the Gorand Man is an organism, and represents the purer membranes and grosser things of the body, and the Lord alone represents interiors, thus the bloods in the derivatives. From what has been observed concerning the Gorand Man it is evident that He is only an organism, consequently membranous, to which correspond the organic or membranous things of the body, which are actuated by the life of the Lord, thus think and act from the Lord. The Lord alone, because He is life, vivifies and actuates these things, therefore is represented also by the animal spirits, or bloods, in the ultimate nature of the body; for His life is in ultimates as in firsts. Wherefore, whoever wishes to live or act his own life cannot be in the Gorand Man, but so far as he desires to do this, so far does he expel himself is purged away and rejected therefrom; wherefore the whole of the Gorand Man is a . . . passive force, which is termed dead in itself; but the Lord alone is the active force, the agent, or living force.

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Hence comes marriage, and hence heaven is compared to a bride or wife, and the Lord is the Bridegroom" (SD min. 3419).
     What is true of the Gorand Man is true also of the church. It is an organism-a body-like the human body, and its soul or life is the Lord. In confirmation of this we quote as follows. "The church makes the body of Christ, and Christ is the life of that body" (TCR 608). "The body spiritual is the church; its head is God-Man; and from this it is plain what sort of a man the church thus viewed would appear to be, if one God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, was not thought of, but instead of one several. The church thus viewed would appear as one body with several heads thus not as a man, but as a monster. If it be said that these heads have one essence, and that thus together they make one head, the only possible conception is either that of one head with several faces or of several heads with one face; thus making the church, viewed as a whole, appear deformed. But in truth, the one God is the head, and the church is the body, which acts under the command of the head, and not from itself" (DLW 24). "Faith, in a general sense, consists of innumerable truths, . . . but those innumerable truths make, as it were, one body, and in that body are the truths which make its members. . . . The soul and life of this body and of all its members is the Lord God the Savior; thence it is that the church is called by Paul the body of Christ, and that the men of the church, according to the states of charity and faith with them, make its members" (TCR 379).
     The Writings not only establish the fact that the church is the body of the Lord, and is therefore in the human form, but they also explain the difference between the church universal and the church specific; for the church universal is this body, and the church specific is its heart and lungs. The church is defined as "the Lord's kingdom on earth" and "the Lord's heaven on earth." This is the church universal, and just what this church is also where it is, is made clear in this quotations: "Empires and kingdoms are represented in heaven as a man, and societies therein as the members of that man; but the king as the head. This representation has its ground in the fact that the universal heaven represents one man, and the societies therein his members, and this according to their functions . . . (This representation) exists also on earth, but the societies which constitute it (that is, the church) are scattered through the whole world, and are those who are in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor. But these scattered societies have been gathered together by the Lord in order that they also, like the societies in heaven, may represent one man. These societies are not only within the church, but also outside of it, and taken together are called the Lord's church scattered and gathered from the good in the universal world, which is also called a communion.

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This communion, that is, this church, is the Lord's kingdom on earth conjoined with the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, and thus is conjoined with the Lord Himself" (AC 7396).
     Here both the church universal and the church specific are defined and compared. The church universal is called a "communion" and a "communion of saints" (TCR 307) and "the Lord's kingdom on earth." It is within and outside the church specific. The Lord alone knows who are within it, but He has revealed that they are of every religion, ecclesiastical organization, race, and nation. Also, the Lord alone knows who are truly of the church specific; but since this church is with those who openly acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ and read the Word, those who profess to be of this church can be known.
     What is revealed about the church specific raises the question as to whether today, since the Lord's second coming and the establishment by Him of His New Church, the New Jerusalem, this church alone is now the church specific. Without doubt the New Church is meant by the church specific, but in a wider sense it would seem there must be included within the church specific all who read the Word of the two Testaments and from the Word acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ to be Divine. When we consider the hundreds of millions of copies of the Word published in over three hundred different languages, we must conclude that many of them are diligently and earnestly read by people of every race and tongue,-people who have never heard of the Writings-and many of these readers acknowledge Jesus Christ to be Divine, even though they may be confused by the doctrine of a trinity of persons; and some of them in simplicity, apart from the false doctrine of so-called Christian churches, acknowledge and worship Jesus Christ as the one God.
     When the Writings speak of the Word, they usually mean the two Testaments or the books they enumerate as belonging to the Word. (See AC 10325; HD 266) This definition does not exclude the Writings themselves as also being the Word, but refers specifically to what was then commonly called "the Word" in Christendom. The readers of this Word are specifically referred to as constituting the church specific, but, it may be, only when they acknowledge from this Word Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the promised Messiah.
     These two churches are further defined and compared in the following quotations: "It is said, the church where the Word is, because the Lord's church is in the whole world, but in the special sense where the Word is, and where the Lord is known through the Word . . . the Lord . . . is present with men of this earth by means of the Word. . . .

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The church in the whole world appears before the Lord as one Man . . . in this man the church where the Word is and where the Lord is known thereby is like the heart and lungs; with those who are in celestial love the church is like the heart, and with those who are in spiritual love like the lungs; consequently, as all the members, viscera, and organs of the body live from the heart and lungs, and from their influx and consequent presence, so all in the whole earth, who constitute the church universal, live from the church where the Word is; for the Lord flows in therefrom with love and with light, and vivifies and enlightens all who are in any spiritual affection of truth, wherever they are. The light of heaven . . . is from the Lord by means of the Word. From this as from a center light is diffused into the circumferences in every direction, thus to . . . the nations that are outside our church. But this diffusion of light is effected in heaven by the Lord, and what is done in heaven flows into the minds of men, for the minds of men make one with the minds of spirits and angels" (AE 351).
     "In what manner the church answers to the heart and lungs was perceived by spiritual ideas, by means of a cylinder, or axle-tree, in whose middle were the celestial things of love, and round about spiritual things. And it was perceived that, from celestial things there is an influx into spiritual things, and so on, continuously, towards the circumferences, even to the ultimates; and so that the communications of love are according to order; that thus, likewise, the men of the church who are in good are in the middle, as regards their souls, and those who are in truth are round about; no matter how far apart and how unknown to each other they may be on earth; for their souls are still in heaven. That middle is the heart; round about it are the lungs. When, therefore, there is no church, neither is there heart and lungs; hence neither is there communication with those who are in the circumferences" (SD min. 4684).
     Note that the communication between the specific church and the universal church is not from the one to the other in this world, but is effected in heavens, and is effected there by the Lord, from whom, through the heavens there is influx into the minds of men on earth. We read: "The Lord's church is spread through the whole world; but its inmost is where the Lord is known and acknowledged, and where the Word is. From that inmost light and intelligence go out to all who are round about and are of the church, but this extension of light and intelligence is effected in heaven" (AE 313).
     This refutes what is known as the "permeation theory," which is the idea that from the church specific on earth there go out knowledge and doctrine to those on earth in the church universal; yet it shows that there is a truth behind that theory.

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There is no extension of the scientifics and cognitions of the Word to those outside the church specific from those within it in any mysterious and miraculous way, but there is an extension of light and intelligence in heaven and throughout the spiritual world; and from that extension there, or from the increased light there, a stronger influx with men belonging to the church universal results, whence, also, there is undoubtedly greater light in natural things.
     There is no teaching influx in the sense we understand the word "teaching." The doctrines of the Word and the phenomena of the spiritual world do not become known to men outside the church in a telepathic way. Yet there is a communication between the church specific and the church universal, one that corresponds to the communication of the heart and the lungs with the organs, viscera, and members of the body. But it is the internal of the church, or the internal church, which is the heart and lungs; and the internal is in heaven, where it makes one with the kingdom of heaven. The internal church is also in the external church in the world, when the external corresponds to the internal, but the internal is not of the world. The internal operates into the world only by influx. The medium of its operation is the Word-the two Testaments and the Writings-for by the Word alone, when it is in the minds and lives of men, are the two worlds conjoined. Therefore, also, the internal of the church and of its worship is by the Word from its internal sense, when this sense, which are goods and truths, is known, understood, loved and lived.
REVIEW 1952

REVIEW       Editor       1952

SWEDENBORG'S PREPARATION. By Alfred Acton. MA., D.Th. Swedenborg Society Transactions Number Five. London. 1951. Paper, pp. 53.

     This handsome brochure contains the text of an address given by Bishop Acton in Victoria Hall, London, England, on June 21st, 1949 at the 200th Anniversary Celebration of the publication of Arcana Coelestia. Paper, type, and arrangement combine in a format which enhances the content and befits in every way the dignity of what is a learned society as well as a publishing body.
     Bishop Acton's qualifications as an expert in Swedenborgiana are too well known to require establishing. This address is a thorough and scholarly analysis of the many and varied elements which entered info Swedenborg's preparation for the office he began to discharge with the writing of the Arcana. After noting significant differences between Swedenborg and self-styled revelators, defining the nature and mode of his inspiration, and establishing that a long preparation was necessary, Bishop Acton marshals and examines every phase of that preparation, both prior to Swedenborg call and during the intermediate period of his life.

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     From an analysis of the contributions made by Swedenborg's ancestry, paternal heredity, social inheritance, and early environment, the address goes on to show how he was prepared through his studies by arriving at genuine truths of science and philosophy. It is possible that the reader who is thoroughly familiar with Bishop Acton's Introduction to The Word Explained and his prefaces to other works he has translated will find little here that is new. But there is great value in this systematic presentation of material that is otherwise extended or scattered; and we recommend this brochure to all who are interested in the subject.
     THE EDITOR.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "2. Man should act in whatever he does from freedom according to reason; but should nevertheless acknowledge and believe that the very freedom which he has is from God. The same is the case with reason, regarded in itself-which is called rationality" (AE 1136).
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word: "There are in the Word, in general, four different styles. The first is that of the Most Ancient Church. Their mode of expression was such that when they mentioned terrestrial and worldly things they thought of the spiritual and celestial things which these represented. They therefore not only expressed themselves by representatives but also formed these into a kind of historical series, in order to give them entire life . . . These particulars concerning creation, the garden of Eden, etc., down to the time of Abram, Moses had from the descendants of the Most Ancient Church. The second style is historical, which is found in the books of Moses from the time of Abram onward . . . in these books the historical facts are just as they appear in the sense of the letter and yet they all contain, in both general and particular, quite other things in the internal sense" (AC 66).

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SWEDENBORG IN THE LEXICONS 1952

SWEDENBORG IN THE LEXICONS       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor     Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received be the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION

$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     With a few notable exceptions, it appears to be almost standard practice for dictionary and encyclopedia entries under SWEDENBORG to include the phrase, "Swedish scientist, philosopher, and mystic"; and in a recent book devoted to the small sects in America the New Church is classified among the esoteric and mystical cults. It may be true that there are superficial resemblances, and that as the world uses the terms the definition and classification might seem to be correct to a lexicographer who has little or no knowledge of Swedenborg's spiritual experiences or of the nature of the revelation given through him. But the fact is that since Swedenborg's experience was unique he cannot be forced into any of the standard classifications: and the Church is under no compulsion to accept any definition or designation which is based upon imperfect knowledge of the truth.
     Swedenborg's other-world experiences have no real resemblance to the visions and ecstasies of other, self-styled seers: nor does he expound, in any accepted sense of the term, a mystical way of life. Nowhere does he claim to have attained communion with God by contemplation: or that he arrived at direct knowledge of God, of spiritual truth, and of ultimate reality by direct insight or intuition. Least of all, perhaps, does he claim to have established a System whereby his followers may arrive at such knowledge by contemplation or any other practice. The testimony always is that he was the instrument of Divine revelation, and that men may be taught by the Lord in that revelation-not that they may attain knowledge or power through any insight they may develop in themselves through mystical exercises.

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     The point is that Swedenborg never consciously sought communion with the Lord or intercourse with the spiritual world, although he was prepared by the Lord for both. First as a scientist and then as a philosopher he sought, not the beatific vision of God, but the vision of the soul, dwelling and operating in her kingdom. And the Divine revelation given through him does not contain any discipline by which the devotee may attain to conscious intercourse with the spiritual world; or, indeed, any truth that is denied to any. If by the term is meant possession of truth unknown to ordinary mortals, but revealed by various processes, then most religions might be designated "mystical." But if any other process is meant than that of reading in books which are available to all, then the classification is forced and false.
     Mysticism invariably carries the idea of that which has no rationed basis or firm foundation. And in the thought of a church in which it is permitted to enter intellectually into the arcana of faith, there will be no idea of Swedenborg that places him among the mystics or the Writings among the sacred mysteries of bygone ages. Some of Swedenborg most trenchant remarks are directed against occultism in philosophy; and in their stern warnings against blind faith the Writings discourage any leanings to mysticism.
CONJUGIAL CHOICE 1952

CONJUGIAL CHOICE       Editor       1952

     An article on the provision of conjugial pairs published last year (pp. 299-304) brought an interesting response from several readers. Two correspondents rightly pointed out that the idea of there being several, with any one of whom conjugial love may be attained, does not sanction the thought that men and women may go from one to another seeking conjugial love; and they warned also of other dangers that might arise (pp. 421-423). "There are marriages in which conjugial love does not appear, and yet is; and there are marriages in which conjugial love appears, and yet is not" (CL 531). And because appearances in externals decide nothing, the doctrine is that marriages in the world ought to continue until the end of life (Ibid., 276).
     We do not wish to traverse the entire subject, and still less to press a solution, but rather to comment on certain aspects of this question. It seems evident, in the first place, that some have misunderstood what is meant in the Writings by "similitudes." Believing that the Lord creates one man for one woman, they regard a similitude as a person and as a substitute provided by the Lord in the event that one of two persons created for each other does not regenerate.

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But a study of the relevant passages will show that the term is used in the plural, and that it does not refer to persons but to qualities, both internal and external, which are likenesses.
     It should be realized, also, that whichever view be true there is no interference with freedom of choice. We tend to think of choice as the opportunity to pick out one of several things and to feel that unless we can so select there is no choice-and sometimes this is true. Yet choice, in a deeper sense, is surely the opportunity to follow the dictate of one's love. If a man enters the business he loves, can we say that he had no choice because he was never attracted by any other, or was not given opportunity to decide against other possibilities? And the same is surely true in marriage. It is not a question of whether there is choice, but of choice being exercised in different ways. If the Lord creates one man for one woman, and both regenerate, then each makes the only choice they would want to make; and if a man or woman attains conjugial love with one out of several possibilities, that is the only choice they would have wished to make. Yet we may reflect whether there is any choice, except on the part of the Lord. For men and women on earth do not act from that instant perception of internals which is granted in heaven, and which dictates that each is for the other, but discover interiors slowly through entering into the church and religion; and it is the Lord who brings together those who will eventually attain conjugial love.
     Finally, it may be observed that while we must recognize the doctrine given concerning similitudes, we should not base our teaching upon it as a church or our thinking as individuals. The essential truth is that the Lord does provide conjugial pairs! For conjugial love does not exist at the beginning of marriage except in potency and as that to which a bride and bridegroom are looking It is received in the measure that, together, they enter interiorly into the church through regeneration. Only the Divine Providence can so lead a husband and wife that they eventually become a conjugial pair; and its this sense they may be said to be born for each other, because that Providence has operated from their birth.
     Believing that the Lord provides it, the men and women of the church should seek an eternal union; hoping that it is before them in the marriage into which they have entered, and realizing that the hells are constantly seeking to attack conjugial love by insinuating doubts which must be resisted. We mat not say definitely, however, that there is the possibility of a conjugial union in every marriage. Not only is this doctrinally unsound, but there are marriages on earth in which internal dissimilitudes evidently become apparent; and a misunderstanding of the real teaching might lead to a guilt-complex or a feeling of spiritual failure which should not exist.

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The need is to have in every marriage the love of the conjugial and of the means of attaining it: and to see that the teaching concerning conjugial love is neither over-idealized or treated emotionally, but is presented and considered rationally.
PRIESTHOOD IN THE HOME 1952

PRIESTHOOD IN THE HOME       Editor       1952

     When the land of Canaan was divided among the sons of Israel no separate portion was given to Levi, whose inheritance was the Lord. This priestly tribe was distributed throughout the country; receiving certain cities within the territory of each of the other tribes, and being supported from the tithes of all the people. As settled by Israel, Canaan represents the church on earth. So this Divinely ordered distribution of the priestly tribe throughout the whole land signifies that the priestly love and use must be universal throughout the church. It involves that every man of the church should be a priest within his own home.
     The priestly love is that of the salvation of souls, and the priestly use is to lead in the worship and life of the church from a love of serving the Lord and the neighbor. So the essence of the teaching is that every husband and father throughout the church should love and desire the salvation, the eternal welfare and happiness, of those who constitute his family and household, and from love and charity should lead in the worship and life of the church in his own home.
     A few of the more general means by which this may be done come easily to mind. The establishment and regular maintenance of family worship-in which the husband and father leads his household-is an obvious and important way in which the man of the church can serve as a priest in his own home. Leading in the blessing before meals is another. And when the ages of children permit, there may be a group reading of the Word and the Writings, as distinct from family worship. These, however, are formal exercises of the family priesthood; and we wish to draw attention to another way-informal and less readily discernible, but far wider in scope-in which the man of the church may be a priest in his own home. This is by the insinuation of, or leading to, good.
     Our families can be saved only if they come to love the doctrine and life of the New Church. Yet the presentation of truth is not enough. There must also be a leading to good. And if it is a priestly use to teach truth it is also of that use to lead to good by means of truth. So perhaps the most important, and certainly the most consistent way in which a man can be a priest in his own home, is to seek to awaken and sustain in his growing family a love for good and for the doing of good by means of conversation about truth, which alone can lead.

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Indeed we are directly taught in the Writings that conversation with others about charity and faith, God, heaven, eternal life, and salvation belongs to worship and is, in relation to the home, one of the domestic uses of charity.
     According to the ages of his children, and to the ever changing needs if the situation to be met, the goods which a man seeks to insinuate will differ. When children are young, it may be simply the good of loving to read the Word and hear it read by others, of talking about what they learn from it and asking questions, of loving to go to children's service and, later, to the adult services. At a later stage, it may be the good of loving and cultivating the moral virtues. And at a later stage still, it may be the good of a genuine understanding of the Writings, of love for the truths of doctrine, of interest in the uses and life of the organized church, and of an upright life. To all these goods a man's family may be led by conversation: and when this is done in love and charity, and from love for the salvation of souls, it becomes that priestly rise which all men should exercise in their homes.
     Although it involves a certain amount of instruction, this use ha no wax usurps the functions of the ecclesiastical order. It does not violate the doctrine that truth may be insinuated only by teaching ministers. The main concern of the layman in the home is not with the insinuation of truth, but with the insinuation of good in his family. And although he must speak of the doctrines, and from them, he has no desire to set himself up as an authoritative teacher. There is a different quality and sphere about what he brings forth from that which marks priestly instruction. The Writings themselves distinguish between preaching and conversation; and the wise husband and father will exercise his family priesthood as informally as possible, knowing that the less appearance of teaching there is the more successfully will the use be performed Above all, he will not hold himself up as an example, but will desire that the truth alone shall lead.
     No well-minded layman need fear that in entering into this use he will usurp the functions of the ecclesiastical order, or that he will receive anything but the warmest support from his pastor. Indeed it may be remarked that because the priestly use we are here considering is universal throughout the church it is one which the ecclesiastical order has in common with the laity. Within his own four walls, a priest is not a bishop or a pastor but a husband and father, having the same priestly rise to perform to his family as his lay brethren have to theirs.
     This universal priesthood which should he exercised by every man of the church in his own home-through family worship, conversation about spiritual things, and the sphere of his own looking to the Lord-is a use in which priest and layman unite.

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And there need be no doubt as to its importance. The unit of the church is the home, the family. And if that use is developed; if men seek from the Lord the wisdom to understand and the love to perform the use; then through their labors as faithful priests in their own homes the societies of the church will grow and prosper, not only externally, but also in those inner things which make a true church.
DIVINE FORESIGHT AND HUMAN FREEDOM 1952

DIVINE FORESIGHT AND HUMAN FREEDOM       THEODORE PITCAIRN       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     In an article on "Divine Omniscience and Human Prudence" [NEW CHURCH LIFE, December, 1951. pp. 552-554] Bishop Acton states: "The doctrine that God is omniscient, that is, knows all things past, present and future, is not a New Church doctrine but is well known in the Christian Church. But men have interpreted it to mean that God knows all facts, past, present, and future. This has led to much confusion of thought . . . it is incomprehensible because it offers so many difficulties to the rational mind. If, for instance, God foreknew the fact of Adam's fall, then either Adam was not in freedom and was destined to fall, or if he was in freedom his use of that freedom contributed to the Divine knowledge . . . if Adam was in real freedom to sin or not to sin-if it depended on him alone-how could it be foreknown as a fact?"
     Bishop Acton is here considering an ancient dilemma or apparent dilemma of thought. But in trying to escape one dilemma is there not a danger of falling into greater dilemmas, and is there an escape from the dilemma in question?
     Knowledge by itself, that is, apart from will, is purely passive and influences nothing: such knowledge therefore could not possibly take away free will. To illustrate: If parents foresaw that one of their children was going to take a strong course, while they willed that he should take a right course, it could not be said that their foreknowledge was the cause of the child taking a wrong course, or that their foreknowledge took away the freedom of their child. Again, if a man watching a game of checkers knew which side was going to win, but in no way influenced the game, his foreknowledge could not be said to take away the freedom of the players. The dilemma does not therefore reside in foreknowledge depriving one of freedom, but in how one can foreknow the future.
     If one understands the order and all the forces in play one can predict the future with accuracy. Thus an astronomer can predict an eclipse with the greatest exactitude, even in the distant future.

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But human free choice implies action which is not based on a combination of fixed and definite forces; for if a man acted on a combination of fixed forces he would not have free choice. The dilemma is therefore not as to foreknowledge depriving man of free choice, but how it is possible to know the future in so far as free choice plays a part.
     It does indeed appear that if the future were known there would not be free choice, but if we examine this idea more carefully we find that this is not the real problem.
     The real problem is that it would appear that man is necessarily going to the place after death that he is going to go to, nor can he go to any other place; this appears to predestine man, whether this is known or is not known. Such reasoning is evidently fallacious, for were it true man would not have free choice.
     Thus the real problem is: how is free choice possible? We are told that man is in equilibrium between good and evil. A thing in perfect equilibrium never changes, never goes to one side or the other. We read: "God perpetually holds with His finger as it were the perpendicular above the scales, and moderates man's freedom of choice, but never violates it by compulsion" (TCR 504: 5). It appears that if God touched the scale with His fingers it would necessarily go according to the finger of God.
     The difficulty resides in the nature of man's natural mind. Man's natural mind is formed from experience. All things which man experiences from without go according to fixed laws of cause and their inevitable effects. It is difficult for man to grasp an idea which cannot be objectively illustrated. There can be no objective illustration of free choice, for outside of man there is no such thing as free choice.
     Even man's natural mind is not properly in free choice for free choice resides in the internal man. If man had only a natural mind he would be like animals which have only apparent free choice, but not free choice proper. Because the internal mind is for the most part unknown it is with great difficulty that the things of this mind can be grasped. Free choice, in a word, cannot be illustrated. It can only be perceived by reflection. Man can be in the consciousness, from an internal feeling, that he has free choice; man's mind can go no further.
     The whole problem of free choice is summed up in the following quotation: "To explore the mysteries of faith by means of scientifics is as impossible as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, or for the rib to govern the finest fibrils of the chest or of the heart. So gross, yea much more so is that which pertains to the sensual and scientific relatively to what is spiritual and celestial. He who would investigate the hidden things of nature, which are innumerable, discovers scarcely one, and while investigating them falls into errors, as is well known.

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How much more likely is this to be the case whilst investigating the hidden truths of spiritual and celestial life, where myriads of mysteries exist for one that is invisible in nature!
     "As an illustration take this example: Of himself man cannot but do what is evil, and turn away from the Lord. Yet man does not do these things, but the evil spirits who are with him, nor do these evil spirits do them, but the evil itself which they have made their own. Nevertheless man does evil and turns himself away from the Lord and is in fault; yet he lives only from the Lord. So on the other hand, of himself man cannot possibly do what is good, and turn to the Lord, but this is done by the angels, nor can the angels do it, but the Lord alone, and yet man is able as of himself to do what is good, and to turn himself to the lord. These facts can never be grasped by our senses, science and philosophy, but if these are consulted will be denied in spite of their truth. And it is the same all through. From what has been said it is evident that those who consult sensual and scientific things in matter of belief plunge themselves not only into doubt, but also into denial" (AC 233).
     If God did not know the future in regard to man's state He should either have to learn it when it came to pass, or He would never know anything about man's state, and would thus be totally separated from man; and the object of creation, the conjunction of God and man by love, would be frustrated.
     But such thinking is from time and therefore merely natural. To think about God in this way is like thinking from time about what God did before creation, which thought leads to insanity. God, as He is in His infinity, is eternal, above time and state: all with Him-past, present and future-is one, apart from time or state. Such a thought is incomprehensible to a finite human being. To try to consider what God is and how He knows in Himself is to try to approach the Father directly, which causes man to fall into an abyss.
     We can only know the Lord as He manifests Himself in His Divine Human, that is, in relation to human states which can receive His love and wisdom. The highest angel can have no idea of God as He is in Himself above all state; no one can know the nature of God's eternal foresight, as it is in itself above all time and state. But that the Lord's is in Divine Providence and Providence, as to all things, we can know from the Word. If there were not a Divine foresight as to all things of the human race, the Word could not have been written as it was.
     Bishop Acton said: "if, for instance, God foreknew the fact of Adam's fall, then either Adam was not in freedom and was predestined to fall, or if he was in freedom his use of that freedom contributed to God's knowledge."

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     Adam was the first church, the fall of which was not foretold in the Word, because as yet there was no Word, but the fall of the subsequent churches was foretold in the Word. For example the fall of the Catholic and Protestant Churches was described in detail in the Apocalypse of John. If there were not a Divine foreknowledge of events how could the fall of the Catholic and Protestant Churches have been described beforehand?
     Again the whole of the Old Testament, inmostly seen, is a description of the Lord's life in the world as to all His states of life, as to what He thought and felt. There was not the least thing which was not foretold concerning His life, as is manifest from the Arcana Coelestia. As all things were foretold concerning the Lord's life, and all things so described were necessarily fulfilled, there is the appearance as if the Lord had no freedom whatever, and yet the Lord was even as to His Human in the Divine free choice itself.
     If we think from time, even from such ideas of time as past, present and future, concerning God and His omniscience we fall into fallacies. As the nature of God's omniscience is in itself above all comprehension, human and angelic, we must rest in what the Word of the Lord teaches. There is no statement or even suggestion in the Word of the Lord, in any of its three Testaments, that the Lord does not know the eternal state of every one born into the world.
     On the other hand we read: "Jehovah God never repents, because He foresees all things from eternity both in general and particular; and when He made man, that is created him anew and perfected him till he became celestial, He also foresaw that in process of time he would become such as is here described [just before the flood] and because He foresaw this He could not repent" (AC 587).
     "'And Jehovah saw.' That this signifies the Lord's foresight . . . the Lord foresaw from eternity what the human race would be, . . . and that evil would increase continually until at last man of himself would rush into hell . . . the Lord also foresaw that it would be impossible for any good to be rooted in man except in freedom.
     "How greatly the man errs who believes that the Lord has not foreseen, and does not see, the veriest singulars appertaining to man, and that in these he does not foresee and lead, when the truth is that the Lord's foresight and Providence are in the very minutest of these veriest singulars connected with man, in things so very minute that it is impossible by any thought to comprehend as much as one out of a hundred million of them, for every smallest moment of man's life involves a series of consequences extending to eternity, each moment being as a new beginning to those which follow, and so with all and each of the moments of his life, both of the understanding and of his will.

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And as the Lord foresaw from eternity what would be man's quality, and what it would be to eternity, it is evident that His providence is in the veriest singulars and, as before said, governs and bends the man to such a quality; and this by continual moderation of his freedom" (AC 3854).
     "The Lord foresees what kind of a life a man is going to lead, and how he is going to suffer himself to be led by the Lord" (AC 4136).
     "Spirits perceive all things of man's thought and still . . . the angels perceive still more, namely, the intentions and end is . . . , the Lord knows not only the quality of the whole man, but also what his quality will be to eternity" (AC 6214).
     "The spirit was reduced into the state of infancy, and the Lord showed the angels what his quality had been at that time, and also what was the then foreseen quality of his future life" (AC 6484).
     Many similar passages could be added but these are sufficient. It may be said that the Lord's knowledge is not like man's knowledge-which is true. But the Lord's knowledge is infinitely more than man's knowledge and in no whit, or in no respect, less.
     THEODORE PITCAIRN.
LAW OF SPIRITUAL THOUGHT 1952

LAW OF SPIRITUAL THOUGHT              1952

     "Hence it may appear how sensually, that is, how much from the senses of the body and their darkness in spiritual things, those men think who say that nature is from herself. They think from the eye and cannot think from the understanding. Thought from the eye closes the understanding, but thought from the understanding opens the eye. These persons cannot think any thing concerning esse and existere in itself, and that this is eternal, uncreate, and infinite; neither can they think anything concerning life except as a volatile thing going away into nothing; nor can they think differently of love and wisdom, and in no wise that all things of nature are from them. Neither can it be seen that all things of nature are from them unless nature be regarded from use in their series and in their order; and this not from a few of its forms which are objects of the eye alone. For uses can come from life only, and their series and order from wisdom and love; but forms are the containants of uses. If, therefore, forms alone are regarded, not anything of life can be seen in nature, still less anything of love and wisdom, consequently, not anything of God" (DLW 46).

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     KITCHENER, ONTARIO

     November and December have been snowy months in Kitchener and busy ones for the society. Many welcome visitors have come and gone, and a very happy Christmas was enjoyed by everyone.
     During this period our Pastor made two weekend trips; one us the Detroit Circle on November 11th, and one to the Montreal Circle on December 9th. The Rev. Henry Heinrichs conducted services in his absence. In these two months, also, five babies were baptized; three of them in a triple baptism at the Sunday morning service on December 16th.

     Meetings.-The men of the society have instituted quarterly meetings to discuss society uses or problems. The first of these was held at the church on October 31st and was preceded by a supper prepared by Mr. G. Harold Kuhl. Twenty-four men attended and the Rev. Norman Reuter gave a short address outlining his ideas on the usefulness of such gatherings as a discussion group unhampered by business. Stress was laid on the need for realization of the individual's responsibility in all phases of the life of the society.
     After the last Friday Supper in November a Society-School meeting was held at which Miss Nancy Stroh gave a paper on the report of the Hope Commission on Education, which surveys modern educational methods and contains recommendations for Ontario. Miss Nancy familiarized us with some aspects of the report, and mentioned some things she regarded as shortcomings in Ontario's educational system. She considered that the report contained a definite threat to the continuance of private schools, and warned that some groups are still working to have it adopted.

     Social Events.-The one society social for the fall season was held on November 2nd and took the form of a Halloween Masquerade put on by the high school young people. Quite a few miscellaneous characters turned out and a few managed to baffle everyone as to their identity and object. The prize winning example was a bat-like creature which flitted around the floor and turned out, to everyone's amazement, to be Frank Rose of Bryn Athyn. He picked a most opportune time to surprise us with a very welcome visit. Other prizewinning costumes were worn by Keith Niall as a hobo, Laura Kuhl as a negro mammy, and Marilyn Stroh as an old lady. Entertainment was provided between dances, and we ducked for apples. Other Bryn Athyn visitors who added to the fun of the party were Mrs. Robert Alden, Miss Iona Doering, Miss Edna Funk, Peter Gyllenhaal, and Mr. and Mrs. Joffre Schnarr.
     The ladies of the society had a night out on November 28th, when forty-two attended the annual Theta Alpha banquet. A delicious meal was prepared by Mrs. Alena Bellinger, Mrs. Rud Schnarr, and various helpers. The entertainment was planned by Nancy Stroh and Vivian Kuhl. Miss Margaret Wilde's paper, "The Well Dressed Feminine Mind," was read and greatly enjoyed; several games were played and Mrs. Norman Reuter then showed slides, some of which had been rented from Mr. William R. Cooper for the occasion. All had fun recognizing familiar faces and places.

     Christmas.-Christmas was celebrated with the usual services and festivities, which are always happy occasions for young and old. The doctrinal classes in December prepared for a fuller understanding of the Lord's coming with a study of Mary's conception and of the Lord's heredity while on earth.
     A children's Christmas party, to which adults in festive mood were invited, was held at the school on Friday afternoon. December 21st. The children played games and then offered a little entertainment; the second and fourth grades giving a puppet show which they had worked on as a class project with Mrs. Reuter, the sixth and seventh grades reciting and miming "The Camel."

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The children then received presents and handed gifts to the teachers, and refreshments and more games ended a very happy patty. Mrs. Henry Heinrichs and Mrs. John Kuhl were on the committee.
     The tableaux, shown on Sunday afternoon, December 23rd, were on the theme. He bowed the heavens and came down." The first four scenes depicted the Lord sending His angel to Abraham, to Zacharias to Mary, and to Joseph; the coming of the Lord, the announcement to the shepherds, and the wise men watching the star were shown in the next three scenes; and the last tableau presented the multitude listening to the Lord teaching on the mountain, the words being from the Sermon on the Mount. Mrs. Nelson Glebe headed the committee, and Donald Glebe, in charge of properties, made several beautiful, life-size sheep which added greatly to the Nativity and shepherd scenes. Mr. Nathaniel Stroh was in charge of the music which accompanied the scenes.
     The children's Christmas service was held on Christmas Eve, the lessens and address centering in the story of the wise men and their gifts representing love, faith, and obedience. At the adult service on Christmas morning the sermon was on the Incarnation of the Divine. For these services the chancel was decorated with the usual trees, greens, and candles, and there were three lovely representations at the sides Miss Marion Schnarr was in charge of decorations and Miss Nancy Beth Schnarr was responsible for the representations.

     New Year.-The social committee put on a very successful dance at which the society ushered in the new year and the young people danced until well into the morning. Multi-colored streamers and balloons decked the hall, and very cute pink elephants and polka dot panels achieved a striking effect. The midnight hour saw plenty of noise and confusion as everyone milled around among the serpentines and wished their friends a Happy New Year. A good lunch was served, after which the Gorand March was held and coned with the singing of Academy songs.
     From Kitchener we extend best wishes for the New Year to all New Church friends throughout the world.
     VIVIAN KUHL.

     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

     To avoid any break in the record it is necessary to go all the way back to last summer. Its July the Sunday services were again held in the evening and the sermons were of a missionary nature. After the last of these services, which was also the closing one for the summer, we presented Mr. and Mrs. Cranch with a record player and a gift of money to mark the tenth anniversary of their coming to Chicago. The presentation showed the affection and appreciation of the Society, was a complete surprise to them.

     Fall Activities.-Our church was reopened on September 9th. Sunday School divisions are the same as last year, and Mr. Cranch had a meeting with the teachers to outline the work for the year. The first meeting of the Ladies' Auxiliary was held at Mrs. William Schroders apartment in October. Following the re-election of last year's officers a baby shower was given for Mrs. Cranch. No society has a finer pastor's wife and we enjoyed being able to show our appreciation.
     This fall it was found that our church building was very much in need of repairs and repainting. Mr. Cranch did a great deal of carpentry work, repairing places that had appeared all right on the surface but were rotten underneath. A bazaar to defray expenses provided an enjoyable evening, and it was a pleasant surprise to see our Treasurer, Mr. Noel McQueen among us again racking in the shekels, which amounted to $438.00. Mrs. Charles Lindrooth was its charge. She and Mrs. Victor Gladish had charge of the goods to be sold and Mrs. Eleanor Junge and Mrs. Clara Lyons had charge of the food.
     Recently our Pastor, the Rev. Harold C. Cranch, has given a series of classes on the three forms of evangelization-the evangelization of self, of children, and of the world. Within the last month our numbers have been increased by one adult and one baby-Mrs. Kitzelman and the new Cranch baby girl. We are a small group and an addition to our numbers is always cause for rejoicing.

     Christmas.-Our church looked very beautiful for the Christmas service. Mr. Cranch has made two wall lights with stained glass window fronts, one depicting the wise men and the other the shepherds.

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These and the two larger representations placed on either side of the chancel, plus the lovely evergreens crisscrossed on the ceiling of the large room, and the lighted Christmas tree, created a festive atmosphere for our Christmas celebration. There was a special service for children and adults on December 23rd, and after the presentation of gifts from the church to the children a wonderful turkey dinner was served under the able direction of Mrs. Carl Stuke, who will be remembered as Natalie Curtis. Between 80 and 85 people attended the service, and with the terrific weather outside it was amazing that so many managed to reach their destination. We all had a busy and happy season indoors, but are looking forward to milder weather.
     VOLITA WELLS.

     STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

     Two services were held on Christmas Day-one early in the morning, in accordance with the tradition of our country, the other at the usual hour. It was still dark when we gathered for the first Christmas celebration. Burning candles lit the altar, and in a corner of the hall stood a fir tree ablaze with electric lights. The service began with a procession of children, from five to fifteen years of age, carrying lighted candles or flowers which were brought to the alter as offerings. Old Christmas hymns were sung, and our Assistant Pastor, the Rev. Erik Sandstrom, delivered a sermon on the Lord's childhood development. The sphere of that short service was uplifting, warm, and bright. By way of contrast it was still dark outside when we returned to our homes in the chilly winter morning.
     Many people who had not attended the early service came later and almost filled the hall. A choir consisting of members of the Vigor Club sang several hymns and Miss Ingrid Wiksjo, a professional singer added to the beauty of the solemn occasion with a solo. Our venerable Pastor, Dr. Bacekstrom, conducted the service.

     Activities in 1951.-In looking back on the activities of the past year we may note that forty-six services have been held with an average attendance of thirty-six persons. As a rule, Dr. Baeckstrom has preached on two successive Sundays in every three, and Mr. Sandstrom has preached every third Sunday unless he was on a visit to Jonkoping, Gothenburg, Oslo, or Denmark. There were three administrations of the Holy Supper. Dr. Baeckstrom also visited the small group in Oslo once during the year.
     Doctrinal classes have been conducted by Dr. Baeckstrom once every two weeks, with readings from Divine Love and Wisdom followed by discussion. These classes were originally held in the evening, but as most of those attending are older members it has been found more convenient to have them during the day. Distances between the private homes which offer hospitality are great, which increases the difficulty of bringing members together; and another drawback is that we have no meeting place in the center of the city. A worship hall is rented for Sunday services only and we are supposed to leave as soon after the service as is possible. We have hopes of being able to purchase a building of our own some day, and have repeatedly increased the building fund by successful sales, but the current inflation makes it impossible to carry out our plans for the present.
     To Mr. Sandstrom's care are entrusted the doctrinal classes given once a week to the active and the senior members of Vigor, respectively. Mr. Sandstrom speaks on a subject chosen by himself or agreed upon previously, and the class is followed by a social entertainment. He also carries on the Sunday School Its fourteen pupils are divided into two groups which are taught on alternate Sunday mornings before worship. During the last two years religion lessons have been sent out to isolated families. Finally, Dr. Baeckstrom continues to edit NOVA ECCLESIA, eight issues of which are published each year.
     SENTA CENTERVALL.

     NORTHERN NEW JERSEY

     The Northern New Jersey Circle, apart from the services and classes given by the Rev. Morley D. Rich, began the year 1951 with a buffet style dinner, the delicious items of which were cooked and contributed by the ladies of the group. Mr. and Mrs. James York were our hosts, and a lively discussion ensued concerning the financial status of the Circle.
     The following spring a combined rummage sale, bazaar, and party was held at the home of the Francis Frosts. Homemade articles, white elephants, and objects d'art were displayed and exchanged for a price, and games also required an entrance fee. The treasury benefited from this occasion.

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     A new place for worship was located and our monthly Sunday service transferred from the homes to the Masonic Hall in Summit, where the room, with its red curtains, presents a quasi-New Church appearance After a short talk given by Mr. Rich, the children retire to another room and are given further instruction by one of two mothers who take turns in rendering this service. The New Church Day banquet was held in a small, attractive room at the Hotel Suburban in Summit, while the children were cared for at the home of the James Yorks.
     The Bertil Laresons, one of our most faithful and dependable families, moved away from our group to the isolated location of Bath, N. Y. We wish for them the happiness their is their due.
     After the summer recess our functions began again with the election of officers. Mrs. Frost presented us with a beautiful little hooked rug, made by her during the summer, the proceeds from which went to increase our treasury.
     Christmas was celebrated with a children's service at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James York, Mrs. York having decorated specially for the occasion. Each child received a gift from the Church, and in return gave a white candle to the Church, and a box of fruit was presented to Mr. Rich for his children. Light refreshments were served afterwards, and everyone left the party feeling that a beautiful Christmas spirit had been beautifully started to carry us through the holiday season with some to spare for the following year.
     CORINNE K. CRONLAND.

     BRYN ATHYN

     The excitement of Charter Day had scarce subsided-and the alarums and excursions and festivities of Halloween been taken in stride-than Thanksgiving seemed to be upon us. Actually time did not pass quite as rapidly as that: for there were several beautiful weddings in the cathedral, a costume party sponsored by the Civic and Social Club, a lively Town Meeting at the Club House, and a return visit from the ever popular Dr. Dorizas, who spoke on "Turkey: Key to the Middle East." Other events also there undoubtedly were, but it would be vain to attempt to record everything that happens in this active community.
     This year a change was made in the arrangements for the children's Thanksgiving service, which was more in the nature of a family service. Instead of entering in procession and then occupying a special section of the church under the charge of their regular lenders, the children brought their offerings of fruit to the chancel as they entered the church and then sat with their parents. The address was given by the Rev. F. F. Gyllenhaal, and a number of favorable comments on the new arrangements were heard.
     An extended series of Friday classes on "The Doctrine of Correspondences" was given in the fall by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner. The Young Peoples Class has been conducted so far by the Rev. Louis B. King, and the Rev. Karl R Alden is again giving weekly classes of a general or introductory nature for those whose knowledge of the Writings is not as yet extensive. It was a great pleasure to have Bishop de Charms conduct the regular services during the month of December, act as celebrant in the quarterly administration of the Holy Supper on December 30th, and preach, on New Year's Day, for the first time since before his illness. In welcoming Bishop de Charms back to his pastoral duties, the members of the Bryn Athyn Church are appreciative of the burden so unostentatiously carried by Dr. Odhner during his enforced absence.
     Perhaps the first pre-Christmas function was the December meeting of the Women's Guild, held at the Club House on Tuesday, the 11th. The large room was beautifully decorated for the occasion; and after carols had been sung by a quartet of College students, ass address on "The Incarnation" was given by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson. Christmas songs were sung, and refreshments served.
     For the Society as a whole, however, Christmas is perhaps most truly ushered in by the Christmas Sing at Glencairn, to which Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pitcairn extend, year by year an invitation to all the members of the Bryn Athyn Church, the pupils of the Bryn Athyn Elementary School, and the students of the Academy Schools. The "Sing" was held on Friday, December 21st and to the traditional elements was added the special feature of a gift presentation. Following group singing accompanied by the Bryn Athyn Orchestra and the playing of a series of Christmas pieces by a group of horn players, Mr. Pitcairn gave a brief message of welcome and then called on Bishop de Charms.

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The Bishop gave a short Christmas message and then, after expressing gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Pitcairn for the many uses they have performed for the Bryn Athyn Society, presented them with a beautiful hand-wrought silver bowl. Red and white roses were presented first to Mrs. Pitcairn. The bowl, a surprise gift from the society, was accompanied by a scroll, prepared by Dr. Odhner and handsomely engrossed by Eudora Sellner Walsh.
     On the following evening, as is the custom, another "Sing" was held at the Club House; and on Sunday the 23rd everyone who could do so went to the Assembly Hall to view the Christmas Tableaux, which, for the first time, were shown twice-in the afternoon for children of elementary school age and under and in the evening for others. Produced with dignity and restraint as well as with beauty, the scenes depicted the unfolding and fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. The accompanying vocal music had been recorded previously, but the readings from the Word and the connective commentary were given by Dr. Odhner.
     The traditional children's Christmas service was held in the cathedral in the afternoon of Christmas Eve and ass adult service was held on Christmas morning. The quarterly administration of the Holy Supper on December 30th made a fitting climax to the formal worship of the year and a preparation for a future in which all that is known of a certainty is the unfailing operation of the Divine Providence.
     Suitable arrangements to usher in the New Year were made by the Civic and Social Club. A party at the Assembly Hall, timed to allow for private parties beforehand, with the Gorand March coming at 11:45, was followed by a supper almost as soon as the year began with dancing until two o'clock.

     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-The St. Louis Society has welcomed as members the Rev. and Mrs. Ellsworth S. Ewing, who moved from Chicago in the summer of 1951. Mr. Ewing, a Methodist minister until 1948, has occupied the St. Louis pulpit since September.

     General Conference.-Early last fall, a lecture already given us London and Edinburgh on "Swedenborg and the New Cosmology" was delivered by the Rev. Clifford Harley at the Imperial Hotel, Birmingham, to an audience of over one human people. Arrangements had been made to follow up the lecture by a special missionary service at the church in Wretham Road, at which an address was given by the Rev. G. F. Colborne-Kitching on "What the New Church Teaches."

     Europe.-The Berlin Society has been registered with the Berlin senate, which means that it is entitled to function as a free church. Reports presented at the annual meeting in October, 1951, showed a membership of 84, and average attendances of from 40 to 48 at services. During the year twenty sermons were multigraphed and 1981 copies were mailed to distant points. It was mentioned also that connections had to be broken with members in the Eastern Zone in order not to jeopardize their living there.
     A monthly News Letter is being issued for the French Federation of New Church people by the Rev. Alfred Ragamey, its President, who is also pastor of the Lausanne, Geneva, and Vevey Societies.
     Dr. Friedmann Horn, who is now assisting the Rev Adolph L. Goerwitz in the German-speaking field in Switzerland, is preparing a reading manual for the members there.

     India.-By arrangement with Dr. T. David, leader of the New Church movement in India, the Bombay Times Reviewed The Divine Love and Wisdom and Trobridge's "Life of Swedenborg" a few months ago.

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LILIES OF THE FIELD 1952

LILIES OF THE FIELD              1952

     "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (Matthew 6: 28, 29)

     "It is also surprising that men in general have not yet properly observed that all things made by man, such as works of art-statues, pictures, and innumerable other things-which on the outside appear beautiful, and are esteemed of great value, are nevertheless interiorly nothing but clay and mud, and devoid of beauty. It is only the exterior surface which the eye admires. Whereas those things which grow from seeds begin from an internal principle and increase and assume an external. Such things are not only beautiful to the sight, but the more interiorly they are examined the more beautiful they appear . . . This is what is meant by what God-Messiah says in Matthew, concerning the lilies of the field, 'that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these;' which lilies, however, are disregarded" (SD 252).
CORRECTIONS 1952

CORRECTIONS              1952





     Announcements




     Lindsay.-The Confirmation reported its the January issue (p. 47) was that of Mr. John Graham Lindsay, not Mr. David Pitcairn Lindsay, as wrongly stated.

     Scott-Synnestvedt.-The announcement of this marriage in the January issue (p. 48) should have stated that the Rev. C. F. Doering officiated.
FAITH 1952

FAITH              1952

     "Faith is an internal affection which consists in a heartfelt desire to know what is true and what is good, and this not for the sake of doctrine as the end in view, but for the sake of life. This affection conjoins itself with the affection of charity through the desire to do according to the truth, thus to do the truth itself (AC 8034).
O COME, LET US WORSHIP! 1952

O COME, LET US WORSHIP!              1952

     "The essence of spiritual love is to do good to others, not for the sake of self but for their sake. Infinitely more is this the essence of Divine love. It is like the love of parents for their children, in that they do them good from love to them, not for the sake of themselves but for their sakes. This is plainly seen in the love of a mother towards infants. Because the Lord is to be adored, worshiped, and glorified it is believed that He loves adoration, worship, and glorification for His own sake; but He loves them for man's sake, because by means of them man comes into such a state that the Divine can flow into him and be perceived; for by means of them man removes his proprium which prevents the influx and reception; for what is his own, which is the love of self, hardens and closes the heart. This is removed by the acknowledgment that nothing but evil comes from himself, and nothing but good from the Lord. Hence comes a softening of the heart and humiliation, from which flow forth adoration and worship, it follows from this that the uses which the Lord renders to Himself through man are in order that He may do good to him from love; and as it is His love to do this, reception by man is the joy of His love. Let no one therefore believe that the Lord is with those who adore Him merely, but that He is with those who do His commandments and thus perform use" (DLW 335).

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WISDOM IS LOVING USES 1952

WISDOM IS LOVING USES       Rev. MORLEY D. RICH       1952


No. 3

NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
MARCH, 1952
     "And Noah began to be a man of the ground And he planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered in the midst of his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness." (Genesis 9: 20-23)

     The literal sense of this story strongly contrasts the contempt and unmerciful judgment of Ham with the tender modesty and charity of Shem and Japheth toward their father. The fact that Noah so vigorously condemned Canaan, the son of Ham, after the incident shows that Ham not only blundered indelicately into the tent but also derided and condemned his father to Shem and Japheth for his error. If it had been merely an innocent blunder on Ham's part the incident would have been closed and the blunder forgiven. If Ham had immediately covered his father, and said nothing to his brothers, his innocence would have been established. But the fact that he ran out of the tent to tell Shem and Japheth shows his lack of respect and regard for Noah.
     Noah's error is typical of those kinds of evil which expose a man to the public gaze; which strip him of all defenses, all dignity, all personal sanctity. In this state, he is fortunate if he has around him friends and companions who, like Shem and Japheth, will cover his nakedness with acts of charity and mercy toward him! Fortunate is he whose friends will, like the good Samaritan, clothe him, and bind up his wounds with tender concern for his continued usefulness: who, while recalling to his mind the truths of faith of which he has been stripped, will also pour over him the oil of sympathetic and understanding affection and inspiration.

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"Blessed is he whose sin is covered" (Psalm 32: 1).
     But there will be in the life of every man those who, like Ham, will seize upon every error as an opportunity to ridicule and condemn him; who will, perhaps unwittingly and without conscious malice, endeavor to destroy any use he may be performing. Yet even these actions, painful though they may be, can be of use to any man if he will but see their use. For the Lord works good even by bending from an end of evil to one of good.

     After they had come out of the ark, Noah and his family began to reestablish themselves. It is said that "Noah began to be a man of the ground"; and by this is represented the first state of the adult when he begins to be a man of the church. In this first state he is instructed in the doctrinal things of faith or the truths of the church. When Noah planted a vineyard there was typified the first beginnings of the spiritual church with man from the seeds of those truths of faith
     Noah then became drunken from the wine of this vineyard. Thus is represented what happens when a man begins to investigate the truths of faith by reason alone-that he is unwilling to believe those truths until he understands them by natural logic. And concerning this the Writings declare: "But he who will not believe them until he apprehends them can never believe" (AC 1071). This contrasts with the true method of entering into the mysteries of faith, which is that of first affirming truths and then investigating with a view to understanding how they are true. This is the way to all true wisdom.
     But when a man refuses to believe truths until they have been demonstrated to his senses and to the satisfaction of his own natural logic, he becomes drunken like Noah; that is, he falls into all kinds of errors and insanities which arise from the fallacies and appearances of the natural world and of his natural senses. For if he does not reason from the Divine-from the Word, and therefore from the truth of the Word-he cannot but reason from himself and from all the fallacious ideas and sensations which comprise that self; thus reasoning from what is merely earthly, corporeal, and material. "For man's thought is merely earthly, corporeal, and material, because it is from earthly, corporeal, and material things, which cling constantly to it and in which the ideas of his thought are based and terminated" (AC 1072). Man is rescued from his own thought solely by the Lord's Word, the source of all true wisdom.
     In this state of drunkenness man is naked. For since he will not believe any truths unless they can be demonstrated to his senses and his natural mind he has no truths of faith with which to cover his spiritual body.

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For "he is called 'uncovered and naked from the drunkenness of wine' in whom there are no truths of faith, and still more so is he in whom they are perverted" (AC 1073).
     Yet he has a knowledge of the truths of faith. That is, he is familiar with those ideas which are said to be the truths of faith, although he himself has not really acknowledged them to be truths. He knows the Ten Commandments and how they were given through Moses; knows of the birth and life of the Lord; knows of Swedenborg and the subjects on which he has written, and perhaps knows in some detail what has been written. But these knowledges are yet, as it were, at a great distance from him. They have not been woven into the fiber of his being. He has not acknowledged their truth.
     Nevertheless, the spirit of Ham arises to see his nakedness by means of these mere knowledges. Through them, the spectre of faith alone ridicules, accuses, and condemns man's state of error-of nakedness as to all the truths of faith-and exposes to him his drunken perversion of truth. The endeavor of the hells is to bring him into such a state of self-condemnation that his usefulness will he permanently destroyed. In this state the church is still in man, indeed, but it is the church corrupted. And it is written: A church is said to be corrupted when it acknowledges the Word and has a certain worship like that of a true church, but yet separates faith from charity, thus from its essential and from its life, whereby faith becomes a kind of dead affair; the result of which necessarily is that the church is corrupted. What the men of the church then become is evident from the consideration that they can have no conscience, for conscience that is really conscience cannot possibly exist except from charity. Charity is what makes conscience, that is, the Lord through charity" (AC 1076).
     Ham represents this corrupted church: and this church corrupted in man unmercifully exposes and condemns every error he makes. Where there is no charity, there is the love of self, and therefore hatred against all who do not favor self. Consequently, such persons see in the neighbor only what is evil, and if they see anything good they either perceive it as nothing or put a bad interpretation upon it. It is just the other way with those who are in charity. By this difference these two kinds of men are distinguished from one another, especially when they come into the other life; for then with those who are in no charity the feeling of hatred shines forth from every single thing; they desire to examine everyone, and even to judge him; nor do they desire anything more than to find out what is evil; constantly cherishing the disposition to condemn, punish, and torment. But they who are in charity scarcely see the evil in another, but observe all his goods and truths, and put a good interpretation on what is evil and false" (AC 1079).

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     So Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laying it on their shoulders went backward into the tent, and covered him with it. Despite his errors in reasoning about the truths of faith, man is gradually clothed by the church within and outside of him. Slowly, piece by piece, a wedding garment is woven for him out of internal good and truth imparted to him by the Lord, and out of his actions and speech which are in accord with these. For the Lord pays no attention to his errors and mistakes from reasonings, but solely to the inward desires of his heart.
     Yet he must learn and endeavor to reject the spirit of Ham within himself; for he must try, as of himself, to reject the approach of the hells which would reduce him to uselessness by their condemnation. It is essential that he defend, not his own person, but the use that is served by it. So he must realize the spiritual company he keeps. Concerning this the Writings say: "Those who are in no charity think nothing but evil of the neighbor, and say nothing but evil: if they say anything good it is for their own sake, or for the sake of him whom they flatter under the appearance of friendship; whereas those who are in charity think nothing but good of their neighbor and speak only well of him; and this not for their own sake, or the favor of another whom they flatter, but from the Lord thus working in charity. The former are like the evil spirits the latter are like the angels who are with man" (AC 1088).

     The application of these truths to himself and to his external relations with other men often appears a difficult thing to man. Yet there are many powerful aids given him in the Word by the Lord, who is "a very present help in time of trouble." So he can reflect upon the simple statement, that "wisdom is to love uses" (HH 390) To love uses is to love good and truth as the neighbor by whom uses are performed. And a man loves this neighbor as himself when he loves and cherishes-his reception of good and truth as his true self.
     By "use here is not meant external employment, nor any of the actions and speech of man's body, but the influence toward good and truth which a man performs unconsciously toward the human race. Though no man can analyze or determine his particular use, yet he can love, develop, and even defend it; for use is expressed and effected through man's will and understanding, and thence through his external actions and speech. If he strives to perfect these things, then the use of influence whereof he was born to become a form is conveyed constructively and regeneratively to others. So by loving, developing, and even defending his particular talents, rather than envying and striving to emulate the talents of others, man most effectively promotes and protects his own spiritual use; and "to love use is nothing else than to love the neighbor, for in the spiritual sense use is the neighbor" (AE 1193:2).

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     As he sees this, a man will reject the company of those evil spirits who, by accusing and condemning his human errors, strive to dull the intelligence he has acquired from truth, to freeze the love of good which the Lord has given him, and thus to block completely the flow of use from his soul into, and through, his body. As he rejects these associations, the Lord through Shem and Japheth, or the true church, will mercifully cover his naked ignorance of truths and his perverted reasonings as with a garment. And in the end, man will appear at the wedding feast of his Lord, clothed in a shining and fitting cloak of fine linen, white and clean. Put aside for ever will he the errors, the falsities, and even the evils of his human nature in the natural world.

     To love use, however, man must love the uses of others as well as his own. This is the height of spiritual charity; and although no man can assay and determine his neighbor's influence for good and truth he can yet love it. He can love the use which is his neighbor as he loves himself, or his own use, by defending the neighbors good actions and words, encouraging him to develop his talents, and excusing his human errors of reasoning and acting. By these means he will be helping his fellow-man to express and effect the use which he was born to become.
     Similar to the action of Shem and Japheth in averting their eyes from their father's nakedness is the custom in polite society of ignoring and covering with a change of subject any gross error in speech, action, or reasoning. So far as this is done merely from a desire for smooth external relations it has no good in it. Nevertheless it should be done, but from a desire to protect the neighbor's modesty and dignity, and thus to guard him from that sense of embarrassed futility which would damage his use. This is the internal reason why the Writings teach that such things as errors and mistakes from reasonings should not be attended to" (AC 1088).
     Upon this teaching, however, an even more affirmative and constructive charity can he founded; for besides covering his neighbors nakedness, every man will then be enlightened as to the indirect and more effective ways in which he may help his neighbor to realize the fullest expression of his use. Men will be directed to the mutual development and exercise of each other's talents. And indirectly, but powerfully through this affirmative attitude, the Lord will at length correct and purify even the errors. Men will say to themselves: "Who can understand errors? Cleanse Thou me from hidden things. Keep back Thy servant also from proud things; let them not rule in me. Then shall I he upright, and I shall be innocent of the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight. O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19: 12-14).

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     Let a man reflect upon how greatly men enrich each other by uses, and he will have no eagerness to pounce upon, expose, and condemn the faults, the inconsistencies, or even the evils of his fellows. He will desire from the heart to avert his eyes; to cover them with charitable excuses, so that uses may shine before men. He will shrink from making those judgments which belong to the Lord alone.
     In the Golden Age of the New Church this will be true of all men. The uses which are men will flow forth, unhampered by accusatory spirits, unimpeded by proprial pride, not dulled by futile embarrassment arising out of harsh condemnation nor chilled by contempt. The stupendous glory of the New Jerusalem will be seen in the earth: "and the nations which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it" (Revelation 21: 24).

     Strange to say, as man begins to love uses, he can love even the uses of evil spirits and of the natural injustices and evils which other men do to him! Not that he ever loves the evils and injustices themselves, for he will condemn and avoid them. But he will only sorrow' that men and spirits choose to perform their uses in such vile ways, and he will love the use itself that is performed to him-will acknowledge that it is by means of these accusations, injustices, and condemnations that he is led to see the evils in himself and reject them, since these evils are stirred up by those spirits and men, and when aroused can be seen and repelled, which would otherwise be impossible.
     The possibility of man's acquiring this all-embracing love of uses, even those of evil spirits and men, is indicated by the end of this story. For Noah did not curse Ham, who had seen his nakedness, but rather Canaan, Ham's son. Concerning this the Writings say that "although there is no faith when there is no charity, still, as man is regenerated by means of the knowledges of faith, this faith without charity which is Ham may be joined to charity, and thus is in a certain sense a brother, or may become a brother; therefore not Ham but Canaan was cursed" (AC 1093). Elsewhere it is shown that man's understanding first acquires the knowledges of faith, and although it is without a will of charity, the Lord implants a new will, which is charity, and conjoins it with the understanding, as man endeavors to apply these knowledges. Early in the process the understanding which is without charity performs the use of pointing through the knowledges of good and truth to man's evils. Thus it is man's common experience that when he commits errors, or entertains evils in his mind, the knowledges of his faith point to them with accusatory fingers. They uncover his nakedness. And this performs a necessary use to him: even though they are from evil, and are being used by evil spirits, and are afterwards to be rejected and his nakedness covered.

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     Canaan, however, was cursed. The offspring of faith alone is external worship without any internal, which is represented by Canaan. For if faith without works saves man, then external worship, which is an act or work, has no significance but is done merely for its own sake. Canaan, Noah said, was to be the servant of Shem. Those who make worship consist solely in externals, it is taught, are among those who perform vile services to the men of the church (See AC 1097). By their harsh insistence upon adherence to the letter of the law in external worship and thence in outward life, for example, they perform the vile use of emphasizing and underlining the truth that "it is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing"; that an external without internal charity and faith is a dead vessel, full of extortion and excess within. They also perform the vile use of preserving mere externals which must be preserved; such as the use the Jews performed in preserving every jot and tittle of the written Word.
     Even these vile uses can he loved, though not the evil loves which inspire them. But those who do them cannot be loved for the uses. For man must turn in sorrow, disgust, and even anger from the evil loves they entertain and from which they do vile uses, even though the uses are of service to the men of the church.

     After their kind action, Noah blessed Shem, and said that God would enlarge Japheth. So, when a man loves uses, when the church is in him, that church is blessed in him; that is, he is given every good affection. For then the Lord can flow into him, since he is in love to the Lord and the neighbor, and such love is the celestial. Where there is no love the connection is broken, and the Lord who flows in solely through it is not present (See AC 1096:3). Also he is enlightened in the external things of the church, which is God "enlarging" Japheth. To "enlarge." which is literally to extend the boundaries, is spiritually to grant enlightenment, which extends the boundaries of wisdom and intelligence: and the man of the external church is enlarged when he is instructed in the truths and goods of faith, for as he is in charity he is thereby more and more confirmed, and the more he is instructed the more is dispersed the cloud of that intellectual part in which are charity and conscience (Ibid., 1101). "Wisdom is to love use."
     Finally, Japheth was to live in the tents of Shem; and so does man come into the internal church even as to his externals. That he may have a sign, some basis for hope that he may be entering these celestial tents, he may read this passage: "When a man feels or perceives in himself that he has good thoughts concerning the Lord and that he has good thoughts concerning the neighbor, and desires to perform kind offices for him, not for the sake of any honor or gain for himself; and when he feels that he has pity for anyone who is in trouble, and still more for anyone who is in error in respect to the doctrine of faith, then he may know that he dwells in the tents of Shem; that is, that he has internal things in him through which the Lord is working" (AC 1102). Amen.

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LESSONS:     Genesis 9: 18-29. Leviticus 19: 1-18. HH 390.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 510, 561, 488.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 33, 103.
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     3. The Second Principle

     The old or former Christian Church is consummated and dead with no hope of a resurrection; nor can there be a genuine church except with those who separate themselves from it and come to the Lord in His New Church The New Church is to be distinct from the Old in faith and practice, in form and organization, in religions and social life.

     Bishop W. F. Pendleton says, in explanation of this principle: "The New Church must be distinct and separate from the old because they are distinct and separate in the world of spirits. For it is a law- that the New Church in the natural world and the New- Church in the world of spirits must be as one. It is necessary for the New Church in the natural world to see the Lord in His coming, to cast out from itself the falsities of the Old Church, to separate itself from the Old Church spirit and the Old Church life. Then will the Church in the two worlds be united, the men of the New Church and the spirits of the New Church will dwell together as brethren, and both as one be taught and led by the Lord" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY, pp. 7-8).

     Every principle of the Academy must be read in the light of the first-that the Writings revealed through Swedenborg are the very Word of God in His second advent, the Divine Human in ultimate visible form. The rest are developments and applications of it; and the conclusions drawn must be examined in the light of the Writings, the genuine teaching of which they endeavor to state, not in the light of their own reasonableness according to our judgment.
     This principle is not the judgment of the Academy, but a formulation of the Lord's judgment on the Christian world in His second coming: and in the last analysis it refers to our own inherited proprial tendencies.

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The judgment is: "The faith of the present day has destroyed the entire church and has falsified the whole Word" (Can. x: 4); and to refuse it is, we claim, to substitute a human judgment, formed from appearances and according to selfish, worldly, and sentimental loves, and inspired by fear of being called peculiar, bigoted, and conceited.
     From its first beginning, the New Church has struggled with the acceptance of the Lord's judgment on the former church. The dragon cast down to earth has persecuted the Man Child from His birth; the doctrine of the Divinity of the Writings has suffered more at the hands of receivers than from those of the former church. It was not until four years after its formation that some members of the first group of receivers saw that the truths of the Writings needed an external body in which they could act before the world, and the New Church was visibly organized, in 1787, with a new beginning of the priesthood, baptism, and worship. This was not done without contention, for others held that the New Church was not intended to be separate, but was a regenerative movement within the former church which in time would accept the truths of the second coming, either by direct contact or by a seepage from other sources.
     In this was paralleled the organization of the Christian Church. Believing that the Lord's teachings were to reform the Jewish Church, and that therefore no separate organization was necessary, the apostles first confined their proselytizing to the Jewish congregation; and only by degrees followed the lead of Paul, who first saw that Christianity was a new and distinctive dispensation which must have its own distinct organization. And among the early receivers of the New Church there were those who opposed its separate organization. From that time there have been those within its fold who deny, and would weaken and destroy, its distinctive use; and this because they do not accept the Writings as the Word. These, after some years, concocted the doctrine of "permeation."
     This "doctrine" teaches that the second coming of the Lord was not an event accomplished in time, but a general enlightenment out of heaven causing a change in the existing Christian Church which would eventually reform and regenerate that Church. The Writings, it claims, are the first evidence of this new influx and are only the result of Swedenborg's reception of it. Thus they are not the Word to the New Church, but good books for the Church, and they are not necessary to the formation of the New Church in the hearts of true Christians. In other words, the New Church is in reality a reformation of the former Church by new light inflowing from the Lord out of the New Heaven, and it can be received quite apart from the works of Swedenborg. The evidence of the second coming, the permeationists say, may be seen in the gradual giving up of dogmatic theology and in the effort to unite the churches on the basis of external charity and good works.

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     Those who hold this doctrine would join with the former Church in these activities. They are not averse to exchanging pulpits with Christian ministers, and they accept their baptism and ordination. Thus they take away every external distinctive property of the New Church, and make it only an internal regenerative influx.
     Those who accept the Divinity of the Writings do the opposite. They disclaim any right or power to make a judgment, but accept the judgment given in the Writings; and claim that the New Church is distinct and separate because the Lord has revealed this. And this is important; for if the Writings are the Word, then the judgment is the Lord's, and it is a judgment of the internal state of the Christian Church-a judgment of the quality of its spiritual use. If they are not, then the judgment is human and can be only on the external state of that Church.
     The judgment is: "The reason why the faith of the New Church cannot by any means be together with the faith of the former Church is because they do not agree together in one-third, no, nor even in one-tenth part . . . a further reason is because they are heterogeneous, for the faith of the former Church springs from an idea of three gods . . . but the faith of the New Church from the idea of one God. And as there hence arises . . . repugnance to each other, there must inevitably, supposing them to be together, be such a collision and conflict as would prove fatal to everything relating to the church; or in other words, man would either fall into a delirium or into a state of insensibility as to spiritual things, until at length he would scarcely know what the church is, or whether there be any church at all . . . they who have confirmed themselves in the faith of the old church cannot, without endangering their spiritual life, embrace the faith of the New- Church until they first have narrowly examined, rejected, and thus extirpated the former faith together with . . . its tenets" (BE 103).
     If this is not true there is surely no need for the New Church. Certainly there is no need for another sect of the former Church! But the use of the church is spiritual. It is to maintain the communication between heaven and man, and it is this use that now rests with the New' Church alone-not with that Church as a group of men, but as now given by the Lord in the Word of His second coming. This Word is the means of communication, in so far as men receive its goods and truths in their hearts and lives. We do not make the Church separate and distinct. Its use sets it apart, and those who faithfully follow and submit themselves to that use cannot but be set apart, on earth as well as in their association with the other world. This is the first principle drawn from the belief that the Writings are the Word.

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MATURE MIND 1952

MATURE MIND       ELDRIC S. KLEIN       1952

     (Delivered at the Chicago District Assembly Banquet, October, 1951.)

     Life without a goal or purpose seems to be hardly worth living. Almost all men, as their ruling loves crystallize during their experiences in this world, do attain some sense of the purpose of their existence, either good or bad. In the New Church we have many statements of the true purpose of man's existence on earth, but these mean little to us if the objectives of our ruling loves are at variance with those which are revealed to us. It is of primary importance, therefore, that we attempt continuously to translate, as it were, into the language of our mundane experience the truths of revelation; or to picture to ourselves the man or woman that we really wish to be, and by means of an ever deepening understanding of Divine truth make this picture so vivid in our minds that actions and delights which are repugnant to it will he avoided. This evening I want to speak about an aspect of such a picture which is particularly affected by formal education-the mature mind, or the wise mind.
     The dictionary tells us that the word mature means: "Full grown, ripe, fully developed." And although the Writings give us many pictures of the full-grown, ripe, or fully developed mind, we shall here concentrate upon one as the end or purpose of the educative and regenerative process. In Conjugial Love, no. 130, we are told: "With man there is science, intelligence, and wisdom. Science is of knowledges, intelligence is of reason and wisdom is of life. Wisdom considered in its fulness is at the same time of knowledges, of reason, and of life. Knowledges precede; reason is formed by means of them; and wisdom by means of both, and this when one lives rationally according to the truths which are knowledges. . . . Those things which are of the church and are called spiritual reside in the inmosts with man; those which are of the commonwealth and are called civil, occupy a place below them; and those which are of science, experience, and skill, and are called natural, form their seat . . . now because those things which are of the church and are called spiritual reside in the inmosts, and those things which reside in the inmosts make the head, while those things which follow under them, which are called civil, make the body, and the ultimates which are called natural make the feet, it is evident that when these three follow in their order man is a perfect man."

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     These three planes of the mind are opened successively. The real opening of the civil-moral plane, that is, the plane of moral judgments, does not come until adolescence; when the spiritual things of the church meet, on the civil-moral plane, the scientifics from the world, and moral judgments are applied, not to the adolescent's own life, but to the lives of others. The spiritual plane is approached when the adolescent begins to reflect upon the Word and doctrinals from his own thought; the way is opened when, as a young man, he begins to think about use, to reflect upon what he reads in the Word for the sake of use; and the entrance is made when, as an adult, he loves the truth for the sake of the good of life (See AC 3603).

     This picture of the mature or wise mind differs notably from those which men have formed for themselves both in the past and in the present. In the contemporary world attention is focussed almost entirely upon the lowest plane; that is, the plane of science, experience, and skill. The existence of a distinct spiritual plane is denied or ignored and the validity of moral, or even value judgments, is seriously challenged.
     For instance, Time magazine for September, 1948, in a brief account of the work of Alfred Jules Ayer, Professor of Philosophy at Oxford University, says: "Ayer's book, Language, Truth, and Logic, has acquired almost the status of a philosophic bible at Oxford. It insists that value judgments of beauty and goodness are, philosophically speaking, nonsense. They are moral sentiments, not facts at all." Although another British philosopher has taken exception to this-saving that "to accept Ayers assumptions would be to agree that there is no meaning in the universe . . . that all talk about God is twaddle"-yet Ayers doctrines of logical Positivism have been widely accepted at Oxford and have their counterparts at most colleges and universities in this country.
     Ayer thinks that philosophy has no business preaching moral or esthetic precepts. "There are only two sorts of meaningful statements." he says, "those based on observable facts and those which connect them by logic." In his philosophy, statements like "there is a God" are neither true nor false since he regards them as unverifiable. It means nothing to say: "That man is good to support his mother." The fact is that the man supports his mother. Calling him good merely expresses an attitude toward the action. The first statement is sentiment, the second is fact; and Ayer is concerned only with the latter.
     Now we in the New Church have been given in the Writings a clearer picture of the degrees of the mind, and of the factors in interpreting facts and reaching a judgment, generally unknown to the world at large. On the basis of revealed teachings we are able to avoid confusion between scientific fact and truth, for instance: to recognize that the two words are not interchangeable, and that truth is not mere sentiment.

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The facts of science are the product of observation and experience and are subject to experimental demonstration. The speed of sound is a scientific fact which can be experimentally demonstrated, and is a truth on the natural or scientific plane. But from the Writings we have learned that there are degrees of the human (rational) mind, that there are truths appropriate to each degree, and that the truths of the higher degrees do not fall within the limitations of observation and experience which science has set forth in determining fact or natural truth. Civil and moral truth, and also spiritual truth, must rest on a firm basis in the first or scientific degree of factual knowledge; but the scientific method of thinking which is essential in establishing the validity of truth on the plane of science is not, in itself, applicable to the civil-moral or spiritual plane.
     To say this is not to disparage the importance of scientifics or the scientific method. Both are essential, of course, to man's progress toward wisdom. But we must not, as Ayer appears to do, decapitate the figure of the mature mind at the ankles!
     In the field of value" judgments our modern world seems to be obsessed with the idea, based largely on popularization of the Freudian psychology, that self-realization is the supreme goal of life-as a recent book reviewer of unusual insight says. He continues: "Such an idea inevitably pushes its holder into an isolated private hell, because it devalues everything but individual experience and perception and makes every other individual, demanding recognition for other experiences and other perceptions, an enemy. In the end, such ideas lead to an abandonment of all rational systems of arriving at values" (New Yorker, October 6. 1951).
     Thus not only does the New Church man have a different basis for arriving at truth but also for determining values. In contrast with our modern contemporaries, the history of Christianity in Western Europe suggests a different lesson for us of the New Christianity. The Dark Ages in European history fill the period when men sought to build the spiritual plane of the mind without the foundation of science, experience, and skill as a basis for their value judgments.
     There were, of course, exceptions. The learned Cassiodorus, after he had served nearly half his life-time of nearly 100 years as prime minister of Rome under the Ostrogoths, retired to his estates and founded a monastery. He recognized that some secular learning was necessary for spiritual progress and for the benefit of his monks wrote a hand-book of secular learning, justifying his efforts with the statement that "even Moses, that most faithful servant of God, was gifted with all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (XXVIII).

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The work was called The Arts and Discipline of Liberal Letters, and has chapters on Grammar, Rhetoric, Dialectics. Arithmetic, Music, Geometry, and Astronomy; the relative importance of each subject being indicated by the number of pages devoted to it. Geometry and Astronomy had one page apiece; Arithmetic, Music, and Grammar, two pages each; Rhetoric, six pages; and Dialectics eighteen pages. The remarkable thing is that, however slight, there w-as nevertheless at that time (555 A.D.) a recognition of the use of secular as well as sacred learning.
     Just previous to the time of Cassiodorus about the middle of the fifth century of our era the monk Cosmas wrote a work entitled Christian Opinion Concerning the World, basing his ideas exclusively upon scriptural data. The world was a flat parallelogram, twice as broad from east to west as it was long from north to south. In the center was the earth surrounded by ocean, which in turn was surrounded by another earth where men lived before the deluge-Noah's port of embarkation. In the north was a high, conical mountain around which revolved the sun and moon, and when the sun was behind the mountain it was night. The sky was glued to the edges of the outer earth and consisted of four high walls which met in a concave roof, so that the earth was the floor of the universe. There was an ocean on the other side of the sky, consisting of the waters that are above the firmament. The space between the celestial ocean and the ultimate roof of the universe belonged to the blest. The place between earth and sky was inhabited by angels; and because Paul said that all men were made to live upon the face of the earth, how could they live on the back of it, where the Antipodes were supposed to be? (See Lippman: Public Opinion, p. 6)
     This is an example of how, in the effort to live and think on the plane of spiritual scientifics only, man's whole conception of the universe was distorted, and European Christian civilization was indeed in the Dark Ages. Here we have a picture of the mature mind consisting essentially of the head; but without the equally essential scientifics, experience, and skill to constitute the feet. There is not time here to trace the effects of this absence of a scientific foundation upon the formation of valid value judgments on the civil-moral plane. A brief survey of medical law, with its reliance upon trials by ordeal would, however, provide an adequate illustration.
     Our final illustration of portraits of the mature mind which differ from the one given in the Writings comes from the Greeks of classical antiquity. Here we have poets and philosophers whose only source of contact with, or knowledge of, the spiritual plane was a debased and corrupted heritage from the Ancient Word. Even if they had had the will, they lacked the equipment for a broad development of the plane of science such as existed even in Swedenborg's day.

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The poets Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the philosophers Socrates. Plato, and even Aristotle, were concerned primarily with value judgments on the civil-moral plane.
     To such men the mature mind was one which had developed a comprehensive and comprehensible vision of virtue as the goal of life. Their concern was with justice, moderation, self-control. They did not doubt the existence of supersensory realities or the possibility of forming standards of value on which to base judgments-not only in regard to character formation, morality, and law, but also in aesthetics. Indeed they formed standards to such an extent that in times of intellectual confusion such as the present, and at the dawn of the Renaissance, the humanists- seeking a stable basis for general standards, and finding it neither in the teachings of organized religion or in science-revert to the civil, moral, and aesthetic standards of the Greeks.
     Of all those Greeks whom I have mentioned it seems to me that the poet Aeschylus came closer to a true vision of wisdom than did even the philosophers. To him, Zeus was the supreme god; a god of justice and righteousness, concerned with the welfare of man: and wisdom was attained by suffering. As he says: "Even in sleep the anguish at remembered sufferings breaks out before the heart, and wisdom comes to mortals in their own despite." But for a vision of God as a Redeemer and Savior as well as a Creator, for the comprehension of a God of love and mercy as well as a God of justice and righteousness, mankind had to await the coming upon earth of the Lord Himself.

     We now have before us four portraits of the mature mind which men have striven to attain in the course of history. These portraits have one attribute in common-an insistence upon logic, or a correct process of reasoning from available data. This insistence began with the Greeks, especially Aristotle. It is recognized in the eighteen pages which Cassiodorus devoted to Dialectics. It is insisted upon also by Ayer. And it is at least implicit in the portrait of the mature mind given in the Writings (i.e., science, experience, and skill). But there we are repeatedly warned that a useful tool should not become master, or an end in itself (See EU 38).
     In the modern portrait the attention has been so completely focussed on the feet that the entire canvas is filled by a pair of boots. The classical portrait, like so many pieces of sculpture which have reached us from the period, consists largely of torso, the extremities being absent. The early Christian portrait, like a Byzantine mosaic, is so formalized that it lacks individuality and humanity. But all three can contribute to the development of essential parts of the portrait which we regard as the goal.

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     Our concern is that all the essential elements of the mature mind shall be represented, and this in the correct order. As a matter of opinion, I believe that it is the torso, the middle plane of civil-moral judgments, that is in the greatest jeopardy today; because the confused values of the present world flood in upon us in such extensive waves, and so subtly and insistently, that our guard is lowered, or our critical faculties are dulled, and we are lulled into accepting unconsciously and without analysis popular opinions, fads, or fashions which in part retard the development of the mature mind, even if they do not actually injure it at the moment.
     The objectives we have here set forth have stressed the aspect of the mature mind which pertains primarily to the understanding. For it is by means of the understanding, or through it, that the adult will is formed; and the development of the understanding is the first, though by no means the only concern of higher education in the New Church. The College of the Academy has to deal with the transition from adolescent to adult life, and with the development of the awakening rational mind.
     In Bishop de Charms' work, The Growth of the Mind, we have a systematic treatment of the subject based on the Writings. We know that there are orderly stages in the development of the mind, that there are scientifics to be acquired at appropriate stages of the mind's development, and that the application of these scientifics on all planes to a life of use is essential to the attainment of maturity. This application can he made only by each individual in his own mind. No one else can do it for him. Teachers, no matter how earnest and gifted, cannot drag a reluctant and resisting adolescent into maturity; cannot give him a ready-made standard of values, or make for him value judgments which will shape his character. Formal education, as exemplified in our College Faculty, can, and does, seek to equip the students with adequate and appropriate knowledges and skills, and some vicarious experiences, for example, in literature and history. Methods or techniques for the organization of the scientifics of revealed truth can be, and are taught, not only by example but also by conscious demonstration. Academy teachers not only try to inform their students of their own value judgments but are at pains to show how those judgments were reached-what techniques in the utilization of scientifics and the application of spiritual principles were employed in making them.
     But teachers do guard against the temptation to make their students images of themselves. The mature minds of the Church must be formed in the image of the Writings; not of the minds of men, even those of the Church, at any time.
     A primary function of the College is to raise questions, to encourage students to seek the answers for themselves, and to guide them in their efforts to do this.

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And the curriculum is designed to supply scientifics on each plane of the mind: to provide occasions for incipient rational minds to exercise themselves in the field of value judgments in aesthetics, civil, and moral matters: to encourage students to form for themselves standards of value based upon spiritual, moral, and natural scientifics, in that order; and to open for each individual student new intellectual horizons and a realization of the vast realms of knowledge which extend so far beyond him, and thus awaken him to the sense of true humility which characterizes genuine scholarship. The pride of self-intelligence is the chief road-block in the path to maturity and wisdom, though this pride may not manifest itself so much in contempt for others as in an extraordinary and inexplicable complacency.
     The College attempts also to continue the work of the Academy's secondary schools in leading its students to an ever deepening understanding of knowledges already acquired. Such deeper understanding is made possible in the college age by the physiological and psychological development of the rational mind at the end of adolescence. The modern educational world in its correct endeavors to integrate the adolescents education by means of meaningful experience in life situations has gone to an extreme in burdening the adolescent with the making of value judgments which he lacks the maturity to make. But at the college age such endeavors are necessary.
     It would be a sad misrepresentation of the situation to allow anyone to think that the College Faculty supposes it has attained the objectives that have been mentioned. Perhaps a few words about our difficulties would not be out of place in putting the view in perspective. One difficulty with every transition state, whether with child or adult, is the innately human desire to remain in the security and familiar delights of states which have been, or should be, outgrown. Progress toward maturity demands that each stage of growth serve as a matrix for the next; that life shall be, in a sense, a departure from old homes. Often we resist the changes almost instinctively, or wilfully postpone our departure from outgrown states. Like the Israelites in the wilderness we long for our old familiar delights, even at the cost of bondage; and the burden of our freedom seems to be too much for us.
     So is it sometimes with the first year College student at Bryn Athyn. Not only does he have to contend with this innate tendency which has been mentioned but also he lives with younger adolescents. He eats with them, his sports program centers round them, and he meets the long-established traditions of the Boys' Academy and the Girls' Seminary at every turn. Some of his teachers, also, before the sudden expansion of the College at the close of the second World War, regarded the College only as a kind of happy afterthought, and even now lapse unconsciously into that old point of view.

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Efforts to meet this difficulty include the provision for the College in the new Benade Hall of classrooms and laboratories of its own and a recreational center separate from that of the secondary schools, and the provision also of a social program in part distinct from that of the adolescent boys and girls. A field of church uses has been opened for College students in connection with the religious, educational, and recreational services of the Bryn Athyn Society and an increasing number of teachers are devoting the greater part of their time to the College.
     The provision of curricula in keeping with our distinctive objectives has been a matter of deep concern to the Faculty from the beginning of the College and many changes have been made, especially in the last few years. Granting that change does not necessarily mean progress, it is at least a sign of life. In general, the Academy has made its greatest advances in the philosophy and theory of its distinctive education. It is the application of theory to practical situations which now demands our major effort; and progress here, by the trial and error method necessary in pioneer work, is slow.

     And so, in its 75th Anniversary Year, the Academy, now the educational arm of the General Church, endeavors to provide assistance to the youth of the Church who wish to attain a truly mature mind. The interior growth and development of the Church depends upon the attainment of such maturity by a substantial number of its members. Those who are led by their innate love of knowing to search for truth on every plane and in every stage of growth will find that the Academy can help them toward their goal; that their efforts will be rewarded by the affection of truth.
     But we recognize also that formal education is only a beginning. The mind which is being formed at the threshold of adult life is only the first or natural-rational. As college students make their early rational, civil-moral, or value judgments, the teachers are in a state of eager anticipation comparable to that of parents when the baby is cutting his first teeth. The parent knows that in due course the baby's first fully developed set of teeth must give way in order that a new and permanent, or semi-permanent, set may emerge. And if true maturity is to be attained, the natural-rational must give way to a spiritual-rational which is the product of lifelong effort toward regeneration.
     A summary statement of the nature of the mature mind in the New church is to be found in the words of the Lord to Moses in regard to Bezaleel: "And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in science, and in every work" (Exodus 31: 3. Cf. AC 10330-31).

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MISSIONARY INGENUITY 1952

MISSIONARY INGENUITY       Rev. WILLIAM WHITEHEAD       1952

     One of the most bizarre examples of missionary zeal in the history of our Church is afforded by a couple of lobster can labels now solemnly reposing in the Academy Archives. To these is attached a crustacean tale, the memory of which has been revived in our mind by an article published in Maclean's Magazine (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) for January 1. 1952. The article appears in the "Canadianecdote" department, under the signature of Ian Sclanders, and is entitled "NB's Noble Lobster."
     At the head of the article is an excellent facsimile of one of the aforesaid labels, bearing a picture of a truly noble lobster under the words "Let us love one another." To the left is a surprisingly long quotation from Divine Providence, no. 313; and at the top, running round the entire can, is the statement: "Every man who looks to the lord and shuns evils as sins, if he sincerely, justly, and faithfully performs the work that belongs to his office and employment, becomes an angel!" For charity in magistrates, officials, judges, commanders, officers, soldiers, men of business, workingmen, husbandmen, captains, etc., see Charity, 89-113. In the label's center is included a list of Swedenborg's leading works; also a generous offer by "The Noble Co.," to furnish the contained food "Free to Ministers and Divinity Students."
     Mr. Robert B. Noble, who later moved from New Brunswick to Toronto, was also the author of two ingenious pamphlets entitled "The Ideal Money to Rejuvenate the World is the Noble Value-Standard Money" (1919), and "The Vision Supplement of the Noble Value-Standard Money Success; and of the Failure of the Incompetent Gold and Silver Standard Money Monopoly." A four-page missionary sheet was also published by him in 1924.
     According to Maclean's, Noble, a man of deep but unconventional religious convictions, believed that a lobster can was as good a medium as any for spreading the gospel; and when he started packing lobsters at Northumberland Strait in 1870, he embellished his labels with verses from the scriptures, sermons of his own composition, and weird and wonderful illustrations: and, as we have seen, with quotations from the Writings. His lithographing bills must have been enormous for he had hundreds of different labels. His idea was to give a new scripture lesson with every can of lobster, and he sold millions of cans.

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     At that time people were suspicious of canned foods; but apparently they felt, and rightly, that they could trust a brand put up by so religious a man; and as the demand for his product increased. Noble became one of the biggest lobster packers in the world and the fame of his "biblical labels" spread. Indeed it was reported by Robert Service, poet of the Yukon gold rush, that they were about the only reading matter the sourdoughs had.
     Unfortunately, Noble unwisely granted to other packers the privilege of using his labels, not for money, but because he hoped the gospel would reach a wider audience. These men, less scrupulous, put the labels on inferior goods, with the result that his own product fell into disrepute and he closed out his business. And that, as the article remarks, was a sorry day for clergymen and divinity students, who for more than thirty years had enjoyed lobster at Noble's expense.
REBAPTISM: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW 1952

REBAPTISM: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW       ROY FRANSON       1952

     In the General Church it is taken for granted that if a person wishes to become a member he shall be baptized into the New Church, whether he has previously received Christian baptism or not. Before this position was arrived at, however, there was a long history of vigorous discussion for and against rebaptism in the New Church as a whole.
     The question of forming a New Church society was first raised on April 19th, 1787, in New Court, Middle Temple, London. The suggestion was negatived by a small majority on the ground that the time had not yet come to separate from the Old Church. But a few were convinced that whenever the human mind is fit to receive the unadulterated truth of the Lord then is the proper time to withdraw from a fallen church. They therefore formed a new body within the "friends of the New Church" in order to adopt a more distinct worship of the Lord as it is taught in the Heavenly Doctrine. This was the first actual break with the Old Church; and the Rev. John Clowes, Rector of St. John's, Manchester, went to London to try to prevent it. It was his hope that the Old Church would accept the doctrines and become the New Church: and it was his opinion, moreover, that only the bishops of the Church of England had the right to take such a step.
     In spite of this, the newly formed body felt that it had Divine authority for the course taken, and it held its first meeting on May 7th, 1787.

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At a later meeting, held on July 29th in the same year, a declaration of principles drawn by Mr. Glen was adopted which affirmed, among other things, that "introduction into the New Church is solely through the spiritual correspondent, Baptism, performed in that Church" (Rise and Progress of the New Jerusalem Church, p. 58). The "Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church" in its universal and particular form was to be read from True Christian Religion; the person baptized was to declare his belief therein; and he was to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Ibid.).
     Two days later, the first meeting for worship was held at the home of Mr. Thomas Wright. Mr. James Hindmarsh was chosen by lot to officiate as a priest: the Holy Supper was administered: and Robert Hindmarsh and four others were baptized into the New Church.

     The principle thus recognized at the institution of the organized church, that baptism is the proper means of introduction into the New Church, was defended by Robert Hindmarsh, in 1791, in an article entitled "Fifteen Reasons for being Re-Baptized in the New Church." The article is published in THE MAGAZINE OF KNOWLEDGE, Vol. II. p. 302, and reads as follows:

     1.     Because baptism is a sign of admission into the Christian Church and the true Christian Church is only now for the first time commencing the former Christian, Church being such only in name, not in essence and reality.
     2.     Because baptism and the Holy Supper are like two temples, in the former cc lower of which the gospel of the Lord's new advent is preached, together with regeneration and the salvation of men by Him. From this first temple at the altar is the ascent into the second temple, wherein the Holy Supper is celebrated.
     3.     Because baptism is a sign of purification from evils and falsities, and this can take place in the New Church, not the Old.
     4.     Because baptism is a sign that the person baptized belongs to that church in which he is baptized. As the New Church is quite another and distinct from the Old, it seems agreeable to order that there should be a sign pointing out that a person belongs to it. This sign is baptism into the New Church.
     5.     Because in the spiritual world all men are distinguished according to their religion and this distinction is effected at the time of baptism. Consequently, baptism in the New. Church distinguishes a person as belonging to the New Church, whereas baptism in the Old Church is a sign that a person belongs to that Church.
     6.     Because order requires that there should be some external mark of distinction between the Old and the New Church for external marks denote internal qualities.
     7.     Because it is one of the essential uses of baptism to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only God of heaven and earth. This is implied and expressed in the New Church, but not in the Old.
     8.     As it was necessary at the first coming of the Lord that His way should he prepared by the baptism of John, so it seems agreeable to the same Divine order that the Lord's second coming should also be prepared by a similar sign.

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     9.     John's baptism was of such efficacy as to introduce the persons baptized into the then future church of the Lord and at the same time insert them among those in the spiritual world who in heart expected and desired the Messiah. There is the same reason to be rebaptized.
     10.     Those who had been baptized with John's baptism were external men, but when they received faith in Christ, and thus were become internal men, then they were baptized in the name of Jesus. Just so they who have been baptized in the Old Church were comparatively external men, but when they receive the faith of rise New Church and thus become internal men, acknowledging the Divinity of the Lord's Humanity and that He is the only God of heaven and earth, then what binders them from following the example of the Christians in bring rebaptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
     11.     The former heaven and the former earth were to pass away, that is, both the internals and the externals of the Old Church were to be obliterated. Baptism is one of the externals of the Old Church and if the internals of the Old Church cannot, and do not, introduce men into heaven, how can its externals, which derive all their virtue from what is internal?
     12.     The Lord has departed from the Old Church, and His more immediate presence is only in the New Church, agreeable to His own words in the Gospel Baptism therefore in the New Church is an actual following of the Lord for His own sake, and not for the sake of any worldly or human consideration.
     13. Baptism in the New Church implies humility and a willingness to be considered an infant in the world of regeneration, which the person baptized promises to begin as he now for the first time sees who it is that alone can regenerate him.
     14.     Baptism in the New Church is a proof before the whole world, even in ultimates, that the New Jerusalem has commenced, and that the Lord is actually come a second time to establish His kingdom in the natural world.
     15.     Our Lord Himself by circumcision conformed to the ceremonies of the church He then found established among the Jews. But when the Christian Church began to be established He was then pleased to be baptized Himself, which was a repetition in another mode of the same thing signified by circumcision; for both ceremonies denote regeneration, but in Him alone glorification."

     In an article published in the INTELLECTUAL REPOSITORY. Vol. 32, p. 82, the Rev. Manoah Sibly also points out the necessity of rebaptism, reminding his readers of the Lord's command to the apostles to go forth, teach all nations, and baptize them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This command Sibly divides into three parts, and points out that because going forth comes first it does not refer to children-who are already baptized, or should be before they are of an age to be taught-but to adults such as are to be converts to the new dispensation. The Lord Himself should be our pattern, and He was baptized before He began His public ministry. Sibly shows also that the early Christians rebaptized if the first baptism was not orderly, and concludes: "Surely, then, if there is a necessity for rebaptism in the same church, how much more when there is made a way out of the Old Church into the New, and indeed, out of a church which, in spiritual light, has nothing more than a mere nominal existence, a name to live, when in reality she is nothing but a dead carcase, offensive to the angelic sensation."

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     At the opening of the Academy Schools on October 1st, 1894, Bishop W. F. Pendleton, in his address to teachers and pupils, dwelt on the theme that no pupil be received who had not entered the New Church through the gate of baptism, whereby a plane is formed for the influx of the New Heaven, and a distinction is made representative of the separation between the ends of these schools and those which prevail in the world. And when the Teachers' Institute was formed in 1898, the Rev. Homer Synnestvedt expressed the opinion that baptism was necessary to protect the life of the school. When the Rev. Enoch S. Price raised the question whether this rule might not debar from the school some who might become members of the Church, Bishop Pendleton read from True Christian Religion concerning the three uses of baptism and explained that by baptism the child was brought into the sphere of Christians both in this world and in the other. He added that a child might be admitted without baptism, but that was to be an exception and not a rule (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1898. p. 69).
     In NEW CHURCH LIFE for 1882, the Rev. George Field had warned against misunderstanding of this important matter as a result of too little knowledge and too much Old Church training. He pointed out that men might fail to appreciate the true intent and meaning of the teaching; might regard baptism as a religious ceremony pertaining to the Christian Church which might properly he administered to those who desire it; and might fail to understand why it should be required a second time on entering the New Church, any more than it would be in passing from one sect of the Old Church to another. The reason for this, he says, is "that such a person does not really believe in the New Church." He regards the New Church as a sect of the Old, and does not realize that this is the Church the Lord foretold 1900 years ago.
     Mr. Field stresses that external order is as necessary as is a visible body to man; says that the warfare between the different religious bodies started soon after 1757; and asserts that the Old Church, with its non- recognition of the only God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is really an idolatrous body. His final appeal is:

     "And yet, although our doctrines are so radically different, there seems to be an almost morbid unwillingness to make an open and external acknowledgment of it in the way the Lord has taught and commanded, by the sacrament of Baptism. No objection is made to saying New Church, if we do not mean by it a distinctive New Church. Nor is there any expressed objection to Baptism, if we do not mean by it a distinctive New Church Baptism . . . why do we resist and contend against baptism in the New Church when yet we fully concur with it in the Old Church?

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It can only be because we do not believe in a New Church at all. If we did we could not but admit that if baptism was a proper gate of admission into the Old Church a similar mode would also be proper for the New Church; and that as baptism is the sign and seal of the faith then professed, the faith of the Old Church could not he the door to the New Church" (NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1882, p. 139).

     J. A. Lamb stresses that Old Church baptism and New Church baptism are opposites, because while the latter conjoins with heaven the former separates from it; and says that in the New Church baptism is more than a ceremony of initiation since it is an acknowledgment of the Lord's new advent. "All power is in ultimates," he says, and in the Church nothing is so ultimate as the sacrament of Baptism" (NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1883, p. 107). There are many more articles and sermons defending the principle of baptism recognized by the first New Church body in 1787, but the few cited may serve to show' the position taken. All support their position by quoting many passages from the Writings.

     In 1882, however, the year of Mr. Field's article, some ministers had been ordained without having received New Church baptism. Indeed the Rev. A. E. Ford had been so ordained as early as 1847. And there is a large group of New Church men who, reading the same passages, have arrived at the opposite conclusion.
     Thus we find, in the INTELLECTUAL REPOSITORY for 1847, a leading article against rebaptism. Taking two of the uses of baptism under consideration the writer admits that the Lord's charge had immediate reference to adults, who alone could accept the new instructions offered, but says they were convinced that the apostles were Divinely authorized and inspired teachers. This conviction implies a belief in Him who gave them authority, and also some degree of devotedness to Him. It was this new state of mind that brought the convert into consociation with angels of the early Christian heaven. By the law of correspondence, the act of baptism was the ultimate of that confirmation; and to regard the benefits arising from the new connection with heaven as primarily derived from their baptism, rather than from the state of mind, would be an inversion of order.
     Baptism, the writer adds, produces that kind of benefit which arises from bringing a devout intention into devout act: but it adds nothing which can properly be regarded as distinct from the beneficial state of mind already conferred by believing. All that can be done for infants is to make provision for their acquiring a Christian state; and this is done by connecting them with Christians in heaven by baptism, thus bringing them under a specific angelic ministration, The author is not aware of any authority for the belief that the effect on the child would be in any way different if he were baptized by a Trinitarian or a Unitarian minister.

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He does not approve the expression: "To be baptized into the Old Church or the New"; and he regards as "altogether fanciful" the supposition that when a person is baptized into connection with a visible church on earth he is at the same time connected with, and thus baptized into, a corresponding church in the world of spirits.
     He questions whether a man baptized in the Old Church and afterwards receiving the faith of the New Church can be any more firmly connected with the New Heaven by rebaptism if, in the case of adults, connection with angels is primarily according to state and not to outward ceremonial. For it will follow that reception of a more interior faith grounded in charity will connect him with such angels, because that must precede the act. The article concludes: "If the full benefit of baptism is enjoyed by all who receive it in infancy, wherever baptized, rebaptism in all cases is a work of supererogation" (INTELLECTUAL REPOSITORY, 1847. pp. 361-372).
     In another article, the Rev. A. E. Ford seeks to show that the three essentials are fulfilled by Old Church baptism. Concerning introduction into the Christian Heaven he says that baptism is only a sign of introduction with infants, because they are actually introduced into this heaven only in so far as they learn the doctrine of charity; and yet they are equally named Christians, and rightly so, whatever the purity of their doctrine may be. The second and third uses-that the Christian may acknowledge and follow' the Lord, and that he may be regenerated-are, he says, entirely prospective. Consequently, no baptism can do any more than signify, come from what hand it may.
     If we say that a child is baptized into the Old Church doctrines, he continues, it must mean that he is bound to believe them because of his baptism. Yet there is no expressed declaration in the Writings against Old Church baptism. Before the New Church was organized, Swedenborg wrote concerning the baptism of John that it represented] the cleansing of the external man; but the baptism which is at this day with Christians represents the cleansing of the internal man, which is regeneration. Baptism is the badge given to each one at his fist entrance into the church, and is no more to be given again than a student would be required to matriculate twice in the same university.
     The Writings explain, he goes on, that there are different religions in the spiritual world, as Mohammedanism and Christianity. The Lord makes use of baptism to distinguish Christians from idolaters. But the other view insists that baptism determines the place of the child, not only among Christians, but among divisions of Christians.

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He then cites the teaching that the Lord provides that every child shall have a mark to show to what most general religion he belongs-Mohammedan, Jewish, Christian-and that it is then his ruling love that determines his particular society in heaven or hell; and then concludes: "If one is invited to do over again an act which by its very nature is to be done but once, he is invited to look upon it either as a nullity or as positively hurtful. For he knows that the Old Church communions served to mature in his mind the state that enabled him to receive the New Church doctrines when they came to him" (NEW CHURCH REPOSITORY, 1848, pp. 541-567).
     A few years later, Mr. A. V. Scammon wrote to the same magazine regarding the ordination of Mr. Ford. In a rejoinder to this letter the Rev. B. F. Barrett said that baptism by a New Church minister began to be insisted on at the General Convention of 1838, but that several years before this the Convention had ordained candidates without requiring them to be rebaptized. The same rule began to be urged also as an indispensable condition of Church membership. These rules, he says, have occasioned melancholy strife and divisions, and have been a bone of contention ever since their adoption.
     The report from the ordaining ministers on baptism, he continued, concludes that baptism in the Old Church is not valid. But soon these stringent rules do not work. One after another they are modified or abolished. Some ministers could not resist the conviction that Old Church baptism is valid, and began to admit into their societies persons who honestly believed that one baptism is sufficient without requiring them to be baptized again. Yet only a few years ago they had voted to recognize only baptisms performed by New Church ministers. Thus the decree of '38 began to be forgotten and room was left for a more enlightened and charitable state. This tendency of the Convention was received with gladness by a large portion of the New Church throughout the country, and its healing and strengthening effect upon the Church at large was sufficiently apparent. When the question was brought up again it was declared that rebaptism should not be insisted upon-that no man's liberty in that matter should be infringed upon; and that the General Convention meant to leave the matter where Swedenborg left it.
     Mr. Barrett expressed his entire willingness to be taught by the Lord through His chosen servant; and because he nowhere teaches us even by implication, that rebaptism is necessary, or that the faith of the administrator can affect the validity of baptism if he is a Christian, he regards the other position as "purely the offspring of self-intelligence, and nowhere favored by our illumined scribe." Further, he says, those who require rebaptism have virtually declared that they are members of the Lord's New Church who believe its doctrines and receive baptism from a New Church minister, and no others.

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And this he calls a great and glaring heresy which, if persisted in, cannot fail to operate disastrously upon those who cling to it (NEW CHURCH REPOSITORY. 1854, p. 138).

     It may seem, in thus considering briefly the history of baptism in the Church, that the negative arguments are convincing. Certain things said might make us doubt whether it is really necessary to be rebaptized into the New Church. But by a careful study of what the Writings teach about baptism, and about the Old Church, we can see that the New Church, and only the New Church, is the true Christian Church. Therefore baptism into the Christian Church can be performed only in the New Church. Spiritually, the Old Church is dead; and to be baptized into it is a sign of introduction into a dead church, and to be associated either with imaginary heavens or with temporary societies in the world of spirits. But baptism into the New Church is a sign of introduction into the true Christian Church, and it associates with angels in the New Christian Heaven.
NEW DEGREES TO BE GrantED BY THE ACADEMY 1952

NEW DEGREES TO BE GrantED BY THE ACADEMY       GEORGE DE CHARMS       1952

     A Statement

     In order to avoid misunderstanding, and to make possible the accreditation of the Junior College, in accord with the requirements of the accrediting association of the Middle Atlantic States, the College Faculty has recommended to the Board of Directors that the granting of a Bachelor of Arts degree be suspended for the time being and that two degrees more accurately descriptive of the aim and intent of our Senior College courses as at present constituted be granted. Our specific purpose is to prepare young men for admission to the Theological School and young women for entrance into the New Church teaching profession. We offer therefore special courses directed to this end rather than a curriculum designed to fulfill the broader requirements of a Bachelor of Arts degree as generally understood in the educational world.
     At a meeting held on January 22nd, 1952, the Board of Directors, acting upon the recommendation submitted to it, unanimously passed the following Resolution:
     "WHEREAS the Board of Directors of the Academy of the New Church has been advised by the Faculty of the College that the courses presently being offered in the Senior College of the Academy should lead to the degrees of Bachelor of New Church Philosophy and Bachelor of New Church Education, and not to the degree of Bachelor of Arts:

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     "Now therefore BE IT RESOLVED that until such time as the necessary courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts shall be offered, the granting of said degree shall be suspended at the end of the current school year, and the degrees of Bachelor of New Church Philosophy and Bachelor of New Church Education shall be granted in its stead."
     It is understood that this action will imply no essential change in the present curriculum of the Senior College As wide a selection of courses will continue to be offered as the Faculty is equipped to give. And it is also understood that the Academy reserves the right to restore the degree of Bachelor of Arts whenever it may be prepared to meet the recognized requirements of that degree.
     Both the Faculty of the College and the Board of Directors of the Academy agree in the opinion that it is more vital to the development of the College at the present time to provide, if possible, for the accreditation of the Junior College than to insist upon granting a Bachelor of Arts degree under the limitations imposed by our present teaching staff and our small student enrollment.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS

     (EDITORIAL NOTE: The above statement was prepared for publication in THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATION and is printed here by arrangement with the President of the Academy and the Editor of that journal.)
PATTERN OF RATIONAL THOUGHT 1952

PATTERN OF RATIONAL THOUGHT       SYDNEY E. LEE       1952

     (Continued from the February Issue.)

     With this outline of Swedenborg's four philosophic doctrines before us-the Doctrines of Substance; of Form; of End, Cause, and Effect; and of Correspondence-we offer now the following examples. In so doing, we would remind you that the conclusions are not in any way intended to be final or complete; but are rather an effort to illustrate how easy it is to follow, at a respectful distance, Swedenborg's pattern of thinking.

     Examples

     Proposition 1. This concerns the four doctrines themselves: for according to Swedenborg's thesis, rational truth is the image of spiritual truth and natural truth is its likeness.

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Therefore, if these doctrines are true rational principles, they should correspond to the four leading doctrines of the Church and to the four principles of nature. We follow Swedenborg's method in setting out this example.

The Exemplar     (i.e.. the model or pattern in the spiritual mind) The four leading doctrines of the Church

The Image or Type     (i.e., their equivalent in the rational mind) The four main philosophic doctrines

The Likeness     (In the world) The four principles of nature

Our analogy will be: As the doctrines of the Church are to the rational principles, so are the latter to the four principles of nature.

The Exemplar               The Image               The Likeness

The four spiritual           The four philosophical     The four principles of
doctrines                    doctrines               nature
1. Doctrine of the Lord          Doctrine of Substance     Elemental forces
                                             (energy)
2. Doctrine of the Word          Doctrine of Form          Fixed laws of nature
3. Doctrine of Life          Doctrine of End, Cause,     Conatus or endeavor
                         and Effect
4. Doctrine of Faith          Doctrine of               Obedience to
                         Correspondences          established order

     That the doctrine of substance, that there is only one very substance, parallels the doctrine of the Lord, that He is Esse itself, and that the likeness is in the elemental forces of nature, is evident.
     That the doctrine of form, the truth or law concerning the essence of a thing, parallels the doctrine of the Word, the Divine truth concerning the Lord, and that the likeness on the natural plane is the fixed laws of nature, is equally clear.
     That the principle or law of end, cause, and effect corresponds to the doctrine of life is evident, for in it is imaged love, wisdom, and use, by means of which all things exist and it is evident also that their likeness on the natural plane is the conatus or endeavor in nature to fulfill its appointed part.
     Just how the doctrine of correspondence parallels the doctrine of faith is not apparent at first sight, for we are likely to think of faith as Webster defines it: "That which is to be believed: faith in a religious system."

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But ours is a new faith, previously unknown to men; just as the doctrine of correspondence is a new doctrine, hardly credited with being rational.
     The relation of the doctrine of correspondence to the new spiritual faith may be seen by comparison. We are told that: "The existence of faith is: 1. Spiritual sight; 2. Harmony of truths: 3. Conviction: 4 Acknowledgment inscribed on the mind" (TCR 344) And it is said elsewhere that "the internal acknowledgment of truth is faith" (F 11).
     If the doctrine of correspondence parallels this faith, then:

     1. Spiritual sight will be implemented rationally; which it is, for by means of correspondences interior truths can be examined.
     2. The harmony of truths will be comprehended: and it is, for by means of correspondences the relation of truths is seen.
     3. Conviction is seen in things that correspond, as actual synchronized movements.
     4. Acknowledgement inscribed on the mind is imaged in things that correspond, for they pulsate in common ratio as do the heavens.

     So it is seen that while faith is art internal acknowledgment of truth, correspondences are the images of truth, while obedience to established law and order is the likeness or picture in nature.

     Proposition 2. The Writings slate that truth is the form of good. Even when we have the doctrine of form before us, and see that no particular love or affection can exist without its own truth, still, our concept both of truth and of form is somewhat vague. Swedenborg might well say to us: "This is what my doctrine of correspondence is for. Translate truth into its natural correspondent. Then you can examine it." Since we already know that light corresponds to truth, and is an effect, we proceed.
     Light, according to the dictionary, is "the essential condition of vision, an emanation from a light-giving body, as flame gives light also as mental or spiritual enlightenment." Here is the first striking resemblance; for truth conditions its subject and gives it form, while light is literally a "condition." As Swedenborg says, light is unreal and uncreate.
     In Physics, light is thought of as radiant energy-radiant to shine forth, energy, an inherent power or capacity for activity. It is also called luminous energy. However, both definitions must be qualified. Energy here is the subject, and luminosity is a condition of that subject So here is the second striking resemblance to truth, for apart from energy or heat there is no light. Light and heat together are radiant energy
     In a recent article, N. F. Berridge. Ph.D., a New Church scientist, describes radiant energy as consisting of undulating wave motions that can be measured from crest to crest.

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The difference in various types of radiant energy, he says, is one of form. X-rays are so short that the tiny "wiggles" can penetrate and pass through some natural substances by going between the atoms of which their molecules are built. The middle wave-lengths are perceived as light, and the long wave-lengths as heat; but all wave-lengths have some heat (NEW CHURCH HERALD. 1950. pp. 204-205).
     In seeking the correspondence involved. Dr. Berridge would substitute "heat" for "energy" since the term "energy" was unknown before the 19th Century. He pictures this heat as radiated from the sun on a whole range of frequencies; and he suggests that it corresponds to good, and the wave-length to truth, which he declares is its form. By the examination of radiant energy, he says, we see the essential unity of good and truth [and, we may add, of substance and form] as it proceeds from the Lord as a spiritual sun. And he adds: "We may see from correspondences throughout the whole realm of nature the truths of the Heavenly Doctrine vividly portrayed" (Ibid.).
     Regarding rational light, we would remind you that just as we see natural objects by means of light reflected from one object to another, and finally reflected from the object sensed, so the mind perceives its subjects in light reflected by knowledges stored and arranged in the memory. Indeed it is this arrangement that "conditions" or gives form to the loves of the soul. By the same token, when a ray of light strikes and penetrates a denser medium, such as water, we see an object off center, see it where it is not, because of the angle of incidence. So the light of truth entering the mind through atmospheres of sensual truth is similarly refracted. Truth as the form of good is depicted in its likeness.
     Proposition 3. This concerns a somewhat controversial subject. It is intended to demonstrate that while scholars may differ, the layman may draw his own conclusions by means of a rational approach. Our question is: What is the Limbus?
     Our scientists seem to place it in the rarer atmospheres. Some theologians regard it as the body of the spirit or angel; some consider that it is identical with the memory. Some scholars think that it is material and others think that it is not. It is significant that "limbus," a noun, is a zoological or botanical term, which is defined as a border distinguished by color or structure. According to the SWEDENBORG CONCORDANCE the term is used eight times in the Writings and always refers to a termination (See AC 9496, 9533, 9914).
     Our prime interest, however, is in the teaching of True Christian Religion, no. 103: "Every man after death lays aside the natural from the mother and retains the spiritual from the father, together with a certain border [limbus] from the purest things of nature around it.

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With those who come into heaven this limbus is below and the spiritual above, whereas with those who come into hell this limbus is above and the spiritual below."
     Swedenborg's concept that all substance must terminate in a lower degree is amply confirmed; and since the mind is organic substance, termination implies being contained. The mind of man is internal, intermediate, and external-spiritual, rational, and natural; and we are concerned here with the external mind, which deals with the things of the senses and the memory.
     The key passage in the Writings dealing with this is Divine Love and Wisdom, no. 257, in which we are told: "Man's natural mind consists of spiritual substances and at the same time of natural substances; thought comes from its spiritual substances, but not from its natural substances. These substances recede when the man dies, but not the spiritual substances; wherefore that same mind after death, when the man becomes a spirit or angel, remains in the form similar to that which it had in the world. The natural substances of that mind, which, as was said, recede by death, constitute the cutaneous covering of the spiritual body in which spirits and angels are. Through such covering, which is taken from the natural world, their spiritual bodies subsist, for the natural is the ultimate containant." Again Swedenborg's exactness is exhibited for this is a biological term-cutaneous, skinlike, envelope, membrane: a skinlike membrane composed of the finest things of nature, natural but non-spatial, the outmost of the natural mind, the tablet of the memory.
     The marvel of Swedenborg's philosophy is that, while he could not know any exact details about the spiritual world before his illumination, he was able to visualize and declare philosophically that there must be a connection between the two worlds and that it must be in the realm of the finest things of nature. He saw that the very atmospheres must terminate, which he declares they do; and that angels and spirits, in order to have individual existence, must have a natural but not a material ultimate. This he demonstrates in his anatomical studies.
     Here is what he says in The Animal Kingdom and other works concerning the Animal Spirit or Spirituous Fluid. This spirit is the uniting medium between the soul and the body (AK I: 215). It derives its being from a still higher substance, and on it are impressed the first principles of natural things (2 Econ. 217-219). It is the most pure substance and vital essence of the blood (1 Econ. 36); the most pure humor that flows through the medullary fibers (An. Spir. p. 41): the most universal essence of corporeal life (AK I: 250); and the simple and only substance of the animal kingdom (2 Econ. 350).

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The most striking statement is: "On these premises it may be demonstrated to intellectual belief that the human spirituous fluid is absolutely free from harm by ought that befalls in the sublunary world, and that it is indestructible and remains immortal, although not immortal per se, after the death of the body; and that when emancipated from the bonds and trammels of earthly things it will still assume the exact form of the human body" (2 Leon. 348).
     Our conclusion is, then, that this so volatile natural substance, the animal spirit, is one with the natural substance of the lower mind, on which is inscribed the memory: that it is the cutaneous envelope, the skinlike membrane, which is the outermost covering of angels and spirits; and that it is one with the limbus, "a border distinguished by color or structure"' and that this is not the spiritual body itself, which must be the spiritual-natural mind or else angels would have no sensation. However, we should note that the substance of the cutaneous envelope-immortal, but not immortal per se-remains natural to eternity. It must do so in order to fulfill its use and because, since it was created natural, its discrete degree has been established. Though natural, it cannot be seen with our eyes, for its form and structure are above the range of vision. Neither can it he seen in the spiritual world, for it is natural.
     Perhaps the limbus is like a screen which receives the representative picture of the minds of spiritual beings, and, indeed, of all things in the spiritual world, and brings them to view. The writer does not know if visibility is always associated with the termination of things in their lowest degree, but the thought presents a field of inquiry involving deep theological concepts. For it would seem to the writer that the doctrine of the limbus involves that "something" which the Lord adjoined to Himself. In presenting this idea of representative termination, however, we would add that it is purely speculative and should be viewed with caution. But to the extent that our reasoning is correct it would seem that the limbus refers, in the larger sense, to the first universal atmosphere in which the spiritual atmospheres terminate, and from which the only substance of the animal world is drawn; and in a particular sense to the cutaneous envelope that "contains" the organic spiritual minds of men, spirits, and angels.

     Proposition 4. This is intended to show that if we follow Swedenborg's pattern of thinking we can reexamine subjects on which we may have accepted the conclusions of science, discover a new content, and possibly revise our conclusions. The subject is physical environment.
     The old argument of heredity versus environment seems to have been resolved into a recognition that the three factors of race, epoch, and environment each play a part in the development of mankind.

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The scholars of our day, however, constantly emphasize physical environment as a principal factor; and, allowing for the elements of race and epoch, man is thought to be largely the product of his environment.
     As an exercise in thinking from rational principles we would attempt to evaluate environment and its effect on man. Environment is defined as the aggregate of all external conditions that affect the life and development of an organism. These things, being physical, cannot be the first end or the cause of anything. Neither are they an effect. For the physical surroundings into which man is born are natural and material and outside the human mind.
     The ancients saw in the great world a picture of the human mind. The undeveloped world, wild and uncultivated but with vast potentials, portrayed man's mind in its primitive state, while the civilized world, developed and reordered, reflects a corresponding development; and this, the Writings say, is a true picture. How, then, can man be the product of his environment? But it is not as simple as that Consider the factor of climate. It is a matter of history that men of the same race, distributed throughout the world, exhibit in the course of generations the same basic characteristics but in a new mold-easy-going and dilettante in the tropics, aggressive and ambitious in the northern zones. Yet it seems clear that man is superior to his world and therefore cannot be its product. We must therefore consider the nature of the physical world and establish its connection with man.
     Certainly man does not choose his surroundings any more than he does his nation. But there is no accident involved; for man, that is, the mind which is spiritual substance, is subject to the interior laws of creation which cover every contingency. And as man is a free agent there are contingencies.
     It is no longer difficult to conceive of Divine love as Divine activity, and of the mind of man as organic activity sensitive to certain wavelengths, attuned to certain impulses responding to those that synchronize, and unconscious of all others. Nor is it beyond comprehension that as the form of the mind develops or changes and its ratio of activity varies, it becomes adjusted to a new series of wave-lengths. The explanation of the law that prevails is the doctrine of correspondence, and the result of the operation of the law is that the mind of man is constantly in association with angels and spirits who are in varying degrees of the same love. It is therefore illogical to suppose that the marvellous operations of this law cease and that man is placed in external surroundings by accident. It seems clear that any effect these surroundings seem to have is not due to physical characteristics.
     We must remember that "substance is the reality that underlies all phenomena."

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It proceeds through discrete degrees until in the lowest degree it is called matter. We must remember that correspondences follow the same order until, as related to matters at rest, they are called representations. And we must therefore inquire as to the nature of representatives. In the series with which we are concerned we are told that "a representative is whatever comes forth in the light of the world" (AC 3225). Representatives are described as a "showing forth" and are, in fact, uses or effects appearing. Physical things are what they are because they represent uses, and because they are uses they represent the state of man. But since men's states are mixed, time is provided that they may be established. When a state changes and a use ceases, however, the material representation, being a physical thing, begins to disintegrate and is dissipated.
     Man, then, is not the product of his environment. Rather do his physical surroundings represent him; and, what is significant, they may represent not only his temporary state but also his ideals. For when the rational faculty is brought into play he may create externals favorable to the things he knows intellectually, and would achieve.

     Conclusion

     To the extent that our purpose has been achieved we have shown:

     1. That there is a pattern of rational thought, established by Swedenborg, which may be used by anyone of average intelligence to develop a truly rational mind.
     2. That our thinking will correspond to the order within revealed truth itself if our efforts follow this design.
     3. That since truth is the form of good, the quality of man's life will be in accordance with rational understanding of genuine truth.
     4. That by means of the pattern of man's thought, the arrangement of his ideas, the structure of his mind is perfected so that as he becomes a use his lower mind becomes representative of it.
     5. That in the marvellous order of the Lord's providence man is building his mind by his every act and is creating for his future use in the spiritual world substantial things that represent it-his house, its furnishings, the very landscape that surrounds it: and that these things, far from being subject to constant change, are permanent. For his general state is at last established and the pattern of his thought surrounds him on every side, even as it does to some extent in this world.

     Finally, the pattern of rational thought that we see demonstrated in Swedenborg's works can become the patter of our thinking, if we have his philosophic doctrines in mind in coordinated series.

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For we observe that this pattern establishes a habit that gives form to the mind, so that its desires are "conditioned." And we urge that this method of approach, as presented in simplified form in this paper, can be used by anyone, and that the result will be a clearer insight concerning the problems of life. For we shall see the cause in the effect and recognize the first end or love that governs.
GENERAL CHURCH SOUND RECORDING COMMITTEE 1952

GENERAL CHURCH SOUND RECORDING COMMITTEE              1952

     The Committee wishes to announce publication of its 1952 Loan Library Catalogue. Free copies may be obtained by writing to: THE GENERAL CHURCH SOUND RECORDING COMMITTEE, BRYN ATHYN PA.

     The Catalogue lists 315 tape-recordings of church services (both adult and children's), doctrinal classes, miscellaneous Church and Academy functions, and other events of interest to members of the General Church. Since publication of the previous Catalogue one year ago, 145 new titles have been added and 60 old ones have been dropped from the Loan Library.
     Recordings may be borrowed by any member of the General Church. A magnetic tape-recording machine is required to play these recordings, and as several types of equipment that are widely sold cannot he used for these recordings, members are urged to consult the Committee before making a purchase. Full information on how the Loan Library system functions may also be obtained by writing to the Committee
     This service is supported by voluntary contributions, which may be made through Mr. Hubert Hyatt, Treasurer of the General Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Patrons are asked to send a contribution each time a recording is borrowed. The annual cost of the service is about $3,500 The Committee wishes to express warm appreciation to the many contributors who have made possible a satisfactory level of operations in 1951.
     During the past year, total circulation exceeded 650 recordings. More than 45 homes or groups are now equipped to receive this service, and more than 65 machines are in use by Church members, exclusive of production equipment used by the Committee.
     Recordings of church services and other functions are presently being produced in Chicago, Detroit, Glenview, Madison, Pittsburgh, and Washington, as well as in Bryn Athyn. It is hoped that several ocher centers may start production in 1952.

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     The officers and members of the Committee are listed below. Appreciation is expressed to several others who have contributed much time and effort to this work.

Rev. Morley D. Rich, Chairman
Kenneth P. Synnestvedt, Vice-Chairman Technical Operations
George H. Woodard. Treasurer & Corresponding Secretary Loan Library
Ralph H. McClarren, Secretary
E. Boyd Asplundh
Edwin T. Asplundh
Edward C. Cranch
C. Theodore Glebe
Philip C. Horigan
Alfred F. Mergen
Winfred A. Smith
Carl H. Synnestvedt
Mrs. Kenneth P. Synnestvedt
Mrs. George H. Woodard
REVIEWS 1952

REVIEWS       Various       1952

     OF INTEREST TO YOUNG PEOPLE

SEX AND MARRIAGE. Part I: The Doctrine of the New Church on Sex and Marriage, by Rupert Stanley, BA. Part II: The Psychology of Sex and Marriage, by Edgar C. Howe, BA. Edited and with a Preface by Herbert G. Mongredien. Cambridge, England. British New Church Federation, 1951. Cloth, pp. 86.

     No subject is more vital to the life of the New Church than that of marriage. Through windows of perfected communication-the printed page, radio, television, and the screen-a flood of unevaluated material on sex and marriage flows in on us and threatens to drown our distinctive religious thought and life. For this reason such a book as this, such an effort to think from the Heavenly Doctrine about the most intimate problems of life, is a real contribution to the Church.
     "At a time when marriage is widely regarded as a merely natural institution for life in this world, and when immorality is frequently condoned, there is a real need for some presentation of the spiritual principles involved in marriage, such as this book affords" (Preface). It is this need that gives the volume its point and purpose, and that recommends it to the thoughtful consideration of New Church men-especially young people and novitiates.
     In Part I, there is scarcely a page that does not contain a quotation from the work Conjugial Love. The exposition is clear, frank, and direct, and leaves no doubt as to the distinctive quality of New Church doctrine and its applicability to life; and the all too brief chapters are forcefully organized under headings from the Old and New Testament Word: i.e., Adultery and Divorce-"Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be Jar fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery" (Matt. 19: 9).

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     On doctrinal grounds we might question the use of "engagement" and "betrothal" as synonymous (p. 15). It would seem that engagement refers to the "consent" which is to be "strengthened and confirmed by a solemn betrothal" (CL 301), rather than to the betrothal itself, which is elsewhere said to "confirm and consecrate consent" (Ibid., 21). However, the essential point is clear: "Conjugial love hurried on without order and the modes thereof corrupts the inmost recesses of the mind and body" (Ibid., 312). Such subjects as: Love Truly Conjugial and the Love of the Sex, Causes of Coldness in Marriage, Remarriages, and The Purpose of Sexual Intercourse, are treated with tact and forceful sincerity.
     Part II of this book is far more difficult to evaluate. It deals with many of the problems raised in Part I, but from a different point of view; and it represents an effort to apply and ultimate the doctrine through a practical, common sense psychology, with some down-to-earth illustrations that help us to focus the Writings on the particulars of life. While understanding the plan of the book, we cannot help feeling that this effort would be more effective if it were inserted where it fits topically into Part I. Yet the problems that are brought up are most stimulating and lead us in search of new truth.
     Although we feel that this part lacks something of the conviction which youth requires to lead it away from the pitfalls of life, still, because it offers thought from the Writings, it extends a guiding hand to all who read. To expose from revealed truth the blatant falsities of our day, as this Part endeavors to do, is one of the most important duties of the Church.
     Such passages as the following give sound advice to young people. "What is the first thing to note as an essential in making the right choice (of a partner)? The answer is, the right attitude should be present in one s mind. If it is, when the time for decision arrives there will be some basis much more useful than mere infatuation to work upon" (p. 55). Those already married are shown that merely getting along, or the psychological ease of marriage, about which so many contemporary articles are written, is not enough "We should face the fact that psychological ease is not necessarily the best way of living together as husband and wife. Very often it is not the happiest way to live. It is only a short-term policy, and frequently is merely a matter of taking the line of least resistance . . . it may lead on to inevitable disaster. In this, as in most things, the brave way is the best" (p. 81).
     The authors of this book deserve the congratulations of their fellow New Church men.

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Young people especially-of the General Church as well as those in Convention and in Conference-will do well to peruse its pages and go back to the sources it uses so freely, the Writings themselves.
     DAVID R. SIMONS.


     A ZULU HYMNAL

ISIHLABELELO: SESONTO ELISHA. (Hymnbook for the South African Mission of the General Church.) Edited by the Rev. Mafa Lutuli and the Rev. Aaron Zungu. Durban, 1951. Cloth, pp. 68.

     A Liturgy in the Zulu language was published at Alpha, Ladybrand, O. F. S., in 1941 (See NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1942, pp. 424-5). Printed on the Mission press under the direction of the compiler, the Rev. M. B. Mcanyana, with the Revs. P. J. Stole and P. H. Sabela assisting, this pamphlet of 100 pages consisted for the most part of translated excerpts from the latest edition of the General Church Liturgy. Thirteen hymns were added, some of them being translations from the General Church Liturgy, while others were original compositions.
     This new Hymnal, published eleven years later, is apparently a continuation of the work begun by the Rev. M. B. Mcanyana and an extension of the first collection of hymns. Edited by the Rev. Mafa Lutuli and the Rev. Aaron Zungu, assisted by the Revs. S. E. Butelezi and I. Nzimande, it contains the words of 100 hymns and a translation of one of the Offices of the General Church Liturgy. The hymns are evidently arranged in sections under subject headings. We understand that they are all original; and that the music, which is quickly learned by the native Africans, will be circulated in Do Sol-fa notation on mimeographed sheets.
     There is cause for rejoicing in the thought that distinctive worship among the Zulus will he further strengthened by this neat publication, and that they now have a larger collection of songs in which to express the affections of that worship.
     THE EDITOR.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "3. To think and speak truth, and to will and do good, from freedom according to reason are not from man himself, but from God And to think and speak falsity, and to will and do evil, from freedom are not from man himself, but from hell: yet in such a way that falsity and evil are from thence. But freedom in itself, regarded in itself, and the very faculty of thinking, willing, speaking, and doing, regarded in themselves, are from God" (AE 1136).

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DESTINY OF EVIL 1952

DESTINY OF EVIL       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

Alt literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, charge of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notification of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION

$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     When the Lord asked Jonah whether he did well to rage at the destruction of the sheltering gourd, the angry prophet answered fiercely: "I do well to be angry, even unto death." This vehement retort came to mind on reading, in Spiritual Diary, no 189, of certain evil spirits whose rage was so furious as to cause them to grieve that the universe was not destroyed; and who desired that nothing might remain alive, scarcely even themselves. That cupidity is said to arise from intestine hatred; and there are many instances of men who were prepared to be destroyed, or to destroy themselves, if thereby the destruction of their enemies might be achieved. But that is the inmost nature of all evil. Its essence is a self-consuming fire. Not that hell will ever consume itself and thus cease to exist; but that evil, in seeking to destroy the forms of life created by the Lord, destroys everything human in all who yield themselves to it, and is interiorly willing so to do.
BIBLE IN MODERN ENGLISH 1952

BIBLE IN MODERN ENGLISH       Editor       1952

     From time to time there has been some mild interest among English- speaking New Church men in the question of whether the Bible should be read in modern English versions. To free the question from certain things that do not properly belong to it we may usefully remember that the Authorized, or King James Version, is not the original text of the Word; that Swedenborg did not use it in preparing the Writings for the press; and that all modern English versions are not necessarily bad.

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The test of any version now extant is evidently not whether the translator was aware of the existence of the internal sense, but whether he applied real linguistic ability and scholarship to translate faithfully what he regarded as the inspired Word of God; rather than editing and paraphrasing in accord with certain preconceived ideas.
     We do not believe that the question should he answered unqualifiedly either in the affirmative or the negative. Some books of the Bible which are not books of the Word-notably the Pauline epistles-may very usefully be read in a good modern version which conveys more adequately the form and flavor of a letter rather than a finished prose composition. But the unaffected beauty, the simple purity, and the natural strength and grace of the King James Version will surely not be questioned: and one has only to consider the florid, artificial prose of the two following centuries to realize the providence which inspired the making of it at the period in the history of the English language in which it was published. However, we believe also that there is great value in using the King James Version in public and family worship; for there is power in reading the Word in a language that is now associated only with it in the minds of most English-speaking people.
ASSOCIATION WITH OTHER CHURCHES 1952

ASSOCIATION WITH OTHER CHURCHES       Editor       1952

     Sooner or later, the New Church man must face the problem of his relations with other religious and humanitarian movements. His Church is not alone in professing an active and unselfish concern for the welfare of mankind. The churches of Christendom, many borderline cults of uncertain designation, and a number of secular organizations, all claim to be seeking the same end as they understand it and to be acting from the same motive. There is no reason to doubt that there is a deep sincerity in many of these movements, mistaken as their views may be: no lack of evidence that some of them do useful work in their own fields. And this raises a number of questions. Do we have a basis for association with the good in these movements; and if so, in what does it consist? What should be our attitude toward them? Is there any way in which we may accept their good?
     The answer to these questions is contained in the teaching of the Writings, that anyone associating with others who are in a different doctrine and religion may learn and accept their goods of charity, but may not become imbued with them and conjoin them with his own truths (AC 5117). Wherever we think that we see something of good in other movements we should rejoice at its presence and may accept it generously.

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But we should accept it strictly for what it is, recognizing its limitations as compared with spiritual charity. We can accept it gladly as that which may serve to keep the way of salvation open for others. But we should not take it as our own, which is to be imbued with it; and we should not accept it as the concept of charity taught in the Writings which is to conjoin it with our own truths.
     This application of the law is clearly illustrated in a familiar Memorable Relation. In a lecture ball in the world of spirits, nine spirits expressed in turn their opinions as to what is meant by charity given permission to speak, Swedenborg, who had listened attentively, hastened to say warmly that the things mentioned were excellent examples of charity. But he then went on to say that charity is to do all things from the love of justice and judgment derived from the Lord, and that the things mentioned were of charity only when done from that love (TCR 459). Thus he was willing to learn their goods of charity and generous in his acceptance of them; but took them strictly for what they were, and neither became imbued with them nor conjoined them with his truths.
     In so far as we seek thus to carry out the law we shall find that there is a basis for association with the goods of those outside the Church that is founded in the truest charity. At the same time, we will be protected from confusion. There is an appearance that the charity taught in the Writings is abstract and delayed in its action, that natural charity is practical and immediate in its benefits, and that we could profitably learn from those bodies which practise it. But we may not make natural charity our own, or identify it with the spiritual charity taught in the Writings. For us, the only truth that can lead to the good of life is the spiritual truth of the Writings. There is a basis, then, for cooperation with natural good, wherever the way is opened; but we must remain loyal to the higher truth we know, and seek to qualify good with that truth-not be diverted to a lower good which is not for us.
SPIRITUAL CONCEPT OF SERVICE 1952

SPIRITUAL CONCEPT OF SERVICE       Editor       1952

     Certain Messianic prophecies call the Lord a "Servant." and when in the world He described His presence among His disciples as that of one who serves. Evidently the term cannot be used of the Lord as a menial. In relation to Him it can imply neither servitude or subservience, but can refer only to that in Him which is of service: and we are taught in the Writings that there are two things in the Lord of which it is predicated. The infirm human is called a "servant" because it furnished a plane on which the hells could be met and overcome, and thus served the end of the Divine love, which was the redemption of angels, spirits, and men.

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And the Divine Human itself is called a Servant because it serves the Divine love-which wills the salvation of men-by providing a way of access to the Divine, and also because it serves mankind for their salvation Although one with Jehovah, the Divine Human is the Divine servant be cause it is the only medium of conjunction.
     Involved in this is a spiritual concept of service as being, not of men, but of uses. This concept reigns universally in heaven. There no one desires to be a master, and to look on others as servants whom he may command at pleasure, but wishes to serve others: and those who hold the highest offices are servants most of all because they are in the greatest humility before the Lord. No angel is ever regarded as the personal servant of another, although he may be under his control, but as a servant of the common use in which both are engaged, and as inferior only to the Lord.
     The first and most obvious application of this concept on earth is to the priesthood, whose office the Lord Himself spoke of as a service. Under the Roman system, the priest became a servant of the all-powerful Church; in Protestant thought it has been held that the minister of the Gospel should regard himself, and be estimated by others, as the personal servant of his congregation and should be placed under lay control. Here we see the two opposites of priestly tyranny and lay domination. But where the Divine truth governs, it will be acknowledged that the priesthood is established not to serve men in a personal sense, but to serve them by serving the uses of its office.
     But this concept has applications also on the civil plane. The organization and maintenance of a civilized state require the setting up of an administrative body which is usually known as the civil service. Yet this evidently does not mean that every individual civil servant is the personal lackey of every citizen who comes in contact with him-to be treated as an underling and addressed in tones of command by his master On the contrary, the proper discharge of the duties entrusted to him may require that he do the governing, and that the individual citizen should gracefully carry out his directions. Officers of the state are servants, and the best of them rejoice in that status; but they are servants of a use-the use of maintaining and extending the common good-and the Writings require that we take this spiritual view of their service, and realize that their responsibility is to the people.
     This concept is, however, universal in scope and vital in import. The difference between it and the prevailing one is the difference between heaven and hell; between basic equality, freedom, and human dignity, on the one hand, and inferiority, bondage, and subservience on the other.

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The structure of our society requires that there be masters and servants, employers and employees, officers and men, orders and obedience. But it does not require a personal interpretation of those relations, as many men have enough of natural wisdom to realize. It is quite possible for men, while observing subordination in a common use, to regard one another as serving the use together; and, above all, not to feel that one in a lesser position or degree of the use is himself a lesser man.
NATURE OF DIVINE OMNISCIENCE 1952

NATURE OF DIVINE OMNISCIENCE       ALFRED ACTON       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     I have read with interest the Rev. Theodore Pitcairn's letter in opposition to my article on Divine Foresight and Human Freedom, [NEW CHURCH LIFE. February, 1952, pp. 96-100]. To my mind he misses the point. For the question is, not that the Lord knows all things-which every Christian acknowledges whether he be of the Old Church or of the New-but the nature of that knowledge. I feel, therefore, that I need add nothing to what I have already written I would, however, call Mr. Pitcairn's attention to True Christian Religion, no. 71, which relates that a spirit asked: "Where is he who speaks and writes concerning the order to which the Omnipotent God has tied Himself in relation to man?" On meeting Swedenborg he said, "Are you the man who thinks and speaks concerning order?" Swedenborg answers by explaining the nature of Divine order.
     ALFRED ACTON.
REPENTANCE 1952

REPENTANCE              1952

     "Actual repentance consists in self-examination, in the knowledge and acknowledgment of sins, in self-condemnation on account of them, in confessing them before the Lord, in imploring help and power to resist them, in desisting from them, and so leading a new life: and all this as of yourselves. Do this once or twice a year when you approach the Holy Communion' and afterwards, when the sins of which you confessed yourselves guilty recur, say to yourselves, 'We will not consent to them because they are sins against God.' This is actual repentance" (AR 531).

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     OBITUARY

     Mrs. Daniel E. Horigan

     On her 89th birthday, December 13, 1951, Margaret Drynan Horigan (Mrs. Daniel E. Horigan) passed into the other world. Gorandma Horigan, as she was affectionally known was the oldest member of the Pittsburgh Society.
     In her youth Mrs. Horigan lived among the Scottish settlers in old Allghany City from among whom came so many staunch supporters and builders of the Church in Pittsburgh. As a telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad she worked with Miss Maria Hogan and other New Church women, and it was through them that she was introduced to the Church which she subsequently joined. Her early days in the Church were during the time when the Rev. W. H. Benade, John Pitcairn, Walter Childs, and other founders of the Academy, were active in the Pittsburgh Society, and her passing removes the last personal link in the city with those early pioneers.
     In 1885, she married Daniel E. Horigan who, with his father, had not long before joined the Church. She and her husband were of the first generation in the Church, but the second generation of receivers of the Writings. From them have descended six children, twelve grand-children, and eight great-grandchildren.
     The Horigans were active in the Church in Alleghany City, and when the split with that group occurred in 1591, they participated in establishing the present organization in the East End, Pittsburgh. Their home in Evaline Street was ever an active church center.
     Mr. Horigan died in 1928, and Mrs. Horigan had carried on faithfully since that time. In her quiet, unassuming way she was ever a source of inspiration to young and old. Her great use ended, she has passed on to her reward, and memories of her and of her husband will always he bright and happy in our minds.
     J. EDMUND BLAIR.

     GENERAL CHURCH

     On February 4th, 1952, Mr. Roy Franson, a second year student in the Theological School, was accepted as an Authorized Candidate for the priesthood.

     ACADEMY SCHOOLS

     The Decree of BACHELOR OF ARTS (cum laude) was conferred on Joan Nanette Kuhl on Friday February 1st, 1952, at a brief ceremony held in the Benade Hall Chapel. Miss Kuhl at once took up a teaching appointment in the school of the Pittsburgh Society, where her services had been urgently required.

     HURSTVILLE, AUSTRALIA

     It is quite a long time since NEW CHURCH LIFE has received any news from this society, mainly because there has been very little to report. We have, however been carrying on with our activities. Services and Sunday School have been held regularly, thanks to the untiring efforts of Messrs. Lindthman and Ossian Heldon. Doctrinal classes and meetings of our Chapter of the Swedenborg Scientific Association are being kept up; and the Sons, too, have their regular monthly meetings.
     Several picnics were arranged by the Sons, at which cricket and football games between teams formed from the men and boys were entered into with zest. We also enjoyed several film nights at which most interesting subjects were presented by the Sons. At the request of the boys, a Boys Club has been started which meets every Wednesday supervised in turn by local Sons of the Academy.
     The absence of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher on a twelve months visit to England, as well as that of Mr. Taylor, who has been occupied out in the far west for the last six months, has greatly weakened our numerically small society. It was owing to this that all the executive officers of last year were reelected at the annual meeting with the exception of Mr. Taylor, whose place as additional member of the Business Committee was filled by Mr. Theo Kirsten.

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     In place of their usual meeting in November the Sons gave their annual banquet for the members of the society Foods both spiritual and natural were presented in abundance, and judging by the happy spirit prevailing they were highly enjoyed by all. The reading of Professor Gladish's address, "How We Teach Religion," its three sections by Messrs. Ossian Heldon, Theo Kirsten, and Lindthman Heldon was greatly appreciated; and special praise is due to the toastmaster, Mr. Norman Heldon not only for the efficient way in which he conducted the evening but also for the efforts he put forward in other directions-particularly in arranging the piquant menu.
     In conclusion I want to add a word of thanks to Mrs. Ferran, Mrs. Kirsten, and Mrs. Taylor who took over the organ at the services during Mr. Fletchers absence.
     A. H. A. KIRSTEN.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN

     While Detroit was experiencing a subzero cold wave, the heating system of the Community Hall in which we meet went out of commission on Sunday. December 16th. The service itself had to be cancelled but as Miss Barbara Forfar's Confession of Faith had been scheduled for that date it was decided to hold that part of the service at the Forfar home. Upwards of thirty of our members attended and were much impressed by the importance and significance of the Confirmation service. A social time followed, during which we were happy to congratulate Barbara and a toast to the Church brought to a close a meeting at which a sphere of love for the Church was most marked and was felt by us all.
     Detroit's first attempt at presenting tableaux was made on December 22nd in the recreation room of the Norman Synnestvedt home. That a remarkable success was achieved was due to the artistic and skilful Work of Mr. and Mrs. Sanfrid Odhner-ably assisted by Walter Childs, Gordon Smith, Mrs. Cook, Mrs. Steen, and others-who handled costuming, scenery, and lighting in a very effective manner. Our Pastor explained the significance of each of the four scenes; Mr. Odhner read the Scripture verse applicable to each one; and a concealed quartet rendered appropriate songs Christmas carols enlivened the waiting periods between tableaux. The members of our Circle who enacted the various parts are to be commended for results which were beautiful and impressive
     Worthy of special mention is the Christmas service, followed by dinner and the children's Christmas party, held on Sunday, December 23rd. First, the attendance of 66, including 23 children, was a record for our Circle. Next the entertainment was given entirely by the children; except that Gordon Smith was M. C., and Santa Claus was impersonated in a most jovial manner by Walter Childs. It was a surprise and pleasure to find so much talent among our children. As a final number the youngsters sung a little song while dancing round the Christmas tree, and it was not difficult to visualize the future leaders of the Detroit Society among that group of happy children
     In addition to the children's classes which the Pastor conducts on Friday afternoons we also have a Sunday school class for the younger children. This is held during the service, the children filling out with their teacher while the interlude is being played. Four of our ladies take turns in acting as teacher and they are to be commended for faithfully doing this necessary work. A regularly organized Sunday School is not now possible as the room is not available except for the Sunday service hour
     The traditional New Year's party for our Circle was held this time at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bellinger in Windsor, Ontario. As our Canadian members have always attended the parties held in Detroit it seemed only fair that we should reciprocate is the interests of international amity. So we met on Canadian soil and jointly gave the year 1952 a most heath and joyous welcome. God save the King!
     Miss Tanya Ives a recent graduate of the Bryn Athyn Girls' Seminary is now a regular attendant at our services. She is taking a course at Detroit's Wayne University and is living in the dormitory. Tanya is a welcome and popular addition to our group of young people. Her family recently moved much nearer to the scene of our activities.
     Sickness due to unusually severe winter weather has kept a number of our people from attending recent services, but we have no report of serious illness for which we are thankful. All-in-all, our attendances are keeping up remarkably well considering that our membership is scattered within a radius of 90 miles.
     WILLIAM W. WALKER.

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     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS

     One of the most important and enjoyable events for us in the fall was the Chicago District Assembly. Our Friday classes continue to be as useful as ever. Our Pastor reviewed Divine Love and Wisdom in a series of papers, and we then had four excellent discourses by our Assistant Pastor on Courtship. Engagement, Betrothal, and Marriage. It is the opinion of some that these four papers would make a most useful booklet for many of our young people.
     As a forerunner to our observance of Christmas we were delighted to read the Bishop's annual message. On Friday. December 21st, Mr. Acton's doctrinal class was on what is involved in the first Advent from a New Church viewpoint. Our Christmas celebration consisted of three services, beginning with worship on Sunday, December 23rd. On the afternoon of that day tableaux were shown in the assembly hall, each introduced by suitable readings and by singing; after which gifts were presented to the babies and the school children. There was a special Christmas Eve service for the children and a family service on Christmas morning-all in all a full and inspiring observance of the Lord's earthly birth. The Holy Supper was administered the following Sunday. Incidentally, we had an exceedingly white Christmas, and many of us would not have been able to get to church had it not been for the road plowing job done by two of our members. The usual caroling was indulged in on Christmas Eve, and most of the homes were visited the previous evening by the children of the three upper grades.
     The customary New Year's party, sponsored by the Park Social Club, was well attended and consisted of dancing, stunts, refreshments-and noise. After Friday Supper on January 11th we saw some real old-time movies of events which took place in the Park; and at their January meeting the Glenview Sons heard a talk on "Cooperative Housing by Mr. J. S. Seckelman.
     On Sunday afternoon, January 20th, well over 100 friends of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cole called on them to extend greetings on the occasion of their Golden Wedding. Mr. Acton responded to a toast to the Church and then made the presentation of a silver sugar bowl and cream pitcher. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cole spoke of their regard and affection for their many friends.
     Four births, a Baptism, and two Confirmations have been recorded by our faithful secretary, and in addition to these happy events we were happy to hear the announcement of the engagement of Miss Doris Fiske to Mr. Ray Synnestvedt of Bryn Athyn. The T. Brickmans' new house is almost complete and next month they expect to move from Park Drive to Gladish Lane.
     Weekly classes for the single young people, voting married people, and the select "philosophers" group, continue as in the past. In addition, there are regular meetings of the Women's Guild, Theta Alpha, and the Sons of the Academy. Our community activities are numerous! A bazaar last November brought in sufficient funds for the purchase of a brand new gas stove for use in the buildings-a long-felt want on the part of Friday Supper committees.
     At this juncture it is in order to voice our deep appreciation of the work being done by our Pastor and Assistant Pastor. They are capable and hard workers, and have a great deal of responsibility; and it is appropriate that we show our appreciation by doing all we can to profit from the instruction they unstintingly give.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     PASTORAL CHANGES

     The Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton has resigned as Visiting Pastor of the Washington Circle, effective June 30th, 1952.
     The Rev. Morley D. Rich has resigned as Visiting Pastor of the Baltimore, Maryland Circle, effective June 30th, 1952.


     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-Dividing societies into northern and southern councils, the Massachusetts Association is undertaking an intensive missionary program which is expected to lead to concrete results both within and without the organization.

     General Conference.-The Keighley Society, one of the oldest in Great Britain, has extended an invitation to the Conference to hold its next annual meeting there in June, probably the week beginning the 23rd.
     In November, 1951, the Wretham Road Society, Birmingham, celebrated the 75th anniversary of its foundation with an anniversary supper and special services.

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There has been continuous New Church worship in Birmingham since 1789, and the temple dedicated there in 1791 was the first New Church house of worship ever built as such in this World

     Europe.-It is reported that the Italian Society of the New Church observed last October a Sunday of remembrance to mark the 75th anniversary of the New Church in Italy and the 50th anniversary of the group in Trieste. Ill health prevented the Rev. Adolf Goerwitz from being present but letters were received and a sermon written by him was preached An historical review prepared by Dr. G. E. Ferrari was read by Romeo Cuppo, the secretary in Trieste; and Giovanni Mitis and Vittorio Stoppi who had been among the founders in 1901, were warmly cheered or their personal recollections. Mimeographed souvenirs containing the sermon the service and the historical review were prepared for the occasion.
DEDICATION OF THE ADVENT SOCIETY CHURCH 1952

DEDICATION OF THE ADVENT SOCIETY CHURCH       Various       1952





     Announcements





[Frontispiece: Chancel of the Advent Church.]

No. 4

NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
APRIL, 1952
     The building purchased and renovated by the Advent Church of the New Jerusalem was dedicated to the uses of New Church worship, instruction, home, and social life on Sunday. January 27, 1952. Bishop George de Charms conducted the service and pronounced the dedication and the sermon was preached by the Pastor, the Rev. Morley D. Rich.
     At the end of the Processional, the Word was taken from the lectern by the Pastor and handed to Bishop de Charms, who placed it on the altar and then opened it. The THIRD GENERAL OFFICE was used and the Lessons were I Kings 8: 12-30, Revelation 3, and Apocalypse Revealed nos. 916 and 918. The following Dedication Address was then delivered by the Rev. Morley D. Rich.

     DEDICATION ADDRESS

     In the Divine Providence of the Lord the Church was born on earth; and she is committed to the care of men and women brought into her that by her establishment upon earth she may serve as the gateway to the New Heaven. It is given to these men and women to cooperate with the Lord to this end; and they are, therefore, to seek for the light and knowledge to guide them in the performance of their part in this work.
     Those who are so born and brought into this New Church are led to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their God and Father. They are taught the inner significance of the Ten Commandments that they may learn to shun evils as sins they discover the real meaning of the Lord's Prayer that they may he introduced into the worship of the Lord; and they are led to the Holy Scripture and the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem that they may be regenerated. In this way they promote the life of the New Church on earth, and the eternal welfare of the human race in the world to come.

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     In a more specific way, in the Divine Providence of the Lord everyone who is led to the New Church, in whatever way or time, is given many opportunities to serve the cause in some particular way-in some very concrete, external way, indeed, which he cannot overlook except by rationalization, procrastination, or indifference. The Lord's purposes in presenting these opportunities are many and complex; but, in essence, they may be summed up quite simply. Essentially they are expressed in His words: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3: 20). For the Lord's inmost desire, as now revealed to us, is that He may come in, and show Himself to us in all His power and glory, that we may enter into that eternally happy state of life which He longs to give us.
     His effort so to manifest Himself is plainly revealed in the whole sequence of His Word and His life on earth-in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Writings. Furthermore, through these revelations of Himself we can be led to sense His being in its work of saving us, even in the most external things of natural life-in the things of nature, the experiences of daily life, the actions and reactions of the neighbor, and above all, in the opportunities He presents to us to promote the cause of the New Church, the "crown of the ages." And as we perceive His operations, we actually see Him in His Divine Human as the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega. "To this end," Jesus said, "was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth" (John 18: 37).
     Before this state is possible to us, however, many intermediate states of preparation are necessary. For when we begin adult life we see only ourselves in the things around us. All the sensations which inflow from the world seem to center in us; and whatever we do or say, will or think, has hidden within it the purpose of self-preservation and self-gratification. We know from Revelation that love to the Lord and toward the neighbor should be paramount in our will. But this knowledge has no genuine significance, no reality, no life of its own in us, at that time.
     Slowly, then, the Lord presents to us many experiences-some harsh, some pleasant-which are designed to give us insight, if we choose, into the necessity of obedience to Divine law as well as to moral and civil law. And if we win through to this insight by struggle and temptation, then the Lord moves also from within to fill our hearts with a genuine love for the law on all levels and a genuine will to obey it.

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     Eventually the same process occurs on the higher level of the neighbor. From the teachings of the Word, illustrated by the experiences of life, we may be led to see-through the veil of outward appearance, weakness and error, manners and morals, hereditary and acquired characteristics-the potentiality of the will of good which exists in our fellow men. The sympathetic understanding and charity which is thereby imparted will again confront us with a choice and an opportunity: a choice and opportunity which we cannot exercise or grasp save through struggle and temptation, self-compulsion, self-denial, and sacrifice. By the perception and affection so granted we will be called to "take hold upon life"; to think, speak, and will and act in accord with the dictates of charity. And so it is in all the degrees of the neighbor-the church, the Lords kingdom, good and truth itself. Each of these, in that order, is a higher level to which we are called in succession; and through which we pass by trial and temptation, humiliation and repentance, conflict, and victory and peace.
     And the final end is that we may see, worship, love, and admit Him who constantly stands at the door of our minds and hearts; seeking admission through all these means, longing to impart unto us the bread and wine of His pure love and wisdom. It is in this way that the Lords life is magnified to a maximum in us-magnified into the indescribable measure and eternity of heavenly love. And, conversely, it is in this way that our self-life is reduced to a minimum-to that minimum which is necessary for our preservation as entities apart from the Divine and capable of loving Him freely.
     We are sensing, here and now, one of the means by which the Lord endeavors to lead us to that final state. And modest though it may be, it is nevertheless one of the special means to that end. It is special because, beyond the shadow of a doubt, it has been specially provided by Him for the further establishment of the New Church, and finally for the increased manifestation of Himself to those who will avail themselves of this means. For there is no doubt that the Lord particularly provides those experiences which will lead men to the establishment of His specific church; and there is no doubt, either, that He specifically raises up men for that purpose. So we may see His special providence in all the efforts which have been, and will be, made by men as agents toward that establishment.
     In the Divine Providence of the Lord, certain men and women have been led to this particular part of the work of the New Church. They have been led through their various degrees and types of love toward the neighbor, for the church, and to the Lord. And as in all such endeavors, they have been led through their efforts to understand and to love the things of the church and the neighbor in a measure and in a way which would not otherwise have been possible. The Lord alone imparts such states.

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And so it is that we may see that it really is the Lord alone who has accomplished this work, who builds every house in which He may be worshipped and adored.
     In reality, therefore, the means by which the Lord truly dedicates, consecrates, and makes holy the appurtenances and rites of a place of worship are these affections and thoughts-the heaven-sent inspirations of the people themselves. The printed Word is not holy in itself. Neither are the altar, the chancel, the vessels of the Holy Supper. They are invested with fulness, with holiness and power, only thought the goods and truths, the love and wisdom, which are received by, and pass through, the will and understanding of the Lord's children.
     The formal rite of dedication is, therefore, but the right and proper Divine sign and seal of that which has been so prepared, of the states of holiness which have been given by the Lord for the uses of His kingdom. Such a consecration is the religious recognition of that present state. And, finally, the quality of that holiness will be formed and determined by the future states of those who worship here.
     We are here in the sphere of the New Church; and in that sphere we are seeing, hearing, and participating in the worship of the New Church. It is not amiss for us, at such a time, to have a deep and sharp awareness of the presence of heaven, indeed of the heaven of the New Church. For through these specific sensations the angels of that heaven are attracted, and are being inspired with wisdom and delight. Obscure though it may be therefore, the delight which we feel in this occasion is from them; for their highest delight is from the sensation that the Lord is being received in His second coming through the establishment of the New Church.
     With hope, with joy, and with thanksgiving, let us repeat to ourselves, and reflect upon the meaning of the Psalm: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us now go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, 0 Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is joined together, whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord], unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord], For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall rest that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, tranquillity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good." Amen.

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     PRESENTATION

     Mr. Herman F. Gloster, Building Coordinator, then came forward and addressed Bishop de Charms:

     BISHOP DE CHARMS:

     As the chosen representative of the Advent Society, I now declare his building to be prepared for the uses of New Church worship, instruction, and society life. These are the purposes for which this building was purchased and renovated. In consequence, I now present it for dedication to these uses, in token whereof I proffer this key.

     ACCEPTANCE

     BISHOP DE CHARMS: On behalf of the General Church of the New Jerusalem I gratefully acknowledge this gift, which is to be devoted to the uses of the Advent Society. It is our deepest wish that through this new instrumentality the Lord may provide for the increase of His church among you, both in numbers and in the spirit and life of the Heavenly Doctrine.

     The presentation key was placed on the altar. Bishop de Charms, placing his hand on the open Word, then pronounced the dedication:

     DEDICATION

     And now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of heaven and earth, who alone can build His church and establish His kingdom in the hearts of men, I do declare this altar and this chancel, with all the furnishings and appurtenances thereof, set apart and dedicated to the worship of the one true and living God, the Lord Jesus Christ, now revealed in His glorified Human, according to the doctrine and ritual of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. And I dedicate this building to the uses of the Advent Church of the New Jerusalem, for worship, instruction, home, and social life.
     May the Lords blessing be upon this church. May He enter here, and here abide in the beauty of holiness, to strengthen and uplift, to protect and lead, all who gather here to offer at His throne the tribute of their love and faith. Amen.

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     CELEBRATION

     After the chancel curtains had been closed and, a short interval observed, the congregation of more than a hundred members and friends of the Advent Society reassembled to celebrate the occasion with speeches, toasts, and songs. The Rev. Karl R. Alden was toastmaster, and the speakers were the Rev. Morley D. Rich, Pastor. Mr. Harry Furry, and the Right Rev. Willard D. Pendleton. The story of the renovation of the building was told in a song written by Mrs. Douglas Childs Halterman and Miss Beatrice Childs.

     FAMILY DAY

     On account of the limitations of space, the children of the Advent Society could not be invited to attend the Dedication Service. The following Sunday, February 3rd, was therefore set aside as family day, and a brief service was held especially for the children, in which the Pastor gave a talk on the meaning and use of dedication. About seventy persons, including children, attended this service. Following it, a fine luncheon was served.

     (EDITORIAL NOTE: For a brief description of the Advent Society Church and an account of the developments leading to its renovation see page 211 in this issue.)
DIVINE INTERCESSION 1952

DIVINE INTERCESSION        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1952

     Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth." (John 17: 17)

     After partaking of the passover with His disciples in the upper chamber at Jerusalem, the Lord taught them for the last time on earth. He sought by His teaching to strengthen their faith, that it might withstand the supreme test of His impending crucifixion. And at the close of this final discourse He lifted up His eyes to heaven and offered the prayer recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John.
     It was a prayer of intercession-a prayer to the Father, pleading for the protection of His followers after He had been taken from them. "Now," He said, "I am no more in the world, but these are in the world and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name. Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

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And now I come to Thee . . . I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth."

     The literal picture conveyed to the mind is that of a princely son interceding with his royal father to have mercy on his subjects, whose needs and sufferings the son has come to know more intimately than the king himself. On this picture is based the commonly accepted idea of the Lord's intercession for mankind. Such indeed was the appearance at the time, even to the Lord Himself. It was then, in a sense, a true appearance; for while the Lord was on earth, and before the Human He had put on by birth had been united to the Divine, He was, as it were, a dual being. His soul was Infinite, His body was finite, and the conscious mind built up by successive stages between the two, according to the order of all human growth, partook of the quality of both. This mind was formed as it is with every man, by an influx of the soul into the sensations of the body. The result of this influx is what all men experience an affection and thought-which together make the life of the mind. The affection is according to the nature and quality of the soul, varying with different individuals in accord with the particular form of mind, or inherited temperament and disposition, of each; while the form in which the affection appears depends upon the objects of sense presented in the environment.
     It was similar with the Lord; but because with Him the soul was Infinite-being the very love of God for the salvation of the whole human race-the influx was accompanied by an inmost perception of truth such as man can never know. This perception, however, was not constant. If it had been, the Lord would have had no need to learn, or by learning to advance from infancy to childhood, and thence to youth and manhood, along the path of man's appointed progress. Nor could He have suffered temptations, for these are possible only in states of obscurity and doubt. Yet only by means of temptations admitted into Himself could the Lord effect the work of redemption. Only by becoming man-by putting Himself in man's place and following the path of all human development, could He show man the way and lead him back to the faith and love whence he had fallen. By no other means could He conquer the hells, and at the same time save them from destruction. By no other means could He withdraw the good from the evil gently, and without injury to their spiritual life, that they might be liberated from bondage and prepared for heaven.

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     For all these reasons it was essential that with the Lord, while He was on earth, the inmost perception of truth revealing the Infinite wisdom of God should at times be given and at times withdrawn, leaving only a memory behind. The Lord therefore had two alternating states-one of glorification, when in full realization of the truth He spoke with Divine wisdom and performed miracles with Divine power; and one of humiliation when He seemed to be alone, subject to all the limitations, the weaknesses and imperfections of mortal man. In this latter state He was tempted, passing as it were through dark valleys of shadow, yet fighting His way back to the mountaintops of clear light by an unyielding faith in the memory of perceptions previously experienced.
     Then it was that He prayed to the Father as if to another. Weighed down by a deep sense of the depravity of the human heart, the seemingly unbreakable hold of selfish and worldly loves upon it, the tremendous power of the hells as they attacked Him through the Mary-human, He interceded with God for the protection and salvation of mankind. This was true of all the temptations through which the Lord passed in the whole course of His life on earth. It was true even when He was a child, as is graphically described in the story of Abraham pleading for the inhabitants of Sodom. But it was preeminently the case when, on the eve of His crucifixion. He said in prayer: "I have finished the work that Thou gayest Me to do . . . and now I am no more in the world; but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom thou hast given Me. . . . Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth."

     Strong as the appearance of two persons was to the Lord at the time, and strong as it is to us from the literal statements of the Gospels, it does not express the inner truth. Even while He was on earth the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father were not really two, but one. This the Lord Himself declared repeatedly, saying: I and the Father are one." "He who hath seen Me hath seen the Father."" I am in the Father, and the Father in Me." In states of humiliation the two were indeed distinct as to the intellectual mind; for at that time the understanding with the Lord was limited, and thus finite-clouded by appearances that obscured the truth. But even then the love from which He spake was the very love of God. This love was constant. Never for an instant did it waver. It was his soul, His life, His very being. His words in the depth of temptation were Love itself, and thus God Himself, pleading for mankind.
     When the Lord had risen from the sepulchre; when His Human had been glorified and fully united to the Divine, then all appearance of separation was removed. Then the Lord could no longer pray to the Father as if to another.

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Yet His intercession for man did not then cease. Divine intercession is perpetual. It is not like that of a Son pleading with his Father to have mercy on the human race. The Lord now intercedes, we are told, "as the God of the universe with Himself"; and it is this intercession for which the Lord prayed when He said: "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth." But what can be the meaning of this?

     That love, by its very nature, intercedes is evident from common experience. Those we love we wish to be well received by others. This is especially notable in the case of our own children. We defend them from criticism. We exalt their virtues and overlook their faults. We continually intercede with others on their behalf-if not openly, then secretly in our hearts. And if we are true parents, our chief intercession is not with others, but with the children themselves-guiding them, teaching them, helping them, admonishing them, and ever praying that they may, of their own free will choose to become what we most desire them to be. We cannot compel them to do so against their will; for what they are is what their love makes them. Every man is his own love, and for this reason his true quality cannot be imposed upon him from without, but must be achieved by his own effort under the impulse of his own desire. Parents can do no more, therefore, than point to the goal they wish their children to attain, open the way to it, remove obstacles, and thus provide the opportunity. They can give warning of danger, and when that warning is not heeded they can offer the protection that will afford another opportunity to supplant failure with success. Such is the patient and ceaseless intercession of love.
     In this we see a more accurate and more satisfying representation of the Lord's intercession-a representation in harmony with the truth that God is one. It enables us to understand how-after the Human of the Lord was by glorification fully united to the Divine-still the Lord perpetually intercedes for man's salvation. Like a Father acting from love and mercy toward His children, the Lord intercedes individually for every man. He does so from Infinite love, and with Infinite wisdom. He does so without ceasing, both openly and in secret. The Lord intercedes openly in the fact that He, Jehovah, the eternal God, came into the world and made Himself known in the human form and body of Jesus Christ, preserving this revelation of Himself for all time in the record of the Gospels. He intercedes openly by providing the means of man's regeneration, which means are the truths of the Word-and especially those truths now unveiled and laid bare to man's rational understanding in the Revelation of His second coming. Through these means man can come to know the Lord as He truly is; and, knowing Him, can learn to love and to keep His law.

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     This, however, would be of no avail unless the Lord should also intercede for man in secret. This He does in the fact that by means of temptations endured while He was on earth, He overcame the hells, reordered the heavens, and restored an equilibrium between them, holding man in this equilibrium and thus making it possible for him to choose the good and to reject the evil. He does so in the fact that from earliest infancy He insinuates with every man a love of truth, implanting that love as a seed, and causing it to grow, man knows not how. He does so by restraining the influx of the evils and falsities that would destroy man's spiritual life, permitting temptation only so far as man has power to resist, and silently preparing his mind to receive a steady increase of intelligence and wisdom. All this the Lord does in a thousand] unseen ways by the operation of His Providence. And when man wilfully turns aside, refusing the blessings the Lord wills to impart, still the Lord follow him; ever ready to forgive, ever striving to guide his steps back into the path of regeneration, never ceasing to open before him a new opportunity of repentance. Such is the true nature of Divine intercession.

     In spite of the appearance of two persons, this is the kind of intercession that is meant by the Lord's prayer: "Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me. . . Sanctify them through Thy truth." When rightly understood this pictures truly the way in which the Lord intercedes for man. For by means of the Word the Lord comes to man from without through the gateway of the bodily senses. And by means of love inflowing through the heavens He comes to him from within. The love that comes from within is the invisible Father; and the truth that comes from without is the Son that makes the Father manifest. The Son is said to "intercede" because only through the truth of the Word can the quality of the Divine love be known. This the Lord meant when He said: "No man cometh unto the Father except by Me." Yet the Divine truth and the Divine love are not two but one. For truth is nothing but the visible form of love. It is love making itself tangible, and thus knowable. It is the Lord revealing Himself in ultimates-that is, in the last or outermost things of His creation. Wherefore to say that the "Son" intercedes with the Father-that the truth of the Word intercedes for man-is the same as saying that the Lord intercedes "as the God of the universe with Himself."
     By the truth of the Word the Lord clothes Himself, as it were in finite garments-the garments of a man. But through that clothing and embodiment He shows forth the Infinite qualities of His love and wisdom.

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He then who receives the truth in faith and love is "sanctified' thereby. For it empowers him to undergo spiritual temptations, to meet the hosts of evil in his own heart, and to prevail against them. And as he resists them in deed and thought, the Lord gradually removes the love of them from his inmost intention and will, implanting instead thereof the delight of heavenly truth and good. Thus the Lord gives to man a new heart and a new spirit, and builds within him a temple for His own indwelling. It was for this that the Lord prayed when He said: "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth."

     Yet this was a prayer of supplication, of intercession, because the Lord cannot compel man to receive the truth, any more than a human father can compel his children to become what he wishes them to be. Man is his own love. Unless he receives the truth from love, and thus from will and choice, he will not be sanctified thereby. Its effect upon him will be only superficial, leaving his inner self, his real character, unchanged. Even the Infinite power of the Lord cannot impart the joy of heaven to any man unless man is willing to receive it-unless he freely chooses it in preference to the delights of selfish and worldly loves. Wherefore the Lord can only intercede for man by giving him the ability, the means, the opportunity to receive the truth if he will. This He does perpetually for all men; He does it so completely that "none of them is lost but the son of perdition." "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills shall be removed; but My mercy shall not depart from thee; neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed. saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." Amen.

LESSONS:     Genesis 18: 16-33, John 17: 1-19. AC 2250, 2253.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 440, 489, 441.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 60, 94.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "4. The understanding and will of man ought not to be in the least compelled by another, since all compulsion by another takes away freedom; but man ought to compel himself, for to compel one's self is to act from freedom" (AE 1136).

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HEAVENLY JOSEPH 1952

HEAVENLY JOSEPH       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1952

     An Easter Talk to Children

     There is a story in the Word which is known and loved by every child. It is the story of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph was the second youngest of the twelve sons of Jacob. He became his father's favorite son, and Jacob made for him a beautiful coat of many colors. And because of this, and because of certain dreams which told that he would become greater than they, his elder brothers began to hate him. Then one day they saw a chance, as they thought, to get rid of him for ever without their father knowing that they had anything to do with it.
     Joseph was sent to his brothers as they were feeding their father's flocks. It was a lonely place, and when they say him coming they quickly made a plan. They seized Joseph, tore off his beautiful coat, and put him down into a deep pit. Then they sold him as a slave to some merchants who were going to Egypt. When they had done this they killed a kid, dipped Joseph's coat in its blood, and took the coat back to their father, saying that they had found it on the way, and that some wild beast must have killed their young brother.
     When Joseph came to Egypt he was sold to the captain of the king's guard and became a slave in his house. There he worked hard, and because he was honest and faithful he became the steward of his master's house. He was trusted to take charge of the whole household and of all the other servants. But Joseph's troubles were not over. His master's wife was wicked, and when Joseph refused to take part in her wicked plans she accused him of a crime he had not committed and he was thrown into prison. There he stayed for some years. But even in prison he served the Lord faithfully and the Lord was with him, and he was trusted to look after all the other prisoners.
     Now there were in the prison two of the king's chief servants, his butler and his baker. Each of these men had a very strange dream. Because the Lord made it known to him, Joseph was able to tell them what their dreams meant. And just as Joseph told him, the butler was forgiven, taken out of prison, and given his place again in the palace. But he forgot about Joseph, who was still in prison. However, the king himself had two very strange dreams which troubled him greatly; and when none of his wise men could tell him their meaning the butler remembered Joseph, and he told the king how this young Hebrew man had told him and the baker the meaning of their dreams.

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     So Joseph was taken out of prison and brought before the king. And because the Lord again made it known to him he told the king what his dreams meant-that for seven years there would be great harvests, but in the seven years; after them there would be a great famine in which no crops would be gathered. Then Joseph told the king that he should appoint someone to store up grain in huge warehouses during the seven good years, so that there might be food for the people in the seven bad years. And because there was no one else so wise the king of Egypt appointed Joseph himself to do this work. So Joseph became the greatest man in the whole land, after the king, and all through the good years he went about the land storing up food against the bad years that were to come.
     When the famine came it was not only in Egypt. Soon there was no corn in Canaan. So Jacob sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy food, keeping only Benjamin, the youngest, with him. As soon as he saw them, Joseph recognized the brothers who had treated him so badly. But they did not recognize him. He made them go back to their own country and bring Benjamin to Egypt. And then, after giving them food and sending them away, he had them brought back and told them who he was. When they knew that this great man was the brother they had wronged so cruelly his elder brothers were very frightened. But Joseph was both wise and kind. He forgave them for the wrong they had done him, and told them not to be afraid. He said that what they did they had meant for evil, but the Lord had meant it for good, so that he might be in Egypt and do this work which had saved so many people from starving to death.
     We are reminding you of this story as Easter draws near for a special reason. You know that the angels in heaven have the Word, and in their Word it is not a story about Joseph at all. It is a wonderful story about the Lord Himself, a story which tells how the Lord was received when He came into the world. It tells how the Lord was rejected by the Jews, how He suffered temptations and how He made Himself the Lord of heaven and earth, conquering the hells setting the heavens in order, and forming a new church in the world through which men and women might be led in the way of heaven.
     All these things about the Lord, and many more, this story tells as the angels read it in their Word. And it is in connection with the Lord that we would have you remember Joseph's words to his brothers: "Ye meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, that I might save this great people alive." That was why Joseph's brothers had been allowed to sell him into slavery. When the Jews had the Lord put to death, they meant it for evil.

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But the Lord knew that only in that way could He become the Savior of men could He save men, not from the death of the body through hunger, but from the death of the spirit which comes when the bread of heaven can no longer be received.
     So although the Jews meant it for evil, the Lord meant it for good, and that is why the Jews were allowed to treat Him as they did. And if you will think about this each year as Easter comes, then the older you grow the more will you understand how great is the Lord's love for men: that He was willing to be born on earth, to suffer, to die, to rise again, and forgive all His enemies, because so He might become our Savior. You will understand why the angels rejoiced when His great work was ended, why they had that great joy which they make us feel on the day on which the Lord rose from the tomb as King of kings and Lord of lords.

LESSONS:     Genesis 45: l-15. Luke 24: 13-35.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 548, 557, 547.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. C4, C15.
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     4. The Second Principle: Social Life

     In the second principle of the Academy are the words: "The New Church is to be distinct from the Old, in faith and practice, in form and organization, in religious and social life." We have already mentioned teaching regarding doctrine and organization which shows that the spiritual use of the Lords church has been transferred to the New Church, which can perform it only by separating from the old. Unless a man sees that the former Church is spiritually dead he cannot interiorly receive the doctrine of the New Church, for he can see no valid reason for its existence. If it is only a reformation of the former Church, that reformation can best be accomplished within that Church: and only false and selfish sectarianism can withhold us from joining with it in all its activities.
     This Church is new, and distinct from every former church, because it is given in the Writings a new revelation which is the Word of the Lord in His second coming. From the full acknowledgment of this every idea of distinctiveness is derived. The failure of other bodies to acknowledge it gave the Academy and the General Church reason for separate existence and the organizations of the Church have succeeded only where the Writings are acknowledged unconditionally as the Word, for it is this acknowledgment that makes the New Church new.

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The newness is not from man, and has nothing to do with time, but is a revelation and vision of the Lord in His Divine Human that has never before been given to man. And it is the Lord in the Writings who says that the Old Church is dead. From proprium, or prudence, we might wish the judgment unpronounced; but the Writings show that unless it is known and acknowledged there can be only a superficial healing.
     The concept of the use to be performed by the New Church is the basis of all the forms of distinctiveness held by the General Church. But let it be understood that it is the Writings which demand that we separate from the former church and make a new beginning (see AC 1850, 2986). For they teach that the New Church is a new, distinct, and separate dispensation, and that to mix with the former Church in its activities is to belie the true relation of the New Church to it. It is the fearless declaration of this truth that has characterized the Academy.
     It is only the spiritual affection of the truths revealed in the Writings that makes the Church new. From the teaching that "all religion is of life and its life is to do good" it has been falsely concluded that the doing of external good without regard to doctrine or love is the essential of the church; and that the breakdown of doctrinal differences and the increase of good works in Christendom are signs of the establishment of the New Church. But while there is less dogmatic theology, and greater external charity among sects and religions, there is no evidence of a spiritual revival; but rather a weakening of faith in the existence of anything spiritual and a strengthening of belief in the betterment of man's lot in this world as the ultimate goal and use of the church.
     The more thoughtful in the former Church have seen this and have begun to despair. Actually, the religion that is of life is that of the love of spiritual truth, and from this the doing of good. All the good that is done before evils are shunned as sins is interiorly evil. And it is the spiritual affection of truth-which can exist in actuality only where the truths of the Writings are known and loved-that sets the New Church apart from all other churches and makes the religion that is of life. Thus it is the nourishing and protecting of this love from which the whole idea of the distinctiveness of the New Church springs.
     Distinctive New Church social life is not an end in itself. It is for the conceiving and bringing forth of this new love. The New Church is set apart in the other world, and from its communion with the New Heaven it is to be set apart in the natural world; for the holy city, New Jerusalem, descends from the Lord out of heaven, and the Church in the world will grow, we are told, just in so far as there is increase in the New Heaven.

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     Our idea of distinctiveness in social life is twofold-protective, and for interior development. It is protective in that we realize that our love of spiritual things is weak and needs the sphere of our fellow New Church men. We acknowledge that our nascent love of the truth of the Writings is not strong enough to withstand the sphere of indifference dominant in the world; and that we need to protect our children, who are not able to judge for themselves. There are many tests by which we come to realize that our faith is weak and needs the protection of association with other New Church men; protection which, in essence, is from the selfish and worldly loves of our own proprium that are only stimulated by direct contact with the corresponding spheres of the world.
     The church is a spiritual association, and all spiritual presence and conjunction is according to love. On the positive side, therefore, distinctive New Church social life is the association of those in a similar love for the purpose of ultimating and developing it. This was very evident in the early Academy. From love of the Heavenly Doctrine, suitable forms for ultimating it in social life were created; and although some of them are not suitable today, we must not lose that spirit of applying the doctrine to life.
     Let us never forget that the distinctiveness of the New Church is to exist from a new love to the Lord; new since never before has the Lord been known as He can be known from the Writings. Our distinctive forms of social life are to flow from this love. Not that we are to be conscious of this end, for social life must be spontaneous; but that if those engaging in it have inmostly as their end the establishment of this new love on earth, their social sphere will strengthen and nourish each one.
     What is it in our marriage and funeral services that so strikes those who are not of the Church, and so affects those who are? It is the new love of marriage and eternal life that is not from us but from the Lord through the truths concerning them in the Writings. This may become true of everything of life and ritual, if it is characterized inmostly by a love of the Lord in His second coming. But this love cannot be developed in a sphere that is antagonistic; it must be surrounded by those who are in internal sympathy.
     Distinctive religious community life is not new but has been tried from the beginning of society; and this fact should impress upon us that our end in the practise of distinctiveness is not a worldly one, but the development of that new love to the Lord which is the heart and soul of the New Church and which is expressed in the spiritual affection of the truths of the Writings. Without this affection there is only an exclusiveness which deserves every criticism that has been levelled against it, and we must be conscious of the danger of shutting up the world of self-love within walls of exclusiveness.

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     This is a danger to which our generation is exposed. Where the Writings are not read, and there is no interest in their truths, there is no New Church and no distinctive life; and although loyalty to the community may preserve it for a time, it is then deadly to the Church and will eventually destroy Church and community or society. We cannot judge the internal state of the Church. But when our worship and doctrinal classes are not attended by the majority of our members we can be sure that the body of the Church is sick. We do not exist for a pleasant way of living, an external demonstration of natural charity and friendship, a nice environment for our children, but solely that the Lord's New Church may be established upon earth; and he who does not have this at heart, or desire to have it at heart, is not really one of us.
     In his classes on distinctiveness, published in NEW CHURCH LIFE in 1944, Bishop de Charms says that the vision of the Divine Human given in the Writings introduces a new phase of human development. The religion that results, he continues, is not a return to the worship of the Lord known in preceding churches; not a restoration of the love that marked sincere Christians. It is a religion new in heaven and on earth because from a love now first possible; and that is the real reason why the Church must be distinctive.
MISS CAROLINE AUGUSTA HOBART 1952

MISS CAROLINE AUGUSTA HOBART       Rev. KARL R. ALDEN       1952

     From a Memorial Address

     This afternoon we are gathered here to commemorate the passing into the spiritual world of Caroline Augusta Hobart, better known to us all as "Miss Carrie." Had she lived two months longer, she would have reached the remarkable age of ninety-five, having been born back in Meigs County. Ohio, in the year 1857-nearly a hundred years ago! Her birthplace was a log cabin, and she came of fine old Puritan pioneer stock. She remembered the Civil War and used to tell how they hid all their silver under the horse trough, and drove their cattle down into a swamp, when a raid from the Southern armies threatened. Her heart knew a great sorrow as a child when her sister was taken to the spiritual world, and, later on, her father, whom she deeply loved; but through these earthly sorrows her mind was led to contemplate the beauties of the spiritual world under the inspired teaching of such ministers as Richard de Charms I, David Powell, and, in the late seventies, Richard de Charms II.

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     As she grew up she chose for herself the career of a teacher, and she labored in the public schools of her beloved Ohio. Then she taught in the Pittsburgh New Church Day School about the time of the headmastership of the Rev. Andrew Czerny. One of the deep joys of her later life was the tribute paid to her at the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Pittsburgh New Church School, and she always referred to her days in Pittsburgh as a peculiarly delightful period in her life.
     Her longing for further education in the New Church was strong within her, and in 1892 she came on to Philadelphia to study in the Academy. Her efforts were recognized on June 5, 1893, when Bishop Benade conferred on her the gold medal which was then the insignia of graduation.
     From this point on, her active life was spent in teaching in New Church Schools, first in the Girls' Seminary, and later in the Bryn Athyn Elementary School. She was always a fragile creature and one of her pupils told me that Miss Alice Grant had once said to her: "You had better call on Miss Carrie this afternoon, for you know that she may not be with us very much longer." That was more than half a century ago!
     About 1915, Miss Carrie retired from active teaching; devoting herself first to the care of her mother, and then to her aunt, Mrs. Sarah Beam, who lived to be 93 years of age.
     Miss Carrie passed through the change of leadership incident upon the founding of the General Church, and the record shows that she was the 29th person to be received into its ranks.
REDEMPTION 1952

REDEMPTION              1952

     "The Lord came into the world chiefly for these two things: to remove hell from angels and men, and to glorify His Human. For before the Lord's coming hell had increased to such a degree as to infest the angels of heaven, and also, by its interposing between heaven and the world, to intercept the Lord's communication with men on earth, in consequence of which no Divine truth or good could pass from the Lord to mankind. Consequently, a total destruction and damnation threatened the whole human race; and also the angels of heaven could not long have continued in their integrity. In order, therefore, that hell might be removed, and that impending damnation averted, the Lord came into the world, removed hell and subjugated it, and thus opened heaven: so that He might afterwards be present with men on earth, and save such as live according to His precepts" (TCR 579).

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ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1952

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS       W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1952

     COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY

     The Annual Meetings of the Council of the Clergy of the General Church of the New Jerusalem were held in the Council Hall of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral-Church January 29-February 1, 1952, with Bishop de Charms presiding.
     In addition to the Bishop of the General Church, there were present two members of the episcopal degree, seventeen members of the pastoral degree and three members of the ministerial degree, namely: the Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton and the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton; the Rev. Messrs. A. Wynne Acton, Elmo C. Acton, Karl R. Alden, Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, Harold C. Cranch, Emil R. Cronlund, Charles E. Doering, Frederick E. Gyllenhaal, W. Cairns Henderson, Hugo Lj. Odhner, Ormond de C. Odhner, Martin Pryke, Norman H. Reuter, Morley D. Rich, Norbert H. Rogers, David R. Simons, William Whitehead, Raymond G. Cranch, Louis B. King, and Vincent C. Odhner-a total of twenty-three, including all the active clergy of the General Church except those in Great Britain, South America, and Sweden. Candidates Geoffrey S. Childs, Jr., B. David Holm, Dandridge Pendleton, and Frank S. Rose were present by invitation.

     A meeting of the Bishop's Consistory was held on Monday evening, January 28th. The Council, in accordance with its usual custom, held six regular sessions four in the mornings and two in the afternoon, one open session, and one joint session with the Board of Directors of the General Church. During the week. Bishop de Charms held two meetings with the Pastors concerned, one to discuss District Assemblies, the other to consider the teacher needs of the local schools next year; and Bishop Pendleton presided at a meeting of the Educational Council Standing Committee on Program, which consists of Headmasters of local schools.

     In opening the first session, Bishop de Charms outlined the situation that confronted the Council. The entrance into the work of the priesthood of several young men would make possible more adequate ministrations to the growing needs of the General Church. But there was urgent need to decide whether to continue our support of the South African Mission; there are important needs to be met in this country and in Europe; we should not abandon the Society in Australia; and thought must be given to the most effective use of our manpower.

176


Practical matters to be considered were the time and place of the next General Assembly, a plan for District Assemblies and Episcopal Visits which will integrate them with General Assemblies, the appointment of a standing committee to consider the revision of the Liturgy in order that the work shall not be rushed when a new edition is required, and the revised "Statement of the Order and Organization of the General Church," comments on which would be welcomed.

     During the week, reports were presented by the Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE, the Secretary of the General Church, the Director of General Church Religion Lessons, and the Committees on Ecclesiastical Garments, Free Literature for Applicants, and NEW CHURCH LIFE. These were discussed and received, and it was resolved that the Committee on Ecclesiastical Garments should be continued.

     Applied doctrine, abstract theology, ecclesiastical policy, and practical matters were all presented for consideration at the regular sessions. A paper on "The Time of Betrothal" by the Rev. Ormond Odhner was discussed at length and the subject was ordered to be placed on the docket for further consideration next year. The Program Committee provided, at two sessions a concentrated discussion of the doctrine concerning the Lord's glorification, the papers being by the Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton and the Rev. Karl R. Alden.

     An entire session was devoted to discussion of the South African Mission, and the following resolution was adopted: "RESOLVED: It is the sense of this meeting that the support of the South African Mission is a definite use of the General Church and that we approve of the general policy proposed by Mr. Pryke." Consideration of the time and place of the next General Assembly ended with a formal recommendation from the Council of the Clergy that the next General Assembly be held in 1954 and that a decision as to the place be postponed until next year. The Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner invited, and received, comments on a Handbook of Information which he is preparing as a result of discussion in the Consistory. and Bishop Pendleton reported on a Fifty Year Index of NEW CHURCH LIFE now being prepared on ditto sheets in the office of Dean Klein. It was resolved that Dean Klein be encouraged to proceed with the task of preparing this Index for sale at cost price, and that thanks for, and appreciation of, his efforts be expressed.

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     Several resolutions were passed at the final session. The Bishop was again asked to appoint a Program Committee to provide for two sessions at the next Annual Meetings, and was requested to appoint a Standing Committee on the Liturgy. It was resolved also that the Committee on Missionary Literature which reported in 1950 should be continued, and the Secretary was instructed to send a message of thanks and appreciation to the ladies who provided refreshments during the morning recesses.

     The Open Session of the Council was held on Friday, February 1, following the usual Friday Supper of the Bryn Athyn Church. Bishop de Charms presided, and the address was given by the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers, who spoke on "The Communication of the Holy Spirit." This address, which is to be published, was discussed by several speakers who in various ways underlined the main point-that the men and women of the church must react, as of themselves, to receive the omnipresent Spirit as a regenerative influx.
     It has become customary to mention in this report the various social gatherings held, although they are not part of the Annual Council Meetings. Members of the Joint Council and their wives were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Harold F. Pitcairn at a dinner party on the Tuesday evening-as always, a very happy occasion. On Wednesday evening there was a social gathering of the Clergy in the home of Rev. and Mrs. Hugo Lj. Odhner, a delightful occasion which is looked forward to every year. And on Friday and Saturday, Mr. Raymond Pitcairn was host at two luncheon parties in which members of the Joint Council and male members of the Academy Faculty mingled fraternally in the sphere of the Church.
     W. CAIRNS HENDERSON,
          Secretary of the Council of the Clergy.
JOINT COUNCIL 1952

JOINT COUNCIL              1952

     FEBRUARY 2, 1952

     The fifty-eighth regular joint meeting of the Council of the Clergy and the Board of Directors of the General Church of the New Jerusalem was held in the Council Chamber of the Bryn Athyn Church on February 2, 1952. There were present:

     OF THE CLERGY: Rt. Rev. George de Charms (presiding), Rt. Rev. Messrs. Alfred Acton and Willard D. Pendleton; Rev. Messrs. A. W. Acton, E. C. Acton, K. R. Alden, H. C. Cranch, C. E. Doering, F. E. Gyllenhaal, W. C. Henderson, H. L. Odhner (secretary), Martin Pryke, N. H. Reuter, M. D. Rich, N. H. Rogers, D. R. Simons, William Whitehead, and R. G. Cranch; and, by invitation, Candidates G. S. Childs, Jr., B. D. Holm, Dandridge Pendleton, and Frank Rose.

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     OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Messrs. D. E. Acton, K. C. Acton, E. T. Asplundh, G. E. Blackman, G. S. Childs, R. W. Childs, Hubert Hyatt, P. C. Pendleton, H. F. Pitcairn, Raymond Pitcairn, and Arthur Synnestvedt; and by invitation, Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Jr.

     1. Bishop de Charms opened the meeting at 9:35 a.m. with prayers and the reading of Revelation 7: 9-17.
     2. The MINUTES of the 57th regular meeting were approved as printed in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1951, pages 158-163.
     3. The Rev. W. Cairns Henderson summarized his Report as SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY, which was received and filed (see page 184).
     Bishop de Charms announced that he had authorized Candidate Jose Lopes de Figueiredo to assist the Rev. Joso de Mendonca Lima in the work in Rio de Janeiro, pending ordination. This would allow Snr. Lima some leisure to devote to further Portuguese translations of the Writings.
     4. The Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner summarized his Report as SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH; which was duly received and filed (see page 181). He also submitted dittoed copies of a proposed Handbook of information about the General Church, asking the members to give their criticisms or suggestions before the end of March.
     5. The Reports of Edward H. Davis Esq., as SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATIONS OF THE GENERAL CHURCH were read by Mr. Hubert Hyatt, and on motion accepted and filed (see pages 188, 189).
     6. Mr. Hubert Hyatt read his Report as TREASURER OF THE GENERAL CHURCH, which was accepted (see page 189).
     7. The Report of the Committee on MINISTERIAL SALARIES was submitted by its chairman, Philip C. Pendleton, Esq. (see page 204). The Rev. Martin Pryke voiced appreciation of the Committee's work, and addressed himself to the problem of relative living standards in different lands and localities. Mr. Pendleton noted that the Committee was guided by the principle that no minister should be penalized for his willingness to serve in his use. Mr. Hyatt added that our policy avoided making the salary floor so high as to induce young men to go into the ministry for external reasons, or so low that they would be restrained by a fear that they could not be able to marry and support a family. Thus a minister should have a sufficient salary that he can make ends meet financially and be able to devote his time and mind to his work.
     The Report was accepted.
     8. The Rev. W. Cairns Henderson gave his Report as EDITOR OF NEW CHURCH LIFE. This was accepted with expressions of appreciation (see page 201).

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     Mr. Randolph W. Childs complained that the journal had become so popular that one copy is not enough in a home. Mr. Daric E. Acton testified to an increased interest in the LIFE in his home society.
     9. The Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal gave his Report as Director of the GENERAL CHURCH RELIGION LESSONS Committee (see page 202). In addition to the various courtesy activities of the Committee noted in the written Report, he called attention to the mimeographing of a new version of Swedenborg's Rules of Life-a translation approved by the Consistory.
     Questioned as to the status of an undertaking to mimeograph material for an eventual Hymnal for Children, he invited the cooperation of ministers and others in submitting songs and selections. A type of cumulative binder was shown which had been found suitable to use for the music sheets as they are ready. By June, from forty to sixty hymns should be available.
     The Bishop invited the members to inspect Mr. Gyllenhaal's office and Committee workshop in the choir wing. Several speakers emphasized the urgent need of a Children's Hymnal. Mr. Pryke felt, however, that some of the old hymns were too sentimental, and that new hymn writers should be encouraged. Mr. Raymond Pitcairn stressed how much painstaking and complicated work was involved in the projects of Mr. Gyllenhaal and his Committee, and paid a tribute to the ability manifested in their accomplishments.
     On motion, the Report was accepted.
     10. The Rev. Morley D. Rich gave a Report as chairman of the Committee in charge of SOUND RECORDINGS (see page 204).
     Mr. Rich calculated that members of his Committee had given some four thousand hours of work to the tape-recording during the last two years. The possibility of transferring the tape-recording to disk-records so as to widen their field of usefulness was discussed. If was shown that this had occasionally been done, but was expensive and time-consuming. Rev. N. H. Reuter believed that about forty-six tape-recording machines were in actual use.
     On motion, the Report was accepted.
     11. The Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal reported informally for the VISUAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE that with the new slides added during the year a total stock of over 1500 different pictures was available for use. They were borrowed mostly by traveling ministers and also used at the summer classes for children in Bryn Athyn. Some difficulty had been experienced in getting borrowers to return the slides promptly for others to use, and also in finding a more suitable type of carrier for mailing than the one now employed.

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     The Report was, on motion, accepted. (The written Report, by Mr. William R. Cooper, director, is printed on page 205.)
     12. The TIME AND PLACE OF THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY was discussed. The Bishop reminded the meeting that an invitation had been extended in 1950 to hold the next General Assembly in England. In general, we had endeavored to hold such assemblies every third year, in which case one should fall due in 1953. The Council of the Clergy had during the week considered the matter and recommended to the Joint Council that the Twentieth General Assembly be held in 1954 and that the place to hold it be decided later.
     On motion, the Joint Council concurred in this recommendation.
     13. The Bishop reported that the Board of Directors had considered the recommendations of the Council of the Clergy relative to the SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION in connection with other urgent uses of the General Church, and that the general plan had been approved, with certain restrictions as to the purchase of real estate. The plan, submitted in detailed form by the Rev. Martin Pryke, Superintendent of the Mission, contemplated placing the work on a more stable and practical basis than had hitherto been possible.
     14. The best time for annual meetings of the Corporations of the General Church was considered. Formerly Corporation meetings for the election of the Board of Directors (Executive Committee) were required only at General Assemblies, but now the elections must be held annually. A Corporation committee headed by Mr. Daric Acton had explored the question of the mode of electing members to the Board, and suggested a date in connection with Charter Day as most suitable with a view to a large attendance. The question was discussed, but seemed to present many difficulties requiring further study, and was left undecided.
     15. The Bishop submitted his new statement on THE ORDER AND ORGANIZATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH which was printed as an article in the February issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE. The wording in two paragraphs anent the process of electing a Bishop was discussed as ambiguous, and the Bishop stated that suggested revisions would be incorporated when the statement was issued in pamphlet form.
     16. The meeting adjourned at noon.

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ANNUAL REPORTS 1952

ANNUAL REPORTS       Various       1952

     SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL CHURCH

     During 1951, the General Church enrolled 89 new members, and suffered 20 deaths and the loss of 4 other members. At the close of the year our roll contained 2690 names, 1608 residing in the United States and 1052 in other countries. (Separate figures for the USA. are required by statistical agencies.)

Membership, Jan. 1, 1951                                   2625
     (U.S.A.-1567, Other countries-1058)
New Members (Certificates 4054-4142)                    89
     (U.S.A.-52, Other countries-37)
Deaths (U.S.A.- 9. Other countries-11)               20
Resignations (U.S.A.-2, Elsewhere-1)               3
Dropped from the Roll (South Africa-1)               1
          Losses                              24     24
     Net gain in membership                                        65          


Membership on Jan. 1, 1952                                   2690
     (U.S.A.-1608. Other countries-1O82)


     NEW MEMBERS

     January 1, 1931 to December 31, 1951

     A. THE UNITED STATES

     Playa del Rey, California
Mrs. Harold Frederic (Phyllis Isabelle Livingstone) Cole

     Manchester, Connecticut
Mrs. Donald D. (Harriet Dyment Breen) Cronlund

     Chicago, Illinois
Miss Dorothy Ann Gladish
Mrs. Herman (Jessie Burkhardt) Kitzelman

     Glenview, Illinois
Miss Doris Ann Brickman
Miss Phyllis Jean Burnham
Miss Theodora Marie Coffin
Mr. Kendall Fiske
Mrs. Kendall (Gerda Synnestvedt) Fiske
Miss Patricia Ann Gyllenhaal
Mr. Albert Dean Henderson, Jr.
Mr. Bruce Edgar Holmes
Mr. Hubert Junge
Mr. Robert Schill Junge
Mr. Joseph Daniel Seckelman
Mrs. Joseph D. (Dorothy Elizabeth Phipps) Seckelman
Miss Marjorie Ann Synnestvedt
Mr. Alfred Austin Umberger

     Detroit, Michigan
Miss Barbara Anne Forfar

     St. Louis, Missouri
Miss Shirley June Owen

     Ponghkeepsie, New York
Mr. Russell Edwin Rogers

     New York, New York
Mr. Dirk van Zyverden

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     East Orange, New Jersey
Mr. John Graham Lindsay

     Charlotte, North Carolina
Mrs. Conrad (Alberta Spain Baker) Bostock

     Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr. Donald Robert Hayworth
Mrs. Donald R. (Miriam Anna Pletcher) Hayworth

     Portsmouth, Ohio
Miss Patricia Ann Klock

     Bryn Athyn district, Pennsylvania
Miss Cora Louise Glebe
Mr. Alfred Merl Glenn
Mr. John Patrick Gorandfleld, Jr.
Mrs. John P. (Edith Anne Rogers) Gorandfleld, Jr.
Mr. Peter Rittenhouse Gyllenhaal
Mrs. Thomas A. (Dorothy Marie Pletcher) Hilldale
Miss Nina Hyatt
Mrs. Kenneth Theodore (Frances Jeanne van Zyverden) McQueen
Miss Barbara Alice Merrell
Mr. Bruce Irving Nash
Mrs. Bruce I. (Jean Miner) Nash
Miss Carol Anne Odhner
Mr. Kenneth Rose
Miss Elaine Claire Schnarr
Mr. Joffre George Schnarr
Mrs. Joffre G. (Winafred Hodgeon) Schnarr
Mr. Lawrence Vaughan Smith
Mrs. Lawrence V. (Thelma Lee Ball) Smith
Mr. Marlyn Field Smith
Mr. Charles van Zyverden

     Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mrs. Harold Sunderland (Theresa Elizabeth Walter) Thompson

     Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mr. Kenneth Bellinger Blair

     Washington, D. C.
Mr. Thomas France Rott

     Cottage Grove, Wisconsin
Mrs. Alfred Frank (Hortense Marion Festerling) Mergen

     Madison, Wisconsin
Mrs. Veronica Vogel Parr

     B. CANADA

     Gorand Prairie, Alberta
Miss Loraine Winifred Lempky

     Lansing, Ontario
Mr. James Livingstone Swalm
Mrs. James L. (Maud-Mary Currie) Swalm

     Toronto, Ontario
Mr. Donald George Barber
Miss Evelyn Jane Barber

     Torrance, Ontario
Mrs. Arthur Alan (Mary Loretta Estelle Ahern) Fountain

     Waterloo, Ontario
Mr. Rudolph Paul Bellinger
Mrs. Rudolph P. (Barbara Innes March) Bellinger
Miss Marion Louise Down

     C. SOUTH AMERICA.

     Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Snr. Carlos F. C. Gomes
Snra. Carlos E. C. (Rosy Coereia Lima) Gomes
Snr. Enio de Mendonca Lima
Suta. Antonietta Brandao de Mendonca Lima
Snr. Joao Ubiratan de Negreiros
Snra. J. U. (Edna Silveira) de Negreiros
Snr. Mario de Padua
Snr. Edmundo Galvao da Silva
Snta. Ana Izolette Galvao da Silva
Snr. Oswaldo Tolipan
Snta. Lilian Lobo Taveira

     D. DENMARK

     Frederica
Mrs. Ivar P. (Ellnor Hansen) Lykke

     F. GREAT BRITAIN

     Criccieth North Wales
Mrs. Harry (Madoline Holland) Dean

     Birmingham
Mr. David Charles Finley

     Colchester
Miss Joyce Phyllis Smith

     Croyden
Mr. Arthur Dewhurst Atherton

     London
Mr. Thomas John Sharp

183




     F. HOLLAND

     Nijmegen
Mr. Marinus Rijksen
Mrs. Marinus Rijksen (Nansje Rijksenden Hollander)

     G. SWEDEN

     Jonkoping district
Mr. Karl Henrik Sigstedt

     H. SOUTH AFRICA

     Durban, Natal
Mrs. E. J. W. (Helen Diana Cowley) Browne
Mrs. George Henry (Margaret McIlveen Currie) Goodwin
Miss Gwyneth Julie Levine
Mrs. James G. (Elsa Gehrt) Masson
Mrs. Durham (Grace Stewart) Ridgway

     Umtwalumi, Natal
Mr. Stanley Frederick Parker
Mrs. Stanley F. (Liliane Fanny Casalis) Parker

     Bloemfontein, Orange Free State
Mr. Cornelis Stefanus Rademeyer

     DEATHS

     Reported during 1951.

Cole, Mr. David Andrew, May 8, 1951, Glenview, Ill.
Denninger, Mr. Christian George Carl, Nov. 30, 1950, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Eblin, Mr. Austin H., details unknown.
Farrington, Mrs. Harvey (Irene Bellinger), Apr. 7, 1951, Glenview, Ill.
Fuller, Mrs. Herbert P. (Mary Dover Norris), Aug. 31, 1951, Glenview, Ill.
Godfrey, Mrs. Alfred (Annie Laurie Maskell), Nov. 10, 1950, Portsmouth, England.
Longley, Mrs. Charles W. (Florence Palmer), Jan. 5, 1951, Toronto, Ont.
McFall, Dr. William Alexander, October 10, 1951, Toronto, Ont.
Meech, Miss Marietta Louise, Mar. 22, 1951, Gulfport, Fla.
Orme, Mr. Albert Ernest, Mar. 21, 1951, London, England.
Pendleton, Mr. William Edmund, Oct. 9, 1950, Macon, Ga.
Roschman, Mr. Rudolf, Oct. 17, 1951, Waterloo, Ont.
Rosengren, Mr. Karl Herman, Jan. 19, 1951, Stockholm, Sweden.
Starkey, Mrs. George G. (Grace Harriet Hathaway), July 4, 1951, Glenview, Ill.
Stebbing, Mr. Robert Archibald, Apr. 18, 1951, London, England.
Thompson, Mr. Arnold, Jan. 24, 1951, Toronto, Ont.
Van Paassen, Mr. Adrian, Apr. 3, 1951, Toronto, Ont.
Waelchli, Mr. Noah Louis, November, 1946, Fla. Delayed report.
Young, Mrs. Frank W. (Emma Burkhart), May 8, 1951, Oak Lawn, Ill.
Zorn, Mr. Ernest William, Jan. 20, 1951, Toronto, Ont.

     RESIGNATIONS

Barnitz, Mr. Henry Longfellow, Evanston, Ill.
Barnitz, Mrs. Henry L., Evanston, Ill.
Elphick, Mr. Felix Hector, Beckenham, England.

     DROPPED FROM THE ROLL

     McClean, Mrs. Alan P. D. (Hjordis Meydell), Pretoria, South Africa.

     THE CALENDAR FOR DAILY READINGS

     The Reading Calendar was again issued, for 1952. The questionnaire as to its usefulness was answered by 387-a 26% response. Some of the 166 declared users of the Calendar most urgently requested its continuance. Among these were very many isolated members. 128 lived in the United States or Canada, 27 in Europe. 11 elsewhere, and 17 in lands outside the English-speaking zone. Besides these 166. 15 wanted to start using the Calendar.
     Among the non-users. 63 wanted the Calendar continued, 113 did not, while 2.3 were indifferent. Many of these gave reasons for wanting to select their own readings from the Writings.

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     MISSION IN SOUTH AFRICA

     In the course of a comprehensive report as Superintendent of the Mission, the Rev. Martin Pryke gives, as of September 30, 1951, a total of 401 baptized adult members, 102 young people, and 251 children. The total average attendance at services was 240, and at classes 77, in 11 church centers.
     Respectfully submitted,
          HUGO LJ. ODHNER.
               Secretary.



     COUNCIL OF THE CLERGY

     January 1, 1951 to January 1, 1932

     MEMBERSHIP

     There was one ordination into the first degree of the Priesthood in 1951, and no losses through death or resignation. Thus the total membership of the Council is now thirty-four, an increase of one.
     This total is made up of three priests of the Episcopal degree, twenty-eight of the Pastoral degree, and three of the Ministerial degree. It is again pointed out that nine members of the Council are retired or engaged in secular work, and that although some in both of these categories assist from time to time in the work of the Church, the active membership is therefore twenty-five.
     There are also five Authorized Candidates, four of them in the Theological School of the Academy; one priest of the Pastoral degree in the British Guiana Mission; and nine priests of the Pastoral degree and two of the Ministerial degree in the South African Mission-a decrease of one brought about by the resignation of a Minister. The Circles at The Hague and at Paris, and the Society in Australia, continue to be served by Authorized Leaders. A list of the Clergy of the General Church and its Missions appears in New CHURCH LIFE for December, 1951, pp. 564-567.

     STATISTICS

     Statistics concerning the SACRAMENTS AND RITES of the Church administered during 1951, compiled from 27 reports received up to February 4, 1952, together with the final though still incomplete figures for 1950, are as follows:

                              1951     1950
Baptisms                         140     137     (+3)
Holy Supper:
     Administrations               143     162     (-19)
     Communicants               3279     4135     (-856)
Confessions of Faith               33     33
Betrothals                         22     26     (-4)
Marriages                         30     37     (-7)
Funeral Services                    26     22     (+4)
Ordinations                         1     2     (-1)
Dedications (Homes)               4     11     (-7)

     The above figures do not include administrations of Sacraments and Rites in the South African Mission.

185


Although the Comparative Table shows slight decreases for the most part, it must be remembered that reports of official acts performed in three Societies (entirely in two and partly in one) and in several Circles and Groups have not yet been received. It is reasonable to suppose that a complete return would show a general increase.

     REPORTS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY

     The Rt. Ret. George de Charms, Bishop of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, and President of the Academy of the New Church, reports as follows:

     BISHOP OF THE GENERAL CHURCH

     As Bishop of the General Church, after being incapacitated by illness for fifteen months, I began to resume some of my official duties in September, 1951.
     Since that time I have presided at meetings of the Board of Directors and the Corporation of the General Church, and have met regularly with the Bishop's Consistory; and on September 5, 1951, I recognized the group of receivers of the Heavenly Doctrine in Madison, Wisconsin, as a Circle of the General Church of the New Jerusalem.
     Meanwhile, the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton has continued to act as my representative throughout the year, presiding over District Assemblies and performing official acts pertaining to the Episcopal Office.

     PASTOR OF THE BRYN ATHYN CHURCH

     As Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Society I have conducted services in the Cathedral since November, 1951, presided over the Pastor's Council and the Board of Trustees, and performed rites and ceremonies as reported on the attached report. At the Annual Meeting of the Bryn Athyn Church on October 5, 1951, the Society, on my nomination, elected the Rev. David R. Simons as Assistant Pastor.
     I wish to make grateful acknowledgment of the invaluable assistance given during the year by Bishop Willard D. Pendleton in connection with the work of the General Church and the Academy, and the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner as Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, both of whom have assumed a large measure of responsibility on my behalf. Also I would express my deep appreciation of the help given by others who have undertaken increased burdens rendered necessary by my absence from my office.

     PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH

     As President of the Academy of the New Church I have, since September, 1951, presided at the meetings of the Corporation, the Board of Directors, the General Faculty, the President's Council, and the Faculty of the Theological School. In addition, I have taught one course in the Theological School and one in the Senior College, besides giving several lectures to a class in the Junior College on sociology.


     The Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton continued to serve as Representative of the Bishop of the General Church and as Executive Vice President of the Academy of the New Church. During the absence of the Bishop he served as his representative in the Episcopal Office and presided over the meetings of the Council of the Clergy, the Corporation, and the Board of Directors of the General Church. He also presided over the Meetings of the Educational Council, the Eastern Canada Assembly, the Chicago District Assembly, and the Pittsburgh-Ohio-Michigan Assemblies; and officiated at the ordination of Mr. Louis Blair King, Jr., into the first degree of the Priesthood.

186




     The Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton continued to serve as Visiting Pastor of the Washington Circle and Dean of the Theological School.

     Rev. A. Wynne Acton reports that in addition to his duties as Pastor of the Olivet Church, Toronto, and Headmaster of the Olivet Day School he has continued to serve as Visiting Pastor of the Montreal Circle, with the help of the Kitchener Pastor,

     Rev. Elmo C. Acton reports that he has been engaged as Pastor of the Immanuel Church of the New Jerusalem.

     Rev. Karl R. Alden, Visiting Pastor to the Canadian Northwest and a Teacher in the Academy Schools, mentions that an account of his work as Visiting Pastor is contained in NEW CHURCH LIFE for January and February, 1952, pp. 22-26, 77-82.

     Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom, Pastor of Nya Kyrkans Forsamling, Stockholm, and Visiting Pastor of Den Nye Kirkes Menignet, Oslo, is still serving as Editor of NOVA ECCLESIA and Manager of the Book Room in Stockholm. He visited Malmkoping twice, and on a single visit to Oslo conducted a service, administered the Holy Supper, gave a doctrinal class and held a meeting with the Circle.

     Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen, in addition to his regular duties as Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society and Headmaster of the Pittsburgh New Church School, conducted several services for adults and children at Mr. Alexander H. Lindsays' farm near Freeport, Pa.

     Rev. Harold C. Cranch, Pastor of the Sharon Church and Visiting Pastor to the Western States, submitted a statistical report.

     Rev. E. R. Cronlund, engaged in secular work, mentions conducting a doctrinal class at Madison, Wisconsin.
     Rev. Charles E. Doering reports that until March he preached regularly to the Fort Worth Circle, and held doctrinal classes and children's classes. He preached once in Baltimore, Bryn Athyn, and Pittsburgh, and since September 10th has been a special teacher in the Theological School and the College of the Academy.

     Rev. Victor J. Gladish, in secular work, preached twice at Sharon Church, and once at Glenview and at Linden Hills, Mich.

     Rev. Frederick E. Gyllenhaal, Director of General Church Religion Lessons and Pastor-in-charge of the Children's Services in Bryn Athyn, also edited NEW CHURCH EDUCATION. In addition to his regular duties he preached in Bryn Athyn nine times and for several months taught a course in the College of the Academy.

     Rev. Henry Heinrichs, engaged in secular work, preached seven times its Kitchener and twice in Toronto.

     Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Secretary of time Council of the Clergy. Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and an Instructor in Theology and Religion in the Academy, preached five times in Bryn Athyn and twice visited Urbana, Ohio, for services and classes. He taught one course in the Theological-School and two its the College, and gave several major addresses during the year.

187




     Rev. Jado de Mendonga Linus, Pastor of the New Church Society. Rio de Janeiro, submitted a statistical report and mentioned preaching fifty times during the year.

     Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, Secretary of the General Church, Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, and Professor of Theology in the Academy of the New Church, conducted or assisted at 45 services, preached 12 times, gave 19 general doctrinal classes and one class for young people. He again supervised the Cathedral Guilds and, in the absence of the Pastor, presided at several meetings. He gave two public addresses and prepared the annual Calendar of Daily Readings. In the Academy he taught in the Theological School, the College, and the Girls' Seminary.

     Rev. Martin Pryke reports that during the year he was engaged as Pastor of the Durban Society and Superintendent of the General Church Mission in South Africa.

     Rev. Norman H. Reuter, in addition to his regular duties as Pastor of the Carmel Church, Kitchener, and Headmaster of the Carmel Church School, preached twice in Montreal and Toronto and once in Cleveland, Detroit, and Linden Hills, and gave doctrinal classes twice in Montreal and once in Cleveland and Youngstown. He supervised the Ontario Young People's Assembly and addressed the Eastern Canada Assembly.

     Rev. Morley D. Rich, Pastor of the Advent Society, Philadelphia, and Visiting Pastor of the Arbutus, New York, and North Jersey Circles, continued to serve as Chairman and Editor of the General Church Sound Recording Committee and as Secretary of the Educational Council.

     Rev. Norbert H. Rogers was engaged as Pastor of the Detroit Circle and, since July, as Visiting Pastor to the North Ohio Group, which receives one weekend visit a month. He preached thirty-five times in Detroit, three times in Cleveland, and twice in Youngstown and Kitchener.

     Rev. Erik Sandstrom, Assistant Pastor of the Stockholm Society and Visiting Pastor of the Jonkoping Circle and the Gothenburg Group, reports two visits to Oslo, which included a public and a semi-public lecture, and two visits by special invitation to the friends in Copenhagen. He mentions a decision to publish a small Norwegian Liturgy and Hymnal, the manuscript of which is ready; and states that he preached and gave an address at the British Assembly, preached in London, and gave a class at Chadwell Heath.

     Rev. David R. Simons, Principal of the Bryn Athyn Elementary School and an Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church since October, preached seven times, and gave four adult and fifteen young people's classes and two children's services in Bryn Athyn. He also visited Urbana and Arbutus once and gave the Charter Day address in Bryn Athyn.

     Rev. William Whitehead was engaged as Professor of History and Political Science in the Academy of the New Church. He preached once in Bryn Athyn and gave the Theta Alpha annual address.

     Rev. Raymond G. Cranch, engaged in secular work, preached once and gave a doctrinal class at Erie. He mentions also the publication of his book, Justice in Social Relations.

188




     Rev. Louis B. King reports that, since the summer, he has been engaged as a visiting minister and a part-time teacher in the Academy. During the summer he visited the Western Staten and since then he has conducted services and classes in Erie, Pa., Cincinnati and Urbana, Ohio, New York City, and Northern New Jersey. In the Academy he taught Religion and Physics.
     Respectfully submitted,
          W. CAIRNS HENDERSON.
               Secretary.


     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     (A Corporation of Pennsylvania)

     REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO THE

     JOINT COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1951


     During the year 1951, forty-eight new members joined the Corporation and there were no deaths or resignations. The total membership at the end of the year was two hundred twenty.
     The new members, in order of registration, are:

Raymond G. Cranch
Harold C. Cranch
Carl H. Synnestvedt
George Synnestvedt
William B. Alden
Karl R Alden, Jr.
Reginald C. Smith
Willard O. Smith
H. Douglas MacMaster
Winfred A. Smith
Raymond L. Lockhart
Carl G. Soneson
Stanley A. Rose
George E. Lindsay, Jr.
John C. Echols
Theodore Doering
George Austin Arrington
Harris S. Campbell
Ralph H. McClarren
William F. Homiller
Robert G. Genzlinger
Wilfred B. Klippenstein
Robert Alden
Gustav Genzlinger
John W. Rose
Sydney Heldon
Aldwin C. Smith
Conrad Bostock
Donald T. Moorhead
William E. Brown
John B. King
Dallam V. Smith
Donald C. Fitzpatrick
Fred G. Davis
Philip R. Cronlund
Bertrand L. Smith
Bruce S. Cronlund
Charles de Charms
George T. Tyler
Ernest J. Burnham
Harold E. Sellner
Eugene C. Glebe
Hubert Synnestvedt
Albert S. Dorsey
Roscoe L. Coffin
Morley D. Rich
Alexander H. Lindsay
Edmund P. Glenn

     The annual meeting of the Corporation was held on June 14, 1951. At that meeting certain amendments to the by-laws were adopted. Probably the one of most general interest was a by-law providing for the appointment of a committee to nominate members for election to the Board of Directors.

189


A resolution was also adopted requesting the Bishop to appoint a committee to consider and make recommendations with respect to the qualification and mode of election of directors, time of the annual meeting, the qualification of the nominating committee and procedure for nomination of directors.
     Ten directors were elected for a term of three years A list of the present directors and offices will be found in New CHURCH LIFE for December, 1951 at page 563.
     Eight meetings of the Board of Directors were held. The problems of the South African Mission were considered at most of the meetings. Other subjects considered were ministerial salaries, the placement of graduating theological students, establishment of a mission center in the west, pensions, and the problem of housing for ministers. One meeting was held to hear a report of the Sound Recording Committee. Investments and other financial matters, as usual, required attention.

Respectfully submitted,
     EDWARD H. DAVIS,
          Secretary of the Corporation
          and Board of Directors.


     THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     (A Corporation of Illinois)

     REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE CORP0RATION AND THE EXECUTIVE. COMMITTEE TO

     THE JOINT COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1951

     During the year 1951 forty-three new members joined the Corporation. One of our oldest members, Mr. Rudolph Roschman, died on October 17, 1951. He was an honorary member of the Executive Committee and had been a member of the Corporation since 1905.
     The total membership at the end of the year was two hundred forty-two.
     The annual meeting of the Corporation was held on June 14, 1951. Amendments to the by-laws were adopted and ten members were elected to the Executive Committee. With minor exceptions the annual meeting followed the pattern of that of the Pennsylvania corporation.
     The only meeting of the Executive Committee held during the year was the organization meeting of June 14, 1951. At that meeting officers were elected and a resolution was adopted authorizing the appointment of a nominating committee to nominate members for election to the Executive Committee at the next annual meeting.

     Respect fully submitted,
          EDWARD H. DAVIS,
               Secretary of the Corporation
               and Board of Directors.


     TREASURER OF THE GENERAL CHURCH

     Report for 1951

     With two exceptions, the General Church Treasury operations of 1951 were not unusual as compared with those of several immediately preceding years. In 1950, with a General Assembly, and with five Pastors, plus their families, being moved for a total of 81,893 passenger-miles (not to mention their freight, for 41,457 ton-miles) the years expenditures were unusual and reached an all-time high of over $68,000. In 1951, although with numerous increases in costs, the year's expenditures were down to a total of $58,000.

190



     The first exception was the return of Bishop de Charms after his severe and lengthy illness. He had been very much missed for well over a year and the Treasury joins all the others in rejoicing over his return. He has a very warm welcome from everyone.
     The second exception was financial rather than episcopal. Contributions to current income for general purposes were substantially greater in amount than for any previous year.
     On page 198 is a tabulation listing these contributions for the 29 years. 1922 to 1951. In this tabulation by "Potential Contributors" is meant "All the members of the General Church, plus all non-member contributors, but counting each married couple as only one member, and not counting either those whose address is unknown or those who are known not to be interested in the General Church in any way.
     From this tabulation it may be noted: 1) The number of "Potential Contributors has increased rather steadily from 1276 in 1922 to 1830 in 1931, an increase of 554 or 43%; (2) The year during which the greatest number of "Potential Contributors were "Actual Contributors" was 1946; (3) The year during which the greater percentage of "Potential Contributors" were "Actual Contributors" was 1945 whets the percentage was 48; and (4) The year during which the greatest amount of contributions was received was 1951.
     On pages 196 and 197 is the December 31, 1951 Balance Sheet of All Funds; on page 199, the 1951 Income and Expense Statement of the Unrestricted General Operating Fund; and on page 200, the December 31. 1951 Balance Sheet of the Restricted Funds and the 1951 Income and Expense Statement thereof. On these forte pages it is interesting, among other things, to note the following:

1. December 31, 1951 Net Worth of All Funds, per page 197, was $1,581,423.6l. This compares with $1,397,982.45 for December 31, 1950, indicating a 1951 increase of $183,441.16. It also compares with $177,166.55 for August 1, 1922, indicating a 28-year increase of $1,404,257.06.

2. 1951 General Fund Expenditures, per page 199, amount to $58,033.24. This compares with $68,082.70 for 1950, with $25,464.31 for 1922, and with about $70,000.O0 for 1952 as presently estimated.

3. 1951 General Fund Surplus Income, per page 199, amounted to $23,713.41. This compares with $333.52 for 1950. For each of a considerable number of years prior to 1936, the General Fund had suffered from a substantial Deficit. But for each of the following 16 years, 1936 to 1951, it had an income Surplus, averaging $5,371.11 per year and therefore totalling $85,937.80.

4. December 31, 1951 Net Worth of Reserve Funds, per page 200, was $903,529.49. These Reserve Funds consist of contributions of capital which were received during the 11 years, 1941 to 1951, in the total amount of $785,234.71. The contributors thereof requested that, of the total income therefrom, only is stated portion be expended and that the remainder be accumulated for future expenditure whenever the total income therefrom may fall below the stated expenditure rate. The accumulations of unexpended income on December 31, 1951 rounded to $118,294.78 which is an average per year of $11,829.48. The 1951 expenditures which were unrestricted as to purpose amounted to $18,919.00.

191


As is recorded on pages 199 and 200, this 518.91900 was regarded as contributions to General Fund Income, because the capital was contributed for the purpose of replacing or adding to previously received current contributions for current expenditure.

5. December 31, 1951 Book Value of Bond & Stock Investments held by All Funds, per page 196, was $1,504,945.19. On the same date, the Market Value of these Investments exceeded $2,100,000.00 or something more than $600,000.00 in excess of the Book Value.

     MINISTERIAL SALARY PLAN

     This Plan, by Resolution of the Board of Directors, April 2nd, 1945, went into effect January 1st, 1948, and therefore has now been in operation for four years. The Plan, also by Board Resolutions, has been amended three times: First, on February 3rd, 1950 effective January 1st, 1950; Second, on October 14th. 1950, effective, January 1st, 1951; and Third, on October 18th, 1951, effective January 1st, 1952.
     The Plan provides for: (1) A minimum yearly Church income to each active Minister in U.S.A. during his first year of service; (2) A specified addition thereto if he is married; (3) A yearly addition of $100 thereto for a specified number of years; (4) A minimum to each active Minister elsewhere than U.S.A., depending on the economic circumstances of the locality as compared with those of U.S.A.; and (5) The Plan's implementation by the General Church for each Minister whose Pastorate is unable itself fully to implement the Plan, provided funds for the purpose are available.
     The amounts involved for an active Minister in U.S.A. are as follows:

Effective          Minimum               Number of Years for
for the          Yearly Income          Yearly Addition of
Year                                   $100
               Single     Married
1948               $2,000     $2,500          15
1949               2,000          2,500               15
1950               2,000          2,500               20
1951               2,000          2,750               20
1952               2,250          3,000               20


     Attention is directed to the fact that the Plan provides for income minima, not maxima. Its purpose is to provide floors, not ceilings.
     The General Church, to date, has had sufficient funds available with which to implement the Plan where General Church implementation was needed. This has resulted from the favorable response of our Societies to the Plan, which generally has been recognized as highly desirable for the welfare and growth of our Church. It also is generally recognized that the complete financial independence of each of our Societies similarly is highly desirable for the same welfare and growth. The financial dependence of any Society on the General Church is something to be avoided wherever and whenever avoidance is in any way practical.
     The problem of determining reasonably satisfactory minima in countries other than U.S.A. has not been solved. Absence of the gold standard, controlled currency exchange values, restrictions on the flow of currency, variations in standards of living, widely differing income tax structures, etc., all tend toward producing the opinion that no formulae are applicable and that each case must he considered separately on the basis of such data as may be available.

192



     For each of the four year 1948-1951, questionnaires have been sent to a number of our active Ministers in order that the Plan could be administered, and it is trusted that the Plan is in effective operation throughout the Church. Although the replies of Ministers to these questionnaires are intended to be on a strictly voluntary basis, it is obviously both advisable and useful that replies be received from all to whom the questionnaires are sent. Moreover, if any active Minister fails to receive but wishes to submit a questionnaire, a request to she Treasurer will receive prompt attention.

     PENSION PLANS

     The Pension Plans of the General Church and the Academy are substantially identical as to terms and in their operation. That of the Academy became effective July 1. 1946, and that of the General Church became effective June 1st, 1947 for the General Church itself, and, for its Societies, in accordance with the tabulation below. The two organizations cooperate in administration, with the services of an employee to both being regarded as cumulative, and with Pension costs shared by both on the basis of the length of service to each by the employee.
     Those eligible as beneficiaries are all the employees of the General Church and of the Academy plus the Ministers and Teachers of all General Church Societies and other Groups.
     To the Pension Funds of both the General Church and the Academy is added, respectively, 10% of all salaries paid by them. To the Pension Fund of the General Church are also added the contributions for the purpose of all Societies and other Groups which voluntarily participate in the Plan, the intention being that each and every Society or other Group contribute, respectively, 10% of the salaries paid to its Ministers and Teachers. The salaries in question are those paid in cash and/or otherwise, including offertories and all other considerations for services rendered.
     By means of the two Pension Funds, the two Pension Plans are administered by the Treasurer as directed by the two Pension Committees which are appointed by the two Boards of Directors of the General Church and the Academy, respectively.
     A pension is payable to any eligible employee who becomes either incapacitated or 65 years of age, whichever is the earlier, and provided a minimum of 10 years of service has been rendered.
     Employment may be continued after the age of 65 by mutual agreement between employee and employer. In the event of such continued employment, the pension terms are those which apply when retirement occurs.
     The yearly pension amount is computed on the basis of the number of years of service rendered, and is a percentage of the average of the yearly salary received during those five years during which the salary was maximum in amount, these five years not necessarily being continuous. For 10 years of service the percentage is twenty and for each additional year the percentage is one, provided the total percentage does not exceed fifty, which is the maximum considered under the Plans.
     The Plans provide, in addition to the foregoing, for: (1) Variations from the terms thereof, on recommendation of the Pension Committee approved by the Board of Directors; (2) Amendment or suspension thereof by the Board of Directors; (3) Use, as may be deemed proper by the Board of Directors, of the Pension Fund, either in whole or in part, for other than Pension purposes; (4) Reduction of a Pension amount, at the discretion of the Pension Committee, by the amount of Social Security and/or other benefits granted by Government; and (5) Non-extension of the Plans to the dependents of a deceased employee; all respectively as to each of the two organizations.

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     GENERAL CHURCH PENSION FUND

Net Worth 12/31/1951                              $152,356.39
Income 1951                                        8,969.91
Pensions 1951 (Thirteen)                         8,431.77

Additions to Pension Fund in
     accordance with the Pension Plan
     1947                              $ 2,846.84
     1948                              11,095.74
     1949                              10,918.30
     1950                              10,912.48
     1951                              11,508.21
                                   47,281.57
     1952 to 1/31/52                    575.21
                                   47,856.78

     There follows a list of the 20 Societies or other Groups who enjoy the continuous or regular services of Pastors, plus the General Church, and, opposite each, is given the period covered by its contribution, three of the Societies, as yet, having found it impractical to contribute the entire 10%, and the total of the contributions being $47,856.78 as above. It is highly desirable that the four Societies, which have not done so hitherto, should begin participating as soon as possible.
     It can be noted that of the 16 participating Societies, 11 began in 1947, 3 in 1948, and 2 in 1949. Also it can be noted that 12 are substantially up to date or in advance with their contributions. 2 are in arrears for one year or less, and 2 are in arrears for two years or less.

                                             Period
     Country     Society or Other Group          From          To
Canada     
1. Kitchener                              Jan. 1948     Dec. 1951
2. Toronto                                   May 1947     Dec. 1951
England
3. British Finance Committee                    June 1947     Nov. 1951
4. Colchester                              June 1947     Dec. 1951
3. London                                   June 1947     Sep. 1951
Sweden     
6. Stockholm                              July 1947     Dec. 1951
South Africa     
7. Durban                                   Oct. 1949     Sep. 1950
U.S.A.     
8. Baltimore                              -          -
9. Bryn Athyn                              June 1947     Dec. 1951
10. Chicago                                   Jan. 1948     Dec. 1951
11. Detroit                                   July 1951     Dec. 1950
12. Erie                                   Jan. 1948     Dec. 1949
13. Glenview                              June 1947     Dec. 1951
14. New Jersey, Northern                    -          -
15. New York, N. Y                         Oct. 1949     Sep. 1952
16. Ohio, Northern                         May 1947     Dec. 1951
17. Ohio, Southern                         May 1947     June 1951
18. Philadelphia                              -          -
19. Pittsburgh                              May 1947     Dec. 1951
20. Washington, D. C.                         -          -


     ACADEMY PENSION FUND
Net Worth 6/30/1951                              $275, 046.94
Income 1950/51                                   19,254.64
Pensions 1950/51 (Sixteen)                          19,565.47
Additions to Pension Fund in
     accordance with the Pension Plan

     1946/47                         $13,557.2O
     1947/48                         13, 844.51
     1948/49                         15, 047.21
     1949/50                         17,783.43
                                   $75,963.74

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     CHURCH CONTRIBUTIONS COMMITTEES

     For a brief presentation of this subject and its implications, reference is made to NEW CHURCH LIFE for September 1950, page 435, and, for a briefer presentation, to NEW CHURCH LIFE for April 1950, page 179.
     It is the purpose that in every center of our church there be organised a Church Contributions Committee, a CCC, and it is the intent that in each center the organization be undertaken voluntarily and that the CCC of that center, with respect to all other centers, be autonomous.
     The intent also is that the CCC, in and for its own center, disseminate and emphasize, certain facts. Among these are: (1) In our Church there are three and only three organizations which are essential thereto, namely, the General Church, the Academy, and the Society; (2) The essential uses of our Church are performed by means of these three organizations; (3) No one of the three can operate without cooperation from the other two; (4) No two of them can be useful without the other one; and (5) Therefore, it is, for us, plainly a matter of duty that the work of each of the three organizations be supported by the periodical monetary contributions of each and every one of us.
     The intent also is that the CCC, in and for its own center, exert its influence in several directions. Among these are: (1) Regarding the most useful proportions in which contributions in general may be allocated among the three organisations (2) Regarding the amount of the contributions which can be matte available, as compared with the uses and needs of each of the three organizations; and (3) Making the relationship between our three essential Church organizations, and the uses and needs of each, matters of common knowledge.
     In each of our two Societies which numerically are the largest, there is now an organized CCC. That in Bryn Athyn has operated for several years, and that in Glenview for nearly two years. The Chairmen are Carl Hj. Asplundh and Warren A. Reuter, respectively.
     Elsewhere, the work of soliciting and receiving contributions for the General Church and, in some cases, for the Academy, is in the hands of individuals, no CCCs, as yet, having been organized. It is a pleasure to mention the useful and highly appreciated work which is being done by each of the following as Agents of the Treasuries of the General Church and the Academy:

195





Australia               Frederick W. Fletcher
Colchester               Mrs. Edward G. T. Boozer
Detroit               Norman Synnestvedt
Great Britain          Owen Pryke
Kitchener               Ezra W. Niall
Ohio, Northern          Franklin P. Norman
Pittsburgh               John J. Schoenberger
South Africa          Robert W. Cowley
Sweden and Norway          Nils E. Loven
Toronto               E. John U. Parker
Washington, D. C.          David H. Stebbing

     A number of these have been active in this work for very many years and it is hoped they will continue indefinitely. However, it is also hoped that eventually each of them will be replaced by a CCC because it is clear that, in each of our centers, the solicitation of contributions for our three essential Church organizations should come from a single source. Between the uses of these three organizations there is not the slightest competition. Their uses have only one end in view Between the organizations there can be nothing but cooperation. Their uses cannot be performed except by cooperation. Therefore, there should be not the slightest competition in the solicitation of contributions by means of which to carry on their uses. Indeed, it is wrong that there should be any competition in this, or any appearance thereof. The proper operation of a CCC does away with the possibility of any and all improper competition regarding something about which there should be none other than, maybe, a most friendly and cooperative rivalry for the greatest excellence in the performance of an unrivalled use.
     It is advocated, with neither insistence nor impatience, but with conviction as to usefulness, that in every organized Group of our Church there be formed a Church Contributions Committee. The Treasurer of the General Church and the Academy, on request, always will be happy to assist in this direction at any place and at any time.
     Warm thanks are extended on behalf of the Church to each and every contributor, to the CCC's of Bryn Athyn and Glenview, to each of the Treasury Agents, to the Investment Committee and to everyone who is taking a part in assisting the Church to meet the rising cost of living, the ever increasing inflation and the expansion of its uses. May their tribe increase.

     Respectfully submitted,
          HUBERT HYATT,
               Treasurer.

196





     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     BALANCE SHEET
     of
     ALL FUNDS
     as of
     DECEMBER 31, 1951

               ASSETS

GENERAL FUND

Current

     Cash                                        $31,433.41
     Accounts Receivable     
          New Church Life
               Subscription-Arrears     $113.75
               Expense 1952
                    Prepayments     1,872.25
               Other                    2,854.88     4,840.88     

Invested
     Bonds USA                         42,929.84
     Bonds & Stocks-Group               248,544.61
                    Other               320,591.00     278,502.61     $314,776.90


RESTRICTED FUNDS
Current
     Cash                              42,929.84
     Accounts Receivable               266.18          43,196.02

Invested
     Bonds USA                         40,996.00
     Bonds & Stocks-Group               421,710.03
               Other                    763,736.55     1,226,442.58

Fixed
     Real Estate-South African Mission                    10,288.31     1,279,926.91

ALL FUNDS
Current
     Cash                              74,363.25
     Accounts Receivable               5,107.06          79,470.31

Invested
     Bonds USA                         50,363.00
     Bonds & Stocks-Group               670,254.64
               Other                    784,327.55     1,504,945.19
     
Fixed
     Real Estate                              10,288.31          1,279,926.91

197




     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     BALANCE SHEET
     of
     ALL FUNDS

     as of
     DECEMBER 31, 1951

     ACCOUNTABILITY

GENERAL FUND
     Current

     Accounts Payable
          Detroit Society Building Fund          $557.56
          Glenn, Theodore N., Fund          5,000.00
          New Church Life     
               Subscription Advances          1,203.67
          Other                              6,298.42     $13,059.65

Net Worth                                             301,717.25     $314, 776.90

RESTRICTED FUNDS

     Current
     Accounts Payable                                   220.55

Net Worth                                             1,279,706.36     1,279,926.91

ALL FUNDS
Current
     Accounts Payable                                   13,280.20

     Net Worth                                        1,581,423.61     1,594,703.81

198





     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     1922-1951

     CONTRIBUTIONS

     to

     Current Income

     Of

     GENERAL FUND

CONTRIBUTORS                              CONTRIBUTIONS

Year     Potential     Actual     Percentage     Individual     Group          Total

1922-23     1276     472          37          $10,784.72     $525.50     $11,310.11
1923-24     1222     504          41          11.465.30     795.14     12,260.44
1924-25     1265     509          40          12,624.69     1,007.40     13,632.09
1925-26     1281     559          44          12,624.79     1,068.34     13,693.05
1926-27     1322     571          43          13,518.60     800.91     14,319.51
1927-28     1357     554          41          14,193.82     552.15     14,745.97
1929          1387     545          39          14,567.62     416.57     14,984.19
1930          1445     549          38          14,319.59     426.71     14,746.30
1931          1461     515          35          14,521.32     445.00     14,966.32
1932          1463     467          32          13,321.43     664.67     13,986.10
1933          1460     377          26          12,684.65     239.52     12,924.17
1934          1519     381          25          12,370.13     381.79     12,751.92
1935          1561     388          25          12,714.96     231.12     12,946.08
1936          1546     440          28          13,225.30     108.18     13,333.48
1937          1461     427          32          11,920.39     186.10     12,106.49
1938          1490     471          32          11,468.89     224.59     11,693.48
1939          1504     468          31          11,836.67     326.58     12,163.25
1940          1495     445          30          13,559.10     251.81     13,810.91
1941          1555     494          32          13,632.48     349.04     13,981.52
1942          1568     578          37          13,148.13     162.62     13,310.75
1943          1610     682          42          16,011.79     211.51     16,223.30
1944          1630     710          44          16,035.22     235.85     16,271.07
1945          1653     787          48          18,078.19     350.19     18,428.82
1946          1717     805          47          22,541.05     1,576.19     24,117.24
1947          1727     803          46          28,641.87     790.11     29,431.98
1948          1736     766          44          26,034.27     1,528.44     27,562.81
1949          1812     777          43          26,419.26     1,841.17     28,260.43
1950          1759     746          42          30,913.86     768.66     31,682.51
1951          1830     721          39          38,720.99     1,781.66     40,502.75

199







     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     INCOME AND EXPENSE STATEMENT

     of

     UNRESTRICTED GENERAL OPERATING FUND

     for the year ending

     DECEMBER 31, 1951

INCOME

Contributions Unrestricted from Reserves     $18,919.00
                    Other          21,583.75     $40,502.75
     Restricted for South African Mission          1,929.31     $42,432.06

Investments-Group                                   15,631.70
          Other                                   3,792.10     19,423.80

     New Church Life Subscriptions                              2,308.01
Restricted Trust Funds-Carswell                    2,462.90
                    Extension                    6,532.45
                    Pension                    8,431.77     17,437.02
Sundry                                                  145.76
Total                                                       81,746.65

EXPENSE

Salaries-Ministerial                              16,072.39
Other                                             9,540.22     25,612.61
Pension Fund, Additions to                                   2,674.99
Traveling-Ministerial                                        5,365.45
Periodicals-NEW CHURCH LIFE (excluding Salary)          4,925.25
          Reading Calendars 1952                    112.17     5,37.42
South African Mission-Pension Fund Addition          118.44
     Other (including Salary)                    7,259.08     7,377.52
Committees (excluding Salaries) Religious Education     891.14
                         Visual Education          150.00     1,041.14
Administration (excluding Salaries)
     Bishop's Office                              488.53
     Treasury-Investments Custodian     625.33
          Other                         926.08     1,551.41

     Corporation                                   355.87
     Clergy Council                              26.30
     Educational Council                         38.58          2,460.69
Pensions Paid to Pensioners                                   8,431.77
Sundry                                                  31.65
Total                                                       58,033.24

INCOME Total                                             81,746.65
EXPENSE Total                                             58,033.24
NET WORTH Addition                                        23,713.41



200




     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     BALANCE SHEET

     and

     INCOME AND EXPENSE STATEMENT

     of

     RESTRICTED FUNDS

     as of and for the year ending

     DECEMBER 31, 1951

                                             1951
               Net                              Adjustments          Net
               Worth               1951               and               Worth
               12/31/50     Income     Expenses     Additions          13/31/51
TRUST FUNDS
1. Carswell     $1l,309.81     $2,462.90     $2,462.90C     -          $11,309.81
2. Denver          6,120.83     367.01     -          -          6,487.84
5. Extension     100,029.95     6,542.35     6,542.35C     $0.73          100,030.68
4. Harrold          1,813.07     104.33     104.33     -          1,813.07
5. Middleport     5,377.56     318.04     -          -          5,695.60
6. New York
Society Building     374.26     -          -          -          374.26
7. Orphanage     22,332.37     1,609.51     -          0.13          23,942.01
8. Pendleton     3,700.00     -          -          -          3,700.00
9. Pension          140,309.17     8,969.81     8,431.77D     11,509.98     152,336.39
10. Roll of
Honor Memorial     1,760.77     105.38     -          -          1,866.15
11. Schoenberger     1,874.35     112.25     -          -          1,986.60
12. South African
Mission          1,443.18     -          -          9,686.76     11,129.94
13. South American 42,275.93     2,737.41     -          0.31          45,013.55
14. Stockholm     10,107.62     983.57     620.22     -          10,470.97

     Totals     348,828.87     24,312.56     18,161.57     21,197.01     376.176.87

RESERVE FUNDS
     A          617,022.40     41,887.35     18,919.00E     96,831.32     736,822.07
     B          150,300.41     8,840.45     1,480.54     9,047.10     166,707.42

     Totals     767,322.41     50,727.80     20,399.54     105,878.42     903,529.49

RESTRICTED FUNDS
     Totals     $1,116,151.68     $73,040.36     $38,561.11$127,075.43     $1,279,607.36


     NOTES: Reserve Funds consist of Contributions of Capital, the expenditure of the income therefrom being restricted: A-as to Amount. B-as to Purpose and Amount.
     C-Expense by Transfer to General Fund Income for General Fund Expenditure for Trust Fund Purposes. Refer to page 199.
     B-Refer to page 199 as to both Income and Expenses of Pension Fund.
     E-Expense by transfer to General Fund Contribution Income. Refer to page 199.

201






     EDITOR OF "NEW CHURCH LIFE"

     The policy followed during the twelve months under review is believed to be sufficiently clear from the editorials and contributed material published to require no explanation. Full and free comment, however, is invited.
     There were no enlarged issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE in 1951. The twelve regular issues published therefore consisted of 576 pages. This total, in order of space used, was made up as follows:

                                        Pages
Articles                                   225.18
Church News                                   81.16
Reports                                   62.72
Editorials                                   61.9
Sermons                                   59.33
Announcements                              20.55
Reviews                                   19.8
Talks to Children                              15.465
Communications                              14.5
Directory of the General Church               7
Fillers                                   5.335
Miscellaneous                              1.96
Advertising (white pages)                    1.1

     Total                                   576

     Excluding editorials and news notes, but including reports and reviews as well as sermons, talks, articles, and communications, the contents of NEW CHURCH LIFE in 1951 came from a total of 43 contributors, as follows:
     Ministerial contributors                         21
     Lay contributors     Men          16
                    Women          6                    22
     Total                                             43

The number of contributors and the proportion of lay to clerical writers are most encouraging. It may be remarked in passing that contributors ranged from senior ministers to young men of college age.
     Throughout the year many appreciative comments were received on the series of sketches written by the Rev. William Whitehead.
     The Catalogue of the General Church Sound Recording Library was tipped-in at the end of the April issue. The entire cost of this operation was borne by the Sound Recording Committee.
     Attention is drawn to the extended Directory of the General Church which appeared in the December issue. The lack of a complete list of Societies, Circles, and Committees had been felt, and it is proposed to continue publishing such a list as part of the Directory.
     The new cover which made its appearance on the issue for January, 1952, will continue to greet readers for at least another 23 issues as a two year supply of this cover stock has been purchased. As the General Church had outgrown the second cover page, opportunity was taken to rearrange the contents of the second, third, and fourth cover-pages to make possible the printing of a complete list of places where services and classes are held.

202



     At its meeting on October 19th, 1951, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in the size of the type-page from 24 X 35 pages to 26 X 42 picas, with the same trim size as at present and a paper margin decrease. This change, which became effective with the issue for January, 1952, gives us the equivalent of five additional pages in every issue without, however, increasing the number of pages; and therefore makes it possible to publish additional material at the lowest possible increased cost. This action of the Board was much appreciated by the Editor.
     In concluding this portion of the report we would express thanks to all those whose literary contributions made the twelve issues for last year; with a special word of appreciation for the news writers who so faithfully send in their notes, and whose enjoyment of society functions must be somewhat qualified by the knowledge that they must be written up for the news columns.

     Circulation.-Figures supplied by the Business Manager show a net gain of 37 paid subscribers in 1951, increasing the total from 761 to 798. Our total circulation is shown in the following tabulation:
                                             1950          1951
     Paid subscribers                              761          798
     Free to our Ministers, to Public Libraries.
          New Church Book Rooms, Exchanges, etc     128          131
     Free to Men and Women in the Services          0          56
          Total                                   889          985

     Respectfully submitted,
          W. CAIRNS HENDERSON,
               Editor.


     RELIGION LESSONS COMMITTEE

     The membership of the Committee is as follows:

Mrs. Richard de Charms: parents, special lessons, kindergarten or A.
Mrs. David Powell: B and C, or grades 1 and 2.
Miss Eo Pendleton: D and E, or grades 3 and 4.
Mrs. Daric E. Acton, Pittsburgh: F, FG, and G, or grades 5, 6, 7.
Miss Jean Junge, Glenview: grades 8 and 9 (The Life of the Lord).
Mrs. H. F. Pitcairn: grades 10, 11.
Rev. Harold C. Cranch, Director of Art Work.
Miss Margaret Bostock: Director of Distribution.
Mr. W. H. Alden: Treasurer.
Mr. Arid Gunther: Librarian and Engineer.

     Ten grades or courses of lessons, questions and answers, and outline pictures are produced in Bryn Athyn and distributed from Bryn Athyn and Pittsburgh. Beginning September, 1951, these were sent to 316 children. This number, 316, is exclusive of high school boys and girls, a few parents, and even grandparents, who are sent special lessons and New Church literature (including books of the Writings, The Wedding Garment, and The Moral Life) by Mrs. H. F. Pitcairn.

203


Miss Jean Junge produces in Glenview, and from there distributes the Life of the Lord lessons sent to grades 8 and 9. Exclusive of all isolated children outside of the North American continent, about 400 isolated children and persons receive the lessons.
     All but 5 lessons for the B course or grade 1, and 16 lessons for the E course or grade 4, have been competed. This means that 318 lessons and 211 question and answer papers have been written and mimeographed. At present about 200 outline pictures have been produced. There remains the preparation of the lessons for the groups to which Mrs. H. F. Pitcairn distributes material that must be used until the regular lessons are prepared.
     At a meeting of the Committee held in January, 1952, it was decided to change the format of all the lessons and question and answer papers, beginning with course C, or the consecutive study If the book of Genesis, and finishing with the G course or the Second Book of the Kings, to conform with the form of the A and B courses (Stories from the Word). This will be done as the lessons and the question and answer papers are thoroughly revised, and will require the redoing of 227 lessons and the same number of question and answer papers.
     During the year 1951, in addition to much other work included above, we report the following productions

     STORIES FROM GENESIS: FAMILY WORSHIP FOR LITTLE CHILDREN. By Bishop W. D. Pendleton. 138 pages. Edition of 300. Three copies left.
     FIFTEEN DOCTRINAL PAPERS. By the Rev. Karl R. Alden. 176 pages. Edition
200.     Approximately 150 copies of each paper were distributed to isolated pupils by Mrs. H. F. Pitcairn, and to adults (isolated and others) by Mrs. Raymond Pitcairn. A few copies in Accopress Binders have been sold.
     Various FESTIVAL LESSONS, RECITATIONS, REPORTS CHRISTMAS SONGS.

     Ten issues of PARENT-TEACHER JOURNAL, now called NEW CHURCH EDUCATION, totalling 261 pages, with editions of 460 copies.

     Though not produced or paid for by this Committee, I would like to report that 250 sets of the Christmas Representation, containing 5 figures, a manger, and a background, were sent out to isolated families. These were done in the basement of the Cathedral, under the sponsorship and at the expense of Theta Alpha, by many of the ladies in Bryn Athyn. Mrs. Richard de Charms has already received many appreciative letters of gratitude from the recipients. It may be of interest to know that each one of the five figures was hand painted.
     The distribution of the Christmas Representation and of all the Religion Lessons is to the children of 242 families. Of these families, 171 belong to the General Church, 71 do not, but most of them are New Church families. 180 of the total number are in the United States, 59 in Canada, and one each in New Zealand. British West Africa, and Mexico. Lessons to General Church families in England. Sweden, Australia, and South Africa are sent in required numbers to a representative in each country or to a Pastor. Anticipating the question. How has it come about that Lessons and Christmas Representations are sent to families not in the General Church, even to those not in the New Church? let me say that individuals write either to me or to one of the counsellors asking for them, or the names of families with children are sent in by a visiting pastor. I believe most of the names of families not in the General Church, certainly most of those living in Canada, have been sent in by the Rev. K. R. Alden; others by the Rev. H. C. Cranch.
     Lessons and other malarial have been bought by some of the societies for use in their schools and in Sunday School classes.

204


These include Toronto, Kitchener, Pittsburgh, and the Detroit Circle. I believe that Mr. Cranch also makes some use of them, and of the outline pictures, in Chicago.
     There is much else to report, but I do not wish to take more of the Joint Councils time and will conclude with an expression of gratitude to the Board of Directors for the new electric mimeographing machine bought by the General Church for this work last year. This machine is giving excellent service.
     Respectfully submitted.
          FRED E. GYLLENHAAL.
               Director.

     SOUND RECORDING COMMITTEE

     The use of this committee has progressed during this year with a highly gratifying continuity, and in a measure which again exceeded our expectations. As a consequence, the very favorable reactions of the steers of this service have increased in degree and number. For again, as last year, the number of those benefitting from this service has increased considerably, resulting as always in increased responsibilities for the committee.
     There were added to the library some 170 new recordings of services, classes, are special events, bringing our library to a total of some 400 documents. Among them we may list such major achievements as the Rev. K. R Alden's primary classes and Bishop de Chains Academy classes in The Growth of the Mind. These latter are somewhat of an innovation in that they constitute the first attempt of the committee to record an Academy course of instruction.
     The year has also brought an increasing number of recordings from centers other than Bryn Athyn. As this is one of the objectives of the committee it has been a pleasure to receive this increase from Glenview, Madison, Pittsburgh, and other places.
     By the time this report appears in NEW CHURCH LIFE, all pastors, users, and other interested persons will have received our new and improved catalogue of recordings.
     A total of 653 recordings were borrowed from our library this year, for which we received user-contributions in the amount of $941 00. Expenses and income for the year were each approximately $3,300.00, almost one-third of the income being from users and the balance from special contributors. User-contributions approximately met the cost of tape. None of these funds cause from the general treasury of the General Church.
     The committee, with one exception and a few additions, was reappointed by the Bishop in November, 1951.
     Respectfully submitted,
          MORELY D. RICH,
               Chairman.

     MINISTERIAL SALARY COMMITTEE

     Your Committee desires to report that as a result of the action taken at a meeting of this Board last October, the Ministerial Salary Plan was amended to provide that the minimum starting salaries of single ministers in the United States should be $2250 per annum and the minimum starting salaries of married ministers in the same country should be $3000 per annum. The annual increments of $100 for 20 years remained the same.
     The Canadian differential of 25% was not changed. Your Committee is concerned about this situation because its members believe it is too great. In all probability the differential shouldn't be more than 12 1/2%.

205


The matter will be considered further during the coming year and it is hoped that some solution will be found.
     In countries outside of this continent the Committee has, in effect, been forced to abandon the application of rigid rules. What it is trying to do is to provide a minister abroad with a salary which will roughly give him a standard of living equivalent to that which he would have were he in this country. This requires careful and at times lengthy correspondence with the representatives of overseas societies, and even so your Committee members are not fully satisfied with the results.
     There have been occasional rumblings, but so far the response of our societies has been magnificent. This is due to the widespread realization that without the Plan many of our ministers would be suffering severe hardships, and in some cases the most dire need.
     The members of the Committee regard it as a privilege to serve thereon and desire to thank the Bishop and the Board for this opportunity to be of use to the Church,

     Respectfully submitted,
          H. HYATT.
          K. C. ACTON,
          LESTER ASPLUNDH.
          PHILIP C. PENDLETON. Chairman.


     VISUAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Cash on hand January 1, 1951                              $157.47
Appropriation from the General Church                    150.00
Rentals, etc. of slides                                   20.66
Sale of equipment, slides, etc                         404.33
                                                  752.46

Expenditures:
     For new slides for the Committees Library          79.75
     Equipment for re-sale, etc                    346.04
     Equipment for the Committee                    4.70
     Postage, etc                              2.45
                                                  433.00
Balance on hand January 1, 1952                         $299.46


During the year the Committee has added 273 new slides to its Library. We have also set about a complete re-classification of all our slides, arranging them in stories instead of in sets covering large portions of the Word. In regard to the New Testament we are correlating all the slides with Bishop de Charms' Life of the Lord and are in the process of providing an appropriate map slide for every story. As soon as this project is complete we shall issue a revised list for distribution to all who might like to have it.
     Respectfully submitted.
          WILLIAM R. COOPER.
               Director.

206


ADVENT SOCIETY 1952

ADVENT SOCIETY       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should he sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notification, of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     The account elsewhere in this issue of the Advent Society dedication does not tell the whole story. Behind it is the story of a group of men and women struggling for years to maintain the life and uses of a society under most difficult conditions, keeping alive the hope and vision of again having a church home, and having the wisdom to see when this was not practicable and the affection and sustained enthusiasm to ultimate the vision when at last the way was opened. Behind it, also, is the story of knowledge, skill, and many hours of labor given freely by members of the Society; and of assistance in many forms contributed by others who, fired by their enthusiasm and solid effort, wished to help.
     We believe that our friends of the Advent Society have renewed more than a building; that their efforts have resulted in more than a physical coming together for worship, instruction, and social life: and that the Church in general will want to congratulate them on the beginning of a new chapter in their particular Philadelphia story. This can be done no more effectively than by repeating some of the Bishops words in accepting the gift of the building: "It is our deepest wish that through this new instrumentality the Lord may provide for the increase of His Church among you, both in numbers and in the spirit and life of the Heavenly Doctrine."

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APPROACH TO DOCTRINE 1952

APPROACH TO DOCTRINE       Editor       1952

     In recent months there has been some discussion in this journal of the nature of the Divine omniscience and of the problem of human freedom in relation to the Divine foresight. Such periodic inquiries may be of great value. We can only approximate a real understanding of these profound subjects; and it is only by interrogating the Writings again and again that we may advance gradually into a more interior understanding of the real meaning of the teaching given. These comments are not intended to add to the discussion but to draw attention to certain principles which we believe should be observed in any doctrinal study.
     When man seeks to explain the nature of the Divine omniscience, or the Divine foresight, the finite is trying to explain how the Infinite thinks and operates; and while the endeavor must be made, the fact precludes the possibility of there being a final solution which will settle the matter for all time. No matter how satisfying an explanation may seem to be, the mind should not be closed against further thought and investigation.
     Furthermore, there is need to distinguish clearly between the doctrine itself and derived doctrine-between the actual statements of the Writings and conclusions drawn from those statements or an interpretative philosophy which is based upon a certain understanding of them. The point is not whether conclusions are true or not, but that conclusions should not have the same force or authority in the mind as the actual statements of the Writings.
     We would also make this point. When different views are expressed there is a tendency to align ones self with one or other of them. What should be done, however, is to examine each one in the light of the Writings and on the basis of its intrinsic worth. No true theologian will wish for anything else, and in no other way can sincere work be examined in the spirit in which it is presented for consideration. In matters of doctrine men should not wish to wear another man's livery but should go to the Lord in the Writings, acknowledging that "with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light we see light."
     Also we would question the wisdom, in any study of the doctrine of God, of making strong negative statements as to what the Lord can not do, does not know, or is not concerned with at all. We are disposed to think that such statements do more to limit the concept of Divine omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence than some of the views which are supposed to do that very thing, and which they are intended to combat.
     Finally, it is very difficult for the finite mind to comprehend how the Divine omniscience operates, or how the Lord can have infinite foresight and man yet be in freedom. But even if we cannot understand how these things are we can affirm that they are.

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We can affirm with assurance that the Lord is not a mechanistic force in His operations but a loving Heavenly Father that He is omniscient and has foresight, but that man is endowed with freedom which is never violated; and that the laws of Divine order, the laws of the Divine Providence, are not cold and impersonal but are Divinely human, and the most truly human laws in operation.
UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION 1952

UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION       Editor       1952

     The love from which the Lord fought against the hells is frequently described in tide Writings as toward the universal human race. The full implication of this expression may easily escape us. Yet it is of great import, for the universal human race is mankind throughout the entire universe; and the insistence of the Writings on the term means that the redemption which was the end of this love had for its object all the earths in the universe. It means that in subjugating the hells, purifying the world of spirits, rendering the heavens, and establishing a new church, the Lord redeemed angels and spirits from all the earths in the universe, and men on all those earths; that the great deliverance He wrought was truly a universal redemption.
     It is well known in the Church that ours is only one of untold inhabited earths. The planets are worlds in which men and women live: and the stars which no man can number for multitude are suns, around each of which turn inhabited earths. Angels told Swedenborg that no fewer than 600,000 of these earths in the starry heaven had been counted, and that there were undoubtedly many more; and from all these earths there are angels, and spirits both good and evil All the inhabitants of these other earths who are not idolaters worship the Lord as the only God. Many, indeed, did not know that He assumed the Human on this earth, but adored the Divine under the human form in which it appeared to them. Yet because they acknowledged one Divine, lived together in charity, and looked to heaven from what the Lord revealed to them, they were included in His most universal church; and were therefore included also in the great liberation He effected-even as were those on our earth who did not know Him.
     Beyond a statement that the Lord, in His temptations, fought for the salvation of all in the universe there is no direct teaching to this effect; but the statement may be amplified by reference to other doctrines. The Gorand Man consists of all the heavens from all the earths in the universe, and in this man the heavens from our earth have an essential use to perform to all the others. Their relation is with that to which natural and corporeal sense corresponds. Thus they are the most ultimate and external of all, answering to the outer covering of the body.

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Yet this means that they have an indispensable use to perform, for their function is to react against those other heavens which are internal-to meet their outward force with an equalizing inward pressure that prevents their dispersal and holds them in order, connection, and form.
     On the basis of this teaching we may see two ways in which the Lord redeemed all other earths with our own. Prior to His assumption of the Human, the hells had risen to such inordinate heights that they possessed the world of spirits and had invaded the ultimates of heaven. If this penetration had been suffered to continue the heavens from our earth would eventually have perished, and with them the human race on our earth; and it is evident that in the degree in which our heavens declined, their use to the other heavens would have been performed with diminishing efficiency. Indeed those heavens, deprived of their reactive, would gradually have lost their order, connection, and form; and as they slowly disintegrated, the human race on their earths would have ceased to exist. It is said that man cannot survive the destruction of more than one-third of the surface area of the body by burns. Nor could the Gorand Man have survived if our heavens had been destroyed: and this makes clear that in delivering them from the fate of ultimate extinction the Lord also delivered every other heaven and earth.
     But the essence of redemption is that the Lord not only delivered angels and men from a remote doom but also liberated them from actual bondage, and in the case of men on earth restored the possibility of salvation. We believe that this applies also to every other earth. One reason for the Lord's advent in person was that the existing heaven-because of its own imperfect states, and the increasing pressure upon it-could no longer serve as a medium through which, when revelation was to be given, the Divine could inflow and present itself as a Man. Now that is how revelation is given on other earths, by means of an angel to those whose spiritual faculties are opened; and it seems evident that in the degree that the heaven from our earth was failing, the order and form of all the other heavens was being disturbed to an extent which made it increasingly difficult for the Divine to flow through them to the men of their earths.
     These men were not directly in bondage to evil spirits: but their reception of truth Divine, and therefore their hope of salvation, was affected, and from this they were liberated when the Lord redeemed the heavens from our earth. Another reason for the advent was that the evil in the world of spirits intercepted all influx of truth from the Lord through heaven, thus depriving men of liberty and rationality. Although this teaching is given with reference to our earth it is surely of wider extension; for we are told that after the Lord had glorified His Human the sun of heaven shone with sevenfold splendor: and as the heavens from all the earths in the universe are enlightened by the same spiritual sun, they must have received greater light and thus a fuller measure of rationality and liberty than could be granted them before the advent.

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     Another way in which the Lord redeemed all other earths with our own is indicated in the teaching given as to why He willed to be born on our earth. When the Word is read and preached here, its internals are presented to the angels of all the earths in the universe. But when the Lord came, the church on earth had ceased to be an ultimate for such communication. What was being read and preached was the Word falsified by evil loves, to which the heavens could not come near. Hence it was necessary that the Lord should come, and Himself teach the Word which was nowhere taught. As He did so, the internals of His teaching were presented before the angels of all the earths in the universe; and by this they were liberated from obscurity and restored to freedom.
     Finally, we know that the redemption effected by the Lord at His second coming extended to other earths, that it was accomplished there through the instrumentality of Swedenborg, and that those who heard him proclaim the new evangel were able to receive because they had beer visited by spirits from our earth who had taught them about the first coming. From this we may see that in glorifying His Human through the conquest of the hells the Lord provided a basis for the future acknowledgment of Himself by those who did not then know Him And with these ideas in mind we may see that the redemption effected by the Lord in the world was truly universal; that He liberated not our earth only, but every other earth as well.
SAVING THE LAY STUDENT'S TIME 1952

SAVING THE LAY STUDENT'S TIME       HAROLD F. PITCAIRN       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     It is usual when a reference is given to a number in the Writings to cite the number only and not its subsection, which frequently results in more time being required to look up a citation than should be necessary. This is particularly so in the case of citations from Apocalypse Explained as the numbers in that work sometimes cover several pages, but it is also so to some extent in the case of shorter numbers.
     HAROLD F. PITCAIRN.

1616 Walnut Street,
Philadelphia 3,
February 11, 1952

     (Our correspondent's suggestion, for which we thank him, might usefully be followed, not only by the editors of our publications, but also by ministers and others in preparing classes or papers in which references to the Writings are given. EDITOR.)

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     OBITUARY

     Mrs. Edward Crary Bostock

     For those who were privileged to know her for many years the friendship of Madeline Bostock was a rich and rewarding experience. In today's restless and skeptic work, such friendships are rare indeed. True friendship needs a firm foundation, and for Madeline this was the Church she loved with unwavering devotion and steadfast faith. Because she loved the Church so deeply and sincerely she had warm affection for all others who build their lives, as best they can, on the same rock of revealed truth.
     When she left us so suddenly on January 31st, young and old alike felt that a real friend had gone away-one whose cheerful courage and womanly wisdom had heroine in some degree a part of our lives. This was especially so in Bryn Athyn, where she had lived from infancy; and for some of us she had never grown old, for the years touched lightly her sunny disposition, her honesty of thought and speech. Some of us remember her vividly in her girlhood, the gayest in a gay company which made Glenhurst, nearly half a century ago, a center of the Bryn Athyn society's social life. But even then, as in all the years since, there was none mare eager to discuss the doctrines of the Church, none more willing to serve in any of its uses.
     Another generation has learned, since then, to call her "Aunt Mad," a title of honor earned by her concern and love for younger people and her companionship and sympathy with youth's joys and sorrows. They thronged to her hospitable house, drawn by her charm and warm welcome, and by the spiritual sphere of a truly New Church home. In this she was her mother's true daughter, for many of us well remember another wise and gracious mother, "Aunt Cara" Glenn, who made Glenhurst a center of New Church hospitality and a citadel of New Church faith.
     Many of us have spoken of her home, now that Madeline has gone to build another even nearer to her heart's desire. With her husband she made it a home of happiness, good comradeship, affectionate and intelligent family life, built about a shrine of dedication to the Lord and His teachings. There was always beauty in her house, for she loved flowers, music, and art. But more than all she loved the useful life which is the ideal of the Church, and none of us has known a more useful New Church woman than Madeline Bostock. She has served, helped, and encouraged us all by the peace and confidence which were the visible foundations of her life.
     In the best sense of the phrase, Madeline Bostock was a vibrant personality, sharing her love and faith with all around her. Even in hours of weariness and illness the bright flame did not waver, for love and faith were the unconquerable elements of her character. But she was spared the trial of long illness. Literally she fell asleep; and she awakened in another world in which she will be happier and busier than ever, meeting those she had loved on earth before, and waiting a little while for those she loves and has left behind.
     DON ROSE.


     ADVENT CHURCH

     The Building.-The newly renovated building of the Advent Society, situated at 5007 Penn St., Philadelphia 24, is a three-story, red brick twin house with white trim. It is about 65 feet long and averages 16 feet in width. The first floor consists of an entrance hall, the chapel itself, a small dining room, and a kitchen.
     The chapel, 35 feet by 15 feet, is decorated with Philippine mahogany plywood wainscoting and has light-green upper walls, acousticon ceiling (white), and hardwood floors. Lighting is provided by two large overhead fixtures and 11 wall brackets of the wall-vase type. The chancel (see FRONTISPIECE) is small but compact with a platform and rail. The walls are completely covered with plywood, and the altar stands in the recess provided by a blocked up window. In general, the words which may occur to the viewer of this room are: "Simplicity, dignity, and warmth." When not in use, the chancel is closed by green-gold curtains. Drapes of the same material cover the windows, and valances made of plywood with a modified arch effect cover the upper quarter of the windows.

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     The dining room and the kitchen, decorated in light green and white, will be used by the pastor's family and the society jointly. On the second floor there is a large living room, decorated in pine-green and white, with a bay and a new ceiling. There are two bedrooms on the second floor and two inure on the third. One or two of the rooms on the second and third floors, will, it is planned, be used for children's Sunday classes; and it is hoped that when the basement has been cleaned and painted it will serve as a place of recreation for the society.

     History.-The removal of the Academy to Bryn Athyn in 1897 left some members in Philadelphia, and as the years passed their numbers so increased that a new and fine church was dedicated at 56th and Wyalusing in 1916. But the neighborhood went down many families moved to Bryn Athyn and the property was sold a few years later. Ministrations became sporadic, but in 1941 the group-as a result of the leading of the Revs. Homer Synnestvedt, P. N. Odhner, and Elmo C. Acton-had again reached the point where there was need for a resident pastor, and in the summer of that year the Rev. Morley D. Rich was appointed to that office.
     Throughout the years the hope of again having a church home was never lost, and new impetus was given to the idea in the fall of 1950. Adequate funds seemed to be available, a committee was appointed, and the building purchased was eventually found, within three blocks of the Frankford terminus of the elevated. Settlement on the building was made on May 9, 1951, title was vested in the General Church, and the necessary permits were secured. Meanwhile, a planning committee decided on alterations, prepared work schedules, and lists of material, and estimated costs on the basis of materials only.
     Following this the actual work started. Partitions were taken out, plaster repaired, and the entire building redecorated-walls, ceilings and floors throughout. During the eight months of effort, 65 people worked on the project and 10 others devoted time and effort to legal and financial arrangements. About 3,000 man-hours of labor were donated by members and friends of the society. The Building Coordinator and his assistant each contributed over 300 hours, and 5 others achieved membership in the "One Hundred Club" by contributing over 100 hours each. Without this volunteer labor the project could not have been carried one with the funds available. While many others resisted generously, special mention should be made of the members of this "Club": Messrs. Herman F. Gloster and John Walter, Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator. Harry Furry, Bryndon Heath, Ted Carroll, Carl Soderberg, and Mrs. Carl Soderberg.
     Invaluable legal and fiscal assistance was given by Messrs. Hubert Hyatt, Kesneil C. Acton, Philip C. Pendleton, Donald Coffin, who acted as our realtor, and Mr. Walter Cranch secretary of the society. Mr. Harold Haag, of Berninger, d'Etremont, and Haag acted as architect, helped in securing City Hill approval, and prepared the blue prints, at a nominal fee which only covered expenses. Finally, without the knowledge of the society, a special committee consisting of Messrs. Richard Goerwitz, Donald Coffin, Philip C. Pendleton, and others made an appeal to the Bryn Athyn Society which resented in a gift of approximately $2,300 from that Society to the Advent Church.

     The Society.-The Advent Society consists of about 40 to 50 active members and about 35 children and young people. It is worth noting that most of these members were not born into the New Church or educated in it.
     Something should also be said about the children. Due to a fortunate set of circumstances, 40 or more children have attended, or are attending, the Academy schools, during the past ten years. At the present time there are about 19 in high school and college and 18 in the elementary school. As a matter of fact, 16 of these pupils are transported to and from Bryn Athyn by the Pastor.
     VERA CRAIGIE.     


     TORONTO, CANADA

     Christmas, 1951.-The tableaux were presented on Sunday evening, December 23, under the capable direction of Miss C. G. Longstaff with many able assistants and with the Rev. A. Wynne Acton as commentator. They depicted the appearing of the angel to Zacharias, to Mary, to Joseph in a dream, to the wise men, and to the shepherds, and culminated in that ever lovely nativity scene. The portrayals were artistically convincing, and we all enjoyed surging our favorite carols between the scenes.
     Other features of the evening were the viewing of a representation of the Christmas story; a gift to the school presented on behalf of Theta Alpha and, to the delight of the children, the present from the Ladies' Circle of a bag of goodies to every child, and of a book to each family of children.

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     The Christmas morning service always carries a sphere of solemn joy as we hear the age-old but ever new story of the Lord bowing the heavens to come down to men. The chancel was beautifully decorated with greens and candles; and the music fitted the occasion, as did our Pastor's sermon on "Bethlehem."

     New Year.-Of course there were a great many parties about this time, both small private and larger general affairs, and the season sped quickly on to the end of 1951. To be sure that 1952 was well and truly introduced at the time of its arrival the Olivet Society gathered in the assembly hall in its gayest formal attire to dance, chat, and laugh. The hall was festively decorated and a Scottish orchestra played cheerfully. Just before the midnight hour the guests paused to think score seriously of the coming year as Mr. Acton spoke a few words on the subject; and then friends greeted one another jovially and merriment abounded. Refreshments were served and dancing continued until one o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. Ron Smith headed an efficient Committee for this occasion.

     A Wedding.-Before we leave 1951, mention should be made of a happy wedding which took place on December 15th, when Miss Mildred Macdonald and Mr. Harold Carter were joined in marriage, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton officiating. The bride was attended by Miss Leah Rutherford, with Jennifer Scott as flower girl, and was escorted by her brother, Mr. Ernest Macdonald. Harold was attended by his brother, Beverley, while Morden and Raymond Carter were ushers. The wedding was followed by a pleasant reception in the assembly hall during which toasts were proposed.

     Activities in January.-Activities would have settled down to normal in January but for the street car strike, which lasted for 19 days and caused considerable inconvenience. Young people's classes were postponed, but people managed to get to the Wednesday supper and class. The Ladies' Circle gathered at the home of Mrs. Bruce Scott, with Mrs. John Parker as co-hostess and enjoyed a paper by Mr. Acton on "The Uses of Men and Women." The Forward-Sons also managed to gather an average attendance when Mr. Ron Smith prepared supper for them and Mr. Orville Carter read a paper on "Intelligent Labor."
     On the 25th of the month the street cars were again on duty and we met to commemorate the birth of Swedenborg as our Pastor would be in Bryn Athyn on the 29th. Mrs. Thomas Fountain and Mrs. John Parker prepared a delicious supper and trade the tables gay with blue and yellow decorations, complete with cakes iced to represent the Swedish flag. About sixty guests attended and enjoyed an illuminating address by the Rev. A. Wynne Acton on "The Language Used by Emanuel Swedenborg," a careful study of the trend of languages from the Hebrew to Swedenborg's Latin. A divertisement followed when Messrs. Jorgen Hansen and Harry Baeckstrom, decked in Swedish costumes, danced the Oxen Dance to the delight of all present. Miss Korene Schnarr was the accompanist for this and for the encore on which the audience insisted. Cards and coffee rounded out a pleasant evening.
     The children held their banquet on the 24th. It was remarkable for the length and excellence of the papers, ten in all, prepared by the children and greatly enjoyed by the few adults who were there as the committee. It is amazing the way these small people write quite lengthy papers and rise to read them. Thee should be no shortage of after-dinner speakers in the future!
     On February 10th our minds and hearts were directed to our late King, George VI, and it seemed fitting that we should see our lovely silken flag, the Union Jack, gracing the chancel for the first time that we recall. Beautiful flowers enhanced the sphere of worship, which was emphasized by particularly suitable organ music; and the service led up to the subject of the day, our Pastor's sermon on "The Use and Representation of a King." It was with full hearts that we sang, at the close of the service, "God Save the Queen."

     Personal.-Our sincere sympathy is extended to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Izzard, whose daughter, Barbara Izzard Wilkinson, was killed in an automobile accident during the New Year weekend.
     Master Robert Carter Scott was baptized on December 30th, to the joy of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scott, and his small sister who was born on the same date and baptized on the same date, with some years between.

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     We have had a number of visitors and we enjoy seeing and being with all of them. We cannot mention them by name, but make an exception of Mr. Joseph Pritchett, who flew in from Vancouver for a brief stay.

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND

     The Wednesday doctrinal classes for the last few months of 1951 were devoted to a series of articles on the Principles of the Academy by the Rev. Elmo C. Acton. These proved to be very interesting and instructive. The Conjugial Love class which is held on alternate Sunday evenings for the young people is somewhat smaller this year, owing to the removal of the Waters family and the absence of Peter and John Gill on national service.
     The day school closed for the Christmas holidays on December 20th, when the children gave an entertainment to parents and friends. There were recitations and two plays, and a rhythm band in which all the children took part was much enjoyed. During Miss Gill's absence last year for a refresher course in Bryn Athyn her place as teacher was taken by Miss Helene Howard. There are at present 18 children in the school, their ages being between 5 and 10, and there are 5 grades. Only 5 of these children ate of New Church parentage, but there are now 7 of pre-school age in the Society and we look forward to the time when they can join the group.
     The annual sale of work was held on December 6th, the takings amounting to over L65. Mrs. Fred Fletcher of Hurstville, Australia, kindly opened the sale, and she was afterwards presented with a Canasta set. There was a large variety of articles on the stalls, also a refreshment stall, a lucky dip that was popular with the children, and guessing competitions.
     The Colchester Chapter of the Sons of the Academy held an open meeting on December 15th. Dr. Freda G. Griffith, Honorary Secretary of the Swedenborg Society, had been invited to speak and she gave a most interesting account of the work of the Swedenborg Society, past and present, in translating, printing, and publishing the Writings. A hearty vote of thanks was extended at the conclusion of the meeting.

     A Wedding.-Many friends and relatives gathered at the church on December 6th for the wedding of Mr. Alan Waters, Jr., and Miss Dorothy Spalding. The Rev Alan Gill officiated in the beautifully decorated church and the service began with the 5th Psalm. Miss Joan Spalding and Miss Madge Waters were bridesmaids and Mr. Fred Appleton was best man. The reception afterwards was a very happy occasion, and after the wedding cake had been cut there was a program of toasts and speeches, with many good wishes for the happiness of the newly married pair.

     Christmas, 1951.-Our Christmas celebrations began with a series of tableaux which were shown at the church on December 22nd. There was a large attendance, including the children and a Christmas message from Bishop and Mrs. de Charms, read by Mr. Gill, made a very appropriate opening Each tableau was introduced by a reading from the Word and all joined in singing the many beautiful Christmas hymns and carols.
     The following day, Sunday, there was a service of nine lessons. On Christmas Day it self, the service at 10:30 am, was well attended. In a talk to the children the Pastor told the story of the wise men and their gifts, and this was followed by a special offering. The sermon explained the signification of the star in the East and of the gifts-gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
     The children's Christmas social was held on Thursday, January 3rd, with fancy dress, and all received a gift off the tree.

     New Year.-The New Year's Eve social was, of course, the last event for 1951. Mr. Owen Pryke was toastmaster and proposed the opening toast, which was "The Church." Mr. Garth Cooper responded to a toast to "The Academy Movement," the Rev. Alan Gill to "The Priesthood," and Miss Helene Howard to "New Church Education." Other toasts included one to the ladies of the Social Committee for the excellent catering, and one to the Rev. Martin Pryke who had arrived a few days earlier from South Africa en route to the United States. This part of the evening's program was concluded with the Academia March and then followed games and dancing, Towards midnight a service was conducted by our Pastor. At its conclusion, 1952 had dawned and all exchanged greetings for "A Happy New Year."

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     WINIFRED APPLETON.


     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-The New-Church Messenger reports the serious illness of the Rev. Abraham Simons of Chicago. Leader of the "Afro-American Society of the New Jerusalem," Mr. Simons is now in his 89th year.

     General Conference.-In the current Year Book the membership of the 60 societies connected with the Conference is reported as 4,695. 17 societies report increases to the total of 82, and 30 report decreases to the total of 140. The net decrease is therefore 58 members. Of the new members, 60 are from the Sunday Schools Sunday School enrollment is 3,461 as against 3497 last year, and there are 439 junior members compared with 466 last year. Of the 49 societies which hold some type of weekday meeting, only 28 hold meetings for the study of the Heavenly Doctrine by all the members.

     India.-From the same source we learn that Dr. David, Missionary in Bombay, holds regular Sunday meetings, the attendances ranging from 20 to 70, and that much missionary work is done by correspondence. It is felt that until there is a New Church building in Bombay little progress can be expected. Mr. Christian, headmaster of a large school, spreads the teachings of the Church among friends and acquaintances; and Mr. Gopaul Chetty, although in very poor health, continues to help with advice.

     Burma.-Mr. A. Boo is maintaining the Church in Moulmein, where he has a congregation of 20 to 30. Two of his assistants were shot dead by insurgents recently, but others continue with the work in various centers despite immense difficulties.

     SWEDENBORG SOCIETY (INC.) Swedenborg Birthday Meeting, 1952 The Swedenborg Society's celebration of Swedenborg's Birthday drew a large audience to Swedenborg Hall on Tuesday, January 29th. The meeting began with tea, which was served in the David Wynter Room, and soon after seven o'clock more than a hundred people had gathered in the Hall for the lecture. After certain preliminaries the President, Mr. Harold Gardiner, MS., F.R.C.S., introduced the speaker, the Rev. E. C. Mongredien, the title of whose address was "Swedenborg at Work."

     Mr. Mongredien said that a comparison of the MSS of the intermediate works, the Word Explained and the Index Biblicus, with the first draft of the Arcana completely refutes the suggestion made by Miss Toksvig in her recent biography of Swedenborg that his theological works are largely automatic writing. Swedenborg took great care in writing the theological works, frequently making one or more changes before finding the right word or phrase, and being very particular about the smallest detail. Chosen and prepared by the Lord as he was, Swedenborg is still entitled to our respect and admiration for the painstaking care he took in all his work.
     The address was illustrated by lantern slides. Typical MS pages of the Word Explained and the Spiritual Diary showed an even, neat, flowing handwriting with very few corrections or alterations. But when slides of the Arcana MS were shown the difference was at once apparent to the audience. Not only were there many alterations of words and phrases, but quite frequently a whole paragraph was deleted and a fresh start made. In one instance, a paragraph was finished only at the seventh writing. Many examples of these changes were given. Mr. Mongredien made no attempt to explain their doctrinal significance, indicating that this is a field for future research.
     Continuing his demonstration, the lecturer indicated the way in which Swedenborg prepared his Index to the Arcana and compiled his lists of Scripture references which so often occur. He also suggested that there were clear indications that when Swedenborg returned to the work after a break he read through the previous paragraphs and sometimes made alterations. There were other indications-from marks made in the margin and in the text-that copying out the copy for the printer, in the case of Volume IV, took something like 85 days. Mr. Mongredien emphasized that the theories about the marks and changes were his own, but the facts could not be disputed.

     After the address the audience was delighted by a violin recital by Miss Violet Pusey, accompanied by Miss Barbara Wanda.

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Then came a somewhat unusual event when the President called Mr. Dan Chapman, M.B.E., to the platform to receive at his hands a token of the Society's appreciation of his work as Honorary Treasurer of the Society for sixteen years. In the absence of its Chairman, which office Mr. Chapman now holds, the Council had felt that it would be the wish of every member of the Society that a tangible recognition of his services should be made. Mr. Gardiner therefore asked Mr. Chapman to accept a silver cigarette box. Mr. Chapman, after voicing his complete surprise, said he had enjoyed the work but was glad to give it up last year as it was becoming more of a burden. He thanked the Society very warmly for the presentation.
     Miss Violet Pusey then played another group of solos which were greatly enjoyed. The President, in his closing remarks thanked Mr. Mongredien very much for his absorbing address, and said he knew of no other man with the scholarship and painstaking study of the manuscripts necessary for such a paper. He added his thanks to Mr. Victor Tilson who had prepared the slides, and who operated the lantern, and to Miss Pusey whose playing had given so much pleasure to the audience.

     (We are indebted for this report to Mrs. Freda C. Griffith, Phd., B.Sc., Honorary Secretary of the Swedenborg Society, who kindly sent the account from which the above is taken. EDITOR.)
COMMUNICATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1952

COMMUNICATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT       Rev. NORBERT H. ROGERS       1952





     Announcements






Vol. LXXII

No. 5

NEW CHURCH LIFE
MAY, 1952

     (Delivered to the Open Session of the Council of the Clergy, Bryn Athyn, Pa., February 1, 1952.)

     Both the clergy and the laity of the Church are familiar with the teaching that "priests ought to teach men the way to heaven, and also to lead them; they ought to teach them according to the doctrine of their church from the Word, and to lead them to live according to it. Priests who teach truths, and thereby lead to the good of life, and so to the Lord, are good shepherds of the sheep" (HD 315). This means, as is also well known in the Church, that the essential use of the priesthood has as its end the salvation of souls. By this we are not to understand that the salvation of souls is an end that is restricted to the priesthood. Actually it is a Divine end, which the Lord alone achieves. But He achieves it by an infinite variety of ways, and through countless instruments. In providence, every circumstance and event whatsoever contributes to the attainment of that sublime end, either directly or indirectly every use, and every good man, spirit, and angel, looks to that end to a greater or lesser extent; and even the evil, who have no regard for the Lord, serve as instruments. But of all uses, the priestly use is the one most directly concerned with the salvation of souls, and the priesthood itself is the principal human instrument or agency through which the Lord achieves His end.
     The use of saving souls is the same as that of communicating the Holy Spirit. And so it is a familiar teaching in the Church that the function of the priesthood is especially to communicate the Holy Spirit to the laity, and also that the Holy Spirit operates in the Church especially through the priesthood.

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This is taught generally in the Heavenly Doctrine, and specifically in the statement of the universals concerning the Holy Spirit found in the Canons of the New Church, where we read that "the Divine which is called the Holy Spirit, proceeding from God through His Human, passes through the angelic heaven, and through this into the world, thus through angels to men. Thence (it passes) through men to men, and in the Church chiefly through the clergy to the laity" (H.S. iv, v headings). In the same work we read further that "the Holy Spirit . . . never becomes man's; but is constantly the Lord's with him . . . (it) is not transferred from man to man, but from the Lord through man to man . . . the clergyman . . . is to be inaugurated by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and by the representation of its transfer . . . the Divine proceeds from the Lord through the clergy to the laity by preaching, according to the reception of the doctrine of truth thence; and by the sacrament of the Holy Supper, according to repentance before it" (H.S. iv: 3,5, 7-9). [Italics added.]
     The particular points we wish to note are: 1) the Holy Spirit never becomes man's, but is constantly the Lord's: thus it never becomes finitely human, but is always Divine. 2) The priesthood is the principal human instrument or agency in the Church through which the Lord communicates His Spirit to men; but it is not the only instrument, there being countless others, the most important of all being the Word. The communication of the Holy Spirit through the priesthood is actually effected, on the part of the priest, especially by his preaching truth according to the doctrine of his church from the Word and by the administration of the Holy Supper; and, on the part of the layman, especially according to his reception of the doctrine of truth from what the priest preaches, and according to his repentance before partaking of the sacrament. Here again we are not to understand that the actual communication of the Holy Spirit through a priest is restricted to his preaching and to the Holy Supper, and to the layman's listening to preachings and partaking of the Holy Supper. Everything that a priest says, in so far as it is in accord with the doctrine of the Church from the Word, is effective in communicating the Holy Spirit; and so also is everything he does, in so far as it leads men to the Lord and to the worship of Him. And a layman receives the Holy Spirit through the priesthood in so far as, through what a priest says and does, he is caused to perceive, accept, and love the truths of the Word, and is led into a life of genuine good and thus to the Lord.
     These points have been noted because the question we wish to present for your consideration is: How are we to understand the teaching that the Holy Spirit is communicated through the priesthood? For the preposition through has two meanings: it can mean through, in the sense of water passing through a pipe, or of light rays passing through glass; or it can indicate the instrument or means, in the sense that success is attained through, or by, industry, or that reputations are hurt by means of idle gossip.

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Which of these meanings gives us the correct answer? or are both applicable? Is the priesthood a channel of communication between God and man through which the Holy Spirit passes? or is it an instrument by means of which the laity is disposed for the reception of the Holy Spirit? Do the words and acts of a priest in some way contain within them the Divine of the Lord, conveying it to the laity? or do they serve as a means by which men's minds are turned to the Lord, and enabled to receive of His influx? With these questions in mind let us review some of the pertinent teachings of the Writings.

     The Holy Spirit

     Concerning the Holy Spirit, the general teaching is that it is the Divine Proceeding. And so we read that "the Holy Spirit is the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, and is the Lord Himself" (Lord 46). We also read that "the Holy Spirit is the Holy of the Spirit, or the Holy which proceeds from the Lord through spirits and angels, that is, from His Divine good through the Divine truth" (AC 3704e).
     More particular definitions are that "the Holy Spirit signifies Divine truth, thus also the Word, and the Lord Himself; particularly the Divine operation which is actual justification" (TCR 139). "The Divine love and wisdom proceeding from the Lord as a Sun, which is the heat and light of heaven, is the Holy Spirit" (DLW 146). "The Holy Spirit (called the Paraclete) is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human; and the Holy is said of Divine truth" (AC 6788). "The Divine Human (cannot communicate itself to anyone) except by the Divine truth which is the Holy Spirit" (AC 6880). "The Spirit itself does not proceed, but the Holy which the Spirit speaks" (AC 6788). For "the Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit, are two distinct things. The Spirit of the Lord neither did not could operate on man otherwise than imperceptibly; whereas the Holy Spirit, which proceeds solely from the Lord, operates on man perceptibly, and enables him to comprehend spiritual truths in a natural manner. The Holy Spirit is the same as the Divine sphere, if by this is meant the Divine love and wisdom, which two proceed from the Lord out of the Sun" (Q v).
     Yet in another number the Holy Spirit is identified with the Spirit of God, which is said to proceed. "Spirit, when said of the Lord [means] the Divine truth that proceeds from His Divine good, and when this Divine truth flows in with man, and is received by him, it is the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit . . . the reason why the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord is signified by the Spirit of God is that the whole life of man is thence, and those have heavenly life who receive this Divine truth in faith and life . . . this holy thing which proceeds from the Lord, and flows into man through angels and spirits, whether manifestly or not manifestly, is the Holy Spirit. . . .

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To give the Holy Spirit signifies to illustrate with Divine truth, and to endow with life thence, which is the life of intelligence and wisdom" (AC 9818: 3. 13. 14, 24)
     Light is thrown on these seemingly contradictory teachings by this very interesting passage from the Canons: "The Holy Spirit, in its essence, is that God Himself; but in the subject where it is received it is (apparently) the Divine Proceeding" (H.S. ii). In accordance with this passage it would appear that, viewed strictly as to its essence, the Holy Spirit is not so much called the Holy Spirit, but by some other distinguishing name such as the "Spirit of God." This is said to be imperceptible, for the Divine Spirit in itself cannot be perceived by finite man. It is also said not to proceed, for the Divine is omnipresent. But viewed as to its reception, that is, as to its operation so far as man can comprehend it, the Spirit of God is then especially called the Holy Spirit. It is then said to be perceptible, for it is that aspect of the Divine Spirit which falls within the limits of man's comprehension, and by which he can be consciously affected. It is also then said to proceed, because so far as man can form an idea of it, the Divine with man which gives him light and life is some-think that flows forth from God and is received by Him. Moreover, that mode of operation of the Holy Spirit, of which man is the most conscious, is effected by the mediation of angels, spirits, and men: and this is necessarily a proceeding, since the media are finite.

     Influx

     From what has been said, and also from the indication of the Writings that a key to the understanding of the Holy Spirit is the concept that man is an organ receptive of life (Inv. 50), it is clear that the doctrine of influx has a great deal to do with our subject.
     We are not only frequently taught that man, regarded in himself, is nothing but an organ receptive of life from the Lord, but also that "no one, whoever he may be, whether man, spirit, or angel, can will and think from himself, but from others, nor can these others will and think from themselves, but all again from others, and so on; thus each one from the First of life, which is the Lord" (AC 2886: cf. 6470:1. As the things of the thought and will constitute the man himself, being the essence of his life and qualifying all that he is, it is clear that man is wholly dependent upon others, and in the last resort upon the Lord, for all that he is and all that he becomes.

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     In regard to influx, we are taught that the Lord's presence with angels, spirits, and men, through which all think, will, and have life, is by influx (AC 9682:2); and that He rules and leads each one by influx, the current of which is most powerful though scarcely perceptible (AC 6474). Though what flows forth from the Lord is constant, being nothing but the purest truths and goods, it is received with great variety. No one receives influx in exactly the same way as another, so that it appears that there are infinitely different influxes. And so we have the universal law that influx is according to reception. The reason is that influx cannot flow in to affect except in so far as there are recipient vessels in the thought and will. It applies itself to these vessels, first those in the interiors, and then to those in the exteriors, and disposes them for reception (AC 3318:2). But just how far those vessels can be disposed for reception, that is, what is actually received from the Lord, depends entirely on the quantity of the vessels in the mind, and especially on their capacity and form. No vessel can receive more than its capacity; and, evidently, every vessel by its form affects what it receives and contains.
     The human mind is furnished with recipient vessels primarily by everything that is learned and experienced in so far as, and in the way that, the individual man uses them and appropriates them to himself as his own. There are thus at least three things that, on the part of man, affect the kind of vessels he has in his mind, thus the quality of the influx he receives: first, the kind of things he learns and experiences; second, the way he uses them-what thoughts and affections they arouse in him, and how he applies them; and, third, what he chooses to reject or to accept as his own. What is appropriated becomes permanently part of man, and is thus, in the last analysis, what actually determines the kind of influx he receives. For what is appropriated impresses itself indelibly on the organic basis of the mind, changing its form. And so we are taught that while on earth man induces on his purest substances a quality according to which his life is received (AC 6467).
     As influx is received according to the form of the recipient vessel, we are taught that they who are in the highest goods receive life from the Lord most immediately and in the purest form: those in lesser goods receive it more remotely and more obscurely; while those who are in evils and falsities receive it most remotely and as evils and falsities, that is, they turn what flows from the Lord into what is evil and false (AC 9682:2, 2888). And so we are taught that life from the Lord flows and diffuses itself through heaven and also hell, and is received by each according to his state (AC 2888); the flow and diffusion of the Lord's life being said to be in an order and series that is incomprehensible (ibid.).

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     We are also taught that the Lord rules all both immediately and mediately (AC 6058); that is, that all goods and truths flow in both immediately from Himself, and mediately through the spiritual world, thus through angels and spirits (AC 4151:3). And so we read, "How the case is with the influx of each life, namely of the life of the thought and the life of the will from the Lord, has been given to know by revelation; namely, that the Lord inflows in two ways: through heaven mediately, and from Himself immediately: and that from Himself He flows forth into man's rational things, which are his interior things, and into his natural things, which are his exterior things That which flows in from the Lord is the good of love and the truth of faith, for that which proceeds from the Lord is the Divine truth in which is the Divine good; but these are variously received with man, namely, in accordance with his quality. The Lord does not compel man to receive what flows in from Himself; but leads in freedom, and so far as man allows through freedom leads to good. Thus the Lord leads man according to his delights, and also according to fallacies, and the principles received therefrom . . . that the Lord flows in with man in this manner, namely, not only mediately through heaven, but also immediately from Himself, both into the interior and the exterior things in the man, is a secret hitherto unknown" (AC 6472)
     The influx of spirits, we are told, is into the things that a man has learned and imbibed from infancy, but not further than into the interiors of the thought and will (AC 6192). This influx is not into the thoughts themselves, but into their correspondences (AC 6319). The exteriors of action and speech are governed by a general influx flowing forth immediately from the Lord (AC 6192).
     There are other teachings which indicate that the Lord flows in and governs both the interiors and the exteriors by mediate influx. In line with these teachings we read that "each life with man, namely, the life of his thought and the life of his will, flows in from heaven, and this through the angels and spirits who are with him; but by flowing in from heaven is meant that it flows in through heaven from the Lord, for the all of life with the angels is from the Lord, which they themselves unanimously confess, being also in the perception that this is so. And as all the life with the angels is from the Lord, the all of life with man is also from the Lord, for man is directed by means of angels in particular, and by means of heaven in general by the Lord" (AC 6466). [Italics added.]

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And that "from the Lord through the spiritual world into the subjects of the natural world there is a general influx and also a particular influx-a general influx into those things which are in order, and a particular influx into those things which are not in order. . . . Men are not in their order, nor in any law of order, and therefore they receive particular influx; that is, there are with them angels and spirits through whom the influx comes' (AC 5850).
     Concerning influx through angels and spirits, we are taught that "when an angel does good to any one, he also communicates to him his own good, good fortune, and bliss, and this with the desire to give everything and to retain nothing. When he is in such communication then good flows in unto him together with good fortune and bliss much more than he gives, and this with continual increase. But as soon as the thought occurs that he desires to communicate what he has for the sake of obtaining in himself the influx of good fortune and bliss the influx is dissipated" (AC 6478). Another passage teaches that when angels appear before the internal sight they affect the inmosts by their mere presence; for love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour pour out of them and penetrate, and the derivative things of faith shine forth from them and affect" (AC 6057:2). The presence of angels has a similar effect even when they are not seen or known to be near. Another most interesting number teaches that within the good of love which flows in from the Lord through angels is all truth, which truth would become manifest of itself if man lived in love to the Lord and in love towards the neighbour" (AC 6323).
     Pertinent also are the teachings concerning subject spirits. A subject spirit is one in whom is concentrated the thoughts and speech of others, from whom he then thinks and speaks. When serving as a subject, a spirit no longer thinks and speaks from himself, but from others: and, indeed, he then does not seem to be himself, but altogether those from whom he thinks and speaks, and whom he represents; he himself fully believes that he is they (AC 5983 ff.). Such subject spirits are one of the means of communication between societies of spirits and angels, between spiritual societies and men, and between the Lord and angels, spirits, and men.
     The reason the Lord makes use of human instruments in providing for His ends is made known in the Arcana Celestia, where it is said that "the Lord acts mediately through heaven, not because He needs their aid, but that the angels there may have functions and offices, and consequently life and happiness according to their offices and uses" (AC 8719). This applies likewise to spirits in the world of spirits, and in hell, and also to men on earth.

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     Communication of the Holy Spirit

     What is said concerning the communication of the Holy Spirit, that is, concerning the proceeding and reception of Divine truth, is in line with the teachings concerning influx. For instance, it is said that truth is received according to the state of the recipient vessels, as truth by those who are in the affection of good and truth, but as falsity by those who are in the affection of evil and falsity (AC 7343). It is the life of charity we are told, which gives the capacity for receiving the truth of good; faith without charity is hard and resistant, and rejects influx from the Lord (AC 8321:2). We are likewise told that the Holy Spirit flows immediately from the Lord, and also mediately through angels and spirits (AC 9818:3).
     The Divine truth which flows immediately from the Lord is not perceptible, being above the understanding of angels (AC 6982, 7004:2). To be heard, that is, to become perceptible. Divine truth must be adapted to the perception of angels and men; and when it does so it is said to become human, and to have taken on to itself a human quality (ibid.). Divine truth becomes perceptible and human by successive mediations, the last of which, in the case of man, is through the spirit who is with him, who inflows either into his thought, or by means of a living voice (AC 6996:2). In respect to the Divine truth becoming speech, we are taught that "this speech is uttered by spirits who, when they are in this state, are called the Holy Spirits." and this is said to proceed from the Divine, because the holy of the spirit, or the holy truth which the spirit then speaks, proceeds from the Lord" (AC 6982). Divine truth is also said to become perceptible in so far as it passes through heaven, which is effected by a wonderful influx, not at all comprehensible to anyone (AC 6982, 6996).
     We are also taught that "the truth which proceeds immediately from the Lord, being from the Infinite Divine itself, cannot possibly be received by any living substance which is finite, thus not by any angel; and therefore the Lord created successive things by which, as media, the Divine truth that proceeds immediately can be communicated. But the first in succession from this is more full of the Divine than can as yet be received by any living substance which is finite . . . and therefore the Lord created another successive through which the Divine truth that proceeds immediately might be in part received; this successive is the Divine truth which is in heaven. The first two are above the heavens, and are as it were radiant belts of flame which encompass the Sun, which is the Lord.

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Such is the successive order down to the heaven nearest the Lord . . . from this the successives are continued down to the ultimate heaven, and from the ultimate heaven down to the sensuous and bodily of man . . . influx is according to these successions, for the Divine truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine good, flows in successively; and in the way, or in the connection with each new successive, it becomes more general, thus grosser and more obscure; and it becomes more slow, thus more inert and cold . . . but be it well known that the truth Divine which flows into the third heaven nearest the Lord, also at the same time and without successive formation flows in down to the ultimates of order, and there from the First immediately also rules and provides each and all things" (AC 7270:3).
     These teachings indicate that there are four distinct aspects of the Holy Spirit, that is, of Divine truth: first, the Divine truth itself which is Infinite, and cannot be perceived nor received by what is finite; second, the Divine truth accommodated by Divine media to the plane of the highest heaven, which inflows immediately even into the ultimates of order; third, the Divine truth flowing mediately through the successive planes of heaven, and being thereby successively accommodated; and, fourth, a more particular mediate influx of Divine truth that is transmitted and accommodated by angels and spirits.
     The Lord directs all things and disposes them into order by Divine truth proceeding immediately from Himself and also mediately through heaven. "But the mediate disposing through heaven is also as it were immediate from Himself, for what comes out of heaven comes through heaven from Him" (AC 8717:2). With man, whose disposing into order has to do with the reception of heavenly life, the immediate influx of truth flows into the will, while the mediate influx flows into the understanding (AC 7056:3).
     Though the Lord constantly operates with man by both influxes (AC 7055:3), so long as these are disconnected in man, that is, so long as what flows in from the Lord into the will is separated from what flows into the understanding, the mediate influx into the understanding does not endow man with life from the Lord. It restrains him from falling into more serious disorders, and acts to bring him into order; but only the immediate influx preserves him in actual order, enabling him to think and will, speak and act, and to have life from the Lord. And so the man is then said to be led by immediate influx only; and because this influx is imperceptible it appears as if the Lord were absent. Although mediate influx does not then actually give life, the man is more conscious of it, and it seems to him that he is led by it only, that is, by what is of the understanding. And so we are told that with those who are led by immediate influx only, although the Lord flows in with both good and truth, they perceive only truth. Such is the case with those in the first state of regeneration (AC 8685:2).

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     But when the two influxes are conjoined together, that is, when good in the will is conjoined with truth in the understanding, as is the case in the second state of regeneration, man is said to be led by the Lord by influx both mediate and immediate. By this conjunction man comes to perceive what inflows immediately from the Lord, so that he then perceives the presence of the Lord, and also both the good and truth that flow in from Him (AC 8685:2, 7056:3, 8701). Through both influxes the man has life, and with it genuine intelligence and wisdom.
     The conjunction of the influxes takes place by the immediate influx flowing into the mediate influx. The teaching is that the Lord flows immediately also into the truth that is received mediately (AC 7004:2). It is also taught that the conjunction cannot take place except in good (AC 7056:2). Two things are necessary; that truth be received by mediate influx, and that man be in good; that is, that he will to be led by the Lord. For example, no conjunction of influxes is possible with those who are in falsities of doctrine; nor with those who, though they have truths of doctrine, desire to lead themselves.
     The Holy Spirit operates to enlighten, teach, vivify, reform and regenerate (AR 962). These operations are accomplished by the Divine presence in those who believe in the Lord, and receive Him. They are effected through Divine truth, and among Christians through the Word (TCR 142). They are also said to be effected through the mediation of angels and spirits.
     In regard to the mediation of angels and of angelic societies, through whom the Lord acts and directs men, we are specifically taught that it is not the angels who direct, but the Lord through them. "Some things also come from the angels themselves who are with man; but all the good and truth which becomes of faith and charity, that is, of the new life with man, come from the Lord alone, and also through the angels from Him the things which come from the angels themselves are such as accommodate themselves to the affections of the man, and in themselves are not goods, but still serve for introducing the goods and truths which are from the Lord" (AC 8728). This is an important teaching, for it applies also to the mediation of men, through whom, whether they be good or evil, the Lord provides for His Divine ends.
     Though the Writings speak of the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Divine through the Glorified Human (e.g., AR 962), we are specifically taught that it is an error to suppose that God the Father sends the Holy Spirit either directly from Himself or of Himself through the Son. The truth is, we are taught, that the Son, that is, the Lord, sends the Holy Spirit of Himself from God the Father (TCR 153).

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"All this may be made clear by various rational considerations; as for example, it is known that when the apostles had received from the Lord the gift of the Holy Spirit they preached the gospel through a great part of the world, promulgating it both by speech and by writing; and this they did of themselves from the Lord italics added . . . the Lord filled them all with His Spirit; but the measure in which each partook of it was in accordance with the character of his perceptions; and this was made use of in accordance with the character of his ability. The Lord fills all the angels in the heavens and yet each one speaks and acts in accordance with the state of his own mind . . . everyone speaks of himself from the Lord. It is the same with every minister of the church, whether he be in truths or falsities: each one has his own utterance and his own intelligence, and each one speaks from his own mind, that is, from the spirit he possesses . . . the same truth may be illustrated also by the evil derived from parents . . . ; this acts in and into man . . . . If evil acted through man he would be neither capable of reformation nor culpable . . . . The Lord acts from Himself or from the Word in and into man, and not through him . . . but this may be illustrated more closely by the mutual intercourse of the soul and body . . . the soul acts in and into the body, not through it; the body acts of itself from the soul" (TCR 154).

     Reflections

     And now to return to the question of how we are to understand the teaching that the Holy Spirit is transmitted through human instruments. That we are to understand that a human instrument acts as a channel through which the Divine passes, so that what goes forth from the human instrument contains the Divine within it, can be readily seen in the case of subject spirits and in the case of revelation. In both cases the human instrument is inspired by the Divine so that nothing of his own remains active. So long as he is in that state he says and does nothing from himself, but everything entirely from the Lord. Because of this, his words and acts are finite merely in form, being Divine within; being, in fact, the Lord speaking and acting through him. Because of this, a spirit inspired by the Lord can be called the "Holy Spirit"; and because of it Swedenborg could inscribe on one of the volumes he wrote: "This book is the Advent of the Lord."
     But apart from revelation, apart from those Divinely inspired, it is difficult to see how anyone, in heaven or on earth, can serve as a channel through which the Holy Spirit passes. To suppose that a priest is such a channel is to interpose the priest between the Lord and the layman.

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It is to say that the Lord speaks to the laity through a priest, that He regenerates and saves men through priests, that He enlightens them through priests, and so forth. It is also to say that man is to approach the Lord through priests. But this is wholly contrary to the truth, and any thought of it is to be immediately cast out from the Church. This the Writings make very plain.
     There are some passages which speak of the Divine being present in what is received mediately through angels; but there is no indication that we can see that the Divine is present in what goes forth from the angel. The teaching is that the Divine enters immediately into what is received mediately. The teaching also seems clear that what goes forth from any one, whether angel or man, is his reaction to the Divine operating in him. What a priest says and does are of himself from the Lord, and not from the Lord through him. However great his illustration, however eloquent his discourse, however solemn the occasion or however holy the sacrament he administers, his words and acts are his own response to the Holy Spirit. They may in a sense reflect how he has been moved by the Holy Spirit, but in no way do they contain the Divine; nor in anyway are they the Divine operating
     The tenor of the teachings is that a priest, or any human instrument, through him, serves to communicate the Holy Spirit, not by transmitting it, but by disposing for reception. Or, rather, the Lord makes use of such instruments for this purpose. The words of a priest, particularly when he is preaching and teaching the doctrine of his church from the Word, direct his hearers' attention to doctrinal matters, furnish them with doctrinal knowledges, and materially assist them to understand their meaning and application. The acts of a priest, particularly when officiating at worship and at the administration of the sacraments and rites of the church, bring his congregation into states of worship, providing them with opportunities to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and to be affected by it. And the sphere of the priest affects those about him, arousing affections in them and influencing their thoughts. Thus by his words, acts, and sphere, a priest supplies the means by which the forms of men's minds are affected and changed, which produces a corresponding change in the influx received. What goes forth from the priest is purely finite, affecting others through their exteriors. It does not in itself affect the quality of the life itself nor give life, but it acts to open the mind, to furnish it with vessels, and to arouse states of affection. When received, and in so far as it is received, what goes forth from a priest is used by the Lord in disposing a layman's mind, first to restrain him from evil, and second to lead him into good, that is, to receive life.

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     In so far as a priest is sincere in his effort to perform his use well and to serve the Lord, in so far as he teaches truths from the Word and by them leads to the good of life, in so far as he succeeds in applying himself to the states of his congregation, presenting them with truths and goods in a form they can grasp and arousing affections of good and truth, so far does a priest turn men's minds to the Word and to the Lord; so far do his words and acts serve as means by which minds are actually opened to the Lord and equipped with vessels for the reception of the Divine. In this way even an evil priest may serve as an instrument for the communication of the Holy Spirit in so far as he keeps his evils hidden and directs his congregation to the Word. But in so far as a priest teaches falsities and directs men to himself, so far are his words and acts less useful in the communication of the Holy Spirit. And the priest who is in open evil cannot perform his use as a priest, although the Lord may provide for his ends through him as is the case with every evil man. The same applies to all men, but to a greater degree to priests, because it is their use to teach truth and to lead to good, and thus to communicate the Holy Spirit.
     Because this is their use, the Holy Spirit operates with them in a particular way to enable them to perform their use. At the same time, it is a particular temptation of priests to ascribe the operation of the Holy Spirit to themselves. "The more any one supposes himself to be the Holy Spirit, the more he loses his intellectual endowments" (SD 4537). Consequently, the more a priest falls in this temptation, the less is he able to perform his use.
     Because of this, it is of importance that priests have particular knowledge and understanding of the Holy Spirit, its operation, and its transmission. For this reason when priests enter into the spiritual world they are particularly instructed concerning the Holy Spirit. "They are thus particularly instructed about this, because very many enthusiasts after death fall into the insane phantasy that they themselves are the Holy Spirit; also because many belonging to the church who had believed while in the world that the Holy Spirit spoke through them, terrify others . . . claiming that to speak against what the Holy Spirit has inspired into them is the unpardonable sin" (TCR 138).
     The use of the priesthood is not to convey the Holy Spirit to the laity, but rather is it to be conceived as opening men's minds to be affected by the Divine. For the Divine Proceeding of the Lord is omnipresent, and its presence with all is perpetual (Inv. 23). It is all about us, but it cannot affect us except in so far as we are moved by its presence and respond to it. It is all about us, waiting to be admitted, waiting for us to be affected by its presence.

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Opening the mind through instruction, furnishing it with recipient vessels, receiving the Holy Spirit, all mean essentially that the mind has been made sensitive and responsive to the presence of the Divine. And so we read: "All things which are talked about the Holy Spirit fall when it is believed that man is . . . only an organ of life: and thus that God is constantly in man . . . therefore it is vain to say that the Holy Spirit is given or sent away. For the Holy Spirit is nothing else than the Divine Proceeding out of the Lord from the Father, and this Divine causes the life of man . . . and its presence is perpetual" (Inv. 50).
TASK OF REGENERATION 1952

TASK OF REGENERATION       Rev. JOAO DE MENDONCA LIMA       1952

     "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3: 3)
     Regeneration is the task that must be accomplished during our life on earth if we are to attain eternal happiness in heaven. On our part it is a weighty task, a task for our entire life; requiring the employment of continuous efforts throughout our entire earthly life. And the sooner we begin, the greater will be the probability of our accomplishing it, the more facilities will we encounter for executing it: while the later we start, the more will be the difficulties we shall meet, and the slighter will be the probability of concluding it.
     The best period for commencing this task is at the beginning of young manhood and womanhood. In the period prior to this we should prepare ourselves, by acquiring knowledges of truth, that we may meet with greater probability of success the obstacles of all sorts that we will find on the path to regeneration. Unfortunately, the men of today rarely undergo this preparation, and very few begin to work at the task at the most opportune moment: that is, at the beginning of adult life. Indeed very many people arrive at the end of their existence in the world without even having commenced the task. Others begin it only when the most suitable time has passed. Yet it is better to start late than not at all.
     As long as we live on earth it is not too late for us to begin to work in the Lord's vineyard. Let us remember that the worker hired at the eleventh hour received the same wages as those engaged at the first hour. However, this does not mean that we can purposely delay the beginning of our task in order to attain with less work the same recompense as those who commenced earlier.

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The worker called at the eleventh hour had not been idle from choice. It was due to circumstances beyond his control that he was able to work only in the last hour.
     When we deliberately postpone the work which we know must be done we lose the best opportunity for doing it. And if, later, we should decide to do it, we will find greater difficulties; difficulties which, to our ruin, may cause us to become discouraged and give up the attempt. However, those who through no fault of their own can begin the task of regeneration only at a later period should dedicate themselves to the task with courage and without weakening. For just as the worker called at the eleventh hour received full wages for the day although he had labored only one hour, so will they thus attain the maximum of eternal happiness that is compatible with their state.
     According to the laws of order, man should learn the truths of the letter of the Word in childhood and youth, thus laying down in his mind a solid basis for the spiritual construction which is to take place in adult life. Together with these truths, however, his memory is being supplied with much natural knowledge of all kinds-scientific, literary, historical, and artistic. In this knowledge there will be many false notions, many errors, many worldly preconceptions, many valueless rules: many things which are harmful to his spiritual development. And when the ability to think rationally has been achieved he must, if he wishes to succeed in the task of regeneration, examine in the light of the truths of the Word everything he has so far learned. This examination will lead to a recognition of what is true and useful, and what is false and useless: and when it has been made, the next thing necessary is to reject what is not worthwhile and apply to his life what can be used. In this way he will begin the work of reformation which must precede, and without which regeneration itself cannot be accomplished.

     These teachings are contained in the spiritual sense of the parable about casting a net into the sea (Matthew 13: 47, 48). The "net" represents the doctrine into which the truths of the letter of the Word learned in childhood and youth are woven; and it is in the light of this doctrine that we examine our knowledges at the beginning of regeneration. Memory, into which flow all the waters of knowledge we acquire, is meant by the "sea"; the waters signifying natural learning-the truths of the letter of the Word, and knowledges of natural things, whether scientific, historical, literary, artistic, professional or principles of practical life. And the "fish" represent the living knowledges in our minds; those which are living because we apply them to our lives, to our conduct, and which serve also as food for the mind.

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     To "cast a net into the sea" is, therefore, to seek in the memory, by means of the doctrine constructed from the letter of the Word, for the living principles, the fish, which it contains. When the net is full it should be dragged to the beach where the fish can be examined; the bad rejected, and the good gathered into baskets.
     The examination of the principles by which we regulate our lives is not actually done in the memory, represented by the sea, but in our will, which is represented by the beach. The importance of these principles for us depends on our devotion to them; and this devotion, springing from the will, is what determines the influence for good or evil they will have upon us. Therefore they should be examined, not merely in our memory, but in our conscience. The principles we love are those which determine our conduct; and that is why it is necessary to draw the net to the shore-to examine our principles on the plane of conscience and in the light of the doctrine we have formed from the letter of the Word.
     In examining the fish that have been gathered we will find some that are good and some that are bad. That is, in examining the principles we love, the principles by which our conduct is directed, we will discover that some are really true and useful while others are false and harmful. We should then confirm the former and reject the latter. According to the parable, the good are "gathered into vessels." These "vessels" represent our rational understanding: and this we should fill with these true and useful principles that, as prepared by the love of truth, they may serve as food for the mind, nourishing it as they are applied to the reformation of our conduct.

     Up to this point we have spoken about regeneration as though it were a purely human task. In truth, however, it is entirely a Divine task. It is actually the Lord who regenerates us. Yet He cannot do so without our cooperation, without our consent, without our doing our part.
     And man's part in the work of his regeneration is similar to that which he plays in the nutrition of the body. In order to feed himself, man must seek foods wisely, prepare them, take them into the mouth, and then masticate and swallow them. From that point his voluntary participation ceases. The digestive organs-obeying the laws of creation-receive the food and, stimulated by it, prepare it for absorption: separating and rejecting everything that cannot be used, and preparing and passing on that which is to be taken into the blood.
     Similarly, in the task of regeneration we must choose from the Word of the Lord the principles that are agreeable to us, and after reasoning on them in order to understand them well, we must make efforts to apply them to our lives. These principles are chosen by reading and hearing the Word with attention and with a sincere desire to find in it the food that is suited to our mental state.

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This constitutes our search for food. Then we must, as it were, take the food with the mouth and prepare it for swallowing; that is, we must take the truths of the Word into our thought, and prepare them through the faculty of reasoning for employment in our conduct. The act of swallowing corresponds to the effort we make to apply the truth to our lives. From then on, its further preparation and final appropriation is effected without our voluntary efforts.
     The one thing we most do is to seek the truth and meditate on it with a sincere desire to apply it to our lives. This is very little, and very simple, compared with the work done by the Lord; but it is a great deal if we take into consideration the obstacles, the difficulties, the opposition we encounter in making a wise choice of our spiritual food, and also the cost of preparing it.

     The great store in which we can find a complete and abundant supply of everything we need for the nourishment of our minds is the Word of the Lord. There we have a variety of food for all tastes and for all the needs of the spirit. Unfortunately, however, most men do not supply themselves from this store, in which the Divine love places at our disposal all the treasures of the Divine wisdom. They prefer adulterated foods which are harmful to the health of the spirit; foods prepared by human evil-the source of all the falsehoods, all the errors, that are found in the books of men. In these human ideas, false doctrines, adulterations of the teachings of the Word, we can find only foods that are spoiled and that are harmful to the health of our spirit. And these foods will finally so spoil our taste that it will no longer find good in the pure teachings of the Word and of the Heavenly Doctrine.
     This does not mean that all human books are bad. On the contrary, there are many which are excellent and which can usefully contribute to the nourishment and health of our minds. But they are good for the precise reason that they are founded on the truths of the Word. They are, so to speak, foods that are properly prepared with ingredients obtained from the great store of the Word.
     The choice of our spiritual food is of decisive importance in regard to our future state, and this choice is entirely our responsibility. The ideas-true or false, good or evil-which present themselves to our minds in the most varied forms, in books, in magazines, in newspapers, in the theater, at the movies, and in conversations with other people, constitute an immense and varied supply of mental food which is constantly set before us that we may select what is most suitable. And the food we seek in the Word is, so to speak, a corrective for the disastrous effects of those other foods which are offered to us all the time, and at which we nibble idly like those greedy people who are always having snacks without thought of the harmful consequences to their health.

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     If our spiritual taste is sharpened by the regular use of healthful foods taken from the Word, we will be able to approach safely the table of daily life, on which false ideas in great abundance are mixed with some true ideas. For we will know how to choose what is good and useful and reject everything that may injure our spiritual health. But in order to arrive at this point we must first perform a great task. Our bad feelings desire to be fed by the false ideas of men, and they satisfy themselves with the corrupt food which the world offers in such abundance in its newspapers, its books, its theaters, its movies, and its social gatherings. We must fight against this desire for bad foods; against the aversion which our bad feelings produce for the spiritual food offered to us by the Lord in the Word and the Writings.
     In the beginning, this food will seem to us to be insipid and heavy. However, if we persist in the study of the truth with the sincere desire of applying it to our conduct, the Lord, doing His part in the work of regeneration, will gradually modify our taste. Little by little, we will find more savor in the truth, and its assimilation will become easier and more rapid.

     The truths we acquire with love, and with the desire to apply them to the reformation of our conduct, are built by the Lord into our spiritual being. As they are assimilated a new will is formed in place of the corrupt one received by birth. The formation of this will is the secret work of the Lord in our regeneration. When we do our part, seeking the truth in spite of the opposition of our hereditary will, the Lord does His part; causing the evil affections of that will to become quiescent as truths are acquired. He forms in us a new will, from which foxy the innocent and pure affections that characterize the new, spiritual man who is created in us by Him.
     We are thus born again. We are thus recreated. This is our regeneration. This enables us to enter the kingdom of God, where we will live forever after death. That is why the Lord says to us in His Word: Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Amen.

LESSONS:     Deuteronomy 8. Matthew 13: 33-52. HD 173-177.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 497, 456, 455.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 18, 96.

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PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     5. The Third Principle

     The Priesthood is the appointed means for the establishment of the Church it is not to be placed under external bond in the exercise of its function in the Church.

     Concerning this principle Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "The Priesthood is the instrumentality employed by the Lord for the establishment of the Church. It is according to the appearance that priests are appointed and chosen by men, and this appearance is necessary for the sake of freedom and cooperation and we may speak and act according to the appearance. But the real essential truth is that they are appointed by the Lord, chosen by Him, taught by Him, prepared by Him for the use of their office. No external bond is, therefore, to be placed upon the exercise of the priestly function, except where disorder or disturbance arises. The same law extends throughout the Church and to all its functions and functionaries" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY. p. 8)
     Three articles will be devoted to this principle, and as its significance and importance cannot be comprehended unless the history of its development is known, that history will be reviewed briefly here. This third principle was not born in the Church without travail, and an understanding of the struggle throws into clear light the essential point at issue, which is: Should the basic order of organization of the external church be founded upon the plain statements of the Writings, or should it be formed from human intelligence according to the exigencies of the times?
     The first body of the New Church in London, 1787-8, was not deeply concerned with the form of organization but with the origin of the priesthood in the New Church. Finally it was decided that as the Church was the beginning of a new dispensation of the Lord's church on earth its priesthood should have its beginning immediately from the Lord and not from the former church. Thus it was that on June 1, 1788, Robert Hindmarsh was chosen by lot to read the service for the first ordination of a New Church priest-his father, James Hindmarsh. Not until some years later did the Church come to recognize that Robert Hindmarsh had been ordained under the Lord's auspices and without human agency.

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     The question of the form of organization rose some years later. As the first receivers became better informed as to the contents of the Writings, some realized that a definite form of organization was indicated in them. But the Church was not prepared to receive this. Many of the early receivers had suffered under misrule in the Church of England and were prejudiced against the episcopal form of government; leaning strongly to the Calvinistic mode which gives layman and priest equal authority in the government of the church. When the teachings of the Writings were first presented there was much dissention, and from that time the question of the order of the Church has been accompanied by disturbance and separation. Sincere and competent students of the Writings in every branch of the Church saw that the episcopal form of government is taught; but no one was willing to take a firm stand until, in 1883, the Pennsylvania Association, a body affiliated with the General Convention, reformed itself according to the episcopal order. The leader in this movement was Bishop W. H. Benade; and the new organization, "The General Church of Pennsylvania," was the body out of which came "The General Church of the New Jerusalem." We may note that this was not contrary to the rules of the General Convention, as was charged, for that body had recommended to its component Associations that they "make such specific rules under the general rules for the regulation of the Ministry as they may consider necessary or desirable."
     Why was there such opposition to the introduction of the episcopal form of government when competent students agreed that it is taught in the Writings? The real fact is that it was not a subject in itself but the offshoot of a more essential question, the nature of the Writings themselves-only one evidence of the struggle for the establishment of the Divine authority of the Writings as the Word of the Lord in His second coming. For if the New Church was a new dispensation founded upon a new revelation of the Word it had to be distinct in worship and life; but if it was based only upon a new interpretation of the former Word it would be logical to conclude that it did not need any organization of its own, and that the opinions of men were as valid as those of the Writings. The real difference was between these two opinions, and in them were the seeds of the future separation. This is supported by the fact that with the nature of government in the Church we find discussion of such allied subjects as distinctive baptism, worship, education, and social life. These are all one with the question of the distinctiveness of the Revelation itself, and their order and importance is determined by the answer given to the question: Are the Writings the Word of the Lord in His second coming?

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     All who answered affirmatively agreed that the episcopal form of government is the true order according to which the Church should be organized. All who answered negatively were opposed. Of the former, Bishop Benade, although not the first to see that order taught in the Writings, was the first to see the absolute necessity of forming the Church according to it that there might be internal development. He therefore proceeded without fear to establish this form of government in the Church. Because of peculiar and outstanding qualities of leadership with which, in Providence, he was endowed his efforts were successful; and we owe a deep debt of gratitude to him above others, for without his courage and ability the Church might still be held back from interior development by forms of government other than those taught in the Writings. However, we should not forget those other men who labored in the same field and helped to prepare the ground; notably the Rev. Samuel Noble in England, and the Rev. Richard de Charms in the United States.
     Noble's report on this subject to the General Convention in 1830 contains all the essentials which we today enjoy, and is a clear statement of the teachings of the Writings on the order of government in the New Church. Yet it met with no acceptance; and he himself, despite the clearness of his vision, did not feel that the subject was then of sufficient importance to split the Church. He felt that its introduction could await a more propitious time, if the Conference so desired; and that a true church might still exist under the present constitution, though less receptive of influx from heaven, until such time as the truth could be seen. The report was never acted on, and the General Conference still retains the congregational form of government.
     In this country it was the Rev. Richard de Charms who was the most forceful and clearsighted exponent of the same doctrine. But he, too, felt for the most part that the time for its introduction into the Church was not yet at hand; mainly because of the disaffection it would cause in the western branches of the Church. However, it was he who baptized the Rev. W. H. Benade into the Church, and later ordained him; and through him he no doubt had a great influence in the introduction of the episcopal form of government into the Church.
     In the year 1883, the Church for the first time was formed according to the Divinely revealed order, and with this order came a development in the Church of the interior study of doctrine, and with this a distinct and distinctive New Church life. The promise which Mr. Noble envisioned came to pass. With the formation of the General Church of Pennsylvania, a group of New Church men for the first time declared publicly as an organization their absolute loyalty to the Heavenly Doctrine; proclaimed it as the Word of God in His second coming; and at the same time formed themselves according to the rules of organization openly stated therein: the trine in the priesthood, the government of the Church by the priesthood, and the division of the administrative functions of the Church into a council of the clergy and a council of the laity.

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EVERY IDLE WORD 1952

EVERY IDLE WORD       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1952

     Man differs from the animals not only in having an immortal soul, and in being endowed by the Lord with the faculties of spiritual freedom and rationality, but also in having the ability of speech; which, with the spiritual race, is articulate and precise, able to express the thoughts of his reason and convey the contents of his memory with its wealth of experiences.
     What a tremendous responsibility this marvellous Divine gift lays upon us! "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man" (Matthew 15:11). "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (ibid. 12: 34).
     It becomes a flood-gate through which the tides of the spirit, and of heaven and hell, rush out upon the world for good or for ill. And thus saith the Lord: "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:36, 37).
     The day of judgment to which the Lord here refers is the second state of a man's spirit in the world of spirits. He enters this state when his externals have been laid off and his interior character openly appears. All must enter this state; and they can then speak only from their heart, or from their interior memory, which is formed by those things that they made habitual and spontaneous in the world.
     While still in the natural world man can control his tongue, from prudence if not from conscience. The power of self-restraint is given to him that he may not commit himself irretrievably to evil. Freedom and self-restraint go hand in hand. Man is not accountable for all the thoughts that stray into his mind. But he is held responsible for his speech. By his words he confirms himself in his thoughts; for he defends his uttered opinions, adopting them as his own, and from pride he is unwilling to change them.

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     "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." The unruly tongue is like a fire which sows destruction heedlessly. "The tongue," says James in his epistle, is a little member, and boasteth great things . . . by it we bless God, even the Father; and by it we curse men, who are made after the similitude of God" (James 3: 5, 9).
     The Writings speak of many forms of profanation. Taking the name of God in vain, by jests and flippant use of holy things, is the beginning of a process that ends in contempt for the church, the Word, and the Lord, and is the sin against the Holy Spirit which cannot be forgiven because it takes away the means of salvation. As if by instinct, the men of the New Church feel a revulsion against such blasphemies, by which men seek to obtain a brief and pitiful glory at the expense of their Maker.
     But idle words need not be open blasphemies to be in the employ of the hells. The mouth is ordained as the organ of the understanding, the instrument of our rational mind, where our regeneration must commence, It is meant as a servant of the highest and best, the truly human faculties of the mind. The mouth is intended to proclaim the praise and glory of God; to express our conscience; to reveal our sincere intentions of use and charity; to instruct in truth and unfold our philosophy of life; so that our actions may not be misinterpreted and our uses may lead to their intended end.
     But the "idle word" even if it is not deliberately vicious or deceitful, does not stem from conscience or from the rational mind. It is the outpouring of the proprium, of the natural man-full of vanity and self-importance, cruelty and filthy imaginations-and it looks either for praise or for a sense of power. For the proprium-the inherited self-love confirmed by our conceit of self-intelligence-resents not only the internal bonds of conscience but also the control of reason. It seeks to fling away all restraints, to challenge not only reason but decorum and decency. It is sensitive, proud, overbearing. It hides its lack of knowledge by insistence and pretense. And when it sees its own impotence and futility it seeks to make an impression by resorting to forceful language designed to shock. The proprium, unable to convince another by open reason can plead its cause only by brutal, bitter, sarcastic words designed to overwhelm the mind of another and cause him to surrender for the sake of peace.
     It is to be noted that the Writings define "profanation" as a mixing of good and evil. What men usually call "profanity' includes not only the evil use of the Lord's name and the hypocrisy and deceit of those who are religious, but the use of impatient expletives and oaths that call upon the devil rather than God, or curse men or things or circumstances, as if in rebellion against the Divine Providence.

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     The evils behind such idle words can be weighed only by the Lord, who known what hells inflow with smug delight while man fortifies his proprium with curses or abuse. Yet man may himself recognize some of these evils-his disregard for the neighbor, his scorn for innocence, his contempt and impatience. If he examined himself, he would see that it is the unanalyzed and dormant evils of his proprium, the inarticulate lusts of the sensual will amplified by the irritations of the flesh, which gather and burst forth in the form of impatience-in impatient words, or in impatient, senseless acts. Impatience is the general form of all evils, their corporeal rather than their rational expression; and in all its phases it is a rebellion against the Divine Providence, and against the moral laws which guard the freedom and order of the society in which man is placed for his reformation, regeneration, and salvation.
     The habits of impatient words arise from imitation. It is pathetic and sad to hear from the lips of innocent children evil words which they have learned from their elders and repeat without knowing their vicious or profane original meaning. The names of the Lord twisted in disguise! The language of the gutter, which has percolated into common use! The precise meaning is often lost, but the words remain to convey the sphere and odor of the hells, and to insinuate disrespect and filthy daring.
     And curses, like blessings, have a habit of returning upon those who employ them. Habits of speech, if not broken in youth, can form habits of thought which are carried over into the other life. The Writings tell of a spirit, otherwise well disposed, who had come into the habit of calling anything disagreeable "worse than the devil," thus cursing at things. When the good spirits with whom he dwelt became indignant he attempted to refrain, but without success. Finally he was vastated by a spiritual mode in which he seemed to himself wrapped in a veil, to his utter despair. For such was the force of the habit that had ensnared him that it could not be broken except through suffering and supplications to the Lord (see SD 4036).
     "Swear not at all." It is obvious that those who act from conscience have no need to confirm anything by oaths, unless so required by civil law. The internal man loves to speak and act from freedom, not from compulsion (AC 2842:9). The word of a sincere man is sufficient, and what is beyond this savors of evil-of suspicion or compulsion or doubt. Truth must be seen in its own light, and is not increased by confirmations or oaths, by the passion with which it is announced, or by the persuasiveness and cleverness of its advocates, let our speech by "Yea, yea, nay, nay"; without compromise with evil, without compelling others to believe, without assumption of any other authority than that of the truth itself presented in its own light, not hidden behind the bushel of man's prudence.

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LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "Man does not know, from feeling and perception in himself, how good and truth enter by influx from God, and how evil and falsity enter by influx from hell; nor see how the Divine Providence operates in favor of good against evil; for in such case man would not act from freedom according to reason as if from himself. It is sufficient for him to know and acknowledge these things from the Word and from the doctrine of the church" (AE 1136).
REGENERATION 1952

REGENERATION              1952

     "There are two states into which a man must enter, and through which he must pass, in order from natural to become spiritual. The first state is called reformation, and the other regeneration. In the first, man looks from his natural state toward the spiritual, and desires to attain it; in the second state he becomes a spiritual-natural man. The first state is formed by the truths which belong to faith, by which he looks towards charity; the second is formed by the goods of charity, from which he enters into the truths of faith; or, what is the same thing, the first is a state of thought from the understanding, the other is a state of love from the will . . . a man who in the world has entered upon the first state can be introduced into the second after death; but he who has not entered into the first state in the world cannot be introduced into the second after death, and thus cannot be regenerated" (TCR 571).

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ELSA SYNNESTVEDT 1952

ELSA SYNNESTVEDT       KAREN SYNNESTVEDT       1952

     The story of what Elsa Synnestvedt did during her life could be told in one paragraph.
     She was born in Glenview, Illinois, but spent most of her life in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. She worked in a library for 23 years, and took a summer trip to Europe one year. She wrote a number of poems. She died at the age of 50, on November 3rd, 1947, after a long battle with cancer.
     From this paragraph it is easy to see that she did not have what would ordinarily be called an exciting life. It could even be called uneventful. But the truth is that she led a full life. Her interest and excitement came from a multitude of things that are considered small and unimportant these days, if they are considered at all: and her life was filled with these things. Her work in the library, especially with the children; her gift of writing; her love of nature: her delight in the song of a thrush, a walk in a daisy field, the moon rising over the ocean-these are all part of her spirit. She could live in her imagination and be happy there, as well as in the world about her. And so her story cannot be brushed over so quickly after all.

     Paul and Anna Synnestvedt were living in Glenview, Illinois, in the 1890's. Their first two children, Arthur and Hubert, were born there, and in 1897 a baby girl was added to the family. This was Elsa. She was born on May 7th.
     Elsa was quite precocious as a small child. From the time she first began to speak, she used "proper" English. She scorned baby-talk and did not often play with dolls or other little-girl toys. Perhaps this was because she was an only girl among an increasing number of brothers, until, after six boys had come, there was another girl. She played a great deal with these brothers, though she was by no means a tom-boy.
     In 1902 the family moved to Pittsburgh, and it was in Pittsburgh that Elsa had her schooling until she was 16. She went to elementary school at the Wallingford Avenue New Church School. There she got a firm foundation in English-especially in grammar-from Miss Evelyn Gilmore.

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     She began writing poems and other little things when she was very young, and these she kept in a small notebook. The first poem in this book was written in 1909, when she was twelve years old. That poem is quoted:

     HALLOWE'EN

The autumn leaves are falling fast,
     The fields are brown and bare;
The hunter, with his faithful hounds,
     Is hunting for the hare.

The nuts are quickly ripening,
     And apples getting red;
The children think of Hallowe'en
     At night when they're in bed.

They think of nuts and taffy,
     And the fun they'll have that night;
And how they'll make their pop-corn
     At fires glowing bright.

How after they've enjoyed their fun
     Unto their hearts' delight.-
Without a sigh or grumble
     They'll up and say "good-night."

Some of Elsa's poems were printed in the Fulton Journal, and some in the children's magazine, Saint Nicholas. The following was printed in Saint Nicholas in April, 1913.

     THE DAWN

One morning, at the early break of day,
     An artist slowly paced the lonely sands
Beside a broad expanse of sheltered bay,
     And watched the dawn creep forth from Night's dark hands.

The water stretched, unruffled and serene,
     Out to the sea, as far as eye could reach;
And, inward-rolling from that silver sheen,
     The tiny wavelets rippled up the beach.

The artist stood and watched with gaze intent,
     And saw how all the gloomy shadows fled;
How, slowly, through the vaulted firmament,
     The radiant Dawn her rainbow colors shed.

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"Almighty God," he murmured reverently,
     "Such scenes as this no mortal can portray;
The power is Thine alone, and sky and sea
     Reflect Thy glory with each dawning day."

One of her poems published by Saint Nicholas appeared in its pages again, a few years later with the name of someone else as the author. Elsa did not let this pass. She wrote a prim letter to Saint Nicholas, calling their attention to what she called, "someone's unconscious plagiarism." Saint Nicholas wrote, apologizing for the mistake, but her family teased her for many years about that letter.
     School was fairly easy for Elsa and she seemed to enjoy it. She always became friends with her teachers, and several of these friendships lasted all her life, even though they had to be kept up through letters.
     In the summers the family traveled from Pittsburgh to Ventner, New Jersey, and, later, to Longport, New Jersey. The parents would go on ahead and open up the house, and then Elsa would follow, with all the children in tow. Her great fondness for the seashore must have been growing in these early years.
     The family moved to Terwood, Pennsylvania, about two miles from Bryn Athyn, when Elsa was sixteen, and she finished her high schooling at the Academy in 1916. She was chosen as valedictorian for her class. A part of her valedictory was this Sonnet:


     SONNET

Peace be within thy walls-though all around
     Is strife and storm and horror-haunted night.
On every side the shouts of war resound;
     From desolate homes the children take their flight.
The fields whose fragrant earth the farmers turned
     Are torn today by battle's cruel plough;
Cathedrals lie in ruin; towns are bunted
     The peace of many lands has perished now.

Peace be within thy walls, O City blest!
     For only in thy true prosperity
Is hope of safety and of tranquil rest
     Through earthly days and to eternity.
Woes of the warring world may still increase-
     Then be Thou ever with us, Prince of Peace.

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     During the five years before Elsa began her work in the library she wrote quite a number of poems. Some of her best were written during this period. Three of these are now quoted:

     FUGITIVE

O magic of a fleeting scene!
     The fairy filigree
     Of sunlight in a tree-
A windy web of golden green-
     Has caught the heart of me.

And echoing the joyous mood
     A robin folds his wings
     And tremendously sings.
Chasms of infinitude
     Are spanned by little things. (1918)

     SONNET

When mood of mine has touched in you some chord
     Of warm response, I joy to watch your face,
     For in your eyes a gentleness I trace
Where loving, love-inspiring light is stored.
Often a deeper eloquence is poured
     From silent lips than those which prate apace,
     And mirrored is the spirit's inner grace
Without the dubious aid of speech untoward.

And then, with twilight afterthought intent
     Upon the mystery of love. I know
That, sensitively as your face was bent
     On me, the tender glances you bestow
Upon that one, your heart's own complement,
     Eternally more beautiful will grow. (1918)

     SONNET

What harmony of order governs all
     That God has wrought in witness of His power.
A fragment of unyielding rock may fall
     Into a passive pool; and like a flower

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Unfolding there, responsive to the sun
     The circling ripples widen to the shore
Where smaller waves like gentle echoes run
     Back to the center, and are calm once more.

Thou are the Center. May our souls be stirred
     By the great rock of truth, Thy holy Word,
That the true order of our lives may be
     From the one Center-out-and back to Thee
When the brief day of pilgrimage is past.
     Thou are the First, forever, and the Last. (1919)

     A date cannot be found for the next poem quoted.

     DELIQUIUM

They lie who say with pious mien
     it's easy to be good. -
To shun the fruit forbidden and to
     stomach what we should
To shatter Satan's armature with
     blade of cumbrous wood.

I long for peace and pale oblivion;
     The battle-field
No glamour holds for me. Wearily
     I raise nay shield
And find my weapon heavy for a
     weakling arm to wield.

     Elsa was interested in art, and collected pictures all during her life. She had many books, and kept several diaries. She also kept a few letters which she cherished. Among these was one which Dr. William Whitehead wrote to her in 1920. He was then Editor of the Son's BULLETIN, and was writing to ask her to contribute a poem to be published in it. All through her life Elsa felt that her poems were very inferior. She was usually discouraged with them, and always thought that they failed to carry her meetings. After her death an envelope containing a very few of her poems was found. On the envelope was written: "I consider these the least mediocre of my poems." Perhaps it was because of these feelings about her poems that she treasured Dr. Whitehead's letter, for in it he encouraged her to go on with her writing. A portion of that letter is here quoted:

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     "Those who have the potencies of a gift owe it to the Church, and therefore to the world, to exercise it. I hope you will do this-not because it promises a career (the real career of a woman means more than any profession'!). But because real poetry always comes out of the heart of a woman; and the greatest of men poets have become so only because of their ability to transcribe what is in the hearts of women. Our doctrine of conjugial love makes this inevitable-and intelligible-. . . . (I) am quite sure that you will not regret cultivating the gift that is yours. You have a gift! Do not doubt it!"

     It was characteristic of Elsa that she wrote letters to such people as Mary Roberts Reinhardt, Bliss Perry, and others, and also to Admiral Byrd. She contributed money to Byrd's explorations, to the Audubon Bird Society, Save the Redwoods League, and to similar uses, but the letters she wrote to these people were such that she often received personal, appreciative replies.
     Elsa's interest in nature was increasing. She begun to study birds especially, and in the summer of 1920 she went to Cornell to study ornithology. Various Bryn Athyn people had spent summers there, and in the summer that Elsa went Margaret Bostock, Amena Pendleton Haines, and Elise Brown all had an apartment together. Elsa studied French, and nature-poetry as well as ornithology.
     It was through Amena P. Haines that Elsa became interested in the work at the Academy Library. At first she worked there only part of the time, but in 1921 she began spending her full time there. She always felt that she could not keep up with all the reading that a librarian should do. Probably the reason she felt this way was because she was a slow careful reader. The truth is that she read a great deal.
     The children's library took most of Elsa's time and interest. She loved to read to the children, and even organized a story-telling hour for them in the summers. At the time of her death, she left more than $300 to the library. This money was all used to buy children's books.
     Over a third of her life was spent in the library work, and the appreciation felt by all for her services is expressed in a part of an annual report made by Miss Freda Pendleton in 1944-the year Elsa stopped her work at the library. This is now quoted:

     "It is my distressing duty to report that at the end of the school year Miss Elsa Synnestvedt is resigning from the Library. This bald statement does not convey in any way the sense of loss that rather overwhelms us. Miss Synnestvedt has the distinction of having been in the Library longer than anyone else, namely, twenty-three years.

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Her long period of service has been marked by devotion and loyalty to the uses of the Academy; her gentle spirit creates a sphere in the Library, especially with the children, that is unique; her absence will be keenly felt by all the Faculty, the students, and the children, whom she has so long and faithfully served. As far as we who are left to struggle along without her are concerned, suffice it to say that her leaving is a blow from which it will be difficult to recover. We can only hope that some time in the future she may be able to come back to us."
     Elsa used the summer vacations she had from the library for a variety of things. In 1926, she and Erna Sellner, Elizabeth Richardson Doering, and Elsie Harris took a trip to Europe with the University Bureau of Travel. They visited France, Italy, Switzerland, and Greece. It was Greece that appealed most to Elsa, though she was thrilled with the whole trip. She was especially glad to have the chance to see some of the things she had read about so often during her life.
     Other summer trips took her to the Catskills. Indian Lake, and Vermont. In a letter she wrote: "My happiest summers have been those in which I was privileged to visit friends in Vermont. I love mountains; I love trees at twilight, hermit thrushes, fringed gentians and all the other breathlessly beautiful things that go with mountains. Part of another summer was spent on an island in the Penobscot River in Maine. This island was a center of the Audubon Bird Society's studying. Lucy Potts. Florence Potts, and Virginia Smith were there that summer, too.
     All of Elsa's summers were not spent vacationing, however. One year she attended Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. This college is noted for its courses in library work. She also took courses lit Columbia University in New York, and at Drexel Institute.
     During her years at the Library. Elsa had little time to spend in writing poetry, but perhaps her best poem was written then. it is now quoted:

     PARADOX

O God, the spring is hard to bear!
It steals upon me unaware.
     And barring all retreat
Its beauty tramples on my heart
     With silver spiked feet.

Eternal paradox of spring-
That pain to radiance should cling
     Throughout the laughing land-
That loveliness and loneliness
     Should travel hand in hand.

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     Elsa also worked on the new Liturgy at this time. And she did some proofreading of the Word Explained, which was just being translated.

     There is not a great deal to say about Elsa's illness. Even before she left the Library her health had failed her, and she grew steadily worse, though she never complained about it. She was cheerful and interested in life around her until the end. Her illness was long and drawn out, lasting over many years, and for the last years she knew that her time on earth was running out. She must often have thought about the world to which she was going, and perhaps these thoughts were what gave her the deep sense of peace she had toward the end.
     She even kept her good sense of humor, as this poem, written to her brother Raymond, indicates:

     IN HONOR OF MY DONOR

     (On the occasion of a blood transfusion)

Here's to your health and your vigor!
May they grow better and bigger,
     And vitality reign
     In your jugular vein
Though your're minus a pint-size jigger.

'Twould mightily please the consumer
And aid in combating the tumor
(As well as dispelling the gloomor)
     If you could transfuse
     A draft of your muse
Along with the sanguinous humor.

     Elsa knew when her time had come. All during the day before she died, various members of the family had stopped in to see her, and to one of them she said, with a twinkle in her eye, "My goodness why are all these people coming to see me?" The next day, toward evening, Elsa left this earthly life.
     A Memorial Service was held on November 5, 1947. In his address Bishop de Charms said: "After a long and painful illness, death has come to our dear friend Elsa Synnestvedt. Our first thought is one of gratitude that she had found release at last from suffering. But this does not remove the grief of parting. All who had been hound to her by ties of friendship and affection cannot help feeling a deep sense of loss. She was long endeared to us by qualities of mind, and heart, and character that called forth our admiration and our love.

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Her gentle disposition, her constant thoughtfulness of others, her calm faith in the Lord's protecting Providence, and her patient endurance through all the long trial she was called upon to undergo, were a continual source of inspiration to those who knew her . . . she faced the prospect of departure from this life with a simple trust, a cheerfulness, a peace of mind that could come only from a profound conviction of the truth now' revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine concerning the spiritual world, with all its beauty and perfection, as a continuation of truly human life, and use, and happiness, toward which the Lord was leading her with Infinite wisdom and with loving- kindness. It was because that world was so near to her, and so very real, that she could go to meet death with such unfailing courage; saying in her heart: 'I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.'"
     As Elsa's poems are a true testimony of her character, and through them she may be met and loved, it is fitting to close with one of them-one which is sung as a hymn in the General Church:

Father, all Holy
     Lord of creation.
Lowly we offer our heart's adoration,
Incense of worship
     Riseth to greet Thee-
Thou, the Life, the Truth and the Way.
Peace like a garment of myrtle enfoldeth
The faithful spirit whom Thy gentle arm unholdeth;
Peace like a garland
     Fragrant and living,
Crowneth forever all the gifts of
     Thy giving,
Thy Will and Thy wisdom, our Guide and our Stay.

     (EDITORIAL NOTE: Miss Karen Synnestvedt, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Synnestvedt and a niece of Miss Elsa Synnestvedt, graduated from the College of the Academy in 1951. She is at present teaching in the Pittsburgh New Church School. In addition to the hymn quoted at the end of the article, Miss Elsa Synnestvedt wrote the words of the beautiful Easter hymn "When very early in the dawn." Other poems by her may be found in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1919, p. 756, and 1920, p. 87).

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MARK OF THE BEAST 1952

MARK OF THE BEAST       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Business Manager      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should he sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Business Manager. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     In discussing the ethics of judgment the Writings make it perfectly clear that the preservation of freedom and of the common good requires the passing of judgment on the civil and moral life of men in assessing their fitness for public office. Since most New Church men and women live outside the Iron Curtain they are frequently called upon to formulate such judgments. The Writings suggest a number of tests that may he brought to bear, and three of them may be mentioned here. Does it seem that a man is hungry for power, but unwilling to accept the responsibility that goes with it? Does it appear that he will regard office, when attained, as setting him above the law? Does it seem likely that he will be more concerned with position than with use, with the spoils rather than the use of office? These questions cannot, of course, be answered definitely. But any strong suggestion of the possibility of an affirmative answer may well give us pause. For power without responsibility, the belief that office exempts from the law, the honor and spoils of office without the fruits thereof-these have been the marks of the tyrant and the adventurer in every age.
SENSE OF GUILT 1952

SENSE OF GUILT       Editor       1952

     If repentance is the first of the church with man the indispensable prerequisite of repentance is a sense of personal guilt. "He who would be saved," the teaching is, "must confess his sins, and do the work of repentance.

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To confess sins is to know evils, to see them in one's self, to acknowledge them to make himself guilty, and to condemn himself on account of them (HD 159-160). Without the sense of guilt, then, there can be no conquest of evil, no deliverance from it, and thus no salvation.
     Yet there is in the world today a philosophy, stemming from psychiatry, which denies and would destroy the sense of guilt; and this philosophy is dispensed, not only in professional advice, but also in every recognized medium of entertainment. In a steady stream of pseudo-psychological novels, movies, and radio programs we are assured, not too subtly, that there are no criminals, no sinners, no selfish and faithless people-only the hapless victims of childhood influences, early environment, an indifferent society, or a cruel system for which they are in no way responsible. Crime may not pay; but society is held to be responsible for producing the gullible dupes who pursue its profitless paths.
     Against this must be set the teaching of the Writings that man is responsible for his evils, and that his only hope of salvation lies in acknowledgement of his personal guilt as a prelude to actual repentance. It is true that a man should make himself guilty of those evils only in which both the will and the understanding have concurred. And self-condemnation should not end in paralysis but lead to repentance. But without it there can be no regeneration.
GATHERED IN HIS NAME 1952

GATHERED IN HIS NAME       Editor       1952

     There are few more gracious and sustaining words in the Gospels than the Lord's promise: "Where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst of them" In the smallest possible gathering of His followers the Lord will be inmostly present! Whenever, and wherever, two or three are gathered in His name the Lord is in the midst; and as degrees cannot be predicated of such inmost presence, the implication is that He is as fully and effectively present with them as with the largest group to perform the uses for which He comes to men.
     Quite legitimately, since this is their ultimate application, these words have often been taken as referring to persons, and as relating to those in the Church who are isolated physically from its societies. And in this sense they convey an assurance of peculiar comfort: the assurance that wherever there is a family, a home, a group, or a circle with a genuine love of the Writings, a sincere desire to learn and understand their teachings, and an honest will to apply those teachings to life, there is the Lord in the midst of it-no matter how widely separated it may be from the larger organized centers of the Church.

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     Yet we note, as of vital importance, that it is not the numbers, but their being gathered together in His name, that results in the inner presence of the Lord. And we note also that the name itself effects nothing, but the Divine and spiritual things which it represents. By the "name" of the Lord is meant the goods of love and the truths of faith by which the Lord is worshipped; and by "two or three is meant, not persons, but faculties, the will and the understanding, and the proceeding therefrom which is use. When these are gathered in the name of the Lord, so that they become love to the Lord, understanding of His truth, and the application of that truth to life, the Lord is inmostly present.
     Wherever there is a spiritual love to the Lord, the love of truth that leads to a daily search for it in the Writings, and the love of bringing that truth into life, the Lord is in the midst because He is inmostly present in these things; for the presence of the Lord, we are taught, is in spiritual charity, and where these three things are there is such charity. And in this, we believe, lies the real hope for the isolated, the real source of inspiration, the real cause for happiness and for an active content in the Lord. For these three things can exist with an individual, in a single home, in a small group, as well as in the largest society and the spiritual charity in which they ultimate themselves is what causes the Church to grow, not in numbers, but in the spiritual things that really make the Church.
     Thus wherever there is a sincere effort to establish a New Church home; wherever there is an effort to attain to a spiritual charity in the relations of husband and wife, in the care and education of children, in the occupations of husband and wife, and in their social and civil life-there the Lord is in the midst. And where the Lord is thus present the Church is growing, to the eternal happiness of those with whom He is, and to the enrichment of the Church as a whole.
SONGS OF THE CHURCH 1952

SONGS OF THE CHURCH       Editor       1952

     Congregational singing has a prominent place in the public worship of the Church. In the inspired words of Scripture set to music, and in songs which speak of Him and His kingdom, we express to the Lord our praise and thanksgiving, our serene confidence and trust, our humble entreaties and modest aspirations. By so doing we continue a significant ritual, follow an ancient tradition, join with the angels in a heavenly custom, and employ a means of worship through which great spiritual benefits may he received. The Writings teach that gladness of heart and joy of mind produce singing by correspondence: and we are further instructed that singing signifies in the Word delight in the spiritual affection of truth and joy from the preaching and knowledge thereof, and that to sing to the Lord is to confess, exalt, and acknowledge Him from a glad mind.

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So it is most fitting that we should address the Lord in song when we enter into His house to worship Him.
     The use of singing in worship began in the Ancient Church, in which it was developed to express heavenly joy and exalt the life of love; and the Jewish Church was led to continue the practice for the sake of the representation, although there was no internal content as far as that Church was concerned. This, together with the synagogue service and the use of sacred songs by the Gentiles, prepared the way for Christian hymnology; and we have taken over the custom as one to be invested with new meaning, and for the restoration of its ancient uses.
     We did not know how general is the use of songs in worship on other earths, though we are told that the inhabitants of Jupiter sing praises to the Lord morning and evening. But we do know that the angels use songs in their worship, that the spiritual angels especially are delighted with them, and-as Swedenborg was given many times to hear-that the Lord is often praised and glorified by angelic choirs which express interior affections in melody. And we are taught that when men sing songs of the church that agree with their heavenly ideas, the angels with them also sing theirs, and their heavenly delight in those songs is communicated to the men.
     Through the songs of the church, then, we can worship the Lord with a glad mind, exalt our affections, receive heavenly joy through the angels, and be prepared for reception of heavenly truth through the stimulation of spiritual affections. These teachings suggest several practical applications. In the first place, it is evident that our singing should be, as it is, congregational. In some branches of the Christian Church the congregation has been virtually excluded from the singing on the ground that its untrained efforts spoil the effect! But a form having such important uses is one in which the entire congregation should engage-each one participating to the best of his ability, as in responses and unisonal prayers-for the aim is not a musical performance of high technical quality but an act of worship.
     In the second place, it is surely evident that our singing in church should not be allowed to become mechanical, dull, lifeless, heavy, or leaden-footed. Although technical perfection is not essential, knowledge and love of the uses of the songs of the church will inspire a desire to make our singing of them as good as possible. What is requisite is that whenever we sing in church we do so with a keen awareness that we are actually addressing the Lord, an intelligent appreciation of the meaning of the words in which we are addressing Him, a desire to express the affections of worship, and a background knowledge and love of the uses of our sacred songs.

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     Finally, it would seem clear that as the Church grows, the need for entirely new hymns in which to express the affection of the spiritual truths now first revealed in the Writings will be more and more felt. Within the General Church a start has been made. Yet much more remains to be done. However, this cannot be forced. Development must come through the free and spontaneous response of those who have the ability to a felt need. But the idea may, from time to time, be commended to the poets and musicians of the Church.
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS       Editor       1952

     The Word: "The sons of Israel represented those who were of the spiritual church and were in the world before the Lord's coming, and could not be saved except by the Lord, and therefore had been preserved and detained in the lower earth, where meanwhile they had been infested by the hells which were round about. When therefore the Lord came into the world, and made the Human in Himself Divine, then when He rose again He liberated those who had been preserved and detained, and after they had undergone temptations He raised them into heaven. These are the things that are contained in the second book of Moses, which is Exodus. By the Egyptians are signified those who had infested; by the bringing forth thence is signified liberation: by the life of forty years in the wilderness is signified temptations; and by the introduction into the land of Canaan is signified being raised into heaven" (AC 7932a).

     The Writings: "Moses was foreseen by the Lord to preside over the Israelitish people. That this was foreseen is evident from the fact that he was brought up in the palace of king Pharaoh, where there were lordships, and from this he acquired the disposition of being preeminent to others; on which account he was received to preside over his people. His quality likewise was such that he could receive speech from the Divine better than others of that nation, for he was not so much in what is external separate from what is internal as they were (AC 10,563).

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     OBITUARY

     Mrs. Clara Lilla Pemberton

     On Wednesday, February 20. 1952, Mrs. Clara Lilla Pemberton passed peacefully into the spiritual world, in her 90th year. Mrs. Pemberton was the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Cockerell, pioneers of the New Church in Durban. She was of a retiring and lovable disposition and was a lifelong member of the New Church.
     In the earliest days of the Durban Society, when services were held in her parents' drawing room, Mrs. Pemberton played the organ; and she continued doing so for many more years, at both morning and evening services, when the church was built in Berea Road. During her whole life the Church was her first consideration, and she became as a mother to the Durban Society-always thinking of the welfare of others.
     Her passing is a loss to us all. For many years she was always present with her husband, Mr. George Elliot Pemberton, until he died in 1944, and taking part in various activities. Day or evening, rain or shine she could always be counted on to be there; and this long after her age and frailty gave her every reason to take things quietly. Her fidelity set us all a fine example. She faithfully carried out the office of converter of flowers for the church right up to her death.
     The last fourteen months of her life were a burden to her, after breaking her leg and being confined to her bed, but she bore this with wonderful patience. It is a comfort to know that she will no longer be handicapped by her misfortune, but will come more and more into the full vigor of life and be reunited with her beloved husband, and that she will again be able to enter actively into the uses she loved.
     Mrs. Pemberton is survived by four children: Agnes (Mrs. F. E. Gyllenhaal), Garth, Irene (Mrs. W. G. Lowe), and Sylvia. A fifth, Christopher, was killed in the first World War.
     MARTIN PRYKE.

     KITCHENER, ONTARIO

     The first meeting of note in the new year was the men's quarterly assembly on January 16th, which started with supper at the church for the 28 men present. The subject for discussion, Reading the Writings, was introduced with a paper by the Rev. Norman H. Reuter. One of the points brought out was that the habit of reading the Writings must be cultivated before the delights of heaven are apparent; but with these delights comes an influx from angelic societies which produces a state of resolve and desire to delve deeper into the Heavenly Doctrine. The men all found the meeting very inspiring. A social hour, organized by Mr. Gerald Schnarr, followed, during which bridge and solo were played.

     Swedenborg's Birthday was celebrated by the Society on Friday. January 25th. The children ban a party us the morning. Games organized by their teacher, Miss Nancy Stroh, were enjoyed, and at noon a committee of ladies served a banquet luncheon to the hungry children, teachers, and guests. Speeches were then given by the school children. Peter Miehm and Carol Schnarr read an account of little boys and girls in heaven. Brian Schnarr told about the Queen's Secret, and Mark Reuter spoke about the Stockholm Fire. Justin Reuter, Willard Heinrichs, and David Stroh read from The Happy Isles by the Rev. Eric A. Sutton.
     In the evening the adults gathered for a very enjoyable banquet. Candles and blue and yellow streamers made the tables very colorful, and yellow daffodils gave a hint of spring to the midwinter event. After a delicious meal wine was served, and toasts and songs between the speeches honored the occasion. Mr. Reuter, as toastmaster, called on Mr. John E. Kuhl to speak on "The Responsibility of Learning" and on Mr. Daniel Heinrichs to talk on "The Responsibility of Knowledge"-papers which had many good points and reminded us of our responsibilities as New Church men-and then, as the third speaker on the program, showed how Swedenborg was prepared through his accumulation of knowledges and his ever increasing understanding to receive truths from the Lord.

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Illustrations from The Word Explained were used At the close of the formal program the Young people enjoyed a sprightly dance which included square dancing.
     A Memorial Service for our much loved and respected King, George VI, was held on the evening of Friday, February 15th, the day of the funeral in England. Our Pastor gave a very inspiring address. At the close of the service we paid our last tribute with "God Save the King." and then honored our new monarch with God Save the Queen."

     The February Social, held on Saturday the 16th, took the form of a Valentine Dance and was one of the most successful dances we have had for a long time, the floor remaining crowded to the end. This was due in part to the presence of a three-piece orchestra supplying the music, and in part to the hard work of the social committee in supplying an interesting and fast-moving program of novelty dances. The decorations, designed by Donald Glebe, left no doubt as to the "heart-i-ness" of the occasion. Daniel Heinrichs was master of ceremonies. Bridge was played us the library, and refreshments of ice cream and coffee were served.

     The latest activity in the Society is the formation of a dramatic club among the young people. A play is now being rehearsed, much enthusiasm has been shown, and we are looking forward to the results.
     VIVIAN KUHL

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     August 1951-March 1952

     It is with regret and sincere apologies to our readers that the news of the Pittsburgh Society has not appeared in NEW CHURCH LIFE for such a long period. However, it is not because we have been inactive-far from it.
     The summer and vacation ended with the annual picnic at "Buffalo Creek Farm," by the kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander H. Lindsay, on September 8th. This occasion is looked forward too by old and young, and is much enjoyed by everyone.

     Visiting Preachers.-It was our privilege to have the Rev. Louis B. King and Candidate Dandridge Pendleton as our guests for several weeks during the summer as visiting preachers. Their sermons were excellent and were much appreciated.
     The School-The formal opening of the school was held in the auditorium on Wednesday morning. September 12th, with a service and an address by the Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen. Regular classes were begun at the close of the service with an enrollment of thirty-one in the eight grades and one special student. There are two new teachers, Miss Karen Synnestvedt and Mr. Carl Gunther. Mrs. Boyesen and Miss Synnestvedt have the first four grades, Miss Pleat the fifth and sixth grades, and Mr. Gunther the seventh and eighth grades. Mr. Gunther is in charge of the Physical Education program throughout the school.
     The staff held two meetings for parents of pupils and friends of the school to discuss the new class room and teaching arrangements for the year in September. At one of the meetings Mr. Carl Gunther spoke on the use of Physical Education in the Elementary School curriculum, The school has held several parties, the Pittsburgh Chapter of Theta Alpha provided the refreshments,
     The religion classes are held in the library this year and Mr. Boyesen teaches the third through the eighth grades. The children have given three programs appropriate to the various holidays and gone on several trips of educational interest.
     The Pittsburgh Chapter of Theta Alpha provided a luncheon and a big birthday cake for Swedenborg's birthday. The primary grades did a dance, third and fourth grades gave a play about Swedenborg, fifth and sixth sang a song, and the seventh and eighth grades dramatized three incidents in the life of Swedenborg. The high light of the program was Bishop Acton as the expert in a "Stump the Expert" quiz. Each child had pre-pared two questions following a two weeks study of Swedenborg.
     Four student teachers from Bryn Athyn visited the school the week of February 4th. They had two days of observation and the remaining three days they taught, thus gaining experience in handling two grades at one time and seeing how a small school operates.

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Conferences followed each day's classes.
     At the close of the first semester the school regretted that Mrs. Robert H. Blair, left the faculty after completing the time specified at the beginning of the year. Her work was very good and New Church education has again lost a good teacher through matrimony. We were most fortunate to obtain the services of Miss Joan Kuhl for the remainder of the year. To accommodate Pittsburgh she consolidated her college courses and was graduated from the Academy with the degree of Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) in February.
     The removal of the Theodore N. Glenn family is regretted. We lost three pupils and are now looking forward to the arrival of three Stroemple children from Barberton, Ohio.
     Services, Meetings, and Classes.-The Executive Committee went into action on September 14th, and the Pastors council on the 16th. The Woman's Guild, Pittsburgh Chapters of Theta Alpha, and Sons of the Academy followed suit early in September, thus getting the work of the year under way. The annual meeting of the society was held on September 28th, following the first Friday supper of the year. Reports were read and committee chairmen appointed. The "Reporter" our local calendar and news sheet has the following staff: Mr. Leander P. Smith, editor; Miss Doris Bellinger, business manager; and Miss Phyllis Schoenberger, production manager.
     The Sunday services of worship for adults and children were continued during September and the first children's service of the season was held on October 7th. The doctrinal classes were a continuation of the Principles of the Academy and a series on Ritual is being given at this time. The classes are preceded by a singing practice conducted by Mr. Harry Abele. The pastor is discussing the Rational Psychology with the Woman's Guild and the Sons of the Academy. The Young Peoples' class meets twice a month-discussing timely subjects A new and informal class, for any one who wishes to attend, has been begun and meets once a month. At present this group is studying Conjugial Love.

     Ohio, Michigan, and Pittsburgh District Assembly.-The first session of the assembly opened on Friday evening, October 26th in the auditorium. The Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton presiding. Rev. Norbert H. Rogers was the speaker, his subject was "The Distinctiveness of the New Church." The second session opened it ten o'clock on Saturday morning. The Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen spoke on the "Proprium" Luncheon was served to those attending from out of town its several of the homes adjacent to the church and we met for the third session at two o'clock. The Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton delivered the episcopal address which dealt with the Doctrine of Correspondences. The Assembly banquet was held that evening at seven o'clock, 136 attending. Mr. Norman P. Synnestvedt was the toastmaster. The pastor welcomed the members and friends of the district and said there are three primary uses in holding assemblies: 1. To meet together for the sake of sociability: 2. To worship together; 3. To gather together in the sphere of charity. Mr. Synnestvedt proposed a toast to loyalty-to the church and country-and all joined in singing the "Star Spangled Banner," accompanied by Mr. W. W. Walker. Messrs. John Frazier and Oliver Powell displayed a map prepared by Mr. and Mrs. Ulrich Schoenberger of the "Mich-O-Penn" district and showed graphically what comprises it. Mr. Leander P. Smiths spoke on "The Relationship of the General Church to the New Church" and closed with this quotation "Except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it," Mr. Hugh A. Gyllenhaal spoke on "The Relationship of the General Church and its Societies," Mr. H. Scott Forfar spoke on "The Responsibility of the Individual to the General Church," Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton closed this program and thanked those who had attended and those who had worked to make the Assembly successful, instructive and delightful for all,
     The Rev. Norbert H, Rogers addressed the Children's Service on Sunday morning, He also read the lessons at the service of Divine Worship for the adults and the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton delivered the sermon, The Holy Supper was administered at the close of the service.
     The Pittsburgh Society was delighted that so many of the members of the district were in attendance. It was the consensus of everyone that it was a very useful and constructive occasion.

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     The highlights for November were the social on November 13th and the celebration of Thanksgiving. The service on Thanksgiving Day, as is customary, was for adults and children, the latter bringing their offering of fruit to the altar.

     The Christmas services and holidays are looked forward too by all and a great deal of work and planning is involved. On December 23rd, a Christmas service for adults was held at eleven o'clock. The pastor delivered an excellent seasonable sermon and all enjoyed the music and singing the favorite hymns. At four o'clock that afternoon the tableaux service was held in the auditorium. Mr. and Mrs. Bert Nemitz are to be congratulated on their splendid staging of these. The scene of the Nativity was arranged by the John Aldens and displayed in the corridor for several weeks prior to the holidays. The tableaux service was followed by the distribution of gifts to the children. A family service was held on Christmas Day at eleven o'clock.

     New Year's was celebrated by the majority of the society in a "Triple Play" in the Shadyside district. The young folks met at the Russell Stevens for games and entertainment and the older group met at the Daniel Conn's with a grand finale for both groups at the Gilbert Smith's to partake of refreshments and wish all a happy new year. This proved a very successful and pleasant way to celebrate the new year. It was "dutch treat" not too expensive for any one and other societies might like to try it.

     Births, Marriages, and Deaths.-There have been three new arrivals in the society: a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Frazee on August 21st; a son to Mr. and Mrs. J. Murray Carr on September 18th; and a son to Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Ebert on December 7th.
     The marriage of Miss Anne Pleat and Mr. Robert H. Blair was solomnized by the Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen in the Bryn Athyn Cathedral on November 24th. Miss Maralyn Morton and Mr. Walter Schoenberger were married in the Le Roi Road Church on February 2nd, Rev. Boyesen officiating. It is a pleasure to have these couples in our group.
     Mr. John Frazee met with a fatal automobile accident on October 10th. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and one daughter.
     On her 89th birthday, December 13th, Mrs. Daniel E. Horigan passed into the spiritual world. She was the oldest member of the society. Her entire life was characterized by a genuine love of the church and its uses.

     Swedenborg's Birthday.-It was our privilege and pleasure to have Bishop Acton with us again. On Sunday February 10th he preached the sermon at the service of Divine Worship and that evening he spoke to the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Sons of the Academy on Swedenborg's Theory of the Atmospheres." As previously mentioned, he met with the school for luncheon and their program, and the same evening. Monday, February 11th, a banquet was held in the auditorium. After an excellent meal the pastor welcomed our guests, especially Mrs. N. D. Pendleton. Bishop Acton then gave a masterly address on "The Preparation of Swedenborg's Mind to Receive the Revelation."

     The Library Committee held a benefit on Saturday evening, March 1st. This was "A Trip to Europe" conducted and projected by Michael Pitcairn. His slides were taken with a new color technique and were very clear and beautiful. This was most interesting and it is hoped the library fund benefitted as much as the audience.
     ELIZABETH R. DOERING.

     SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

     Your reporter and his wife, who are spending the winter months in the friendly climate of San Diego, had the privilege and pleasure of attending a meeting at which the Rev. Harold C. Cranch outlined plans for more frequent pastoral visits to the isolated members of the General Church in California and other western states. We understand that this was the only pastoral visit to the members in San Diego in nearly a year.
     Mr. Cranch, accompanied by his wife, made a flying visit to San Diego on Monday, March 10th. The visitors were met by Mrs. William H. Walker and taken to the Walker home, where a class was held after dinner for the children. Mr. Cranch giving them a pre-Easter talk on the Lord's resurrection. This was followed, during the evening, by a discussion with the adult members of Mr. Cranch's plans and hopes for his future work with the San Diego group.
     The General Church group here is at present very small consisting mainly of the two Walker families.

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Those present on this occasion were Mr. and Mrs. William H. Walker and their three children, Mrs. Marvin J. Walker and her three children, Mr. and Mrs. William W. Walker of Detroit, and Mr. Raymond David of Bryn Athyn, a Navy man who is taking an electrical course at the Naval Training Station. Lt. Marvin J. Walker was with his ship at San Francisco and so was unable to be present at this meeting.
     Navy, Marine, and Air Force men who are members of the General Church are occasionally stationed in San Diego, and there may be winter visitors from various centers of the Church. All such persons are welcome to join its the activities of the little group. Anyone desiring information regarding dates of meetings should communicate with Mr. William Howells Walker, 8735 Jefferson Avenue, La Mesa. Calif., telephone: H-6-5560.
     WILLIAM W. WALKER.

     FORT WORTH, TEXAS

     Since a report from the wilds of Texas has been so long delayed we will have to go back to last summer to bring the news up to date. We were very fortunate to have for the first time a visit from the Rev. Louis B. King, who gave an excellent sermon, some wonderful classes, and a fine talk to the ladies. Of course the usual social events took place, including a group supper, and everyone had a good visit as well as catching up on all the news from Bryn Athyn.
     Just before Thanksgiving the Rev. Ormond Odhner came to us for a couple of days. We had one class in particular that stands out long after in the memory-a class on why so many evils, wars and other incomprehensible things, are permitted to occur, and yet we are able to maintain our faith in Providence. With the world in the condition in which it is today we need more talks like this, especially those of us who are isolated and therefore not in close personal touch with the Church.
     A short time before that, in October, we had a pleasant overnight visit with George Woodard, who gave us a lot of information on the tape recording work. We can never tell all those connected with that work what a wonderful job they are doing, and how much it means to all of us to get regular weekly sermons and regular classes twice a month. For some months now we have been listening to a series of classes by Bishop de Charm; on Influx, and have enjoyed each and every one of them.
     Two baptisms have been reported from our Circle, and in September we had a wedding, though not here in Fort Worth. Loyd Doering was married to Miss Claire Delight Wilken, of Sr. Louis, Mo. Since their marriage they have been living on the campus of Texas A. & M. College, where Loyd is finishing his work. Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Doering went to the wedding and from them we have gathered our information about the ceremony. Capt. Wayne Doering, now stationed at Oklahoma City, was his brother's best man, and one of the ushers was Mr. George Doering of Baltimore. After the service a reception was held at the home of the bride's parents and according to those present it was a very lovely affair. We are all glad to see Loyd and Claire when they come on occasional weekends.
     The Christmas holidays were, of course, a happy time for all of us, with families getting together for festivities and enjoyment. In January we held our annual elections and regular business meeting. The following officers were reelected for another term: President: Mr. George W. Fuller; Secretary: Mrs. Raye Pollock; Treasurer: Mr. Thomas F. Pollock.
     Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Walker (Barbara Lee) were in town for a while but have since moved to Dallas, and it has been several months now since we have heard from them. While they were here they attended Sunday service several times and were a very welcome addition to our Circle. The Sam Whites have bought a new house nearer to the new airport; and several homes have had, or are having, additions made to them. May we again invite any of our friends who may be travelling in this area to drop in and pay us a visit. This goes especially for servicemen or women who may be stationed nearby. We will do our best to make you all feel at home.
     RAYE POLLOCK.

     DURBAN, NATAL

     The Rev. Martin Pryke left Durban a few days after Christmas on a trip overseas. Flying to London, he spent two weeks there, then flew to the United States to attend the Ministers' Meetings in Bryn Athyn. Due to his absence there were no services during January and all official activities were suspended, as is usually done in the hot summer months. In February, Mr. Garth Pemberton very ably read the Sunday service.
     As will he remembered, King George VI died on February 6th, and the funeral took place on Friday, February 15th.

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That day was proclaimed a public holiday in the Union of South Africa and memorial services were held in churches throughout the Union. On this momentous occasion our Pastor being still, unfortunately, away, Mr. Garth Pemberton conducted a short but most impressive service in our church which we, the Society, much appreciated.
     On February 27th our dear friend. Mrs. Lilla Pemberton, passed into the spiritual world. Aunt Lilla was one of the oldest members of the Durban Society, and until her latest illness she never missed a service or class. The Rev. Philip N. Odhner conducted the funeral service at the Crematorium.
     All arrangements had been made to welcome Mr. Pryke back to Durban on March 1st a Saturday but owing to the vicissitudes of air travel his plane was over 24 hours late, and at the last minute the social scheduled for that evening had to be postponed until the following day. On Sunday we awoke to a day of leaden skies and pouring rain. Nevertheless, the plane touched down just in time for Mr. Pryke to conduct the 11 o'clock service. The Society gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Schuurman in the evening to welcome Mr. Pryke. His comprehensive and amusing report of his two months' trip was certainly much appreciated by us all and it was indeed pleasing to be told of the success met with by our Pastor in Mission matters, and also to hear the latest news of friends in other centers in the Church.
     Immediately after Mr. Pryke's return all normal activities were at once resumed. A new feature of the program is a class for the young people who have recently left school. It is proposed to hold this meeting on Sunday evening once a month for the time being, and although the group is small there is promise of some interesting evenings ahead.
     Mr. Pryke informed us on his return of the appointment of an assistant to the Pastor. This was a most welcome piece of news, and we now look forward to the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. David Holm later in the year.
     VIDA ELPHICK.


     SOUND RECORDINGS COMMITTEE

     The Rev. W. Cairns Henderson has accepted appointment as Chairman and Editor of the General Church Committee on Sound Recordings, replacing the Rev. Morley D. Rich, whose departure for England made necessary his resignation.


     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-The 129th session of the General Convention will be held in the National Church. Washington, D. C., May 26-June 1, the first three days program actually being in the church of the Baltimore Society when the Council of Ministers holds its annual meeting.
     The San Francisco Society which celebrated its centennial recently is distributing a brochure compiled by the Rev. Othmar Tobisch.
     According to The New-Church Messenger, teams representing the local high school, the county high school, and others, are cooperating with Urbana Junior College in a survey to determine how a college in a community can become the community's college. Questionnaires have been sent to farmers, store managers, industries, and professions.
     The Boston Society recently received an historical gift, the original MSS of sermons written by its first pastor, the Rev. Thomas Worcester (1818-1867).

     Japan.-Using the MS of the Rev. Yoshii Yanase, a Presbyterian missionary, the Swedenborg Foundation, New York, will publish True Christian Religion in Japanese. The work will be completed this year.

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ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1952

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH       E. BRUCE GLENN       1952





     Announcements
     The Annual Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy of the New Church will be held in the Benade Hall Auditorium, Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Saturday, June 7, 1952, at 8:00 p.m.
     After reports by officers of the Academy Schools, and discussion thereof, the Right Reverend Willard D. Pendleton will deliver an address.
     The public is cordially invited to attend.
          E. BRUCE GLENN.
               Secretary.
SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION 1952

SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION              1952

     The Fifty-fifth Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association will be held in the Benade Hall Auditorium, Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Tuesday, May 27, 1952, at 8:00 p.m.
     Reports.
     Election of officers.
     Subject: A Symposium on the subject of Swedenborg's Rational Psychology.
          WILFRED HOWARD,
               Secretary.
MINISTERIAL CHANGES 1952

MINISTERIAL CHANGES              1952

     The Rev. Kenneth O. Stroh has resigned as Pastor of Michael Church, London, England, and as Visiting Pastor to the isolated in Great Britain and the Circles at Paris and The Hague, on grounds of ill-health. Mr. Stroh has returned to this country and on the advice of physicians will rest for at least six months.
     The Rev. Morley D. Rich has resigned as Pastor of the Advent Society, Philadelphia, and as Visiting Pastor of the New York and North Jersey Circles, to accept appointment as Acting Pastor of Michael Church, London, England. Mr. Rich sailed for England at the end of April.
     Candidate Geoffrey S. Childs has accepted appointment as Minister of the Advent Society, Philadelphia, and Visiting Minister of the New York and North Jersey Circles.
     Candidate B. David Holm has accepted appointment as Assistant to the Pastor of the Durban Society, South Africa, and as Assistant Superintendent of the South African Mission.
     Candidate Dandridge Pendleton has accepted appointment as Minister of the Washington, D. C., and Baltimore, Maryland, Circles and Visiting Minister to the South-eastern States.
     Candidate Frank S. Rose has accepted appointment as Visiting Minister to the Isolated in Great Britain and to the Circles at Paris and The Hague.
     Appointments of Candidates will become effective upon their ordination into the first degree of the Priesthood in June. Mr. Childs, while continuing his course, will take up residence at 5007 Penn St., this month. The others will go to their appointments early in the summer.

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SECOND COMING OF THE LORD 1952

SECOND COMING OF THE LORD       Rev. F. E. GYLLENHAAL       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
JUNE, 1952
No. 6
     "And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24: 3)

     The disciples believed in the Lord's second coming. The Lord had told them of His going away from them, that He would soon he put to death on the cross, and of His return to them and to the world. They believed Him, as a child believes his father, not even doubting His words. Though they did not understand what He meant, they asked: "When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" The Lord's reply is contained in all that which He said as recorded in the 24th and 25th chapters in Matthew, but particularly in His words: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be broken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24: 29-31).
     Did the disciples understand the Lord's reply? The Lord spoke at great length about His second coming, what He said being written in the 24th and 25th chapters of Matthew: but it is nowhere said that the disciples understood His words. Their failure to understand them appears in what the Gospel of John tells of the Lord's further promise of coming again-a promise given after His resurrection-in the Acts of the Apostles, in the Epistles of Paul to the first converts to Christianity, and from the common belief of Christians ever since.

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     The Gospel of John, in its last chapter, relates that the Lord, appearing in His resurrection body to the disciples in the spiritual world, said to Peter: "If I will that John stay in the world until I come, what is that to thee?" Then, turning to John, the Lord said, "Follow thou Me." (John 21: 21, 22 as quoted in Apocalypse Explained 785:5). Note that the Lord did not tell Peter to follow Him, as appears from the English of the Authorized Version, but told John to follow Him. And though these words were spoken by the Lord in the spiritual world, and were heard only spiritually, still the disciples understood them to mean that John would live on earth until after the Lord had come again. So they expected the second coming to happen soon. But the Lord spoke in a parable. His words meaning the survival of charity and good works, and not of John.
     The same is true of what is said about the second coming in the Acts and in the Epistles. Those books are not portions of the Word, yet they are useful books. The Writings say they were written before the Gospels, also that the Christian Church was begun by means of them: and from them it is evident that the Lord's second coming was daily expected. (See Acts 1: 10. 11; I Thessalonians 4: 16-18: Document 224, which is the third letter of Swedenborg to Dr. Beyer, in Tafel's Documents Concerning Swedenborg.) What is said in the Acts of the Lord's return, namely, that He should "come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven," obviously was seen in the spiritual world when the Lord, at the end of forty days after His resurrection, made His last recorded appearance to His disciples and others who were in Galilee, and there and then had their spiritual faculties opened; and the words were spoken by two angels.

     If anyone really thinks about what is written in the passages just quoted or else referred to, he should realize that the literal meaning is such as to be impossible of happening; therefore there must be a spiritual meaning for people on earth, a meaning that can be completely fulfilled, that is, can happen and satisfy the understanding of everyone. This is shown in a summary of the spiritual meaning of the text, as follows: "Here His coming does not mean His coming in person, but that He was then to reveal Himself in the Word that He is Jehovah, the Lord of the heaven and earth, and that He alone is to be adored by all in His New Church, which is meant by the New Jerusalem: and to this end He has now opened the internal or spiritual sense of the Word, in which sense the Lord is everywhere treated of" (AE 870:2).
     This teaching enables us to understand clearly the Gospel prophecies of the second coming; and together with other doctrine, it rescues all who will use it from the numerous false and fantastic ideas about the Lord's second coming that have been advanced in the Christian Church.

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On the firm rock of this Divine instruction we can view, calmly and unafraid, those old and new Christian interpretations; and so can sympathetically understand even the wrong ideas which have swayed countless people down through the ages from earliest Christian times, and which continue even in present times. Truly, knowledge is essential to enlightenment; but enlightenment in respect to spiritual things, and in respect to many human emotions and actions, requires a special kind of knowledge which can be given to people only by Divine revelation.
     In the Epistles of Paul we note that the expectation of the second coming was feverishly eager, and the history of the Christian religion shows that it has been so at various times since those days. The event was awaited with a mixture of fear and joy. There was fear of the destruction of heaven and earth, of the loss of everything worldly, of not being among the elect (or those who would be taken into the Lord's everlasting kingdom-the one hundred and forty-four thousand mentioned in the 7th and 14th chapters of Revelation); for the Gospels especially were regarded as literally true. The joy was over expected rewards because of a persuasion of complete relief from afflictions and miseries, from difficulties and work; over expectation of life in heaven (even of a life there without the need of working); over thought of again seeing the Lord. To countless people the Lord's promise of coming again has been as the distant light of a refuge in dense darkness, as a last hope in a world of despair: perhaps because the old, enslaving conditions were to be completely removed and a new world with a new life was to be given. Even the impossible ideas of Christian theology kept alive hope of the Lord's return; and by them there was some measure of protection against evil, of persuaded resistance to evils of various kinds, of leading from threatening worse states to milder ones.
     But why the delay in the fulfilment of the promise? Why the withholding of plain explanations of His promise by the Lord Himself? What seems to us delay is not to be measured by the impatience of man. Divine order, whether in spiritual or in natural things, requires successive and often slow growth to maturity and fruition, and to fulfilment with its newness of form and of life. Man's freedom, as Divinely and for ever preserved in his "as of himself ability, needed an accumulation of knowledges capable of dispelling the clouds of ignorance as to natural phenomena before he could be rescued from ignorance of spiritual things. The natural-rational mind had to be provided with the means of becoming genuinely rational before the means for the formation and functioning of the spiritual-rational mind could be provided.

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     This is the order of all progress. The trend always is upward, an ascent by planes that serve successively as new foundations. This is the order of man's conscious life, of his "as of himself." At the same time, but unnoticed by man, there is a descent from above, an inflowing of something from the Lord, from which the man lives, and which produces every effect; but this can work in a man only on the foundations he "as of himself" lays one by one, and on which he ever builds anew, inspired by the new visions he receives from time to time in the course of his progress heavenward.
     How grateful we should be, then, and how greatly we should rejoice, over the Divine revelation of the accomplishment of the second coming! But is the joy of expecting and hoping for something greater than the joy of getting what was wanted? Does the joy of fulfilment lack something of the vitality of anticipation? Does hope fulfilled end all hope? Does the fact that the Lord has made His second coming-the belief that the complete written Word has been given, the belief that the crowning and therefore last Church has been established-deprive us of a sufficiently strong incentive to go forward, deprive us of a goal for which to strive?
     This is never the case in respect to anything spiritual and Divine. After a game is won there can be no longer the hope of winning it, but there can be the new hope of winning the next game. What is spiritual and Divine, however, is always above and beyond us. For the spiritual and the Divine have within themselves a power that always is uplifting, a power of turning the mind upward, of expanding it, of renewing its hunger for knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, justice, and righteousness. The Divine itself is life itself; therefore its works are stimulative of life, of aspirations, of ceaseless activity, of perpetual desire for new things, new truths about life and the Lord. This Divine quality is perpetually shown in everything spiritual, because the spiritual is an accommodation of the Divine to human perception, awareness, and application. Therefore the fulfilment of the promise of a second coming deprives men of nothing, but, on the contrary, gives to them in greater abundance what is spiritual and Divine, and has the fertile seeds of ever new inspirations and aspirations.
     What a new world the Lord's first coming opened to mankind! It produced a new civilization with possibilities of spiritual life on earth undreamed of before His birth on earth. The corruptions of that civilization have been man's doing in opposition to Divinely revealed teaching about what is good and true. The second coming has again revealed the sublime possibilities of another new civilization; has given Divine doctrine applicable to all human needs, such as to make possible the realization of the kingdom of heaven on earth. But as before, as it ever has been since the creation of the world, man s own actions, his freely chosen application of the Divine doctrine to his daily life, is required for the attainment of the new world, for the production of the new civilization.

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There never is any fulfilment of a Divine promise in the sense of its blessings being only for the enjoyment of a certain age; for the fulfilment is timeless, ever renewing itself.

     There have been two comings of the Lord. Both belong to the past of human history, but they also belong to the present and the future of every person. The second coming was when the Lord gave the internal sense of the Word of the Old and New Testaments. That revealed internal sense we call the Writings. Such is the clear meaning of the whole doctrine of the Writings, as is evident from these two quotations: "The Lord at this day is performing a redemption which He began in the year 1757, together with the Last Judgment which was then performed. This redemption has continued from that time to this. The reason is, because at this time is the second coming of the Lord; and a New Church is to be instituted" (TCR 115). "This second coming of the Lord is effected by a man before whom He has manifested Himself in person and whom He has filled with His Spirit to teach the doctrines of the New Church through the Word from Him" (TCR 779).
     The Divine and spiritual qualities of both comings cause them to be forever repeated spiritually, though not as they first happened naturally, or to be experienced by every man who is willing to receive the Lord and to be redeemed and saved by Him. Essentially, therefore, the Lords comings are always in the present, even in the future, as a man longs to experience them, to have their Divine purposes effected in himself. They assure us of all that truly is. They are like the cruse of oil that never dried up.
     But the second coming should make us rejoice, not only because of what it gives, but also because of what it requires of us. Its joy is not only the emotion which may be stirred by receiving a gift, but the thrill that passes from the heart throughout the body in response to a demand for energy. It is good to thank the Lord when we feel that our path is being smoothed for us and that we are being led heavenward. But the true soul, the valiant man, thanks the Lord more joyously when he becomes assured that something eternally useful, something to be enjoyed perpetually, is expected of him and can be done by him.
     The internal sense of the Word and the Heavenly Doctrine given in the Writings by the Lord in His second coming make clear the real purposes of life, teach the manner of their accomplishment, and supply the means for attaining the goal of life. It is such knowledge that we need in order to rise above the appearance of a world which has been darkened by man's selfishness and conceit.

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Without such knowledge we see only a temporary life on earth, a life that to many is only hardship, want, and misery. But the Heavenly Doctrine of the second coming reveals an eternal life of ever increasing opportunity for doing uses, in which opportunities we find the only enjoyment and happiness possible to men.
     The Heavenly Doctrine, which is given in the Writings, enables us to look upward and ever forward; and by our striving to follow in its light toward the endless visions is unfolds, we gradually rise above the world's darkness and strife to the eternal kingdom of God, where every moment of life has its heavenly joy, and where the communion of saints becomes ever a more blessed communion. Such has ever been the promise of the Creator and Heavenly Father, a promise He has always kept. It has been revealed to mankind in many ways, in many different expressions of thought; for the most part joined with the promise of His coming of His presence, as in His words when on earth: "If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I shall not leave you comfortless; I will come to you" (John 14: 15-18). Amen.

LESSONS:     Daniel 7: 1-14. Matthew 24: 1-14, 29-31. AC 4060: 5, 7.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 480, 479, 478.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 93, 116.
TABERNACLE OF GOD 1952

TABERNACLE OF GOD       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1952

     A New Church Day Talk to Children

     Every year we go up to the house of the Lord on the Nineteenth of June. We go to give thanks for a precious gift to the people of our earth. That gift is the New Church to which you belong. It was first formed by the Lord in His other world on the Nineteenth day of June in the year 1770, just 182 years ago. On that day the Lord called to Him the twelve apostles who had been with Him in this world. They left their homes in heaven at His call, as they had once left their earthly homes. And the next day the Lord sent them forth to preach throughout the spiritual world that He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the one only God of heaven and earth.

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Ever since that time the New Church has been slowly coming down to earth. And that is why the Nineteenth of June, or New Church Day, as we call it, is such a happy day for those who are of the New Church; and, although others do not know it, an important date in the history of the world.
     The Lord knows all things. Nothing is hidden from Him, no matter how long it will be in our time before it happens. Long ago, in the Golden Age, before there was any evil in the world, men knew that the Lord is the only God of heaven and earth and they loved and worshiped Him as such. But when evil came into the world, when men turned away from the Lord, they no longer knew this truth about Him And from that time on, all through the ages, the Lord was preparing and looking forward to the time when He would again be able to show Himself to men as the one God, and to build a church in which He would be worshiped as the one God. When the time came He did show Himself, in the books written by Him through His servant, Emanuel Swedenborg. And when those books were finished, on the Nineteenth of June in the year 1770, He began to form the New Church in which He is worshiped as the one true God.
     Because this was the great purpose for which the Lord was working much was written in the Word about the New Church. Many promises were made about what would happen when the New Church came down on earth. One of these promises reads: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is now with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, their God." And we are told that this promise means that because the Lord has formed the New Church, He can now be present with men as He really is, and so can save them and bring them into heaven.
     Of course the Lord is really present with everyone, all the time. He is with the wicked as well as with the good. For the Lord loves everyone, and He wants to give happiness to everyone. But only those who love the Lord in return want the happiness He can give And as we cannot love anyone whom we do not know, and cannot know whether we want heavenly happiness until we know what it is, we must know who the Lord is before we can love Him and something of what it is that He wills to give us. We must see the Lord. We must understand something of what it is that He does for us and would have us do. That is the only way in which we can learn to love Him, and receive the happiness of heaven in our love for Him.
     And it is with those who love Him that the Lord is said to dwell; those who love Him and keep His commandments. For the Lord dwells with them in the teachings of His Word they have received into their minds, and which they understand, love, and obey.

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From these teachings we learn about the Lord, about His heavenly kingdom, and about the way in which we should live that we may enter that kingdom after death. And as we learn and love these things the Lord takes them and builds them into a dwelling place in which He may be with us-a dwelling place that is called in the Word a tent or a tabernacle.
     In the Golden Age of which we have spoken men lived in tents. Their tents were their only homes, and it was in their tents that the Lord came to them to teach them about heaven and lead them to it. For this reason because tents were the first dwellings of the Lord with men on earth, the angels think of that in which the Lord can dwell with men as a tent; and when we read about a tent in the Word, the angels who are with us think of the Lord and worship Him, And that is why the Lord's church on earth is called in the Word a tent or a tabernacle.
     We are told in the Writings about a very wonderful way in which this was shown to Swedenborg in the other world on a certain occasion. He saw a tent, just like the ones in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived. It was a very simple tent of skins, but in it was a great stone under which was a copy of the Word, and this was a sign that the Lord dwelt in the tent, although He could not be seen. Then a door was opened in heaven and the light of the spiritual sun shone upon the tent. At once it seemed to be changed into a magnificent temple, like the one which had been built in Jerusalem by Solomon. And then the stone under which the Word lay was seen to be adorned with many precious stones of the most beautiful colors.
     Then another door was opened in heaven. And with that the temple disappeared, and the Lord alone was seen standing on the foundation stone, which is the Word. Swedenborg saw the Lord just as John had seen Him when he was on the Isle of Patmos and his spiritual eyes were opened-white of hair, clothed in a shining white garment with a girdle of gold, His eyes like a flaming fire, seven stars in His right hand, and around Him seven golden lampstands. Then the Lord vanished. The temple was seen again, this time with the tent in the middle of it. And Swedenborg was told that this vision was a heavenly picture of the promise: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is now with men."
     This wonderful vision was a prophecy of the New Church. For hundreds of years the Word lay, hidden as it were, under a great stone. Men had the Word, and they read its pages, but they did not really read it because they did not understand its meaning. But now the Lord has explained the real meaning of the Word so that men can read it with understanding. And as they do so, as they love the inner meaning of the Word and live according to it, the Lord makes of the true teachings of His Word a dwelling place in their minds in which He can be with them for ever.

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Yet you do not have to wait until you are grown men and women for this to happen, for the Lord builds slowly and He can beam while you are still children.
     Just now you have a simple picture of the Lord in your minds and a simple idea of the meaning of His commandments. As your minds grow you will understand much more deeply than you do now. But if you love the Lord as you see Him now, and keep His commandments as you are able to understand them, He will build a tent in your minds. And although it will be only a simple one, such as Abraham lived in, it will be the Lords dwelling place with you. Then as you grow up, and understand more deeply what the Lord is and what His commandments mean, that tent will he replaced by a great temple, if you go on loving and doing what you know from the Word. And then, if your love increases and you become truly wise, when you study the Word you will see the Lord in His Divine Human. You will see the Lord in His Word as John and Swedenborg saw Him in heaven; and then will you love Him more than anyone else.
     Now the Lord can do these things only because He has formed His New Church. And if you learn, all through your lives, to love the teachings and the life of the New Church more than anything else, then the Lord will build in your minds a tabernacle in which He will dwell with you for ever, protect you from all evil, and give you the true and everlasting happiness of heaven.

LESSONS:     Revelation 21: 1-7. True Christian Religion, 187:3, 4.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 426, 425, 438.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. C12, C16.
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word: Who does not see that among the laws given to the sons of Israel after they left Egypt were those which forbid murder, adultery, theft, and false witness, since without those laws their communion or society could not subsist? And yet the same laws were promulgated by Jehovah God upon Mount Sinai with a stupendous miracle. But the cause of their being so promulgated was that those same laws might become laws of religion; thus that the people might practise them not only for the good of society but also for the sake of God, and that when they practised them from religion for the sake of God they might be saved" (CL 351).

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GLORIFICATION OF THE LORD 1952

GLORIFICATION OF THE LORD       Rev. KARL R. ALDEN       1952

     (Delivered to the Council of the Clergy, Bryn Athyn, Pa., January 30, 1952.)

     The first Easter was far spent as two discouraged disciples trudged along the dusty road to Emmaus. Their Lord and Master had been crucified and buried: and to the stranger who had fallen in with them they confessed: "We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel." "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken," said their new companion: "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" The disciples were silent. Then, "beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself." Not until He broke bread with them were their eyes opened so that they knew Him; yet only for a fleeting moment, for He vanished out of their sight. Then, as they reflected upon the tremendous experience which had just been theirs, they exclaimed: "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24: 13-32.)
     We who are gathered here are among His disciples of His second advent. And our prayer is, that in contemplating this supreme doctrine of the New Church-one God in one Person who is the Lord Jesus Christ abiding eternally in His own glorified Human-the touch of truth from His Word may cause our hearts to burn anew with a fresh fire of devotion to the sacred work of the priesthood, to which we have dedicated our lives.
     We often wish that the details of that memorable conversation when "He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself" had been written down. Yet if they had been, would they not have made one with the truth now revealed in those sacred volumes which constitute the source of all our inspiration? There is not a word, we are told, from the first chapter of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, which does not yield, when viewed in its deepest sense, some phase of the story of the Divine Incarnation. And so we shall approach this subject from the standpoint of the Word: that Word which was in the beginning with God; that Word which was made flesh, and dwelt among us; whose glory we beheld, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1,14.)

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     What a man loves he calls good, and the means by which he attains what he loves he calls truth. What the Lord loves is the Divine good, and the means whereby He brings about that good is the Divine truth; that is, it is that "Word which was in the beginning with God, and which was God." There was a time when that Word had not been ultimated; when it had not yet become flesh and dwelt among us. This was the time referred to in Divine Love and Wisdom, no. 233, in the following language: "It has been told me from heaven that in the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, before His assumption of a Human in the world, the two prior degrees existed actually, and the third degree potentially, as they do also with angels; but that after the assumption of a Human in the world He put on over these the third degree, called the natural, thereby becoming Man like a man in the world; but with this difference, that in the Lord this degree, like the prior degrees, is infinite and uncreate.
     This "human," we read in no. 221 of the same work, "He put on over His former Human." By His "former Human" I understand the Human which He had from the beginning-that Human into whose image the first man was created. "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him" (Genesis 1: 27). We are human because God is Divinely, infinitely, Human. The Incarnation, then, did not create in God a Human which He did not have before. But it did give to that third degree which He had in potency its ultimation in the natural world.
     It seems to me to be fundamental that we cannot predicate any essential change of the Infinite. "I am the Lord. I change not" (Malachi 3: 6). What changes is the Lord's accommodation to man. The fundamental purposes for which He came on earth were: 1) to subjugate the hells: 2) to glorify His Human; 3) to establish a new church. All of these ends were accomplished by the Word which was made flesh.
     In Divine Lore and Wisdom, no. 221, we read. Because the Lord by the assumption of a natural Human made Himself Divine truth in outmosts He is called the Word, and it is said that the Word was made flesh; moreover, Divine truth in outmosts is the Word in the sense of the letter. This the Lord made Himself by fulfilling all things of the Word concerning Himself in Moses and the prophets. In other words, when the Lord by His actions in the world fulfilled what was written of Him in Moses and the prophets He made ultimate in the Word of the New Testament that which had been only in potency during the unfulfilled years of the Old Testament prophecies.
     To illustrate: We read in Matthew: "When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt . . . that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet: 'Out of Egypt have I called My Son'" (Matthew 2: 14, 15: Hosea 11: 1).

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When the Lord was taken into Egypt to fulfill the words of the prophet He became the Divine truth in ultimates. All that had ever been written of Egypt-Abraham's sojourn there, Jacob's entrance, the four hundred years of the children of Israel, the plagues, and the final liberation-was made ultimate Divine truth when the Lord Himself was taken into Egypt and that ultimate Divine truth, written in the Word, provides the Divine means for accomplishing the subjugation of the hells through its eternal ability to meet with the Divine truth in outmosts as it was fulfilled by the Lord's actual contact with Egypt and His withdrawal thence. "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."
     Back to Nazareth He went, that "it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan. Galilee of the gentiles: The people which sat in darkness saw great light and to them which sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up" (Matthew 4: 14-16; Isaiah 9: 1-2). If we could view the Holy Land as the angels beheld it: see all the struggles, the temptations, and the victories represented in the life stories of Zebulon and Naphtali and then understand how the Lord fulfilled them all by His actual presence there: we would see, if we had angelic wisdom, that the Lord made Himself this Divine truth in outmosts by actually acting out before men and angels that which before had been in existence only as a potency.
     Again we read: "When the even was come they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits with His Word, and He healed all that were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying. Himself took our infirmities, and hare our sicknesses" (Matthew 8: 16-17; Isaiah 53: 4-5). The Word made flesh was making the imperishable record of the complete fulfillment of that third degree which before had been in potency, like a prophecy unfulfilled. These prophecies had for ages been able to cast sufficient truth upon the earth to preserve man's freedom and to keep the hells in check: but as representatives became less and less powerful the time came when the Lord Himself must, through fulfillment, become the Divine truth in outmosts, and the record of that life is "the Word made flesh." To the men on the way to Emmaus the Lord made these things clear, and their hearts burned within them.
     It is through the letter of the Word, first in prophecy, then in fulfillment, and finally glorified by the spiritual sense revealed in the Writings, that the Lord has the eternal means for contact with the hells, and consequently, for holding them in order and obedience to Himself. It is this truth in ultimates, glorified and made one with the Father, by means of which, we believe, the third, potential degree was made actual by the incarnation; actual as were the two prior degrees.

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     That this ultimate truth is the means whereby the hells are met and kept in order is clear from the Lord's temptation in the wilderness. By not turning the stone into bread and eating thereof He fulfilled the words of prophecy, that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord" (Matthew 4: 3-4: Deuteronomy 8: 3). And when the devil twisted the truth to make a snare for Him. He said, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Finally, he showed the ordering of the hells when He exclaimed: "Get thee hence. Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4: 7, 8).

     So much for the means by which the hells were subjugated. Now let us look at the process by means of which He glorified His Human. We are taught that the Lord had, at birth, a Divine soul which had fashioned in the womb of Mary a body for itself, and that in this body He was to glorify Himself. He did not glorify the body taken from Mary, but glorified the body taken on from the Father. And now. 0 Father glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17: 5). [The Lord] "came into the world, and put on a human body, and therein glorified Himself" (Wis. viii: 3). In other words, the body from Mary afforded the vessels wherein the glorification of His Human might take place.
     At this point certain universal teachings must be noted. There was no transmutation of the body from Mary into the Divine substantial: nor were the finite limitations of matter resolved, thus wiping our the boundaries between the finite and the infinite. Instead, the universal teaching is that He put off the body from the mother and in its place put on the Divine Human from the Father. Samuel Noble illustrated this by the well-known example of a linen handkerchief; saving that if we gradually pulled out each thread of linen and replaced it with a thread of gold we would have a handkerchief of the same size and shape, but it would have become all gold. This is but an illustration, and all examples are imperfect. Yet it holds something that clarifies such a passage as the following: "Now as the soul and body are one man and thus one person, and such as the soul is such is the body, it follows that as His soul from the Father was Divine. His body also, which is His Human, is Divine. He took, indeed, a body or human from the mother, but this He put off in the world, and put on a Human from the Father, and this is the Divine Human" (AE 1108:2).
     I would put particular emphasis on the words, "His body"; for we shall see shortly that the passages dealing with the resurrection body all say that He rose with the whole of His body. The passage before us is fully clear in its statement that He put off everything of the Mary-body.

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But were further confirmations necessary we might recall to your minds the fact that He twice called Mary, "woman," and once denied any relationship to her. Never did He call her mother Add to this the beautiful experience Swedenborg had when he saw the Virgin Mary, the mother of the Lord. "Mary appeared on one side." he says, "in a snow-white garment, only as she passed by; and then she stopped a little, and said that she had been the mother of the Lord; that He was indeed born of her: but that He became God, and put off all the maternal human; and that she now therefore adores Him as her God, and is unwilling that any should acknowledge Him as her son, because in Him all is Divine" (LJ post., 68), or take this passage from the True Christian Religion: "It is believed that the Lord as to the Human not only has been, but also is, the son of Mary; but in this the Christian world is mistaken. That He has been the son of Mary is true, but that He is so still is not true: for by the acts of redemption He put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father" (no. 102).
     This much is crystal clear. The body wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger which the shepherds saw was all from Mary while the body before which Thomas bowed when he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God" was all from the Father. Always He put off the Human from Mary. Always He put on in its place the Human, the Divine Human, from the Father, into the image of which the first man was created.
     Fortunately we are not left without illustration of what it means to put off the human from Mary and put on the Human from the Father. "In God infinite things are distinctly one" (DLW 17). "That in God there are infinite things anyone may convince himself who believes that God is a Man; for being a Man He has a body and everything pertaining to it, that is, a face, breast, abdomen, loins, and feet; for without these He would not be a Man; but having these He has also eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and tongue in created man these parts are many, and regarded in their details of structure are numberless; but in God-Man they are infinite. Nothing whatever is lacking and from this He has infinite perfection" (ibid., 18). In other words, because man is created in God's image, God has within Himself the prototype of everything that is in man. Now the process of glorification, as I see it, was the putting off of the limited natural type taken from Mary, and the putting on in its place of the Infinite prototype into whose image the finite type had been created.
     Let us illustrate this by an example. Men can see somewhere because God can see everywhere. Human sight is the finite image of omniscience, which is infinite sight. When the Lord was a little boy His sight was undoubtedly limited by walls, distances, and opaque objects; but after He entered upon His public ministry He began to put off this limited sight from Mary and put on the kind of sight that the Heavenly Father has when He looks into the souls and hearts of men.

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We find Him, on one occasion, sitting at the long table of Simon the Pharisee. Bowed over His feet is the prostrate form of a weeping woman. "Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth Him, for she is a sinner" (Luke 7: 39). But the Lord, sitting at the other end of the table, looked right into Simon's heart, and with the Divine omniscience put on in place of sight from Mary read his every thought.
     Before He had put off any of the human from Mary He was limited in His touch. But when, having put off the limited power from His mother, He put on omnipotence from the Father, He could heal the centurion's servant without going to his house; and, being in Cana, He could heal the nobleman's son who lay sick in Capernaum, twenty miles away, thus putting off the limitations of place inherent in the body from Mary and putting on instead the omnipresence of the Divine Human. (John 4: 46.)
     We are not left without some knowledge of how He accomplished the putting off of the human from Mary and the putting on of the Human from the Father. Once, when His disciples were returning from the Samaritan village of Sychar, they prayed Him, saying, "Master, eat." But He said unto them: "I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Has anyone brought Him ought to eat?" He, reading their thoughts, said: "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4: 31-34). That put on from the Father which built His own Divine Human was to do the will of Him that sent Him. What God, or the Father, willed was the Divine good, and that was found expressed in the forms of Divine truth-the hidden things of the Law and the Prophets that He had come to fulfill in the very deeds of His life. It involved continual temptation-combats and victories. Sometimes, as after feeding the five thousand, He went up into a mountain alone to pray; sometimes He took Peter, James, and John with Him, as when He was transfigured before them.
     As the last days of His earthly life drew nigh His temptations became more terrible because the final, complete separation from that body in which His Human had been glorified was soon to take place. In the Garden of Gethsemane the prayer was that the cup might pass; but the meat that nourished the Divine Human was the same, to do the will of the Father. "Nevertheless," He said, as great drops of sweat like blood coursed down His face, "not My will, but Thine, be done."
     As though to recapitulate the seven states of regeneration from the cross He spoke seven times, concluding with the words, "It is finished."

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What was finished?-the putting on of the last of the Divine Human from the Father! His whole Divine body was complete. Man is said to die when the motions of the heart and the lungs finally cease. The Lord was said to have given up the spirit when the Mary-body had no longer in it one single type which had not given place to the prototype from the Father.

     We now come to the two sets of passages concerning the resurrection body. On the one hand, the Writings speak of a final rejection of the residue of the maternal human. "`That He was buried signified the rejection of the residue of the maternal human" (Lord. 16: 6). "That the Lord put off all the maternal in the sepulchre, and rising therefrom glorified Himself is manifest from considering what the Lord said concerning the seed cast into the earth, that first it dies; also that He said to the woman that she should not touch Him, because He had not yet ascended to the Father; for in the sepulchre all such was to be dissipated" (Ath. 161). "That the Lord in the sepulchre, and thus by death, rejected all the human from the mother and dissipated it (from which He underwent temptations and the passion of the cross, and whereas this could not be conjoined with the Divine itself), and that so He assumed the Human from the Father, thus that the Lord thoroughly and clearly glorified rose with the Human" (ibid., 162).
     On the other hand, another set of passages tells us that the Lord, differently from men, rose with the whole body. "With the Lord all is Jehovah, not only His internal and His interior man, but also the external man and the very body; and therefore He alone rose into heaven with the body also "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have. And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet" (AC 1729:2). "The Lord rose again, not as to His spirit alone, but also as to His body, because when He was in the world He glorified His whole Human, that is, made it Divine; for His soul which He had from the Father was of itself the very Divine, while His body became a likeness of the soul, that is, of the Father, that is, of the Divine" (HH 316). "Therefore [the Lord] could glorify His whole body, so that as to that part of the body which with those who are born of human parents is rejected and putrefies, He was glorified and made Divine from the Divine in Himself; and He rose with this, leaving nothing in the sepulchre, altogether otherwise than takes place with every man" (LJ post., 87)
     It would seem that these passages are reconciled if we remember that He rose with His whole body. Everything in His body had been made Divine substantial by the long process of exinanition and glorification.

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He had put on completely in its place the Human from the Father, complete with the prototype of bones and flesh, which no spirit has; and the last of that body from Mary, when it no longer had any correspondence with the Divine Human body from the Father that had replaced it, was quickly dissipated.

     What, then, has been accomplished by the glorification? Has God added anything to Himself? Certainly not: since the Divine Human in which He rose was the Human which He put on from the Father-the glory which He had with the Father before the world was created. But now it had become flesh. The Word had become flesh. Every state and mood and action which gave birth to thoughts of Him in the Old Testament had been fulfilled in the New Testament, and its glory revealed in the Word of the Writings. "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself."
     This Word of the New Testament is, I believe, the "additamentum." It is the Word made flesh. It is the Divine means whereby the Lord to eternity can hold the hells in order, and establish a New Church. It is the means whereby that third degree, which before was in potency, is now in actuality, even as are the two prior degrees.
Talk to Young People 1952

Talk to Young People       Rev. DAVID R. SIMONS       1952

     BEHIND THE SURFACE

     One of the most vivid pictures of how the Lord discloses our evils is found in the eighth chapter of the book of Ezekiel. There the prophet while in actual council with the elders of Judah, the wisest and most trusted leaders of the Jews, is taken up by the Spirit and shown the inner minds of the very men before him. He is brought to the door of the court of these minds, and, looking, sees a hole in the wall through which he is commanded to dig.
     "So I went in and saw; and, behold, every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel portrayed upon the wall round about . . . then said [the Spirit of God] unto me: Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? For they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth" (Ezekiel 8: 10, 12). Ezekiel could have no doubts about the inner character of the men in council before him; nor need we have any doubt as to our inner character if we examine ourselves in the light of the Word-if we dig beneath the surface appearances that mask our true intentions.

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     Out of the raw material provided through the senses our imagination fashions mental pictures that reflect our character. These mental images are produced spontaneously by love; for love is the force which gathers and arranges the impressions made on our minds and portrays by means of them the goals and ends we desire. As the life-force of a seed selects the chemicals necessary for its growth from the surrounding soil, so love takes to itself from our memories what is harmonious and represents itself in our minds. For love is a creative force. It is the master artisan of the spirit; and it strives perpetually to construct for itself a world in which it can live-a house that it can call its own.
     Pleasures are pictured in the Word as creeping things. That these can be useful is evident from the fact that "creeping things" were made on the fifth day of creation, and seen by God to be good. Yet when external pleasures become all important they are out of place, disorderly, and therefore evil. When the pursuit of external happiness endangers health, prevents the concentrated study necessary in preparation for a use, leaves no time for daily reading of the Word, or interferes with regular habits of worship, it becomes an evil that is to be shunned. A mind so absorbed in having fun that it is unable to give any serious thought to the things of the church or the life of religion is the mind Ezekiel was shown.
     It is not so much the imagery that we find exhibited on the wall of our imagination as what we etch there by recollection that becomes the permanent ornamentation of our spiritual character. And it is the function of Revelation to make us aware of our evil loves so that we can recognize and shun them. By the truths of the Word, which show us the hells of unbridled pleasure, the Lord enables us to reform our lives-to open up the secret chambers of the imagination and allow the light and air of spiritual truth to form it into one of the mansions of heaven.
NEW CIRCLE 1952

NEW CIRCLE              1952

     On February 4, 1952, the Los Angeles Group was formally recognized by Bishop de Charms as the Los Angeles (California) Circle of the General Church of the New Jerusalem under the pastoral care of the Rev. Harold C. Cranch. In the name of the General Church we extend warm congratulations to the members of the new Circle on this further step in their development, and confidently express the hope that it will lead to the increase of the Church among them.

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PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     6. The Third Principle: Continued

     It has been shown, in a short history of the doctrine, that the order of the priesthood taught in the Writings was not established until 1883, nearly a hundred years after the organized New Church began. We wish now to follow its development to the maturity reached with the formation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem in 1897. But first we would comment briefly on the relation of the form of the organization of the Church to the Church itself. The two cannot be separated, naturally, but they must be in interior thought. The Church itself is a state established in man by the disposing of his life and thought according to the goods and truths of the Writings. This is the Lord's Church, the bride and wife of the Lamb, in which is the essential communication and consociation of heaven and earth. But this Church is known to the Lord alone. It is organized according to pure correspondence; and it can exist with or without an organization of the Church, and in any form of organization.
     The Church organized by man for the sake of uses in the world is another thing. It can never be identified with the Church itself, except in natural appearance; and it can never be in perfect correspondence with the Church in heaven because its formation depends upon human interpretation and judgment. The external organization continually seeks perfection, but can never attain it. Perfection is sought by looking only to the Writings for principles of order and government, while realizing that the principles drawn therefrom are conditioned by human sight and therefore subject to error. For example, the Writings reveal only that the priesthood should govern the Church and that there should be degrees in it. Particulars must be discovered by making specific applications of general teachings, which can never be absolute. Thus the external form of organization is not to be static, but vital and growing as enlightenment increases and new uses and needs arise.
     For this growth there must be confidence and trust, tolerance and patience. Where these are lacking the Church must eventually fall apart; but where they lead to frank discussion looking only to the good of the Church there will be development and therefore change, for change is inseparable from human progress.

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Freedom may exist, and good uses be done, under almost any form; provided there be wise administration, a looking first and last to the good of the Church, and a shunning of all inclination to self-advancement or elevation at the expense of the common good.
     The best form is spiritually valueless if there is no living internal within it, and may become an engine of destruction rather than a useful servant. But given a spiritual internal, individual self-control, and a conscientious regard for the good of the Church, the more perfect the form the more efficient will be the performance of the uses. The real dangers to any form of organized church are the evils of life of the men who are in it. And if there is a gradual increase of vital things-self-control, spiritual interest and affection, reading of the Writings, unanimity of thought, and looking to the one end of the good of the Church-we may be thankful, and even pray for their continual increase.
     Because of the essential difference in the attitude toward the Writings the General Church of Pennsylvania and the Academy were not free to develop their belief in the absolute Divinity of the Writings. Separation put both bodies in greater freedom; and in 1891 the members of the former General Church of Pennsylvania formed themselves into the General Church of the Advent of the Lord. The order of the priesthood that had existed in the former body was maintained and the only new thing introduced was the absence of a constitution. The Lord alone was to rule in His Church through the teachings of His Word, and growth was not to be bound by a human instrument of organization. Rules are made to protect against men's evils, and the idea was that the Lord alone cm protect the Church, as men look upon the Word as the only law of life.
     What is involved in the absence of a written constitution is vital to the very existence of the General Church, and it is important that the implications should be understood by every member of the General Church. To bring these out we cite the men present at the first meeting in 1891. After noting acceptance of the idea that the authority of the priesthood is from the Lord alone, and that ordination carries with it that authority so that the priest can perform his uses without direction by bodies of men or human constitutions, Bishop Benade said: "Let us try this new thing, taking up and carrying on the work of a church without a written constitution. Let us have the constitution within us, in our minds from the Lord. The Lord Himself will constitute the Church from Himself, out of those who are willing to work in the field."
     Bishop W. F. Pendleton said that the laws are in the doctrines and can be formulated from time to time as occasion arises, thus leaving the judgment free as it should be in a rational church.

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The Lord alone knows and can make laws for the future. Bishop Benade drew attention to the time wasted and the disturbances caused in the past in enforcing written constitutions in the Church. Mr. John Pitcairn pointed out that the formulation of passages in the Writings into an instrument of organization had limited the revelation to some extent. We can only hope that when needs arise the Lord will enlighten men to meet them. Mr. Hugh Burnham said that a rational body needs no written instrument; its laws are contained in the Writings.
     Speaking further on this subject, Bishop W. F. Pendleton said at the first General Assembly of the new body at Pittsburgh, in 1892, that only when the church declined, charity disappeared, and laws were no longer written on the life of the people, did men have to be compelled to obey the laws. The New Church should do away with external written laws to bind men, and there be internal laws to bind the consciences of men.
     During the next six years the Church went through a most trying period, for he who had been the leading spirit became mentally ill and his actions forced a separation. However, all the things for which he stood were carried over into the new body, The General Church of the New Jerusalem. There was only one difference. In the former body, a Bishop once having been installed could not be removed. In the new body it was argued that the Church could take away what it had given; that as it accepted the rule of the Bishop it could also refuse to accept, and could thus remove him from his executive position.
     This decision was not reached without a struggle and much searching of spirit. For a while it seemed that the experiment had failed, that it was necessary to formulate rules to protect the Church against the capriciousness of a ruling priest. But finally, through the wise leadership of Bishop W. F. Pendleton, the clouds were dispersed and the truth of the matter became clear to all. Belief was expressed in the government of the Church by a conscience formed from the Writings, and in the freedom of the high-priest to govern the Church as he sees best. No system of human laws could anticipate every possible abuse of office, and the effort to provide them induces a negative state. But that which unified thought was Bishop Pendleton's "Notes on Government" in which he pleaded that the Lord be allowed to protect His Church and that external bonds should not be forged for fear that disorder might exist. Thus was formed the General Church, which for over fifty years has reaped the benefit of wise leadership beginning with its founders.
     All this time the General Church has existed without any written constitution, looking to the Lord alone in the Writings to guide it to see that which is needful for the time. Thus the Church is left in freedom to develop its life, doctrine, and practice according to the conscience of its members at any one time.

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The "Order and Organization" of the General Church has been published and reissued to preserve what may be of value, not to bind the future. And we should realize the heritage bequeathed to us, and protect it by continually seeking in the Writings for light to guide us as a church and to discover those evils of self-love through which the dragon ever seeks to destroy the Lord's church upon earth.
BOOK OF PSALMS 1952

BOOK OF PSALMS       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1952

     Of all the books which comprise the Hebrew Word, none is more generally used in devotional reading and in public services than the book of Psalms.
     The reason why human hearts have turned to the Psalter in states both of triumph and despair, is not difficult to see. For in these ancient songs, in their most apparent meaning, are sounded the depths of man's feelings, as he turns to his Creator for protection Applicable to our life in all ages and climes, they run the gamut of human emotions. We hear in them the voice of gentle humility and of desperation, of contrition and discouragement and self-reproach. We feel in their words the toneless pain of frustration, the vanity of human effort. They make articulate our natural ambitions, our hopes and our fears our self-justifications, our cravings for revenge on the oppressor. There breathes in them the age-long demand for justice and freedom, our hunger for truth and light, our prayers for victory and safety and peace, which might still the yearnings of our bodies and the terrors of our souls. They give solace, encouragement, and consolation. But above all these reflections of human distress, uncertainty, and hope there rings, throughout this sacred anthology, a persistent note of faith and triumph-a triumph not of man but of God; a theme of confession, praise, and thanksgiving, which calls upon all creation to glorify the Lord, Creator and Savior, who shall subjugate all evil and redeem the oppressed.

     The books of Psalms has been named from the author of most of its songs-the "Psalms of David." The life of David, the "beloved" comprised many phases which are mirrored in the Psalter A simple shepherd in his youth, he became a musician and a warrior, a loyal servant and subject, a persecuted outlaw, a king. We read of him as a friend, a lover a grief-stricken father. We see him as a brooding penitent, a grovelling ascetic, a poet and philosopher, a prophet and priest, a triumphant victor and a revered monarch.

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     Yet the book has also other authors. One psalm (xc) is ascribed to Moses, others are by authors later than David. Psalm cxxxvii describes the captives in Babylon, bemoaning Jerusalem. There is no clear order indicated among the psalms. Yet we may observe, first, a collection of forty-one psalms of David, which generally stress the faith in a moral life which will be rewarded by Jehovah. Then (xlii-lxxxix) follow variously dated prayers for deliverance, psalms of penitence, and songs of thanksgiving, in which the name "God" is usually employed instead of "Jehovah"; so that, for an instance, the fourteenth psalm is repeated as the fifty-third, the only change in the wording being the use of "Elohim" (God) for "Jehovah" (LORD). In many of these psalms, the history of Israel is surveyed as a lesson for future trust in Divine providence. In the next section (xc-cvi), beginning with the Prayer of Moses, we find more national and historical psalms, some apparently referring to the exile and the restoration, with an expression of the Messianic hope. The final group of songs grows more and more liturgical in character, as if intended for congregational rather than personal use. It includes some of those which are constructed so that the initial letters of each line or stanza are ordered according to the Hebrew alphabet (cxi, cxii, cxix, cxlv). Others are classed as "Songs of Degrees" or of "Ascent" (cxx-cxxxiv), perhaps because they were used on pilgrimages up to Mount Zion. Some refer to the Captivity. But in this closing section of the Psalter the principal feature is found in the many songs of praise, the Hallelujah psalms, which picture the glory and power of Jehovah as proclaimed not only by man but by nature itself!
     Many of the psalms, from every section of the Psalter, refer to well- known events in David's life. Others speak of the temple and its worship. Some review the story of Israel, its past glories, its bitter trials, its decadence. Some seem to picture the anguish of captivity or the thrill of the homeward march of the returning Jews. The Psalter therefore-whether prophetically or historically-embraces more than the life of David. Seemingly, it represents the growth of centuries, and sets to music the things which stirred the heart of Israel throughout many periods of vicissitude and of peace.

     In the Psalms, the moral concepts of the religious life rise higher than in the Mosaic law. Personal integrity and faithfulness are made the condition for Divine protection. The Psalter is thus the first of the prophetic books, which interpreted and applied the Law to personal and national life and made the religion of Israel more than a merely ritualistic obedience. By comparison with these sacred Psalms, the Proverbs of Solomon appear as mere human prudence, and Ecclesiastes as mere disillusioned pessimism.

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     Yet, to the Christian, and even more so to the New Church man, it is clear that the ethics of the Psalter in many places reflect the turbulent emotions of our corrupted race, and especially the sensual state of the Jews, rather than the life of the regenerate soul And the question often is raised as to what value there can be for us to read these and other parts of the Hebrew Word in our public worship or in private; since, amidst the beauty of its devotional sentiments and the elevation of some of its teachings, there crop out recurrently-without censure-the crude lusts of revenge, the desire for exaltation and the love of material rewards; and since there is a striking absence of any clear idea that life on earth is but a preparation for spiritual uses in a spiritual kingdom after death.
     The question is answered in the Writings, where it is shown that the Word of the Lord has a letter and a spirit. The letter killeth, when it is divorced from its spiritual import and believed to be itself sufficient and conclusive. But the spirit maketh alive, when the literal sense is seen in its superior light, and the purpose of the letter is recognized. "If man knew," the Writings state, "that there is an internal sense, and would think from some knowledge of it when he is reading the Word, he would come into interior wisdom, and would be still more conjoined with heaven because he would thereby enter into ideas like those of the angels" (HH 310, AC 3316).
     The Word of God-differently from other books-is inspired by the Lord. David and other biblical writers wrote according to the terms of their own minds, but the Lord selected from these human thoughts that which would represent the truths of heaven; so that "all things in the sense of the letter correspond to the celestial and spiritual things in which are the angels, with whom there is no communication if the Word is applied only according to the letter, and not at the same time according to some doctrine of the Church which is the internal of the "Word" (AC 9410).
     The doctrine which is the internal of the Word has in fulness been disclosed by the Lord in His second advent. In His first advent He disclosed such doctrine from the internal sense of the Hebrew Word, when He, beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, expounded unto His disciples in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke 24: 27), showing them that all things must he fulfilled which were written concerning Him "in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets and in the Psalms" (Ibid: 46). But this doctrine, which opened the prophecies of the Old Covenant, was but general in its nature, and sufficient only to its day. In the Writings the doctrine of heaven is revealed and restated for rational apprehension and rational application, so that it can shine forth from every word of the Scripture.

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In particular Swedenborg testifies that while he read the Word through, "from the first chapter of Isaiah to the last of Malachi, and the Psalms of David," and kept his thought on their internal sense, he slowly perceived that "every verse communicated with some society of heaven, and thus the whole Word with the universal heaven" (TCR 272).
     It is thus for the sake of restoring the communication of heaven with man through the Word, that the internal sense is now revealed in the Writings. Every pious reader-Jew or Christian or New Church man-who realizes that the Word is holy and inspired and seeks from it the light of life, inwardly senses something of this spiritual significance, this prophetic inner burden of the letter, and is thus in a measure protected by heaven from the distractions of evil things mentioned in the literal sense. His mind is led to the doctrine of trust in Providence, charity to the neighbor, and faith in God. Yet more than this is needed, for spiritual progress. The Word must not only be held sacred, it must be understood.
     Therefore summaries of the internal meaning of all the Psalms are now given. And in the first sentence we find-as a key-this universal statement: "It should be known that as by David the Lord is meant, so where David speaks in the Psalms, the Lord is signified in the spiritual sense" (PP, Ps. 5.).
     Christians have sometimes recognized this general truth, from the fact that the Lord as the Messiah was called the "son of David," and was born of the house of David. But confusion is brought about by the fact that the Lord seemed to have challenged this title when He said: "How say the Scribes that Christ is the son of David? For David himself when in the Holy Spirit said, 'The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.' David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son?" (Mark 12: 35-37).
     The Lord was the son of David, but only in the same sense as He was the son of Mary. He was such, but is such no more, having put off all human inheritance of imperfection and evil. But the Lord was represented by David himself in quite a different sense. David, by virtue of his anointing and his royalty, represented Divine truth, and thus the Lord as to Divine truth. The Lord in His Human while on earth was Divine truth in its embodiment. It was as Divine truth that He laid claim to be a king, when Pilate asked Him-king of a kingdom that was not of this world. It was as Divine truth that He was tempted by the hells and, even as David, was persecuted and rejected of men.

     But the book of Psalms concerns not David alone. It cannot be fitted into David's life-time alone, but its theme includes the whole of Israel's history. And as such, its spiritual sense was prophetic of the Lord's entire life, including His glorification process and the events of the redemption which He wrought.

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David's struggles with his enemies, and his personal temptations. Israel's sins and vacillations and weaknesses, its captivities and its triumphs, were all, in the Psalter, a part of the prophetic picture of the Lords states in His Human: the Lord's temptations and consolations; the attacks of the hells which approached Him through the hereditary tendencies of evil impressed upon His assumed human nature; and the anxieties thus induced, even to utter despair! These are all themes of the Psalms of David and his successors.
     Hence we often find that a Psalm may, in the internal sense, be "a prayer of the Lord to the Father," or be descriptive of His combats against the hells, such as the Passion of the Cross; or be a description of states among those in the Church who can be saved; or those who must be judged; or a prediction perceived by the Lord concerning the devastation of the church or concerning the rise of the New Church that was to come; as well as songs in praise of the Lord after He has assumed His glory and His omnipotence.
     It is for this reason that every human state and condition must find a place within the book of Psalms: good states and evil, lowly states and sublime: states of rich and poor, simple and wise. Mercy and judgment must both be represented as qualities of the Divine King-and the justice which He metes out must necessarily be shown in its human form of vengeance and condemnation. For it is so that the evil perceive it-in this world and in the next.
     The account of the progressive steps of the Lord's glorification and of His acts of redemption is the inner web throughout the historical Scriptures of the Old Testament, as they recite the story of Israel's origin, rise, and national development, up to the crucifixion of their nation through the captivity in Babylon, and its resurrection through the return to Judea. But in the book of Psalms there is no observable indication of a detailed clear progression even in the internal sense as now revealed in the Writings. The Psalms are a collection of inspired writings, providentially preserved in an order which-as yet, at least-can be recognized only by angels. Somewhat similarly, the Prophets, and especially the Minor Prophets, are not always in any obvious order, logical or chronological. And the order of these books in the Hebrew Word is in fact different from the order adopted in the English translation.
     Thus the book of Psalms, as also the Prophets, forms inner circuits of meaning-which are parallel to and tangent upon, the continuous internal sense of the historical Word; even as the four Gospels amplify and parallel each other within a common implied historical period. The Psalms treat of the redemption and salvation of the innumerable states of those of the spiritual church-a salvation made possible only by the Lord's coming in the flesh.

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Thus they are songs of deliverance, and were sung to the accompaniment of the psaltery and harp. And when they are sung by the faithful on earth, the angels are filled with the delight of spiritual affection and intelligence-perceiving in clarity the hidden modes of Divine redemption, by which the Divine mercy, in the form of truth, reaches down into men's earthbound minds, moderates their insidious evils and vivifies their seeds of charity, judges and restrains, enlightens and orders; until men might see the hand and the face of the Lord, and join the angelic chorus of praise: which ascends by degrees when, through the uses of men, nature itself becomes an instrument, a harp of God, and a means of conjunction with the Creator!
     "Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise Him in the heights. Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts . . . Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps; fire and hail, snow and vapors, stormy wind fulfilling His word; . . . mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars beasts and all cattle, creeping things and dying fowl; kings of the earth, and all people . . . both young men and maidens, old men and children . . . for His glory is above the earth and heaven. . . Praise ye the Lord. (Ps. cxlviii.)
PIOUS FRAUDS 1952

PIOUS FRAUDS       ELDRIC S. KLEIN       1952

     The durability of literary frauds which have been fully exposed is one of the fascinating side lights in the study of history. Although the fraudulent character of the so-called "Protocols of Zion" has been fully established, nevertheless, from time to time, there are naive or unscrupulous men who cite them, or extracts from them, as evidence of the sinister designs of international Jewry. For several centuries the spurious "Donation of Constantine" materially affected the course of history. These are two illustrations of documents designed to affect the political relations of religious organizations and they are essentially political rather than religious in character. An example of a type of pious excess which continues to appear, century after century, is the so-called "Letter of Lentulus."
     The "Letter of Lentulus" purports to give a detailed description of the physical appearance of the Lord on earth, as seen by a distinguished pagan Roman. The letter is addressed to the Roman senate, and is ostensibly written by Publius Lentulus, Governor of Jerusalem, an immediate predecessor of Pontius Pilate.

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It describes the Lord as tall and handsome, with a countenance which inspired reverence and awakened love and fear together. The hair was dark and curly, and parted in the middle in the Nazarene fashion, flowing down over the shoulders. The forehead was open and serene, the face without a wrinkle or blemish, delicately ruddy, with a perfect nose and mouth, and piercing eves of grayish-blue. The full red beard was worn in two points. This description appears to have been the basis of many representations of the Lord by Renaissance painters.
     The unauthentic character of the letter, however, is quite apparent. If written at that time by a Roman official in Palestine, it would have been addressed to the Emperor and not to the Senate. No such office as governor (praeses) of Jerusalem existed. All the procurators of Judaea are known by name, and none of them was called Lentulus. Furthermore, the letter contains Hebraic idioms alien to other Latin writing of the period; and there is no mention of it in history prior to the twelfth century-though it is possible that such a letter might have been "lost" for that length of time.
     It is of interest to note, in regard to the Lord's personal appearance, that in the early church it was commonly supposed to have been according to the description given in Isaiah 53: 2-3: "For He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root of the dry ground: He hath no form and no comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him, He was despised and we esteemed him not."
     It was in the Middle Ages that the Lord was thought of as an eminently handsome man, according to Psalm 45: 2: "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into Thy lips; therefore God hath blessed thee for ever."
     Both Protestant and Catholic authorities* agree that the "Letter of Lentulus" is not what it purports to be, and probably was not written before the eleventh or twelfth century. If we suppose that it was the work of some devout monk who wished to give his fellowmen a more tangible basis than any existing in his day for thinking of the Lord as a man, we may sympathize with his purpose, but regret the means which he employed to fulfill it. Can anything be more futile and arrogant than for the finite mind to lie in behalf of the infinite truth of God?
     * Catholic Encyclopedia; Schaff-Herzog; Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge; and McClintock and Strong: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.

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SPIRITUAL BONDS 1952

SPIRITUAL BONDS       Rev. ALFRED ACTON       1952

     In the Spiritual Diary, nos. 2559-60, it is said that spirits are continually being held from evil by bonds, but in such a way that they do not feel the bonds and therefore think they are good of themselves. Swedenborg was then permitted to loose the bonds, and straightway they rushed into evil and complained against the loosening of the bonds. It even happened that the bond was loosed with Swedenborg himself, and immediately he also rushed into evil: thus demonstrating that "in man disposition there is nothing but evil." The bond referred to is called a spiritual bond imposed by the Lord.
     Here we have a picture of the Christian world of today. What would that world be if the bonds of law and order, that is, the spiritual bond of Divine truth, were removed? We get a glimpse of what would happen in the case of mob violence and, especially during the last war, in that of the concentration camps in Germany, where such frightful atrocities were committed that the Western world was utterly astonished, thinking that in modern civilized times men were incapable of such frightful crimes.
     Yet, if the bonds were loosed in modern society-what then? The bonds, however, though so strong, are hardly felt; and therefore men generally, whatever their real character, have no other thought than that they are good of themselves.
     How thankful we should be for these bonds! Not only do they preserve order in the world around us, but they also preserve the possibility of regeneration.

     DR. WHITEHEAD'S VISITS

     In connection with the compilation of Volume 11 of the ANNALS OF THE NEW CHURCH (1851-1951), the Rev. William Whitehead will be visiting Chicago, Glenview, Toronto, Kitchener, and Pittsburgh during the two weeks from July 7th to 21st. All members and friends having letters, documents, minute books, photographs, or other items of possible historical value, are earnestly invited to write to him at The Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn. Pa.

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REVIEW 1952

REVIEW       E. BRUCE GLENN       1952

     THE COLLEGE: AN ACCREDITATION QUESTIONNAIRE

     A tangible result of the Academy Schools' recent application for accreditation is a booklet prepared for the visiting committee in which the objectives and operation of the College are set forth. Although directed specifically to those who knew nothing of our distinctive purposes as an institution, and circumscribed by being written as a series of answers to questions of the accrediting commission, it remains, nevertheless, as the most complete record of the purposes and functioning of the present College. As such it was deemed worthy of issuing in limited numbers for the information of the General Church public. The pastor of each society has received a copy, and several are available for circulation from the Academy Library. The booklet contains one hundred and seventy-one mimeographed pages with additional appendixes, in stiff fiber binders.
     The contents are divided into five sections: Objectives, Program, Administration, Facilities, and Outcomes. Three appendixes include statements of the philosophy and purposes of the Boys' Academy and Girls' Seminary, an analysis of the religion program of the secondary schools, and a progress report by Principal R. R. Gladish on the recommendations from the 1947 evaluation of the Boys' Academy.
     Of particular interest to prospective College students and their parents are the departmental objectives which occupy most of the first section. Here, expressed with candid objectivity, are the distinctive goals which each subject department of the College is seeking to embody in its various courses. Present limitations are not ignored; but emphasis is placed on the importance of correlating each field with the doctrines of the Church. A reading of these objectives goes far, it seems to this observer, toward defining a truly liberal education.
     The following sections outline in full detail how these objectives are integrated into a program embracing the work of administrative officers, the Board of Directors and Corporation, the Faculties, student activities, and the entire physical plant, with special emphasis given the Library. Many of these operational details are familiar to the General Church public-our "clientele," as the accreditors put it-but never before has so complete a picture of the College and its operation been available.

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     The expansion of the College of the Academy following the Second World War was hailed throughout the Church as a vital step upward in the work of establishing the New Church. Now the terrible and practical considerations of war, coupled with economic and social disturbances, again threaten this growth. To the New Church man questioning the current place of our College in a world of crisis-whether he be parent, prospective student, or interested supporter of our distinctive education-this booklet about the College might well be addressed. It presents evidence both of work done and ideals cherished.
     E. BRUCE GLENN.

     JUNIOR COLLEGE ACCREDITED

     We have been informed that the Junior College of the Academy has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The Boys Academy is, of course, already accredited. The accreditation of the Girls Seminary is still pending.
OTHER NEW CIRCLES 1952

OTHER NEW CIRCLES              1952

     On May 8th, 1952, the Erie Group was formally recognized by Bishop de Charms as the Erie (Pennsylvania) Circle of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. On the same date the Rev. Raymond G. Cranch was appointed Visiting Minister to the Erie Circle.
     On May 14th, 1952, the group of members of the General Church in Denver was formally recognized by Bishop de Charms as the Denver (Colorado) Circle of the General Church of the New Jerusalem under the pastoral care of the Rev. Harold C. Cranch.
     This is probably the first occasion on which the recognition of three new Circles has been announced in one issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and in the name of the General Church we extend to the Circles in Erie and Denver the same good wishes expressed for Los Angeles.

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REWARDS OF LABOR 1952

REWARDS OF LABOR       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Circulation Secretary      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Treasurer      Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications should be sent to the Circulation Secretary. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.


TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy 30 cents.
     In this month of Commencements, when college graduates move on to professional training or a life's work and those who have finished lower schools prepare to enter a higher one, we may well consider: What are the real rewards of a completed task? And reflection might well begin from what is implicit in two incidents recorded in the Word. The reward of Joseph's faithfulness in prison was not a pension from the royal treasury, or even the fact that he was made second only to Pharaoh in Egypt, but that he was given the greater responsibility and use of preparing the land to withstand seven years of famine. And the reward of the servant who so faithfully administered one talent that it increased to ten was not a life of ease but the higher use and the greater responsibility of administering the affairs of ten cities.
     The true and lasting rewards of labor are the opportunities to assume greater responsibilities and perform wider uses for which competence gained through labor have fitted a man. This is most eminently true of the reward which is said to be in keeping the commandments, not for keeping them. For the reward of a life of regeneration is not eternal rest from work but the opportunity to assume the responsibility and function of a use in heaven. And it is true also of that with which we started. The real reward of graduation, as every thinking senior knows, is not the brief thrill of Commencement Day, or even the more enduring sheepskin. It is the opportunity to assume responsibility for, and enter into the functions of, the occupation or the further training for which his studies have prepared him; and the joy in grasping this is what endures.

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MEASURE OF A MAN 1952

MEASURE OF A MAN       Editor       1952

     It is said in the Apocalypse that the foursquare holy city of truth, the New Jerusalem, was measured by the angel who showed it to John; and certain dimensions are given as being, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. A recent reading of these words gave rise to some reflection on the question, as distinct from the specific internal sense given: "What is the measure of a man which is that of an angel?"
     There would seem to be an indication in the facts that length, breadth, and height correspond in the Word to good, truth, and use, respectively; and that the Writings are a revelation of rational truth for a rational church-a revelation of the spiritual truth about natural, civil, and moral things that enables those who will to perceive the inner and therefore the true uses of all created things. In the world today there are many criteria of judgment, many standards of appraisal, which, however sincere they may be, yet leave much to be desired. Some are frankly selfish. "What good will it do me?" "What will I get out of it?" "Will I be any better off?" In many instances the answers to these questions determine the judgment; and even when the mind goes further it stops short of spiritual uses. The phrase, spiritual values, is frequently used, but as often as not left undefined.
     The New Church man has no excuse, however, for being content with superficial standards, though their application to specific instances may often present difficulties that only further study and reflection can resolve. His criteria are clearly set forth in the Writings, for the judgment both of men and affairs-the good of the neighbor, the truth of the principle involved, and the real use at issue as distinguished from the immediate and ultimate benefit. And so to estimate is, we believe, the measure of a man-the measure which is that also of the angel.
RITE OF CONFIRMATION 1952

RITE OF CONFIRMATION       Editor       1952

     Both in the Liturgy and in the normal course of life in the Church, Baptism is followed by Confession of Faith, or Confirmation. As its dual title indicates, this rite is at once a confession of one's faith-for which reason it is thought most desirable that it be administered publicly and not privately-and a confirming for one's self of the promises made by parents at ones infant baptism. For those who are baptized into the Church in adult life Confirmation is therefore unnecessary. And although the rite has sometimes been asked for, and administered to those of more advanced age, the common feeling is that its general use is to provide for a taking upon ones self at the beginning of adult life of the promises made on one's behalf at infant or childhood baptism.

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     We should be quite clear in our minds, however, as to what can be effected by Confirmation. It does not affect or change the previous baptism in any way And it does not imply any lack in, or from, that baptism, for the baptism stands immutable in heaven. But as an ultimate act of worship, as a solemn ritual, it has power to bring about the presence of the Lord; and if the candidate has properly prepared himself, if he realizes the significance of the act, this ritualistic confession may stimulate affections for the faith in which he confirms himself; affections that, as time goes on, will do much to turn his historical faith into a spiritual faith. It cannot be too often repeated that Confirmation does not introduce into membership in the General Church. But it can play an important part in spiritually introducing into the church of the Lord on earth.
     According to the Writings, baptism is an aid to regeneration. The meaning of this statement may be seen in the teaching that baptism is a sign for remembering regeneration (AC 4255:5: HH 329), and a memorial for man that he may be regenerated by the Lord through truths from the Word (HD 202, 203). That is, baptism is significant of the Divine love that provides a way of regeneration for all men, and this it is that man is to remember. If a man reflects often on his baptism, seeing in it a constant memorial of the Lord's love and mercy, he will be moved deeply to respond to that love. His baptism, thus truly held in mind as a memorial, will become a center round which his deepest affections and purest thoughts will be arranged; and by this reorientation the way will be opened for the Lord's entrance, and man will draw to his aid the sphere of those in the other world among whom his spirit has been inserted. It is in this way that baptism may aid in regeneration, and a solemn confirmation of one's baptism at the beginning of adult life may serve very powerfully to initiate such remembrance.
     In the General Church the minimum age for Confirmation has been set at eighteen for young women and twenty-one for young men. For the reasons just mentioned, however, our young people should not think of Confirmation as something that should automatically take place when they become of minimum age; and that is why, although the possibility may be mentioned to them, we do not seek to persuade; still less to apply any pressure on them, that since they have attained the minimum age the orderly thing to do is to ask for Confirmation. There must be freedom for individual decision as to when one is ready to take this important step. At the same time, it may be suggested that Confirmation need not be delayed indefinitely on the ground that one is as yet uncertain of one's faith. For, of necessity, the only faith that can be confessed at the beginning of adult life is an historical faith.

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If a man were to wait until he was as certain as one may be that he had a spiritual faith of his own, the need for Confirmation would be long since past! But the rite may assist him in the struggle to achieve such a faith later.
READING THE WRITINGS 1952

READING THE WRITINGS       Editor       1952

     Elsewhere in this issue attention is drawn to an offer made by the Swedenborg Foundation Inc., which is designed to assist New Church men and women to increase their library of the Writings. It is particularly appropriate that this offer should be announced in the month during which we celebrate New Church Day. For it is significant that the formation of the New Church in the spiritual world was begun by the Lord when, with the finishing of "The Universal Theology" the giving of the Heavenly Doctrine was virtually completed; and indubitable that the reign of the Lord then announced is established in the hearts and minds of men and women on earth only to the degree in which they learn and understand the revealed truths in which He has made His second advent and submit their lives to those truths as the only law of life.
     Upon this the General Church has always been clear, and the whole effort of the priesthood has been to encourage the men and women of the Church to go to the Writings for themselves, read them diligently and regularly, study them faithfully, and reflect earnestly on their teachings; looking to the Lord for enlightenment to see the applications of those teachings to their individual states and needs. That, as we see it, is the only way in which the work inaugurated on the Nineteenth of June in the year 1770 can be continued on earth. For it is only as the truths of the Writings are learned and understood that they can be loved and obeyed, and the Lord thus govern the Church directly through those truths of doctrine.
     Of course the fact that we have the Writings in our churches and on our library shelves does not assure us of eternal life in heaven! The fact that we may be familiar with large portions of their teaching, that we have acquired facility in the correct use of their terms, that we can quote them extensively and accurately, and that we can think and speak according to them, does not in itself mean that we are assured of an abode among the angels. This is not to depreciate knowledge and intellectual understanding of the Writings. Without it there can be no establishment or development of spiritual charity in the mind. The Lord's operation is always, and only, into the things which a man knows; which means that those who believe they can receive spiritual charity without the spiritual truth revealed in the Writings are much deceived.

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But it does mean that the measure of a New Church man or woman is not the extent of the knowledge of the Writings that is manifested.
     It is indeed a fact that the Writings were given that we might search them, daily and diligently-but to the end that they may lead us to the Lord and thence to the eternal life of heaven; the life given to those who are conjoined with the Lord by the faith of love. When we say that the Writings are the Divine Human we mean that in their teachings the Divine love is revealed in a Human form. And the inmost purpose for which they have been given is that we may see in them the Divine thus made visible-that within their manifold truths concerning the Lord, creation, providence, redemption, regeneration, the means thereto and the life after death, we may see the Divine love: not as an abstraction, but as formed to meet human states and needs of which it is infinitely and individually aware.
     It is thus that the Lord is truly and most interiorly seen in His second advent. And surely all who rejoice in heart at His coming anew, all who are truly appreciative of the Divine revelation that has been given in the Writings, will be moved to go to those Writings regularly, if not daily, looking to Him alone, and striving to shun evils as sins that they may be taught and led by the Lord therein, and prepared for the vision of Him that will eventually be granted. The truths of the Writings which are essential for salvation are not difficult to understand: the intellectual effort on man s pact necessary for a thorough grasp no different intrinsically from that which must be made in many other fields. And where it is believed that in the Writings Divine truth is adapted to all human states of comprehension, accommodated to all forms of mind, and that in them the Lord Himself is present to teach and lead; no man of good will is likely to be deterred, or to neglect that which is as vital to the life and health of his spirit as is food to his body.
MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB 1952

MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB       Editor       1952

     We are told in the Writings that the ancient story of woman's formation from the rib of man does not refer to her physical creation. It is a correspondential description of the process whereby the Lord, from substances taken out of her husband's mind, makes the mind of a true woman into that of a wife. Spiritually, man is the love of growing wise; woman, the love of wisdom. But alone, man tends to love himself because of the knowledge he has acquired and thus to fall into the conceit of self-intelligence; and the love of woman tends to turn inward and become self-love, even when it appears to be directed to others.

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Therefore the love characteristic of each must be given a new center outside self that it may be exercised without harm.
     This provision is made by the Lord through the marriage of conjugial love. In this union of minds the love of man's wisdom is transcribed into the mind of his consort, where it becomes the womanly love of wisdom in man and builds her mind into that of a wife. Thus it is possible for man to avoid self-love and come instead into the love of his wife, which he does when her love of his wisdom encourages and directs the love of wisdom in him to the uses of charity. And the woman can exercise the love characteristic of her without loving herself. She can love in her husband that wisdom which he may not love in himself, inspire it with the life of her love, and receive from his wisdom both form and existence by her love.
     Although there is no direct teaching to that effect, it seems evident that there is indicated here the mode by which the Lord creates out of Himself the church which is formed to be His bride and wife. In the Lord there is nothing of self-love, yet He can love in man only that which is from Himself. Therefore, out of substances taken from Himself, the Lord builds the mind of every regenerating man and woman into a structure with which He can have conjunction by love. These substances are those truths in the natural degree which contain, support, and give outward form to the Divine wisdom-the truths of the Word in ultimates. As they are received and lived they are actually transcribed into the mind, in which they are formed into the wisdom of life-the wisdom of the Lord and of the Word in human life, and the truly human love of the Lord's wisdom. This wisdom is what constitutes the church in man. In it the Lord can love wisdom from Himself without loving Himself, the love of mankind can be directed from self to the Lord's wisdom, and a conjunction of the Lord and man can be achieved.
     This conjunction, in which the Lord is love and the church wisdom, is what is meant by the "heavenly marriage;" and it is so named because in it the Lord and the church, like a true husband and wife, become one as to use but do not merge into one. Because it is the fulfillment of His love, and of man's highest destiny, the Lord has always had His marriage with the church in view. Yet a full marriage of the Lord and the church could not be effected until the Lord had assumed and glorified the Human, because the heavenly marriage proceeds from the union in Him of the Divine love and wisdom that was brought about by glorification. And on the part of man there could be no full marriage until the Divine Human could be seen and acknowledged.

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     Even when the Christian Church had been formed, however, a full marriage could not take place, although there was a marriage with those in it who approached the Lord. The law of the heavenly marriage is that there must be one Lord, one church; and the Christian Church divided the one God into a trinity of persons and also separated into many churches, each of which regarded itself as distinct. On the part of the church the union would have been polyandrous-a marriage of one wife with three husbands. On the part of the Lord it would have been polygynous-the marriage of one husband with many wives. And as neither of these could even be thought of, no marriage was possible. But when the Lord had made His second coming this was changed: and that is why John heard a voice in heaven saying that "the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19: 7).
     Between the Lord and the New Church a full marriage is possible: and we would note, as of importance, the conditions of this marriage. To enter into it, the Church must take a firm hold upon the idea of the Lord as a Divine Man, and then strive for a living acknowledgment of Him in His Divine Human as the one God. It must seek from Him that spiritual charity which will make and keep it a united church despite differences in the understanding and application of doctrine And it must freely consent to the union by removing and shunning all that is opposed to it. Compliance with these conditions will bring the New Church into a marriage with the Lord that blesses all who embrace it.
     The nature of this union may be seen from the doctrine given concerning the marriage of conjugial love. The inmost in the Lord is love and its covering is wisdom. The inmost of the church is that wisdom of the Lord, finitely received, and its covering is love thence derived. This love is given to the church through the wisdom of the Lord; and the church, as a wife, receives into itself the image of the Lord by appropriating His affections to itself. Thus the very life of the New Church is the love of the Lord's wisdom as it is revealed in the Heavenly Doctrine. It is in the learning, understanding, and application of this Doctrine that the New Church becomes, more and more, the bride and wife of the Lamb. And the increasing wisdom it thus receives as it applies the wisdom of the Word to life and thereby turns from self, enables the Lord to love it more and more: to recognize in the Church, more and more, "bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh."

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PARACELSUS AND THE "LIMBUS" 1952

PARACELSUS AND THE "LIMBUS"       STUDENT       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     In Mr. Sydney Lee's interesting article in the February and March issues, on The Pattern of Rational Thought, certain concepts were advanced which might profitably be discussed further. Thus, while we admit that the doctrine of correspondences forms part of "the background for rational thought" (p. 70), the warning of the Writings should be stressed that correspondences yield no doctrine but simply corroborate and confirm doctrine already known and seen (SS 56, 26, De Verbo 58). The process of confirming truth is not properly a process of the rational mind, but of the imagination, and correspondences are therefore only suggestive of truth and are easily misused.
     As to the "limbus" the writer describes it very effectively: but, to our thinking, he mixes his terms when he calls it "natural but non-spatial" (p. 140). It consists of "natural substances" (DLW 257), and every natural substance is spatial, being a form of motion in space. The reason why it can be described only by abstractions is because it is drawn from the "purer substances of the world" (DLW 388) or the "purer" or "purest" things of nature (TCR 103, DP 220). Certainly the "spirituous fluid" described in the Economy is not "non-spatial"!
     We agree with the writer that we should view with caution his "purely speculative" suggestion that the doctrine of the limbus involves a "something" which the Lord adjoined to Himself-presumably by His glorification. To us this seems in fact a dangerous doctrine which would lead to the idea that the Divine Human has a finite limitation. The possession of such a "limbus" would make the Lord an angel, not a Divine Man in ultimates as the Writings describe Him (AE 1112).
     It might be of interest to your readers that, while the English usage of the term "limbus" may now be mostly biological, yet the Latin word, used at least thirteen times in the Writings, is exactly equivalent to our word "border." But in Swedenborg's day the term "limbus" had also a more specific meaning given to it by Paracelsus, the mystic and scientific philosopher of the Renaissance. He called the primitive chaos (from which, he thought, the natural universe was precipitated) "Limbus major," which was the inmost border of nature. The human body derived its "limbus" or formative sperm-substance from this larger "limbus." "The inner man," wrote Paracelsus, "is formed out of the same Limbus as the Macrocosm." When Swedenborg, whose system is free of the extravagances and superstitions of his predecessor, wished to find a name for "the purer things of nature which are nearest to spiritual things" (DP 220), it was natural that he should call them a "limbus."
     STUDENT.

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SECOND COMING 1952

SECOND COMING              1952

     "Since the Lord cannot manifest Himself in person, as just shown above, and nevertheless He has foretold that He will come and found a New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, it follows that He will do this by means of a man, who can not only receive the doctrines of this Church with his understanding but can also make them public by the press. That the Lord manifested Himself before me His servant, sent me on this duty, and afterwards opened the sight of my spirit, and thus intromitted me into the spiritual world, permitting me to see the heavens and the hells, and also to converse with angels and spirits, and this now continually for many years, I testify in truth; also that from the first day of that call I have not received anything relating to the doctrines of that Church from any angel, but from the Lord alone, while I have been reading the Word" (TCR 779).
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION 1952

SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION              1952

     We are happy to announce favorable action on a proposal made to the Directors that the Swedenborg Foundation give a volume of the Writings to newly married New Church couples. The Board agreed to give a copy of Conjugial Love to such couples provided the ministers performing the ceremony will send their names and addresses to:

Mr. W. H. Helmke, Manager.
Swedenborg Foundation, Inc.
51 East Forty-second Street,
New York 17, N. Y.

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     OBITUARY

     Mr. Willem Beijerinck

     On April 9th, a few days before Easter, Mr. Willem Beijerinck, one of the oldest members of the Hague Circle, suddenly passed into the spiritual world in his 84th year. Mr. Beijerinck was one of the closest friends of my dear father and my earliest remembrances of childhood are connected with him. Every Saturday afternoon, and many evenings during the week, he called on my parents, and my father and he talked for many hours on the wonderful revelation which Emanuel Swedenborg had made in the Writings of the New Church. When we lived in Rijswijk, he would walk to and from that suburb, as he still preferred a walk of more than an hour to a street car ride although he was then in his 70th year. Even at his advanced age he was an extremely strong and lively person with a great vitality.
     Mr. Beijerinck was also a very learned man, and about his 60th year he began to study Latin thoroughly in order to read the Writings he loved in the language in which they were written originally by Swedenborg. His knowledge of science in several different fields was great, and he never ended a study until he felt that he had mastered it, for he was opposed to doing things incompletely.
     As a young man Mr. Beijerinck joined the army (the K.N.L.I.) in the Dutch East Indies, and was decorated with a high medal for the courage he showed during a revolt of the natives, He was considered a very able officer in the Dutch army. When he retired on pension he devoted his life to the study of science and, in the first place, to a deeper contact with the truth, His knowledge of the Writings was extensive and he could always find a passage or a quotation. I remember him as a very straightforward and honest man who never hesitated to give his opinion, even when it was certain to be attacked, He was a fearless man with a clear mind and a great devotion and loyalty to the Church he loved and respected, and there was nothing he hated more than duplicity or compromise. Although Mr. Beijerinck was almost completely deaf during the last years of his life he still kept in touch with the friends he loved, and he bore the affliction of his growing deafness with the courage that was inherent in his character, never complaining but only joking about it.
     The small circle of New Church members at The Hague has lost a man who, because of his old age, could no longer attend the meetings and the services in the homes, but whose heart was always with the Church and the things for which it stands. We miss the presence of a friend, but we must rejoice in his entrance into the other world, where he will lose his physical infirmities and again be able to talk freely and listen. For him, this Easter has been an actual resurrection, a liberation from the growing physical troubles which were such obstacles to his keen and busy mind, and entrance into a world in which he can become wiser and wiser.
     TINY KEULS-FRANCIS.

     BALTIMORE, MD.

     Since 1942, the Baltimore Circle has prospered under the ministrations of its indefatigable Pastor, the Rev. Morley D. Rich, For ten years he has visited us monthly, with a Saturday class preceding the Sunday service in the Arbutus chapel. We hoped that some day we could have a resident pastor again, as when the Rev. T. S. Harris lived among us from 1914 to 1930, but our resources did not permit of this. Lately, however, the income of our Circle has nearly doubled; and on the strength of this, our enterprising treasurer, Mr. George Doering, took the initiative in suggesting to the Washington Circle that we explore the possibility of having a resident pastor who could minister to both groups. The response from Washington was so favorable that we notified Bishop de Charms, expressing our desire to have one of the four young men who are to be ordained this summer.

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     On Saturday April 5th, in the Arbutus chapel, Bishop and Mrs. de Charms and the Rev. Morley Rich sat down to supper with 19 members of the congregation. Some visitors and children brought the total number present to 32. As a token of our love and our appreciation of his ten years of labor in our behalf we presented Mr. Rich with a substantial gift of money to help him and his family in their move to London.
     The Bishop said that in placing Candidates for the ministry three things were taken into consideration: the wishes of the young men themselves, the desires of the Society or Circle in need of ministrations, and the judgment of the Bishop as to where the Candidates could perform the greatest use to the Church. These three considerations had led in the present instance to the appointment of Mr. Frank Rose as Visiting Minister to the isolated in Great Britain and to the Circles in Paris and The Hague; to the appointment of Mr. David Holm as Assistant to the Rev. Martin Pryke in South Africa; and to the appointment of Mr. Geoffrey Childs as Minister to the Advent Church in Philadelphia and as Visiting Minister to the Circles in New York City and in Northern New Jersey. At this point Capt. Coffin remarked; "Then there is only one left." The Bishop laughingly replied; "Yes, there is only one left, and although he is last he is by no means least. I recommend Candidate Dandridge Pendleton for the position of Minister to the Circles in Baltimore and Washington." Mr. Pendleton had visited us a few weeks ago, when his ability and earnest spirit endeared him to us; and the members gave their hearty and unanimous approval of the Bishop's appointment.
     On the Sunday morning, two Needer sisters, Mary Louise and Constance, made their confessions of faith and their older brother, John, was baptized. These young people are the grandchildren of Mrs. Mabel Coffin Fitzpatrick; and they trace their New Church ancestry to their great-grandfather Coffin who, eighty years ago, saw when in Allentown an advertisement of a missionary lecture to be given by the Rev. Arthur O. Brickman which led to his acceptance of the Heavenly Doctrines.
     ROWLAND TRIMBLE

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS

     Six new babies have swelled the ranks of the Immanuel Church Society during the months of February, March, and April. Winter has gone down to defeat in his final struggle against inevitable Spring, Flowers are budding, and the first faint tints of green are showing on trees and bushes. Yes, the Park, for all its dearth of hills and valleys, will soon be beautiful again!
     One of the very many visitors we were glad to see was the Rev. Louis B. King. He came out on a Friday, and after supper presented a paper entitled "Repentance and the Holy Supper" in which he brought out that repentance is man's responsibility while reformation and regeneration are the work of the Lord. Louis has a keen mind and a fine delivery and we are sure that he will "go places" in the upbuilding of the New Church!
     This year we delayed our celebration of Swedenborg's birthday for about two weeks in order that Mr. Alfred Acton might address us. And certainly our very dear friend is well worth waiting for! He arrived on Thursday. February 14th, and that evening The Philosophers were invited to meet with him at the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. O. E. Asplundh. We spent a stimulating evening. Dr. Acton spoke about the atmospheres as described by Swedenborg. This was followed by questions and general discussion. At this point Mr. Asplundh presented the Doctor with a glass of water, which action brought forth a severe reprimand-and a bottle of ale. As is usual at the Asplundh home, the refreshments were good, and plentiful.
     Next evening the Society, together with the members of the Sharon Church and several visitors, sat down to a sumptuous repast, after which Dr. Acton addressed us. He spoke of Swedenborg's preparation for the writing of the theological works and, as always, we were privileged to listen to a masterly presentation of the subject. The Doctor has the faculty of holding the interest of his hearers for a solid hour; but what is even more remarkable is his ability to repeat that feat after a brief intermission. On the following Sunday Bishop Acton preached at our morning service. The text was: "Lead us not into temptation" and his profound yet simple presentation of the inner meaning of this phrase from the Lord's Prayer made a deep impression on the congregation.

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     At our February Men's Assembly meeting our Pastor, the Rev. Elmo C. Acton, gave a most interesting paper on the teaching of the Writings in regard to the responsibilities of the husband in the home. Then, on a Sunday afternoon in March, the Immanuel Church School held its annual spring orchestra concert under the able direction of Professor Jesse Stevens. As usual, it was immensely successful; and, also as usual, signs of budding talent were in evidence. The March meeting of the Glenview Chapter of the Sons of the Academy was held at Sharon Church, where we were the (paying) guests of the Chicago Chapter. Mr. Ed. Kitzelman was the steward and we got what we expected- prime roast beef, and plenty of it. The meal was followed by a most interesting address by Alexander McQueen on "The History of Words." Saturday March 29th will long be remembered as a most enjoyable social occasion. The Park Social Club really showed us a good time-a fine meal, splendid entertainment, and prizes for those wearing the most unusual hats. One of the winners was Dr. Harvey Farrington. His hat was a cuckoo clock!

     Some years ago Mr. Chester E. Huestis and his wife Marion learned of the New Church and became interested. Shortly afterwards they moved to Glenview with their family, were baptized, and became members of the Immanuel Church. For some time Mr. Huestis had not been well, and on Wednesday, March 12th, he passed into the spiritual world. We shall miss him. It is a matter of great satisfaction to us that Marion and her two children feel very much at home in Glenview.

     Palm Sunday.-the triumph. Good Friday-the gloom. Easter Sunday-the victory! How fortunate we are that we have had revealed to us the internal significance of these three great events. There were four services of Divine worship; the third, one for the children at 9:30 on Easter morning, followed by the adult service at which the Holy Supper was administered-all occasions of the kind of religious instruction so sorely needed in this troubled world.

     In the old days, say about 30 years ago, Glenview was a small village; and when you addressed an envelope to a friend it was not necessary to include any street address, because "everybody knew everybody else." There are some 6,200 people living in Glenview now, and unless you show the street address on your envelope it will likely be returned to you. So please include the street address.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     TUCSON, ARIZONA

     This year the winter season for the Tucson Circle has been most noteworthy for the number of visitors from other New Church centers who have enriched our gatherings. We needed them and the stimulation they gave us, for we were quite discouraged over our own lessened numbers, however temporary the decrease may be.
     Mr. William Leonard of Ohio was the first to join us. He arrived in the blazing heat of August and stayed until late in November. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Synnestvedt of Bryn Athyn were the next arrivals. They were on a vacation trip in the West and managed to spend a few days in Tucson, during which they pressed us eagerly for opinions on the tape-recordings-what we did or did not like, and what suggestions we had for the future. Mr. Synnestvedt also looked over our own recording machine and ended up by supplying and installing a completely new machine in the old case! It works perfectly now.
     On two occasions the H. Cline Schweikarts of Douglas, Arizona, have made the 250 mile trip to Tucson. Mrs. Schweikart (Helena Junge) is a nurse at the Douglas hospital, and her hours of duty include many Sundays. When she and her husband are able to join us we are happy to see them. Mrs. Blair and Mrs. Ewatt came from the Chicago Society just in time for the Christmas program. The children's pageant was directed by Mrs. Irma Waddell in her usual fine style, and it was followed by presents for the children and refreshments for all.
     While the Rev. Harold C. Cranch was here early in January for a business meeting the Circle had the pleasure of a children's service and a church service at which the Holy Supper was administered. Pfc. Charles Burton of West Virginia was with us, too, as he was then stationed at a nearby air base. February began discouragingly, but Mr. Walter Faulkner of Pittsburgh surprised us with a few days out of his vacation in California, and Mrs. Helen Bogess of Bryn Athyn arrived for her annual visit with the Guy Aldens. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hartter and their two children came back to live in Tucson after a year and a half in Springfield, Illinois; and Mr. Bruce Wilson returned from active duty and is now in the reserve for five years.

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     March was distinguished by a flying visit from the Rev. and Mrs. Harold Cranch on their way home from Los Angeles. They were in town long enough for Mr. Cranch to baptize the infant son of the Walter Hartters, William Jeffrey and to be with us for a community supper and class. In addition to our regular group there were present two charming local press women. Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. van Hardeveld, who deserve mention because they have been coming to our activities for several years whenever a minister is present.
     The season is rapidly drawing to a close but there are still a few more meetings scheduled. The adult Easter service was held on Palm Sunday and there was a service for the children on Easter day. Dr. E. P. Waddell, now of Denver, and his small daughter Patricia were here for Easter week, and Lt. Tom Waddell was home from Korea on furlough. When next you hear of the Tucson Circle summer will have passed and there will be the first events of a new season to report.
     BARBARA G. CARLSON.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN

     Immediately after our regular monthly luncheon on Sunday, January 27th, we were entertained by a series of three sketches dramatizing incidents in Swedenborg's life. The various characters were portrayed by the seven children who attend Mr. Rogers' Friday religion classes, all of whom gave performances that were a credit to their directress, Mrs. John Howard (Eunice Nelson).
     Quite a number of our members went to Kitchener to attend the Horigan-Hill wedding on April 5th. In addition, several others, including the pastor, were confined to their homes that weekend because of illness. As a result, the lay-conducted service on Palm Sunday had a much smaller congregation than usual. Yet it was large enough to make the service worth while, and gave further evidence of the Detroit Circle's growth and stability. During Easter week, a special class on "The Mary Human" was held on Good Friday evening instead of the usual Wednesday doctrinal class. The Easter service opened with the children bringing floral offerings for the chancel before taking their seats with their families, and closed with the administration of the Holy Supper.
     The Executive Meetings of the Sons of the Academy attracted a large number of Sons and their wives to Detroit. A report of the activities, which began with a delightful social gathering at the Norman Synnestvedts and ended with the service and luncheon on Sunday, belongs properly to the pages of the BULLETIN. However, we may note what a pleasure and inspiration it was for us to entertain so many friends from Toronto, Kitchener, Bryn Athyn, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Glenview. For us the highlights of the weekend were Dr. William Whitehead's address at the banquet on Saturday evening on "The Beginnings of Societies," and his eloquent exposition on Sunday morning of a text taken from Psalm 8: 3-6. The presence of so many visitors, which caused the congregation to number 97, made the sphere of worship most powerful and affecting. Mrs. Vance Elder (Doris Day) was in charge of the luncheon which followed and is to be complimented on the way in which she discharged her duties. We hope that our visitors may be moved to come again.
     The records show two Baptisms and one Confession of Faith, also one engagement, that of Mr. Alan Childs, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Childs of Saginaw, to Miss Lucy Lindsay of Pittsburgh. Recent welcome additions to our Circle are the Owen Birchmans who have returned to Detroit from Washington, D. C., following Owen's discharge from the army, and the son born to Mr. and Mrs. Sanfrid Odhner (Aubrey Cole) on April 15.
     A final item to be noted is that our regular and faithful correspondent, Mr. William W. Walker, has been on an extended visit with Mrs. Walker to their two sons and families in sunny California. We have all missed them and are looking forward to their return home-especially this substitute correspondent!
     NORBERT H. ROGERS

     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-The Rev. John W. Stockwell, pastor of the Lakewood, Ohio, Society since 1949, died suddenly on March 18th. Ordained in 1903, Mr. Stockwell held several pastorates and served on most of the boards and committees in Convention. During his long residence in Philadelphia he was editor of The Helper and manager of the American New Church Tract and Publication Society.

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He was prominently associated with the early days of religious broadcasting.
     The New-Church Messenger reports that the Rev. Dr. Leonard I. Tafel, President of Convention, will visit New Church centers in Europe this summer after attending the annual meetings of the General Conference at Keightey in June.
     From the same journal we learn that Mr. William Woofenden, of Detroit, a graduating theological student, has been called to assist the Rev. Arthur Wilde, veteran pastor of the New York Society.

     General Conference.-The Rev. Alan Gorange has accepted an invitation to the pastorate at Woodlands Road, Glasgow, after eight years with the Brightlingsea Society.
     The Rev. E. J. Pulsford, editor of the New Church Magazine, has been incapacitated for some time, but is now making some progress.

     Europe.-The Rev. Adolph L. Goerwitz reports in Die Niue Kirche that last December a Roman Catholic priest spoke at some length over the German broadcasting system against the teachings of Swedenborg, citing Balzac among others as "a horrible example" of his followers.
     Despite unfavorable conditions the Berlin Society has reopened its Sunday School. The Pastor, the Rev. Erich Reissner, reports that there are three classes with able teachers, and that the staff will meet monthly for instruction.

     Australia.-The Rev. Richard H. Teed, editor of The New Age, has accepted an invitation to fill the pulpit of the Albury Presbyterian Church during an interim of several months between ministers.

     Mauritius.-The Rev. Edwin Fieldhouse reports that the work for the two congregations which constitute the Society of Mauritius is proving very congenial and encouraging. The average attendance at the Curepipe Road church is gradually increasing, while that at Port Louis is keeping steady at about 25. Doctrinal meetings have been well attended.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "6. Man is not reformed by external, but by internal means. By external means are meant miracles and visions, fears and punishments. By internal means are meant truths and goods from the Word, and from the doctrine of the church, and also looking to the Lord. For these means enter by an internal way and remove the evils and falsities which reside within; but external means enter by an external way and do not remove evils and falsities, but shut them in. But nevertheless, he is further reformed by external means, provided he has been previously reformed by internal means. But a man who is not reformed is only withheld by external means-which are fears and punishments-from speaking and doing the evils and falsities which he thinks and wills" (AE 1136).

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BRITISH ASSEMBLY 1952

BRITISH ASSEMBLY              1952




     Announcements
     The Thirty-ninth British Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held at Colchester on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, August 2nd to 4th, 1952, the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner presiding.
     All members and friends of the General Church are cordially invited to attend. Those wishing to make arrangements for accommodation should write to Mr. John F. Cooper, 33 Lexden Road. Colchester, England.
CANADIAN NORTHWEST 1952

CANADIAN NORTHWEST              1952

     During the summer the Rev. Karl R. Alden will again make his trip through the Canadian Northwest. Mr. Alden will leave Bryn Athyn immediately after Commencement and will return in time for the meetings of the Educational Council in the latter part of August.
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1952

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH       E. BRUCE GLENN       1952

     The Annual Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy of the New Church will be held in the Benade Hall Auditorium, Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Saturday, June 7th, 1952, at 8:00 p.m.
     After reports by officers of the Academy Schools, and discussion thereof, the Right Reverend Willard D. Pendleton will deliver an address.
     The public is cordially invited to attend.
     E. BRUCE GLENN.
          Secretary.
SONS OF THE ACADEMY 1952

SONS OF THE ACADEMY       Roy Rose       1952

     The Annual Meetings of the Sons of the Academy will be held on Friday.
June 27th, and Saturday, June 28th, 1952, at Glenview Illinois.
     All men interested in New Church education are cordially invited to attend.
Program:
Friday. Address by the Academy Representative. (Mr. E. Bruce Glenn)
Saturday. Reports and business. Election of officers.
Saturday evening. Banquet. (Ladies invited.)
     Roy Rose.
          Secretary.
INCREASE YOUR LIBRARY OF THE WRITINGS 1952

INCREASE YOUR LIBRARY OF THE WRITINGS              1952

     In order to foster this purpose the SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION (Incorporated)

is offering a package of any three volumes
of the Standard Edition of the Writings for
$1.50, instead of the usual price of $3.00 for three.

This offer is limited to one package to each address.

The Standard Edition contains in 30 volumes all the works of the Writings
except the Spiritual Diary. Smaller works are collected in MISCELLANEOUS THEOLOGICAL WORKS (1 volume) and POSTHUMOUS THEOLOGICAL WORKS (2 volumes).

Applications should be mailed direct to:

Mr. Henry W. Helmke, Manager,
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION (Incorporated)

51 East Forty-second Street,
New York 17. N. Y.

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GENERAL CHURCH AND ACADEMY CHANGES 1952

GENERAL CHURCH AND ACADEMY CHANGES              1952

     Because of a need to be relieved of some of his official duties, Mr. Hubert Hyatt, who has served with distinction for the past twenty-one years as Treasurer of the Academy, and for the past thirty years as Treasurer of the General Church, has submitted to the respective Boards of Directors his resignation from both these offices. His resignation has been accepted with regret and with an expression of deep appreciation for the services he has rendered.
     This action was taken in order that Mr. Hyatt might be relieved of the accounting work. It was the unanimous desire of the Boards of Directors, however, that he should continue to serve both the Academy and the General Church to the full extent of his capacity.
     With this in view, Mr. Raymond Pitcairn has resigned as Secretary of the Academy Corporation, and Mr. Edward H. Davis has resigned as Secretary of the General Church Corporations, and Mr. Hyatt has been elected to fill their unexpired terms. Mr. Hyatt also will continue, as he has in the past, performing the secretarial and correspondence work connected with the Treasurer's office.
     Mr. Leonard E. Gyllenhaal, Jr., has been elected Acting Treasurer both of the Academy and of the General Church until such time as he can be elected Treasurer. According to the present bylaws this step cannot now be taken because Mr. Gyllenhaal is not a member of the Boards of Directors. Meantime, he will be present by invitation at all Board Meetings.
     The Right Rev. Alfred Acton has resigned as Professor in the Academy Schools and as Dean of the Theological School, to take effect at the end of the present school year. He will, however, continue with his literary work. Bishop Acton's resignation has been accepted by the Board of Directors with profound gratitude for his long and distinguished services to the Academy. In doing so, the Board expresses the unanimous feeling of the General Faculty.
     Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, D.Th., has accepted appointment to succeed Bishop Acton as Dean of the Theological School.
     Mrs. Harold T. Carswell has resigned as House Mother of Glenn Hall, her resignation to take effect at the end of this school year. The Faculty expresses grateful appreciation of her services in that capacity over the past ten years.
     Miss Elizabeth Childs has accepted appointment as House Mother of Glenn Hall, beginning next September.

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MARRIAGE AND REGENERATION 1952

MARRIAGE AND REGENERATION       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1952


No. 7

NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
JULY, 1952
     "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh thereof; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman and brought her unto the man." (Genesis 2: 21, 22)

     The sacred legend of the creation of woman is woven into the text of Scripture in such a way as to represent the mode of human regeneration. Its inner meaning is subtle, easily misunderstood or misapplied. It can be seen only by angels and hr men who can sustain the light of heaven.
     In literal appearance we are here told of woman's first formation from one of Adam's ribs. But in inner truth it tells rather of the substance of a beautiful dream fulfilled in the childhood states of the race. Indeed, the most precious things must first come to us as dreams-as distant visions of things we long to realize but have no power of ourselves to accomplish by any conscious effort. In the intimacy of our hearts we fashion such dreams; and then, through the incomprehensible mercies of the Lord God, we may suddenly awake to find them actual, tangible beyond our expectations, perfect beyond our desert.
     But in every such fulfillment there is, unconsciously, a renunciation, a sacrifice. In the spiritual sense, the separation of Adam's rib meant a severance from that which is nearest man's heart-the wish to guide himself by the opinions formed from his own experience, his own "natural truth." Such truth is lifeless, bound up with an assurance of self-sufficiency and a blind dependence on the senses. It leads away from humility and tends to pride and haughtiness. Even the holy city, New Jerusalem, with its walls of hard jasper and its foundations of precious stones, had to be turned before the eves of the seer John into the picture of a virgin bride adorned for her husband, before its spiritual purpose could be represented.

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How much more necessary that the barren facts and opinions of our natural experience be endowed with life-life from the Lord-and be converted from dead bone into a virgin form of loveliness and warmth! Mercy and truth must meet together, justice and peace must kiss in our minds. Charity and faith must wed, lest the paradise of heavenly life vanish away.
     This spiritual marriage must take place within every human mind, that of man and that of woman. But it was to facilitate this spiritual marriage that God created man male and female. Man and woman each possess both understanding and will. But "with the man the understanding predominates and with the woman the will predominates" (HH 369). All perfection comes about by a specialization of functions. Neither man nor woman can reach perfection or completion except through the other; that is, by their cooperation in one angelic use. In a conjugial pair in heaven, there is no predominance: "for the will of the wife is also the husband's will, and the husband's understanding is also the wife's." Therefore Adam said of Eve: "This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh."
     Yet such a conjugial unity is a Divine creation. It is possible only where men consent to live according to the Divine order, following the Lord's commandments. But it is not the result of human prudence; nor does it stem from the inborn love of the sex. Rather is it a process based on the willingness to look to something outside of one's self and to place the delight of another above one's own.

     The Heavenly Doctrine therefore draws an inseparable connection between true marriage and regeneration. The masculine mind is characterized by a primary love of growing wise, of gathering knowledge and wisdom, of seeing things logically confirmed by reasonings. This is the basis of his hope of salvation. Yet, because of his inborn love of self, a secondary love develops-a love of the wisdom that he has gathered a love of his mental prowess, a pride in his own intelligence. But woman, too, is born with the evil tendencies of the race. All that is native in her, turns itself to self-love. Like man, she must obtain a new center for her affections, some form of truth outside herself. But affection does not separate itself from the thought with women as easily as with men. It is revealed that the nature of woman is such that she cannot carry the wisdom she acquires detached from her natural affections. And so, in the mercy of God the Creator, woman is not so loaded with the responsibility of conveying truth: but instead another natural endowment has been given her, in that from creation she is a form of conjugial love. This turns her reliance upon the wisdom acquired by the man.

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     It is so that woman becomes wife-is formed about the rib of man built up to cherish the wisdom of the ages as it has been transmitted to her man and is represented in him as manly virtue and moral strength.
     And without this sustaining lore there is found no help meet for man. For his mental fibres cannot-as woman's-flow so naturally toward any one outside of himself. He tends to love the rational wisdom he gains, not because it is true but because it is his. And when it turns into the pride of self-intelligence it departs as to essence and remains only as to form; it departs from the internal life and remains only in the memory and on the lips, as a dead thing which is yet near his heart.
     But man's love of his wisdom is converted and given a new motivation when a woman's love encourages and directs it away from self and to the uses of charity and love, the uses of home and society, which center about the sphere of conjugial love. It is transformed, elevated and enlightened. And so far as his mind is elevated into spiritual light-in the course of self-examination, repentance and the endeavor to understand spiritual truths-the woman's love is also elevated into superior warmth, which thus becomes more and more chaste and pure, more expressive of that conjugial which by creation is latent in her inmost soul (CL 188).
     This is how the intelligence of man and the conjugial lore of woman may, by a mutual conjunction, from natural become spiritual. But this is possible only to men who shun the pride of self-intelligence as a sin against God. It is possible only to women who shun the love of domination over men by the power of their beauty and the appeal of their weakness. For unless a woman perceives and loves the things of wisdom, and is guided by the teachings of truth and the order of the spiritual conjugial, she will desire to subject both teachings and teachers under her dominion; and thus her conjugial love, native to her sex, will remain merely natural and at length turn vile and adulterous. Both good and evil come to us through other human beings, and largely through those of the opposite sex. Those women who examine themselves and shun their loves of self and the world, will come to love men whose wisdom is genuine and capable of being opened to true love. And those men who shun wandering lusts and selfish conceit and self-consciousness of their own merit, will have their love of the sex become chastened into chivalry and respect towards women, and will acquire a moral wisdom which can receive a lore truly conjugial through the partner of their choice.
     Such a man's love of his proprial wisdom is said to be transcribed into woman "that it might become conjugial love" (CL 193). So far as it is done, the woman is formed actually into a wife. Yet what a woman interiorly loves is not the knowledge nor the external will of her partner. It is not learning or skill that makes man's character.

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The external will of a man, like that of a woman, is at best fickle and partakes of pretence and simulation. A wife does conjoin herself with the moral wisdom, that is, the virtues of her husband, which she recognizes better than he, and which she quietly moderates from her instinctive prudence: and this wisely, so far as she does not think from self-love or merely natural emotions. But since she also has corresponding virtues, this conjunction is "from without" (CL 165).
     A true wife's love is thus not a blind emotion, not a mere hero-worship which submerges her perceptions under a persuasion that her husband is infallible or without fault. Rather is it a selective love which encourages the best in him and dissuades from anything that is unworthy of their common faith and trust. Hence, it is that not only is a virgin formed as a wife by marriage, but a husband becomes more and more a husband by things derived from his wife (CL 199).
     But the interior marriage whereby the wife is formed, is a conjunction with the internal will of the husband. It is obvious that if marriages depended on a unity of external affections, they would quickly disintegrate through mutual conflicts. There must be an internal bond, an internal similitude, formed especially through a common looking to the Lord, and thus through the states of the church with the partners, that reconciles, revaluates, and subordinates the rival affections.
     The internal will of the husband has its seat in the understanding. It makes one with his moral wisdom, which contains both moral and spiritual virtues. This internal will is formed through his rational wisdom. The woman s mind cannot enter into the peculiar workings of the man's rational; but woman can perceptively recognize the result of its enlightenment, as it manifests itself in attitudes, in speech, in life, in uses. And therefore it is taught that the conjunction of the wife with the rational wisdom of the man is "from within" (CL 165).
     The love truly conjugial by which this conjunction of the wife with the regenerate will and rational wisdom of the husband is made possible is from the Lord alone. Therefore it is told that the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, when He took the rib and made it into a woman a wife. The husband is unconscious that his love of his own wisdom is being transferred from himself to his wife, and changed into a love of her mind and spirit, so far as he shuns the pride of self-intelligence. And because of the innate prudence of wives-who thus protect domestic blessedness, confidence and friendship they do not divulge how they gradually assume the affections of their husbands life and so transcribe his wisdom into themselves.
     But on the other hand, the wife is not conscious of how the man's love of wisdom becomes in her conjugial love, or how his love of his wisdom becomes a love of his wife.

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For this is not the result of her prudence, is not caused by her foresight, still less hr any jealousy of the man's uses or studies; but it is the outcome of love itself which uses her as its agent (CL 193, 194). It was the Lord God who caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. But it was also the Lord who created the woman: and she was brought unto Adam-unconscious of the mode by which she was created in secret. For the purest gifts of human lore cannot be received except in utter innocence, when there is forgetfulness of self.
     The states of conjugial love are marvellously dependent on the states of regeneration. Only those who walk in the path of repentance and regeneration can invite the creative love which, by a secret transformation, makes man into husband and woman into wife. When there is no elevation of mind into the light of the revealed truths of heaven, but the thought is instead held captive to the senses and the flesh, the descent of conjugial love is diverted and stopped. In our next discourse, some of the states which disturb and prevent the orderly course of marriage will be treated of. For if true marriage depends on a life of mutual regeneration, it is by the same token necessarily exposed to the spheres of natural and spiritual temptations.

     The state of marriage is the norm of human life-the condition to which both men and women look for the fulfillment of their powers and destinies. Home and family constitute the normal unit of society, around which all uses turn and to the perfection of which they look. Because of this we find that Swedenborg, although himself not married on earth, was inspired to write the following sentence: "Man is born into the love of evil and falsity, which lore is the love of adultery; and this love cannot be converted into spiritual love, . . . still less into celestial love. . . . except by the marriage of good and truth from the Lord, and not fully except by the marriage of two minds and two bodies" (AE 984:3).
     Only through the successive states of married life are the many facets and potencies of human character disclosed, amid joys and sorrows, bereavements and compensations, pride and humiliation, failings and forgiveness, patient discipline alternating with delightful discoveries, sacrifices followed by deep rewards. Only in this life of marriage with its varied uses can truth meet good on every plane and the combats of temptation reach their fulness. Only through love truly conjugial is there a complete safety from the hells (AE 999:2).
     Marriage was thus ordained for the mutual perfection and protection of men and women. And so far as true marriages exist on earth, this protection extends also to those who have not as yet entered into married life yet hope for a conjugial partner in this life or the next.

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Through the church where the Word is, the means are given to all to prepare for such a union, by subduing the loves of self-intelligence and of self-will. When this is done, a man or a woman, although unmarried, comes into the sphere of the uses of the conjugial sphere and its illustration.
     This sphere operates in this world through the common sphere of husbands and wives. It is present in the acts and words of all chaste men and women. It is felt in the communion of the church and breathes as heavenly wisdom through all her teachings. By receiving this sphere from the Lord every one who is desiring a marriage of genuine love mar be lifted into the spiritual light and heat of that very heaven whence his or her unknown partner draws inspiration. He as well as she is thereby prepared for the gifts which love will one day bring.
     The lack of a partner is therefore not a barrier in the way of regeneration. But there would be such a barrier if there were no true marriages among men; or if there were no truths of religion to form spiritual wisdom; or if there were no men to gather the fruits of wisdom and no women to love such truths in the men. For then only self-glory would inspire the search for truth and only vanity fan the flames of love.
     Regeneration is itself a spiritual marriage. Each truth swears fealty to the good it teaches. Each affection loves the truths that bring it into use. And so the Church is called as a Bride to the marriage supper of the Lamb, the Lord in His Divine Human. When men and women on earth can learn to love with no desire for dominion, and to understand without conceit, then the angels of innocence can lead them on, two by two, into their paradise. And the dream of Adam-the dream of moral wisdom, the dream of the barren reason-is then clothed with living flesh; realized, not by man's doing, but by a miracle of the Divine love and the Divine providence. Amen.

LESSONS:     Genesis 2: 15-25. Apocalypse Explained, 984: 2, 3.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 487, 510, 474.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 15, 114.
SOURCE OF LIGHT 1952

SOURCE OF LIGHT              1952

     "Truths can be both recognized and comprehended provided the mind takes any interest in them; for interest carries light with it because it is from love; and upon those who love the things pertaining to Divine and heavenly wisdom light shines forth from heaven and gives enlightenment"
(HH 265).

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SAFEGUARDS OF MARRIAGE 1952

SAFEGUARDS OF MARRIAGE       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1952

     "Have ye not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19: 4, 5, 6)

     The Pharisees were tempting the Lord, seeking to trap Him into statements contrary to the law of Moses, which permitted the Jews to put away their wives for any cause. But the Lord's answer showed that this civic provision was a permission given because of the hardness of their hearts, since the Jews knew nothing of the marriage of truly conjugial love. "From the beginning it was not so."
     What the Lord came to restore was the moral and spiritual law of marriage, a monogamous marriage possible only between one man and one woman, a marriage looking to eternal cohabitation, a marriage in which the partners were joined by God. Such a marriage the Jews could not even imagine. When the Sadducees, who did not believe in an after-life, sought to confuse the issue by as king whose wife a widow would be after the resurrection if she-according to the Jewish law-had married several brothers in turn, the Lord could simply say that "in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:30). For no such marriage as that which the Jews had in mind could possibly survive death.
     The time was not ready when the Lord could reveal anything concerning the heavenly marriages of those who would become angels of God in heaven. To speak of the ideals of conjugial love to the Sadducees would be casting pearls before swine. And even to the disciples the Lord could but hint that all could not receive His doctrine, "save they to whom it was given."
     But in the revelations of the Lord's second advent the secrets of angelic life are laid bare for those who are able to receive. And those are able to receive who enter into the spirit of the Lord's teaching, and inquire what it is that God hath joined together. For let us note this well, that the institution of marriage is holy, ordained by God to serve as the seminary of the human race and thus of the angelic heaven.

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Quite irrespective of whether the two partners are destined to live one angelic life in heaven, marriage on earth is holy because of its exalted and essential uses. It is indeed the case, now as in the time of the Pharisees, that-owing to spiritual blindness and self-centered love-few find their eternal partner while on earth, and thus that few marriages are contracted which are not dissolved shortly after death. Nonetheless the doctrine is explicit that "matrimonies in the world are to continue to the end of life." Marriage is a covenant for life" (CL 276). This is from the Divine law, given in the Gospel and the Writings with precise qualifications as to when divorce is permissible. It is also from rational law, because reason is founded in spiritual laws, and the Divine law and the rational law are one. Viewing the matter from the Divine law, our reason can clearly recognize what an enormously destructive effect the break-up of marriages has upon society (Ibid.).
     And the work on Conjugial Love also points out that because marriage is a covenant for life, it follows that where conjugial love is not genuine it must yet be affected; and that appearances of love and friendship between partners are not only necessary but useful; and with a spiritual person may be assumed from justice and judgment, and thus from a sincere internal affection, differing entirely from hypocritical pretenses (CL 276, 279, 280).
     It is, of course, obvious that most marriages within our degenerate race would perish soon after the ardor of first love has cooled, unless each partner strove to make adjustments which might cover over internal disagreements and compensate for broken hopes. This is made easier by the communion of interests and uses which marriage creates-a partnership in needs and possessions, common concerns and consultations, and mutual cares and responsibilities. For a community of interests develops common affections, even if these be external and transient so that they have to be replaced as conditions change (CL 277).
     No one can enter into marriage and come out the same man or woman. The roots of marriage are deep and ineradicable. The responsibilities assumed with the nuptial vow cannot be shifted. With it the pair becomes a unit of society. Marriage is the supreme and most comprehensive of all natural uses, in which the powers of the two sexes are united in a chain of uses which irrevocably involve the whole life-time of a man and a woman.
     This is the merciful provision of the Creator for man's reformation and regeneration. For only by forgetting one's self in the duties and obligations that we owe to others can we escape the vices and follies into which our inborn self-will would plunge us. Only so can we redeem our human status as rational beings. And in marriage we are most naturally and pleasantly introduced into such a redeeming web of uses, into a sphere and current of necessities by which the Divine providence can avert many of the evils that might otherwise endanger our lives.

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     Marriage by itself brings no salvation, and no protection from interior evils. It is an ultimate of order and of use and can invite the spheres of heaven; but like all ultimates, all outward forms, it can be abused, profaned and turned into its opposites. The Writings show that there are infernal marriages, not only in the hells of the after-life, but here on earth. There are marriages, brought about by passion or worldly cupidity, in which the partners pose as friends yet burn with intestine hatred. For there is then a constant rivalry as to rights and authority, without any conscience concerning conjugial love and no perception of its blessedness. If the husband succeeds in obtaining mastery, the wife, crushed into subjection, becomes but a slave and is held in contempt. But men may also unconsciously contract so great a fear of their wires that they become vile in their own sight. For the physical courage of man is no match for the obstinate persistence of a woman who-if she wishes-by alternate scolding and favoring, coldness and friendliness can subject a man to the yoke of her authority, so that he dare not speak lest he offend her, when yet he cherishes against her a deadly hatred and a rankling bitterness (CL 291, 292)
     The external status of matrimony can thus hide the most terrible evils-crimes against the very uses which marriage is meant to promote. Marriage then is often looked upon hr one or both of the partners, or by each in turn, as a hateful form of human bondage. Yet in such cases, where the internal bonds of conscience and conjugial love are absent, external bonds are needed lest evils become rampant. If the bonds of matrimony could be shaken off at will, marriages would be entered into with callous disregard for their real purpose, and the institution of the home could no longer be the safe nursery of the future.
     "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Few would dare to deny that monogamous marriage is the noblest institution of civilized human life. But multitudes deny in heart that it is of Divine origin and ordination. Many who pay lip service to God would alter the laws of marriage to suit themselves. Few have any real perception of the profound blessedness, wisdom, and peace which a love truly conjugial would restore to mankind, or how to attain that love.
     This is the reason why the Lord in His new advent has revealed that truly conjugial love comes from Him alone, and is possible only with those who look to Him and follow His commandments. For while the first flush of lore brings to most couples a foretaste of heaven, as a loan and a promise, yet this burst of self-less warmth will prove a false spring unless their hearts are mutually centered upon the Lord as the only source of true love.

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A chill steals over their spirits, and each begins to demand more and more for himself or herself and will give less and less to the other.
     This spiritual coldness has many causes, some internal, some external, some deeply seated, some incidental and passing. The internal causes stem from the states of the partners in respect to their religious life. For where there is no religion there is no conjugial love, but only a love of the sex limited by prudence. And love of the sex, with the natural man, looks to self, and loves the partner only as a source of delight for one's self. There may indeed be, in such marriages, natural heat, but within this there is spiritual cold (CL 240).
     When the soul of one partner, from a true religion, is open for the reception of conjugial love, but the mind of the other is closed to such influx, the latter is in spiritual cold which gradually turns into indifference, contempt and aversion and which cannot be dissipated except by the reception of religious ideals and aims congruous with those of the devout partner. Otherwise such marriages are dissolved from within, and actually so after death. Differences of religious faith have a similar effect, making a union of souls impossible and increasing the states of spiritual and natural cold. For falsity in spiritual things takes away religion and with it the possibility of any conjugial love if genuine truths are falsified. And with those who have no genuine truths it defiles religion so that only a remnant of conjugial love can be preserved (CL 241, 242).
     But, as is well known, love may find obstructions also in more external dissimilitudes-in differences of temperament, station, education and heredity, culture, manners, and tastes. Where love rules, and where there is a yearning for a true friendship, such differences are easily discounted as unimportant. But where marriage is not regarded as holy there arises an emulation for super-eminence, that is, a contest for dominion between the partners, where frictions continue to gnaw while one or the other is reduced into a servile state and nothing conjugial remains; for love cannot abide except in freedom (CL 246, 248)
     This is, of course, made to support the complaint by natural men that they have been chained to a partner by legal bonds and that love is no more free. But such persons have no real conception of what freedom is. What they want is a license without responsibility, a licentious freedom that actually places their spirit in bondage to the flesh. But those who are in love that is truly conjugial have their covenant written in their hearts. They can see that freedom-the inmost and utmost freedom-is provided for their love only in marriage, which is established for Its protection, its nourishment, growth, blossoming, and fruitfulness.

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     Where love has departed from a home, its responsibilities still remain. Necessity demands that the master and mistress of the house agree, lest the society of the home be rent asunder and order, which is basic to every use, perish. Harmony can be maintained only by representative conjugial friendship between the partners, hr the presence of mutual aid, courtesy and favor. A common love of children, even a natural lore demands such appearances of mutual respect. On the part of men, whose spirits and health depend on finding a refuge of tranquillity at home with their wives, there is often a willingness to show their wives such conjugial simulations, even where neither lore nor conscience exist. And wires-instinctively knowing how to assuage the moods of men-for their own reasons accept these peace-offerings without demur (CL 283, 285).
     The rivalry of the sexes, which is a symptom of spiritual cold, comes from the proprium of each, which is self-conscious of all slights and, although it dare only claim equality, is constantly striving for superiority. The male sex, unless disillusioned by doctrine, believes that man, not woman, dispenses conjugial lore. The feminine sex resents the implications of the saying that woman was built from the rib of man. Temptations and fluctuations, from the irritability of the proprium and the impatience of the body, come even to conjugial partners to test and confirm their love. There is indeed the desire on the part of each to defend their own use against encroachments. Yet a spiritually minded person makes no point of being superior to others, knowing that the only true measure of superiority is the measure in which one shuns one's evils as sins; and this no man can truly estimate. He knows that there are no equalities in the created universe, but that all things are interwoven into a shifting scheme of mutual dependence, of action and reaction, of giving and receiving. And in human marriage this cooperative interplay finds its most perfect fulfilment.
     In a marriage of truly conjugial love there is indeed from the beginning an inner confidence and assurance that the partners will live together to eternity. It is this hope, this looking towards an eternal life together, that resists the entrance of spiritual colds. But with this hope there comes to each also the realization of how unworthy he or she is of such great mercies, how unready their minds are, and how unregenerate their states. What they must do is to prepare for the journey heavenward hand in hand. Each step is attended by temptations, natural and spiritual. Only through the conquest of self, only through the purification of their natural mind and its affections, can heaven be brought down within their sphere of life.
     The inspired teachings given in the work on Conjugial Love show how a marriage between partners who are not both in conjugial love must be maintained to the end of life by the keeping up of an appearance of love and friendship, and by a wise prudence which seeks to lighten the burdens of the other and mitigates the differences in their tastes and temperaments, so that internal dissimilitudes will not offend.

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Indeed, where such an appearance is made a duty, there might yet be hope that an internal love might come.
     Yet a similar need of prudence and consideration is clearly present even with those who are in conjugial love and look to an eternal union. For in externals, there are with both affections and interests that may readily conflict. But with such it is love itself that dictates the prudence to be employed as a servant. Love gives wisdom and perception, and conjugial love arouses a conscience more tender than any other love, and more enlightened by heavenly truths. It causes each to feel the joy of the other as joy in himself or herself. It endows each with a clear appreciation of the distinctive sphere and use of the partner, and of his or her peculiar needs and requirements. And it leads each into a greater freedom and both into a common love, a common self.
     "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother-relinquish any evil or falsity of the past which may confuse his conscience and defile his understanding, and instead conjoin his purified thought with the correspondent affection which belongs to the wife. And they twain shall be one flesh-one affection in the sight of God, one love of what is good and true (AE 710: 26). This is the purpose of marriage, the purpose of regeneration, the end to which creation looks. So far as this spiritual marriage is accomplished, the duty of man is to protect it from the ravages of self-will and of the pride of the intellect. "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Amen.

LESSONS:     Matthew 19: 1-30. Matthew 22: 23-40. CL 271, 283, 285.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 484, 485, 469.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 5, 101.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "7. Man is admitted into the truths of faith and the goods of love by God, only so far as he can be kept in them to the end of life: for it is better that he should be constantly evil than that he should be good and afterwards evil, since he thus becomes profane. The permission of evil is chiefly from this ground" (AE 1136).

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THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY        Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     7. The Third Principle: Concluded

     In this article we wish to discuss the teaching concerning priestly mediation, the rite of ordination, and the power of blessing in the name of the Lord. This will conclude our treatment of the third principle.

     Mediation.-The Divine Human is the only Mediator between God and man and the function of mediating is called the Holy Spirit. The church is to approach the Lord immediately in the Word: and it is in a representative not an actual sense, that there is mediation through the priesthood, though the representation is necessary to the existence of the organization of the church upon earth. But the use of the priesthood is the Divinely appointed means of the Lord's presence and rule in the organized church (see CL 308; HD 318); and the priesthood exists that the Divine may be among men. All such statements must be taken as referring to an organized church if we are not to fall into endless falsities.
     The church itself is a state of life. In this there is no priesthood other than the love that is signified by it; and there must be no confusion in our minds of the distinction between the church itself and the organization. In the church itself the Lord teaches, rules, and blesses by speaking directly through the Word and by enlightenment, and in it no man is to claim even representative mediation. But in the organized church, whose members are not necessarily of the church itself, there must be that which represents the Lord's mediation, and this is the priesthood as a use in certain men of the church. Only so can there be order, and therefore the presence of the Divine. In that church, only priests, as representing the truth that the Lord alone can lead, mar govern, teach, and bless in the name of the Lord; and for others to usurp these functions is to destroy the organized church, though many of its members mar be of the Lord's universal church.
     Together with strict observance of the uses of the priesthood there must be, however, recognition of the right of the individual to approach the Lord directly in his private life. While the priesthood alone may bless in the name of the Lord, the individual continually requests the Lord's blessing by his life according to the truth as he sees it, and receives that blessing of eternal life in heaven apart from that which is given through the priesthood and which only establishes and confirms the blessing bestowed by the Lord without representative mediation upon every good man.

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Similarly, each individual member is to go to the Lord directly in the Word and there be taught by Him alone, and is to make for his own life that doctrine out of the Word by which he is conjoined with the Lord without the mediation of the priesthood. But the public teaching and preaching of doctrine is the function of the ordained priest that there mar be order, and protection from the heresies that would arise if every man in the church were free to give formal private and public instruction. Doctrine, or truth, does not belong to the priesthood, but the public teaching and preaching of them; and the priesthood exists to preserve order and freedom so that each member of the church mar approach the Lord directly.

     Ordination-This is the rite by which a Divine function is adjoined to man and he receives the power of representing that function in the sight of heaven as well as upon earth. The power of this order and representation is transferred by the laying on of hands and the promise of the Holy Spirit. According to the Writings, the laying on of hands signifies communication and reception (see AC 876, 10,023: DLW 230), thus communication and transfer of that which is treated of; and as this is essentially here the power of representation, the power of representing is communicated and transferred to the one so ordained that he can minister with power for the people. By the act of ordination he is set apart from the rest of the people in the church, not only in this world but also in the other; and in the performance of his office he is recognized hr those in the other world who are present in the order he represents. From the presence of the angels in the representation there is power which no one out of the office can effect. Therefore the power of representing which is transferred by the laying on of hands for the establishment of the priesthood is a real and actual thing.
When a man is ordained he receives actually the power to minister for the people, and in his ministry there is power to effect that which he represents with those to whom he ministers according to their state of reception. This was noted by Bishop Benade, who explained that by ordination the priest is empowered to fill an office and to perform certain functions and duties which the people cannot fill and perform for themselves. Along with this power of representation is given the promise of the Holy Spirit, the operation of which with the clergy is illustration, perception, disposition, and instruction.

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     From these teachings it is evident that the representative acts of the church can, in order, be performed only by the ordained priest. In extraordinary circumstances a layman can perform certain representative priestly acts and they will have a similar if not an identical effect. But we must not make a rule out of an exception; and it seems evident that if a layman performs a priestly act when a priest is available he is acting against order, and into disorder there can be at best only an obscure influx from the Lord out of heaven.
     Ordination is by the Lord alone, the Bishop acting merely as His representative; and although the Bishop appears to ordain in that he selects, the rite does not essentially separate and set apart but confirms and strengthens the candidate's love of the use. The desire to perform the priestly office is the essential of ordination, as consent is the essential of marriage. The love of the salvation of souls is the essence of the priesthood and is that which ordains a man. But it does not come into its fulness and power in the organized church until ultimated in the rite of ordination, in which the Lord operating through this love ordains, not the Bishop. The Bishop merely decides whether the candidate has the qualifications to perform priestly functions in the organized church according to its state at any one time; and he grants or refuses ordination on that ground only, never claiming the right to judge of the man's love.
     After the rite, the man ordained is accepted as a priest of the organized church. The rite is of the Lord alone, and the ordination therefore cannot be taken away by any act of the Bishop or the organized church. The Bishop can take away only that which he has given-recognition as a priest of the organized church. This distinction must be seen clearly, for upon it rest the true order of the church and an understanding of what is from the Lord and what from man. Ordination can be taken away only by the Lord, and this is done after death with every priest who does not perform his use sincerely, justly, and faithfully. In this we differ from the Roman doctrine, which teaches that by ordination an indelible character is impressed upon the soul of a man.
     From what has been said it might be thought that only one ordination is necessary, as is believed by most of the Protestant Churches. But we have an ordination into each of the three degrees as a recognition that the functions of the priesthood are of the Lord alone, that the church does not give the priest the power to perform his offices. Without an ordination for each degree this recognition is not full and complete.

     Blessing.-We conclude with a few comments on the teaching that "the ecclesiastical order administers . . . those things which pertain to blessing" (CL 308). The general conclusion is that it is disorderly for anyone but an ordained priest to bless in the name of the Lord.

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The essential power taken on by ordination is that of representing the Lord; and before, or apart from, ordination no man can bless the people as a representative of the Lord. A lay leader represents the people before the Lord but not the Lord before the people.
     However, it is not the priest who blesses but the Lord through the office of His priesthood, and only through that office can blessing be communicated. For blessing two things are necessary-the representation of the Lord and a state of reception with the people. If the state is not receptive the blessing spoken has no effect; but if it is, the Divine is transferred. Not even a father as priest in his own home represents the Lord to his family. He represents his family before the Lord, and therefore asks for the Lord's blessing in the name of his family.
JUBILEE OF THE SWEDENBORG CONCORDANCE 1952

JUBILEE OF THE SWEDENBORG CONCORDANCE       Rev. EDWIN FIELDHOUSE       1952

     The publication of Potts' Concordance, that epochal work which has done so much to assist those who wish from the Writings to explore every reference for the adequate establishment of the many great doctrines of the Second Advent, was finally completed some time in 1902. This work was conceived and carried out by the Rev. John Faulkner Potts. He started the work on the 4th of November, 1873, and finished the main part, the collation of the selections, on the 27th of December, 1900, four days before the dawn of a new century. There was still work to be done in connection with passages inadvertently omitted from the main body of the work, as well as the preparation of a Latin-English vocabulary, containing some thousands of words. This "Appendix" was finished some time in June, 1901. Mr. Potts announced at a meeting on June 20th, 1901, that the "Appendix" was finished and had gone to the press.
     The need for such a concordance had been long felt. Swedenborg himself had found it necessary to prepare indexes to his Writings as he went along. Immediately after his intromission into the spiritual world, he commenced to compile a concordance of the Sacred Scriptures, a Biblical index. He later prepared an exhaustive index to his Spiritual Diary, which was available for his use while writing the Arcana Coelestia. As he proceeded with the production of this outstanding work, he compiled an index to the Arcana itself, which was of great service to him in the production of the later volumes,-and also served him in connection with the preparation of many of his later works.

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He also prepared an index to the Apocalypse Revealed. The need for these indexes is evident from the most casual study of the Writings, with their lists of Scripture quotations, and the frequent cross references to numbers dealing with the same or similar topics.
     Soon after the printing and publishing of the Writings attempts were made to produce indexes of them. The first to be commenced, and this with Swedenborg's personal approval, was the "Index Initialis" by Dr. Beyer. M. Le Boys de Guays of Saint-Amand (Cher), France. not only translated Swedenborg's index to the Arcana Caelestia, but prepared a two volumed "Index Methodique," which was supplementary to it; he also prepared and published an "Index General." These were followed by Rich's "Index to the Arcana." America produced another, in Dr. Samuel H. Worcester's "Index Rerum." to the Apocalypse Explained. Mr. Potts in his Introduction to Volume I of the Concordance testifies to the help this "Index Rerum" gave him in his work. A number of dictionaries of correspondences were also produced, starting with James Hindmarsh's in 1795, Nicholson's in 1801 and Bolles in 1842.
     Mr. Potts had come to the conclusion that a concordance covering the whole of Swedenborg's theological works was absolutely necessary to a thorough and safe understanding of the truths of the New Church. He felt that it was not possible to study the doctrines of the Church interiorly unless one had all the passages before one that treat of the subject under consideration. In view of the extent of the Writings, it was quite impossible, without such a work as the Swedenborg Concordance, to find all the passages. While most of the members of the Church are satisfied to know the truths of the Church in a general war, there are some who long to gain an interior knowledge of them. These latter, and especially ministers, Mr. Potts had in mind when he planned to commence work on the Concordance. He relates the circumstance which finally led him seriously to contemplate the compilation. He had undertaken a profound study of the subject of heaven. After months of study, based on the existing indexes, he was continually coming across new passages, and in the end felt that nothing short of reading the whole of the Writings would put him in possession of all the related references. He realized also that such a compilation was necessary to promote that progressive interior knowledge of the Doctrines so essential for a developing Church. He felt however that such a work would only appeal to a few. He felt that the first call for the work would not exceed fifty copies. A consultation with the Rev. Dr. R. L. Tafel confirmed him in his plans. He thought it would, at the most, take five years.

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In the end it took almost twenty-eight years, the last ten being devoted entirely to the work.
     When he started on the work he was the minister of the Glasgow New-Church Society. He enjoyed the confidence of its members, many of whom were keenly interested in and sympathetic towards the work he had undertaken. He had been working on the project almost nineteen months when he was visited by Messrs. John Pitcairn and Walter C. Childs from America, accompanied by the Rev. Dr. Tafel. At this time interest and sympathy were the only helps that could be offered. Twelve months later, Mr. Rawlingson Potts, a brother, gave him considerable clerical assistance, for a period of almost two years.
     The first draft of the Concordance was finished by the end of the year 1885, after twelve rears. This draft was constructed on the lines of Cruden's Concordance of the Bible, and consisted of extracts of one line from the Writings. In using this MS. for his own sermon preparation he discovered that it was not adequate. The extracts were too meager and involved the reading up in the Writings of each extract to discover its relevancy. This was a most disappointing discovery and pointed to the need for going over the whole work again and expanding the extracts. He bravely faced the prospect of spending as many more rears again in order to complete the work. The twelve years he had already spent, however, had been wonderful training. A concordance of this sort had never been made before. No one knew just how it should be done. Now he knew how to do it. During these years Mr. Potts had spent much time in translating afresh the Latin originals into English. As he says in the Introduction to the first volume of the printed work, "A new Translation has been made of the whole matter in the Concordance. Unity of style and system is therefore maintained throughout. In making this translation two principal objects have been kept steadily in view. The first is reverent fidelity to the original. The second is the Queen's English. In all cases, however, the articles in the Concordance have been based upon the original Latin words, so that no changes in the translation would affect the matter they contain."
     The twelve years he spent in preparing the first draft, day after day translating into English the Latin originals, must have greatly increased the power of being able to translate into good English without losing anything of the Latin meaning. The need to go over the Writings a second time was also going to give him an opportunity of collecting any omissions that were likely to result, mainly from the fact that the work was not a compilation of references to single words, but to ideas embodied in sentences or a series of sentences. This necessary preliminary of going over the Writings a second time resulted in some thousands of such omissions being found, with the natural result that the projected appendix of omitted references is very much shorter than it would have been if the first draft had been printed.

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In this work Mr. Potts had some assistance from other workers.
     In 1886 the Committee of the Swedenborg Society, London, began to take a vital interest in the work, to be joined later by the active interest of the General Convention of the United States of America. This increased interest came at a crucial period. The constant fine writing over the years developed a disease in Mr. Potts' right hand that threatened its use. The new invention of the typewriter came to his notice, and his friends in London obtained for him the first Hammond typewriter to cross the Atlantic to a purchaser. That the typewriter in the days of its invention did not possess the perfection of the modern machine is proved from the fact that Mr. Potts used up this machine and four others, Remingtons and a Smith Premier, before he had finished the work.
     The readiness of friends in Great Britain and America to support the work made it possible for Mr. Potts to avail himself of the help of the Rev. Arthur Faraday as amanuensis. Mr. Faraday was also able to help in the pulpit and pastoral duties at Glasgow, enabling Mr. Potts to devote more time to the work. This lasted for two years. A daughter of the compiler, Miss Edith Potts, commenced to work on the Concordance during the time Mr. Faraday was helping, and continued this work for a number of years, being succeeded by her sister Miss Ellen.
     The making of the second draft was commenced about the middle of 1886. The work was now at the stage when it could go straight to the printers, as the new draft was prepared. On the invitation of the Swedenborg Society Mr. Potts went to London with samples of the finished material. As a result of this momentous interview the Swedenborg Society undertook the task of publishing the work, defraying all the costs connected with the printing, binding, etc. Messrs. Morrison and Gibb, Edinburgh, Printers to Her Majesty's Stationery Office, were appointed the printers. The first volume was published in 1888, the Introduction bearing the endorsement, "Glasgow, 4th May, 1888." The type, quality of paper and general production were of great credit to all concerned.
     The work of preparing the second draft for the press was demanding so much time and effort that Mr. Potts realized that he must choose between his ministerial work and the completion of the Concordance. The second volume was published in 1890. It would seem that the Swedenborg Society, as well as the friends in the Convention, plus the members of the newly-formed General Church in America, felt that they must make it possible for Mr. Potts to devote himself wholly to the work of preparing the MS. for the press, and between them met all his material needs.

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About this time the General Church had started to make Huntingdon Valley, near Philadelphia, its national center. Here was housed the fine Academy Library. This place, with the building of the very fine church and the Academy Schools, was given the name of Bryn Athyn, a name which today has rendered superfluous the designation Huntingdon Valley.
     To this center Mr. Potts, with his family, was induced to go to finish the work. Here he had access to the fine library, with all the works of reference he would need accessible, a nice house and garden of his own, as well as quiet and congenial surroundings that would conduce to a maintenance of health and interest, while he devoted the bulk of his time to his magnum opus. The third volume was published in 1893, the fourth in 1895, and the fifth in 1898.
     On January 1st, 1901, during the First Ontario Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, held in Berlin (now Kitchener), Canada, Bishop Pendleton announced that on the day before he left home, December 27th, 1900, the Rev. J. F. Potts had completed his work on the Swedenborg Concordance. It was unanimously resolved that the hearty congratulations of the Ontario Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem be conveyed to the Rev. J. F. Potts on his completion of his many years of labor on the Swedenborg Concordance, and its appreciation of the very great use which he had thus performed for the New Church, and that the Secretary be requested to forward a copy of this resolution to Mr. Potts.
     In 1901, on Swedenborg's birthday, 29th January, the opportunity was taken by the Bryn Athyn Society, in connection with a supper, to celebrate the completion of the Concordance. Among the toasts submitted was "The Swedenborg Concordance, now completed: may its usefulness be universal and never-ending in the New Church." Mr. Potts was called upon to respond, but before doing so he was crowned with a laurel wreath. He gave an outline of his work on the Concordance and stressed the fact that the work was not yet completed, that some months of work far ahead in the compiling of the Appendix that would complete the sixth volume. At the conclusion of the toast Miss E. E. Plummer, the poetess of Bryn Athyn, read an original poem on the Concordance. Mr. Potts was then presented with a silver loving cup on behalf of the General Church.
     During the 81st Annual Meeting of the General Convention, held at Brooklyn, N. Y. from June 1st to 4th, 1901, the completion of the Concordance was reported, and the gathering passed a resolution of congratulations and thanks to the Rev. J. F. Potts.
     At the 91st Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Society held on June 11th, 1901, the completion of the Swedenborg Concordance was described as "the great event of the year."

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Mr. C. J. Whittington, in introducing a motion expressing the satisfaction of the Society at the completion of the Concordance, and congratulating the Rev. J. F. Potts upon the successful termination of his long labors, spoke feelingly on the greatness and importance of the work.
     A careful perusal of the very full report of the General Conference of 1901, held at Camden Road, which appears in the New-Church Magazine does not reveal any reference to the completion of the Concordance. In the Magazine's "Proceedings of Conference" for 1902, it is reported that under "Notices of Motion" Mr. J. Johnson moved a resolution, which in its final form read, "Resolved: That the President be requested to convey the hearty congratulations of this Conference to the Rev. J. F. Potts. B.A., who, by his invaluable labors and scholarly devotion, has compiled the monumental work, The Swedenborg Concordance." This was carried unanimously. In the November issue of the Magazine the Rev. J. F. Potts' reply from Bryn Athyn, under date, 11th September 1902, is given. The sixth volume contains only the year. 1902, with no indication as to the month it was published. The fact that the New-Church Magazine during 1902 contained a standing advertisement of "The Swedenborg Concordance, Volume 5, containing O to Sq.," which in the August issue is altered to read "COMPLETE IN SIX HANDSOME VOLUMES. The Swedenborg Concordance," seems to imply that the final volume was published some time in July 1902.

     (Reprinted from THE NEW-CHURCH HERALD, April 12, 1952)
MORAVIANS AND THE FATHER OF BISHOP BENADE 1952

MORAVIANS AND THE FATHER OF BISHOP BENADE       ELDRIC S. KLEIN       1952

     Someday, someone endowed with a gift for scholarly research and creative writing will write a life of Bishop Benade and tell the full story of his contributions to the Academy movement from which the General Church emerged. Until then, there is much that we can do to preserve for posterity a verbal portrait of this remarkable teacher, administrator, and theologian to whose diversified genius our Church owes so much. Other men, his contemporaries, realized as well as he the distinctive doctrines which came to characterize our movement, but he especially possessed the genius to give them effective ultimation.

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He led in the fight to establish the Divine authority of the Writings, the doctrine of the priesthood, and the importance of distinctively New Church education-to name only a few.
     One of the most remarkable things about this man is that from earliest infancy until his twenty-eighth year he had been raised and trained as a Moravian. Although the Writings do not speak well of them, the Moravians do deserve credit for this, that they devised probably the most thorough system of indoctrination of the young developed hr any organized church in history. And William Henry Benade was not only trained in the Moravian system of education from infancy through theological school; he was also in turn a Moravian teacher and then a minister.
     The Moravian Brotherhood is the first Protestant Episcopal Church in history. It had a carefully formulated doctrine of the degrees of the priesthood; and in theory at least it emphasized the teaching that the doctrine of the church was to be drawn from the letter of the Word and confirmed thereby, although it included the works of Paul in the canon and read everything in the light of the vicarious atonement. If we investigate the Moravians by war of the CONCORDANCE, we find it hard to imagine a more unlikely sect to supply a leader for the New Church. Yet an examination of history makes it appear that Benade's background was in some wars suited to this purpose, and at least emphasizes the fact that many things are possible to the Divine Providence. However, this is not an attempt to analyze Moravian doctrines and practices and what the Writings teach about them. Our purpose is to find out something of the first twenty-seven years of Bishop Benade's life.
     As far as we can discover, William Henry Benade closed a door on his past life when he joined the New Church. In his writings, preserved in our archives, we have not yet discovered an autobiographical note which bears on that early period. From Moravian records of his father, Bishop Andrew Benade, however, we can tell where William was during those years; and from Moravian sources we know what most Moravians did at various periods in their lives, and so can guess that if William Henry Benade conformed to Moravian custom he was doing certain things at each stage of his early life. This paper will deal in general with certain characteristics of the Moravian environment in the early 19th century, and in particular with Benade's father, Bishop Andrew Benade.

     A brief historical review of the Moravian Brotherhood is necessary to this purpose. The Unitas Fratrum originated in Moravia and Bohemia, which received Christianity through two Greek Orthodox missionaries, Cyril and Methodius, who translated the Bible into the vernacular and introduced their national ritual.

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Although Bohemia and Moravia ultimately came under the jurisdiction of Rome, its dominion was resisted and some of its principles and practices challenged, and this opposition crystallized in the Bohemian reformation at the end of the 14th century under the leadership of John Hus. After his martyrdom his followers divided into two factions, one of which, the Utraquists, was recognized by the Pope. Many of the Bohemians, however, demanded more divergence from Catholic practice, and in 1457 they organized, at Lititz, the Communion or Unity of the Brethren, sixty years before Luther began his reformation.
     The four cardinal principles of the Brotherhood were: 1) The Bible is the only source of Christian doctrine; 2) Public worship is to be administered in accordance with the teachings of Scripture and on the model of the Apostolic Church; 3) The Lord's Supper is to be received in faith, to be doctrinally defined in the language of the Bible, and human explanation of that language is to be avoided; 4) Godly Christian life is essential as an evidence of saving faith and is of greater importance than the dogmatic formulation of creeds in all details, and so is to be binding upon the conscience of all (The Moravians: Their Faith. Bethlehem, Pa., 1946, pp. 4-5).
     For nearly a century and a half the Unitas Fratrum were persecuted by both the Catholic and the national Bohemian Churches; yet, by the time Luther began his reformation, they had over 200,000 members and 400 parishes. After the Thirty Years War, many found refuge in Poland, where they were gradually absorbed in other Protestant bodies, and only the "hidden seed" in Bohemia and Moravia remained. Finally, a carpenter, Christian David, after promoting a religious revival in some Moravian villages, gathered some followers and led them to Saxony where, on June 17, 1722, they began to build the town of Herrnhut on the estate of Count Zinzendorf; a remarkable character who receives a great deal of attention in the Spiritual Diary and the work The Last Judgment.
     Zinzendorf, while remaining a Lutheran, became a bishop of the resuscitated Church of the Brethren and devoted all his property to its work. Under his leadership, exclusively Moravian settlements from which the follies and temptations of the world were to be shut out were established in continental Europe, Great Britain, and America. the missionary field in heathen lands was taken as a work of charity, and numerous schools were founded for the children of their own communion and as a means of evangelizing the children of non-members. Herrnhut became the rallying place for the descendants of the Unitas Fratrum, and the ancient discipline handed down by Comenius was introduced.
     In his Sketches of Moravian Life and Character (Lippincott, 1859, p. 39), James Henry notes that Zinzendorf aimed chiefly at the principle of exclusion; bringing together a community of people whose occupations, pursuits, and pastimes were all to be characterized and regulated by one religious impulse-an aim which called for some of the elements of socialism.

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The number of trades was limited for mutual protection; no one could take up an occupation without permission from the authorities of the congregation; and the general proprietary, the Diacony, held all lands and large establishments under its control. Competition in trade was excluded, prices were limited, and manufactured articles were inspected and kept up to a certain standard. Under these regulations the principle was implied that the desire of benefiting one's neighbor, not of gain, should be the paramount object of an industrious life.
     Young men were directed to trades according to need and supply. The almoner cared for the destitute. Physicians were employed at stipulated salaries, and they had to invoke Divine assistance and were constrained from boasting of their efficiency. No physician was allowed to withhold from a patient knowledge of his real condition, since everyone would rejoice on learning that he was approaching nearer to Jesus. A total surrender of selfhood was a first step to membership in this people. Zinzendorf erected a house for the single brethren and one for the single sisters, divided his congregation into distinct "choirs" according to age, sex, and marital status; and set over each choir a principal and assistants who guided conduct and held stated and special meetings. The Moravian village differed from the monastic community, however, in these respects: members were not bound by vows to remain in the village; marriage, under certain restrictions, and the propagation of offspring were encouraged; and the communal life was not designed to be merely self-sustaining but to produce a surplus for the carrying on of extensive missionary undertakings.
     There was a strong but circumscribed feeling that a husband and wife constituted one use; but if no new store, mill, etc., was needed in the economy, matrimony had to be deferred until the need arose. A young man inclined to matrimony had to disclose the fact to the Elders who in turn consulted the principal of the Sisters' House. She finally made recommendations, the young man being free to accept the nomination made by the Elders or to depart. If he accepted the matter was then referred to Providence by the drawing of lots, and if the result was not propitious the young man had to wait for a season and then try again. No marriage took place without the sanction of the lot and divorce was practically unknown. In Northampton county (Bethlehem) not one suit for divorce was entered by a Moravian in over a century. When Andrew Benade was principal of the Seminary in Bethlehem, popular objection to the use of the lot was strong; but as first lieutenant of the conservative proprietary he staunchly upheld the old customs imported from Germany, and when, as a widower, he wished to remarry in 1811, his wife, Maria Henry, twenty years his junior, came to him in accordance with the old practice.

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Maria Henry Benade was the mother of William Henry Benade, who was born in 1816.

     In November, 1734, a group of fifteen men was despatched from Herrnhut to Georgia. They arrived in the same ship as John Wesley, who had been engaged as Episcopal clergyman for the town of Savannah. Wesley became so interested in the Moravians that when he returned to Europe he spent some time with them at Herrnhut and other settlements; but differences, especially in regard to church government, kept the Wesleans and the Moravians from uniting.
     The Moravians in Georgia were very poor, and when war broke out between England and Spain in 1738, and the Governor insisted that all able-bodied men bear arms, they, as pacifists hr religious conviction, migrated to Pennsylvania where their antipathy to military glory was not so much resented. Even in Pennsylvania, however, all able-bodied men were required to respond to the call for militia duty or pay a fine, and the Moravian Church refused to allow the young men to respond to this call, even paying the fines when the young men could not afford to do so themselves. Andrew Benade was particularly emphatic about this, although many of the young men either longed for the diversions of militia duty or detested the fines imposed for non-compliance.
     The last group of Moravians to escape from Georgia sailed with Mr. Whitefield (Whitfield), the revivalist, who was going to Pennsylvania to erect a school for negroes and had arranged to purchase 5,000 acres of land which he called Nazareth. Whitfield employed Peter Boehler and his Moravian companions to construct a large house on this tract; but the work went slowly, the two men made the mistake of discussing religious differences frankly, and the Moravians were finally ordered off the place. A kindly neighbor offered to sell them a 500 acre tract, a tract which the city of Bethlehem now covers. Meanwhile Whitfield had to sell out. His tract was purchased in behalf of the Moravians, and in November, 1741, Zinzendorf and his daughter, then in exile from Saxony, arrived in New York. He visited the congregation in December. Christmas was celebrated in the unfinished house being built, and it was then that Zinzendorf gave the new community the name of Bethlehem. Three missionary excursions were made to the Indians in the following year, and although they produced few converts the way was prepared for much effective work later. On December 31, 1742, Zinzendorf preached his last American sermon in the newly constructed Moravian church in Philadelphia in which over a hundred years later, William Henry Benade was to serve for a few months as interim pastor before he joined the New Church.

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     Between 1744 and 1750 the inner life of the Brethren in Europe was marked by convulsions of a serious nature-the outpourings of a misguided religious enthusiasm, and an overflow of fervor and devotional playfulness that gave the whole picture of monomaina. Henry (Moravian Sketches, p. 78) says: "Zinzendorf himself seems to have furnished the incentive to this departure from the spirit of a correct religious discipline, and was afterwards the first and foremost to discover the nature and real extent of his aberrations." This may be compared with the statements made in the Writings about Zinzendorf, especially in Continuation Concerning the Spiritual World, no. 298, where he is quoted as saying, after seeing how his followers were rejected by Apostolic societies: "I know not whence such things have come to pass since I was in the world," and as grieving that there was nothing for them but hell.
     In connection with this the problem arises as to whether the Moravians whom Swedenborg discusses so extensively in the Diary could have been those who died during or after the excesses of the "Sifting Time," as this epoch is commonly known. There was a strong doctrinal reorientation about thirty years after the death of Zinzendorf, when Spangenberg wrote his handbook of Moravian doctrine in which much of Zinzendorf's teaching is repudiated, at least to the extent of being omitted. One could wish that Zinzendorf and the Moravians had been dealt with in True Christian Religion either to confirm or modify the treatment given them in the earlier works.

     But we must get back to Bethlehem. A second contingent of settlers arrived from Germany in 1742, and on June 25th of that year the congregation of 127 Moravian brothers and sisters was organized on this basis: the new congregation would adhere strictly to the doctrines of the Moravian Church in Germany; it would follow the German organization into choirs with separate houses for brothers and sisters; it would keep both Saturday and Sunday as holy; and all proceeds of labor would be put into a common stock. All promised to follow for twenty years this last principle, which formed the basis of what was called the Economy, and at the end of that period the congregation would decide whether to continue it.
     The primary purpose of the Moravian congregation in America was the propagation of the Gospel among the Indians. Lands were purchased to give a place of refuge for missionaries and furnish means for their support; and as early as 1746, the Morarians had established 15 schools, some among the Indians, in which children were taught gratis and frequently furnished with board and lodging.

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All the land was held in trust by a proprietor appointed from Herrnhut. When, in 1762, the economy agreement expired, and was not renewed, the Moravian settlers wished to have homes of their own but the ecclesiastical authority would not alienate the land and a lease system was inaugurated by which the residents of a Moravian village could hold possession of real estate on a ground rent. The situation was complicated by a "limitation clause" which was designed to safeguard against collusion to extort an exorbitant sum when a house had to be bought in to keep control over the premises, but which came to be regarded by many settlers as unjust because their leases were very old and the figure named in them, which must not be exceeded, did not nearly represent the current value of the house. Only after long and strenuous battles did the congregation at Bethlehem form, in 1851, a corporation to hold and sell its real estate to members of the congregation.
     In 1842, Bishop Levering reported that, with the exception of the hotels, none of the surviving old concerns previously managed for the congregation dacony remained its property when Bethlehem was a hundred years old. Two years later Bethlehem ceased to be a closed community, for the lease system was abrogated and town lots were sold to members of other denominations as well as to Moravians; and in 1845, Bethlehem became an incorporated municipality. It is interesting to note Bishop Levering's reasons for the breakdown of Moravian distinctiveness. The people were no longer unique in the united religious purpose which was the reason for the existence of the settlement, he notes, and therefore had no desire to remain unique in minor external features of regulation and custom. In many cases religiousness was merely a matter of conventional habit. There was in the religious training of the time that which tended to produce a refined type of hypocrisy among some people, and the conspicuous appearance of fraternal relations did not have beneath it a greater measure of cordial good will between men than prevails between well disposed neighbors in other villages. Indeed, many petty disturbances were aggravated by the close regime under which men had to deal with each other at such short range.

     We conclude with a brief sketch of the life of Andrew Benade. In the Guide to the Old Moravian Cemetery of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1742-1897 we find: "Andrew Benade, 1769-1859, Episcopus Fratrum, born at Kleinwelka, Saxony; came to America in 1795 as a teacher at Nazareth Boarding School. After 13 years service here he was called to Lititz, and in 1822 as pastor to Salem, North Carolina. In that year he was also consecrated a bishop.

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In 1836 he was made President of the 'Provincial Helpers' Conference' at Bethlehem, which position he held until the Synod of 1848, when he retired. He was a prominent pulpit orator. He attained the age of 90" (p. 154)
     When Andrew Benade became principal of the Moravian Seminary at Bethlehem in 1749 it was already well known in America and young ladies, most of whom were not Moravians, came to it from New England and the South as well as from the Middle Atlantic States and the West Indies. The school and its work became known after the American Revolution, during which some of its buildings were used as a military hospital; and when peace came several of the men who had been treated there wanted to send their daughters to a school in which the highest educational standards were combined with great simplicity of life, Andrew Benade married for the first time during the year in which he became principal, and his wife's burial record states that she and her husband labored with signal success for the prosperity of this institution until she was called home (1811). She left two daughters. Benade's second marriage took place a few months after her death.
     During his years as principal Benade was also a preacher to the Bethlehem congregation and right hand man to Cunow, the proprietary. When operations were begun, in 1803, to build a large village church with a seating capacity of 1200, he was the most energetic advocate of the enterprise among the clergy, and when the church was consecrated on May 18, 1806, he preached a sermon in the English language. He also had the distinction of conducting the first funeral service in the new building Besides his ordinary labors as principal and preacher Andrew Benade, in order to qualify his teachers for the standards of excellence which he proposed for his school, devoted his winter evenings to their systematic instruction, a practice which tended to systematize the instruction throughout the school.
     In 1802 efforts were begun to establish a Moravian theological school in America, and of course Andrew Benade was active in this move, although the school would normally be attached to the boys school at Nazareth. Dr. Schwenitz, in his history of it, says that the outline of the curriculum shows that the classical tradition was accepted as among the most precious forces the past can offer for the training of the present The college and theological school consisted of three pupils and two teachers. The curriculum included courses in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French and German composition, Mathematics, General and Church History, Exegesis, Geography, Drawing, and Music. The key man in the new school was a brilliant scholar, Professor Hazelius, that difficulties soon arose in its management which involved, according to Levering, the inquisitorial meddling of the authorities in man's private affairs, including the contracting of marriages by lot, upon which Cunow and Benade insisted, although an almost irresistible opposition had begun to appear.

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Others were disposed to compromise between the extreme views of Hazelius on the one hand and Cunow and Benade on the other. But Hazelius issued a manifesto, the men of Nazareth held a meeting without official authority or sanction, and the upshot of the disturbance was that Hazelius departed to a position of honor and influence in the Lutheran Church. Andrew Benade visited the school in 1810 in his official capacity as a member of the Provincial Helpers' Conference and reported that satisfactory work was done there.
     In 1812 he was sent to Lititz as head pastor, but as a member of the Conference he was still instrumental in trying to preserve the old ways, as was evident by his stand on the militia question. In a few years, however, the young men were allowed to decide for themselves. William Henry Benade was born at Lititz in 1816. In 1822, Andrew Benade was made a Bishop and placed in charge of the highly important congregation at Salem, N. C., where, we are safe in assuming, William attended the excellent Moravian school which still exists. Bishop Benade was recalled to Bethlehem in 1836 as President of the Conference and William attended the College of the Theological Seminary Andrew Benade retired in 1848, and after living for two years at Bushkill returned to Bethlehem, where he died in 1859 at the age of ninety. During his stay in Salem his general outlook seems to have undergone a great change, and it was said that in his old age he went even further in his dissent from what yet remained of the ideas of the old days than many who had been considered dissenters.
     We have reason to believe that this change involved more than the mellowing of old age, for William Henry Benade, after reading some of the Writings, is reported to have told his father that he had rejected for ever the falsities of the old religion. "Well, William," his father asked, "what are you going to do?" And when he answered: "I am going to study Swedenborg," his father said promptly: "Go ahead! I am doing the same," and brought out a copy of True Christian Religion which he was then reading (NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1905, p. 452).
"AS A LITTLE CHILD" 1952

"AS A LITTLE CHILD"              1952

     "No one can be admitted into heaven unless he possesses some degree of innocence, as the Lord has said 'Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child, he shall not enter therein'" (AC 164).

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DR. ANSHUTZ: EDITOR AND NOVELIST 1952

DR. ANSHUTZ: EDITOR AND NOVELIST       Rev. WILLIAM WHITEHEAD       1952

     Some of the older generation in our Church will recall the pleasure and instruction they once derived from the writings of Edward Pollock Anshutz (1846-1918). Together with Mr. Charles P. Stuart, he was the author and editor of a manuscript paper called THE SOCIAL MONTHLY, which was read at the monthly meetings of the Young People's Club connected with the Cherry Street Society, Philadelphia. Beginning in the fall of 1879, this little journal gained an increasing interest and prestige in New Church circles, so that in January, 1881, the Academy sponsored its appearance in printed form under the name of NEW CHURCH LIFE.
     Early in 1916, the writer asked Dr. Anshutz to contribute some recollections of those early days for a special "Assembly Number" of THE BULLETIN OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY. Although the doctor was then a very busy editor and author in the field of homeopathic publications we had reason to believe that he would respond; for we had not only found in him a wise, kindly friend and a keen-minded counsellor whose conversation was as sparkling as his ability to write and debate, but we had already discovered that he could refuse nothing to young people-especially to young editors!
     Thus, on June 2nd, 1916, he wrote from Philadelphia: "So far as I am personally concerned, the NEW CHURCH LIFE, your stately contemporary (it was once rather frisky), started on the corner of 18th Street and Spring Garden, Philadelphia. There, one afternoon, I met the Rev. E. J. E. Schreck . . . he proposed that we make THE SOCIAL MONTHLY a genuine, all-right, printed-in-type monthly. I said we did not have the money-we were poor. But Schreck said the Academy would back us, and so they did. The 'editorial board' was: Andrew Czerny, George O. Starkey, Eugene J. B. Schreck, Charles P. Stuart, and the undersigned, who was also 'business manager.' The next thing was a name and that was a job! Finally we accepted Mr. John Pitcairn's very happy suggestion of NEW CHURCH LIFE, and so it has remained; a good name, and one to live up to.
     "I had written a very little for the newspapers, though as a matter of cold fact none of us knew anything about running a journal; but for all that, we gamboled into the game like a lot of very fresh lambs.

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Our journal was to be for 'young folk.' O, ironical term! Before long, this young folks' organ was firing off some pretty heavy charges from Mr. Benade, Mr. Tafel, Dr. Farrington, and others . . . Mr. Schreck, with whom I had many a set-to, was responsible for my stories. He said LIFE needed stories, and that I was the one to write them. The final result, as a starter, was 'John Worthington,' which Dr. Burnham said was 'a good clothes-horse for doctrine.' Walter Childs said that John must have been a plumber (there was one in the city by that name) to be able to get back his lost money so quickly. At any rate, this led to other stories and fables until the great blow-up came and I was left, an editor without a job."
     Dr. Anshutz was probably the most prolific of all the writers represented in the LIFE during the eighties. No less than 105 stories, humorous sketches, papers, and fables are listed in the first printed General Index (1899). His more ambitious serial stories were: "John Worthington" (1881-2i; "James Bronson" (1882-3); "Pentville" (1884); "A Waif" (1884); "Eleanor" (1885); "The Strange Adventures of Tom" (1886); and "Emotional Vicissitudes" (1887). The Rev. C. Th. Odhner, writing in 1918, paid a tribute to the influence of these stories in the following reminiscence:
     "It was in the summer of the year 1883, while visiting the New Church Book Room on Van Buren Street, Chicago, that we 'happened upon' a copy of NEW CHURCH LIFE containing the last installment of 'James Bronson,' a serial story by E. P. Anshutz. Becoming interested, we obtained from the Rev. L. P. Mercer the loan of the whole series, which we took with us to the hotel; and it was a convinced Academy man that finished the reading in the wee hours of the morning.
     "We have always felt that the Academy or the General Church could do no better service for their own young people and for general propaganda than by republishing in separate book form these New Church stories while, from a purely literary point of view, some of these stories may not possess extraordinary merit, and while some feminine readers may object to the odor of the cigar pervading nearly all of them, still, the fact remains that even as stories they are mighty good reading, catching and holding your attention. They are active, vigorous, and masculine; romantic, but never sentimental; deeply religious, but never 'goody-goody.'
     It is an interesting circumstance that although Mr. Odhner had written the above for the April (1918) issue of the LIFE, he had already passed into the spiritual world on March 11th, at the age of fifty-four. Dr. Anshutz had preceded him on January 31st, at the age of seventy-one.
     Concerning Dr. Anshutz' inimitable "Fables" the ECLECTIC MEDICAL JOURNAL once wrote: "Entertaining, instructive, and full of counsel imparted by a master of fable." THE HOMEOPATHIC RECORDER commented:

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"These fables, with their gentle sarcasm about the world and its self- satisfied ways and manners, are literary classics."
     In the late summer of 1916, the writer urged Dr. Anshutz to allow its to publish all of the "Fables" in a fifty-six page booklet, to be sold at twenty-five cents. Being stirred, perhaps, by the affections of the old Academy days, he cheerfully acquiesced in our proposal, and himself read the final page proofs. Unfortunately, we too modestly limited the edition to 250 copies, which were all sold within two months. But if the obvious pleasure of many Academy students in listening to some of these fables during classroom instruction is any criterion, NEW CHURCH LIFE will perform a use by reprinting some of our old favorites. In any case they will serve to remind us of the pioneer services of a brave and unselfish New Church gentleman and scholar, broad in mind and great of heart.

     [EDITORIAL NOTE: Beginning in the August issue, it is proposed to reprint, from time to time, some of the Fables of Dr. Anshutz.]
TWO RECENT ARTICLES 1952

TWO RECENT ARTICLES              1952

     Two articles of unusual interest have appeared recently in contemporary journals. The first is printed in THE NEW-CHURCH MAGAZINE, April-June, pp. 29-31, which is published quarterly by the General Conference in England. It is entitled "The Word and the Writings" and derives added interest from the fact that the author, Mr. L. H. Houghton, became acquainted with the Writings only two and a half years ago, and entered the New Church from the Church of England some eighteen months later. A growing conviction that the feebleness of the organized New Church is due primarily to divergence of view as to the relation between the Old and New Testament Word and the Writings led Mr. Houghton to an investigation which occupied about a year of close study. The article is a summary of the essay in which he stated his conclusions.
     Mr. Houghton recognizes that there are three main school of thought on this problem-comprized in the "Academy view," the "Hague Position," and the ideas generally advanced in the Convention and the Conference-and he offers a succinct statement of each. The proponents of the Hague Position may protest that they have been misunderstood and if we were to hold the writer to a strict use of terms we might question his description of that position as "an approach developed from the Academy view." which it most certainly is not. But the statements are fair, the style is pleasingly diffident and free from dogmatism, and we may applaud the thought that "it would seem better, therefore, for the Writings to be allowed to put themselves in perspective, since they alone possess the necessary authority."

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     In an endeavor to do this, Mr. Houghton quotes extensively passages which leave him with "little doubt that the Writings are themselves the internal sense of the Word in the natural degree," and lead to the statement: "Thus it seems reasonable to assume that the internal sense, fully adapted to the natural mind of man, is now made available in the Writings, as a result of the Second Advent of the Lord." He then stresses, rightly, the need for the Sacred Scripture to be cherished and read in the New Church; and we would accept without question his assertion that "but for the basis of Scripture, Swedenborg could have received no enlightenment from the Lord at all; neither could the Writings have been written." But we feel that there is a wrong turning of thought when TCR 779 is cited as authority for the idea that the Word must be read for "a correct and enlightened understanding of the Writings." Surely it is the reading of the Writings that gives a correct and enlightened understanding of the Word in the Old and New Testaments!
     That, however, is not Mr. Houghton's conclusion and although he regards the thought that the Writings are the explanation of the Word as too non-committal, he believes that it points in what appears to be the right direction. For he cites passages which seem to him to confirm the view that the Writings are derived doctrine, not a new Word: and that while they contain Divine truths, they contain them as derived doctrine, in correspondence with the Word, but not themselves in correspondences.
     It has always seemed to us that those who differentiate the Writings from the Word on the ground of different characteristics do not sufficiently consider the distinctions that exist between the Old and the New Testaments; and in view of the statement, "that which the Divine has revealed is with us the Word" (AC 10,320), we find it difficult to understand how Divine truths revealed by the Lord can be regarded as not the Word. Finally, the writer like many before him, is caught in a trap of his own setting. For the Writings state that doctrine is to be drawn from the letter of the Word and confirmed by it; and Mr. Houghton draws his doctrine from the plain statements of the Writings, which should not be done if those Writings are not the Word. However, although we cannot accept the conclusions so modestly offered, we feel that this is a sincere study; openminded, and not marred by preconceptions.
     The second article, published in three installments in THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER (April 5,19; May 3), is by John R. Swanton, Ph.D., and is entitled "Is There Ultimate Salvation for All?" We propose to offer some comments on it in the next issue.     THE EDITOR.

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CONJUNCTION WITH THE LORD 1952

CONJUNCTION WITH THE LORD              1952

     "Man has the capacity of conjoining himself with the Lord, and the Lord with himself, for ever. Still, however, as a man is finite, the Lord's Divine cannot be conjoined to him, but only adjoined. This may be illustrated by the case of the eye and the ear, it being impossible for the light of the sun to be conjoined with the eye, or the sound of the air to be conjoined with the ear; they can only be adjoined to them. For man is not life in himself, as the Lord is even as to the Human (John 5: 26), but only a receptacle of life; and it is life itself that is adjoined to man, but not conjoined" (TCR 718).
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word: "By the tabernacle was represented heaven and the church, and therefore its form was shown by Jehovah upon Mount Sinai; and consequently by all the things which were in the tabernacle were represented the holy things of heaven and the church; and by the holy of holies, where was the ark, was represented the inmost of heaven and the church; and by the Law itself written on the two tables of stone was represented the Lord as to the Word. Hence by the ultimates of the tabernacle, which were the curtains and veils, thus the covering and containants, were signified the ultimates of the Word, which are the truths and goods of the sense of the letter" (SS 46).

     The Writings: "Divine miracles proceed from Divine truth and advance according to order, the effects in ultimates being miracles when it pleases the Lord that they be presented in this form. Hence it is that all Divine miracles represent states of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens and of the Lord's kingdom in the earth, that is, of the church, This is the internal form of Divine miracles. Such is the case with all the miracles done in Egypt" (AC 7337).

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MYSTIQUE OF MODERNITY 1952

MYSTIQUE OF MODERNITY       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Circulation Secretary      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Treasurer      Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Circulation Secretary. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION

$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     Youth is, understandably, the time of life when that which is new makes its strongest appeal; and the more restless and uncertain youth is, the more feverish is the quest for, and fervid the acclaim of, the very newest thing. It is strange, and sometimes alarming, to consider the mysterious power vested in the word, modern. At one and the same time it is a talisman, a magic symbol, a challenge, and a criterion which may not be gainsaid. "It's modern!" is the final pronouncement from which there is no appeal; and he who would have the temerity to question it must be prepared to be branded as old-fashioned and cast beyond the pale with all other unperceptive philistines.
     Yet it is of the very nature of the new that it must become, in its turn, the old. Time alone, if nothing else, will see to that. A script-writer can always ensure an easy laugh by making some impatient youth remind his faltering parents that "this is the 17th century, not the 16th"; and those who laugh most superiorly forget that, in time, their so new and bright period will be just as outmoded. Value and virtue cannot reside in mere newness. Indeed we have the authority of the Writings for saving that mere innovation can destroy. A thing is not necessarily good because it is new, or bad because it is old; and if it is natural to be impatient with the old, it is also useful to realize that progress has its roots in the past and is the fruition of the true wisdom of all the ages.

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SCOURGE OF GOD 1952

SCOURGE OF GOD       Editor       1952

     Attila the Hun, terror of the effete Holy Roman Empire in east and west, came to be known in a later age as "the Scourge of God." While the New Church man would question the idea of a human instrument of Divine vengeance embodied in this title, he is not unfamiliar with the thought that earthly kings and other rulers have been made to serve, unconsciously, as instruments in the hand of Providence for the achievement of certain Divine ends. The manner in which the Lord thus used the proud, ambitious, and power-hungry rulers of Assyria. Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome to prepare for His coming into the world is one of the most fascinating phases in the story of the secret preparations made for the first advent. In the case of Cyrus, the fact is openly stated in the Word; in the case of the others, it may justly be inferred
     There is, however, yet another idea suggested by the arresting title "the Scourge of God." We are told in the Writings that when the Israelites fell into evil they were punished by war with a nation which corresponded to that evil, and that wars today are similarly significant although it is not known which nation sustains the representation of the church. Every unbiassed student knows that the evils which gave birth to the totalitarian state were not unknown in the democracies in 1939, and that the war forced by the leaders of those states served for judgment, separation, punishment where necessary, and also for consolidation and purification. In this sense, and excluding the idea of Divine vengeance, the concept of men being used, unconsciously, as scourges is not bizarre, and it offers a basic philosophy for the interpretation of certain segments of history.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP 1952

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP       Editor       1952

     The Writings teach consistently that the church is within man, and that the communion recognized as the church by the Lord is the church with a number of men and women in whom the church is. Considered spiritually, therefore, the church is individual: and when we reflect that it consists essentially in a regenerating state of love, mode of thought, and way of life produced by free acceptance of the Lord's teaching and leading in the Word, we may readily see that it cannot be otherwise. Men and women can be regenerated only as individuals, not in groups: and there is no such thing as a state of regeneration of the church apart from the individual states of its members as to regeneration. It was acceptance of this principle that led Bishop W. F. Pendleton, in 1897, to propose a general body of the New Church, the units of which should not be state associations or local societies but individual men and women, each of whom should be recognized as a church in least form.

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     That is why membership in the General Church is individual. We do not first become members of a society and thereby, or through a further step, enter into membership of the general body. Application is made first for membership in the General Church and is directed to the Bishop. All who are accepted are given a certificate signed by the Bishop and the Secretary of the General Church, and only when this has been received may they sign the membership roll of a society or circle. Membership is therefore not attained automatically through Confirmation or adult Baptism-an oft recurring mistaken idea; but the only requirements for membership are that the applicant shall have received New Church baptism, not necessarily through a priest of the General Church, provided only that the sacrament was administered by a duly ordained New Church minister, and shall be at least twenty-one, in the case of a man, and eighteen in that of a woman.
     Most societies have also certain people who are known as members of the congregation-men and women who participate regularly in the uses of the society, but are not enrolled members and may not even belong to the General Church, and who are therefore not entitled to vote or to hold any office. Apart from this distinction they enter fully into the devotional, instructional, and social life of the society, and they are welcomed as fully as its enrolled members. Their freedom to remain outside membership and their reasons for so doing are respected, and no pressure will ever be brought to bear upon them. Entrance into the organized church should never be a matter of form. It should follow the dictate of individual conscience. But those who are fully in sympathy with the General Church and the local society, and yet have not ultimated their regular attachment to them by seeking membership, might well consider, rationally and in freedom, whether they should not do so; and thus assume also responsibility for those uses the benefits of which they receive.
TRUST-OR FATALISM? 1952

TRUST-OR FATALISM?       Editor       1952

     Unless reflection leads to a rational understanding of the doctrine the man of the church may substitute for trust in the Divine Providence a form of fatalism which will mark the end of all striving for betterment of life. It is true that we are guarded against the extreme fatalism which holds that life follows a preordained pattern; that every moment of the future, already decided, but awaits the time when it shall bring to man a present which no act of his can avert.

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Yet we may not entirely escape the more subtle danger of merely acquiescing passively in the dispensations of Providence, and ignoring our heaven-sent opportunity to cooperate with it by seeking to understand, as far as we may, the reasons for which they were sent.
     It is often said, when an event is under discussion, that of course it is in the Divine Providence; and that is true and a source of consolation in adversity. But as a reply to rational inquiry it tells us nothing, for that which answers every question satisfies none. Again, we are sometimes prone to accept everything that happens to us with the thought that, in Providence, it is for the best. This also is true. But if we carry our thought no further, if we fail to understand rightly what this means, we are in danger of falling into what is essentially a fatalistic outlook on life.
     We may not dispute the truth that all the dispensations of Providence represent the best that is possible for us. But because men are endowed with spiritual freedom, because the Lord leads the good in one way and the evil in another, and because He permits as well as provides, those dispensations are not necessarily the best the Lord could provide! They are the best He can provide in, and for, the state we have made our own by our use or abuse of our freedom and reason. And here is a vital distinction, upon the understanding of which depends whether we have a reactive trust in the Divine Providence or a passive acceptance which is tinged with fatalism.
     Men may acknowledge with heartfelt gratitude that the Lord has been merciful to them beyond their deserving, that He knows and provides what is best, and that for their eternal welfare He leads His people in wonderful ways. But if we simply dismiss entirely from our minds all that happens to us with the thought that it is for the best, or assume that in some secret way, it must be good, we may sink into a sluggish indifference; the indifference of mere acceptance.
     Rather should we make this acknowledgement but realize that the Lord's provision is according to our state. The Lord does not know what will happen because He has predetermined what shall happen, and then provide as He has decreed. He knows what man will do in freedom, and then provides or permits as will be best in the light of man's free choice; and while that is best in the circumstances, having regard to their eternal consequences, it is not necessarily the best the Lord could have done if man had chosen differently.
     So we should learn to question our experiences, and by reflecting upon them in the light of revealed doctrine try to garner wisdom from the varied pattern of our past life as it unfolds before us. For in our every experience there is a hidden purpose of good, an ability on the part of the Lord to bend even what is evil to a good end.

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But that good may be only potential, and it may depend for its realization upon that searching inquiry and reflection which will enable us to avoid the mistakes of the past, and go forward to a better and a saner future, by disclosing to us the possible positive values in our experiences. In this there is trust, but no passive acceptance; full trust, together with intelligent cooperation.
READING THE WRITINGS 1952

READING THE WRITINGS       K. R. ALDEN       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     To own a complete set of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg should be the ambition of every earnest New Church man. To have within his reach all the wealth of Divine revelation which constitutes the second coming of the Lord Himself will give to his life a foundation and a footing which the storms of adversity and the ebb and flow of the tides of human emotion cannot sweep away. He will be like the man who built his house upon a rock; "and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7: 25).
     The New Church has always been characterized as a "reading church," and to one who dips into the truths of revelation it is a marvellous experience to be able to read many phases of the same truth as expressed in different parts of our revelation. For example, the Ten Commandments are treated of in many places: 1) In the word by word explanation in Arcana Coelestia of Exodus 20, where they occur; 2) in the True Christian Religion, where they are explained in their natural, spiritual, and celestial senses; 3) in the Apocalypse Explained, where, under the treatment of the sixth commandment, we find some of the most beautiful passages concerning conjugial love; and 4) in the Doctrine of Life. They are also alluded to in many other places, so that he who has a complete set of the Writings is in a position to pursue the truth deeply. The very growth of the Church depends upon this deep, interior reception of the heavenly doctrines.
     More than a hundred years ago, The Swedenborg Foundation was established for the purpose of disseminating the theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. In its active life it has distributed more than a million copies. A greater part of this number has gone to those who are not of the Church, but to those whom we hope will some day be of the Church. But now the Foundation has embarked upon a new project. It is encouraging every New Church home to increase its Swedenborg library. As will be seen from an advertisement elsewhere in this issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE, the Foundation has set aside a certain number of volumes of the cloth-bound Standard Edition, which it is selling in lots of three at half price.

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Of course, it cannot afford to sell more than one of these packages to each home, but if the children have left home and established residences of their own they may feel perfectly free to take advantage of this offer.
     As the time that it will take to sell the limited number of copies at present at our disposal may be short, we strongly advise a prompt selection and ordering of the books which you may want. If you already have many volumes of the Writings, this offer may help you to complete your set. If you are just starting out, it may be a beginning of a laying up for yourselves of "treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."
     K. R. ALDEN.
Bryn Athyn, Pa
May 17, 1952
INCREASE YOUR LIBRARY OF THE WRITINGS 1952

INCREASE YOUR LIBRARY OF THE WRITINGS              1952

     In order to foster this purpose the SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION (Incorporated)

is offering a package of any three volumes
of the Standard Edition of the Writings for
$1.50, instead of the usual price of $300 for three.

This offer is limited to one package to each address.

The Standard Edition contains in 30 volumes all the works of the Writings except the Spiritual Diary. Smaller works are collected in MISCELLANEOUS THEOLOGICAL WORKS (1 volume) and POSTHUMOUS THEOLOGICAL WORKS (2 volumes).

Applications should be mailed direct to:

Mr. Henry W. Helinke, Manager,
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION (Incorporated)

51 East Forty-second Street,
New York 17, N. Y.

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

     Annual Meeting-For the first time the Sharon Church annual meeting was held in January as we had changed our fiscal year to agree with the calendar year. It was well attended, and the various reports showed an active and satisfactory year of work. The average attendance at services had remained about the same as last year, 52.4. As with most city societies, there have been frequent removals to larger centers of the Church; so we feel fortunate that our attendance has increased over the years and that we were able to maintain last year's record. By unanimous vote it was decided to send flowers to our sister society, the Advent Church of Philadelphia, for its dedication service. We feel very close to that society, for our problems are similar and we have found many similar ways of meeting them. The following were elected as trustees for the coming year: Mr. Alexander McQueen. Secretary; Mr. Noel McQueen. Treasurer; and Messrs. C. M. Lindrooth, Edward Kitzelman, Rudolph Barnitz, Roy Poulson, and Irving Anderson, members of the Board.

     Social Activities.-On January 26th, instead of the usual Sunday School classes, all the children met in the school room to celebrate Swedenborg's birthday. We had a long table set up and decorated, and fruit juice and cookies were served. Then six of the older children-Virginia Cranch, Walter Cranch, Charlene Glody, Jonathan Cranch, Suzanne Cranch, and Ann Lindrooth-read papers on Swedenborg's life and work. They were all very well done and were written by the children themselves from their own research in Odhner's "Life of Swedenborg" and Sutton's "The Happy Isles." We sang songs and honored toasts, and all felt that it was a very enjoyable occasion.
     At the Wednesday supper on February 13th, Mr. Cranch gave an account of the Ministers Meetings. This is always stimulating and is much appreciated. On the following Friday we had the privilege of joining with Glenview in the celebration of Swedenborg birthday in the best of all ways-by hearing an address by Bishop Acton.
     We have had two social gatherings this rear which served also as means of raising some money. The first was a successful Canasta party at the apartment of Mrs. Bertel Grenman, the second an interesting and amusing talk by Mr. Alexander McQueen on "Styles and Smiles Through the Years."

     A Visiting Minister.-On March 2nd, the newest Cranch baby was baptized by the Rev. Louis B. King and on the following day the Rev. Harold Cranch, accompanied by his wife for part of the trip, left for the Western States to take care of his duties there. He was away for a month, and during his absence we were fortunate to have with us Mr. King, who carried on the services and classes in a very able manner. We had an opportunity to meet his informally at a reception on March 4th, held at the home of Mrs. Fred Lyons, Mrs. William Junge, and Mr. Alexander McQueen. It was also a great pleasure to have his mother, Mrs. Louis King, present.

     Easter.-The Easter season services followed the same procedure as last year. On Palm Sunday the talk to the children was on the Lord's triumphal entry and the sermon on our use of the Easter observance. A Communion service was held on Good Friday evening the instruction centering in the institution and uses of the Holy Supper. The Easter service was enhanced by the floral offerings of the children and was added to by the Confirmation of Sylvia Gladish. The talk was addressed mainly to the children but was also fully enjoyed by the adults. There seemed to be a host of children, all remarkably good throughout the beautiful service. The total attendance was over 80 and some of us had to sit in the kitchen and on the back stairs. On all special occasions we are made aware that the society is grossing and that our quarters are too small.

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     Improvements.-Several major improvements have been made in the worship room. The old ceiling was in very poor condition, so a new ceiling of acoustic tile was installed and new and more adequate lights were built into it. This was made possible by a very generous gift for that purpose from one of our members. Another, our interior decorator, Mr. Rudolph Barnitz, provided new drapes of forest green for the windows in the room, with under draw-screens of match-stick bamboo to cut off the view of outside activities while admitting a soft light. The chancel curtains were redesigned and fitted with draw cords, and the whole effect is very pleasing.

     Sons of the Academy.-The Sharon Church Sons, under the presidency of Mr. Rudolph Barnitz, were hosts to the Glenview Chapter on Thursday evening, March 27th. Mr. Edward Kitzelman was the chef and he did his usual excellent job. Attendance was quite large. Mr. Alexander McQueen gave an entertaining and thought-provoking address on the use of words for effective speaking.

     Anniversary.-On April 20th, the whole congregation called on Roy and Ruth Poulson to express congratulations on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The society presented them with a silver sugar and creamer set. We were welcomed with a bountiful repast and enjoyed the happy sphere of their home.
     VIOLITA WELLS.

     PITTSBURGH, PA.

     Easter.-A special children's Palm Sunday service as well as the adult service of worship was held on April 6th. The Quarterly Communion was administered on Good Friday evening and the service at eleven o'clock on Easter morning was for children and adults. The procession of children bearing an offering of flowers is always colorful, and it is gratifying that there are so many under school age as it gives promise of the continuance and increase of the school.

     School.-The day school enjoyed a spring recess from April 11th through April 20th. It is with pleasure that we look forward to having Miss Venita Roschman and Miss Evangeline Lyman as members of the teaching staff next year.

     Meetings.-The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Sons of the Academy held its annual meeting on May 11th at the home of Mr. Daric E. Acton, the occasion taking the form of a supper meeting. The semiannual meeting of the Society sass held after the Friday Supper on May 16th. By the time this report appears in print the social program for the season will have been completed, and Mr. and Mrs. Acton and their committees are to be congratulated on the job they have done this year.

     Weddings.-The marriage of Miss Elizabeth Hill and Mr. Philip C. Horigan was solemnized at the Carmel Church, Kitchener, on April 5th. They returned from their wedding trip to spend Easter here and begin housekeeping in their apartment. They are a welcome addition to the society. A pantry shower was given for them at the Friday Supper on May 16th
     It was our good fortune to be hosts, shall we say, for the marriage of Miss Suzanne Grant, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred M. Grant of Washington, D. C., and Mr. Bruce Holmes of Glenview, Ill, on Saturday evening, May 3rd. Pittsburgh, unlike Bryn Athyn, has few weddings and it was an event for everyone. The Rev. Bjorn A H. Boyesen officiated. Miss Nancy Zeleny of Washington was maid-of-honor; the Misses Millicent Holmes, Marcia Trimble, and Leslie Asplundh were the bridesmaids; Mr. Kenneth Holmes was the best man; and Messrs. Robert Asplundh, Daniel Heinrichs, Philip Horigan, Robert Junge, and Fred Schnarr were ushers. Mrs. May Holmes and her daughter Gwen were among the 40 or 50 guests from Washington Chicago, Glenview, Fort Wayne, and Bryn Athyn who attended. Following the service a reception was held in the auditorium.

     Personal.-The Society welcomes the Chester Stroemple family and congratulates Mr. Stroemple on his Baptism on Sunday, April 20th. The Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth Stroh and their son, Richard Cameron, arrived from London on March 23rd to reside with Mr. and Mrs. J. Edmund Blair. Among our many guests it was a real treat to have Miss Zoe Iungerich with us.

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Pittsburgh feels that she is home again and enjoys her playing the organ at the church services. It is with decided regret, however, that we report the departure of the Samuel S. Lindsay, Jr., family to Doyleston, Pa. We trust they will be happy there and we surely miss them. It is a pleasure to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lucy Jane, to Mr. Alan Childs of Saginaw, Mich.
     ELIZABETH R. DOERING.


     TORONTO, CANADA

     Easter.-Part of the commemoration of Palm Sunday was the bringing of floral offerings to the Lord by the children. This is one of the most impressive services of the year-the little children, representing innocence, as pretty and fragrant as the flowers they carry. It seemed most suitable that the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bond was baptized during the service. Our Pastor gave a talk to the children on the first Palm Sunday and spoke of the empty happiness resulting from worldly attainments and the true happiness resulting from doing things for others. His sermon was entitled "The Lord Hath Need of Him" (Luke 19: 33-35'). It pointed out that there is a sense in which it is true that the Lord needs regenerating men, for the Divine love is such that it must go forth and be received. Any feeling of uselessness on our part is contrary to the Divine economy, and we should regard every faculty as given so that we may show forth some correspondent of the infinite things in the Lord.
     Good Friday is one of the few times in the year when we have an evening service. There is a sphere of somber serenity which is dramatic and enriching. On Easter Sunday, with candles and Easter lilies decorating the chancel, a large congregation participated in the sacrament of the Holy Supper.

     Services and Classes.-During the weekly Sunday services our Pastor has been preaching a series of sermons on the twelve sons of Jacob-an interesting and varied theme. The Wednesday doctrinal classes have been on the subject of the Divine Providence.

     Meetings.-The Ladies' Circle has had the pleasure of hearing an address by the Rev. A. Wynne Acton at each of its meetings, which have been held in various homes. On one occasion the subject was "Betrothal" the talk tracing the history of this rite, mentioning six of its uses, and emphasizing that it is meant to introduce into a union of minds before marriage. At another meeting the subject of "Prayer and the Signs of Charity" brought out the various externals of devout worship and their use as ultimate planes for internal states. On March 29th, the Ladies' Circle invited the Olivet Society to bring other friends to enjoy a cafeteria supper. Nearly one hundred accepted, and were fed a remarkably good hot dinner. Court whist occupied the balance of the evening, which concluded with the serving of coffee and cookies. The idea was to raise funds, and the ladies were very pleased with the results of their strenuous efforts.
     The Forward-Sons also heard the paper on "Betrothal" at one of their meetings. On April 19th they held their annual "Ladies Night," an eagerly anticipated event for the ladies since they base nothing to do with the cooking or the dishes Mr. Robert Scott was an able toastmaster. Toasts to the Church and the Academy were proposed by Mr. Orville Carter and the Rev. A. Wynne Acton, and Mr. R. S. Anderson gave an interesting paper on the aims, trials, and vicissitudes of the Forward-Sons since their inception. By way of divertisement, Mr. Thomas Bradfield and a band of supposedly small boys gave a demonstration of the "before and after" of New Church education, with highly entertaining results. Mr. Robert Anderson took the responsibility of seeing that everyone was replete with natural food.
     Another event in the Forward-Sons annals was their joint meeting with their Kitchener brethren, which took the form of a banquet in our assembly hall on May 10th, with Mr. Keith Frazee acting capably as toastmaster. Mr. Robert Synnestvedt of Bryn Athyn. President of the Sons of the Academy, was the guest speaker, and his address on the aims and achievements of the Sons was highly interesting. Toasts to the Church and the Academy were responded to by the Rev. A. Wynne Acton and Mr. Fred Hasen of Kitchener. Mr. R. S. Anderson introduced the speaker, and Messrs Robert and Ivan Scott gave him a musical tribute that was in lighter vein. Mr. Joseph Knight was in charge of the material plane of the banquet.
     Theta Alpha has met monthly in various homes and has finally finished reading The Life of the Lord by Bishop de Charms. They were somewhat regretful at finishing this work since it has been found most enjoyable.

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At their April meeting the members listened to a tape-recording of Miss Margaret Wilde's paper on "The Well Dressed Feminine Mind" which was kindly procured by Miss Helen Anderson.
     The young people have been carrying forward their Sunday evening classes, the older group studying Heaven and Hell and the younger group The Life of the Lord. Socially they have been very active as a club known as "Epsilon No" and hare held many more or less formal parties at which square dancing and games led to gay times.

     School.-The day school has been running along its usual happy path, but awakened one day to learn that Miss Venita Roschman has resigned as its teacher. They will be very sorry to see her go as she has become an integral part of the school, but it is consoling to know that she has pleasant prospects of a happy time in Pittsburgh. Miss Joan Kuhl of Kitchener will be teaching here next year in her place, and we anticipate her coming with pleasure

     Social.-On February 22nd, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Longstaff, assisted by Mrs. Orville Carter, invited the Olivet Society to attend some movies at their home. These proved to be both educational and humorous and were much enjoyed. During intermissions, peanuts, popcorn, and soft drinks were offered to the public in no uncertain voices, and at the end of the program farther refreshments of the more refined type were served. A collection netted monies for the Building Fund.
     This year had an extra day, and on February 29th the Society gathered to trip the light fantastic in celebration thereof. As that is the night when the ladies may have the say, manners were reversed and the girls attended the gentlemen in the small courtesies. This made for a lot of fun, and the poor menfolk found themselves with no time at all to spend in the smoking lounge. The motif, a pirate ship, was cleverly arranged by the Misses Stephanie Starkey, Helen Anderson, and Kay Barber, with many assistants.
     The Spring Dance on May 2nd was a very notable occasion A committee consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Bevan, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bradfield, Miss Marion Swam, and Mr. James Wilson created an original setting by placing the guests in a circus. The orchestra played in a carousel, and in every window a large cage held a voracious animal. Refreshments could be obtained throughout the evening by using a strip of tickets purchased at the door by way of an entry fee, and included everything obtainable at a circus, including pink lemonade. A marvellous time resulted.

     Personal.-Mr. Frank Rose paid a flying visit to Toronto one Sunday in May, but was here long enough to preach. The Toronto Society Joins in wishing him every success in his coming venture. We were glad to welcome to the Society Miss Doris Vowels, who made her Confession of Faith, and Mr. Ernest Watts, who was recently baptized. Hearty congratulations were extended to Miss Ersa Marie Alden of Bryn Athyn and Mr. John Parker, Jr., of Toronto on the occasion of their engagement.
     It is not often that we write of the birth and the death of a person in the same report. But scarcely had congratulations been extended to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brown (Doris Stuart) on the birth of their son than it was learned that he had been taken to the spiritual world, there to be brought up in the sphere of heaven. On February 17th, our close and beloved friend, Lady Sarah Daniel, departed quietly into the spiritual world after a long illness in Vancouver. B. C.
     VERA CRAIGIE.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA.

     Bryn Athyn residents with any moments to spare for retrospection in the mad month of May could look back on rich and varied offerings-spiritual, cultural, social, and practical-provided shire the beginning of the year. For these they are indebted to the Society, the many organizations operating within it, and the hospitality and enterprise of individuals and groups.

     The pulpit has been well supplied by the Pastor, the two Assistant Pastors, local and visiting clergy, and the Candidates in the Theological School who have also assisted in the services on many occasions. Friday classes have tended toward the application of doctrine to life. After the Christmas recess, Bishop de Charms gave a series of six lectures in which various aspects of spiritual and natural charity were discussed.

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These were followed by four classes on self-examination, delivered by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner. The last four classes of the season, on equilibrium and freedom, were by the Rev. David R. Simons. Young People's Class and the Rev. Karl R. Alden's class continued as usual.

     On February 1st, the Society had its yearly privilege of attending the Open Session of the Council of the Clergy, at which the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers of Detroit gave a clear and interesting address on "The Communication of the Holy Spirit" that led to a short but useful discussion. A week later Swedenborg's birthday was celebrated-not belatedly if the old style calendar be followed-by a supper at which the Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton spoke on Swedenborg theology in the pre-illumination period.
     The usual series of services marked the observance of Easter. There was a large attendance at the Quarterly Communion Service on Good Friday evening, and again at the service on Easter morning, at which Bishop de Charms was the preacher. The children's service was also well attended; and massed flowers made the chancel, as always, a place of beauty.

     It need scarcely be said that there have been meetings by the score. The Women's Guild heard addresses by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner and the Rev. Louis B. King, witnessed a demonstration of some of the culinary skills gained by the college girls, and heard Mrs. Roy Franson discourse on some of the secrets of the boudoir. A special meeting of the Bryn Athyn Chapter of Theta Alpha was addressed by Bishop de Charms and at its annual supper meeting there was a discussion of the uses of the organization as well as elections and entertainment. The local Sons of the Academy held two meetings. At the first of these, Dr. Whitehead spoke on some Academy periodicals; at the second, a panel of Faculty members presented the accreditation program and answered questions about it.
     At the Semi-Annual Meeting of the Bryn Athyn Church on May 16th, a number of interesting reports were presented. Bishop de Charms announced that at the end of the present season the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal would retire from the conduct of the children's services to devote all his time to the General Church Religion Lessons and that the Rev. David R. Simons would be in charge of those services next year. The Bishop mentioned also the appointment of a committee to study and make recommendations in regard to the problems raised hr large entrance classes in the Bryn Athyn Elementary School in the near future.

     During the period under review the arts base not been neglected in, or by, the community. Two concerts given by the Bryn Athyn Orchestra, one in February, the other in May, attracted large and responsive audiences which showed their appreciation of the fine work of Mr. Frank Bostock and the members of the group. The Elementary School Orchestra and Band appeared in the second program, and it was interesting to see the progress made by the children in the short time they have been working together. The Rep Theater, an independent little theater group within the community, capably presented A. A. Milne's "The Truth About Blayds" before a well filled house; and the C. & S. operetta "Patience" played for two nights to large audiences in a fashion which indicated that Gilbert and Sullivan have not lost their performer or listener appeal. An art show held in the Assembly Hall in April proved to be a most striking occasion not only on account of the quality of the exhibits but also of the large number of talented exhibitors and of mediums represented. In considering the arts we should not neglect the Garden Club, the efforts of whose members do so much to beautify the homes of the community.

     The Civic and Social Club, which held its Annual Meeting on Mar 23rd, continues to show itself a vigorous arm of the Bryn Athyn Church. Its varied program since the beginning of the year has included talks by Mr. Leon Rhodes on the making of animated cartoons; by Miss Gisela Thomas, a visiting educator, on the German school system; and by Dr. Amandus Johnson on Sweden and Finland; a discussion on hose to stimulate interest in the C. & S. and increase its usefulness; and a civic meeting at which the qualifications of the Presidential candidates were presented. Some of these were preceded by suppers, and there was also a formal dinner party and a dinner dance. Movies were shown regularly on Monday evenings until recently; and a popular innovation since March has been an informal after-class party on Friday evenings with a different couple acting as host and hostess each week.

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     On May 10th members of the Society and students in the Academy Schools were again invited to a dance at Glencairn, the hone of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Pitcairn a delightful occasion which was much enjoyed by all who attended. It is difficult, if not dangerous, to single out individual happenings for mention; but something should be said about a shower given for the Rev. and Mrs. Morley D. Rich just before their departure for England at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harold F. Pitcairn and attended by a considerable portion of the Society. We might mention also a largely attended house-warming one Sunday afternoon at the new home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Cole, Jr. Mr. Cole expressed the hope that the same company would gather there every Sunday afternoon, and the nice thing about him is that he really meant it.
     If we do not describe weddings in these columns it is not that they are less beautiful, our brides less radiant, our interest as a society any less warm. It is simply that there are more weddings than there is space to tell about them. There have been several during this period, all beautiful; and in every instance the couple base taken with them the warm good wishes of the Society for their happiness and its gratitude for being able to witness the beginning of their life together.

     GENERAL CHURCH

     Mr. Roy Franson, an Authorized Candidate for the Priesthood, will spend the summer assisting the Rev. A. Wynne Acton in the Olivet Church, Toronto, and the Rev. Norman H. Reuter in the Carmel Church, Kitchener.

     SWEDENBORG SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION

     The 55th Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association was held on Tuesday, May 27, 1952, at Bryn Athyn, Pa., with an attendance of 124, 63 of whom were members of the Association.
     Officers for the coming year were elected as follows: President: Prof. Edward F. Allen; Board of Directors: Miss Beryl G. Briscoe, Messrs. Alfred Acton, Charles E. Doering, Hugo Lj. Odhner, Leonard I. Tafel, Charles S. Cole, W. Cairns Henderson, Joel Pitcairn, Wilfred Howard.
     Officers elected by the Board were: Vice President, Dr. Charles E. Doering; Literary Editor, Dr. Alfred Acton; Treasurer, Miss Beryl G. Briscoe; Secretary, Mr. Wilfred Howard.
     A balance in the general account of $847.48 was reported by the Treasurer. The total number of books sold during the rear was 67, and the present membership of the Association is now 278.
     Action of the Board of Directors was reported in respect to cooperation with the Military Service Committee in presenting free copies of THE NEW PHILOSOPHY to New Church servicemen. Sixteen applications have been received and it was resolved to continue sending the journal to those who still wish to receive it. Upon request of Mr. W. G. Nord, President of The Swedish-American Historical Museum of Philadelphia, the Treasurer was authorized to send him for exhibition purposes such of our publications as we can spare.
     Randolph W. Childs, Esq., acted as toastmaster at an informal supper held at the Casa Conti at which 78 members and friends were present. The need for a wider interest in Swedenborg's philosophical works was discussed by Messrs. Charles S. Cole, Leon Rhodes, and Harold F. Pitcairn.
     At the evening meeting a symposium was held on Swedenborg's Rational Psychology, President Allen acting as moderator. Mr. Joel Pitcairn discussed certain scientific and mathematical aspects of the work, especially in regard to the development of Swedenborg's concept of the pure intellect. Bishop Willard D. Pendleton spoke on the relation of the work to the doctrine of correspondence formulated by Swedenborg, and the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner considered the value of the work in regard to its treatment of the moral virtues. In his informal closing remarks, Bishop de Charms said that while it is not necessary for all New Church men to study the Rational Psychology, study by the scholars of the Church is necessary for the further development of New Church education. Its influence has been great from the beginning of the Academy's work in education and that influence will increase. President Allen expressed the appreciation of the meeting to the speakers.

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General Church of the New Jerusalem 1952

General Church of the New Jerusalem              1952




     Announcements
     THIRTY-NINTH BRITISH ASSEMBLY

     PRESIDENT: REV. HUGO LJ. ODHNER

     Members and friends of the General Church of the New Jerusalem are cordially invited to attend the Thirty-ninth British Assembly, to be held at Colchester August 2nd to 4th, 1952.

     Program

Friday, August 1st
     7:00 p.m. Open Meeting of the New Church Club at Swedenborg House, 20/21 Bloomsbury Way, London. W.C. 1 Address on "The Tabernacle," illustrated with colored slides, by Mr. William R. Cooper of Bryn Athyn, Pa. All friends of the New Church, ladies as well as gentlemen, are cordially invited to be present.

Saturday, August 2nd
     5:30 p.m. Tea.
     7:30 p.m. First Session of the Assembly. Presidential Address.

Sunday, August 3rd
     11:00     a.m.     Divine Worship. Preacher: Rev Hugo Lj. Odhner.
     1:15     p.m.     Lunch.
     4:00     p.m.     Holy Supper Service.
     5:30     p.m.     Tea.
     7:00     p.m.     Second Session. Address by the Rev Morley D. Rich.

Monday, August 4th
     10:00 am. Third Session. Address by the Rev. Frank S. Rose.
     1:00 p.m. Lunch.
     Afternoon. Garden Party (light tea) at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Colley Pryke, 10 Fitzwalter Road.
     7:30 p.m. The Assembly Social. Mr. Keith Morley, Toastmaster.
     All sessions and services will be held at the Church of the New Jerusalem, 175-181 Maldon Road. The Assembly Social will be held at the Red Lion Hotel, High Street.
     Meals will be served in a marquee on the church grounds. A buffet supper will be provided at the commencement of the Assembly Social.

     Accommodation

     Those requiring accommodation should communicate with Mr. J. F. Cooper, 33
Lexden Road, Colchester.     REV. ALAN GILL, Secretary,
     9 Ireton Road, Colchester.
EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL 1952

EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL              1952

     The Annual Meetings of the Educational Council of the General Church of the New Jerusalem will be held in Bryn Athyn, Pa., from Monday, August 18th to Friday, August 22nd, inclusive.     GEORGE DE CHARMS, Bishop.

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DAWSON CREEK LOCAL ASSEMBLY 1952

DAWSON CREEK LOCAL ASSEMBLY              1952

     A Local Assembly of New Church people residing in the Ground Birch-Dawson Creek-Gorand Prairie area will be held on Thursday, July 31st, 1952, the Rev. Karl R. Alden presiding.
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
AUGUST, 1952
No. 8
     8. The Fourth and Fifth Principles

     Baptism is the door of introduction into the New Church on earth and establishes consociation with those in the other world who are in the faith of the Church.
     The Holy Supper is the most holy act of the worship in the Church; and the wine of the Holy Supper is the pure, fermented juice of the grape.

     Concerning the first of these two principles Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "Baptism is the gate of entrance into the New Church, appointed by the Lord Himself. By Baptism a man becomes a member of the New Church in both worlds. Those only who have been baptized into the faith of the New Church should be considered as eligible to membership in the general bodies of the Church" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY. pp. 8-9).
     Baptism and the Holy Supper were celebrated at the first service of worship of the external New Church in London, on July 31st. 1787. Thus Baptism was recognized, at the beginning of its formation, as the orderly means of entrance into the organized church on earth. But in time there arose those who questioned whether the New Church was meant to be distinct and separate from the former Christian Church or merely a reform movement within it. This led to the denial of the necessity of distinct New Church Baptism as the gate of entrance into the New Church. It was thought that Baptism in the former Church was sufficient; the idea being that Baptism, whether in the New or the Old Church, introduced into the same societies in the other world. If this were so, rebaptism would be unnecessary; aid this thought grew until many members of the organized New Church had not been baptized except into the former Church. It was this that necessitated the Academy's taking a firm and unequivocal stand.

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     As already mentioned, the New Church is founded upon a new Word, a revelation of the spiritual sense that alone makes it new. Baptism into the former Church, which does not know or denies this revelation, cannot be the gate of entrance into the New Church. We have a new Baptism because of the internal state of the church in the other world into which it introduces, and we therefore say that only those who enter the New Church through the gate of Baptism are eligible for membership in the organized New Church on earth. Others may be saved, may be associated by their life with the New Heaven; but without making any spiritual judgment, they should not be allotted to take an active part in the direction of the work of the organized New Church on earth. This is clear from a study of the doctrine of Baptism given in the Writings.
     The spiritual sense, we are taught, is now revealed because the Christian Church, such as it is in itself, is just now in its very beginning; the former church was Christian in name only, not in fact and essence (TCR 668), It is into this New Christian Church that Baptism into the New Church is the means of introduction and the general teaching is that in the New Church there is to be no external without its corresponding internal. The external in this case is Baptism, the internal is the understanding of what Baptism effects and the state into which it is the means of introduction in the spiritual world. The external of Baptism in the New Church differs little from that in the Old Church. But the internal, the doctrine of Baptism, is totally different; and as every external is viewed in heaven in the light of the ideas concerning it, there is no relation between Baptism in the New and in the former Church, and the one external cannot introduce into the other internal.
     New Church Baptism is the means of introduction into the acknowledgment of the Lord as the one only God, and into the company of those in the other world who are in the spiritual sense of the Word. Baptism in a church on earth which denies these truths cannot serve as an orderly means of introduction into the New Church. To believe otherwise is, our opinion is, a denial of the essential doctrines of the Church. The uses of Baptism require insertion into a society in the other world which corresponds to the use of the church into which man is baptized, a sign by which this may be known, and instruction in the truths of the spiritual sense of the Word and only New Church Baptism can introduce into the New Heaven, as only in the New Church can there be instruction in the spiritual sense, and regeneration while man lives on earth.

     Of the fifth principle Bishop Pendleton says: "The Holy Supper is the most holy act of worship and is purely representative. Since it has been openly asserted and taught that the wine of the Holy Supper is not the fermented juice of the grape, it became necessary for the Academy to take a firm stand in favor of the administration of the genuine wine of the Holy Supper-the wine that is taught in Scripture, confirmed in history, approved by reason and common sense" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY. p. 9).

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     Because the Christian Church lost all knowledge of the real use of the sacraments the kind of elements was not considered of importance; and when the total abstinence movement began, the use of fermented wine was discontinued in many of the churches and grape juice was substituted. But there was no excuse for this in the New Church, since the Writings give the correspondence of fermented wine and show clearly that it is the only proper element of the Holy Supper. What was really at stake in the substitution of grape juice for wine was the Divinity of the Writings, and it was for this reason that the Academy took a firm stand.
     A knowledge of correspondences, given in the Writings, explains the importance of the nature of the elements, and to ignore this knowledge is to deny its Divine origin. It is this that the Academy was fighting; for over a long period an organized church develops practices and customs which reflect its internal faith. The discontinuance of the use of fermented wine by Protestants resulted from their ignorance and even denial of the spiritual truth to which fermented wine corresponds, especially their denial of the Divinity of the Lord's Human, for the wine of the Holy Supper is the truth of that Human. The withholding of the wine from the people by the Roman Church resulted from its withholding from the people the right to approach the Lord immediately in the Word. And the Church's claim to possess the Lord's merit is represented, the Writings say, in the practice of cutting instead of breaking the bread.
     The teaching of the Writings concerning the use of the Holy Supper can leave no doubt of its necessity to the existence of the Church and the regeneration of the individual. Yet many New Church men and women, especially young people, fail to avail themselves of its benefits. If this is due to a feeling of unworthiness, it should be known that the Communion is called a sacrament of repentance and that a worthy state is one in which the communicant is in the sincere desire to repent of some particular sin and sees and acknowledges the need of the Lord's help. No act of worship can help a man in the life of repentance as can the Holy Supper, since by association with angelic societies it confirms him in his sincere intent to shun evils as sins against God; and we are told that those who practise self-examination and repentance early in life find it continually easier. In true order, a young man or woman would be confirmed on reaching adult age and would then begin to partake of the Holy Supper, for this is the fulfillment of their Confirmation.
     Many young people are too self-conscious and regard the Holy Supper as a mysterious rite requiring a degree of holiness.

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But this is false. Self-consciousness is often an intentness on self that stands in the way of worship, and the only holiness required is the wholehearted acknowledgment of the need of the Lord's help. The longer this is put off, the more difficult it becomes. By the time adult age is reached, there should be introduction as to intention into some angelic society. This communication with an angelic society is confirmed in the worthy partaking of the Holy Supper; and as regeneration proceeds the influx from the angelic society is confirmed further, and in each succeeding partaking in the Communion the degree of advancement is further strengthened.
COMMENCEMENT DAY ADDRESS, 1952 1952

COMMENCEMENT DAY ADDRESS, 1952       EDWARD F. ALLEN       1952

     (Delivered at the Commencement Exercises of the Academy Schools, June 13, 1952.)

     Members of the Corporation and Faculty, Friends of the Academy, and, last but not least, for if it were not for you we would not be here today, members of the graduating classes of 1952:
     Often commencement day speakers come before their audience with great wisdom and enormous experience and monumental successes from which they can draw in order to give advice to the members of the graduating class. I can assure you that I can lay claim to none of these things and that I shall offer you no advice. But I shall rather ask you to consider with me something about which I am concerned. And I shall ask that the customary practice of commencement speeches be turned around and instead of the usual discussion about your profession when you leave these halls, we consider my profession which has to do with education.
     I should like to consider some of the things which have contributed to education from ages past up to the present time and relate these things to the education which the Academy offers its students today. As far back as recorded history goes, mankind has always had schools. These schools have been very various in kind. Some of them have been very large, as, for example, those that took under their charge all able-bodied boys from a geographical region, as did the Gymnasia in Sparta. Some of these schools have been very small. There are many instances where there was wily one child in a school. For example, in many countries throughout much of history this has been the way in which girls have been educated, for often they have been trained alone in their homes.
     Now I discovered, in preparing these remarks, that there was such a great variety of these schools and of their graduation exercises that if I should try to tell you all about them I should have to write many books on the subject.

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And because I knew that you were anxious to get on with the business of living-and while you might be willing to spend a modest portion of a day in your ceremony marking one graduation, you would become a little bored if I should try to read you even just one book or so on the subject of graduation. let alone several such books-in the next few minutes I shall confine myself to giving you two brief histories of education.
     For the first of these I begin with the Spartans. They were a very practical people. With these people the state was everything. The ideal of education was to train a man to be the instrument of the state. He was trained to obey commands, to endure labor, to fight and to conquer. For Spartan boys who were graduated from the Gymnasia the supreme objective was the love of country. Many stories have come down to us to testify to the success of those Greek schools in the accomplishment of this objective. Perhaps none is better to illustrate this to us in these days than the one about the politician as told by Plutarch: "When [he] lost his election for one of the three hundred, he went away rejoicing that there were three hundred better men than himself found in the city.*
     * Plutarch: Lycurgus.
     In the middle ages also people were very practical. In discussing a supposedly modern phenomenon in education, namely, the business school, A. N. Whitehead warns: "The novelty of business schools must not be exaggerated. At no time have universities been restricted to pure abstract learning. The University of Salerno in Italy, the earliest of European universities, was devoted to medicine. In England, at Cambridge, in the year 1316, a college was founded for the special purpose of providing 'clerks for the King's service.' Universities have trained clergy, medical men, lawyers, engineers, etc."*
     * A. N. Whitehead: The Aims of Education.
     Now we in our day are also a very practical people. And our schools in our day are for the most part fashioned after this practical point of view. About a half-century ago there was a man who was very prominent among those who were training people to be teachers and who has become a symbol in education of the practical. John Dewey has just died at the age of 92. I doubt if there is a single campus in this country- yea, it is even possible that there is not a single department within a single campus-which has not to some extent been influenced, either wittingly or unwittingly, by this man's educational philosophy. It is known by the term "progressivism" and also by "pragmatism."
     I have now finished one of my histories of education that I was going to give you. It is the history of that education which always places emphasis upon the practical.

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And by "practical" here is meant the immediate accomplishment of an objective set up by the most powerful physical organization of the time, whether it is the state or whether it is industry.
     Now for many people there is an obvious objection to the school which bases its philosophy of education solely upon the practical. All through John Dewey's long life his ideas were attacked by some because of the fact that those ideas seemed to leave out of educational theory all that has to do with religion. Nevertheless, at times his philosophy does give lip service to the relation of religion to education.
     Speaking of this criticism of Dewey's position on this point a recent writer has said: "He [Dewey] made much of the 'religious attitude,' and this was considered by him to be one of the aims of progressive education . . . the writer does not believe that full justice is done to Dewey [by his critics]. It is my recollection that Dewey views religion as an activity pursued in behalf of an ideal goal, in spite of difficulties and personal loss, because of a conviction of its general and enduring value. To say that Dewey viewed religion as something lees than this is at least open to doubt."*
     * J. Hillis Miller in The Teaching of Religion in American Higher Education. Edited by Christian Gauss.
     Two observations seem apparent to me. First: This definition of religion would apply equally well to its usual domain, to the Spartan patriot, and to the modern human dynamic machine that trades success for ulcers. The second observation is this: that for a theory which has become so powerful and has become so widespread and effectively taught by its founder and co-workers, the apology quoted is to say the least a very weak one.
     Insofar as education has to do with the training of the mind, the schools which we have referred to just now depend upon an understanding of man alone and his dependence upon reason alone.
     Now at the same time that this development of the practical in education was taking place there has always been in all ages a small portion of the people of this earth devoted to an education whose aims, whose purposes, and whose hopes are timeless and go beyond immediately practical ends. In this education man alone and reason alone are not sufficient. It accepts as a first principle of education man's relation to God and the relation of man's reason to truth-to a truth whose source is Revelation.
     My second history of education consists in briefly recalling how the religious attitude has had its effect on education in ancient times, in the middle ages, and in modern times. The examples I choose are represented by the effects of the churches upon education of those times.

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     In ancient times the Jewish education was characterized by the control of children by parents, the importance of the family, of obedience, of patriotism, and of religion. The objective of this education was the production of a God-fearing people.
     In the middle ages, insofar as the Christian education affected the great multitude of its followers, the power of the example of Christ stood out as a principle governing educational methods in the Christian schools and it was characterized by what the Lord while on earth said to Thomas: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." And so, as has been observed: "He thus gave to teachers for all time a noble example and an immortal principle, vital to their success in true teaching. It is the truth that must be taught and practised by everyone worthy of the name of teacher."* And for modern times, for those of us who are concerned with the work of the Academy as parents, teachers, and students, it is for us as well to accept the tradition set down by the Jewish and Christian Churches.
     * Sebley: History of Education.
     But for the New Church we can say that these are necessary but not sufficient conditions of our education. Representative of those who are in the New Church are those of you who are graduating from the Academy today and who have chosen for your motto. "The truth will make you free."
     This motto is a sound educational principle and as such is the basis upon which rests much that is done in the Academy. The principles which guide the work of the Academy have as their source the Word as it is written in the second coming of the Lord. And in that Word the meaning of "truth" is given a deeper significance to man's reason than ever before. "Truth" is no longer merely a statement of fact. "Truth becomes more and more a part of man's very existence as he goes through life. Living a life of truth, man enters into an understanding of degrees of truth which are more and more interior. First he enters into scientific truth, next into rational truth, and fully into intellectual truth.
     Our education is that education which strives to prepare every person to understand these things for himself. It is the hope that under such an education the several objectives that have seemed desirable in the schools we have referred to will take their proper place in the evaluation which the free mind-the mind possessed of truth-can make.
     This mind, under this education, will apply its aptitudes toward the development of arts and techniques and toward learning that may be used] in the performance of a use. This mind, under this education, will arrange its loves toward the family, toward country, toward church in proper order. This mind, under this education, will acknowledge obedience to parents, teachers, and governors, but above all it will practice obedience to the Lord.

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These are the objectives of education in the New Church.
     I might well pause at this time to ask "What will it take to preserve this education with us in order that we may strive for these objectives?" At the present time one of the most successful institutions in the world in gaining its immediate objectives is communism. An ex-communist and principal witness in a recent trial in our country, when asked the question, what is communist all about and what makes it take hold of so many people all over the world?, said that the objective which unites this movement, plainly stated, is the very appealing conviction that "It is necessary to change the world." "The tie that binds them across the frontiers of nations, across barriers of language and differences of class and education in defiance of religion, morality, truth, law, honor, the weaknesses of the body and the irresolutions of the mind, even unto death, is a simple conviction: It is necessary now to change the world. Their power, whose nature baffles the rest of the world, because in a large measure the rest of the world has lost that power, is the power to hold convictions and to act upon them. Communists are that part of mankind which has recovered the power to live or die-do bear witness-for its faith. Like all powerful faiths, its force derives from a simple vision. Other ages hate had great visions. But they have always been different versions of the same vision: the vision of God and man's relationship to God.*
     * Whittaker Chambers in THE SATURDAY EVENING POST, Feb. 8, 1952.
     We have been told in the Writings of the power that is in ultimates-a power for good or evil. And in the ultimate, which is the language of this ex-communist, we see the power that is today being put to an evil use. And yet what is his language is also our language. For here we see an appeal to faith. Here we see an appeal to vision. But it is a "vision of man without God."
     Those who preceded us in the establishment of the Academy also saw the power in these same ultimates. They also had a vision, they also had a faith. They saw that "the vision of God and man's relationship to God" had become lost to the Church. And they saw that to reestablish this vision and this faith it was necessary to go to the source of truth, the Word.
     It is therefore proper that on this last day of the school year those of us who are parents, those of us who are teachers, and those of us who are graduates should unite in our thoughts to seek anew that vision and to renew that pledge of faith in order that that educational system established in this Academy may be preserved and strengthened for those who come after you-the graduating classes-and also that that education now begun with you may continue through all your life.

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PHILOSOPHIC BACKGROUND OF COMMUNISM 1952

PHILOSOPHIC BACKGROUND OF COMMUNISM       Jr. DONALD FITZPATRICK       1952

     (A student in the College of the Academy of the New Church. Read at the College Gymnasium Banquet, May 15, 1952.)

     Communism in practice is like a weed-a weed that has a long tap root buried in the subsoil, with shallower rootlets in the topsoil. The tap root goes deep into the ancient concepts of society and nature, and these concepts form the basis of communist theory. The shallow routs, adjusting themselves to hold the plant whether the topsoil be loose or firm, allow communist theory to change with the times, adapting it to grow quickly or slowly as external conditions permit.
     This weed of communism has been a long time in growing to its present size. At first it was no more than a potential system, as a plant is potential in its parent seed. It was then only an idealistic, often religious philosophy, with supporters who could never have imagined it in its present form. Gradually, however, the seed germinated as man's state of mind cultivated and fertilized the soil in which it was to grow, and from which it was to take its nourishment.
     If we were to dig around this weed, and examine more closely the soil in which it grows, we would see that it springs from three basic philosophical strata. Deepest is the ancient idea of the state of nature, or "jus naturale," which says that community of property is the natural state of things in the world about man. The middle soil is that of Manichaeism, an ancient religion which interprets human history as a constant struggle between two powerful opposing elements such as good and evil, spirit and matter, or light and darkness. The topsoil feeding modern communism is the theory of Karl Marx, which, like other topsoils, has elements of the soils beneath it as well as those distinctly its own. Marxian theory, as we shall see, takes important parts from both the "jus naturale" and Manichaeian concepts. To these, the father of modern communist theory added his own materialism is ideas, and his feelings about capitalism. The result was the weed which is now spreading its seed abroad in a powerful attempt to choke out all other plants and gain control of all the field for itself.
     Let us take these three basic soils, the concepts underlying modern communist thought and action, and examine them to see where they came from, and what part they play in the formation of theories of communism as we know it and most face it.

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     First, "jus naturale," the state of nature theory. Isaac Newton stated that, in the physical universe, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So in the realm of thought there are often reactions to certain occurrences. Such was the case in ancient times when civilization had developed to the point where a life entirely bound and intimately dependent upon an uncontrollable nature, gave way to a life characterized by a more settled and secure type of agriculture the use of metals, the growth of towns, and the development of the arts and commerce.
     With these changes came a separation of society into ranks with varying and often opposing interests. Soon there followed a reaction against this new civilization not unlike those characterized today by the phrase "back to nature." Mankind looked fondly on that lost golden age when nature had ruled life. There were no clashing ranks, no discordant interests, no entangling commerce, no crowded towns. Then all was peace men were equal, all was harmony, for injustice did not exist. This discontent was the beginning of the dream of communism.
     Plato looked back and saw Greece in the golden age, much different from the Greece he knew. The political democracy of Pericles seemed to him to have gone amiss. There was no more harmony. The solution to the difficulty was, to Plato at least, quite apparent. Harmony must be restored by establishing community of goods from which each man might have a real share in the commonwealth. The idea sounds familiar. However, Plato went farther. In his Republic, he deduced that a perfect state needs perfect men and women to control it. Selective breeding and intensive physical, moral, and intellectual training were the logical answers. These perfect individuals would control or own all things in common, and personal interests would be subjected to the interest of the state as a whole. Though Plato saw that these ideals might be extremely- difficult to attain, he nevertheless urged working toward them, for when they were realized the world would again be in a golden age, as natural law seemed to dictate.
     This theory of the state of nature lived nit long after the Greeks, even in its original form. The Romans referred to it often, and it seemed to some men that the idea received added support with the coming of the Lord, whose natural teachings warned, "Lay up not for yourselves treasures upon earth," and, "If thou wilt be perfect. go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." Indeed, the theory lived on until Marx took parts of it for his own philosophy.
     The second concept, that called Manicheism, arose in the third century A.D. in Persia. Its principal doctrine, established by the founder Manes, was that of strict dualism, with the two elements ceaselessly struggling against one another. In the jigsaw puzzle of communist philosophy, it has this place

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Since good and evil, say in the form of spirit and matter respectively, were constantly at war, all true men wished naturally to be on the side of good, or spirit; and in order to support that good fully they must give up material ideas and goods. Obviously, private property linked men to materialism, and thus renunciation of this property and a return to asceticism were vital to salvation. It was an easy step, then, to the idea that the preservation of society and man depended on the adoption of some form of communism.
     At first this concept seemed to fit well with Christianity also, but as Christian doctrine developed. Manicheism fell into disfavor, and was ultimately regarded as heretical. This theory also lived on, however, to be utilized by Marx in his work much later.
     These two concepts, "jus naturale" and Manicheism, were mainly philosophical and religious. Communism with their originators was an ideal goal, to be reached if possible by peaceful means, although realization seemed far away indeed. Their principal concern was with man's well-being. In order that communism as we know it might develop, there had to be a unifying factor which could bring all previous doctrines together, and produce from them something much more practical and much less impossible for which to strive.
     This unifying factor came from Karl Marx and his partner Friedrich Engels. It remained for these two men to rework the old ideals of communism and hybridize them into a new strain of weed-plant, practical communism, by selecting hardy ideas and grafting to them new concepts developed in their own minds. It is largely due to the work of Marx and Engels that communism finds itself no longer in the shaded soil of speculation, but in the rich field of realization. These men made communism a mass movement, an attainable goal.
     In the task of modernizing and perfecting communism, Marx took from the earlier philosophies the concepts of class struggle, the repudiation of private property in regard to goods produced and consumed, and the necessity for radical change in the form of society. To these he added ideas of his own which were prompted mainly by communist views on the condition of the capitalistic system as it had developed by the middle of the nineteenth century. These strictly Marxian ideas have now all but overshadowed the former ideals as far as theory goes, for Marx was dealing with a new situation.
     To fit this new situation he evolved a modified doctrine of class struggle which was summed up in the first section of the Communist Manifesto, a statement written with the help of Engels in 1847. The section reads: "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebian, guildmaster and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight which each time ended either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes."

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While this doctrine rings with somewhat the same tone as did those of earlier communist philosophers, the later concepts of Marx did not. Principal among these are two, the naturalistic interpretation of history and the theory of surplus value.
     For the first of these, Marx borrowed the dialectic theory of Hegel, who held that all progress comes by a gradual series of clashes between two forces or systems which he called thesis and antithesis. Each separate clash between a higher and a lower idea produced a synthesis better than either of the first, yet taking parts of each into itself.
     However, Marx took this theory and stood it on its head, for while Hegel held that there was an idealistic force promoting this progress, Marx held the theory that purely material processes govern it. Thus he arrived at his materialistic concept which says, "The mode of production in material life determines the general character of the social, political, and spiritual processes of life. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but on the contrary their social existence determines their consciousness.
     From this idea, Engels concluded that "the final causes of all social changes and political revolutions are to be sought, not in men's brains, not in man's better insight into eternal truths and justice, but in changes in modes of production and exchange. They are to be sought not in the philosophy, but in the economics of each particular epoch. On these bases it is but a short step to denial of religion which Marx called, "nothing but the fantastic reflection in men's minds of the external forces which dominate their very existence."
     Marx other main doctrine, the theory of surplus value, is the theme of his book Das Kapital. It states that under capitalism, men produce goods which have certain value in terms of labor, the only true measure of value. For this labor they are paid enough to live on, and whatever profit above the value of this labor the capitalist bourgeois makes is surplus value, going to benefit himself and further suppress labor.
     This injustice, in Marx' view, will ultimately lead to the revolution of the working class, or proletariat, and will be the fuse that touches off the final charge to destroy capitalism, a top-heavy system already crumbling under its own weight. This latter idea, that capitalism is already on the road to ruin, is part of Marx' subsidiary doctrine of crises, which states that all past systems have carried in them the forces for their own destruction.

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     Thus, to Marx, communism was inevitable, rather than impossible or almost so. It is a stage in the development of society. The last stage, however; for after its establishment there will again be justice and equality in a classless world, and no further progress will be possible or necessary. The dream of the early ideal communists had been beautiful a return to society's golden age. Marx destroyed the beauty of that dream by making communism the justification for the destruction of a system he hated,
     It remained now for a group of men to study and actively apply Marxian doctrines. One such group was the Bolshevik Party in Russia. In the philosophy of Marx, and in the additions to be made to it by prominent Bolsheviks like Lenin, we see the directing theory of Russian communism today. The basic idea of Bolshevism has a stateless society as its ultimate goal. Until this goal is reached, however, the state must exercise progressively stricter control and greater power to crush the enemies of the new society. This latter part of the formula, at least, has been well applied. In Bolshevism's original plan, religion was not only to be discredited, but completely stamped our, by propaganda and altering of the social conditions which foster its growth. The Russians claim that their form of communism is the only logical outcome of the doctrines of Marx. It is Marxism geared to meet and over-ride new obstacles.
     Modern communism is an international movement, aimed at wiping out all national boundaries and differences. It is to be the practical side of the theory of Marx. Its aim is simple, the complete and utter destruction of the capitalist state and all spiritual, moral, and social standards that go with it, by means of mass insurrection and class terrorism. There must be no regard for conventional justice. To the modern believer, communism is like a wonderful new religion, and it is his task to help it come into fullest possible power by any means available to him.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "8. God is continually withdrawing man from evils, so far as man, from freedom, is willing to be withdrawn. So far as man can be withdrawn from evils, so far God leads him to good, thus to heaven; but so far as he cannot be withdraw to from evils, so far God cannot lead him to good, thus to heaven. For so far as he is withdrawn from evils, so far he does good from God, which in itself is good; but so far as he is not withdrawn from evils so far he does good from himself, and this has evil in itself" (AE 1136).

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ORDINATIONS 1952

ORDINATIONS       Various       1952

     JUNE 19, 1952


     DECLARATIONS OF FAITH AND PURPOSE

     I believe that the Writings are a Divine revelation; that they constitute the second and final coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
     I believe that the two fundamental doctrines of the Writings are these: that there is only one God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the life of religion consists in shunning all evils as sins against Him.
     I believe that the Divine end in creation is a heaven from the human race; and that an organized church body, and an organized priesthood, are the orderly means to this end.
     My purpose is to serve the Divine end in creation by promoting the establishment of the church on earth. In offering myself for the priesthood I pray that my purpose be from the Lord. I pray that the Lord will withhold me from selfish ends and give me the wisdom to serve His uses.
     GEOFFREY S. CHILDS, JR.



     I believe that in the Lord Jesus Christ there is the Divine Trinity of Father, Son, awl Holy Spirit. For I believe that Jehovah God descended into the world as Jesus Christ-being born of the virgin Mary, and thus assuming a finite, infirm human from her. Yet within this human there dwelt an infinite and Divine soul which was Jehovah Himself. I believe that from this soul the Lord was able to combat and subjugate the hells, and by this He saved mankind and glorified His Human, making it Divine and uniting it to the Infinite. And I believe that from this union the Divine truth, the Holy Spirit, is able to proceed from the Divine Human, and thus manifest God to man in a way impossible before the advent. Because there is this trinity in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that He is the one and only God of heaven and earth, and that He is the Creator Redeemer, and Savior of mankind.
     I believe that the Divinely revealed truths of the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg constitute the Lord's second coming, just as the New Testament is the inspired record of His first advent, and as the Old Testament is His manifestation of Himself prior to His coming.

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I believe that these three revelations are the infinite Word of God-the Holy Spirit, the Divine truth proceeding from the Divine Human and accommodated to finite minds. But I believe that in the Writings the Lord is more clearly manifested than in previous revelations, for in them the hidden truths of the internal sense of the Word are laid bare. I believe that in the Writings the Lord can be seen with the understanding as to His real nature; for the Writings are truly the Lord with us, the Divine Human clearly manifested to the rational mind of man.
     I believe that in the Writings there is a new covenant between God and man, for in them the Lord has revealed the spiritual laws whereby man may enter into a genuine love to the Lord and towards the neighbor. And I believe that this new covenant can be fulfilled only by man's shunning evils as sins against God and living a life of charity. Because the Writings are a new covenant between God and man, I believe that they are intended to be the revelation for a new church. I believe that this New Church is the holy city, New Jerusalem, foretold in the Apocalypse, and that the Writings are the Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem. I believe that all are of this New Church who love the truths of its doctrine and live a life according to them.
     I believe that it is the Lord alone who establishes the New Church on earth, but I believe that He does this by means of men so that Divine order and human freedom can be maintained. Therefore I believe that the priesthood of the New Church is a Divinely ordained use which is a vital part of the life, worship, and order of the New Church. I believe that the call to, and ordination into, this use is from the Lord alone.
     In presenting myself for ordination into the priesthood of the New Church I pray that the Lord will give me the love, strength, and ability to be of use in the further establishment of His church. I pray that He will lead me into an ever clearer understanding of His truth and into an ever stronger love of His good. I pray that He will ever give me the genuine humility to acknowledge that all is from Him, and nothing from myself. I pray that He will form me into a keen instrument to be used in the upbuilding of His church, which is the work of His hands alone.
     B. DAVID HOLM.




     I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only God of heaven and earth: that in Him dwells the essential trine of Father, or the Divine of love, Son, or the Divine of wisdom, and Holy Spirit, or the Divine of use.
     I believe that the Lord has made His second coming, in and through, the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg: that those Writings reveal the interior or spiritual sense of the Scriptural Word: and that they thus constitute, without reserve, the very Word of God equally with the Old and New Testaments.

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     I believe that a man lives the life that leads to heaven in so far as he conjoins faith and charity in the performance of use, which is to apply one's knowledge of truth to life from love to the Lord and one's fellow men.
I believe the doctrine of the priesthood as set forth in the Writings in and as that doctrine is seen and understood by the General Church. I believe that the priesthood is Divinely appointed and ordained for the establishment and maintenance of the church among men, and that its essential function is to teach the truth and to lead men thereby.
     I believe that this call to the ministry is of the Lords Providence. With the prayer that He may grant me strength to withstand all temptation to abuse this sacred office I do hereby dedicate my life to the service of His church.
     DANDRIDGE PENDLETON.




     I believe that there is one God of heaven and earth who, although infinitely transcending finite comprehension, has revealed Himself to mankind in His Word-at first prophetically, then in the person of Jesus Christ, and finally as to His Divine Human in the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.
     Men, of themselves, are evil. But if they seek guidance and instruction in the Word, and form their lives according to the truth as they are given to see it, the Lord will breathe into them spiritual life and will establish His New Church in their hearts.
     I believe that the Divine Human is now present on earth in the Writings. The hope of the individual, of the church, and of the world is to seek the Lord in His newly revealed Word. In so far as this is done from a love of truth for its own sake the Lord will provide for the descent of this holy city, New Jerusalem, into the hearts and lives of men.
     I believe that the Lord alone teaches and leads, but that the priesthood is one of the Divinely appointed means through which this is done. I stand before the Lord with the prayer that I may serve Him in the work of further establishing His church on earth. May the Lord bless me with increased devotion to this task. May He give me the power to submit my will to His Divine love, and my life to His holy use.
     FRANK S. ROSE

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NEED FOR A WIDER INTEREST IN SWEDENBORG'S PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS 1952

NEED FOR A WIDER INTEREST IN SWEDENBORG'S PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS       Various       1952

     (Speeches delivered at a supper held by the Swedenborg Scientific Association, May 27th, 1952.)

     The assigned topic has been changed into a question in this instance because you will find that my answer may be considered negative. My answer is that of a layman-not a layman simply in the sense of not being a member of the clergy, but in the sense used by any group to designate someone lacking their qualifications. This is not self-abasement, but a reminder that it may be the layman's answer that is to be sought. Unquestionably, the ministry should, and does, find a real use for these works, and without doubt any man of the Church associated with teaching or the sciences will find in them much of value and interest. But the layman-neither minister, philosopher, or scientist by profession-may, by his very lack of professional interest, need, more than these, a perspective on these works by the man we all believe to have been Divinely inspired to bring to earth the second coming of the Lord.
     Many numbers may be quoted from the Writings which describe either uses or dangers of philosophical and scientific study. In the CONCORDANCE the references are divided about 50-50 for and against; and these are summed up in Apocalypse Explained no. 507:2; "He is wise through scientifics when by them he confirms truths and goods of the church, and he is insane through scientifics when by them he weakens and refutes the truths and goods of the church."
     Scientifics and philosophy, used somewhat interchangeably in the Writings, are said to represent the letter of the Word, and this seems to me to apply even more pertinently to the Word of the second coming. We all agree that Swedenborg was specially prepared by the Lord from birth for the greatest use ever to be performed by mere man, and that his works before the opening of his spiritual eyes were essential to that preparation. We know that he was more than just an outstanding scientist and philosopher, because the end of these works was to see the Divine. This very fact enlightened his works beyond those of his contemporaries.
     But the question remains: The Writings alone can more than fill our minds. The philosophical works were written before the opening of Swedenborg's spiritual eyes, and it takes a good deal more than a casual study of these works to reap from them a true harvest.

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Shall the layman, then 1) devote many hours to study of these works? 2) shall he glance at them from time to time, without the serious study they deserve and require? or, 3) shall he dismiss them from his mind, except when particular occasions indicate a specific reason for referring to them? I would submit an answer involving three not unrelated parts.
     The first of these is that as Swedenborg was prepared to see spiritual truth by means of these works we, too, must undergo preparation on a lower plane before we will be enabled to see spiritual truth of a higher plane. Such preparation is essential because an orderly rational is needed for introduction to intellectual truths. On this score we may note also that without such an orderly preparation of Swedenborg's mind, we might not be able to accept the Writings. Certainly, in some early states, acceptance of the Writings might not be possible without the evidence of the scientific works of the orderly, disciplined, rational, and intellectual mind of the revelator. This part of the answer implies that as Swedenborg was prepared by his search for truth in science and philosophy, we, also, will be prepared by similar study. This might allow, however, that our preparation would be in the science of our day, for we feel sure that if Swedenborg were alive today he would explore it to the full.
     A second part of the answer may, however, be indicated by the fact that after the opening of his spiritual eyes Swedenborg may be said to have lost interest in the scientific and philosophical works, turning his attention to matters of the spirit. When Swedenborg had at last achieved the authoritative enlightenment that could have, if important, completed and explained those questions unanswered in the earlier works, he added no significant information that can properly be considered an extension of the philosophical works. These two apparently contradictory answers combine to point out that preparation is necessary before true enlightenment can take place, but that a genuine interest in spiritual truth will supplant concern for matters not spiritual.
     The final part of my answer, however, may be less obvious and more serious. Our interest in Swedenborg and his work stems from our acceptance of him as the Divinely inspired revelator. His Writings are the very Word of God. And yet they were revealed through a human instrument. They were not given in mystic flaming inscriptions on tablets of gold, appearing from nowhere in a clap of thunder. They are real, concrete, tangible, and orderly; rational, logical, and intellectual. They are true in a sense that nothing else has been true in all history: but they are physical documents from the relatively primitive pen of a man of 18th century Europe, written in his words and given form through his vocabulary, experience, and ideas.

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     Swedenborg's preparation has made a mark on the Writings. The philosophical and scientific works influenced the format, organization, reasoning process, and even the very words of the Writings. For this reason our attitude toward the scientific works will have a bearing on our attitude toward the Writings. Though the Writings are the Word of God they have an external form; and as scientifics represent the letter of the Word, and are said to include therefore apparent conflicts and errors, so Swedenborg's scientifics have affected the letter of the Writings. The imperfect letter of the Word in no way detracts from the perfect internal.
     We may remember that the Lord's life on earth, too, was one of human limitations and preparation. The Divine of the Lord could not at first be seen because of the external form of His advent. The Writings are the second advent, and they, too, have an external form-an earthly external from Swedenborg as the Lord's body was from Mary. What might be called the "Swedenborg body" of the second advent must also be cast off before the Lord can be seen in His full glory.
     This earthly aspect of the Writings includes all that Swedenborg brought to the Writings, in contrast to the real truth which is from the Lord alone. Swedenborg brought to the Writings words and ideas that served to illustrate or express spiritual truths made known to him. But this does not mean that those words and ideas thereby acquire Divine authority. Swedenborg, I believe, would be the first to discredit his expressions. He speaks frequently of the inadequacy of human words and ideas. He uses similes and examples, not because they are Divine, but because they provide a rational means for seeing spiritual truths.
     An example may help. Swedenborg refers to the butterfly, the tarantula, and to flies in the Writings. The butterfly illustrates, and indeed represents, resurrection. The tarantula is said to cause St. Vitus' Dance, which is likened to the strange twitchings of a mind without charity. Flies are said to generate spontaneously, as an illustration of the truth that evil influx can produce noxious effects on earth. These three spiritual ideas are full of truth, but this is no Divinely inspired study of entomology. Similar examples could be cited involving ideas in the Writings which are full of spiritual truth but whose letter, from Swedenborg, is in conflict with our present thinking. Let us hope that our faith in the New Church is not dependent either on an ability to twist words to justify and bring them into line, or a blind acceptance of ideas contrary to the thought patterns which fit into our practical lives. We may think of the tragedy that occurs when Christians cling to the letter of the Old Testament.
     The allotted time does not allow full treatment of this subject, so let these lay ideas be summed up, as follows. First: true enlightenment of the individual or of the church requires preparation-orderly, logical, practical, and rational.

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Second: true enlightenment will be evidenced by diminishing concern for external matters and a turning to matters of the spirit. Third: our efforts to establish the church within ourselves and on the earth must differentiate between the Swedenborg-aspects of the revelation and the Divine truths of that revelation. Both must be seen and explored, but they must not be confused.
     The minister, teacher, or scientist, then, will enjoy a full interest in these works that increase his usefulness. The layman may turn to them when interest indicates a use in so doing, but beware that his search for truth is not distracted by the fascination of Swedenborg description of inhabitants of the planets. If we remember that Swedenborg scientifics illustrate inner truths, they may be enjoyed, admired, and used, without danger either of ascribing to the Lord Swedenborg's errors and limitations, or ascribing to Swedenborg that which belongs strictly to the one only God of heaven and earth.
     LEON RHODES.




     My remarks will be directed to the proposition that Swedenborg was the greatest philosopher of all time. No one else has presented a rational relationship between mind and matter. On the one hand, the materialists maintain that the material universe is the only reality. On the other hand, the idealists maintain that the only reality is the operation of the mind, and their philosophy does not even admit that the mind has the sub-structure of a physical brain.
     Most modern philosophers find it imperative to choose between the physical universe as being the only reality, or the operations of the mind as being the only reality. The amazing thing is that they find it impossible to accept both as reality. Now this does not make sense to the layman, and it did net make sense to Swedenborg. While the layman intuitively knows that both are reality, he is unable to explain how they both are. On the other hand, in Rational Psychology Swedenborg presents a rational explanation of how and why they both are reality.
     This dilemma is solved by his doctrine of "Correspondences." concerning which Swedenborg wrote in Rat. Psy. 567 that it has hitherto been unknown in the world. (It should be noted that while the term correspondence is sometimes used in the Writings, as in AC 7850, with the same denotaton as in Rational Psychology, in many cases it means something else.) This doctrine gives the only explanation of how affections and thoughts which are non-spatial are translated into physical actions of the body, and how the mind, which dwells within but in a discrete degree above, the brain, is conscious of its bony and the material world.

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     In a District Assembly address published in the December, 1951, NEW CHURCH LIFE, Bishop Willard D. Pendleton showed that the Doctrine of Correspondence, developed in Rational Psychology, is the law of communication and that this applies both to the communication of the mind and the body in an individual, and the communication of one mind with another mind.
     This doctrine of correspondences is only one example, out of a great many, of Swedenborg's unique and penetrating insight in analyzing and solving difficult philosophical problems. In our view he could not have achieved his great stature had it not been for his profound belief in God-Man the Creator, and in the Word. It is because of this that he was led to consider such subjects as shunning evils, and conjugial love.
     In regard to the former he wrote: As concerns the liberty of thinking and judging, this liberty is almost absolute; but the quality of the thought is as the quality of the intellect. The greatest freedom is this: of ones self to restrain the thought from running whithersoever cupidity draws it; for if cupidity is admitted into the thought, and not chained or inhibited at this first threshold, it easily fills the whole mind so that the mind is no longer the arbiter of itself. Hence, true liberty consists in the mind being able to command itself, and to shake off the yoke of its animus. As to how this is effected, this can be demonstrated physiologically' (Rat. Psy. 362).
     In regard to conjugial love Swedenborg wrote in part: In nature, if there is to be a one, the active and the passive must concur: that is to say, if the one is passive as the other is active, then the two together are a one. This is called a pair of consorts or a marriage. Furthermore, nature has ordained that the wife is of a passive disposition, and the husband of an active disposition. Moreover, this is favored by freedom, which is the highest delight of the mind and the principal essence of every pleasing affection; for the greatest freedom exists when the mind and will of the one is that of the other. The mind is then as though left to itself, with the favoring grace that it is communicated o the other. These and many other things affect minds and unite them, and this in such way that when venereal love and the pleasure arising from the union of bodies ceases, the unition of minds remains. In time, moreover, this affects the pure mind itself, being the mind of the intellectory. Hence arises a union still more intimate, which surpasses any union of the rational mind, and becomes such that it cannot be expressed in terms, all that is derived immediately from that pure fountain, that is, from the intellectory, being inexpressible in words. If, moreover, a spiritual end is likewise desired by both, then their souls are inmostly united in respect to their operations. He-ice arises heavenly life on earth, and one can well believe that the souls of the two will be consociated in the heavens.

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But such marriages and such loves are not entered into and perfected by chance but by the peculiar providence of God" (Rat. Psy. 207).
     From passages such as these it may be seen that Swedenborg, the philosopher, was being prepared to become the revelator.
     HAROLD F. PITCAIRN.




     The learned world today is greatly in need of Swedenborg philosophical system, particularly in its role as a vital support and mainstay for the religious faith of the New Church. Without this faith, mankind seems unlikely to free itself from a possibly fatal dilemma.
     This dilemma is a consequence of the fact that modern man has become increasingly indifferent to spiritual things, indifferent to the very spiritual truths, in fact, whose acceptance by mankind is vital to the ultimate preservation of morality and thus of civilization itself. One reason for this indifference lies in the difficulty of reconciling contemporary religion and modern science, the contest between which is being steadily won by science. Standing confidently upon the powerful, so-called scientific method of thinking which has enjoyed such dramatic successes in our age, science is more than a match for modern religion. The liberal faiths, in order to keep up with changing opinions and new scientific developments, have steadily watered themselves down toward the social welfare agency level. Science is an easy victor also over the fundamentalist religions whose unyielding dogmatism can often be made to look ridiculous as well as unscientific.
     Arising out of this modern indifference to spiritual things is the growing belief that the ills of mankind can be cured by universal application of the scientific method. The humanist philosophers, for example, hold that this scientific method, applied to social and economic endeavors, would lead ultimately to peace, prosperity and happiness among men, and would improve morality- or ethical behavior. This is a frankly materialistic position whose chief support lies in the fact that the scientific method has been so fruitfully applied in the field of natural science.
     The attempt to apply the scientific method to the solution of human problems which involve spiritual phenomena is, of course, ridiculous, except perhaps to the materialist who recognises no spiritual reality. Furthermore, experience testifies that such a misapplication of the scientific method would fail to bring about Utopia, even of the materialistic sort. It would, on the contrary, lead to the destruction of society. This is indicated by the history of past civilizations which achieved high material standards of living and high standards of culture of the sort promised by the humanists. All these civilizations finally degenerated morally and at last physically. A similar degeneration is observed in our own twentieth-century materialistic Utopia, in which living standards of the common man have improved vastly beyond the wildest hopes of the past.

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Accompanying this material progress, there has certainly not been a corresponding improvement in morality. If anything, the reverse is true, i.e., moral behavior seems to have grown worse in our tunes, both with individuals and collectively among organized groups of societies and nations.
     In other words, much evidence exists to refute the humanists' claim that society can be improved by application of the scientific method to social problems. This leaves modern man still in an unsatisfactory position between two undesirable extremes. He is reluctant, on the one hand, to accept the tenets of contemporary religions, which no longer give convincing answers to the questions of a skeptical, scientific age. And on the other, he is disillusioned by the empty claims of materialistic panaceas for social ills to which experience and reason give the lie.
     Out of this dilemma there is only one way. This is the establishment among men of a true philosophy, a philosophy which takes its authority from the spiritual truths of revelation, confirming these with logical argument and with illustrations taken from science. Only Swedenborg's philosophical system meets these requirements. His philosophy differs from all others because of the unique underlying principles or doctrines which were postulated by Swedenborg and employed as a guide to his reasoning processes and arguments.
     The special usefulness of Swedenborg philosophical system can perhaps be better appreciated by comparing certain general aspects of its structure and techniques with those of contemporary philosophies. Philosophical reasoning cannot discover first causes since these are spiritual, but only mediate causes, which operate in the world of nature. Modern philosophies, therefore, are either materialistic, i.e., taking their authority entirely from scientific investigation, or else they are speculative, indefinite and variable, having no universally recognized authority. Either position involves difficulties which result from serious, fundamental limitations inherent in the scientific method of thinking. These limitations, which do not always receive the attention they deserve, can be better appreciated by breaking down the scientific method into its component parts. This discipline, for our purposes, may be considered as a two-step process: the first consisting of analysis, i.e., the inductive formulation of generalizations from particular observations or data; the second step being one of synthesis, i.e., the deductive confirmation of such generalizations by testing their applicability to still other appropriate particulars. The difficulty arises in the generalizing step, which takes place only because of the existence in the mind of a perceptive faculty whose real nature is scarcely known-flashes of insight we call it, or, sometimes, creative imagination.

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Since this faculty varies with each man, the resulting generalizations, while they may apply to the data at hand, will inevitably be limited and fallible, and capable of biassed or unbalanced emphasis.
     It is commonly observed that two men will draw different conclusions from the same observation. Both conclusions may be quite correct but differ primarily in emphasis. It has often happened that scientists have drawn very important conclusions or generalizations from an experiment identical with one conducted previously by other men who drew therefrom only trivial generalizations. There is much truth in the somewhat cynical saying that men see only what they want to see. Often, even a stated conclusion, carefully considered by two men, will have for each a different meaning. This results partly, of course, from the inadequacy of language to express ideas. However, does it not also further illustrate an important limitation of the scientific method, i.e., that as men's minds differ in ability to draw ideas out of language, so also they will draw different generalizations out of observation and experiment?
     If, then, there are serious limitations to the use of the scientific method in matters of science and natural philosophy, it is clear that this method, employed by modern philosophic systems, is not adequate to the needs of a true philosophy which shall be consistent with revealed spiritual truth. Revelation can be supported only by a true philosophy, i.e., one whose inductive-deductive arguments are guided by true principles or doctrines rather than by the whims and prejudices of individual minds. Human reason is thereby freed to investigate causes, not blindly and gropingly, but in the light of an authoritative, balanced and reasonable set of orienting doctrines.
     Such principles or doctrines were formulated by Swedenborg during the development of his philosophic system: the doctrine of uses, the doctrine of degrees, the doctrine of influx, the doctrine of correspondences, and others familiar to students of Swedenborg. That these doctrines were Providentially indicated to Swedenborg during his philosophic labors is clear from the fact that they are all confirmed in the revelation given in his later theological writings. These doctrines are more, then, than merely postulates; and just as they served Swedenborg as a guide in developing his unsurpassed system of philosophy, so they can be depended upon to give us more than ordinary insight into problems to which we may apply them.
     It is considered important, then, that a wider interest be encouraged in Swedenborg's philosophical works, in order that men may learn to think from truth in their investigations of natural facts and phenomena. It may be also that some men, who could not be satisfied by revelation alone, may be led to the truth through a system of philosophy whose doctrines confirm revelation.

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It is true that the inclination and ability to think philosophically is not with all of us to the same degree or in the same way. Whether we study philosophy deeply and in detail, however, or only in a simple, general way, it is true for all of us that we need a satisfactory link between natural experience and revealed spiritual truth. Swedenborg system of philosophy supplies that need. Finally, and this is most important, it is the function of this new philosophy, taken together with the faith of the New Church, to inspire all of us, indeed, all mankind, toward a new way of life: toward the new morality which alone gives hope of saving civilization.
     CHARLES S. COLE, JR.

[EDITORIAL NOTE: The symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Swedenborg Scientific Association, and the transactions of that meeting, are to be found in the July issue of THE NEW PHILOSOPHY. ]
LONDON REPORT 1952

LONDON REPORT       Editor       1952

     The 142nd Report of the Swedenborg Society, which was received some time ago, contains impressive evidence that throughout another difficult year the Society has continued actively its policy of producing improved translations and maintaining in print the works of Swedenborg. That this policy includes active distribution is shown by the fact that total grants and sales in 1931-1952 amounted to 4,187 books and 1,914 booklets. And that there is an increasing interest in. and support of. the Society work is clear from the further fact that last year's record membership of 611 has been increased by a net gain of 16 to 627.
     In the field of translation, publication, and printing it is mentioned that the second volume of the third Latin edition of Arcana Coelestia is in the hands of the blinders and that proofs of the third volume and half of the fourth have been received. The Last Judgment has been issued, the printing of Brief Exposition is proceeding and should be completed shortly, and printing has begun of the revision of Conjugial Love prepared for the Society by the Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton. No progress has been made on the new translation of Apocalypse Revealed, and the new edition of FOUNDATION TRUTHS has been suspended; but revisions of Heaven and Hell and The Four Doctrines have been put in hand and good progress made, and a revised edition of the booklet THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is has been prepared and printed. Bishop Acton's lecture on the occasion of the Society's celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of the Arcana has been published as TRANSACTION No. 5 in an edition of 2,000 copies.

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     Foreign translations have not been neglected. The Gujerati and Yoruba translations of The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine have been printed and will be distributed, respectively, by Dr. David in Bombay and the Rev. M. 0. Ogundipe in West Africa. It has been decided to print The Doctrine of the Lord in Zulu, and a booklet in Icelandic is under consideration. Finally, a grant to the Italian Swedenborg Society has made possible the printing of The Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture, which will be followed by other works.
     Other work undertaken by the Society has continued steadily. Thus a final draft of the regulations for translators and consultants came into effect in May, 1951, and several notes have since been added to the Code Supplement. The collection of material for a Lexicon of Swedenborg's Latin has continued and now amounts to some 15,000 extracts from the Writings. There has been progress also in the work on the Documents concerning Swedenborg, and in the indexing of the collateral section of the library.
     Mention is made also of the Swedenborg Birthday Meeting, which was reported in our news columns (April, p. 215), and of three lectures arranged for the winter. These lectures, on Swedenborg's Psychology. "Free Will," and "The Earths in the Universe" were given by the Revs. G. T. Hill, M.A., Arthur Clapham, and Clifford Harley, respectively.
     We would mention finally that the Report sounds one ominous note which, in view of the Society's policy and achievements, should be taken rather as a challenge. The costs of book production in England have increased so greatly that only a greatly increased income can enable the Society to continue its policy unchanged without increasing the price of its publications to an extent that might affect distribution adversely.
     THE EDITOR.
LORD 1952

LORD              1952

     "Jehovah God assumed the Human that in the fulness of time He might become the Redeemer and Savior. He became the Redeemer and Savior by the justice which, as to the Human, He then put on. He could not have become justice, and thus the Redeemer and Savior, as to the Human except by Divine truth; since by the Divine truth from the beginning all things were made which were made. The Divine truth could fight against the hells, and could be tempted, blasphemed, reproached, and suffer. But not the Divine good, neither God, except in the Human conceived and born according to Divine order. Jehovah God therefore descended as to the Divine truth and assumed the Human" (Can. Red. ii: 1-6).

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CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word: "Aaron represents the Lord as to the Divine good or the priesthood; but here, before he was initiated into the priesthood, the doctrine of good and truth; and therefore also it is said that he should 'be to Moses for a mouth, and Moses to him for God;' for by Moses is represented the Lord as to the Divine truth that proceeds immediately from the Lord; consequently, by Aaron, the Divine truth which proceeds mediately from the Lord, which is the doctrine of good and truth. That truth which Moses here represents is truth which cannot be heard or perceived by man (n. 6932), but the truth which Aaron represents is truth which can be both heard and perceived by man" (AC 6998).

     The Writings: "The priesthood which is represented by Aaron is the work of salvation of those who are in the Lords celestial kingdom, which kingdom is properly understood in the Word by the 'kingdom of priests:' but the priesthood which is represented by the sons of Aaron is the work of salvation of those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom . . . but the priesthood which is represented by the Levites is the Lord's work of salvation again proceeding from the former" (AC 10017).
EDITORIAL NOTE 1952

EDITORIAL NOTE       Editor       1952

     At the close of a review in the July issue entitled "Two Recent Articles" (pp. 344-5) it was stated that we proposed to offer in August some comments on Dr. John P. Swanton's "Is There Ultimate Salvation for All?" Because of lack of space these comments are reserved for the September issue.
MISSION THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL LIBRARY 1952

MISSION THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL LIBRARY              1952

     The Superintendent of the South African Mission writes that books will be needed for the library of the proposed Theological School. Especially required are: The Spiritual Diary, the scientific and philosophical works. New Church collateral literature, and NEW CHURCH LIFE prior to 1900. Readers able and willing to supply any of these from their duplicates may communicate with the Rev. Martin Pryke, Mowbray Place, Musgrave Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
WEEDS 1952

WEEDS              1952

     "In the spring a certain man cleared the weeds from his garden. Said he: 'I have conquered them: my work is done.' Then he went off to the seashore and did nothing all summer. In the autumn he returned to gather the fruits of his garden. He found weeds as high as his head, and nothing else. If this has a moral it is: Don't be conceited about your garden." (E. P. Anshutz.)

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BAPTISM AS AN ESSENTIAL 1952

BAPTISM AS AN ESSENTIAL       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM BRYN ATHYN, PA.
Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Circulation Secretary      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Treasurer      Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

Al literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, changes of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Circulation Secretary. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.


TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     It is sometimes asked in the Church whether baptism is essential. If by this is meant, is reception of baptism an indispensable condition of salvation? the answer is in the negative. All who die in childhood are saved, and those among them who were not baptized the Lord introduces into heaven by another way. It is always hoped that parents who seek the baptism of a dying infant clearly understand this, and have in mind no more than a strong desire that when the spirit leaves the body it shall have impressed upon it the sign of introduction into the New Church on earth which is recognized by the angels of heaven.
     We believe it to be plainly taught in the Writings that salvation is never adversely affected by conditions which are beyond man's control. And from this we would infer that where it is physically impossible for New Church parents to have a child baptized for a considerable time, they need have no fear that some infidel spirit may associate himself with the little one. It is true that the Writings cite the possibility of this as an urgent reason for the institution of baptism (TCR 673e). But it is our understanding that this possibility would be an actual danger only if there were no baptism at all-a condition made possible in the chaos resulting from a complete breakdown of order and absence of all distinguishing signs; and that in the sphere of order established by the existence of the institution of baptism there is protection for those who, through no fault of their own, cannot be baptized for the time being. To this we would add the protection afforded by the sphere of a New Church home.

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     This shows, however, as the doctrine clearly states, that the institution of baptism is essential, both for order and for protection; and it is evident that the institution cannot be effectively maintained unless those who can do so avail themselves of the sacrament. To say that a thing is not essential for the individual is not to make it a matter of indifference whether anyone observes it. External worship seems to offer a certain parallel. No one will be lost because his geographic location makes it impossible for him to go to church. In that sense, external worship is not essential. But it is essential for the salvation of the human race that there be an organized church on earth in which the uses of external worship are performed; and those uses will not long continue unless they are supported by all who can engage in them. If it were otherwise with baptism we would have to sanction lay administration in extreme emergency. But while baptism is essential for the salvation of the race, while it is of order and should therefore be received wherever possible, it is not essential for personal salvation.
SELF-EXAMINATION 1952

SELF-EXAMINATION       Editor       1952

     The need for self-examination and the doctrine given for our guidance in it are both well known in the Church. Here we wish only to draw attention to certain facts which are obvious but which may usefully be recalled from time to time. Perhaps the first of these is that self-examination should be practise only as a means to repentance, never indulged in as an end in itself. From this it follows that examination of one s self should be periodic and not continuous-a purposive activity under the control of man's rational mind, not an obsessive habit he is powerless to avoid. The exploration enjoined on us in the Writings is far removed from unceasing and morbid introspection: and an incessant and relentless probing of ones complex motives involves undue preoccupation with self; may, indeed, be a more subtle way of indulging self-love, as it keeps the mind fixed on self. It is surely obvious that if a man is always analyzing his motives he will have no time for anything else, even for repentance! And he will eventually lose the inclination and power to make any constructive use of the results of his perpetual investigations; enmeshed, as he is, in a net of mere self-contemplation.
     It is quite true that the Writings say the regenerating man repents daily, and that this implies daily self-examination. But this we conceive to be a different kind of exploration from that which man is counselled to make several times a year before approaching the Holy Supper. The spiritual man can, and will, consider day by day the quality of his life.

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His conscience, formed by interior good and truth will cause him to recognize incidents, consequences, or trends of thought becoming habitual which call for investigation, and will as surely move him to look into them. But this, as it were, running check, this examination of specific areas as and when the need for it is seen to be apparent, are different from that systematic exploration which seeks to discover ruling affections if possible, and which is undertaken at regular intervals whether or not there is an open need. And in each instance the mind is turned upon itself only for as long as is necessary to make the required investigation. Then it is turned upward to the Lord and outward to the neighbor in acts of repentance based upon what has been discovered.
     That a man should examine the intentions of his will, the imagination of his thought, and his standard of what is allowable is too well known and too self-evident to call for comment. But it may be remarked that complete sincerity and entire absence of self-deception are essential conditions of effective self-examination. If the first of these is lacking, the process may degenerate into an elaborate self-justification; if the second is not there, it will fail to achieve its purpose. The Writings advise that man should seek out one evil in himself, and the evil that should be sought out is often the very one which is trying quietly to efface itself in the background hoping that it may not be seen. If a man sees clearly some minor evil, and finds himself trying to ignore the unobtrusive presence of a greater one then that is the evil he should compel himself to expose. For the evil he would rather ignore, or leave until a later season, is the one in which his affection is still deeply engaged; and if he does force himself to resist it, he takes a real step forward in the life of repentance.
SOCIAL GOSPEL 1952

SOCIAL GOSPEL       Editor       1952

     In the Second Book of the Kings it is related that the sons of the prophets dwelling at Gilgal complained to Elisha that their quarters were too confined for them. They therefore sought, and obtained, his permission to go down tea Jordan, there to build a new house. Without the internal sense it might seem that this plea is indicative of spiritual progress, the eager demand of an expanding spiritual life that could not develop freely within the limits that restrained it. But reference to the Writings shows that the truth lies in the Opposite direction.
     The journey from Gilgal to Jordan involved a steep descent and therefore signifies a sharp decline from the interiors of worship into external states. And the inner meaning of the incident is that those who teach truths in the consummated church are given a general perception that the church cannot abide in interior truths or states in which constraint is felt, for which reason there is a desire to descend into external truths and states and into a good that is obscure but congenial.

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     This inspired prediction, recorded centuries before the Christian Church was established, has been remarkably fulfilled in part by the development of what is known as "the social gospel"; and those New Church men who find hope in the fact that the churches of Christendom are abandoning dogmatic theology might well investigate the bases of this doubtful evangel.
     Born in the optimistic climate of the 19th century, with its intellectual and industrial revolutions, the social gospel was based upon two fundamental doctrines-that progress is inevitable and that man is essentially good. Its basic tenets are simple. There is an immanent God at work in history slowly evolving the kingdom of God on earth, and heaven on earth is within man's grasp if only certain social changes are made. Yet this very assertion involves a humanistic trend resulting in a shift of faith from God to man, from eternity to time, from the individual to society, from individual conversion to social coercion, and from church to state; and confidence in man and his collective society becomes the new god and the new heaven on earth. For instead of regenerated men changing their environment, a changed environment is supposed to regenerate the individual. Environment is held to be responsible for human behavior, and the task of the church is therefore said to be the promotion of a social environment that will practice good behavior. Even salvation is not to be interpreted in terms of a future life but of service in a kingdom of human goodness on this earth. And even that good will be relative, for the invasion of ethics by pragmatism has led to the denial of moral absolutes. Although the social gospel stemmed, not from Biblical theology, but from a collectivist interpretation of history, its impact upon the Protestant churches led to the "discovery" that during his life on earth the Lord was concerned primarily with social reform and to the production of a flood of books dealing with the so-called "social teachings of Jesus." Unitarianism, Transcendentalism, Darwinism, the German historical criticism of the Bible, and many ideologies have played their part in the development of the social gospel. And it is this gospel which has led so many of the churches to channel their main activities into social and community service; to spearhead movements for economic and social reform; to form denominational organizations in the field of industrial relations and national and interracial problems, and even to appeal to Caesar to legislate men into giving unto God those things which are Gods.
     Even the Protestant churches, alarmed by an increasing trend to make democracy rather than Christianity the yardstick for measuring values, are beginning to turn away from the social gospel; and the Writings expose completely the fallacies on which it is based.

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Yet the organized New Church has not entirely escaped infiltration in the past, and the ultimate happiness of the race depends upon our not squandering our energies on that which seem to promise more immediate and tangible results. The New Church is not indifferent to economic, political, social, and moral conditions. But it realizes that the kingdom of heaven is established on earth only as it is established in the minds of individual men and women who look to the Lord as a personal Divine-Human God, and shun evils as sins against Him; that only by the Lord working through such individuals can the world be so changed as to become the ultimate of the kingdom of heaven on earth.
"THE MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN" 1952

"THE MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN"       Editor       1952

     It was in 1558 that John Knox published his First Blast of the Trumpet Against the "Monstrous Regiment of Women." The turbulent reformer strictures were directed against Mary Queen of Scots. But although there were thunderous overtones of theological dispensation, his blast is one of the notable trumpet calls in the battle of the sexes that has raged for untold centuries. Because conjugial love is the most potent love that comes from that Lord, and involves an entire absence of domination, it would seem that an inner contempt and hatred of the sexes, resulting in a constant struggle for dominion, is one of the most powerful forces in a corrupt society-one which can assume terrifying proportions and ugly manifestations. Society is well aware of the war of the sexes as a social phenomenon, but the real cause of the conflict is to be learned only from the Writings.
     Before the fall had inverted the true order of life, the husband follows the affection of his wife. But as human affections were no longer inspired from heaven after the fall it was only by the intellect taking the lead in putting revealed truth into life that any headway could be made against evil loves. For this reason the leadership passed from the affection of woman to the intellect of man as the means then necessary of restoring it to woman. For while both man and woman have will and understanding, man is more capable of detaching his intellect from the passions of the animus and so of raising it into a higher light than the intellect of woman can enter. Yet although woman must first submit to the intellectual leading of man, she is capable of elevation into a heat of love superior to that to which man can rise; and she can lead a male intellect that has been guided by the Lord into a heavenly affection that inspires their joint use as husband and wife.

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This is the order laid down by the Lord, the order which reveals the true uses of men and women and should determine the relation between the sexes: and it shows that there can be no sex equality in the sense in which the phrase is generally used.
     But in a corrupt age in which men are not seeking genuine wisdom there is often a revolt of women, who no longer perceive any spiritual ascendancy in the views men propound, the aims they pursue, the ends for which they strive. And because these women, too, are of the consummated age, their affections produce a contempt for men and lead them to wrest the dominion from men Although it is generally unknown, this is the real cause of the clamor for sex equality. And because the biological distinction between men and women is almost the only one acknowledged because the world looks only on the surface, and because women may be as proficient as men in externals, the tendency is to regard men and women as equally qualified for any kind of public work, and to brand as bigoted and reactionary any attempt to discriminate between them. It is well to note, however, that the Writings stress mental qualities and attitudes rather than the external things the sexes do. Many vocations can be filled satisfactorily by either sex as far as external efficiency is concerned. But the internal quality of mind put into them will show itself eventually; and those who sincerely desire the good of society will not demand that every vocation followed by men shall be open to women, but will desire that every use shall be per formed by the sex that is better qualified, interiorly, to do it.
     The New Church knows that the struggle for dominion, the battle of the sexes, have no place in true marriage; that real equality is a matter of reception of good and truth; and that heaven opens only to those who are in the conjugial union or ideal, in which there is nothing of desire for domination. It can therefore turn away from current ideas: recognizing that the sexes are complementary and interdependent, that each is to develop its own God-given abilities and not try to usurp those of the other, and that genuine equality is realized when each performs its own uses. It can extend its wisdom by seeking to understand more fully and apply more accurately what the Writings teach about the uses peculiar to men and women. And it will surely resist the trends which would make marriage second to a career for women, regard child-bearing as an unfair handicap imposed on women in the career world, and limit marriage by having wives continue to work, not from necessity, but because a higher standard of living is preferred to the raising of children and making of a home. True equality will never be achieved by women insisting on being treated as men. It will be reached only as, and when, both men and women learn from the Writings what it really is for women to be treated as women-a thing that has not been known since ancient times: and only then will the trumpet blasts from both camps be heard no more.

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TWO VIEWS OF ACCOMMODATION 1952

TWO VIEWS OF ACCOMMODATION       HYLAND R. JOHNS       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     Two views of accommodation are possible under the Writings. One emphasizes the office of the clergy, the other emphasizes the infinite wisdom of the Writings. The difference between them is principally where the stress is placed rather than a difference of substance. Two instances of possible disrespect to the Writings are suggested. It seems improbable that these could have arisen under the second viewpoint. Perhaps both such viewpoints may be desirable to keep in mind.
     View 1. Many passages testify to the importance and holiness of the priestly mission such as is exemplified in: "The royal and the priestly office itself is holy, whatever be the quality of him who ministers therein" (AC 3670: 2). From our respect for the clergy there seems to have grown up the practice, strange to one not born into the General Church, of sanctioning the enshrinement of some ministerial edicts upon a high pedestal of respect, far above the level of adoration usually accorded sermons, but subject to the limitation that it must be below the Writings. At least, this is the inference from the Rev. Elmo Acton's "The Principles of the Academy: 1. Introduction" in the January issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE, where it is said they are over half a century old and "while they de not stand as an authority, they must be tested in the light of the Writings" [p. 20]. Thus their purpose is likened unto a secondary guide which must he checked with a higher standard.
     In the Bureau of Standards in Washington there formerly was, and probably still is a national standard of length in the metric system-a rod one metre long, which is as close an approach to accuracy as our finite ability could produce. Secondary standards of length are brought in for comparisons and correction. That primary standard is understood to find justification for its existence in the fact that its approach to accuracy cannot be reproduced in quantity for use wherever needed without wear and correction of errors due to temperature and other influences.
     Our primary standard, the Writings, can be reproduced in quantity by printing without wear and correction of errors because there are none. The necessity or desirability of a secondary guide is not fully appreciated when such secondary guide is admittedly less perfect than our primary one. Mr. Acton quotes the codifier of this secondary guide as having said it was "to ensure for future generations the spiritual riches of the original Academy" and "lest the wisdom of the fathers be lost to the sons." But the Writings teach, in Heavenly Doctrine no. 317: "Dignity and honor ought to be paid to priests on account of the holy things which they administer; but they who are wise give the honor to the Lord, from whom the holy things are, and not to themselves; but they who are not wise attribute the honor to themselves. These take it away from the Lord."

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     View 2. This view emphasizes the great wisdom of the Writings and the respect to be accorded them. We say the Writings contain infinite wisdom without always contemplating the vastness of their height above us. "Yet at the best, the wisdom and intelligence of the angels is finite, and in comparison with the Lords Divine wisdom most finite, and scarcely anything, as is evident from the fact that between the infinite and the finite there is no ratio" (AC 2572:4).
     Assuming the wisdom of the clergy to be at best no higher than that of the angels the above quotation suggests the wisdom of our wisest clergy to be "scarcely anything" in comparison with that of the Writings. Inasmuch as no ratio can express that great height separating infinite wisdom in the Writings and that of the wisest living member of the New Church, according to this quotation there should be no serious objection to selection of extreme ratios between finites as being inadequate to express the ratio of infinite to finite. The difference in height between Mt. Everest and the below sea level Death Valley is trivial compared to the difference in height between the Writings and ourselves. The distance between the most remote known planet of our solar system, Pluto, and our sun is not as much of a difference in state as the difference between ourselves and the Writings. The disparity in price between a Woolworth jewel and Tiffany's finest is small compared with the difference in wisdom between the infinite and the finite. It is true that the Writings must have a finite aspect in order to be intelligible to us. "The Divine is infinite, and the infinite cannot be conjoined with finite things, thus not with the angels in the heavens, except by putting on something finite, and thus by accommodation to reception" (AC 8760:2).
     It will be safer for posterity if we humbly stress the great wisdom in the Writings by showing respect for them in all our actions as well as our words than if we minimize them as near our level of appreciation because of their being accommodated to us. When infinite wisdom is changed one jot or tittle it may be said to become finite, even though the change may appear trivial to us. Certainly no finite mind is qualified to pass judgment upon when wisdom beyond us in the Word or the Writings has by change lost its infinite character.
     The foregoing jewel analogy is inapt because no finite wisdom can be quite so drab and monotonous as dime store gems. We Lilliputians think we can appreciate great heights of contrast. Though not always fair in its innuendo as to all wisdom of finite origin, that precious stone metaphor may be useful in stressing instances of our lack of respect for the Writings.
     One Mark of Disrespect. The "Principles of the Academy" may be said to be of finite or human origin.

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To mix poor quality jewels with the best is at least poor taste for any merchant or custodian of expensive stones. It is worse to attach a tag to a Woolworth jewel which might reasonably indicate it to be what it is not. This involves a code of ethics lower than that sanctioned by the law of unfair competition in the business world. The term "Principles" is such a tag. Prominent definitions of this word, according to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, include: "Source of origin; that from which anything proceeds; fundamental substance or energy primordial substance; ultimate basis or cause. A fundamental truth; a comprehensive law or doctrine from which others are derived, or on which others are founded." This is what Mr. Acton has indicated the "Principles" are not when he says they have to be tested.
     The law of unfair competition does not require proof of actual confusion to find one guilty of an unfair practice. That no Academy pupil today believes the "Principles" to be on the same high level with the Writings is not pertinent to the existence of a cloud over our heads. So also the existence of other, more appropriate definitions of "principle" does not give us an out. One accepted definition may be reasonably likely to cause confusion. A number of prominent definitions by so authoritative a lexicon as that just quoted should be unequivocal existence of a danger of confusion, not by those who know, but by those who do not know. The law of unfair trade is more sensitive to the possibility of the confusion in the mind of an Academy pupil as a prospective purchaser of the "Principles" and the Writings than we have been. "The law is not made for the protection of experts but for the public-that vast multitude which includes the ignorant, the unthinking, and the credulous, who, in making purchases, do not stop to analyze, but are governed by appearances and general impressions" (Gulden vs. Chance 182 F 303, 318 CCA3).
     As custodians of priceless jewels, the Writings, we have a responsibility under the law of unfair trade never to display gems of finite wisdom in a way in which they might be confused with finer gems. The law finds unfair competition to exist when there is a reasonable possibility of confusion. In using a name which, according to Webster, might reasonably cause confusion by implying the "Principles" to be what Mr. Acton has said they are not, we are guilty.
     Palliatives. A preferred remedy might be to keep the title "Principles" and make each principle a verbatim quotation from the Writings. A criticism might be made that such a procedure necessarily involves interpretation when a sentence or two is extracted from its context. However, this seems far less serious than a finite paraphrase of infinite wisdom mislabeled. Another criticism might be made that several paragraphs from the Writings may be needed where a brief sentence is found in the present principles.

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Precision is preferable to brevity with some.
     Another type of change would be to keep the principles but change the title. The ways in which this might be done are legion. An individual named Waterman is entitled to start in the business of making and selling fountain pens, but he may not call his product Waterman's Fountain Pens because of the danger of confusing his goods and goodwill with those of the original fountain pen maker of that name. He might be required to append some distinguishing and clarifying phrase in his advertising and to his product, such as "not the original." By the same token the name might be "Principles of the Academy-But not the Highest."
     Another Mark of Disrespect. The danger of possible confusion, or mixing of finite with infinite wisdom may be seen from the Writings. In reference to the significance of cherubs as guards to prevent the mixing of spiritual good with celestial good it is said: "That it also denotes lest spiritual good and celestial good, thus these two heavens, should be commingled, is because if they were commingled both goods would be injured, insomuch that the heavens themselves would perish" (AC 9673) How much more serious is the danger of mixing still higher than celestial wisdom with what may, or may not be, lower than spiritual wisdom!
     The danger of confusing finite with infinite wisdom does not exist in only one place. A clergyman has said that the doctrinal portion of the Liturgy contains such a mixture. Presumably he meant that portion of the 1939 edition contained in pages 197-243. If he be correct, then such appears to be far more serious than mixing Woolworth stones with the best Tiffany gems. Why should not each passage from the Writings have stated the source from which taken, just as is done with passages from Scripture in pages 184-196 of the same Liturgy? Perhaps other portions of the Liturgy may contain infinite wisdom to which greater respect should be accorded. We seem to have faded to put our best foot forward on behalf of the Writings where they are most frequently exposed to the eye of the stranger, and possible purchaser, who visits the Cathedral and opens the Liturgy.
     Conclusion. The writer feels that one reason he is able to see the foregoing need for both views of accommodation, and the possible disrespect mentioned, is because he was unacquainted with the lovable founding fathers and because he did not attend the Academy as a pupil. Had he done so, his affections for the Academy and its founders would probably have colored his idea of reasonable prudence as, the Writings teach, our delights are capable of doing.
     HYLAND R. JOHNS.
Flushing, N. Y.

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     THE ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH

     Joint Meeting

     Bishop Willard D. Pendleton addressed the Annual Joint Meeting of the Corporation and Faculty of the Academy on June 7th on the subject, "The Good and Useful Mass."
     Educators are generally agreed, noted Bishop Pendleton, that this primary purpose of education is the development of the good or useful mass. With this purpose we agree, best we disagree as to what is meant by good. The speaker then outlined two opposing concepts: one, held by the world, that holds good to be human in origin, with social effectiveness as its end; and the other, taught in the Writings that all good is from the Lord, and that to be genuine it must serve His Divine ends with man. The choice is between self and this Lord; the ultimate end of education is to lead from one to the other.
     That this may be done the Lord provides a state of mediate good, represented in the Word by the gentile Laban. It is this means to genuine good, or basis for its establishment, that the educator must strengthen during the formative years. Foremost in this work must be the acknowledgment of this Lord, while forming states of moral and civil good which are the plane between self and the world. This is the true order of spiritual growth.
     Thus we concur with the educator today who stresses service to society; but we must consistently seek to find and develop from the doctrines those delights in the young in which the Lord is present and which will lead in adult lift from mediate to genuine good.
     The address, which was hailed in the discussion as a "unique and concise statement of our philosophy of education," was preceded by reports from Bishop de Charms as President and Mr. Hubert Hyatt as Secretary of the Academy. Bishop Pendleton also read excepts from other administrative statements. These, together with the address of the evening, will be published in the September issue of THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.
     Most of the reports noted the great single fact of this Academy's year-its accreditation. In recognition of the Faculty's contribution to this important goal, Randolph W. Childs, Esq., read a minute from the Board of Directors reiterating its confidence in the Faculty and delight that the visiting committee of accreditors had recognized the devotion of Academy teachers in their distinctive work.
     E. BRUCE GLENN

     Commencement

     Commencement Exercises of the Academy Schools were held on Friday morning, June 13th, in the Assembly Hall at Bryn Athyn. The Commencement Address by Professor Edward F. Allen, who saw a son graduated from the Boys' Academy and a daughter from the Junior College, is published in this issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE [pp. 364-85].
     Valedictorians were: for the secondary school, Claire Campbell and Kurt Asplundh; for the Junior College, Donald C. Fitzpatrick, Jr.; for the Senior College, Jerome Sellner; and for the Theological School, Dandridge Pendleton.
     This Commencement marked the end of Bishop Acton's long and loved service to the Academy Schools as teacher and Dean of the Theological School. After the graduation of the record-tying Theological School class, Bishop de Charms, on behalf of the Faculty, presented Bishop Acton with a silver bowl. While the entire gathering rose in homage, the recipient acknowledged the gift with characteristic humility, adding the hope tat some years might still be left in him to serve our glorious church.
     E. Bruce GLENN.


     ACADEMY SCHOOLS

     Awards, 1952

     At the Commencement Exercises on June 13th, the Graduates received their Diplomas and the Honors were announced as follows:

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     Degrees

     BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY Geoffrey Stafford Childs, Jr., Bernhard David Holm, Dandridge Pendleton, Frank Shirley Rose.
     BACHELOR OF ARTS (cum laude): Robert Schill Junge, Evangeline Lyman.
     BACHELOR OF ARTS: Flora Leona Heinrichs, Frederick Laurier Schnarr, Jerome Vinet Sellner, Joy Synnstvedt, Jan Hugo Weiss.

     Diplomas

     JUNIOR COLLEGE, With Distinction: Gwendolyn McQueen, Donald Leslie Rose.
     JUNIOR COLLEGE: Men: James Stuart Boatman, Alonzo McDaniel Echols 3rd, Donald Coffin Fitzpatrick, Jr., Richard Leonard Goerwitz, Jr., Hubert Henry Heinrichs, Dan Harold Lindrooth, Thomas Frederick Steen. Women: Gwenda Acton, Natalie Sue Allen, Evelyn Jane Barber, Barbara Boal Barnitz, Ruth Brown, Gertrude Ruona Hasen, Gwladys Hicks, Gladys Alethea Starkey, Marcia Trimble.

     BOYS' ACADEMY: Edward Franklin Allen Jr., Kurt Horigan Asplundh, Carl Johannes Berninger, Robert Hudson Pendleton Cole, Theodore Conrad Farrington, Roy Herbert Fuller, Robert Walter Furry, Stephen Andrew Heinrichs, Donald Leslie Hotson, Wynne Sumner Hyatt, Hugo Valdemar Odhner, Richard Kent Richter, Robert Allen Richter, Sigurd Pelle Rosenquist, Andrew Price Smith, David George Starley, Leo Synnestvedt, Norwin Nelson Synnestvedt (in absentia), Fred Edwin Earl Waelchli.

     GIRLS' SEMINARY: Charlotte Virginia Austin, Sally Grey Barnitz, Joyce Hallie Boker, Claire Elizabeth Campbell, June Elizabeth Coffin, Beatrice Beryl Cranch, Joanne Hough Cranch, Elizabeth Amity Doering, Susanna Rotharmel Glebe, Martha Stewart Lindsay, Judith Pendleton, Beatrice Eva Sharp, Rhona Synnestvedt, Sonia Synnestvedt, Gretchen Anne Timmins, Elizabeth Ann Williamson. Certificate of Graduation: Nancy Ann Cook, Miriam Yvonne Lyman, Emily Louise Soderberg. Certificate of Attendance: Lois Mae Kofod, Diene Pitcairn.

     Honors

     Theta Alpha Honor Pin: Beatrice Beryl Cranch.
     Theta Alpha Honor Award: Louise Barry.
     Sons of the Academy Gold Medal: Kurt Horigan Asplundh, Wynne Sumner Hyatt.
     Sons of the Academy Silver Medal: Leo Synnestvedt.

     DETROIT, MICHIGAN

     The baptism of an infant in the New Church, always an interesting and impressive rite, may also be regarded as a sign of growth, and so our Circle w as very happy to witness, on Sunday, June 22nd, the baptism of John Kevin Odhner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sanfrid Odhner (Aubrey Cole) and their second child.
     Our pastor, the Rev. Norbert Rogers conducted the baptismal service as part of our regular service of worship which also included administration Of the Holy Supper, The attendance totaled 62 including 14 children, and the communicants numbered 40. Surely an encouraging sign of the interest being maintained in our work under the very efficient leadership of Mr. Rogers. At this service we had with us four friends from the Kitchener Society: Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Schnarr; Miss Sandra Schnarr; and Mr. Herbert Doering.
     In the evening of the same day we again met in the Community Hall to commemorate and honor the birthday of the New Church, our own June 19th. Here 50 of us sat down to a very fine banquet, complete with speeches, songs and toasts. And here a tribute must be paid to the dinner committee, headed by Mrs. Norman Synnestvedt, for providing us with a delicious turkey dinner at the nominal price of only $1.00 per head. If the ladies broke even at that price they are indeed financial wizards.
     Mr. Reynold Doering acted as toastmaster and he is to be commended for his choice of speakers and for his ability to keep the program within reasonable time limits. Speeches on the general subject of "The Growth and Development of the Detroit Circle" were made by Mr. Sanfrid Odhner, Mr. Walter Childs, and our recent acquisition from Toronto, Mr. Philip Bellinger. These gentlemen gave us much to think about and their efforts received hearty applause. A special feature of the program was the first appearance of a young peoples' chorus which had been trained by Freda Bradin, one of our pianists, who also is a vocalist. They sang "Vivat Nova Ecclesia" in such a pleasing manner that by popular request it was repeated as a fitting close to the program.

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Freda received a gift of roses from the young singers as a reward for her services.
     Other songs rendered by the entire company in a most enthusiastic manner were: "Our Glorious Church," "June the Nineteenth," "Friends Across the Sea," and "Our Own Academy." At the conclusion of the formal program a number of old grads teamed up with the young people just back from Bryn Athyn to render some of the school songs and yells in a most lusty and fervent manner.
     Once again we are happy to have with us our five young people who have been attending the Bryn Athyn Schools: Miss Nancy Cook, Miss Cherry Synnestvedt, and Messrs. Tom Steen, Peter Synnestvedt and "Tookie" Forfar. We have missed them very much.
     At the annual business meeting which was held in the evening of June 20th it was voted to take a recess from all activities for the month of July. Anyone who has sweltered through a service in our meeting hall on a hot July Sunday, will understand why this short respite is a real necessity. Officers and members of the Executive Board elected at the Annual Meeting are as follows: Walter C. Childs, Secretary; Norman P. Synnestvedt, Treasurer; Gordon Smith, Fred Steen and Lee Horigan.
     After weeks of searching, in which he was assisted by a number of our members, the Rev. Norbert Rogers finally found and was able to lease a large house, not a great distance from the Community Hall where we meet, and suitable for the needs of his family. His former residence was isolated out in the country, ten miles from our meeting place. Several of our members live within walking distance of this Rogers' new home and it will be much more convenient for all of us. The new address is: 1510 Oxford Rd., Beckley, Michigan.
     WILLIAM W. WALKER.

     KITCHENER, ONTARIO

     Four months have slipped by since our last report and during that time many happy events have taken place but also a few sad ones.
     Our Pastor, this Rev. Norman H. Reuter, became very sick with a stomach ulcer at the end of March and it was many weeks before he could resume any of the activities of his office. Due to this misfortune the society program was a little less full during the spring months, but voluntary assistance from many sources made possible the continuing of essential functions. Sunday services were conducted regularly by the Rev. Henry Heinrich. Randolph Stroh, while waiting for a visa to return to Bryn Athyn, took over Mr. Reuter's classes at school. The Rev. A. Wynne Acton of Toronto gave two doctrinal classes on Friday evenings and conducted a Sunday service. The Society is indebted to these and others for uses performed. By June, Mr. Reuter felt strong enough to take over Sunday services again and all were happy to welcome him back to his duties. By the fall he hopes to be able to carry a full program again. During the summer we are looking forward to a visit of four to five weeks from Mr. Roy Franson, a Candidate in the Theological School of the Academy.

     Easter.-Our celebration of Easter took place at one service this year on Easter morning. The Rev. Henry Heinrichs conducted the two-hour service which was for children and adults and included the administration of the Holy Supper. The service opened with the children marching in carrying flowers which were placed on the chancel. A special choir sang two selections during the service one of which was the 22nd or Easter Psalm. Mr. Heinrichs' sermon was on the significance of the rending of the temple veil.

     Social. During the winter the young people organized a dramatic society called the Carmel Church Footlighters and their first performance on April 19th was a very successful presentation of the play "A Little Honey" by Wm. Davidson, under the direction of Mrs. Normal Reuter. Ten of the young people acted and nine others helped with the production and all had a wonderful time including the audience which laughed heartily.

     Weddings.-Two highlights in the social program were the April and May weddings. On April 5th, Miss Elizabeth Hill, daughter of Mrs. Edward Hill, became the wife of Mr. Philip C. Horigan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Horigan of Bryn Athyn. Rev. Henry Heinrichs conducted the ceremony. The wedding took place in a beautiful pink and white setting with the bridesmaids in cloud-like pink net dresses and the bride in white with a full length.

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Instrumental music by members of the Stroh family preceded the service. The bridal party included Miss Joy Synnestvedt of Bryn Athyn as maid of hounor. Bridesmaids were Miss Ann Pendleton from Ann Arbor Michigan Miss Jane Forfar of Detroit, and Miss Madeline Hill, sister of the bride. Best man for his brother was Walter Lee Horigan, Jr., of Detroit, and ring hearer was little Paul Hill, nephew of the bride.
     A reception followed in the beautifully decorated church hall with Stanley Hill, brother of the bride, as master of ceremonies. Rev. Henry Heinrichs and Mr. Walter Horigan responded to the toasts to the Church and to the bride and groom. The many visitors helped to make the event very festive. As usual, a wedding in the Kitchener Society meant the loss of a member and this time Pittsburgh gained.
     The May wedding was the first in many years between two of Kitchener's young people, Miss Marion Schnarr, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Schnarr, and Mr. Leigh Bellinger, son of Mrs. Alfred Bellinger. But this wedding meant a loss to the Carmel Church Society also because Leigh has been working in Toronto for several years and Marion and he have made their home there.
     The wedding took place an May 17th, with the Rev. Norman Reuter officiating. The color scheme for this wedding was light yellow with shades of green making the bridal party, the chancel and the reception hall look very spring-like. The service was preceded by violin, flute and piano music and the singing of "Patience" by Miss Nancy Stroh. Attending the bride was Mrs. Paul Bellinger as matron of honor. Misses Beth and Sandra Schnarr, sisters of the bride, and Miss Eileen Schnarr, cousin of the bride were bridesmaids. Mr. Paul Bellinger was best man for his brother.
     Mr. Clarence Schnarr, uncle of the bride, was master of ceremonies at the reception. The toast to the Church was responded to by the Rev. Norman Reuter, who assured us that it was in order to celebrate marriages with festivity. Mr. Ron Smith of Toronto answered the toast to the bride and groom, Mr. Maurice Schnarr to the parents, and Mr. Paul Bellinger to the bride-maids. The happy celebration included dancing.

School.-The closing exercises of the Carmel Church School took place on Friday evening, June 12th. As there was no Eighth Grade this year, there were no graduates, but a delightful service was held by the Rev. Norman Reuter with many of the society attending. Following the service, the children gave a short entertainment of songs and recitations to the highly appreciative audience, after which the art work and hand work of the school was inspected.

     New Church Day.-The children of the society celebrated the church's birthday on June 19th, with a party and luncheon in the morning. At their little banquet the school children gave the speeches. The three youngest pupils recited the announcement of the founding of the New Church and the four older boys read papers about New Church Day.
     The adults had a particularly enjoyable celebration on Saturday evening, June 21st, with a banquet and dance. Returned students and guests from Bryn Athyn and points in Ontario swelled the attendance to one hundred. After everyone's hunger was well satisfied. Mr. Fred Hasen, as toastmaster, opened the program with a toast to the Church. In responding to the toast the Rev. Norman Reuter expressed the thought that our state on this anniversary should be one of gratitude and rejoicing. The toastmaster then called on Mr. John F. Kuhl to perform a pleasant task which turned out to be the presenting of a gift to the Rev. Henry Heinrichs as a token of the Society's heartfelt appreciation of his work during the pastor's recent illness. Guest speaker of the evening, who was introduced by Mr. Nathaniel Stroh, was Dr. William Whitehead of Bryn Athyn who had very generously accepted the invitation of the toastmaster to come to Kitchener and address us at this time. Dr. Whitehead presented a very stirring speech n the militant aspect of every member's responsibility in carrying on the work of the church, in performing uses, and in fighting personal evils to preserve the Lord's New Church on earth. His paper began with a brief resume of the history of June 19th celebrations, after which he reviewed the similarities and differences between the early Christian Church and the New Church. Dr. R. W. Schnarr expressed the feelings of all when he warmly thanked Dr. Whitehead for his address. A toast and song to June 19th closed the banquet, following which dishes, tables and chairs were cleared away ad a grand march, led by the Rev. and Mrs. Norman Reuter, opened the dance.

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During else program a group of eight young people, led by Roger Schnarr, performed an intricate Manhattan Square Daises in costume.
     The next morning a children's service was held in honor of June 19th, and at the adult service Dr. Whitehead delivered the sermon and the Holy' Supper was administered.

     Obituary.-On May 8th, the Camel Church lost a staunch member when Mr. Frederick Emanuel Stroh passed into the spiritual world in his 62nd year. Mr. Stroh had been unwell for many years, and early in 1951, ill-health led to his retirement from the Dominion Life Assurance Company, in which he had been employed for over forty years. During his life he served the Society in almost every capacity open to a layman, notably as Secretary during three difficult years, and then for fifteen years as Treasurer during the even more trying depression, war, and post-war period. Now he has passed to a fuller, freer life in the spiritual world, where he may find eternal health and happiness and enter into the use for which his life on earth prepared him. Mr. Stroh, a second generation member of the Carmel Church, is serviced by his wife, nee Mabel Clarke; two daughters Gloria and Audrey Marie; and two sons Leon Frederick and John Alan.
     VIVIAN KUHL.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS

     In our last report we recorded that six births had taken place during February, March, and April. We do the same thing in our present notes for May and June-this time, 4 girls and 2 boys. In addition, 4 baptisms and 2 weddings can be included in the many happy events which took place in our society.
     The May meeting of the Glenview Chapter of the Sons was particularly enjoyable. Our President, Mr. Hubert Nelson, had obtained a recording of a paper by Dr. William Whitehead on "the Uses of the Sons of the Academy." This most appropriate subject, presented in the Doctor's inimitable manner, was an inspiring prelude to the annual meeting of the Sons-to be held in Glenview during June.

     At our annual meeting on May 16th, we elected officers to the Finance Board, and among other subjects discussed was ways and means of enlarging cur assembly hall which has long since become too small to hold the many people who attend our special celebrations. Mr. Roy Faulkner of Pittsburgh was one of our many visitors during May. To look at Roy, one would take him for a dignified gentleman. He is. But his sense of humor is keen. Also he is an actor! With the assistance of a few of our young people, Roy put on an entertainment after a Friday supper which produced much laughter-and a nice collection, which, by request, was sent to the Treasurer of the General Church.
     For several years now we have had no society doings on Memorial Day. This year the customary group of fishermen (22 this time) migrated to Mr. Oscar Scalbom's delightful camp at Hazelhurst in Wisconsin. The rest of us spent a quiet day at home.
     June was a very busy month! Two concerts, one choral and the other orchestral, were given by the children of the Immanuel Church, both conducted by Professor Jesse Stevens. For many years Jesse has been making singers and musicians of our children, and this to an amazingly successful degree. Early in the month our young people produced the play "Green Stockings." The performance was excellent. We hesitate to mention names as all of the actors, as well as those behind the scenes, combined to give us an evening of high-class entertainment. Our June 19th celebration (held on June 19th) was truly inspiring. At 11 o'clock we assembled in our large all to see a pageant depicting the various revelations to the churches throughout the ages. All of the school children took part. Appropriately costumed they took their places in the front rows of chairs facing the stage. Then, as our Pastor the Rev. Elmo Acton, read passages from the Word, various groups of children walked to the stage and enacted the scene being described in the reading. Singing by the entire congregation brought to a close this beginning of our celebration. In the afternoon we attended a special service, which was followed by a banquet in the evening where our toastmaster the Rev. Ormond Odhner, because of his usual thorough job of preparation, was responsible for a most delightful occasion-a fitting climax to our observance of New Church Day.

     On June 18th, at our School Closing Exercises, the seven members of our 9th grade were graduated.

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They are all looking forward to coming to Bryn Athyn in September! The graduation was preceded by a short service and an address by the headmaster of our school, the Rev. Elmo Acton.
     On Saturday evening. June 14th, was the wedding of Rudolph Barnitz and Miss Gretel Isabel Henna. As Mr. Barnitz is a member of the Sharon Church in Chicago we will leave it to their capable reporter to recount the details of this happy event. On the following Saturday evening the wedding of Doris Fiske and Ray Synnestvedt (of Bryn Athyn) took place. Many visitors from Bryn Athyn and elsewhere were present. As usual, the young ladies taking part in the ceremony were charming. Doris looked like a picture of a perfect bride, which indeed she is. As to Ray, he appeared to be calm and happy, which he was!
     The 44th Annual Meetings of the Sons of the Academy, held here during June 27th. 28th, and 29th, were eminently successful. For a full account of them see the next issue of THE BULLETIN OF THE SONS OF THE ACADEMY. The BULLETIN is sent to all male members of the General Church, plus anyone else who would like to receive it. Suffice it to say that visitors arrived by car, plane, bus and train. I believe I am safe in saying that this year's meetings were the biggest and best in the entire history of the Sons. We were delighted to have Bishop Willard Pendleton among our many (paying) guests. At two final meeting the banquet held at Chevy Chase Country Club, to which the ladies were invited, 259 Sons and Daughters thoroughly enjoyed the comfort of an air cooled room. (It was 93 outside!) Our toastmaster, Mr. John Schoenberger of Pittsburgh, did himself proud, not the least of his accomplishments being the introducing of a lady speaker whose pleasing appearance and delightful humor, followed by a serious speech on the importance and usefulness of the support of New Church education by all in the Church, was thoroughly appreciated by all present.

     Obituary.-Way, way back, in about the year 1860, was born in Sweden, Ada Oesterberg, destined to lead one of the longest lives of any New Church person on record. Came Thursday, May 22, 1952, and Ada (now Mrs. Alfred Holm) died, a happy release from a long illness. Mrs. Holm was a staunch New Church woman, Coming to America in her youth, she married Dr. Alfred Holm in Brooklyn in 1889. Many years later, when they moved to Chicago, Dr. and Mrs. Holm became affiliated with a New Church group and became members of the Rev. John Headsten's congregation. Later they moved to Glenview and became next door neighbors of the writer of these notes. During her latter years. Mrs. Holm became quite hard of hearing and I recall the many pleasant Sunday mornings I spent reading sermons to her in a voice loud enough for her to hear. Mrs. Holm was always so appreciative. It might be interesting to record that others living on the same floor of the house told me they had no difficulty in hearing these sermons. At the resurrection service held on Sunday afternoon, May 25th, our Pastor prefaced his address by the following truly New Church remarks: "Yesterday we reverently and lovingly buried the material body in which we had known our wife, mother, grandmother and friend, Ada Holm; and today we gather in the house of the Lord to give thanks to Him for the knowledge of the beauty and happiness of the life into which she has now been introduced."
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     THE HAGUE, HOLLAND

     Now that the celebration of the Nineteenth of June is over again I set myself down to make up a report for the year June, 1951, to June, 1952. We have had our regular services every two weeks at my home and that of the Francis family, with the exception of a short period in the spring of 1952 when I was prevented from holding services because of illness. There have been no events of special importance this year. There were no visits from overseas, and because of the illness of the Rev. Kenneth O. Stroh we had no visits from our visiting Pastor.
     This year I have made a special effort to keep in touch with the isolated members and friends of the Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On October 9, 1951, I spent a weekend with the Rijksen family in Nijmegen, and on Sunday morning I held a service there, with a sermon by the Rev. Erik Sandstrom on "The Joy of Communication with the Lord." The following Monday I paid a visit to Mr. van Pernis in Zeist. He is an old friend of mine and a good friend of the General Church in Bryn Athyn, but is not a member of the Dutch society.

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The time available was too short for us to have a deep discussion but I promised the family to repeat my visit soon.
     Christmas was celebrated at my home on December 26th, with 7 adults and 1 child present. In the service a sermon by the Rev. W. B. Caldwell entitled "Celebrating the Advent of the Lord" was read. After the service we read the Christmas message from Bishop de Charms and the Christmas greetings from Bryn Athyn and England. During the social gathering which followed the Christmas gifts from our friends in Bryn Athyn were distributed, and a meal to which all sat down concluded this celebration.
     On January 10th and 11th, 1952, I visited Mrs. Oberman in Bussum and repeated my visit to Mr. and Mrs. van Pernis in Zeist. Mrs. Oberman expressed a wish to have meetings at her house on Sunday and I promised to consider the matter. With Mr. and Mrs, van Pernis I had a long and nice conversation. Among other things, he showed me his Dutch translation of Apocalypse Revealed and we discussed the possibility of its publication.
     After my convalescence in the spring of 1952 the announcement of a visit from Mr. Rijksen on March 1st caused me to start our services again at that time. Moreover, Mr. Dik van Zijverden phoned that Saturday to say that he was coming on Sunday morning with the tape-recorder. As a result, we had a group of 8 persons. The service, held its the regular way, had as its subject "The Divine Providence and Human Freedom" and the sermon was by the Rev. Karl R. Alden. During the social gathering which followed, Dik van Zijverden played a tape with a message from Mr. Jan Weiss. It was a nice surprise to hear the voice of Jan Weiss again after his two years of absence.
     From now on all our activities are covered by the tape-recorder. Services with the Dutch text were heard regularly at Rijswijk in the Francis' home and in my home. At meetings in the evenings we listened to class and discussions in English. In between, a message to Mr. Jan Weiss was recorded at The Hague, Rijswijk, and Nijmegen. With all the work we greatly appreciated the help of Mr. Dik van Zijverden, who took the machine in his car to the different places and operated it.
     On Sunday, April 20th, we held meetings in Bussum at the request of Mrs. Oberman, with 7 persons present. AT 11 o'clock we had a service with the tamp-recorder with a Dutch translation of a sermon by Bishop de Charms on the subject: "The Word of the Lord in the Regeneration of Men." After we had had lunch together, Mr. van Pernis gave a paper on "the Importance of the Law for our Spiritual Life." This was recorded, with a musical introduction, to be sent to Mr. Jan Weiss.
     On May 24th and 25th my wife and I spent the weekend with the Rijksen family at Nijmegen. We had long discussions on the possibility of missionary work and the way in which it should be done. On Sunday morning I held a service with a sermon by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson "The Gift of Tongues." The rest of the day was spent in discussing the things of the church and walking in the beautiful surroundings of Nijmegen.
     On June the Nineteenth we had a meeting in the evening at my home. Because of my illness and the absence of several members only 6 persons were present. After prayer and reference to the meaning of the day we first dealt with the business part of the meeting. Reports by the Secretary and the Treasurer were read and the report of the latter was accepted as audited. The meeting was continued by listening to a class by Bishop de Charms on "the New Church and Modern Christianity" translated and recorded by Mr. Jan Weiss. Refreshments and discussion concluded the evening.
     HERMAN G. ENGELTJES.


     GENERAL CHURCH

     The Annual Meetings of the Corporations of the General Church were held in Benade Hall auditorium on Friday, June 13th, at 8 p.m. A complete mimeographed report on the proceedings will be prepared by the Secretary, Mr. Hubert Hyatt, and mailed to the membership of the Church.
     The Rev. Frank S. Rose sailed for England on July 16th. His address is: 12 Trinity Street, Colchester, England.

     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-The 129th General Convention was held in Washington, D. C., May 27-June 1, the preliminary Council of Ministers meeting in Baltimore. The flowing highlights are taken from THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER.

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     The Rev. Franklin Henry Blackmer, Cambridge, Mass., was elected President of Convention, his term of office to begin when Dr. Tafel's term ends in 1953. The Rev. Richard H. Tafel, Philadelphia, and the Rev. David P. Johnson Kitchener, were reelected a President and Secretary, respectively, of the Counsel of Ministers. For the first time in some years, a new body applied for admission to the General Convention. This was the National Association, composed of isolated members of the Church previously without representation.
     Convention approved the institution of a Commission on Education with a director and necessary assistance and financing. It was announced that the Board of Missions was considering reorganizing with a home and foreign section taking over the functions of the Church Extension Board abolished at this session. At the Sunday morning services the Rev. Robert Loring Young was invested as a General Pastor and Mr. Henry Reddekopp was ordained as a Missionary Minster.
     The sessions of the Council of Ministers, opened by a service conducted by the Rev. Harold R. Gustafson considered communications, reports and suggestions. These included a suggestion by the Rev. Adolph L. Goerwitz that a minister might use a new service of presentation where parents desire that a child's baptism be deferred until he becomes an adult. Lay Leader Henry Reddekopp gave an account of his work Saskatchewan, and there was a panel discussion on the topic "Opportunity for Serving our Cause." This was the general theme of this year meeting of Convention.
     During Convention week the 81st annual meeting of the American New Church Sunday School Association, the 45th annual meeting of the National Alliance of New Church Women, and the 63rd annual conference at the African New Church League were held in Washington. The Rev. Eric J. Zacharias, Pretty Prairie, and Mrs. Leslie Marshall, Paterson, N. J., were elected to the presidency of the first two organizations named, and Mr. David J. Garrett was reelected President of the League. There was also a meeting of the recently formed Association of Ministers' Wives, of which Mrs. Marion Priestnal is President.

     General Conference.-At the annual meeting of the Manchester Swedenborg Association held recently, the Rev. Norman E. Riley was elected President, succeeding the Rev. Harry Hilton. It was noted that the Association suffers from the present shortage of New Church ministers in the district. Mr. W. C. Thompson gave a forthright address on the subject "Sitting on the Fence."

     Europe.-THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER announces the ordination by the President of Convention of Dr. Friedmann Horn who has been for some time assisting the Rev. Adolph L. Goerwitz, Convention General Pastor in Europe. Dr. Tafel attended the annual sessions of the General Conference in England, and has been visiting societies in continental Europe affiliated with the General Convention.
     The Rev. Ertch L. G. Reissner reports a mission tour in Central Germany that took him to Dorum, Bremerhaven, Bochum, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart. Services were held in these places, the number of communicants at the Holy Supper ranging from 7 to 22. The report mentions the revival of a correspondence course in The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine which Mr. Reissner previously conducted for the isolated.

     Australia.-At the 20th Conference of the Association of the New Church in Australia, held in Adelaide during Easter, the Rev. C. Douglas Brock, Adelaide, was elected President and the Rev. Leslie Bennett, Melbourne, Vice President. The Rev. Richard H. Teed, Albury, was reelected Editor of THE NEW AGE, and the Conference ordered the ordination as a Leader by the incoming President of Mr. W. H. Hickman, who has served as Leader of the Perth Society for 22 years.

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ORDINATIONS 1952

ORDINATIONS              1952




     Announcements
     Childs.-At Bryn Athyn Pennsylvania, June 19, 1952, Mr. Geoffrey Stafford Childs, Jr., into the First Degree of the Priesthood, the Rt. Rev. George de Charms officiating.

     Holm.-At Bryn Athyn Pennsylvania, June 19, 1952, Mr. Bernard David Holm, into the First Degree of the Priesthood, the Rt. Rev. George de Charms officiating.

     Pendleton.-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, June 19, 1952. Mr. Dandridge Pendleton, into the First Degree of the Priesthood First Degree of the Priesthood, the Rt. Rev. George de Charms officiating.

     Rose.-At Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, June 19, 1952, Mr. Frank Shirley Rose, into the First Degree of the Priesthood, the Rt. Rev. George de Charms officiating.
EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL MEETINGS 1952

EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL MEETINGS              1952

     BRYN ATHYN PA., AUGUST 18-22, 1952

Monday, August 18
     8:15 p.m. Opening Session. Address by the Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton.

Tuesday, August 19
     10:00 a.m.     RELIGION. Miss Dorothy P. Cooper (Kindergarten).
                         Miss Jennie M. Gaskill (Grades 1-3).
     2:00     p.m.     WORKSHOPS.
     8:00     p.m.     ART. Speakers: Miss Margaret Bostock, Miss Erna Sellner.

Wednesday, August 20
     10:00 a.m. RELIGION. Rev. Rev. Elmo C. Acton (Grades 4-6)
                    Rev. David R. Simons (Grades 7-9)
     2:00 p.m. WORKSHOPS.
     8:00 p.m. Open.


Thursday, August 21
     10:00 a.m. RELIGION. Rev. Karl R. Alden (Secondary Schools).
                    Rev. W. Cairns Henderson (College).
     2:00 p.m. WORKSHOPS.
     8:00 p.m. ART. Miss Margaret Bostock, Miss Erna Sellner.

Friday, August 32
     10:00     a.m.     Reports of Workshops. Heads of Committees.
               Discussion of Procedure.
               Remedial Reading.
               New Church Reader: Miss Gaskill.
               Business.
     2:00     p.m.     Continuation of morning meeting.
     7:00     p.m.     Banquet. Toastmaster: Mr. E. Bruce Glenn.

TO SERVICE PERSONNEL IN ENGLAND 1952

TO SERVICE PERSONNEL IN ENGLAND              1952

     The Rev. and Mrs. Morley D. Rich heartily invite all New Church men and women of the armed services of any country to visit them at their home whenever they are passing through or stopping in London for several hours or days. They will be warmly welcomed and their visit appreciated. Write ahead if possible, but a phone call upon arrival will be sufficient. The address and telephone number are: Rev. Morley D. Rich, 135 Mantilla Road, Tooting, SW, 17. BALham 6239.

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EDUCATION OF CHILDREN 1952

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN       Rev. A. WYNNE ACTON       1952


No. 9

NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
SEPTEMBER, 1952
     "If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much mare shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11: 11-13)

     The thoughtful reader of the New Testament is constantly struck with the practical and familiar nature of the Lord's parables and illustrations. The Lord speaks to a simple people in a way they will understand, presenting His Divine truth in an external imagery familiar to them all. Who, for instance, is not aware of the great power of parental love, and cannot, therefore, have an image in which to picture the infinite love of the heavenly Father for all His children?
     For the preservation of the human race, the Lord implants within all parents a love of their children to ensure their protection, training, and education. This love of children is one of the two universal spheres proceeding from the Lord, and it is said concerning it: "There is a sphere of protection and support of those who cannot protect and support themselves; for it is a part of creation that the things created must be preserved, guarded, protected, and supported; otherwise the universe would go to destruction. But because with living beings, to whom freedom of choice is granted, this cannot be done immediately by the Lord, it is done mediately through His love implanted in fathers, mothers, and nurses (CL 391). Thus we should regard the love of parents, of nurses, and of teachers and all who have responsibility for children, as a holy love implanted by the Lord to ensure the fulfillment of His Divine purposes in creation.

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     Man shares this natural love of children with animals, but man alone can determine the quality of this love. For every love implanted by the Lord can be diverted by man from its useful purpose and be turned to selfish and evil ends. All the natural loves and appetites which the Lord gives man as means of attaining to higher states can be turned inwardly to his own pleasure as the chief end, and thus be perverted.
     The end of the Divine Providence is that there shall be a heaven from the human race. For this purpose the Lord insinuates into all men the sphere of the love of procreating and the sphere of the love of protecting what is procreated. This is the Divine provision on the natural plane. But He has left man free to enter, as of himself, into the sphere of the love of the spiritual protection and education of children. The implanted natural love of children is so strong that there is always the danger of its being made the chief end and so becoming perverted; the danger of allowing it to become a love of one's self in one's children, a possessive love which does not look beyond self and the proprial things of this world to eternal realities. And so we find parents who take an interest and pride in their children, ardently seeking their welfare in this world, but relatively indifferent to their spiritual development. The desire to prepare children in the best possible way for their uses in this world is a good love, and should by all means be developed; but such desire should be regarded by parents only as a means of looking to eternal life, and should be subservient to their efforts to prepare their children for uses in heaven.
     The contrast between those who look to the spiritual welfare of their children and those who ignore it is drawn strongly in our text. The former provide bread, fish, and an egg; the latter a stone, a serpent, and a scorpion.
     The "bread" which children need is the bread of life for the nourishment of their souls. It is the Divine love which can be received by them as a sphere of worship, as a sphere of reverence for the Lord's Word and all things of His church, as a sphere of innocence in their work and in their play. This bread is withheld from our children if we in any way encourage or countenance a lack of reverence for the Lord's Word and His church, a lack of enthusiasm for public and private worship, a lack of devoted loyalty to their school and their teachers, and, in general, a lack of respect for others, especially their elders. For by these things negative attitudes are formed which are alien to the orderly state of a child and which, from small beginnings, may develop into states unresponsive to the Divine love. And in this connection we should he aware of the powerful effects which externals have, especially example, in building up the attitudes of children.

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     The alternative is a 'stone.' The church must indeed be founded upon the rock of Divine truth, but this is indigestible food for children not prepared to receive it. The truth must be presented to them in a form calculated to arouse their affections, as nourishing bread rather than as a hard stone. Truth is essential, but it is only a means looking to an end of good. So the important thing is to arouse reverence and affection for the Divine truth of the Word, for it is into these states that the Lord can inflow with the bread of life.
     In a perverted sense, a stone is falsity; and by this we are reminded that it is our duty to protect children from the falsification of any truth, particularly that of the Word and of doctrine. Because false doctrine has permeated the educational system of the day we have founded our own church schools as a means of protection. But where this is not possible there must be a vigilant guard against false teaching and an alert combating of its harmful effects.
     As the child grows older there is need for instruction in the natural truths represented by a "fish." These include knowledges from the Word and doctrine as well as the various scientifics of the world. All of these must he presented in a unified way, and seen as expressions and ultimations of spiritual truth and Divine law. For this end, parents and teachers must themselves strive to see all the phenomena of this world as forms correspondential of spiritual order and use, and so set forth the wonder and glory of God's creation; for only as it is active in their minds can it be insinuated, directly and indirectly, into children.
     If these knowledges are presented from a purely materialistic standpoint, our children are given a "serpent" instead of a "fish." The serpent refers to the sensual degree of man's life, whence comes the pride of self-intelligence. In this state, children are initiated into the attitude that nothing is to be believed which cannot be seen and proved to the senses. Demonstrable facts are regarded as the only criteria of truth, and the development of rational thought is prevented. A clever and learned mind may thus be produced, but not one which is responsive to spiritual leading. This is the state that was seen by Swedenborg in a spiritual representation when "there appeared children who were being combed by their mothers so cruelly that the blood ran down; by which was represented that such is the education of little children at this day" (AC 2125).
     An "egg" is obviously indicative of a new beginning, of that spiritual birth which is called regeneration. When we strive zealously and intelligently to prepare our children for spiritual life we are, as it were, presenting them with an egg into which the Divine can inflow to bring forth a new spiritual life.

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     Opposite to this is the "scorpion" which represents deadly persuasion, and of which the Writings say: "When a scorpion stings a man it induces a stupor upon the limbs which, if it be not cured, is followed by death; this deadly persuasion produces a corresponding effect upon the understanding" (AR 425). This persuasive sphere, so deadly to spiritual growth, arises from purely materialistic thought spurred on by self-pride, and it induces a spirit of negation of all spiritual values. It does not so much attack the Divine truth directly but creates subtly a spirit of denial, in which state no eternal truth can be seen. When we see how powerful is such a sphere in the learned world at this day, and how strongly it can exert its influence, especially upon the developing mind, we are impressed with the responsibility of imparting from infancy those affections and knowledges looking to spiritual principles which alone can combat this deadly sphere.
     These things we can do with our own children, however, only to the extent that we strive to develop like qualities within ourselves. For our children, spiritually, are our thoughts and affections. Let us ensure that they look to spiritual uses which are receptive of Divine good or heavenly broad, and are not based on principles set up by the fallacious appearances and ideals of the natural man. Let the knowledge we possess be a means of forming rational thought in regard to our use in the world, our service to our country, and our duty to our church. Let us fight against that deadly, persuasive sphere arising from self-love which leads to the denial of, or at any rate, indifference to, all spiritual purposes, that our whole life may be, as it were, a matrix into which the Divine can inflow to produce a new, spiritual birth. If we desire these things for our children we shall learn to place greater value upon them for ourselves, and our effort to educate them for heaven may thus be a strong factor in our own regeneration.
     Finally, so great are the responsibilities portrayed in our text that it would be presumptuous for anyone to suppose that he could discharge them if he did not realize that, in a deeper sense, it is the Lord alone who imparts all these good gifts. "Your heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." For it is the Lord who feeds His children with spiritual bread. It is He who can open their eyes to behold the spiritual truths within the knowledges learned. And it is He who preserves within man that affirmative attitude which enables him to lead the life of heaven. It is given us, for our own welfare, to cooperate, as it were from without, with these Divine operations. Realizing this, let us not be discouraged by the apparent slowness of our work, by our own inadequacy and shortcomings; for it is the Lord's work, and we are but humble instruments in His hands.

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Let us approach the work with sure confidence that, in the degree that we ask it, the Lord will be present with His power, upholding our hands; that it may be true of us as it was true of the disciples of old, when "they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mark 16: 20). Amen.

LESSONS:     Psalm 127. Luke 11: 5-13. Heaven and Hell, 341, 344.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 468, 462, 471.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 96, 120.
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     9. The Sixth Principle

     The marriage of conjugial love is between those who are of one mind, in the true faith and the true religion. A marriage of one in the faith of the Church with one in a false faith, or in no faith, is heinous in the sight of heaven.

     Of this principle Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "Marriage in the Church is essential to the conjugial and vital to the existence of the Church; without it the Church could not be established and preserved. For the conjugial life is the home life and if the Church is not in the home it is not anywhere. The conjugial in the home is the pillar upon which the Church rests and by which it is supported; take away this pillar and the edifice is in ruins. The conjugial in the home consists in the husband and wife thinking together in the things of religion, and from this in other things. If they do not so think together they are not together in the spiritual world, their spirits do not dwell together in the same society, and they are internally in collision and conflict. This is the reason that such marriages are accounted in heaven as heinous" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY, pp. 9-10).
     From time to time, this principle has been called into question, even to the point of denial. Some have thought the language too strong, others have even wished to see it deleted; and it may he said generally that there has been a weakening of the full accord once given to it. Deletion would, however, be a mistake, for these principles are not set up as binding upon the Church but are the understanding held at the time they were enunciated. Acceptance of the Writings as the Word is the essential, and after it, each one is free to understand them according to his conscience.

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If his interpretation is sincere, and is proclaimed according to order, no one has the right to proclaim him a heretic.
     The argument, therefore, should not revolve around the principle as stated but around the teachings of the Writings. What is their testimony on this subject? "Regarded in themselves," we read, "marriages are conjunctions of dispositions and of minds, the spiritual life of which is from the truths and goods of faith and of charity. On this account, moreover, marriages on earth between those who are of a different religion are accounted in heaven as heinous [pro nefandis habentur], and still more so marriages between those who are of the church and those who are outside of the church" (AC 8998). When Swedenborg entered a certain house, angels said "we cannot stay with you in this house because the partners are in discordant religions"; a fact perceived by the angels from the internal disunion of their souls (CL 242). And in AR 378 we read: "Conjugial love is not given between two who are of diverse religion, since the truth of the one does not agree with the good of the other; and two dissimilar and discordant things cannot make one mind out of two. Therefore the origin of their love does not derive anything from what is spiritual; and if they dwell together and agree it is solely from natural causes."
     It is clear from these numbers that this principle was not made up but is derived from the Writings and stated in their terms. If the language is strong, so is the teaching; and it is to be hoped that we do not lose the courage and faith of the Academicians, whose love and loyalty would not allow them to explain away the strongest teaching.
     Two outstanding ideas pervade the work Conjugial Love-that genuine love between husband and wife is eternal, and that marriage is therefore essentially a conjunction of minds or spirits. And they are presented so as to appeal to reason. For "if the understanding cannot support that law from some reason of its own, it may even, by turns to which it is wont, and by sinister interpretations, warp that Divine law and bring it into obscure ambiguity" (CL 332). Conjugial love is to be restored because the truths concerning it, which can be understood by the rational, are now revealed. It will be restored where those truths are accepted and lived; and where they are unknown, or known but not lived, it can not be restored. That is a simple but all important truth.
     Current literature, thought, and natural affection make love so entirely a thing of the heart that it is hard at first to accept the truths concerning it. Even in the Church, conjugial love has been so idealized that some young people expect to come into its fulness by the marriage ceremony. Yet marriage, regeneration, and the church go hand in hand, and their development is according to the increase of the understanding and life of truth.

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The regenerating man does not give up the fight when he strays from the path of truth, and no more should a husband and wife. Not expecting perfection they should redouble their efforts; for conjugial love is received by the life of regenerating together and according to the degree of regeneration. The love existing between man and woman before, or without, regeneration man has in common with the gentler animals. It is neither good nor evil, but eventually becomes one or the other according to the character of the ruling love.
     Thus it is plain that the love spoken of in Conjugial Love is in the spirit or mind, not the love or life that appears before the world. Consequently the principle under consideration relates to the marriage as it appears in heaven, and Conjugial Love gives definite laws concerning the possibility of conjunction on this plane. These are not a judgment of the individuals, but of the spiritual relation of the two involved in the marriage. The marriage may be heinous in the sight of heaven and yet both the partners may eventually become angels.
     For a spiritual marriage the essential is that the two be of the same religion and church, that is, believe in the same goods and truths and live according to them. Where this essential does not exist the marriage will be dissolved at death. And the truth of the principle we are considering is evident from the teaching that the rejection of religion by both, the fact that one has religion and the other not, and difference in religion, are internal causes of cold in marriage; although they may not affect the marriage as it appears to the world or to' the parties.
     We include and stress this principle, both because it is new, and because it is essential to the growth of the Church. The marriage of two who are members of the Church may also be heinous in the sight of heaven; and if fault is to be found, it is surely not with the principle as stated, but with the way in which it has been applied by individuals to judge the state of a particular marriage. The Church as an organization does not deny the possibility of conjugial love in any marriage; the partners to the marriage close their hearts to its reception by refusing to obey the spiritual laws of marriage now given to the New Church, among which, as essential for its growth, is the law stated in this principle And it is only by keeping these laws continually before us that we keep open the way of receiving conjugial love. A marriage which is heinous now in the sight of angels may become beautiful before them, but this will never happen if we accommodate and soften the truth so as not to offend persons or disturb sentimental natural affections.
     We repeat that this principle refers to marriages as they appear in heaven. It is not given as a criterion for judging the marriages of others, but rather as a means of judging the state of one's own marriage, and the general state of marriage in the Church as a whole.

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For those with whom religion is the inmost of life will surely desire and seek a union with one who has the same internal loves and the truths that agree with them. If we can imagine a truly happy marriage otherwise, religion is not yet the inmost thing in our lives.
"WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH" 1952

"WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH"       KENNETH ROSE       1952

     A Review and Revaluation in 1952

     As the Church's understanding of the Writings increases, and interpretation develops, treatises must be written to give each generation a better start in its approach to the Divine truth. Periodical publications perform a particular part of this use that books could not handle so well. In them a wide variety of subjects may be covered from different viewpoints. Articles tend to be brief, sometimes more provocative than deliberative, and they introduce topics for the consideration of Church members. If sufficient interest is aroused there is follow-through-individual study, discussion, and possibly more articles; all of which lead to an enrichment of the Church's collective learning. Another advantage is that the transient sphere of something with the name of one month on the cover keeps people from leaning too heavily on its contents. Anything undesirable can be forgotten after two more issues, and helpful criticisms flow more freely than they might if the author's work were expanded into a volume bound in red buckram.
     The first such publication issued and controlled by the Academy of the New Church is not well described, however, by this series of generalizations. It performs a function that is unique. The contents of the three volumes of WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH, published serially between 1877 and 1886, give very well documented and full treatments of their subjects by real students of the Writings.

     Beginning this series of monographs is a fifty-page consideration of the Lord's second advent, so written that it could serve as an introduction of this fact to the inquiring mind as well as a competent outline of its details for the student in the New Church. Prophecies of the second coming are cited from the epistles in the New Testament as well as from the books of the Word, and the reasons for a new dispensation are clearly set out, mostly in quotations from the Writings themselves.

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This is a stimulating treatment, imparting to the believer a thrill that is possibly like the one expected by those who hope to see the Lord returning in the clouds of the sky as He now has in the clouds of heaven.
     This number, and most of the others, is sprinkled liberally with quotations from the Writings. Such a practice has perhaps been overdone in certain other endeavors, but here it strikes one as really effective documentation. If a short passage is used to support a new and not overly sound idea in a book or paper by a New Church man, certain Memorable Relations come to mind. Quotations also seem more distracting than useful if they are too frequently interspersed in support of frequently taught and generally believed truths from the Writings. But WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH is a real lesson in the intelligent use of quotation. Here are outlined the essential teachings about the second coming. The Writings are the authority from which the author has taken both his information and his philosophy, and he does not hesitate to make this known. Some quoted paragraphs of generous length are included to carry on the discussion, connected to each other with only a few words by the anonymous writer of the monograph.
     Is the work, then, original? Well, why should it be? The New Church did not need when it was written, and we do not need now, brand new concepts of truth nearly so much as the organization and interpretation of what we have in the Writings. The many volumes given through Swedenborg, while divided into specific treatments of the Divine Providence, the bock of Revelation, and many such individual subjects, refer to certain problems in many places that are far apart in consecutive devotional reading. Brought together and organized, these references make a far better paper than any student could write for himself. This collection of passages from all parts of the Writings not only clarifies every subject treated in them but also brings to light many subjects that are never given a book or a chapter of their own, yet are treated very fully in the Writings as a whole. The testimony of the Writings concerning themselves, for instance, is widely scattered throughout their pages, and bringing it all together is indeed a worthwhile work. How worthwhile can be seen even more clearly if we remember that when these studies were made the SWEDENBORG CONCORDANCE had not been issued.
     It pleased the writer also to find in this serial many of the passages he had so often heard about but never read. Without reference to chapter and verse, many basic truths of the doctrines are given to students as answers to questions, and it is quite possible that the students have never read about those things in the Writings themselves and therefore do not know how much the answer partakes of quotation and how much of interpretation It is easy for us to take for granted what we have learned, and we may forget to pass it on to our children as clearly as it was given us to see.

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So if some of these monographs are called mere collections of passages, they are certainly excellent and useful collections.
     The second number of WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH, published in 1878, is less adapted to direct use in missionary work among Christians than the first. No member of the present Christian Church would enjoy its grim description of the state of the Christian world as revealed in the Writings. But for the New Church it contains many lessons and it should be required reading for all professed permeationists. It struck this writer as making the picture look even blacker than it is. Apparently it struck one of its original readers that way, too, and in so doing showed that the serial did have the advantages of a periodical; foremost among them, that what was said in dissertation could lead to discussion.
     At the end of each of the thirteen numbers which comprize WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH there is a section of "Notes" in which current literature is reviewed and comments are made on sundry topics. In this section of issues subsequent to the one on the state of the Christian world that subject is taken up again in reply to comments on it in other publications of the time. While the restatements and rebuttals are not so carefully worked out as the original treatment, we can see in them the thought of the Church growing, and being trimmed and expanded in the right places, by the discussion that was, and is, so necessary to the life of a rational church. The Convention publication, THE NEW JERUSALEM MAGAZINE, reviewed and often took issue with WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH; and the Academy publication, and probably the Academy also, showed two marked tendencies in every controversy. It was consistently opposed to extremes, and it was always faithful to the authority of the Writings. Rationalization or harsh rebukes were seldom employed in these notes and replies. There is apparent in them an entire willingness to let the Writings decide things, an innocent faith that was strong and productive.
     The third number, on "The New Church," has the same rich qualities. It is a one hundred page sermon, not one of them noticeably wasted, on the crown of all the churches. What might be called the text is the description in the book of Daniel of Nebuchadnezzar's dream image, which is cited as often as the references to the New Jerusalem in the Apocalypse. It treats of the priesthood, the sacraments, and all the new things for the New Church with an enthusiasm that never slips into sentimentality.
     If a reading list for the Faculty of the Academy of the New Church is ever placed at the librarians' desk, monographs IV, V, and VI should be the first entries. The teachings on science and philosophy there reviewed are a timeless reminder of the reasons why there must be distinctive New Church education.

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"As both true and false doctrine may be derived from the letter of the Word of God," says number IV on page 312, "so also both a true and a false science may be deduced from the facts and phenomena of nature. Yet as true doctrine can be drawn out of the letter of the Word only by the Lord, and not by man, so also true science can be derived from the facts of nature only in the light of heaven, or in the light of the genuine doctrine of the Word, and not in the light of nature independent of the light of genuine doctrine revealed from God out of heaven." Can we read this, think about it, and then say that it is perfectly all right if our young people go to "outside" institutions for technical training so long as they read the Writings and get their religion? Our next question, too, which is something about handicapping the boy because-is answered by the comparison of analytic and synthetic science and their uses in the continuations of this subject. The sciences have uses far above the expedient of earning a living by them, and WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH reminds us forcibly of these uses and outlines them capably.
     The second and third volumes, issued between 1880 and 1886, are devoted to what they call "The Conflict of the Ages." This begins with a consideration of the conflict in the Most Ancient Church and carries through to commentaries on the reform movements within the Christian Church. This series is a thoughtful history of the four dispensational churches before the second advent of the Lord. It is brief as histories go, and may lack details, but it dwells at length on the import of its material on the lives of New Church men now. In showing the problems that regenerating men faced in all the churches it gives extra clarity to the idea of regeneration in our own minds.

     There is a tendency in the world around us, to which we are not entirely immune, to discount anything written prior to 1948 as no longer of any value. The date 1879 on the title page of the first volume of WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH may therefore discourage some people from any further investigation. The words that were so good for the Church in the nineteenth century, it might be said, must surely by now have been replaced by better ones. But it takes little study to see that ideas have not changed so very much after all. These are words for the New Church in 1952, and probably in 1979. The only thing that struck this writer as having been better considered recently was the somewhat indiscriminate use of the word "infallible" about the Writings. The reaction against the idea that the Writings are not in themselves the internal sense of the Word overbalanced a little bit, and produced a tendency which might now be considered as stretching the Writings too far.

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The problem passages of scientific inaccuracy and slips of the pen were vigorously defended by the writers in the serial, and the Writings were upheld as revealing scientific facts.
     This instance is mentioned only because of its singularity. These seventy year old journals are far from being outmoded. They are not something traditional concocted by the church fathers, not just the viewpoint of the times, but sound doctrinal treatises on vital subjects. Even the book reviews, and discussion of such topics as Authority and Alcohol, which are inserted between the monographs, strike some responsive chords in the 1952 reader. And the anonymity of all the literary contributions seems to have been a good idea on the part of the Academy men, for these works should not be dated in any way.
     Few of us can afford to peruse all the literature of the Church, even since the founding of the Academy. But this collection is one that should not be missed, or passed over lightly. These articles were written by devoted students and lovers of the Writings just at the time when the Academy was beginning to establish itself as an arm of the New Church; and there is a state similar to this general one in each individual in the New Church that calls for attention to many things which are not presented so well anywhere else as they are in WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH.
     For the convert who has just accepted the Writings as the Word of God, or for the Academy student who has begun to see for himself that the things he' has been taught are true and beautiful, and these two states are not dissimilar, a few weekends could not be better spent than in digesting such a collection of essential truths as is gathered into these three volumes-or even just the first one. They are things that cannot be gone over in church or doctrinal class every year without seriously curtailing the time in which we can advance further in our thought; but things that every New Church man should have impressed upon his mind. The early Academy men recognized their responsibility to record these views, enlightened by their zeal for the newly revealed truth, and they have made them available to all future ages. The work they have done for the Church in this publication alone, not to mention the building of the Academy is of tremendous value. And yet we can nullify that work in our day by failing to recognize our responsibility to reciprocate-to read what has been written and published.

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USE AND HUMAN FREEDOM 1952

USE AND HUMAN FREEDOM       GEOFFREY PELL DAWSON       1952

     (Read before The New Church Club, London, England.)

     We are all, no doubt, familiar with the following five axioms: 1) The Lord's kingdom is a kingdom of uses; 2) Man is created to perform use; 3) Man is created that he might enjoy the delights of being an angel of light; 4) The Lord is present with all men, with the evil as well as with the good; and, 5) The infernals also perform uses as well as the good. Indeed, all these ring with authority until we are apt to let them trip glibly off the tongue and never give a thought to the manner in which they might, fit together. The present paper is designed as an exercise in relating them into a pattern which, it is hoped, will not be without interest to the members of the Club.
     Let us proceed then. Man is created to perform use, for we read in DLW 298: that man, regarded as to his exteriors and as to his interiors, is a form of all uses, and that all uses in the created universe correspond to these uses"; and in no. 317, that "in all forms of uses there is some image of man." But use without service is nothing, for use without performance comes to nothing, and while a man is created to be the form of use, the form of this use must also be mentioned. It seems almost needless to say it, but for the purpose of coherence let it be said: the use of man must be for the welfare of other men.
     Let us see what we mean by the word "use." In DLW 298 the teaching continues: "Those things are called uses, which, from the Lord, are in order from creation; but those things are not called uses which are from the proprium of man because this is hell." Therefore the term "use" in the proper sense relates only to what is from the Lord; and, if we refer to DLW 213, we find that, "Love is the end, wisdom the instrumental cause, and use the effect, and use is the complex, containant and basis of love and wisdom." In DLW 307 it is said: "The ends of creation are those things which are produced by the Lord as a sun by means of atmospheres from earths, and these ends are called uses. In their whole extent they include all things of the vegetable kingdom: all the things of the animal kingdom; finally the human race and the angelic heaven from it. These are called uses because they are recipients of the Divine love and the Divine wisdom and also they have regard to God the Creator, from whom they are, and thereby conjoin Him with His great work."
     Use, then, is from the Divine and is the means whereby He is conjoined with His creation, and since He is life itself, it follows that all things that exist do so by virtue of their use which they have from Him; for without use He does not inflow, and He only inflows into use.

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The specific use of anything must also fit into a pattern of the uses of other things, and since service is use in operation, it follows that all uses must support each other in a corporate whole corresponding in function to the ends of the Divine love from which they all exist, and of which they form the containant.
     The Divine end is said to be the making of others outside of itself happy. Thus the angelic heaven, where all beings live in a blessedness of eternal happiness from the Lord, is said to be the end of the Lord's creation. Consequently, all uses from which finite things derive their existence have the achievement of this end in view, for this end is the all in all of the Lord's love; and because existence is impossible without the influx of the infinite love of the Lord, we must conclude that the all in all of the existence of anything whatsoever has in view only the performance of use towards this end. Nothing exists without the Divine, and the Divine has no other end. Thus nothing can ever be outside this end for such is the exactness of the Divine economy that nothing is ever "waste."
     From all this it immediately appears as if all men must he destined to enjoy heavenly happiness, for otherwise the Divine, which has this for its end, must in some measure fail should any man at length descend into hell. But we know that some men who are created, perhaps more than we sometimes care to suppose, do not regenerate and do go to hell. How, then, do we square this fact with the proposition that nothing exists without use into which the Divine flows, when we also know that the Divine end is good itself?
     We are all very likely as familiar with the teaching that man has free will in spiritual things as we are with the proposition that God is good. We also know that man is equipped with the faculties of rationality and freedom in order that he may choose freely and intelligently between obedience to the truths which form his conscience and the cupidities which form his hereditary will. Divine Providence 96 reads: "That without these two faculties man would not have an understanding and a will, and so would not be a man; and again, without these two faculties man would not have been able to be conjoined with the Lord, and so would not have immortality and eternal life." For so, it seems, these two faculties are essential to angels of light as being the means of conjunction between them and the Lord; thus it is the Lord's will that man should possess them, for, to quote again, "The Lord keeps these two faculties in man unimpaired and sacred in all the course of His Divine Providence."
     The reason is not far to seek; for the Lord wishes to confer upon beings, as it were, outside of Himself, the blessings of His love.

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Unless men reacted to life, to the life of use flowing into them, to all appearance as if they did so from their own power, the end of the Divine love could not be attained. Yet this end is life and without it there is nothing. Therefore freedom in men is an essential of the end, is indeed a "use" in the true sense-a containant of the Divine love.
     Now freedom involves choice and choice without an alternative to choose from is no choice at all. And what is the alternative? To be conjoined with the Divine love man must be an image of that love, and since that love is an infinite desire to give blessedness to others outside of itself, it follows that when conjoined with the Lord a man reflects this love in his own life. Thus he is a love of performing uses for the sake of others outside of himself. It is very obvious that the only alternative to this is for the man to be a love of only performing uses for his own sake to the exclusion of others. This is opposed to the Divine love and therefore disjoins a man from the Lord. Yet a man continues to exist, even if he is such a love; and his abode, we know, is in hell, which is the antithesis of heaven. On the other hand, we have already said that the Lord inflows into use, properly understood, and that His end is a heaven of angels, and that without this end there is nothing of "use" and nothing of life. This seems to be a paradox, and let it be well understood that so stated it is a paradox. But both things are true. There is a heaven and a hell, and if true they must have some mode of relationship, for truth is one.
     Nevertheless, we seem to have a paradox, and paradoxes are trying things. Sometimes a change of air is very welcome when they put in their untimely appearances, so perhaps we may be forgiven if we let this one alone for a little while.

     Most people have wondered at some time or another what the spiritual world is like, so you might not find it amiss if we spend a few moments on considering the nature of that world, just by way of a change. In TCR 29 we read: "In the whole natural world there are times and spaces actually, but in the spiritual world only apparently," and a little farther on, "in the spiritual world . . . there are no material spaces, nor times corresponding to them; but still there are the appearances of them, and these differ according to the state of mind of the spirits and angels there. Times and spaces, therefore, in the spiritual world conform to the affections of their wills, and thence to the thoughts of their understandings, but those appearances are real, because constant in accordance with their states."
     Now this, I think, is a remarkable passage. The spiritual world is a world of appearances and the shapes these appearances seem to take depend upon the states of the spirits seeing them.

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The angels and spirits are in real appearances of space and time because these correspond with their states. There is nothing unreal about the spirit's world, but as he changes so his world changes. It changes to suit him like a perfectly fitting glove which appears to grow at the same rate as his hand, indeed, like his skin, which always feels just right. None the less, it is still only an appearance, however much it may' appear to be reality to him.
     In AC 6806 the matter is very well presented to our view, for it reads:
"Those angels and spirits who are similar as to states of life appear to be near to each other, thus to know each other; whereas those who are unlike as to states of life appear to be far away from each other, and thus not to know each other. In a word, in the other life, likeness of state causes them to appear present and to be known: and unlikeness of state causes them to appear absent and not to be known." Notice again, nearness and farness, knowing and not knowing-all these are appearances, but they are real to the spirits to whom they are presented.
     Another teaching with which we are familiar is the one which declares that every good has its own particular truth, and that men at this day are regenerated by learning first the truths of faith and afterwards learning to love them, thus to come into the good which is in agreement with them. Also we know that the state of a man relates to the good of his life in the first place, regardless of the scientifics of truth which he may have learned, for no one attains to heaven unless he loves the goods of these truths. Therefore a man's spiritual state is concerned with the degree of charity in which he is, and this carries with it a genuine acknowledgment of its own particular truths of faith.
     Now in HH 175 we find that, "since all things which correspond to the interiors also represent them, therefore they are called representatives; and since they are varied according to the states of the interiors of the angels, therefore they are called appearances; although things which appear before the eyes of angels in heaven, and which are perceived by their senses, are seen and perceived in as lively a manner as things on earth are seen by men, and even much more clearly, distinctly and perceptibly. The appearances of this kind are called real appearances, because they really exist. There are also appearances which are not real, which are such as are indeed presented to view, but do not correspond to the interiors."
     The real appearances of heaven, therefore, are related to the interior states which are with the angels and thus to interior things-to things of love and charity. Consequently, a man is in heaven in so far as he is in them and to the degree that he is in them. From this we must also reason that if he is not interiorly in heaven as to love and charity, so, likewise, he is not exteriorly in the appearances of love and charity, that is, not in the appearances appropriate to these things.

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Wherever else he may be, he is not in heaven.
     But what is this charity and this love which is heaven? Heaven, we are told, is a state of conjunction with the Lord, for it exists wherever the Lord is loved. HH 56 says, "Heaven also is wherever the Lord is acknowledged, believed in, and loved." And in the same work, no. 54, "In no case can it be said that heaven is out of anyone, but that it is within him; for every angel receives the heaven which is around him according to the heaven which is within him. This plainly' shows how much he is deceived who believes that to come into heaven is only to be elevated among angels, whatever he may be as to his interior life, and thus that heaven may be conferred on anyone by an act of unconditional mercy; when the truth is that if heaven were not within a person, nothing of the heaven which is around him flows in and is received. There are many spirits of this belief, and who, for this reason, have been taken up into heaven. But when they came there, because their interior life was contrary to that of the angels, they grew blind as to their intellectual things and at last became like idiots, and were tortured as to the things of the will until they behaved like madmen. In a word, they who have lived wickedly and come into heaven gasp there for breath, and are in torture like fishes taken out of the water into the air; or like animals in the receiver of an air pump, in the ether, with the air exhausted. Hence, it is evident that heaven is not out of a man but within him. In the same work, no. 55, "Since all receive the heaven which is around them according to the heaven which is within them, therefore they receive the Lord in the same manner, because the Divine of the Lord makes heaven. Hence, when the Lord manifests Himself in any society. He appears there according to the quality of the good in which that society is, and thus not the same in one society as in another. Not that this dissimilitude is in the Lord, but in those who see Him from their own good, thus according to it."
     From this it is obvious that this charity and love which makes heaven in a man is dependent upon the good of his life, and this good depends upon the extent and manner in which his life is a manifestation of the Divine love in ultimates, thus to the extent in which his external appearances of life are brought into accord with this genuine love by means of truly corresponding interiors; for his state depends upon the nature and quality of his interiors, and the appearances of heaven to him upon his state.
     Also let us remember that the Lord manifests Himself to man according to the good that is in him, and, since all good is from the Lord, it follows that this manifestation of the Lord to man is according to the conjunction of the man with the Lord, thus to the extent that he is in the Lord and the Lord in him.

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But at the same time we must not forget that the appearances to man that he is independent of his Maker are still maintained so that he appears to have good, and to reciprocate the Divine love as if of himself, for otherwise he would cease to be a man. The Lord, above all else, preserves "these two faculties in man unimpaired and sacred in all the course of his Divine Providence."
     Hence, to come into conjunction with the Lord a man must freely choose and endeavor to lead a life of charity in so far as his understanding of the truths of faith permits. He must freely desire to be the means of use to support all the other uses of men, that they may be happy, and not to serve a use merely to make himself happy. His charity must consist of his freely doing all the good offices to his neighbors which lie within his means for the sake of his use to them. In this way charity is conjoined to him and the heaven of his use enters into him: his state becomes a heavenly one, and all the appearances of that state surround him in reality before his spiritual senses. From this he is happy himself and others may delight in him and he in them.
     But what if a man does not seek a life of charity and chooses, instead, a life of selfishness? What happens to his spiritual state? He is certainly not in heaven, for he has nothing of charity, and cannot in consequence be in the state and appearances of heaven. If he is not in heaven, but still exists, what is his life? How can he live when he is not conjoined with the Lord? Let us read DP 96 again: "Without freedom and rationality man would not have been able to be conjoined with the Lord, and so would not have been able to be reformed and regenerated, and further, without these two faculties man would not have immortality and eternal life." Certain it is that man continues to exist, even if he does not seek conjunction with the Lord, for he has the two faculties and thus must have immortality, for the Lord always preserves these two. What, then, does happen to the man, and what is his existence without this conjunction?
     The orthodox teaching of our theology is that such a man is in hell, and this because he has opposed himself to the Divine love. And if heaven is a state of blessings, hell is a state of curses because it is a state of perpetual restraint. Evil must be restrained for its urges have ends which are contrary to Divine order, and if unrestrained it would of necessity destroy order and the happiness which depends upon order. Therefore, those who are evil live a life of perpetual restraint in hell, and they are restrained by punishment because, while punishment does not reform a man, fear of it will prevent him from doing that which will bring punishment in its train.

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So, in DP 249: "Punishment follows every evil; it is as if upon every evil were inscribed its punishment, which the impious man suffers after death." And in HH 509: "Evil spirits are punished because in this state the fear of punishment is the only means by which their evils can be subdued. Neither is exhortation of any more avail, nor instruction, nor fear of the law, or of loss of reputation, because the spirit now acts from his own nature which cannot be restrained, nor broken, except by punishments." The reason for the need of restraint is found in HH 562: "I once spoke with a spirit who had been a man of authority in the world, and loved himself supremely; and when he only heard mention of the Divine, and especially the name of the Lord mentioned, was impelled by such a hatred, resulting from anger, that he burned with a desire to murder Him." To desire the murder the source of all life is obviously insanity, and such insanity cannot but he restrained, and that by the only means, by punishment. Thus the devils are preserved by punishment from compassing their own destruction with that of the rest of humanity.
     Now, from all this one thing comes to light. If unrestrained the devil would destroy all things and by so doing he would remove the means of existence from himself as well. But note, the devil, to destroy himself, has first to achieve the destruction of all things. He cannot go out like a light on his own account because as long as he exists he will always seek first his own preservation and aggrandisement, since this is his nature, and in any case he will always be preserved by the Lord, though he is what he is, because he was created a man with freedom and rationality, two faculties which the Lord forever preserves throughout the course of His Divine Providence. Consequently, the devil's preservation is linked forever with that of all other men, because his own destruction is only by means of universal destruction, and this is impossible.
     Heaven with a man, we have seen, is within him and thence outside of him, and since a man is a hell by reason of his love of himself, just as he is a heaven according to his love of the Lord and the neighbor, so hell, like heaven, is in a man and thence outside of him. Therefore, following the same rule, the state of hell manifests itself in his surroundings by means of the appearances of shapes sensible to his spiritual senses. These appearances correspond with his state, and in this much they are his "realities." But they are the realities, if so we may use the word for the moment, of his fantasy of evil and falsity. However much they represent the delights of his love, these appearances are turned into things loathsome beyond expression at the least touch of the light from heaven. In loathsomeness the appearances of hell have their genuine reality, because only the appearances of heaven are genuinely real, and it is only in the light of heaven that hell appears as it really is in its opposition to good and truth.

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But to the devil in hell the Lord extends His mercy. In HH 553 we read: "The fierce passions of those who dwell in hell are also represented by dreadful and atrocious things, which I forbear to describe. It is to be known, however, that such is the appearance of the infernal spirits in the light of heaven, but among themselves they appear like men; and this is of the Lord's mercy that they may not seem as loathsome to one another as they appear to the angels. But that appearance is a fallacy, for as soon as a ray of light is let in from heaven, their human forms are turned into monstrous forms, such as they are in themselves, because everything appears in the light of heaven as it really is. But let us remember that the external things seen in the light of heaven are still appearances, albeit they are real appearances.

     As we have seen, a man is in heaven or in hell according to the manner in which he has chosen to use his freedom and rationality. There is nothing anywhere which says that a man is in heaven or in hell according to the function he performs. There are many, many passages which say that the angels in heaven do this or that, or that the devils in hell are caused to do this or that. But nothing is said anywhere that because they do this or that work, and by reason of this or that work, so they' are in heaven or in hell. Whatever an angel or a devil does is presented to him as an appearance and the nature of this appearance depends upon the nature of his love and is entirely dependent upon it. If he is an angel, the appearances of his life are delightful to him; but if he is a devil, the appearances of his life are vile when seen in the light of heaven, though, by the Lord's mercy, they do not appear so vile to the devil when the light of heaven is not shed upon them.
     Hence heaven or hell has nothing to do with the use which is the esse of the man's existence. But it has to do with the will which he has, as it were, made his own. If he is a devil, then he has made that will his own by permission in the exercise of his freedom, but if he is an angel, although it appears as if it were his own, he has his will from the Lord the Savior. If this cardinal point is understood clearly a remarkable proposition is able to present itself.
     All men, angels and devils alike, have life from the Lord. That life is use and with every man it is a particular of use, proper to that man because he is a particular creation, and his particular use is his alone. No one else can have that use, because it is his life, the very esse of his entire being. Nor can there be two identical likenesses of use because the Infinite is the all in all of every use and the Infinite cannot duplicate itself, and if the particulars could be duplicated. He would no longer be infinite.

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Thus a man is born to be a use and throughout his existence, which is eternal, because of his existence he must perform that use and cannot perform any other. Whatever comes or goes with a man, that real essential use is forever served, because it is the Lord's dwelling place with him, it is the containant of the man's existence in the most real and most definite way, and it will never change as to its essential purpose. Therefore the prime thing which makes a man's life is always present and always operative. If it was taken away, the man would cease to be, if it was changed, the man would become another person. Neither of these things, however, can happen.
     The only material example which comes to my mind as being anywhere near suitable to illustrate the magnitude of the thoughts this idea draws forth, is the physical universe itself. In this the vastness is utterly beyond finite human comprehension and yet an indefinite number of heavenly bodies revolve and interlace at fantastic speeds in a perpetual equilibrium which provides that nothing moves outside the strict limits of its proper orbit. And all the time these bodies exert upon each other a thrust and pull so that if one were taken away or moved out of order the whole remaining fabric would plunge after it into a cataclysm of destruction. The whole would explode and disintegrate. Indeed such is the balance apparent in the universe that the existence of planets in the solar system, their position and their size, has been calculated before optical instruments were devised which could bring them within the limitations of human vision, for it was known by means of mathematical reasoning that the order of things within the solar system would not be possible without the weight and influence of the unseen elements.
     Looked at in this way all men, in the esse of their creation, have, as it were, their weight and their place and, consequently, their function in maintaining the equilibrium of the ever expanding pattern of creation. The comparison is justifiable when we recall our first quotation, DLW 298. "That man as to his exteriors and as to his interiors, is a form of all uses, and that all the uses in the created universe correspond to these uses."
     But what we call man's self life, that is, his life as it appears to him, within the limits of his finite understandings, this manifests itself in appearances suitable to, and depending on, the nature and quality of his "own" ruling love. If he is in love and charity the appearances of his existence take upon themselves the character of blessings which are real and genuine because they are true correspondences. But if he is not in love and charity the appearances of his existence take the aspects of curses. As to whether or not he is in love and charity depends upon the way in which he has exercised his freedom and rationality.

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But the way in which he has exercised his faculties makes not one whit of difference to his essential use, any more than the massacres and wars, the makings of peace and rejoicings, the pestilences and the curses among men can ever shift this planet of ours out of the course and revolution which the Lord has ordained to be its use.

     Well, now, what has become of our paradox which we left around somewhere near the beginning? As far as I can see it appears to have evaporated, or else we have somehow failed to come back to the place where we left it. Let us see what we have found instead. I notice that our five axioms are still with us at any rate. 1) The Lord's kingdom is a kingdom of uses; 2) Man is created to perform use; 3) Man is created that he might enjoy the delights of being an angel of light; 4) The Lord is present with all men, with the evil as well as with the good: 5) The infernals also perform uses as well as the good. Yes, all present and not one missing, but perhaps they are just a bit more closely knit. What is their pattern now?
     Man is not free to choose to exist or not to exist. He is only free to choose how he is going to have his existence appear spiritually. A man is not predestined at some future time to a place in heaven because the esse of his life is there already, it is the Divine with him and the Divine of the Lord makes heaven. All men are capable of enjoying the highest delights of heaven, or of suffering the deepest miseries of hell. But no man can choose his use which is the esse of his life. Depending upon the love and charity which a man has freely accepted as a free gift from the Lord by living a life of reformation and regeneration, so he lives in the appearances appropriate to the degree of his regeneration and derived from the essential use which is the origin of his entire being. The more he is conjoined with the Lord as to his interiors and thence as to his exteriors, so the more perfect is his heaven. The farther he is disjoined from the Lord as to his interiors and thence as to his exteriors, so the more damnable is his hell. But his use and his place in creation, these are forever uniform and inviolate. No devil can affect this any more than he can effect his own destruction. The angel in heaven lives in accord with his Maker and thus with his use, and he is happy, living from day to day, and age to age, going whither the Lord will lead him in his use to eternity. The devil in hell exists in discord with his Maker and is driven for ever before the esse of his being, governed by a compulsion which preserves him from himself in order to maintain the essential function of his specific use.

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TWO RECENT ARTICLES 1952

TWO RECENT ARTICLES       Editor       1952

     In an article under this title which appeared in our July issue [pp. 344-345] we undertook to offer some comments on a recent study by John R. Swanton, Ph.D. This study, entitled "Is There Ultimate Salvation for All?", was published serially in the issues of THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER for April 5th, April 19th, and May 3rd, and it has already led to a vigorous and capable correspondence in the columns of that journal.
     There is seldom a lack of men who are ready and willing to put their sense of justice, sympathy, mercy, and tenderness against those of the Divine as revealed in the Word; untroubled by any thought that they may be arguing from false premises, or have been betrayed by sentimentality uninstructed by truth. And from the beginning of its existence, there have been a few members of the New Church whose reading of the Writings has convinced them that the hells are not eternal, that there is ultimate salvation for all. As early as 1791, Benedict Chastanier denied the eternity of the hells in Swedenborg's New Year's Gift to His Readers, a peculiar publication written as though dictated by Swedenborg's spirit, though he later recanted. Ten years later, Frederic Von Walden issued a Defense of My Views Regarding Hell and Everlasting Torments, in which he denied the eternal duration of the hells. And between 1898 and 1901 there was a lengthy correspondence on the subject in NYA KYRKANS TIDNING between the Rev. Albert Bjorck and the Rev. C. J. N. Manby, the former denying and the latter asserting that the hells are eternal. The question is now raised again by Mr. Swanton, who evidently believes that there is ultimate salvation for all.
     This belief is based upon an interpretation of certain passages in the Writings; and it seems clear that the author regards his sources, not as the Word of the Lord in His second coming, but as "Swedenborg's writings." In one place he says: "In view of these facts the only immediately adverse criticism of Swedenborg's condemnatory passages above quoted is hesitation as to whether even he was endowed with sufficient prophetic power to know what will happen 'to eternity'" (p. 126). And in another place he seeks to explain why Swedenborg was "apparently at odds, with himself at times" by suggesting: "Perhaps because he sometimes had the Divine love more in mind and sometimes the Divine justice if unmodified by love" (p. 157). No one would challenge Dr. Swanton's right to hold and express these views.

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But no one should be surprised, either, if the General Church declines to discuss Swedenborg's prophetic insight as a criterion of truth, deprecates reference to Swedenborg's passages, condemnatory or otherwise, and fails to be impressed with the idea that what is said in certain passages was determined by what Swedenborg happened to be thinking about at the time they were written. It is our conviction that the Lord alone speaks to us in the Writings, and that when their teachings are rightly understood they give form to the Divine love as revealed Divine wisdom.
     Dr. Swanton rests his case entirely upon his interpretation of the teaching given, and that, of course, is the way in which derived doctrine is reached. But the very fact that he does so, the very fact that he begins by asking a question and ends, after examining an array of passages by stating a conclusion apparently drawn from them, gives to the study an air of impartial scholarship and authority which, in our frank opinion, is not warranted by the reasoning, but which might carry weight with a superficial reader. He begins by admitting that all the passages which deal directly with the question teach, or seem to teach, that there is no possibility of eventual salvation for those who are in hell, and notes that New Church men have generally reconciled themselves to this view because of the teaching given in the Writings about the nature of hell and of infernal punishments. But he then proceeds, in the body of the study, to bring the plain teaching of these passages into question by arguing for what he regards as the logical implications of other doctrines, and quotes a number of passages dealing with profanation to support his contention that since the effort of the Divine Providence is to prevent profanation, the sin of profanation is prevented. And as profanation is spoken of in scripture and doctrine as the unpardonable sin, this leads him to the general conclusion that all other sins are forgiven, that infernal spirits will ultimately be saved, and that the duration of the hells is therefore not eternal.
     The appeal to the doctrine concerning profanation involves an old trap into which other writers have fallen. The Writings do teach that those who will not suffer themselves to be regenerated are withheld from faith and charity in order that they may not profane (AC 6348). They do teach that man is not admitted interiorly into good and truth except in so far as he can be kept in them to the end of life (AC 3402e; DP 232). But the first teaching simply means that it is better for a man to go to hell than to become a profaner; and the second does not mean, as some have thought it does, that man is not admitted interiorly into good and truth except in so far as he will remain in them to the end of life. If profanation is always prevented, how is it that the Writings are able to describe the state and hells of those who committed profanation?

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And if it will always be prevented, why do the Writings go to such lengths to warn us against the sin of profanation? It is true that the Lord does protect man as far as possible from profanation, that where there would be no alternative He does withhold all knowledge of interior things as in the case of the Jews. But where there is freedom to profane or not, and man cannot be withheld without violating that freedom, then the sin of profanation is committed.
     Thus the main contention on which the conclusion is based cannot be sustained, and we find no firmer ground in the reasoning that because remains are preserved with infernal spirits the possibility of their regeneration is maintained. Apart from the fact that remains can be destroyed by profanation and deceit, which vitiate the interiors in which they are stored up (AC 6348), the preservation of remains with the infernals does no more than maintain them as recipients of influx, and all influx of good and truth with them is turned immediately into evil and falsity. This, too, is therefore specious reasoning. And the same must be said of Dr. Swanton's cardinal assertion, grounded on the teaching that all men are predestined to heaven (DP 330): "If ultimate salvation for every man is not possible, then the Divine purpose is frustrated and evil is victor over God" (p. 157). The Writings do not predestine man to heaven in the absolute and unconditional way in which Calvinism predestined men to hell! The Lord created man with liberty and rationality. By the abuse of these faculties man can, and does, freely enter into eternal condemnation. Yet in this, evil is not victor over God; for the Lord's will is not that man shall enter heaven, whether he wants to or not, but that he shall be free.
     Most New Church people will rest content with such plain statements of the Writings as the following. "The whole spirit of man is nothing but his will. When, therefore, man becomes a spirit, he is unable to resist anything that is favored by his will (AE 105:2). "No one's life can be changed after death, because it is organized according to his love and consequent works; and if it were changed, the organization would be torn to pieces" (CL 524). "Man's ruling love is in no way changed to eternity" (HH 477). "It would he easier to change a night-owl into a dove, or a horned owl into a bird of paradise, than to change an infernal spirit into an angel of heaven" (ibid., 527). "It is evident that they who come into hell remain there to eternity" (AC 10,749). And they will not have to accustom themselves, as the author would have them, "to think of hell as part of the Divine plan of ultimate salvation just as our penal institutions ought to be part of a plan of social salvation" (p. 157) in order to "see in it further proof of the love of God" (ibid.).

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Rather will they find proof of the Lord's love in the existence and eternal duration of the hells, when the hells are considered as they are described in the Writings.

     Sentimentality, or a view colored by the old orthodox idea of Satan's fiery kingdom, will always rebel against the eternity of the hells. But the Lord is more tender, loving, and merciful than men, even though they may sometimes think otherwise. And when the nature of hell is rightly understood, there is no contradiction between the teachings that God is love and that the hells are eternal. Those who find their abode in hell are they who would not willingly be anywhere else, and the infernal kingdoms in which they dwell are not places of continuous and unending punishment. The doctrine is clear that the hells are not places of punishment, but that there are places of punishment within the hells; and it is only at certain times, and under certain conditions, that the infernals enter these places. For the rest, they are permitted the pleasures of their life's love, such as they are; and the perpetual duration of the hells in which they do so testifies to the love of the Lord in providing for them the only life they have made possible.
     THE EDITOR.
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word: "It is commonly agreed that the Word is from God, is Divinely inspired, and therefore holy; but yet in what part of the Word its Divinity resides is so far unknown. For in the letter it looks like ordinary literature, strange in style, neither so sublime nor so brilliant as the literature of the world. For this reason the man who worships nature instead of God . . . may easily fall into error respecting the Word and into contempt for it . . . but he who thinks in this way does not consider that Jehovah the Lord, who is God of heaven and earth, spoke the Word by Moses and the prophets, and that consequently it must be Divine truth" (True Christian Religion, 189, 190).

     The Writings: "The consummation of the present church is described in seven chapters of the Apocalypse much as the devastation of Egypt is described, and both by similar plagues, each of which spiritually signifies some falsity which brought on its devastation even to destruction; therefore the present church, which is at this day destroyed, spiritually understood is called Egypt . . . Egypt means a church which in its beginning was preeminent in excellence; wherefore Egypt, before its church was devastated, is compared to the garden of Eden and to the garden of Jehovah" (True Christian Religion, 635).

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REVIEWS 1952

REVIEWS       Various       1952

     A NEW VOLUME FOR CHILDREN

STORIES FROM THE WORD. Volume V, Joshua and Judges. Revised and compiled by Frederick E. Gyllenhaal. General Church Religion Lessons, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1952. Mimeographed, pp. 180. Price, $1.00.

     "This volume of lessons on the books of Joshua and Judges has been prepared with the hope that it will awaken the interest of boys and girls in the stories of the Word that tell of heroes. Joshua and the Judges were heroes to the Children of Israel, and the Lord Himself was their greatest Hero. The lessons are given to the children at the age in which they are especially interested in stories of knighthood and adventure, stories of ancient and modern heroes." [Preface to Vol. V.]
     It is our opinion that this volume well fulfills its purpose. The Lord's own stories, which are true stories, are outlined, infilled with historical and cultural data, and commented on with regard to their direct application to the states of fourth grade children. The ultimate goal of education in the church is to lead the thought and affection of our children to the Lord in each successive state of their development. This can be done best by applying the direct but often hidden teachings of the Word to children's lives by showing them how the Lord's stories can, and should, lead all men in all aces to do the Lord's Divine will.
     With almost consistent simplicity and directness the book covers the greater part of the stories of Joshua and Judges, beginning with a treatment of the Lord as the greatest Hero of war, and concluding with an excellent lesson identifying the Lord with the Word and its holiness. Each lesson begins with a quotation from the letter of the Word which supports and confirms, with its obvious and genuine truth, the lesson to be derived from the story immediately under consideration. Many of these quotations are taken from the Psalms. The lesson ends, as a rule, with an exhortation to the child to apply to his life the lesson just explained. Following this there is a list of questions which varies in its form from lesson to lesson.
     Beautiful full-page illustrations are adjoined to each lesson. Small pictorial insets are also frequent, at least one to each page. All pictures may be colored and details added if there is the desire to do so. Mr. Donald Moorehead produced the illustrations and maps at a minimum hourly charge and with a minimum time allowance for the production of each picture.

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The results are unusually fine, although considerably short of the perfection desired by the artist. Future funds will make possible even finer productions. This is also true of the lessons themselves. Revisions had to be made in a limited time, with little assistance for the reviser. Consequently there is, as always, room for improvement and further revisions will be forthcoming.
     Errors in this work are few and extremely insignificant. An example is seen in the second review where there is given a page containing twelve pictures reviewing lessons three to ten from Joshua. The last four pictures included here depict stories not yet taken up and are therefore out of place in a review.
     With a desire to aid in the improvement of future revisions, and with a realization that opinions will differ, we offer the following suggestions. The title, Stories from the Word: Joshua and Judges, would be more accurate if it were changed to Lessons from Joshua and Judges or Notes on Stories from the Word: Joshua and Judges.
     In most of the lessons, facts in connection with the story could be more subtly presented. It is essential that they be communicated, but if their presentation is too obvious and over-powering, an affection for the story itself may be hard to sustain. Perhaps more effort could he expended on re-telling the story in an affectional manner so that facts might be insinuated in a less obvious but more palatable fashion. Page numbers are needed in any work. The value of this volume as a reference book for family worship would be greatly enhanced if they were added.
     Perhaps illustrative examples such as the one in lesson 16E, which likens the stories of the Word to a five pound box of candy, are not totally in keeping with the tenor of dignity maintained throughout the greater part of this work. In a very few cases the evenness of vocabulary, which is expertly adapted to the fourth grade, is broken by a sentence such as the following one which appears in lesson 19E; "The respect and veneration in which their great Leader was held . . . and the solemnity of the occasion, made the people attentive."
     In addition to fulfilling the use of a text and work-book of religious study for the fourth grade, this compilation is an invaluable source book for every New Church home that requires at least a minimum preparation for daily family worship. A few minutes reference to it will provide parents with a background of historical and cultural facts, an outline of the story itself, and an application of the moral and spiritual teachings contained in the adventurous and powerfully moving stories of Joshua and the Judges.
     LOUIS B. KING.

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     A BROCHURE OF GENERAL INTEREST

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM A Handbook of General Information. By Hugo Lj. Odhner. The Academy Book Room. Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1952. Paper, pp. 56. Price, 25.
     The aim and scope of this small but important offering may best be conveyed by quoting from the Preface. "In this booklet, the undersigned seeks, in an informal and unofficial way, to present some general or preliminary information about the faith, history, organization, and aims of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. It gives a summary of the principal doctrines, treats of the life and mission of Emanuel Swedenborg, and proceeds to give a brief outline of the history of the New Church and an account of the uses undertaken by the General Church."
     In addressing himself to this purpose the author makes clear at the outset that the New Church is not a reform movement within a reviving Christianity, but a dispensation founded upon a new Divine revelation and he makes Swedenborg's claim less startling by reminding the reader that the Law and the Gospel were given through human instruments. In the several sections a great deal of information has been compressed into brief compass without sacrifice of literary style. The section on the rise and progress of the New Church includes the General Convention, the General Conference, and other organizations; the Academy is described in a later section; and the booklet closes with a section on the literature of the Academy movement, a list of officers to whom application for further information may be made, a catalog of the Writings and a short list of publications obtainable from the Academy Book Room. The separation from Bishop Benade is touched on with characteristic tact, and if some will be disposed to question the wisdom of reference to the Kramph case and the separation in 1937, the authors reason for including them as important developments in our history can be well understood.
     There has long been need in the General Church for such a booklet as this and we can foresee many uses for it. To mention only one, the information it offers must be given afresh to all new members, whether drawn from cur own young people or attracted from the Christian world; yet it cannot be given again, year after year, in doctrinal class. It is probable that pastors engaged in missionary work will be especially grateful to have this booklet at their disposal.
     The value of such a production depends as much on organization and design as on writing, and we would congratulate the author on all counts. This is a dignified, literary brochure, as well fitted to represent us fittingly to the outside inquirer as to uphold the quality of the Church with our own people. Paper, format, and type are good. The size is as convenient to the pocket as is the price to the pocketbook.

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And we venture to suggest that every family in the Church should have a copy for reference, and at least one other available for presentation where it may be of use.



     A WELCOME REPRODUCTION

THE GOLDEN HEART, AND OTHER STORIES. By Amena Pendleton. Illustrated by Eudora Sellner. The Academy Book Room. Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1952. Pp. 76. Stiff paper, $1.00.

     This is not a new book, but a reproduction by the photo offset process of the slim volume which has delighted many children since it first appeared in 1922, but which has been out of print for some years. The method used reproduces exactly the original typography and illustrations, and there has, of course, been no revision of the text.
     Older readers will recall that the book is a collection of seventeen short, simple, and direct stories, told in the language and style of fairy tale Wit based upon happenings and scenes in the spiritual world described in the Writings. For example, the first story was suggested by the statement in Spiritual Diary no. 4732 that good spirits have given to them a breastplate which is, as it were, a larger form of heart made of gold, and that when robbers meet them, and they draw aside their garments and show the golden heart, the robbers dare not do anything. This welcome reproduction will make the stories available to a new generation of young readers. Their value as fairy tales with a permanent basis in revealed truth is unchanged. And while their main appeal is still to very young children, older children who have some knowledge of correspondences may find in them much of interest.



     ADVANCE NOTICE

A HYMNAL FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES IN THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. The Academy Book Room, Bryn Athyn, Pa., 1952. Pp. 64. Stiff paper, 50 cents.

     A Hymnal was published under this title in 1914, and has for long been out of print. The production here mentioned, of which we have received advance notice, is not a new Hymnal but a photo offset reproduction of selections from the earlier volume. It contains two orders of service, one for children's services the other for family worship, several Scripture Recitations, Chants, and Hymns. We are advised that it will be available on September 1st, and we shall review it at a later date when there has been opportunity to study the selection made.
     THE EDITOR.

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     [NOTE: These publications may be obtained from the publishing agencies mentioned. Postage should be added to prices listed. Special prices will be quoted on quantities of the Hymnal for schools, and additional sets of pictures to accompany Stories from the Word may be obtained at 50 cents a set.]
NEW CHURCH EDUCATION 1952

NEW CHURCH EDUCATION              1952

     (Formerly PARENT TEACHER JOURNAL)

     Published by General Church Religion Lessons

Provides material for the use of parents, teachers, and
children in the field of religious education.

EDITOR: Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

Issued monthly, September to June, inclusive.
Subscription, $1.50, to be sent to the Editor.
WORD 1952

WORD              1952

     There are two things that proceed from the Lord, Divine love and Divine wisdom, or what is the same, Divine good and Divine truth. The Word in its essence is both. And because it conjoins man to the Lord and opens heaven, as has been said, therefore it fills man with the goods of love and the truths of wisdom; his will with the goods of love, and his understanding with the truths of wisdom. Hence man has life through the Word. But it should be known that they only obtain life through the Word who read it for the purpose of drawing Divine truths from it as from their fountain, and for the purpose, at the same time, of applying to the life the Divine truths thence drawn" (TCR 191).

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DOUBTFUL ANALOGY 1952

DOUBTFUL ANALOGY       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor     Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Circulation Secretary     Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Treasurer     Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Circulation Secretary. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     A writer in our August issue referred [p. 379] to the "Swedenborg body" of the second advent-the earthly external which was from Swedenborg as the Lord's body was from Mary, and which was formed of the words and ideas that served to express and illustrate spiritual truths made known to him. This analogy has been drawn by other New Church writers, and will doubtless be used again but on critical analysis it will be seen to break down more completely than any analogy should.
     If there is an analogy, we believe it is not between the Divinely organized mind of Swedenborg and the Mary-body, but between that mind and the body of current ideas which the Lord assumed and then formed to express and illustrate the truths He taught at His first coming-he parabolic body which clothed the Divine truth but was distinct from it, and which was marked by the same limitation of knowledge as the external furnished by Swedenborg. The assumption of such a body of thought has been a part of the giving of all Divine revelation, and it answers more closely to what was provided by Swedenborg than does the Mary-body.
LEAVING, OR PUTTING IN FREEDOM? 1952

LEAVING, OR PUTTING IN FREEDOM?       Editor       1952

     New Church people are highly conscious of the need for freedom and sensitive about its preservation. But zeal is not always well instructed and may sometimes have the opposite effect to that which was intended.

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A fairly frequent example of this is the fact that a ruinous decision, unwise course of action, doubtful interest, or questionable remark is often suffered to pass without comment on the ground that the person concerned "must be left in freedom." Is this argument always sound, however? Doctrinally it may be brought seriously into question.
     When the Lord said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," He taught a vital principle that truth is the essential prerequisite of freedom. A man is not really free to make the decision until he knows the truth about the situation, not free to judge until he has all the facts before him, not free to confirm himself in a course of action until he knows the actual truth about it and its consequences. And in many situations it is not the part of spiritual charity to allow the evils and mistakes of the neighbor to go unchallenged on the specious ground that "he must be free." Rather is it the part of charity to put him in freedom by placing at his disposal the truth that applies to the situation; truth which he may not even have known, or which he may have become too confused to recognize.
     When the truth is presented, both sides seen, possible consequences understood, then a wan is in freedom. To put a man in this freedom requires, of course, judgment, tact, and above all, good will. There is no sanction here for unwarranted interference with the lives of others. But where the evils of others, deliberate or unrealized touch our lives it is not the part of charity to leave those others in freedom but to try to put them in freedom by presenting the truth that applies. For then they are free; free to renounce the evil or to reject the truth.
TWO LOVES OF SPIRITUAL OFFSPRING 1952

TWO LOVES OF SPIRITUAL OFFSPRING       Editor       1952

     It is known from the Writings that spiritual offspring are goods and truths or evils and falsities-motives and ideas, affections and thoughts; a fact which the world unconsciously recognizes in the phrase "brain children." It is known also that spiritual and natural parents love their physical offspring differently as they mature; the former for their spiritual intelligence, morality, and affection for and application to use, while the latter regard internal affections very slightly if at all, accept externals uncritically, and love and defend and excuse all they find in their children as an extension of the self with which they are very well satisfied.
     One wonders, however, just how often these two teachings are related in our thinking. A nascent affection, a newborn idea, should be treated with all the tenderness their weakness demands. But when our affections and thoughts become mature enough to show their quality and stand alone, it is not the mark of the spiritual to surround them with a fond, blind adulation, to deny the possibility of fault just because we brought them forth, to ignore flaws, or to regard them complacently as healthy signs of normal development.

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This may be done. A natural man will feel about his affections and thoughts exactly as natural parents feel about their children, and an exact parallel may be drawn.
     The regenerating man, on the other hand, will try to love these "brain children" as spiritual parents love their offspring. He will not view his affections and thoughts with uncritical, complacent pride just because they are his very own, or admire them because of the external results they achieve for him. Rather will he have a searching regard for their quality. And he will cherish and foster them only as there seem to be in them spiritual intelligence, morality, and affection for and application to use. All others he will rebuke, discipline, chasten, and if necessary disown and disinherit. And it is well for men to do this, for in the realm of spiritual offspring the child is father of the man in a sense undreamed of by the originator of that saying.
CONDITIONS OF REPENTANCE 1952

CONDITIONS OF REPENTANCE       Editor       1952

     The familiar teaching that repentance must be practised in freedom involves two important things-that the evils of which man truly repents are those which he shuns when he is free to commit them and when they present themselves to him with delight. There is no spiritual virtue in abstaining from evils there is no possibility of committing anyway, either because opportunity is lacking or has ceased to exist, or because natural prudence dictates that the gratification is not worth the penalty. And there is nothing spiritual or permanent in the revulsion produced by satiety, or the indifference engendered by a mental or physical condition which temporarily makes the evil uninteresting and undelightful. The evil of which man really repents is that which comes to him with delight when he is free to commit it, and is shunned because it is a sin against the Lord.
     Yet we do well to realize that an evil cannot overcome by a single abstinence under these conditions, One reason for this is that there is no compulsion from without in genuine repentance. It is a marvellous process whereby man, in freedom, becomes averse to the point of loathing to evils which once held for him the delight of life. This can be done only by degrees, over a longer or shorter period. It may be necessary for an evil to present itself again and again in order that the man may realize that its delight is steadily decreasing; for this to continue until the vanishing point of delight is reached, and there is felt that first of aversion which will build up into actual and wholehearted loathing.

443


The time will vary, but the process is essentially the same.
     This the Lord permits as the only way in which the man can really be separated from his evils, as distinct from the evils being separated from the man. For it is only when man has thus come to will it that he can be parted from his evils without conflict, without reserve or regret, without lingering trace of secret hope for reunion, because his whole will has become an active desire never to be affected by that evil again. Understanding of this fact may save some earnest people from much unnecessary anxiety. The recurrence in the imagination, or even in the flesh, of evils which have once been shunned should never cause despair and lead to surrender. It is not the recurrence of evils that matters, but our reaction to them when they recur; and the slightest perceptible gain each time, or net gain over a period of successes and reverses, will yet lead to salvation if we persist, even if it takes the form at first of only a decreasing delight in the evil.
REVISED STANDARD BIBLE 1952

REVISED STANDARD BIBLE       Editor       1952

     On September 30th, the National Council of Churches will place on sale about a million copies of a new Protestant Bible, said to be the most important revision and retranslation since the King James version in 1611. The Revised Standard Version, as it will be called, is the product of fifteen years of effort by a committee of thirty-two scholars under the chairmanship of Dr. Luther A. Weigle, dean emeritus of Yale Divinity School, and its appearance will be awaited with great interest.
     The revision was authorized in 1929 by the International Council of Religious Education, an interdenominational agency representing major Protestant church bodies in the United States and Canada, and work was begun in 1937. The New Testament was published in 1946, and was reviewed by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner in the November issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE for that year [pp. 564-566]. The final editing of the Old Testament was completed in October last year. Actually there will be two separate publications placed on sale, the Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible, and a two volume Revised Standard Version of the Old Testament for those who already own the New Testament issued in 1946.
     Several attempts have been made to render the Bible in modern and even colloquial English, and there have been special arrangements and particular interest versions, such as the prohibitionist "wineless Bible" of 1918.

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This, however, is only the fifth authorized version in English, the other four being Coverdale's Great Bible of 1539 (also called Cranmer's Bible), the Bishops' Bible of 1568, the King James or Authorized Version of 1611, and the Revised Version, English in 1881, American in 1901.
     According to advance publicity, the principal reasons for the revision are the discovery of many important Biblical documents since the publication of the King James Version and the need to correct many errors and to clarify many words and phrases which have become obsolete or have changed their meaning since 161l. That verbal improvements can be made is indisputable, for there are gross errors of translation in the King James and the Revised Version, and it is reassuring to be told that the new Bible preserves the simplicity and the rhythmic beauty of the King James Version, that the Bible itself is not changed, and that it will not be the book of the Modernist or the Fundamentalist alone.
     The New Church man will note with caution the assurance of the translators that no basic doctrines of the church will be changed, and will accept with proper reserve the statement that the new version is actually an older Bible since it goes back to original sources; for the fact is that "original" is here a very relative term. Most of the early codices have perished, and the fact than an ancient manuscript omits something contained in later ones does not preclude the possibility that the missing portion was included in one still earlier. But we have no wish to prejudge this work, which we hope to review later; and we trust that it will be received on its own merits, and not judged unfairly because of long standing affection for the King James Version.
EDUCATION FOR USE 1952

EDUCATION FOR USE       Editor       1952

     As we prepare to enter the seventy-sixth year of continuous New Church education it may be useful to consider again some of the reasons for our educational system. New Church education could not be sustained for long by historical faith. Each generation must come to see the need for it; and one of the most effective ways in which we may see that need is to contrast the teaching of the Writings with contemporary educational philosophy and thereby see the alternative that is offered to our children and young people by the schools of the world.
     Behind every system of education is a philosophy of life which determines its objectives and therefore the selection, organization, and presentation of the materials of instruction. And the educational philosophy of today, despite some recent losses by the progressives, is constructed about a confirmation of the appearance that man lives from himself.

445


Indeed the illusion of self-life is so strong that educational belief and practice tend to develop self-love while avowedly seeking to restrain and control it. Self is believed to be good, evil is regarded as the failure of society, self-expression is encouraged, and the purpose of life is said to be found in self-realization. Emancipated modern thought has repudiated the theological dogma of original sin. But in so doing it has denied the reality of evil, and has substituted the evolutionary concept of the betterment of the human race through the exercise of self-intelligence; simply classifying human qualities as socially desirable or undesirable.
     In education, therefore, the appeal is to what is significantly known as "enlightened self interest." It is more than hinted that sin is a mediaeval idea stemming from reactionary faith in a personal God, and indicated that we live in a mental world comfortably free from absolutes of any kind. Truth is something which teacher and pupil set out together to find, and which will always be relative when found. What is good in one age and place may be evil in another, and morality is also subject to modification by chronology and geography. Any attempt to impart absolute values is regarded as propaganda, not education; and the avowed purpose is to release the mind from traditional concepts of good and evil, to establish a new set of human values which are held to be socially significant. In all this the basic assumption is that man is intrinsically good, and that all conflicts of interest can be resolved by the adjustment of the individual to the existing social order.
     Yet the Writings teach that man is only a recipient of, and a reagent to, life, that self is evil, that man can do good only from the Lord, and that to do good he must be instructed by the Lord. They reveal that the inmost purpose of life is to deny self, and learn from the Lord in the Word how to will and think and act in accordance with spiritual charity. They show that everything which comes from man is intrinsically evil because interiorly within it is an end of self, and that that only is good which is done without thought of reward for the sake of the Lord and the neighbor. And they state that the only hope for the betterment of the race lies in acknowledgment of the Lord as a Divine-Human personal God, in acceptance of Divine revelation as absolute truth setting up standards of absolute good and morality, in the subordination of self to the spiritual truth of the Word, and in a resulting change in the motives of men that will be radical.
     These are the conflicting philosophies which show clearly the need for New Church education. It may be said that one of the vital purposes of our education is to teach the true motives that should enter into human conduct and the proper modes by which they may be expressed.

446


That is what is meant by education for use-preparation of the mind to perceive the eminent rightness of the proper motive and to choose it. Most educators agree that education should be for a life of usefulness to society. But there may be a world of difference between usefulness and use! And the modern trend, despite last ditch stands by the humanists, has been to place more and more emphasis on social effectiveness, or on a utilitarian education adjusted to the needs of a mechanical age. Because modern life calls increasingly for technical knowledge and skill, it is held that education must be contemporary and functional. But this is merely to concentrate upon what is done, and upon a more efficient performance resulting in greater external benefits, while ignoring the motive from which it is done or appealing to self interest.
     It is true that the end of education is not knowledge but use. Yet practical usefulness is not to be confused with use, nor are the specific occupations in which men are engaged, despite our tendency to regard "job" and "use" as synonyms. A man's use is not his work but the motive from which he does his work, and the influence for good or evil his doing it from that motive has upon other men. This is the use, for it is in this that the Lord is present. That is why it is said in the Writings that charity itself, which is use, is to do sincerely, justly, and faithfully the duties of one's office. And that is why it is recognized that although many men may be performing the same occupation each is performing a different use, one, indeed, that is unique to him.
     Surely it is clear that if men are to perform good uses to society they must work from spiritual motives And in the world of today, only New Church education can prepare the mind to perceive spiritual motives, implant a desire to seek them, and teach how they may be received. Only a system of education which is based upon the acknowledgment of the Lord and of the Word can impart the necessary spiritual and moral instruction. And only an educational system which draws its principles from a rational revelation can unfold the Lord's purposes in creation and in the affairs of men. This, too, is necessary, for it is only as men learn from such a revelation the true uses of created things and of life situations that they can employ and meet them in a human way for the true benefit of others. Therefore the Divine laws in nature and of human life must be seen in operation, and only New Church education can show them.
     The continuance and further development of that education requires the support of the entire Church. If New Church education cannot be sustained by historical faith, neither could it be supported for long by mere appreciation of its proved external benefits and advantages. Its purpose, as has been said, is to lead the mind to discern and choose right motives, and to show the modes of conduct through which those motives should be expressed.

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And this is the use that must be realized and loved anew as we approach another year of New Church education if the instrumentalities through which it is performed are to increase in effectiveness.
PATTERN OF RATIONAL THOUGHT 1952

PATTERN OF RATIONAL THOUGHT       SYDNEY E. LEE       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     The comment of your correspondent "Student" [June, 1952, pp. 303-304] anent my article on "The Pattern of Rational Thought" was most welcome, for any effort to think things out is enriched by comparison with the thought of others. While I would like to comment on several matters it seems best to concentrate on his principal points.
     "Student" is disturbed lest it be thought that Swedenborg's doctrine of correspondence be considered a means of discovering spiritual truth. No doubt the paragraph on page 68, condensed from Hieroglyphic Key no. 10, is responsible. Part of this reads: "Then will come forth spiritual truth and theological concepts although no mortal could have predicted that anything of the kind could arise." These are Swedenborg's exact words and they are true. For he conceived of God as one infinite and indivisible, which was a rational concept of a spiritual truth from which is derived a theological concept. The references "Student" cites refer to revealed truth and doctrine drawn from it. This is above the rational, but even revealed truth may be contemplated by examining things on a lower plane that corresponds to it.
     Your correspondent states that "the process of confirming truth is not properly a process of the rational mind but of the imagination." If this is shown to be true my own thinking must he revised, for how, then, does one strive to enter rationally into the mysteries of faith? Not through the imagination! For Swedenborg says: "It [the imagination] cannot of itself recognize truth, for its use is to serve the memory" (R. Psych. 102). It is the "internal sense of sight" (ibid. 86), and is shared by brute animals (ibid. 113). "There is no thought without imagination because there is none without ideas of the memory . . . still, it is only a superior or internal sight" (ibid. 140. 141). To the rational mind, however, are ascribed intellect, thought, also judgment, choice, etc. (ibid. 297).
     "Student" is concerned also with my reference to the finest things of nature from which the limbus originates as "natural but non-spatial." He says rightly, "It consists of natural substance," but continues, "and every natural substance is spatial, being a form of motion in space."

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The concept of simple substance as a form of motion is consistent with the Principia teaching, but Swedenborg's warning must be heeded, that all terms applying to it are relative, i.e., analogues for we are speaking of something that is above nature, that was before time and place, and that is therefore beyond its limitations. "But as to the nature of this form, being the first form after the soul, this is not easily expressed in words, inasmuch as the attributes and powers of that form are above the sphere of ordinary terms; for the latter express only such things as are in nature and within the gyre of nature, and not such as are supreme and are next to the spiritual essence" (R. Psych. 128).
     Before we employ terms concerning this simple substance that belong to material things we need to consider their implication; for since we are told that the limbus which is drawn from it, while mortal per se, becomes immortal, it is important that we do not limit our understanding by preconceived ideas that impose spatial limitations. Actually, being in space does not make a thing spatial.
     Perhaps we should ask, what do we mean by spatial? Presumably "of, or pertaining to, space"; for while space may be used as a mathematical term, "the aggregate of points or ordered sets of numbers," this definition does not apply because it is a mere philosophical abstraction. Swedenborg does indeed so use it in connection with his first natural point, but he calls it "imaginary space" (Ont. 16). We evidently mean that space which is said to constitute universal space. We are using the word in its normal sense. Therefore spatial things must have three dimensions-length, breadth, and thickness-and these imply parts and structure.
     Actual space seems to be a "condition" arising in the world of nature when substance, through the discrete degrees of its descent, changes from being a form of motion which is mutable and become possessed of parts that are immutable; when, for the first time, the distance or nearness of parts from each other can be measured or assumed as, for instance, weight can be assigned to the physical elements. Still, space, the vast expanse, does not exist until there is matter at rest. "Since the lowest things in nature which are from the earths are dead, and are not mutable and various but are fixed, there are spaces and distances of spaces in nature. These things become so because creation has ceased there and subsists in rest" (DLW 160).
     If we are to raise the mind and contemplate with Swedenborg the wonders of creation, we must not only realize with him the inadequacy of words to describe the interior things within nature, but must also heed his warning that only by analogy can they be described, and that the implied resemblance is not of the things themselves but corresponds to things that can actually be attributed to the lower degree.

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Not only must we do this, but we must discriminate most carefully between terms so used and their ordinary meaning, else we shall be utterly confused and shall imagine contradictions where none exist. Even "motion" as used is more akin to "activity" in still higher forms than to its dictionary meaning.
     "Structure is the same as form, but only in compounds considered physically and mechanically, and to which are attributed parts, space, extent, mass, size, matter, motion, figure, and the like. Form, however, is something more universal than structure and is in most simple things, yea, in the most simple. Still, structure corresponds to form, for we must conceive that such things mentioned above are within every single form, but only their analogues and eminents, which cannot be called by the same name" (Ont. 18). It seems quite clear to this writer that this simple substance itself, quite independent of space and not possessing a single spatial characteristic, except in potency or imagined as a mathematical concept, must be considered "non-spatial," and that it is not a mere question of terms but involves an attitude of thought. Even if Swedenborg did not explain the seeming paradox of this universal substance being in space though having no spatial qualities, the conclusion is clear that, being pre-spatial, it is of necessity non-spatial. However, Swedenborg does state in his Ontology, nos. 54-60, that substance without any idea of length, breadth, or thickness, and without place, and which cannot be said to occupy space within itself, still occupies space within the universe.
     Finally, the remark that distressed "Student" concerning the possibility that the doctrine of the limbus perhaps involves some idea of that "something" which the Lord adjoined to Himself. Probably this was poorly stated. A re-reading of the Rev. C. Th. Odhner's remarkable series of articles on the limbos in NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1903, uncovers the source of this idea. He says, concerning the future study of the limbus, that "it promises to shed much light upon the subject of the resurrection body of the Lord."
     The interesting reference by "Student" to Paracelsus' concept of the limbus is striking, in that it illustrates the utter helplessness of philosophy without Swedenborg's philosophic doctrines, in this case particularly that of discrete degrees.
     SYDNEY E. LEE.

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LOCAL SCHOOLS DIRECTORY 1952

LOCAL SCHOOLS DIRECTORY              1952

     1952-1953

     Elementary' Schools report the following teaching staffs for 1952-1953:
BRYN ATHYN.     
     Rev. David R. Simons               Principal
     Miss Dorothy P. Cooper               Kindergarten
     Miss Jennie Gaskill               Grade 1
     Miss Zara Bostock                    Grade 2
     Miss Erna Sellner                    Grade 3
     Miss Phillis Cooper               Grade 4
     Mrs. Lucy B. Waelchli               Grade 5
     Miss Anna Hamm                    Grade 6
     Mrs. Elizabeth D. Echols          Grade 7
     Miss Margit K. Boyesen               Grade 8
COLCHESTER.     
     Rev. Alan Gill                    Principal
     Miss Muriel Gill                    Grades 1-5
DURBAN.     
     Rev. Martin Pryke                    Principal
     Miss Sylvia Pemberton               Kindergarten, Grade 1
GLENVIEW.     
     Rev. Elmo C. Acton               Principal
     Miss Mary Lou Williamson          Kindergarten, Grade 1
     Miss Gloria Stroh                    Grades 2 & 3
     Miss Jean Hayworth               Grades 4 & 7
     Miss Laura Gladish               Grades 5 & 6
     Miss Gladys Blackman               Grades 8 & 9
KITCHENER     
     Rev. Norman H. Reuter               Principal
     Miss Nancy Stroh                    Grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 8
PITTSBURGH.     
     Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen          Principal
     Miss Venita Roschman               Grades 2-4
     Miss Evangeline Lyman               Grades 5-6
     Mr. Carl Gunther                    Grades 7-8
TORONTO.     
     Rev. A. Wynne Acton               Principal
     Miss Joan Kuhl                    Grades 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8

     Part-time teachers for special subjects, voluntary or otherwise, are not included here. For a complete listing of the Faculty of the Academy see the CATALOGUE, June, 1952, pp. 3-5.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "9. God does not, without the use of means, teach man truths, either from Himself or by angels; but He teaches by means of the Word, by means of preaching, reading, and conversation and intercourse with others, and thus from thought with himself about those things; and man is then enlightened according to his affection for truth grounded in use: otherwise he would not act as if from himself" (AE 1136).

451


Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     OBITUARY

     Mrs. Edward Sumner Hyatt

     Mary Leather was born at Hindley, Lancashire, England, on September 13, 1862. Trained as a teacher, she was teaching in Liverpool when she married Mr. Hyatt, then vacationing in his homeland after one year in the Theological School of the Academy in 1886. After a year in Erie, Pa., following Mr. Hyatt's graduation and ordination in 1888, the young couple removed to Toronto, where he was do labor with distinguished success as the Pastor of the Parkdale Society until he became incapacitated in 1903. Mrs. Hyatt was at her husband's side during the historic sifting period of the 90s and she helped him in the Parkdale School, being the first person other than a priest to teach in that school. From the time of her husband's illness until his death in 1906, and then until 1919, she followed her love and supported her family by teaching full time in the school while also running her home.
     Mrs. Hyatt removed to Bryn Athyn in 1919, and the rest of her life was spent in this community. A gifted and very successful teacher who loved teaching and understood children, she continued to be of use through her talents by working as a private tutor; work which had not entirely ceased when she had reached her eightieth year. In her final years she was largely withdrawn from the world, but when she passed into the spiritual world on August 5, 1952, she left behind a long life of active use, unusual courage, and great devotion, the fruits of which will continue. Mr. and Mrs. Hyatt had entered the Church together. This, and her marriage, had implanted a particular feeling for the Church and the Writings, and had given direction and quality to the love of teaching which was characteristic of her. She is survived by two sons, Hubert, and Winford Sumner, and one daughter, Cara (Mrs. Hubert Synnestvedt). The Memorial Service, held in the Bryn Athyn Church on August 7th, was conducted by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, who spoke of the secret operations of the Divine Providence in the kind of life that had been the lot of our friend.

     ACADEMY AWARDS

     Correction

     Because of omissions in the list supplied to us the following names were not published in our August issue:
     BOYS' ACADEMY: Certificate of Completion: Denis Major Kuhl.
     GIRLS' SEMINARY: Certificate of Completion (Honorable Mention): Marguerite Ann Kuhl.

     BRYN ATHYN, PA.

     Memorial Day was observed here with a short but unusually fine program arranged by the Civic and Social Club. The Bryn Athyn band gave spirit to the flagpole ceremony, and the speeches were by three college students-Jerome Sellner, Dale Doering, and Donald Rose, in the evening a large group assembled at the Club House for a rousing "Welcome Home" to Philip Smith of the U.S.M.C., who had just returned from combat duty in Korea.
     Close on the heels of these occasions, or so it seemed, came the closing exercises of the Bryn Athyn Church School, which drew a large audience to the Assembly Hall on Thursday morning, June 12th. The service was conducted by the Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church, Bishop de Charms, assisted by the Principal, the Rev. David R. Simons, and the address was given by Bruce Cronlund, Esq. A large class of the manumitted-approximately their own description-received their passports to the freer and more exalted air of the high school, taking with them also the good wishes of the Society for their further advancement in New Church education.
     The Nineteenth of June was again marked by a full day of observances. After the children's service and entertainment on the lawn in the morning, a large congregation gathered in the cathedral in the afternoon for a service of glad thanksgiving to the Lord, in the course of which ordinations into the priesthood took place.

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This is not primarily an ordination service. It is part of the celebration of New Church Day in, and by, the Bryn Athyn Society. But it seems peculiarly fitting that ordinations should take place in it; for the work of the priesthood of the New Church is surely a continuation of the work inaugurated by the Lord in the spiritual world on the nineteenth day of June in the year 1770, and there was heartening assurance of the continuity of that work in seeing four young men dedicate their lives to the priestly use. The Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton was the preacher and the ordinations were performed by Bishop de Charms.
     Mr. George Woodard was toastmaster at the well attended banquet which came in the evening as an inspiring climax to the day. The speakers were the four young ministers who had been ordained that afternoon and Bishop Alfred Acton, whose last graduating class they were a happy isles on the part of the toastmaster which yielded fine results. The Rev. Messrs. Geoffrey Childs, Jr., David Holm, Dandridge Pendleton, and Frank Rose spoke briefly but powerfully on different aspects and implications of the new evangel, and Bishop Acton delivered a characteristic address. A choir trained and conducted by Mr. Lachlan Pitcairn, and strategically placed to lead the songs, did much to help us express in that part of the program the unity undoubtedly felt, and to reduce the antiphony that usually creeps in between floor and stage in the Assembly Hall.
     This was the finale of the season's activities, and there then descended the summer calm which for some weeks had seemed more and more to be desired, a calm broken by the exodus of loyal sons to Glenview and the celebration soon after their return of "the Fourth" with a very full program-parade, flagpole ceremony, children's sports, softball games, tennis, a picnic under the trees on the edge of the old football field, and fireworks, with appropriate ejaculations, to crown the day. The parade bore testimony to the fact that this is the one year in every four which in these United States is dedicated to "the men who"; the weather was, on the whole, kindly; and if there were any serious casualties we did not hear about them.
     Sunday morning services continue, of course, and again arrangements have been made for the children to leave during the Psalm and go to the Council Chamber, where stories from the Word, illustrated by slides, are told to them. Classes for the children have again been held, this year on Tuesday mornings. The children saw slides of stories from the Word and of New Church people and places, colored pictures, practised hymns and songs, toured the cathedral, and played games. These classes were conducted by Mrs. Gertrude Simons, Mrs. Etta Acton, and Mrs. Thomas Redmile, and, like the Sunday morning sessions, were under the general supervision of the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal.
     Several beautiful weddings have been solemnized in the cathedral, there have been baptisms and confirmations, and on Saturday, July 12th, a full congregation gathered to take part in a Memorial Service conducted by Bishop de Charms for Mrs. Elsie Carpenter, who passed into the spiritual world on Thursday, July 10th. In an address which will be remembered for its affection and beauty the Bishop emphasized the more positive aspects in death than release from earthly suffering.

     PHILADELPHIA, PA.

     The Advent Society was visibly shaken by a sense of loss and insecurity when we heard that our Pastor, the Rev. Morley D. Rich, had been chosen to fill an appointment in England and had accepted. At a meeting with Bishop de Charms we expressed with great frankness our hopes and fears for the future without Mr. Rich's leadership and enthusiasm. It was a useful meeting at which we saw the Bishop at work, sympathetically understanding our dilemma and at the same time giving us every encouragement. We were once again reminded of the fairness of the organization of the General Church, which provides for pastorates of indefinite length and also for making pastoral changes only when need arises, having regard to the welfare of the Church as a whole. Candidate Geoffrey S. Childs, Jr., was then appointed by the Bishop to serve as our Minister after his ordination, and was unanimously accepted by the Society.
     On April 18th, a party was held at 5007 Penn Street to honor the Rev. and Mrs. Morley Rich, who would soon be sailing for England, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Furry who were moving to Massachusetts. Both families would be sorely missed as they had been unchanging parts of the Advent Society, ever helpful and energetic in their unselfish devotion to the uses of the church.

453


However, with the aid of delightful refreshments, games, and songs accompanied by Ted Alden on the violin and Bea Childs on the organ we managed to keep the occasion festive and gay. Mrs. Kingdon then read a letter from Mr. Percy Dawson of London in which expression of the pleasure with which Michael Church awaited the arrival and work of Mr. Rich was nicely blended with understanding of the Advent Society's feelings. The letter was received with much applause, followed by a toast and the singing of "Here's to Our friends." Then, after a few informal remarks by our departing Pastor, in which he spoke of the awe he felt in going to a new country for the first time, we ended the evening by singing "My Country 'tis of Thee," "The Star Spangled Banner," and "Our Glorious Church."
     The following Sunday morning Mr. Rich conducted his final service, the text of the sermon being; "I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15: 5). The sermon was a beautifully expressed treatment of the seeming contradiction that exists between believing that all life and good are from the Lord and yet having a responsibility to do good. It spoke of the unique language of the Lord's New Church by which the meaning of the text is made clear. The new term "as of self" instead of "from self" restores freedom and reason to man and at the same time reveals the infinite glory of God.
     Mr. Childs concluded his first doctrinal class on the following Tuesday, April 22nd, the first of a series on the three states of the world of spirits. Mr. and Mrs. Rich were still here and witnessed the enthusiastic response of our group. Many questions were asked and were answered most ably by our new teacher. It was a very pleasant evening, one which we will long remember.
     The next day the Rich family sailed and Mr. and Mrs. Childs moved in, the former to serve as Resident Candidate until his ordination. The Philadelphia children were transported to school in Bryn Athyn in the station wagon as usual, but with a new hand at the wheel. Thus life went on without interruption. We were most fortunate in not being deprived of a Sunday service or a Tuesday class while Mr. Rich and Mr. Childs were in the midst of changes which suddenly put them in new environments and new positions of greater responsibility.
     On Tuesday evening, May 20th, we were privileged to hear a fine talk by the Rev. William Whitehead on the background and history of our Society. While refreshments were being served a surprise baby shower was given for Mrs. Childs. In preparation for Easter we had had three classes on the Lord's childhood, youth, and manhood, two of which were given by the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson. Mr. Childs' classes were then resumed, the last class being on "Mediate Good," another unique term. Attendance as classes has been high, and our social life is mainly after doctrinal class, when refreshments are served and we have an opportunity for friendly conversation among members who are widely scattered over Philadelphia and surrounding areas. However, there are also special events, such as a buffet supper served at the building on June 7th by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Soderberg at which they announced the engagement of their daughter, Emmy Lou, to Mr. Charles Echols of Bryn Athyn.
     On Sunday, June 8th, we had the pleasure of hearing one of our young people, Miss Anne Carroll, make her confession of faith. The Rev. W. Cairns Henderson officiated and conducted the service and Candidate B. David Holm read the lessons and preached. Two weeks later we had a visit from the Rev. Fred. E. Gyllenhaal, who administered the Holy Supper and preached a sermon appropriate to the occasion. Then, on Sunday, July 13th, David Ethan Childs, son of our Minister and his wife, was baptized by the Rev. Louis B. King, who also conducted the service and preached. After the service wine was served, and toasts were proposed and song to the Church and the new potential member.
     At the annual business meeting it was decided that Sunday morning service should continue through July and evening services through August. It should be mentioned that, thanks to Mrs. Douglas Halterman and her sister, Miss Bea Childs, we have had an organist every Sunday, and that we have had the pleasure of being joined in worship by many friends from Bryn Athyn. We hope they will continue to be our guests, as we have been theirs through the past years. Also it should be mentioned that we specialize in baby-sitting for pre-school children while parents stay to hear the sermon. This service is offered in willing spirit by our teenagers, Joanne and Gretchen Walter and Joanna Queman.

454


Ted Alden and Bill Walter have done an excellent job in giving lessons to the school age group, who are studying The Life of the Lord under their affectionate guidance.
     So the Advent Society goes on; and while the Rev. Morley D. Rich has a permanent place in our affections we are deeply impressed by the enthusiasm of the Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs and more and more appreciative of his ministrations. In this spirit we shall look forward to further development when the new season begins.
     ANNE RENN.

     DURBAN, NATAL

     Although some time has elapsed since the Easter season, it is of interest to recall that on Good Friday our Pastor conducted a special service of five lessons while the holy Supper was administered on Easter Sunday.
     The toll, wing Thursday evening the Durban Chapter of the Sons of the Academy entertained the womenfolk at a supper in the hall, after which Mr. Pryke gave an address on the subject of New Church education. The evening proved to be a successful venture on the part of the men and we look forward to similar occasions in the future.
     On May 31st, a public holiday, the youngsters together with some of the older folk again went several miles into the country for the annual Society picnic Approximately 26 adults and 32 children turned out to enjoy a day in the open. Organized sports occupied the morning, after which the lunch baskets were opened and the contents rapidly disappeared. Once more the picnic was voted to be a great success.
     During July and the mid-year winter holidays doctrinal classes and children's classes were not held, although the ladies decided to carry on with their Thursday morning meetings as usual. During that month Mr. Pryke visited several of the native missions and was away from Durban for about ten days. In his absence the Sunday service was read by Mr. Gordon Cockerell. The month of July being the holiday season in Durban there was the usual influx of visitors from all parts of the Union. This year we have been more fortunate than usual in having with us several of our friends and church members from up-country. First of all Mrs. Lello (Jessie Attersol) from Cape Town visited Durban for several weeks. Later on, Mrs. Bamford of Pretoria was here for a week over the Nineteenth of June, also Mrs. Iona Ridgway from Alpha. Mr. and Mrs. Rademeyer and their two daughters from Bloemfontein recently spent a holiday in Durban, and from the Transvaal came Mr. and Mrs. Prins (Evelyn Rogers) and their three daughters. From further afield we had two visitors from Mauritius on their way to England, Mr. Cyril de Chazal and his son.
     New Church Day.-With 70 people present, the New Church Day banquet this year was as successful and enjoyable as ever. After a delicious supper, Mr. Levine as toastmaster, opened the proceedings by proposing a toast to the Church. The first paper of the evening read by Mrs. Levine, dealt with the birth of man as described in The Worship and Love of God. Mr. Levine then spoke for a few minutes on Freedom, while Mr. Pryke developed the subject still further in a paper entitled "Freedom and Responsibility." During the evening four young people who had reached an age to attend the banquet for the first time were welcomed into the adult activities of the Society. To mark the occasion, Gabrielle Mansfield, Corinne Ridgway, Malcolm Cockerell, and Gerald Waters were presented with copies of Heaven and Hell, while from Mr. Pryke each received a copy of the "Rules of Life." The program included the singing of songs and the honoring of various toasts. The showing of Kodaslide pictures of Bryn Athyn completed a very pleasant evening.
     On the following afternoon the young children celebrated the occasion at a banquet given by the Women's Guild. There were 26 children present, and several of the older ones delivered very interesting papers.
     For the special service on Sunday, June 22nd, the church had been tastefully decorated with evergreens and scarlet flowers. At this service the Quarterly Communion was administered to a large congregation.

     A Wedding.-The marriage of Mr. John Lowe, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Lowe, to Miss Amy Mansfield, which took place on Friday Monday, was an outstanding event of its kind. Following the most impressive wedding ceremony in the church, at which the Rev. Martin Pryke officiated, a reception was held at a nearby hotel. The entire occasion was all that could have been desired for the young couple, who have now made their home some distance from Durban.
     VIDA ELPHICK.

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     GENERAL CHURCH

     The Rev. and Mrs. B. David Holm sailed from England for South Africa on August 7th. For the time being, Mr. Holm may be addressed at Mowbray Place, Musgrave Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.

     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER reports that four young men received certificates at the graduation exercises of the Theological School at Cambridge, Mass., last June. Mr. William R. Woofenden goes to New York to assist the Rev. Arthur Wilde, and Mr. Ernest O. Martin has received a call to Wilmington, Del. Mr. Kenneth W. Knox has been appointed in charge of the Wayfarers' Chapel Palos Verdes, California, and has begun his duties there. Plans for Mr. Calvin F. Turley had not yet been announced.
     Appointments to the newly formed Commission on Religious Education have been announced as follows: Rev. Messrs. David P. Johnson, John King, Anthony Regamey, Othmar Tobisch, and graduate student Ernest O. Martin who is to serve as chairman. The commission's surveys will take in all branches of the Convention's educational work, looking to its strengthening and progress.

     General Conference.-THE NEW-CHURCH HERALD contains a report of the annual meeting of the Missionary Society of the New Church which shows a year of active work in arranging lectures bringing the Writings, collateral literature, and periodicals before the public through advertising and donations to libraries, schools, and individuals the making of cash grants for missionary work; and the granting of scholarships to the New-Church College Easter Lay School to eight young men and women.
     The same periodical contains an account of the School, which was held at the College over the Easter weekend, with nineteen Societies represented. A similar school, conducted by the North Lancashire District Sunday School Union, was held at Crosshills at the end of May. These schools bring Sunday School teachers together for a few days for lectures, discussion, and a common social life, and are well staffed by ministers who offer their services as lecturers.

     CHARTER DAY

     All ex-students of the Academy of the New Church, and their wives or husbands, are cordially invited to attend the Charter Day Exercises, to be held in Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18, 1952. THE
PROGRAM:

Friday, 11 a.m.-Cathedral Service, with an address by the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers.
Friday Afternoon.-Football Game.
Friday Evening-Dance.
Saturday, 7 p.m.-A Banquet in the Assembly Hall. Toastmaster, the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson.
     Arrangements will be made for the entertainment of guests, if they will write to Mrs. V. W. Rennels, Bryn Athyn, Pa.



     EPISCOPAL VISITS

Episcopal visits will be made in October and November as follows:

KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 3-7.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 8-12.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, October 21-26

CLEVELAND, OHIO, October 31-November 2.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, November 7-9.

GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS, November 11-16.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, November 21-23.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS,
          Bishop.

456


EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL 1952

EDUCATIONAL COUNCIL       LYRIS HYATT       1952





     Announcements




No. 10

NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
OCTOBER, 1952
     Bryn Athyn, August 18-22, 1952

     Some fifty-five members from Canada and the United States convened on Monday evening August 18 for the tenth meeting of the General Church Educational Council. After a short service in the Benade Hall Chapel conducted by Bishop de Charms, the Council moved to Room 218 where Bishop Willard D. Pendleton set the keynote for the following sessions in his forthright address on the philosophy of New Church education. He clearly stated the basic differences between the generally accepted modern views and the stand that we have taken, going on to emphasize our present need for focusing attention on our intellectual curriculum and ordering the fields of knowledge to further our distinctive purposes.

     The Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning meetings were devoted to papers and discussion on the religion curriculum, the speakers presenting the philosophy behind, and the content and methods in, present courses given, and in some cases making recommendations for modification. Miss Dorothy P. Cooper spoke on "The Affectional Life in the Growth of the Pre-School Child;" Miss Jennie M. Gaskill on "Religion in the Primary Grades," a composite of papers by the teachers in the three primary grades in Bryn Athyn and suggestions from teachers in our other schools: the Rev. Elmo C. Acton on "The Religion Curriculum in the 4th to 6th Grades;" the Rev. David R. Simons on the 7th to 9th Grades; the Rev. Karl R. Alden on the Secondary Schools; and the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson on "Religion in the College."
     Unfortunately human as well as spatial limitations preclude any adequate account of the useful discussions evoked by the papers. We only record here that in the first session the Rev. Norman H. Reuter expressed the need to "think dangerously" about our curriculum by thinking anew and disregarding tradition wherever it would be useful to do so.

458


A few such "dangerous" thoughts were expressed in the papers and discussion, which will be fully considered when the Religion Committee begins its projected concerted effort to formulate a general statement on its curriculum which will be undertaken in a workshop next year. It might be added that "dangerous" was applied by speakers to their own thoughts on several occasions during the week until Professor Richard R. Gladish suggested a change in the English curriculum which he described as "dangerously close to a thought."
     The subject of Art and Handwork was considered in the Tuesday and Thursday evening sessions, the pattern of presentation following that of the meetings on Religion. Miss Margret Bostock spoke on "The Function of Art and Handwork in New Church Education," stressing the concept of use throughout; Miss Erna Sellner on "Art and Handwork in the Primary Grades;" Miss Bostock on "The Course of Study in Art in the 4th to 8th Grades and in the Upper Schools," and Dean Eldric S. Klein on the courses in the Fine Arts in the College. The discussion testified to the strong affectional appeal of all the papers as well as a recognition of the importance of this field of education.

     The afternoons, and Wednesday evening, of many of the Council members were taken up by committee work on the formulation of preliminary but written statements of the philosophy of five subject areas: social sciences, science, mathematics, English, and foreign languages under the chairmanship, respectively of Professor William Whitehead, Miss Morna Hyatt, Professor Edward F. Allen (in absentia), Professor Gladish, and Dean Klein. These sessions were officially listed as Workshops but were soon commonly referred to as sweatshops. Since the weather was moderate, the real sweat was mental, except for those few who had the temerity to go golfing.
     The traditional business meeting was held on Friday morning. Miss Gaskill presented plans for her proposed "New-Church Reader" consisting of modifications in the present reader series used in several of our schools. This seemed to be well received by the Council members. The date for next year's meetings was set for August 24-28. It was arranged to make all of this year's papers available for further use by placing them in the Academy Library. Finally, the statements of the Workshop committees were read. Part of next year's work will be the continuation and amplification of these statements of philosophy.

     No New Church assemblage is complete without the diversions of charity, and these were not lacking during these meetings. In addition to morning recesses for coffee and orange juice provided by Dean Wertha P. Cole, and three luncheons at Casa Conti in Glenside arranged for by Professor Otho W. Heilman, there were informal gatherings, including a most delightful one after the Thursday evening meeting at Cairnwood, Bishop Pendleton's home.

459




     The culmination of the meetings was a banquet on Friday evening at Casa Conti at which many members of the Corporations of the General Church and the Academy, together with their wives, were present. Mr. E. Bruce Glenn, able toastmaster, pointed out that the teachers would be content with a light relaxing program, while the guests would be looking for substantial educational and spiritual thought. This seeming difficulty was resolved by the song and dance of two prominent members of the faculty as well as by all three main speakers of the evening, who had been invited to speak on "an important issue facing New Church education today." All three were impressed with how few issues there seem to be among us. The Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen addressed himself tellingly to the problem of conveying to our students a true concept of use and the necessity for making a distinction between internal use and external function; Miss Beatrice W. Childs spoke humorously and thoughtfully on "Borrowing from the Egyptians" in education; and Raymond H. Synnestvedt, Esq. gave a delightful and balanced address on the relation between New Church people and other people. Bishop de Charms concluded the program with remarks that we record at some length because they so fully summed up the week of meetings. He expressed his delight that we have progressed one step toward our goal-the organization by our faculty as a whole of all the branches of learning by consecutive studies leading to an understanding of the relation of each course in the curriculum to the life of religion founded on Divine revelation. There has been developed a philosophy of mental growth, and valuable individual work has been done in the subject-fields, but this is not enough. We must now develop a definite idea of the purpose of every subject. This is not an easy task, and it must be done not by the clergy alone but by the group effort of professionals learned in the fields of knowledge and grounded in the principles of the Writings. It is cause for rejoicing and gratitude to the Lord that a real beginning has now been made in this and that we have a faculty who have a spirit of devotion and unanimity of thought and who exercise the freedom of thought which brings enlightenment.
     LYRIS HYATT,
          Secretary.

460


PEACE RIVER BLOCK DISTRICT ASSEMBLY 1952

PEACE RIVER BLOCK DISTRICT ASSEMBLY       LORAINE LEMKY       1952

     JULY 31, 1952

     At seven o'clock in the morning of July 31st, the Ed Lemky family and Gorandma Lemky, the matriarch of the Lemkys, left by car from Gorande Prairie, Alberta, to attend the first Peace River Block District Assembly of the General Church. Four hours later we arrived at the Windsor Hotel, where we picked up the Rev. Karl R. Alden, and then drove to the hall where the meetings were to be held. As we pulled up at the door the George Shearers appeared, laden with boxes of food all prepared for the noon and evening meals.
     The hall contained a table prepared as an altar, decorated with red and white crepe paper and red sweet peas, a good piano, and a spacious kitchen fully equipped with everything needed for such a gathering. Soon a group assembled which included Mrs. Peter Peters and her children, Mrs. Jack Wilson, Mrs. John Peters and her children, Mrs. Viola Jean Miller, Mrs. Yackel and her child, Mr. and Mrs. George Shearer, Stephen Heinrichs, and the group from Gorande Prairie.
     Mr. Alden opened the business session with readings from the Word and the Writings and the Lord's Prayer. He then called to order the first Peace River Block District Assembly of the General Church of the New Jerusalem. This was a momentous occasion, and although those who attended were not many they had come from the north, the west, and the east, and were a representative group. Miss Loraine Lemky of Gorande Prairie was unanimously chosen secretary, and Mr. Alden then read telegrams and messages of greeting from Bishop de Charms, Mr. Hubert Hyatt, Miss Freda Pendleton, Mr. and Mrs. Otho Heilman, the Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal, and Mr. and Mrs. Ted Alden (Anne Heinrichs). Messages were received later from Mrs. K. R. Alden and Mr. and Mrs. Harold F. Pitcairn. These messages had a profound effect on the meeting, for important as the Assembly was to us, it was surprising to realize that there were so many who were joining with us in hopes and prayers for a successful time.
     The adoption of a name was then considered and the meeting finally decided on The Peace River Block District Assembly. The Peace River Block includes both Gorande Prairie, Alberta, and Dawson Creek, British Columbia. It was then decided to meet again next year in Gorande Prairie and August 1st and 2nd were suggested.

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A 1953 Assembly committee was then elected as follows: from Dawson Creek, Mrs. George Shearer and Mrs. John Peters; from Gorande Prairie, Mrs. Ed Lemky and Mrs. Herbert Lemky. Mrs. Jack Wilson of Dawson Creek was elected Assembly treasurer.
     Prior to the Assembly, Mr. Alden had made three broadcasts over station CJDC. It was felt that these had been very successful in bringing the New Church message into every New Church home, and Mr. Alden now proposed that each month he prepare a tape for the Peace Block and that it be broadcast over CJDC. This, he felt, would give continuity to the summer work. After an interesting discussion it was resolved that the broadcasts over CJDC should take place on the fourth Monday of each month at 8.15 p.m. The meeting then adjourned for lunch.
     We gathered round a long table rich with the products of the culinary art. The sphere was congenial and everyone felt perfectly at home. While the ladies cleared away after the meal Mr. Alden and Mrs. Marshall Miller played songs in which everyone joined.
     At three o'clock thy service of worship took place in the recreation room of the United Church, which had been changed into a chapel by a flower festooned altar, together with bouquets on the piano and on the door in front of the altar. Mr. Alden preached on "The Threefold Blessing," and the music was furnished by Miss Loraine Lemky. The sphere of devotion was memorable.
     At 6.30 p.m. we sat down to the Assembly banquet, the table fairly buckling under the weight of the delicious spread. The Dave Friesens, Alvin Nelson, the Yackels, John Peters, and Elder Smith were able to attend since work was over for the day. At the close of the meal we sang the Assembly song composed by Mr. Alden. There were several humorous verses and the chorus was as follows:

     "The Peace Block forever, the Peace Block for me.
     The place of all places that I like to be.
     With New Church men gathered from Prairie and Creek.
     The truth of the Writings forever to seek.

     The happy group then joined in worship, after which it listened to the Assembly address by Mr. Alden, which seemed to the writer to be the best she had ever heard in the Peace Block. The Assembly concluded with the singing of Abide with Me and the Benediction; and the group parted, happier, I am sure, and inspired to have this kind of gathering at least once a year.
     LORAINE LEMKY
          Secretary.

462


PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THE SPIRITUAL SENSE 1952

PRESENCE OF THE LORD IN THE SPIRITUAL SENSE       Rev. ERIK SANDSTROM       1952

     "He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1: 8. 9)

     The reference in this text is to John the Baptist and the Lord. John the Baptist, representing the letter of the Word, was not Light, but was a witness of the Light; whereas the Lord, who is the Word itself, or the Word in its inner sanctuary, was Light. This being the implication, it is clear that the text opens up the subject of the office of the literal sense of the Word and the office of the spiritual sense, and that it treats generally of the relation between the two senses. In a summary, the office of the letter is to bear witness of the true Light, and the office of the spiritual sense is to enlighten. "He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
     But the whole Word, with all its senses, has been given to restore order among men. For through the fall the natural with man was destroyed. In it there was no response whatever to inflowing life, and by its inherent inclinations it was totally adverse to the order of God. But omnipotent God provided a helper and a means of salvation by setting up a Divinely perfect form of order outside of man, that by entering in it might raise up within him a new order, one of God's making, and so turn the order of man aside. This, however, requires self-compulsion on the part of man. He must needs heed the warning: "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him" (Matthew 5: 25)
     In this Divine work of restoration the letter of the Word, bearing witness of the Light, was designed to shape the exterior natural of man into a form of order, that is to say, that part of man which appears before the world and consists of his deeds and his speech-"the outside of the cup and the platter." But the spirit of the Word, or the spiritual sense, was given for the reclaiming of the interior natural, where are man's thoughts and affections, which might be hidden from the world. Thus the spiritual sense cleanses "the inside of the cup and the platter."

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For this reason it is said that John was come "to baptize with water" (John 1: 26), but the Lord "with the Holy Spirit" (ibid., 33).

     There has always existed some form of the Word on earth. First it was unwritten, and conveyed orally by means of angels or in dreams. That was when order among men had not yet been inverted. The words of life from the Holy One in heaven, administered by His humble messengers, must therefore have been wholly different in their outward presentation than were later the words of Scripture. For their purport was not to restore order but to maintain and enhance it. After the fall, however, the Word was written. This was of need, because a disorderly state of mind can only be disciplined by fixed and immutable law; it will not bow to friendly, intimate information or advice.
     The Word then written, which is now lost, and the three forms of the Word which were afterwards written, and which we now have, all had this one thing in common, that they came to man by means of his external senses. They have all addressed him from the ultimate, from beneath him, as it were, in order that they might rise up from below, and lay from below a new foundation of life with him; that is, a foundation of order so that life from the Lord might again inflow. For life is not received save in, or by, a state of order.
     These forms of the Word have, in their turn, first dictated to action and speech, then raised up a moral life, and finally inspired a spiritual principle of affection and thought. In this the effort of the Word has been for the reciprocal of conjunction-that state in which man lives in harmony and peace with his God, and in which the Divine giver is able to implant His gifts of love, wisdom, and happiness, as described by our Lord: "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall he done unto you" (John 15: 7).
     Herein is involved a universal law: the law, namely, that in all His operations the Lord acts from primes and ultimates at the same time, or, indeed, from primes by means of ultimates (see DP 124:4, 125, 220:3; AE 41). For this reason the interior things of life, flowing in through the heavens, are only offered but not given, only present but not conjoined, until the ultimates of order are lifted up from the pages of revelation and, as it were, ingrafted in the natural of man by means of his self-compulsion. The interior things from the Lord may be likened to the strength of His arm: but the exterior things from Him, those which are given in the threefold Word, are, as it were, the tools in His hand. By means of these tools His arm carves and hews out a new form in man's natural, one that is after His own image in place of the corrupt and destroyed form into which man is born.

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     Hence order flows in through heaven, but operates, by means of instruction, through ultimates. Or, in the words of the Arcana Coelestia, "The order is for the celestial to inflow into the spiritual and adapt it to itself; for the spiritual thus to inflow into the rational and adapt it to itself; and for the rational thus to inflow into the scientific and adapt it to itself. But when a man is being instructed in his earliest childhood, the order is indeed the same, but it appears other wise, namely, that he advances from scientifics to rational things, from these to spiritual things, and so at last to celestial things. The reason it so appears is that a way must thus be opened to celestial things, which are the inmost All instruction is simply an opening of the way; and as the way is opened, or, what is the same, as the vessels are opened, there thus flow in, as before said, in their order, rational things that are from celestial-spiritual things; into these flow the celestial-spiritual things; and into these, celestial things. These celestial and spiritual things are continually presenting themselves, and are also preparing and forming for themselves the vessels which are being opened (AC 1495:2). All this makes clear that the Word, in the three forms in which we now have it, is God-with-man; that the Lord speaks to the man of the church only by means of it (see AC 10290:2); and that man may be conjoined to the Lord only by working together with Him by means or His Word.
     But this brings us back to what was said before, namely, that the exterior things of man's natural, or his words and deeds, are re-formed by means of the letter of the Word, but his interior things, or his thoughts and affections, by means of the spiritual sense; and also, that the letter is not light, but a witness of light, and that the spiritual sense is light.
     What this means is clear from the striking lesson which was read from the True Christian Religion, and which is as follows: "The Lord's presence in the Word is only by means of the spiritual sense, through the light of which He passes into the shade in which is the sense of the letter; and then it is as when the sun's light in daytime passes through an intervening cloud" (TCR 780). And in the same lesson there is, further, a triumphant declaration. For it is also said: "In order that the Lard might constantly present, He has revealed to me the spiritual sense of His Word, in which is Divine truth in its own light; and in this light He is constantly present" (Ibid.).

     Now it may be asked: Has the Lord, therefore, never been present with men until the spiritual sense was revealed by means of His servant, Emanuel Swedenborg? And is this presence by means of the spiritual sense a presence through the heavens, or through ultimates?

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But these questions subside, if we reflect, first that the spirit of the Word has always shone through the letter here and there; and second, that the life itself of the spiritual sense does kiss the heart of man by means of the Lord's influx through the heavens, but that this life is at the same time openly laid bare before the rational, or the interior natural, of man by means of the crowning revelation, which is truly called "the spiritual sense," because in this revelation that sense shines through, not here and there, but everywhere.
     And so, the implication of the teaching just cited is that now, for the first time, the Lord is fully present with man also in ultimates. For the Writings of the New Church, addressing man from ultimates, bring squarely before his thoughts and affections themselves the call of the spirit, the call to order. By means of these Writings, therefore, it is possible for the whole of man's natural mind, that part with him which is born into a form of total disorder, to be brought back and re-born into a form of Divine order: an image of God after His likeness. Hence it is said that the leaves of the tree of life, which was seen in the New Jerusalem, "were for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22: 2).
     The Lord has indeed been present with men before, even in the days of the Old Testament, for in that Testament, too, the spiritual sense shines through in several places, as in the Two Great Commandments, the Ten Commandments, the Psalm "The Lord is my Shepherd' and other Psalms, and in many other places. In the New Testament the Lord is, of course, even more present; not only because the spiritual sense is seen glimmering even more frequently in this Testament, but chiefly because the Lord there showed Himself to be the Word, teaching that the entire Word of old testified of Him (John 5: 39; Luke 24: 27), that He was the way, the truth, and the life (John 14: 6), and that the words of His mouth were spirit and life (John 6: 63). Nay, even in the literal sense itself He was present, but as it were in secret: for from the spiritual sense, which is omnipresent in the letter, the Lord operated to establish, first, a merely external order, and then a moral order. But His secret presence in the letter was ever by means of the spiritual sense for there alone He is in His own light.

     In our lives, we are first brought to a simile of order through obedience. That is, so to speak, the "Old Testament state" with us. Later, in youth, we are imbued with moral virtues, and thus we grow into the "New Testament era." But when we have grown up, it behooves us to come into the full use of our rational. And the rational is no longer imprisoned, as in the fallen state of the first Christian Church; for the Writings await us, ready and prepared to unlock the true rational-the heaven-born affections thereof as well as thoughts of genuine intelligence and wisdom-and this by means of the key of light itself.

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And so at last the lowly worm, having cast itself, as it were, into a womb that it might be born again, may break its prison walls and as newborn butterfly swing its wings upwards into the clear sky of heaven. Or the budding plant may burst its shell and spread open its colorful cup, that it may drink the dew of heaven, praise its Creator with its beauty, and sacrifice unto God by sending forth its fragrant scent.
     Since, therefore, the Lord is now immediately present with man in His own light itself, the light which sets Him forth in His own glory and omnipotence, and since He is thus more nearly present now than when He was on earth in the flesh, therefore the church of His presence is to be the crown of all the churches that have existed from the creation of the world.
     The mark of this crowning state with men is to be genuine, internal charity. For we read: "At this day, in order that a man may be a man he ought to be charity in form yet not from himself, but from the Lord . . . man is born that he may become charity" (Char. 93, 102, 154). So the way of the New Church, and of her men and women, is clear: Their sins are to be explored in the light of the spiritual sense now revealed, they are to be shunned as against the order of life, as given in the Writings, and the goods of use, taught in these Writings, are to be perpetually done to the neighbor from affection and its delight.
     This is the Lord's doing in His second advent, for He is now openly present in ultimates in His own light, and from those ultimates, or by means of them. He builds for Himself a holy city, a tabernacle of God with men And" blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22: 14). "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Ibid., 21: 23). Amen.

LESSONS:     Isaiah 40: 1-11, 28-31. John 1: 6-27. TCR 70:1, 780:1.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 480, 479, 466.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 91, 93.
LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 1952

LAWS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE              1952

     "10. When eminence and opulence lead astray, it is man who from his own prudence has led himself to them; for he is led of the Divine Providence to such things as do not lead astray, and that are serviceable in regard to eternal life for all the operations of the Divine Providence with man look to what is eternal, because the life which is God, and from which man is man, is eternal" (AE 1136).

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NEW CHURCH AND ITS ASSAILANTS 1952

NEW CHURCH AND ITS ASSAILANTS       Rev. STEPHEN E. BUTELEZI       1952

     (Preached at the Native Ministers' Meetings, Durban, Natal, South Africa, 1952.)

     Our sermon will attempt to show that the exposition in the Writings of our second lesson-Revelation 12:1-8, 13-17-is an elucidation of the correspondences in the prophetic vision as seen and described by John. It is the Lord alone who has established heaven, even the New Heaven, and from heaven the Lord establishes a church, even as He is now establishing a New Church which, as it advances to its appointed excellence, will bring closer to us a more vivid sign of the New Heaven. But this cannot be done except by means of a new revelation-a revelation of new truth concerning Himself, who is the all in all, whereby men may see Him and know many things about Him, as they have never seen or known before.
     Men think they have learned something from the old Christian Church because in it they have had an opportunity to interpret the Word, as they do all things, in terms of what they already know; thus embellishing their interpretation with their hopes and loves, and eventually molding it into the image of their heart's desire. But that Church is consummated and dead, and there is no hope of its resurrection. Those who love the Lord must leave it and come to the New Church, which is signified by the "woman" in the chapter under consideration.
     For generations the most capable minds in the Christian Church have endeavored to interpret the book of Revelation, but this portion of the Scripture has defied all human understanding. This is because it does not rest upon historical truths which describe the life story of a nation, such as we find in the Old Testament; or, like the Gospels, unfold a moral philosophy which the hum in mind grasps with ease. Instead, it speaks of strange and fearful things which the perplexed mind regards as part of a dream life, and of things so fantastic, even to the point of incredibility, that the mind rather rejects them or describes the whole as a mystery. But this book forms an integral part of the Word of God, and as such it cannot be dismissed, or regarded in a way which denies the truth that it can be understood which is implied in what is said in the first chapter: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand" (Revelation 1: 3).

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     In the Preface to Apocalypse Revealed we read: "There are many who have labored in explaining the Apocalypse, but as the spiritual sense of the Word has hitherto been unknown they could not see the arcana which lay concealed within it; for these can be disclosed only by the spiritual sense. Expositors have therefore formed various conjectures, most of them applying its contents to the affairs of empires, intermingling also some things about ecclesiastical affairs . . . anyone may see that the Apocalypse could not possibly be explained but by the Lord alone, since every word of it contains arcana which could never be known without some special enlightenment and consequent revelation; wherefore it has pleased the Lord to open the sight of my spirit, and to teach me. Think not, therefore, that anything there given is from myself, or from any angel, but from the Lord alone."
     It is evident from what has been quoted above that the book of Revelation was not intended for the Christian Church. Indeed, the prophetical Word of the church which precedes always serves as a revelation to the church which follows. "'A great sign was seen in heaven' signifies a revelation by the Lord concerning the church to come" (F 59). The Writings teach us that a "sign" is said in the Word about future things, and then it is a revelation; and it is said about the truth, and then it is testification; and it is also said about the quality of the state and thing, and then it is manifestation (AR 532).
     Our purpose is not only to see this sign but also to acknowledge it through our efforts to establish the fact that the Writings are the Word for the New Church, which rests upon the former revelations as a house upon its foundations. While much could be said about this great sign, it is felt that the Lord could lead us by conscience-a kind of dictate recalling us to the duty of establishing that fact by admonitions from things previously learned and acknowledged.
     From the day when God first created man in His own image after His likeness, Divine Providence has been preparing the way for the descent of the holy city, the New Jerusalem; for by means of the New Church the full conjunction of the Lord and man would he made possible. That is why it is said in the chapter we are considering that the woman was "clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet:" for by this is signified that that church would be in love and faith from the Lord. These two qualities of the true church are lacking. In the Reformed Church they are not united, and the Writings themselves describe the Christian Church as being in faith alone.
     Man is born without a knowledge of love and faith. But as he grows up he is instructed in them, and by means of that instruction he acquires a storehouse of materials out of which love and faith can be formed.

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If he uses the material he has in store by a life according to it, he is said to be wise; and this wisdom is what is meant by the "crown of stars" on the head of the woman seen in heaven by John.
     There are four things that move our hearts and stir them with gratitude because of the many blessings received with them. These are the doctrines of the Lord, the Sacred Scripture, life, and faith. That these doctrines are what is new in the church is beyond all human imagination. Yet they are entirely different from any doctrine that could have been foreseen or anticipated. They strike the mind with astonishment; yet they are so simple that any man can accept and enjoy them without serious strain.
     It is new teaching that there is only one God and that He is the Lord Jesus Christ, that the Sacred Scriptures have an internal sense hitherto unknown, that faith and charity can never be separated, and that the internal acknowledgment of truth which is faith exists with none but those who are in charity. The Writings which we acknowledge to be the Word of the Lord bring to our knowledge and understanding not only these truths but others that are very necessary means for our regeneration. Among other things, they explain to us the inner meaning of the Old Testament stories of the fall and the flood; and it is through the knowledge and understanding of these that we can see the inverted order in which we live; so that unless we change we remain forever in opposition to spiritual and heavenly life.
     Such, and other things, should be most pleasing to men, because the spiritual meaning of the Word is superior to the natural meaning and should therefore give New Church people a greater delight in the Word and the heavenly kingdom. Yet the words of our chapter declare the contrary when we read that "there appeared another wonder in heaven: and behold a great red dragon." This signifies, we are told, a further revelation, namely, faith separated from charity (F 59).
     Truth is unpleasant to all those who are in evils of life and their falsities. Such cannot understand the internal sense of the Word and would rather enjoy the literal sense. What makes the internal sense seem unpleasant is that it exposes the perversion and adulteration of the literal sense that has taken place to make that sense suit their life's love. The attitude of the Jews to the Old and New Testaments may serve as an example. The Jews believed from the literal sense of the Old Testament that they were chosen by the Lord in preference to others, and that their city, temple, ark, and other things were holy in themselves: and to them the opening of the Old Testament in the New is undelightful because it reveals that they were not a chosen people, and that the things they regarded as holy in themselves were holy only as representatives of the Lord.

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They deny these truths because they have adulterated the sense of the letter and truth is therefore undelightful to them (See AE 619:2). The true literal meaning of the Old Testament was first given to the Jews, as was the spiritual-moral sense, in the teaching of the Lord, and then in the Gospels which they rejected.
     Another example is furnished by the attitude of Christians to the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of heaven and earth. This being the essential doctrine of the Writings they have little delight in it and reject it. It is said, little delight, because they do not deny that there is one God, but that the Lord Jesus Christ is that God. Some of us are not yet clear as to the distinction made. There is a feeling that any doctrine of the trinity is a denial of one God. The old Christians do not deny that there is one God but that He is the Lord. Accordingly it is their doctrine of the trinity that is erroneous, because the trinity is in the Lord as the one God, which they deny. They believe, however, that the Lord is the Savior and Redeemer, and therefore the second person in the trinity; and they believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person, thus making three Gods and two Lords.
     The point of these examples is that a falsification of the literal sense confirms the doctrines of the Old Church, for which reason that sense is pleasant and delightful to it; whereas the internal sense which teaches plainly that the Lord is the one God of heaven and earth is unpleasant and even hateful to it. But as this is the most essential truth of the New Church it is important that every member of the Church should have a clear understanding of it and an unequivocal belief in it.
     From what has been said about the Old Church we may see that faith was bound to become separated from charity. The second example may seem to be inapplicable to us. Yet it may be, because the understanding and intelligent acknowledgment of the Divine Human result not only from much study of the subject but also from a life according to the Heavenly Doctrine revealed in the Word of the Lords second advent.
     The dragon was said to be "red" from love that is merely natural. The Christian Church adopted faith alone because of its falsifications, and we are prone to imagine ourselves a chosen people as the Jews did, and to regard the church as ours and not as the Lord's But what of the internal sense of the Word in the New Church? Is it pleasant and delightful to us? Not always, because it reveals the interiors of the Christian Church, the lamentable state of the Christian world, and thus our own interior nature.
     It is said of the dragon that his tail "drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth." by which is meant the destruction of all knowledge of truth.

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Practical experience, as so far gained, shows how such people are in hatred and in the intention to destroy the doctrine at its birth. It may be said truly by most of those who have learned the New Church doctrine about marriage and conjugial love that it is very convincing and delightful, but as far as our natural desires and inclinations are concerned we are actually opposed to that doctrine. This is due to the separation of the will and the understanding in every one of us, which makes possible the opposition of the natural will even when we recognize that the doctrine is true and that acceptance of it will finally result in heavenly happiness for all who love and obey the Writings. This is involved in the saying that the man child whom the woman brought forth was to "pasture all nations with a rod of iron."
     Reference has been made frequently to doctrine in this discourse. It is not our purpose to extend this, but a few quotations will be added to show why the Lord's protection is over doctrine, especially when the church is in a preparatory state, prior to being received by many. "The Lord is doctrine itself" (AC 2833e) "because He is the Word" (AC 2839). "The Lord is the Word or Divine doctrine in a threefold sense" (AC 3712). "Doctrine must be drawn wholly from the Word in order that the Word may be understood" (AC 9409). "They who are in externals apart from an internal, and the merely sensual, read the Word without doctrine and believe only the sense of the letter and draw therefrom falsities from material, earthly, and corporeal ideas" (AC 10,582).
     From these quotations we may conclude that those who have accepted the Lord in life and are in enlightenment have doctrine. It is important to remember, then, that the true church consists of true doctrine understood and lived, and that the true church of the Lord is therefore eternal and as such is above and beyond the proprium of man. Doctrine is the Lord's, and it is given to those who receive in heart and in mind.
     "And the woman fled into the wilderness." These words signify the church among a few, and they raise another problem for us-the problem of how the church is to be ultimated and organized among men. But the numerical strength of the New Church suggests that the reference is to our day and to us. In the doctrines in which the Lord has made His second advent it is taught that the church of the Lord upon earth is universal, specific, and particular. The universal church of the Lord is spread all over the world and is composed of all those who believe in one God and live in some kind of charity according to the teachings of their religion, both Gentiles and those in the Christian world who are really in good works but in no truths of doctrine (AR 110). The dimensions and limits of this church are known to the Lord alone. The specific church is where the Word is understood and the Lord is acknowledged (HD 243), and it is to the universal church as the heart and lungs to the body.

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It is by means of it that there is communication of the Lord with the human race. The particular church is the church in the individual, and concerning it we read that "man is a church when he is in good and truth, and a company of such men constitutes the church in general" (AC 6113).
     It follows that the "few" referred to cannot be identified positively. Only the Lord knows when, and where, the appointed state of the church will come, when it will be received by the many. Meanwhile, it has to strive, individually and generally, against faith separated from charity, in the form of abundant reasonings from falsity with their intent to destroy. But all those things are to be experienced by those who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ by a life of charity and a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

LESSONS: Isaiah 64: 1-14. Revelation 12: 1-17. AR 565.


     [EDITORIAL NOTE: The Rev. Stephen Ephraim Butelezi is Pastor of the Hambrook Society, one of the Zulu Mission Stations. He was ordained into the First Degree of the Priesthood in September, 1938, and into the Second Degree in October, 1948. The above sermon was preached in Zulu from the English manuscript.]
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word: "The people of Israel represented and thus signified the church in respect to all its truths and goods, and 'to number' signifies to know the quality thereof, and afterwards to arrange and dispose them according to it. Because no one but the Lord knows and does this, the man who does it deprives himself of all good and truth and spiritual life" (AE 386:10).

     The Writings: "In the opposite sense Egypt signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, and thus the pride of man's own intelligence, and thence insanity in spiritual things . . . because the Egyptians were of this character, they were deprived of all the goods and truths of the church. Their devastations are described by the miracles performed there, which were plagues, and signified so many lusts of the natural man separated from the spiritual, which then acts entirely from self-derived intelligence and the pride of it" (AR 503).

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"AN ENLIGHTENING DISCUSSION" 1952

"AN ENLIGHTENING DISCUSSION"              1952

     In several issues of NEW CHURCH LIFE last year there was some discussion of the alleged flogging of dead horses in the Writings. It was pointed out that although the dogmas of the Old Church are spiritually dead they are still active in the teaching and thought of that church. In connection with this, our readers may be interested in the following, taken from NOVA ECCLESIA, May-June, 1952, pp. 5-7.
     A New Church friend in Karlskrona, Sweden, describes a lecture on "The Apostle Thomas" given by the pastor of the Lutheran church in that city to an audience of 17 men. Discussion was invited, and the pastor, after referring to Thomas as both doubter and confessor, said: "When we read in several places in the Bible that there is only one God, and that there has never been another God before or after Him, it follows, of course, that Jesus was the only almighty God." Then he laughed, and added: "But we must not forget the Father and the Holy Spirit," and went on to say that when he was in the seminary one of his teachers had likened the Trinity to a bureau with three drawers-each drawer could be pulled out separately, but there was only one bureau.
     The New Church man then asked: "Do you mean that God is not a person, but a tribunal or committee of three persons?" "Yes, of course, said the pastor: and when the New Church man presented his view the pastor replied: "Those are, of course, Swedenborg's ideas, but the church gave up these heresies long ago." At this point another man said that he could not understand the idea that man is saved by faith, and when asked if he believed that man is saved by the blood of Christ answered that he could not understand this either.
     The pastor then answered: "With spiritual things it is not a question of understanding: one must accept in faith, nor in the understanding." Asked by the New Church man why God had created us with mind and understanding if that were so he replied: "Mind and understanding have been given to us that we may do our daily work on earth, but the doctrine of the church must be received in faith because no one can understand spiritual things." Asked then if he meant that the mind must be kept under bondage to faith in spiritual things he nooded and said: "Yes, that is right. There are so many spiritual mysteries which no man can understand. Who can understand the mystery of the Trinity, of salvation, of the atonement, and many others?"

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     "But you understand this, I suppose" the New Church man said. "No, and I do not believe that anyone else understands it either," answered the pastor. Then the New Church man smiled and said: "Then may I compliment you on your extraordinary courage, when every Sunday you can stand up in the pulpit and try to explain spiritual things, about which you know that you understand nothing. Such courage. I must confess, I do not have."
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     10. The Seventh Principle

     Any interference on the part of man with the law of offspring in marriage is an abomination.

     Concerning this principle Bishop W. F. Pendleton said: "Marriage is the seminary of the human race in it is fulfilled the end of the creation of the universe, which is the angelic heaven. Marriage is the means provided by the Lord that the end of creation may be brought into effect; that men may exist and be multiplied upon the earth and heaven be provided with angels; that what is created may be preserved and perpetuated. Anything that operates against the end of creation is a sin against God, against heaven, and against society upon the earth. Such a sin is the prevention of birth in marriage. It is furthermore a sin against the conjugial itself; it is thus an abomination that is to be removed from the Church for its safety and preservation" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY, p. 10).
     This principle has been questioned above all the others. It affects man's ultimate life and comfort so strongly that great faith and spiritual strength are required to uphold it in the Church and individual practice. Many natural rational arguments can be marshalled against it, and these, excited by man's selfish natural affections, fight continually against its acceptance. We cannot but feel that the world, entering through those loves and reasonings, has caused doubt to be cast upon this principle, and in some cases has brought about its rejection.
     We would warn here against two things-considering this principle in the light of its own statement or one of its particular applications, and drawing conclusions about a general principle from the exigencies of one own life. Concerning the first of these we would refer back to our opening article, in which it was shown that the Principles of the Academy are a statement of the general doctrinal position of the Church at the time they were given, not intended to bind the future, or to be considered in their own light, but to be tested in the light of the Writings.

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Too many of us have argued about them in the light of their own statement, not considering whether they agree with the Writings; thus setting up and trying to knock down a man of straw. The first question, necessary for a just consideration of this seventh principle, is, does it agree with the teaching of the Word? For this brings us face to face with acceptance or rejection of the truth itself.
     The second warning is contained in the legal maxim: "Hard cases make bad laws." We should not think about a general principle of truth from our own experience, which may be used only to confirm and illustrate. As we make a virtue of a necessity, so we justify a personal failure by interpreting the truth to favor it. If a man is not able to apply the truth fully because of a state of life peculiar to him let him acknowledge his failing, and not modify the truth to excuse his shortcomings. We are greatly in error when we modify our thought about a true general principle because we are unable to apply it fully, and confirmation of the modification can bring about spiritual death.
     We now consider this principle in the light of the Writings, without regard to conditions under which there might be a legitimate modification of its application to an individual's life. The essential question is, What is the inmost end and purpose of marriage? This is answered clearly in these quotations: "The first end of conjugial love is the procreation of offspring and the ultimate end, which is the effect, is the offspring procreated" (CL 387); "That the sphere of conjugial love makes one with the sphere of procreating is plain: for procreation is the end, and conjugial love is the mediate cause by which it is effected; and in the processes of effecting, and in the effects, the end and cause act as one, because together" (Ibid.). Marriage, or conjugial love, is the orderly and ultimate means by which the inmost end of creation is accomplished, and in ultimates there are power and holiness because in them all interior things are brought together and come into existence. Therefore that ultimate by which the inmost end of creation is effected is the most holy of all.
     But let it be clearly understood that its holiness is from the fact that it brings the effect. Remove from marriage the genuine love of offspring, and the bearing and educating of offspring when possible, and you remove from it all that is holy. Passage after passage could be quoted from the Writings to support this. (See especially AE 991:3, CL 68.) Marriage without the love of the use of offspring, and the ultimation of that love when possible, becomes a purely animal thing. It is the use that makes it spiritual, and it is from that use that there is love truly conjugial.

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     There is, of course, a use in the conjunction of man and woman as husband and wife; but this is a mediate use, not the final one in regard to creation. The Lord allows man to receive the delight of a use, and for the use of offspring to be properly performed those partaking in it must be in conjugial love. That love is the delight given to a married couple who sincerely, justly, and faithfully cooperate with the Lord in bringing into effect the ends of creation-the increase of worldly society looking to the angelic heaven. Thus we conclude that conjugial love cannot exist between married partners who do not, when possible, enter into the use of bearing and educating children. That is why it is of such great importance that, except under the most exceptional circumstances, no couple should begin marriage without the immediate purpose of entering into this use.
     These two loves are so entwined that they cannot be separated. There is no true love between husband and wife unless it is ultimated in the love of having and rearing children, and there is no true love of children without conjugial love. In this our belief contrasts sharply with that of the world, which holds that bearing children is a secondary means, but not an essential one, to true love.
     But is it ever legitimate to enter into marriage and its delights without the full intention of having children? In the case of those who are physically unable to bear children it is; and there are other physical and perhaps economic reasons that make it legitimate. But would these conditions exist in true order? Can it be said that they are of the positive operations of the Divine Providence? If not, then it can, and should, be said that in themselves they are abominable. And this must be said that the truth itself may stand forth unperverted by weak human interpretations. We are not therefore saying that those who are forced to practise them are abominable. This we do not know. Each man must be left in freedom, but the Church does evil when it teaches according to compromises which may be justifiable in individual cases. In stating a principle we do not weakly state the conditions under which circumstances alter the nature of its application. We merely state the truth. Modifications and accommodations are left to the individual conscience. The commandments state unequivocally: Thou shalt not kill, commit adultery, steal. They do not explain conditions under which these evils are mitigated by particular circumstances. If they did, man could easily prove that a necessary disorder was true order.
     And so it is, we believe, with this principle of the Academy. The absolute truth is here formulated. Any variation from it is a disorder: and however justified by other circumstances, it is still a disorder brought about by those circumstances and must be acknowledged as such.

477


Otherwise the truth is clouded; and in time it becomes so obscured that the exception is taken to be the rule, the disorder is established as true order, and the Lord departs from the church.
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION REPORT 1952

SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION REPORT       Editor       1952

     "The purposes and powers of the Foundation are to print, publish, circulate, and distribute the theological scientific and other works and writings of Emanuel Swedenborg . . . translate into any language, edit and advertise such works and writings . . . publish and distribute biographies of Emanuel Swedenborg; hold meetings, lectures . . . maintain reading rooms, libraries, branches, and stations for reference and study Of such writings and teachings in any part of the world." The 103rd Report of the Foundation which came to hand recently shows that these wide aims have again been actively pursued.
     During the fiscal year ended March 31, 1952, 10,344 copies of the Standard Edition were printed and bound for the Foundation's regular stock, and 9,964 copies for the Iungerich Publication Fund of Philadelphia for use in distribution to ministers and theological students. 15,000 copies each of Heaven and The Divine Love and Wisdom, and Divine Providence were printed in the paper-covered Missionary Edition: and the Foundation decided to have printed in the coming year 1.000 sets of True Christian Religion in Japanese, and to have made up to 40 copies of Divine Providence in Braille. Total sales amounted to 8,237 volumes, including 3,784 volumes in the Standard Edition. Total donations amounted to 23,696 volumes, including 416 in the Standard Edition, principally to libraries. In addition, 15,080 Standard Edition books were donated to ministers and students in the Iungerich Publication Fund distribution. Twenty-four public libraries in 6 states received copies, sets, or parts of sets of the Writings.
     In addition to these activities. 12 numbers of THE SWEDENBORG STUDENT were issued, advertizing of the Missionary Edition was continued, and a new distribution through bookstores instituted. A volume of the Missionary Edition was sent free to college students and men and women in the armed forces whose names were supplied, and lectures were given in the New York church by Mr. Harold B. Larsen, who also conducted extensive follow-up work. The usual colportage work was continued, an additional feature being a tour through several southern states by the Boston colporteur who uses a trailer and gives lectures en route, and 147 persons answered follow-up letters, of which 2,200 were sent out.

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     In cooperation with other bodies, the Foundation again contributed to the Swedenborg Philosophical Center in Chicago. It also paid the year's rent for a book room in Prague, Czechoslovakia, supplied literature to the Wayfarers' Chapel in Palos Verdes, Calif., and agreed to contribute to translation work in Italy. The total number of its donations from the time of its incorporation in 1850 has been 1,157,000 volumes of the Writings, and it is evident from the current Report that the work is continuing with unabated enthusiasm and is steadily increasing.
     THE EDITOR.
GENERAL CONFERENCE 1952

GENERAL CONFERENCE       Editor       1952

     The Revised Creed

     At the 145th Annual Session of the General Conference, held last June at Keighley, Yorkshire England, a revised creed was formally adopted. Such an action is of interest to the entire organized New Church and we therefore print this creed here, together with a sketch of its history and a few comments upon it. The creed itself reads as follows.

"1. I believe that there is One God, the Creator and Preserver of all things. Who came into the world as our Lord Jesus Christ in order to redeem and save mankind.
"2. I believe that by victories in temptation the Lord overcame the hells and so redeemed mankind, and that by means of those same victories He glorified His Human and became the Redeemer and Saviour to eternity.
"3. I believe that in the Lord Jesus Christ is the Divine Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that is, the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the Divine Saving Power.
"4. I believe that the Sacred Scriptures are the inspired Word of the Lord, the source if all wisdom for angels and men.
"5. I believe that, if I would be saved, I must, in the Lord's strength, shun all evils as sins against Him, and live according to His commandments.
"6. I believe that when my physical body dies, I shall live in the spiritual world in my spiritual body.
"7. I believe that the purpose of creation is a heaven of angels from the human race, and that those in every nation who believe in God and love their fellow men, also all who die in childhood, enter heaven after death to enjoy a life of use to eternity: whereas those who love evil rather than good make their abode in hell.
"8. I believe that the Lord has made His Second Coming by revealing the internal sense of His Word and the heavenly doctrines contained therein; and that He is forming a New Church which is signified by the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.
"9. I believe in the universal and constant Providence of our Lord, Whose tender mercies are over all His works."

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     The presentation of this creed to the Annual Meeting of 1952 was the last effort for its adoption. After five years work on the part of the Ministers and Leaders Committee a proposed creed was brought before the Annual Meeting of 1949. It was then asked that this be brought to the attention of the societies, which a subcommittee did by circularizing all of them. Eighteen societies sent in replies, some of them with suggested alterations, and this was reported to the Annual Meeting of 1950. The final form was brought before Conference in 1951 when it was asked that delegates to the Annual Meeting of 1952 should have a definite instruction from societies as to their acceptance of the creed as presented. After some debate the creed was adopted by the two-thirds majority required by the Articles of Association in the case of motions concerning questions of doctrine.
     In recent years the revised creed has been the subject of an interesting correspondence in the pages of THE NEW-CHURCH HERALD. Opposition seems to have been fairly evenly divided between those who did not want a new creed and those who questioned the need for any creed Among the latter, some contended that the particulars of faith in True Christian Religion 3:2 are all sufficient; others appeared to fear a creed as a binding instrument of authority; and a few, seemingly regarding a creed as only for children, accepted the statement but questioned the rightness of teaching children to say "I believe" since they have not yet attained to rationality. These views were ably answered by various Conference ministers, who pointed out clearly the status and legitimate uses of a creed in the New Church; and one of these ministers rightly characterized as absurd the extreme argument that the creed should not be recited during a service because visitors from other churches could not join in something in which they did not believe.
     To enter here into a detailed analysis of the revised creed would be neither fair nor seemly, the more so when regard is had to the extreme difficulty that must have entered into its final compilation. Most of its affirmations are clear, sound, and reasonably succinct. But we would comment briefly on three statements, two of which contain doctrinal inaccuracies, while the third is so vague as to be almost without value as a statement of belief.
     The first of these statements, in Article 1, is that the one God came into the world "as our Lord Jesus Christ." [Italics added] The central and most distinctive truth of the new theology is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God, that the Lord is the only person of the one God. Many religions believe in one God; only the New Church believes that the Lord is that God. We prefer here the 1949 version, which reads: I believe that there is One God . . . and that He is the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

480


Here we would say that further revision has only rendered ambiguous a very exact statement of the truth. The second is the statement in Article 7 that "those in every nation who believe in God enter heaven." The precise teaching of the Writings always is that those in every nation who believe in one God enter heaven. What of those who believe in God, but are interiorly confirmed in the idea that He is the Father and Christ the Son of God in a trinity of persons; or those who believe in God but deny the Divinity of the Lord?
     There is a striking lack of definiteness in Article 8: "I believe that the Lord has made His Second Coming by revealing the internal sense of the Word and the heavenly doctrines contained therein." This is, perhaps, an improvement on the only statement of the creed in the 1929 Liturgy: "and is now making His Second Advent through His Word with power and great glory." Yet it is completely silent as to the exact mode of the second coming. We prefer here the statement of the 1949 proposed version: "the Lord has made His Second Coming by revealing the internal sense of His Word, and its heavenly doctrines, by means of His servant. Emanuel Swedenborg." However, we understand that there was strong opposition to the inclusion of Swedenborg's name in the creed.
     These are matters of comment, and the right of Conference to formulate its understanding of the Writings as it sees best is not questioned by them. But there is one matter which this journal will continue to raise editorially whenever occasion is given. The 1929 Liturgy is entitled Liturgy for the New Church; and the Creed printed in it, like the revision now adopted, is styled "Creed of the New Church." In point of fact, both are for The General Conference of the New Church, and that body cannot adopt a "creed for the New Church" without at least exposing itself to misunderstanding. The question of whether it is proper for a general body to issue in the name of the New Church a statement which expresses its particular belief, or a volume which is designed for use by the societies connected with it, calls for serious consideration.
     THE EDITOR.
FOUNDATION STONE 1952

FOUNDATION STONE              1952

     "The workmen had stopped for their nooning, and one of them had left his Chisel lying on a huge Foundation Stone that was intended for the first layer in the masonry of a large building. 'This will be a fine structure when finished' said the Chisel. 'Yes,' replied the Stone. 'Rather hard luck for you to be buried out of sight.' 'Why?' 'No one will ever see you or give you any credit for the use you perform.' 'But the use will be performed.' " (E. P. Anshutz: Fables)

481


NEW WINE FROM OLD BOTTLES? 1952

NEW WINE FROM OLD BOTTLES?       E. BRUCE GLENN       1952

     A Study of Milton's "Paradise Lost"

     "The consummation of the church takes place when there remains no Divine truth but what is either falsified or rejected And where there is no genuine truth there can be no genuine good, because the whole quality of good is formed by truths: for good is the essence of truth, and truth is the form of good, and quality cannot exist without form" (TCR 753).
     That the Christian Church has reached the state of consummation here described is unequivocally stated throughout the Writings. If the church should he conceived of in this connection as a body of men, how terrible would be the world's plight today, and how absolutely would the New Church man be obligated to isolate himself from its contagion. If, on the other hand, the church be thought of as a body of doctrine, the picture is altered. We must still challenge our neighbor's faith: but we must no longer regard him as devoid of truth and good and therefore shun him.
     It is true that men and doctrines cannot be wholly separated. That which a man professes and lives as his religion must be the focus of our relations with him. So it is that New Church men find their companions not only in worship but, to the greatest possible degree, in all the uses of life among other New Church men. But many of our associations must be with those of the consummated Church, and this not only with persons but with their works: the laws they enact the things they produce, the records they set down in newspapers and books.
     The task of the New Church man in these manifold relations is not easy. As buyer he must beware accepting what is false or evil, lest it endanger his own doctrine and life. He must also be careful not to reject the true and good in a complete denunciation of what men do and say because they are nominally of the consummated Church. A diligent charity requires that we seek the good and true and foster it wherever we may find it. As a body of doctrine, Divinely given, the New Church is complete; no man can add to it. As a body of men, seeking to understand and establish that doctrine in their lives, the New Church is young; we stand in need yet of many things that other men can give us. We need their good and their truth, in science, industry, politics, the arts.

482



     Among the arts literature offers a broad field of accomplishment, a field from which we might gather much to vivify and make tangible the truths of doctrine. However, as one of the most direct products of the human mind, literature is most susceptible to the errors of false reasoning and the imaginative lure of evil loves. Can the New Church man gain from the writings of a consummated church any experience worth his concentration and reflection? Can the wineskins of an old orthodoxy hold a vintage worth his drinking?-and this not just as a student in our schools studying the cultural heritage of Christianity, but as an adult seeking illustrations of the Divine truth which must be his chief study?
     This writer's belief is that the answer is, Yes. Among men of good will and sound understanding everywhere there are those who, endowed further with the poet's peculiar insight into human relationships, can give us much of beauty and strength and solace for our minds and lives. One of the most striking examples of this power is the militant English Puritan, John Milton, in his epic poem Paradise Lost.

     Milton's case is striking because the truth of Paradise Lost is mingled with the most egregious theological fallacies. The poem professes belief in the concept of a tri-personal God. It begins with a picture of hell peopled with fallen angels before the creation of men And when the earth is created we see a literal garden and Adam and Eve. Yet within this framework of theological error Milton has stated in magnificent lineaments many great truths in fulfillment of his purpose "to assert eternal Providence, and justify the ways of God to men."
     The whole thesis of Paradise Lost rests on one belief-that man is Divinely created, Divinely sustained and governed. We first meet Adam and Eve and the wonders of the garden:

     "Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,
     God-like erect, with native honor clad
     In naked Majesty seemed lords of all,
     And worthy seemed, for in their looks divine
     The image of their glorious Maker shone,
     Truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure,
     Severe, but in true filial freedom placed;
     Whence true authority in men . . . " (BOOK IV)

Milton sees mm as the free son of God, for whom all else has been created. But what of man's life? Is he to live passively among the gifts of his Lord? Not so, for the love which made man must be reciprocated, and this not for the Creator's sake but for man's. "His word all things produced, though chiefly not for glory as prime end, but to show for His good communicable to every soul freely." To receive this good man must consciously acknowledge and return it, in the heavenly union with God.

483



     Heaven, to Milton, is not a state of passivity, as most Christian thought conceives it. Nor is it a state of unwilling servility to a stern and wrathful Jehovah. It is a state of voluntary reciprocation. Thus Raphael, the angel sent from God to instruct Adam, advises him:

     "God made thee perfect, not immutable;
     And good He made thee, but to persevere
     He left it in thy power, ordained thy will
     By nature tree, not overruled by fate
     Inextricable, or strict necessity;
     Our voluntary service He requires,
     Not our necessitated, such with Him
     Finds no acceptance, nor can find, for how
     Can hearts, not free, be tried whether they serve
     Willing or no, who will but what they must
     By destiny and can no other choose?"

And then comes the doctrine on which the entire story of men rests-the denial of predestination and the affirmation of man's freedom to worship God or not:

                    "Freely we serve,
     Because we freely love, as in our will
     To love or not; in this we stand or fall." (BOOK V)

So also his final exhortation to the couple in Eden:

     "Be strong, live happy, and love, but first of all
     Him whom to love is to obey, and keep
     His great command; take heed lest passion sway
     Thy judgment to do aught which else free will
     Would not admit . . . stand fast; to stand or fall
     Free in thine own arbitrament it lies." (BOOK VIII)

     In this last group of lines modern readers of Milton have found a puzzling challenge. Unable to solve it, many have rejected Paradise Lost as inconsistent in its philosophy of man's relation to God. Man, declared Milton, is assured of his freedom to live and love yet this very freedom depends on obedience to God and His law. How, then, can freedom be reconciled to obedience?
     With Milton, as with the New Church man, there is no contradiction. The whole narrative of Satan's fall from heaven, of man's subsequent fall from Eden, and of the final promise of salvation, is built around one doctrine springing from the belief in God's providence: true freedom lies only in doing good, in shunning the evil of self-life. Man is free to love God or turn away from him but to turn away is to deprive himself of real freedom. Milton makes Satan's hell result from his refusal to see this, while man's hope of redemption lies in his repentant acknowledgement of it. Satan declares with flamboyant pride:

484




     "What though the field be lost?
     All is not lost: the unconquerable will,
     And study of revenge, immortal hate,
     And courage never to submit or yield;
     And what is else not to be overcome?
               . . . Hail, horrors, hail,
     Infernal world, and thou profoundest hell,
     Receive the new possessor: one who brings
     A mind not to be changed by time or place.
     The mind is its own place, and in itself
     Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. . .
     To reign is worth ambition though in hell;
     Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." (BOOK I)

     This denial of freedom in heaven is hurled back in the devil's teeth by the angel Abdiel:

     "Unjustly thou depravest it with the name
     Of servitude to serve whom God ordains. . .
                    This is servitude.
     To serve the unwise, as thine now serve thee,
     Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled." (BOOK VI)

     How man is to remain free and therefore good and happy is told in the relationship between Adam and Eve. Here the New Church man can perceive from Divine doctrine one of the most marvellous allegories in human literature-one which the author himself could have sensed but vaguely, yet whose outlines in the epic are consistently true. For we can see in Adam-in his words and acts-the prototype of the masculine, so formed that the understanding predominates in human. And in Eve we visualize these qualities which make the truly feminine, with the will and its loves predominating. Together in their marriage they portray the mind's development as well as the reciprocal union of husband and wife. The essential tale of humanity, its joy and devotion, its fall from order and consequent suffering, its new realization of the long and difficult trek back to God and paradise-all these are given in the story of Adam and Eve. Within it, for the mind that can see, lies the truth of every man's life; the necessary separation of his will from his understanding when it falls into the evil of self-love in disregard of the warnings of rational truth; the consequences to his life, liberty, and happiness; the promise of salvation, and the reconciliation of will and understanding in a union from which conscience is formed.
     Adam, the first-created, awakes as a form of reason-cold and devoid of incentive. He protests to God that all creatures save him have mates with whom to share life's joys. And so Eve is created, a lovely woman, warm and loving, for whose sake Adam gladly lives and works. And is not this the effect of the will on the understanding?

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     When we first meet the happy couple, we are at once made aware that the active leader in the reception of God's Word is the understanding:

     "For contemplation he and valor formed,
     For softness she and sweet attractive grace.
     He for God only, she for God in him." (BOOK IX)

     The last line may seem misogynous, or at least old-fashioned. Yet for Milton's thesis it is imperative; it is the understanding which must first see the light of heaven, that it may instruct the will to be formed anew. The will, in turn, must ever submit her desires to the just reasoning of her consort, or go astray into paths of evil.
     And this is what happens. Satan-whose sin was that his will could not be held in check by his knowledge of his Creator but must itself aspire to godhead-comes to Eve dreaming, and plants the germ of that same crime in her will. He praises the benefits of the fruit forbidden by God

                    "O fruit divine,
     Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropped.
     Forbidden here, it seems, as only or
     For gods yet able to make gods of men;
     And why not gods of men?" (BOOK IX)

Here the unforgivable desire of man is hinted-to take life as his own, regardless of the God who created him. With this first intimation the will is doomed. And with her the understanding. For though wisdom must guide, its impetus comes from love, which, if it hold not firm, may send it far afield, from the path of truth. Adam recognizes Eve's inspiring influence on his own ability to live from reason. He confesses to Raphael:

                    "Here passion first I felt,
     Commotion strange, to all enjoyments else
     Superior and unmoved, here only weak
     Against the charm of beauty's powerful glance."

But Raphael chides the bewildered man:

     "For what admirest thou, what transports thee so,
     An outside? Fair, no doubt, and worthy well
     Thy cherishing, thy honoring, and thy love,
     Not thy subjection.
     What higher in her society thou findest
     Attractive, human, rational, love still;
     In loving thou dost well, in passion not." (BOOK VIII)

The judgment of the rational mind is warned to recognize only the desires of the will that are valid in the sight of heaven, true desires, and not merely earthly pleasures.
     All to no avail. The will, sweetly powerful in persuasion, requests short leave of absence from her consort.

486


Reason is against this; but finally Adam gives in: "Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more." The will takes departure and ventures into unknown fields of exploration leading to the forbidden fruit. Freed from the mastership of truth, it wanders into loose fancy and irrational thought. Honor, dominion, glory-the words play about Eve's ears. A small voice, Satan, whispers as she stands before the fruit:

     "Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe,
     Why but to keep you low and ignorant,
     His worshippers; He knows that in the day
     Ye eat thereof, your eyes that seem so clear,
     Yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then
     Opened and cleared, and ye shall be as gods,
     Knowing both good and evil as they know." (BOOK IX)

And Eve, the frail human will, forgetting God's law and visioning nothing but good from self, stretches forth her hand, plucks, and eats. Instantly every vestige of humbleness, either for God or His rational teachings in the understanding, vanishes. The will, gorged with the intoxicating belief in its own power, its rights, feels secure enough to challenge its mate:

          "But to Adam in what sort
     Shall I appear? Shall I to him make known
     As yet my change, and give him to partake
     Full happiness with me, or rather not,
     But keep the odds of knowledge in my power
     Without copartner?"

Yet the will, now corrupt and sensing false pride and jealousy for the first time, facing the ordained penalty of death, must seduce her consort

                    "Confirmed them I resolve
     Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe;
     So dear I love him, that with him all deaths
     I could endure, without him live no life" (BOOK IX)

How unlovely is a love that must drag its object of desire to possible death!
     Once on the road to evil, man completes his sin by confirming selfish loves in his understanding. Adam, though fearful at first, must seek his wife's level. Electing to die with her, he eats. The consequent falsity of his reasoning is apparent even before he tastes the fruit, while it is yet dangling before him:

     "Nor can I think that God, Creator wise,
     Though threatening, will in earnest so destroy
     Us his prime creatures, dignified so high."

487




In his inability to withstand the tempting new desires of the will he submits:

     "Our state cannot be severed, we are one.
     One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself." (BOOK IX)

     The new union of will and understanding that follows contains no purity or holiness, but is a senseless orgy of wild fancy. As such it must end in fruitless exhaustion and disillusionment. They wake in dismay. New knowledge they have indeed; but it is the hateful recognition of their sin. Innocence-that childlike trust in God alone-drops from man's mind, and he must cover with a leaf the fact of his new perverted state. Now is there no peace in the mind of man, but war between reproachful reason and defensive will:

     "For understanding ruled not, and the will
     Heard not its lore, both in subjection now
     To sensual appetite, who from beneath
     Usurping over sovereign reason claimed
     Superior sway." (BOOK IX)

     God, coming to judge the unhappy pair, hears false reason's complaint against the free will which God in love had granted him. Then the Creator replies:

     "Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey
     Before His voice, or was she made thy guide?"

Judgment proceeds. To Eve:

     "Thy sorrow I will greatly multiply
     By thy conception; children thou shalt bring
     In sorrow foerh, and to thy husband's will
     Thine shall submit, he over thee shall rule."

The will must become, not free consort but servant of the understanding, and the works of her love will be born only of great travail. God's command to Adam is brief:

     "In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread." (BOOK X)

     Man and woman, faith and love, can find no happiness apart, and can produce nothing. The judgment of God which compels them to continue together, the will subordinate to the understanding, is really to Milton the providence of the Divine love, by which eventual salvation is to be effected. How, in the new marriage of compulsion, is man's mind to regain the peace and freedom of the lost paradise? The means lie in the future history of the earth. As Michael, sent from God, displays before the penitent Adam the panorama of things to come, we see in graphic pictures the institutions growing on the earth by which man is compelled to live according to external order:

488




     "And therefore was law given them to evince
     Their natural pravity, by stirring up
     Sin against law to fight . . . "     (BOOK XII)

Inexorably the angel searches the future. War will succeed war, "affecting to subdue rational liberty"; "tyranny must be, though thereby to the tyrant no excuse." The laws of economics will try men, "for the earth shall bear more than enough, that temperance may be tried." But-

     "Law appears imperfect, and but given
     With purpose to resign them in full time
     Up to a better covenant, disciplined
     From shadowy types to truth, from flesh to spirit,
     From imposition of strict laws to free
     Acceptance of large grace, from servile fear
     To filial, works of law to works of faith." (BOOK XII)

Is not this "better covenant" the Lord's raising of the fallen race, and at the same time His regeneration of the reformed mind?

     So Milton sees the story of man, beset on all sides by fires to temper his judgment and purify his aims. Freedom shall be won and lost and won again, as slowly the new paradise emerges within the hearts and minds of men:

     "New heavens, new earths, ages of endless date
     Founded in righteousness and peace and love."

     To this vision Adam replies to the angel:

     "Henceforth I learn that to obey is best
     And love with fear the only God, to walk
     As in His presence, ever to observe
     His providence, and on Him sole depend.
     Merciful over all His works, with good
     Still overcoming evil, and by small
     Accomplishing great things, by things deemed weak
     Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise
     By simply meek; that suffering for truth's sake
     Is fortitude to highest victory. . . .
     To whom thus also the angel last replied:
     This having learned, thou hast attained the sum
     Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars
     Thou knewst by name, and all the ethereal powers,
     All secrets of the deep, all nature's works,
     Or works of God in heaven, air, earth, or sea,
     And all the riches of this would enjoydst,
     And all the rule, one empire; only add
     Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add faith,
     Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,

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     By name to come called charity, the soul
     Of all the rest; then will thou not be loath
     To leave this paradise, but shalt possess
     A paradise within thee, happier far."


     [EDITORIAL NOTE: Mr. Ernest Bruce Glenn, an Instructor in English, has been teaching in the Academy Schools for six years. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and subsequently took his Master of Arts Degree at the same University, majoring in English.]
TRUE REFORMED CHRISTIAN 1952

TRUE REFORMED CHRISTIAN              1952

     "With him who was in faith not separated from charity the angel spoke as follows: 'Friend, who art thou?' He answered, 'I am a Reformed Christian.' 'What is thy doctrine, and thy religion therefrom?' He replied, 'Faith and charity.' He said. 'These are two?' He answered. 'They cannot be separated.' He said, 'What is faith?' The other replied. 'Believing what the Word teaches.' He said, 'What is charity?' The answer was. 'Doing what the Word teaches.' He said, 'Hast thou only believed these things, or hast thou also done them?' He replied. 'I have also done them; The angel of heaven then looked on him, and said, 'My friend, come with me, and dwell with us.'" (F 43)
HOLY SPIRIT 1952

HOLY SPIRIT              1952

     "Every man who looks to God is, after death, first taught by the angels that the Holy Spirit is no other than the Lord, and that going forth and proceeding mean nothing else than to enlighten and teach by the presence of the Lord, which is according to reception. In consequence of this, most persons after death put off the idea concerning the Holy Spirit which they had conceived in the world and receive this idea, that it is the Lord's presence with man by angels and spirits, by which, and according to which, man is enlightened and taught" (Lord 46:4).
Title Unspecified 1952

Title Unspecified              1952

     "If man knew the hour of his death he would get himself ready, not from a love of what is good and true, but from a fear of hell and whatever a man does from fear does not remain, but what he does from love remains; therefore he should be getting ready all the time" (AE 193:5).

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CHANGE 1952

CHANGE       Rev. DAVID R. SIMONS       1952

     Because it was created by a God who is order itself the universe reflects His order and purposes in its every law rind operation. From the complex organization of the atom to the mighty mechanisms of solar unity, order manifests itself in a system that has been welded into a one. In the world of nature there is nothing that is truly static, fixed, and inert. Motion and change are the inner qualities of natural existence. The interplay of forces brings about an appearance of fixity, and perpetual change masquerades as solid matter. Yet change by itself could produce nothing. Undirected force is useless and unproductive. The outward appearance of constancy arises from an inmost reality, the constancy that is God and the presence of perpetual change in nature testifies to the activity of the Divine love and wisdom that provide and channel the forces of nature to productive uses, for things are fashioned for use and change contributes to the perfection of uses.
     There is in nature an appearance of opposing forces-one a constructive and productive life-force, the other a destructive and deteriorating force of death. Rocks that have taken ages to form are acted upon immediately by the forces of decay when pressed to the surface of the earth. Vegetation in time yields to decay and decomposition. Animal life, with its marvelleous organization cell by cell through precise stages of growth, enters its prime only to decline and finally die. And even man, whose full physical and mental development takes years to accomplish, grows old; and just at that point in life when his wisdom would make him of most use to society he passes to another world. The changes that provided for growth give way to those that bring about the end. Change is at once the greatest creative reality and the most inexorable destroyer, the universal mode of upbuilding and of dissolution.
     What is the meaning of this contradiction? Can order be said to act against itself? Is God at once the source of growth and of decay? Although charge would seem to contradict the very nature and constancy of God, we can comprehend its universal presence in nature when we see its purpose and function. When we view as a whole the forces that proceed from the Creator, that is, view them rationally, we can know that they are purely constructive. For the Divine works for nothing but the perpetual upbuilding and perfection of created things. The Lord's constant end centers in a human race that can receive His life, and receive it ever more abundantly.

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     God is perfection itself. Although created things can never become perfect they can yet approach towards perfection, and this approach is possible only by the process we call change. Perfection takes place by a continual re-creation of finite things, by a forming and re-forming; and for this reason change, with its upbuilding and its periods of decay, has been inscribed on the created universe. As the Psalmist notes: "The day is Thine, the night also is Thine; Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: Thou hast made summer and winter" (Psalm 74: 16, 17).
     That the forces of decay are part of the plan of creation can be seen from the use they perform. Nothing but constant growth in nature would soon cause overabundance and a stultification of uses. The creative will that brings forms into existence must also have the power to sustain them in the prime of existence. The fact that rocks can for a time resist erosion, that a flower can renew its life from day to day, and that animals can recover from extreme injuries, demonstrates that if the Lord so willed the original rocks, plants, animals, and even men, could still be extant on earth. But what a limited thing creation would have been under such circumstances How unworthy of an infinite God whose love knows no bounds and whose will to create is eternal! There must be a reason for the forces of decomposition, and it is that change contributes to perfection.
     That the essential purpose of the tearing down processes in nature is to perfect is easily seen Unless the original rock crust of the earth had been prepared by erosion to support vegetation, animal and human life could never have come into being. Unless simple vegetable forms decayed, to mix with coarse soil to form a loam capable of nourishing more complex vegetable forms and animals, the infinite variety of plants and animals that support the body and delight the mind of man would never have been possible. The formation and gradual perfection of every kingdom in nature, a process which never ceases, has but one goal-the formation and perfection of a race of men whose bodies could reflect, and whose minds approach, the perfection which is God Himself. And it was for the sure achievement of His goal that the Lord promised in the Word that change should never cease upon the earth (Genesis 8:22).
     As with the world outside, so with the world within, for the laws of order are universal. Nothing happens in the world of nature, no law exists, no intertwining of forces takes place, but has its counterpart and correspondence in the kingdom of the human mind (DLW 52). Because man is a microcosm, or little world, he, too, must come under the building up and tearing down processes of order.

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For they are the means of his perfection. In no other way can the finite mind of man approach its infinite Creator.
     The first human cycle is that of the preparation of the mind for regeneration, when the seeds of truth and charity are sown by the Lord. The second is the state of man when he is being regenerated. He begins with no faith and charity, is cold to the teachings of the Word, and finds the life of religion uninteresting. If he goes to the Word he can be led to a warm delight in truth and a genuine desire to live in conformity with it. But such states are temporary and he soon reverts to his former cold; for whenever man becomes absorbed in corporeal and worldly things there is no faith and charity and he does not even think about spiritual things. But when the things of his body and will are quiescent the Lord works through his internal man and he is then us faith and charity (AC 933).
     By these alternations we are shown by living experience the contrast between spiritual heat and cold and are thereby prepared to choose between them. The truths of religion, like water on rock, like rending ice, or like a relentless river, can work for change upon self-love and worldliness. And until our minds yield to its continual pressures nothing truly spiritual can grow within us. Our minds, like the surface of the earth before vegetation arose, are hard, brittle, and unreceptive of spiritual seed.
     As regeneration advances the cycle of progress is reversed. Whereas cold became heat, now summer becomes winter, and day becomes night. A fundamental change has taken place. Our lives no longer center in what is spiritually lifeless, but have been changed and perfected by the Lord. One might suppose that alternations would cease as regeneration progressed; but we are taught that there are alternations with the regenerate, since even in them there is nothing but evil, and that they exist in order that man may be perfected more and more, and thus be rendered more and more happy. They even continue in the other life; for without alternations angels and regenerate men would cease to perceive their inmost delights and light and could not be perfected and made more happy. Sensation increases with variety, wherefore there are perpetual alternations in the spiritual world (AC 935, 8426).
     Although regeneration involves continual change and perfection, man can never be so regenerated as to be perfect (AC 5122, 894). Like creation itself, regeneration is a perpetual process. It begins, but it never ceases; for life with the regenerate is perfected to eternity, yet never reaches the perfection of the Divine. In spiritual and natural change, then, in the building and breaking down that are the means of all progress, we can see something of the Lord's infinite plan and purpose.

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BY WHAT AUTHORITY? 1952

BY WHAT AUTHORITY?       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Circulation Secretary     Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Treasurer      Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Circulation Secretary. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION

$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     A contemporary recently quoted a correspondent as stating that in the work Divine Providence he found a marvellous reconciliation with his innate beliefs, The italics are ours and are used to emphasize a persistent and dangerous fallacy. Every so often we hear of someone accepting the Writings "because they agree with what I already believe" or "because that is what I have always thought." Yet the fact is that the truths taught in the Writings are not innate in man. They cannot be arrived at by human thinking, even by a sincere Christian from the letter of the Word. They are a revelation made only by the Lord and only in the Writings, and they can be acquired from no other source.
     The first danger in the view mentioned, however sincerely held, is that the convert may unconsciously superimpose his own ideas upon the Writings and regard the product as their teaching. The second, and the greater danger, is that if the Writings are accepted because they seem to show that one is already right in his thinking they cannot be received without reservation as a Divine revelation given to lighten man's darkness. There is danger also that when something is found which does not agree with one's previous thought it will be rejected. The authority must be the self-evidencing reason of love, not an apparent endorsement of one's own views.
     This is not to say that the Lord does not prepare men and women to receive the Writings, that common sense does not produce some general approximations of their most universal teachings. But if the truths revealed in the Writings could be known and believed without them there would be no need for the Writings.

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So when an inquirer asks, as did a certain spirit, "What are the tenets of your theology?" it is no mere trick of debate tint answer courteously but firmly. "Tell me first what you believe." For while points of agreement can then be recognized, the differences that are bound to exist can me made clear, and the possible danger averted of the inquirer thinking there is fall agreement.
SHALL NEITHER BREAK NOR QUENCH 1952

SHALL NEITHER BREAK NOR QUENCH       Editor       1952

     The water of life is not always sweet to the taste. For some who tire coming into the New Church, or into association with it by marriage, the teaching that the Old Church is dead, and the truths revealed about the inner state and quality of the Christian world and doctrine, are bitter draughts. This is the more apt to be the case because such teachings are seldom fully understood when first heard; because it is usually not realized that what the Writings condemn is interior confirmation from evil of the falsities in Christian doctrine, or that what is said in the New Church does not necessarily apply to everyone who belongs to an organized body of that Church.
     Evidently these truths may not be suppressed. We would think but little of a priest who never taught them because they might offend a chance hearer or hurt someone who had Old Church connections. But evidently also they should be presented clearly, whether in public or in private, with tact and sympathetic understanding, and with an entire absence of bitterness, sarcasm, or obvious relish. They should not be overemphasized, and should be presented only when, and where, there is need. As an opening gambit, am abrupt and gleeful announcement that Paul is in hell will do little if anything to commend the Church to a Catholic or Episcopalian, and may only raise a passing doubt as to the ultimate lot of the announcer! And we must avoid the attitude of the Pharisees. "This people who knoweth not the law are cursed."
     We are told in the Writings that the Lord treats with tender gentleness the ideas and affections in which a man has been raised from childhood. He does not will violence to the conscience any man has formed from his religion. The Lord does not break the fallacies or quench the persuasions and cupidities which have been imbued from infancy, but with infinite patience bends them to what is true and good. This is what is meant by the words "a bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench" (Isaiah 42:3) And in reflecting upon what the Lord does, we may see how unpalatable truths can be presented. The truth can be so stated that only antagonism is aroused, and if the intent is to break and beat down that will happen. It is really only misunderstanding, or natural loyalties, that cause these truths to be resented; and these can be overcome in men of good will when the truths are stated with affection and their meaning made clear.

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DEFINITION OF HERESY 1952

DEFINITION OF HERESY       Editor       1952

     According to the lexicons, the term "heresy" is derived from a word originally meaning to choose, and then, by successive stages, a choice made, a chosen belief, a deviation. Rome boldly defines heresy as a corruption of dogma a view or opinion not in accord with prescribed standards; marking the distinction by saying that the believer accepts the whole deposit of faith as proposed by the Church, whereas the heretic accepts only such parts of it as commend themselves to his approval. And heresy is defined in general as religious opinion opposed to the accepted doctrinal standards of any particular church, especially when held by persons of the sane general faith, and tending to separation.
     It will be observed that in all these definitions the touchstone of orthodoxy is full accord with the official pronouncements of the church, which are tacitly assumed to render without error the pure teachings of the Word of God. While it is not disputed that some churches may need the protection afforded by such definitions, it is pointed out that the Writings offer a more interior one when they say that heresies are "doctrines separated from the church" (AC 324). For the church, in the definition of the Writings is where the Word is understood and loved and the Lord is known and acknowledged. The General Church has, of course, no "authorized doctrinal standards." But we may therefore say that doctrinal opinions within the Church, even if opposed to those generally held, may not be branded as heresies unless they seem to separate from the understanding and love of the Word and from the knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord. Views which do not and which are based sincerely upon an interpretation of the Writings and nothing else are simply doctrinal matters of opinion and should be regarded as such.
     This distinction is vital to freedom of thought and of speech in the Church. For real study can flourish only in a climate of spiritual tolerance, and the charge of heresy has always carried, as well as the desire for expulsion, the implication that the heretic is damned unless he recants. Differences of opinion, fanciful and even foolish notions, are part of the price we must pay for a sphere in which new and true concepts can be advanced and gradually recognized. And only in a church which is mature enough to tolerate negative criticism in spiritual charity is there the soil in which constructive criticism may take root. The auto da fe and the witch hunt have always been the product of fanaticism, the lust of intellectual dominion, or the stark fear of those who have no trust in the Lord and think that the safety of the church is in their hands alone.

496


"HERE I STAND" 1952

"HERE I STAND"       Editor       1952

     Protestantism is usually regarded as having begun on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther posted on the door of the church in Wittenberg his Ninety-five Theses, and the 435th anniversary of that event will no doubt be celebrated by the Protestant churches this month. Enough of the inner story of the Reformation has been unfolded in the Writings to enable the New Church to appraise its real significance. When the Word had been almost entirely rejected, when the papal dominion threatened to enslave the whole world, and when the Christian Church in Europe was close to utter failure, then, in the Divine Providence, the Reformation took place. The immediate spiritual purpose was to provide, through the restoration of the Word, for the continuance of the human race on earth; for the teaching is, that through the reading of the Word in the Reformed Church light was transmitted to all nations by a spiritual communication, and that without this light the race must have perished.
     In other ways the Reformation played an important part in preparing for the Last Judgment, the second coming of the Lord, and the establishment of the New Church. It led to a counter-reformation of some value in the Roman Church, and drew the lines between those who believed in good works and those who paid them lip-service only. It restored the Bible to the people; and since men must be able to read to approach God in His Word without interposition of priest, it gave the first major impetus to general education. It led to the separation of church and state, and thus to freedom of worship and conscience and the free expression of individual conviction. And it prepared the way also for the system of free enterprise-all things that were essential for the reception of the Lord in His second coming and for the upbuilding of the New Church through the organized uses of worship and education.
     But the Protestant Reformation could be of no more than temporary service. Like the earlier reform movements of Enoch before the flood, of Eber before the end of the Ancient Church, and of Ezra and Nehemiah before the coming of the Lord, it could do no more than check temporarily the downward course of the declining church. The leading Reformers retained nearly all the dogmas of the Roman Church, but separated the Divine and the Human in the Lord and made intellectual faith alone saving; and in consequence, although they had some light from reading the Word, it was not such that they could see truths. The most vital significance of the Reformation is that in slowing down the fall of the Church it made possible a postponement of the Second Coming, which otherwise, humanly speaking, would have had to take place then, although the way had not yet been fully prepared.

497



     Read in this light, and in the light of what the Writings teach about the inner motives of the Reformers and the real quality of the church they established, the history of the Reformation becomes a fascinating study in the operations of the Divine Providence. Not the least interesting is the testimony concerning Luther, whose courage and energy are epitomized in the words associated with his sober challenge before the Reichstag at Worms: "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen." For it is revealed that while he first defended his system in the world of spirits, and later suffered hard things, he finally renounced the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. He had never confirmed it interiorly, and had adopted it despite the warning of an angel as the only means of separation from Rome. And when he was convinced that it was not from the Word, on which he had always taken his stand, he suffered himself to be instructed, largely by Swedenborg, and was finally received into the New Heaven after a long process which shows alike the patience of the Lord and the slow development of the human mind.
SICKNESS AND REFORMATION 1952

SICKNESS AND REFORMATION       Editor       1952

     Some readers of the Writings have always been troubled by the teaching that no ore can repent, be reformed, or receive faith in states of sickness. In some instances the difficulty undoubtedly stems, frankly, from personal feeling. Either they have themselves experienced long periods of illness, or they know and love someone who has. And although every allowance can be made for this, the fact remains that we may not judge the truth of a statement in the Writings from our own experience or us personal implication. In other cases there would seem to be some confusion as to what the Writings mean by sickness. From a careful reading of the teaching itself we take it to mean a state of health which, for a shorter or longer period, withdraws a person from the normal world of active uses, either mentally or physically. A disabled person who has readjusted himself and reentered that world as far as possible is not sick, as we understand the Writings to use the term in connection with this teaching.
     The teaching itself is quite clear. No one can be reformed during sickness because he is not then in a free state. For the state of the mind depends on that of the body, and when the body is sick the mind also is sick, if only because of its separation from the world. When the mind is removed from the world it may think about God, but not from God, for it does not possess that freedom of reason in the exercise of which the Lord is present and man thinks from Him.

498


Freedom consists in being midway between heaven and the world, and in being able to think from either, and of either from the other. And when a man is sick he is not in the world, but is withdrawn in spirit, and in this state alone no one can be reformed.
     That is the teaching given. It is true that there can be appearances which strongly suggest the opposite. For some people seem to be mellowed, refined, and spiritualized by sickness. But while the Writings have a positive explanation for that, they also point out that the appearance can be very misleading. Even an evil man can express faith in the Lord, speak truth and do good, and even observe something of heavenly light and comfort, when the loves of self and the world quiesce in states of sickness. Yet because these loves have not been removed, but only lulled to rest, he will return to them when he is restored to full health. And a disposition may be assumed without deliberate intent to deceive, either from fear of death or consciousness of dependence upon others, that will be put off again when the cause is removed.
     It should be emphasized, however, that what the Writings mean is that reformation cannot begin in a state of sickness. If that were always clearly understood much of the difficulty would disappear. In the Divine Providence, sickness sometimes prepares the way for repentance and reformation by serving as the only means of subduing and breaking the life of pleasures and cupidities and raising the thoughts to spiritual things. And if reformation has started before the sickness begins, the state of reformation attained can be strengthened and confirmed, not by the sickness, but by the man's reaction to it, to the present and the future, to those with whom he comes in contact, and, above all, to the Divine Providence. The responses that will come from his reformed state will be the means of consolidating the spiritual gains already received, and thus an active preparation for further progress when he is restored to health. If there can be no beginning or progression of reformation in sickness, neither can there be a relapse, for what man does in a state not of reason is never imputed to him. And since there can be a strengthening, consolidation, and thus preparation for further advance, sickness does not necessarily imply a state of spiritual inactivity.
     Much confusion would be eliminated if we could free our minds entirely from the old punitive theory of sickness. Even in the New Church one sometimes meets a lingering wonder as to why sickness should strike some fine person "who has never harmed anyone, and has done nothing to deserve it." And more confusion could be avoided if we would ponder the significance of the statement in the Writings, that when men read about sickness the angels understand continuation of life; for we would then be able to see that the physical interruption of life is the only one that takes place, that despite the appearance, spiritual life continues.

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There are, of course, particular problems connected with sickness of the mind, and about these we propose to write next month. The present emphasis is on the fact that the teaching of the Writings about sickness and reformation is not negative, but one from which the sick and those who love and care for them may draw inspiration without trying to qualify the truth given.
COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA 1952

COMMENTS FROM AUSTRALIA              1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     The address on "The Glorification of the Lord" (NEW CHURCH LIFE, June, 1952, pp. 274-281) by the Rev. Karl R. Alden raised in my mind several points of interest. It has always seemed curious to me why Swedenborg's "in potentia" should generally be rendered "in potency" by translators. Mr. Alden translates this from Divine Love and Wisdom 233 quite correctly as "potentially," thus conveying the true English meaning. This word he uses once again, as against using "in potency" five times; in one case saying "a potency" where "a potentiality" would, I submit, convey the meaning better. "Potentia" means, of course, power, and contrasted with "actualiter" obviously means the power to act. But the English word, "potency" means power in action. "Potential" means, however, capability of coming into action, a latent possibility. All things considered, "potential" and it derivatives seem to be the best words for the ordinary reader.
     The address is a good representation of the simple truths about the glorification which all ministers must know. But I think that some mention should have been made of the alternating states of consciousness which the Lord experienced when in the world. A passing reference was made to exinanition, but nothing was said of the continual alternations of the two states, without which temptations would not have been possible.
     Again, the reader is left with the notion that the walk on the road (why dusty?) was in the material world. If this were so, the disciples could not have been aware of the risen Lord. That their eyes were opened later points to the existence of varying degrees of the opening of the spiritual senses. That such different degrees exist, or existed, seems obvious from the New Testament post-resurrection narratives A paper on this subject would be most welcome.
     Mr. Alden's treatment of the ultimation in the New Testament of the prophecies of the Old Testament is admirable, and it would be useful if he would amplify this subject at some future time.
     W. R. HORNER.
Lancefield, Victoria,
Australia.

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Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     TORONTO, CANADA

     The month of June is an active and interesting one in the Olivet Society. The climax of the school year is reached in the closing ceremonies, which commenced with turning to the Lord in worship. The service in the church was simple and dignified, with the children leading the music and the Principal telling them of the holy city of which the Lord is the light, and pointing out that somewhat of this true light may be obtained by man if from his youth he turns toward it. Later, the guests were invited to view the exhibits of the children's work which were displayed downstairs. It was remarkable to note the progress the children had made in the arts and crafts.
     Then came the big moment when the curtain rose on a musical version of the Greek myth, Persephone and Demeter, complete with the orthodox Greek chorus which gracefully conducted us through the story. It was a charming production, and I closed with a Maypole dance in which the ensemble participated. After the final curtain of this most delightful entertainment, which was produced by Mrs. Frank Longstaff and the Misses Edina Carswell and Venita Roschman, presentations were made by the pupils to the Principal, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton, the regular teacher, Miss Venita Roschman, and the assisting teachers, Mrs. A. Wynne Acton, Miss Edina Carswell, Mrs. Frank Longstaff, and Mrs. John Parker. Mr. Acton voiced our regret at losing the fine services of Miss Roschman and our sincere good wishes for her happiness in her new appointment. The children had previously given a little party at which they made a presentation to Miss Venita. Theta Alpha took this opportunity of presenting the day school with a gift of books.

     New Church Day was celebrated on three different occasions; first by the children at a luncheon given in the home or Mr. and Mrs. Acton at which the following papers were read by the day school pupils "The Vision of the Son of Man," Suzane Fountain; "the Four Horsemen," Bobby Foley; "The Star Called Wormwood and the Darkness," Sheila Brown; "The Woman Clothed with the Sun," Doris Zorn; "The Rider on the White Horse," Douglas Raymond; and "The Holy City," by Nancy Carter and Barbara Lewis. Special guests at the luncheon were Candidate Roy Franson and Peter Bevan.
     The banquet for the adults was held in the evening of the same day and proved to be a most enjoyable occasion, commencing with a delicious supper prepared by Mrs. Robert Raymond, who had any capable assistants. The peony season was profusely evident in a colorful and fragrant setting for the enjoyable program that followed. Mr. Acton cordially welcomed Candidate Franson to our midst and then presented to members who had joined our society in the last two years various copies of the Writings. The recipients were: Miss Evelyn Barber, Mrs. Harold Carter, Mr. and Mrs. James Swalm, Mr. Donald Barber, and, in absentia, Miss Doris Vowels.
     The first speaker of the evening was Mr. Robert Scott who talked on a subject in which he is well verse, European history at the time of the Last Judgment, under the title "the Essence of Freedom." Mr. Scott showed how the narrow viewpoints of mediaeval times were gradually widened by the progress of science, thus preparing the way for freedom of speech and the broadening of thought. Candidate Franson then addressed us on "The Church After the Last Judgment," pointing out that the Lord has now made a new covenant with the human race, and that in the revealed truth of the Writings is the means of conjunction with the Lord of setting up an eternal dispensation.
     The next event was a picnic on the following Saturday afternoon at High Park, where competition was high as to who could run the fastest under various conditions, which amused both onlookers and participants. Baseball took up much of the time, but we are not quite sure which side won as the teams were not clearly defined.

501


Large lunch boxes were soon demolished when supper time arrived and were topped off with generous portions of ice cream. Mr. Ray Ore is our top picnic convener.
     On Sunday we commemorated New Church Day by joining in worship of the Lord and had the great privilege of receiving the Holy Supper. Candidate Roy Franson gave an outstanding talk to the children which also enthralled the adults, giving a glowing picture of the holy city, and assuring us that we may all come to live in that city if we will but learn the truths of the Word and live according to them.
     We have much enjoyed the presence of Candidate Roy Franson this summer. He took back with him our earnest wishes for his happiness in the high use which he has chosen to perform.
     VERA CRAIGIE


     DETROIT, MICHIGAN

     It is necessary to go back to our service of worship on June 29th to record the fact that we had as visitors the Rev. and Mrs. David Holm (Elaine Steen) who were in town to spurt a few days with Elaine a parent Mr. and Mrs. Fred Steen, before leaving for David's first appointment in Durban, Natal, South Africa. David and Elaine have always been popular here and it was a privilege we all enjoyed to have the new young minister assist at the service and preach the sermon.
     On July 4th we again had the young couple with us at a picnic held on grounds adjacent to our pastor's new residence. About 50, many of them children, attended this affair. While the older ones present were content to spend the hot afternoon in the welcome shade of the trees, the children and young people competed for prizes at various sports and games. All seemed to have a marvelous time. This was our final good-bye to David and Elaine before they sailed for their new home. A gift of money, donated by our members, was presented to them in a very unique manner by Mr. Walter C. Childs.
     No services of worship were held during July but they were resumed on August 3rd. A large attendance greeted our pastor, including the following visitors: Mrs. Robert Cole; Miss June Macauley and her niece, Judy Larsson; Miss Joy Synnestvedt; Mr. Dan McQueen.
     Joy and Dan are to be married in September and are coming to Detroit to live and become members of our Circle. The young couple arrived here on August 2nd and were house guests of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Synnestvedt. Naturally we are delighted to have Joy and Dan become a member of our Circle. It will mean much to us, and to them, too, to have them active in the development of a new society of the General Church, for that is what we are determined to become. We see the hand of Providence in bringing to our ranks, from time to time, the type of young people who have the energy, loyalty and love for the Church needed in the task that lies ahead of us. And we are going to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Dan McQueen with the proverbial open arms, and the warm hearts by which our Circle is justly famous.
     Four of our young people will be going to Bryn Athyn for the school opening. They are: Cheery Synnestvedt, Jeff Gurney, Peter Synnestvedt, and Jimmy Forfar. As a sort of farewell to them our regular monthly dinner, scheduled for Aug. 24th, was chanced to a picnic and held in a very pretty park on the outskirts of Detroit. We enjoyed the change to an outdoor setting, where we could eat in comfort under the shade of the trees, and the weather was made to order for such an affair. With its aftermath of games and sports for the younger people this picnic proved to be a very happy occasion.
     Several of our families are still away at their summer homes and will not return until after Labor Day. Consequently our activities for August have been limited to services of worship. September will inaugurate the fall and winter season of full activities, including Sunday School, weekly classes for children and doctrinal classes for adults. We are anticipating a full and successful year, including, we hope, an Episcopal visit by Bishop George de Charms tentatively scheduled for a week-end during November.
     WILLIAM W. WALKER.

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     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Conference.-A partial report in THE NEW-CHURCH HERALD of the 145th Annual Session of the General Conference at Keightey, Yorkshire, mentions the appointment of the Rev. G. T. Hill, M.A., as President. The retiring President, the Rev. A. Clapham, was appointed Vice-President, and the Rev. C. H. Presland was reappointed Secretary. The report of the retiring President spoke strongly against defeatism in smaller societies and appealed to such societies to help themselves in order that the Conference might help them. The report of the Secretary showed some increase in total attendances at public worship. After some debate the revised Creed was adopted. The Rev. B. S. Willmott delivered the Conference sermon.

     Scandinavia.-THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER reports that in addition to his duties in Stockholm the Rev. Jack Hardstedt preaches regularly in Gothenburg and Copenhagen.


     SWEDENBORG SOCIETY

     The 142nd Annual Meeting of the Swedenborg Society was held at Swedenborg Hall on Tuesday, June 17, 1952, when 55 members were present. The President, Mr. Harold Gardiner, M.S., F.R.C.S., took the chair. After apologies for absence had been received, a letter of greeting on behalf of the Italian Swedenborg Society from Dr. G. E. Ferrari was read.
     The Honorary Secretary then presented the Council's 142nd report. Referring to the work of Mr. Colley Pryke as Chairman of the Advisory and Revision Board she said that the Society was greatly indebted to him for his devoted services and wise counsel in this onerous position. With the Third Latin Edition of Arcana Coelestia there had been another disappointment. Volume II had been promised for the Annual Meeting and had arrived, but a mistake on the part of the binders had necessitated the return of all the copies. Work on a new edition of DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORG was progressing, and material for a first volume should be ready shortly. New material would make this new edition perhaps one-third as long again as the Tafel edition.
     Dr. Griffith said that a good response had been made by New Church libraries to the offer of books, surplus to the Society's needs, from the library of the Bath Society. Sales showed a welcome increase on last year's figures but were still not high enough. Extracts were read from some of the letters received expressing the appreciation of many West Africans of the truth of the Writings. The Secretary mentioned the success of the lectures given in the winter of 1950-51 and gave details about those arranged for the ensuing year, stated that she had visited Scandinavia on behalf of the Society and emphasized the steeply rising costs of book production which will greatly restrict the publishing work of the Society unless the income can be correspondingly increased.
     The Honorary Treasurer then read the Auditors' Report and presented the accounts and balance sheet. In commenting on the figures he said he would like to make it clear that the Society, which is not wealthy, has a more or less fixed income and that the only item which can be largely increased is the donations and subscriptions of members. In moving the adoption of the report and accounts the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Dan Chapman said he hoped members would realize how condensed the report was. The three lines on the Latin edition of Arcana Coelestia represented an immense amount of time and thought. Mr. R H. Griffith, seconding the motion for adoption, said that he had found in the Council as a new member a desire to maintain the highest standards in the work of the Society in accurate translations, good format for its publications, and the upkeep of its property.
     Mr. Harold Gardiner, M.S., F.R.C.S., was elected President of the Society for a third year; Mr. A. A. Drummond, M.Sc., was reappointed to the office of Vice-president; and Mr. A. D. Atherton, was elected Honorary Treasurer of the Society. It was then resolved that the Council be authorized to print, publish, and distribute a booklet in the Icelandic language, written by Mrs. L. Oberman and comprising a brief biography of Emanuel Swedenborg, extracts from the Writings, and some expository material in agreement with the Writings.
     The President then gave his address on "The Correspondence of the Heart and Lungs." At the conclusion, Mr. E. O. Acton moved that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the President for his address, for his conduct of the meeting, and for his many services during the year; and also to the Chairman, the Treasurer, and the Secretary.

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He quoted Dr. J. J. Garth Wilkinson as saying that we (the Swedenborg Society) are not only printers, publishers, and shopkeepers, but the transmitters of the pure works of Emanuel Swedenborg to the world. He said in reference to the President's address that the more we understand of the working of the heart and lungs the more we can understand of the will and the understanding. The vote of thanks was seconded by Mr. F. F. Coulson, and the meeting was then closed, as it had been opened, with prayer.

     [We are indebted for this report to Mrs. Freda G. Griffith, Ph.D., B.Sc., Honorary Secretary of the Swedenborg Society, who kindly furnished the report from which the above is taken. EDITOR.]

     CHARTER DAY

     All ex-students of the Academy of the New Church, and their wives or husbands, are cordially invited to attend the Charter Day Exercises, to be held in Bryn Athyn, Pa., on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 15, 1952. THE PROGRAM:

Friday, 11 a.m.-Cathedral Service, with an address by the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers.
Friday Afternoon-Football Game.
Friday Evening.-Dance.
Saturday, 7 p.m.-A Banquet in the Assembly Hall. Toastmaster, the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson.

     Arrangements will he made for the entertainment of guests, if they will write to Mrs. V. W. Rennels, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
SOME RECENT PUBLICATIONS 1952

SOME RECENT PUBLICATIONS              1952

The General Church of the New Jerusalem. A Handbook of General Information. By Hugo Lj. Odhner. THE ACADEMY BOOK ROOM, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Price, 25 cents. Now available.

A Hymnal for the Use of Schools and Families in the General Church of the New Jerusalem. THE ACADEMY BOOK ROOM, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Price, 50 cents. Special price on quantities for schools. Available soon.

Stories from the Word. Volume V. Joshua and Judges. Revised and compiled by Frederick E. Gyllenhaal. GENERAL CHURCH RELIGION LESSONS, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Price, $2.00. Additional sets of pictures 50 cents a set. Now available.

The Golden Heart and Other Stories. By Amena Pendleton. THE ACADEMY BOOK ROOM. Bryn Athyn. Pa. Price. $1.00. Now available.

Add postage to prices listed.
EPISCOPAL VISITS 1952

EPISCOPAL VISITS       GEORGE DE CHARMS       1952

Episcopal visits will be made in October and November as follows:

KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 3-7.
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 8-12.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, October 21-26.
CLEVELAND, OHIO, October 31-November 2.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, November 7-9.
GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS, November 11-16.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, November 21-23.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS,
          Bishop.

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PASTORAL CHANGES 1952

PASTORAL CHANGES              1952




     Announcements




     The Rev. Harold C. Cranch has accepted appointment as Visiting Pastor to the Western States, resident in Los Angeles, and has moved from Chicago to that city.
     The Rev. Louis B. King has accepted appointment as Minister of the Sharon Church, Chicago, succeeding the Rev. Harold C. Cranch, and has entered upon his duties.
ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH 1952

ACADEMY OF THE NEW CHURCH              1952

     Enrollment for 1952-1953

Theological School     4
College               59
Boys' Academy          62
Girls' Seminary          65
                    190

     Enrollments in local elementary schools will be published next month.

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THIRTY-NINTH BRITISH ASSEMBLY 1952

THIRTY-NINTH BRITISH ASSEMBLY       ALAN GILL       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE


VOL. LXXII
NOVEMBER, 1952
No. 11
     COLCHESTER, AUGUST 2-4. 1952


     This most useful, inspiring, and happy Assembly was notable for a number of features, some of them unique, all of them good. The President and the two other ministers who gave the addresses at the sessions all did so for the first time at a British Assembly. They were the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, who represented the Bishop, and whose leadership and instruction were so greatly appreciated and enjoyed; the Rev. Morley D. Rich who came to this country for the first time last spring as Acting Pastor of Michael Church; and the Rev. Frank S. Rose who has come as Visiting Minister to the isolated in Great Britain and to the Circles at Paris and The Hague, with headquarters in Colchester. Dr. Odhner had not been in Great Britain since 1928, when he attended and preached at the General Assembly in London. Mr. Rose had attended the British Assembly in 1950 as a Theological Student, but without appearing on the program, and it was a pleasure to greet him in his new capacity.
     The recent arrival of Mr. Rich and Mr. Rose to assume their respective duties in London and among the isolated marks this rear as one of new beginnings in this country, as was noted with genuine gratitude at the Assembly. Especial satisfaction was expressed at there now being a "third man" to minister to those living beyond reach of either of the two Societies.
     In view of these circumstances, and because it was known that there would be thirteen overseas visitors in addition to Dr. and Mrs. Odhner, a large, if not a record attendance, was expected. We were not disappointed. The average attendance at the three sessions was 138, the highest since the war; and there was a congregation of 185 at the Sunday morning service, only two less than in the peak year of 1950, when no provision was made for the care of little children. These little ones turned up for the taking of the Assembly picture, however, which accounts for the fact that over 200 heads may be counted in the photograph.

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     Of the 107 adults and children accommodated in homes and hotels for the weekend, 58 were from the London district and 34 from other parts of England. The latter number included all but one of a strong group of Isolated members from "up north" who were appropriately commended for their achievement. There was also a contingent of 13 who, being unable to leave their homes for more than one day, nevertheless came considerable distances to attend the two services and the second session on the Sunday. Besides the President and his wife, the visitors from abroad, whose presence added greatly to the occasion, were: Mrs. Edwin Asplundh, Mr. and Mrs. William R. Cooper, the Misses Celia Bellinger, Joyce Bellinger, Zara Bostock, Corona Carswell, Edina Carswell, Elaine Cooper, Pearl Linaweaver, Anne Pendleton, and Muriel Wells, and Mr. Robert Cole, Jr.
     As has been the case at all recent Assemblies held in Colchester, the three sessions and the services were held in our church and the meals were served by caterers in a marquee behind the building. The Assembly Social was held in the ball room of the famous Red Lion Hotel.

     First Session.-Held on Saturday evening, August 2nd, the first session began with worship conducted by the President, the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, who then declared the Assembly opened and introduced himself as the "message" sent by Bishop de Charms to those assembled! Appreciation of this was expressed by a round of hearty applause.
     After the Minutes of the Thirty-Eighth British Assembly had been approved the reports of the Chairman and Treasurer of the British Finance Committee of the General Church were presented by the Rev. Alan Gill and Mr. Colley Pryke, respectively; Messrs. A. J. Appleton and A. S. Wainscot were reelected as auditors; and the renomination by the Bishop of Messrs. Colley Pryke and Kenneth Pryke as members of the Committee was ratified by the Assembly. The Bishop's nomination and appointment of the Rev. Frank S. Rose as a member of this body was announced and was received with unanimous enthusiasm, as also was a motion requesting Dr. Odhner to convey to Bishop de Charms a message of appreciation for sending Mr. Rose to this country. Mr. Rose then outlined his proposals for visiting the isolated in this country and on the Continent, and invited those present who were members of his "Open Road Society," as he called it, to meet with him on the Monday afternoon to hear and consider some practical aspects of his plans.
     Dr. Odhner then delivered his Presidential address, entitled "Where Two Worlds Meet." It was a most instructive and practical analysis of the precise whereabouts of the meeting place of the spiritual and the natural worlds in the human mind, showing it to be on the plane of man's external or conscious thought-in the "endeavor of his thought," where he is in the greatest freedom to distinguish and choose between good and evil at their first approach.

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There followed a lively discussion, or rather many expressions of appreciation and a veritable barrage of questions. And the essayists answers and closing remarks were presented with such clarity and eloquence as to leave his audience with the feeling of having derived little less satisfaction and inspiration from them than they did from the address itself.

     Second Session. The worship opening the second session, held on Sunday evening, was conducted by the Rev. Morley D. Rich, who then delivered a thought-provoking address on "The Heavens." Its thesis was taken principally from AC 457, AE 1094:2, and HH 405; and it was directed to illustrating that complex of loves, affections, joys, activities, and delights which constitutes the heavens, and showing that in this respect each angel is composed of an indefinite number of different kinds of heavens, into each of which he enters and dwells in his varying states, uses, functions, and activities. As at the first session there was a lively response. Several questions were raised and there was a general feeling that here was something to think about, which, it was hoped, might be considered further on some future occasion.
     There followed the report of the Committee on New Church High School Education in Great Britain, which was presented by the Chairman, the Rev. Alan Gill. Attention was called to the Stamp Savings Plan that had been worked out and put into operation last February: emphasis being laid on the advantages of this method of contributing to the educational uses envisaged. The paramount need for increased numbers of prospective pupils was also stressed.
     The Assembly was then reminded that in 1950 a message was sent to the Nineteenth General Assembly at Bryn Athyn, from the Pastors of the Colchester and London Societies and their Councils, inviting the Twentieth General Assembly to meet in London. The meeting was asked to consider whether further action should be taken, and after some discussion the following Resolution was presented: RESOLVED that it is the sentiment of the Thirty-Ninth Assembly of the General Church in Great Britain that it would be useful and desirable to entertain a General Assembly in this country. Be it further resolved that it is the feeling of those assembled that the year 1956 would be an appropriate year in which to hold such an Assembly, provided this meets with the approval of the Bishop of the General Church. And, further, that a committee be appointed to investigate the feasibility of inviting the General Assembly to be held in this country." The Resolution was moved by the Rev. Frank S. Rose and seconded by Mr. A. Stanley Wainscot and its adoption was unanimous.

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     Third Session-The final session was held on Monday morning, the opening worship being conducted by the Rev. Alan Gill. Mr. Gill then presented his report as Editor of the NEWS LETTER, which showed a steady if slow increase in circulation Again the thought of those present was directed to the other life by an address given by the Rev. Frank S. Rose on "The Necessity of Swedenborg's Introduction into the Spiritual World." This address dealt primarily with the question of why we need to know about the spiritual world, and it presented an array of cogent reasons why the Lord has now revealed, and why man should learn, the genuine truth concerning the realm of the spirit Again the discussion showed that ken interest had been aroused, and appreciation was expressed of the unusually close, though unplanned, coherence of the three addresses.

     Services of Worship.-At the Sunday morning service the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner preached a stirring sermon on "Trials in the Wilderness," his text being taken from Exodus 14: 15: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." It was shown that the church begins in man when he becomes convinced of the truth of the doctrines of the church; that temptations follow this conviction; but that thereafter he is able to go forward, and must do so. The Revs. Alan Gill, Morley D. Rich, and Frank S. Rose assisted in the service.
     In the afternoon the sacrament of the Holy Supper was administered to 119 communicants. Dr. Odhner was Celebrant and was assisted by the Pastors of the London and Colchester Societies.

     Social-On Monday afternoon, despite inclement weather, there was a well attended and enjoyable garden party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Colley Pryke, who provided tea and refreshments and also a valuable opportunity for unhurried visits with friends in most congenial surroundings. During part of the afternoon the members of the "Open Road Society" were indoors attending a meeting with their new minister. They did not seem to regret this. The only expressions of disappointment heard came from others, namely, those who were declared ineligible to attend the meeting!
     The Social, held that evening, brought the Assembly to a close. After some dancing a buffet supper was served, glasses were filled, and Mr. Keith Morley as toastmaster introduced a series of three short speeches on the subject "Assemblies." These were interspersed with toasts and songs, and greetings from many absent friends were read and applauded. Most vociferously acclaimed, however, was the announcement of the engagement of Mr. Robert E. Bruell and Miss Rosalie Stroh, who were then "toasted" and congratulated individually by the 150 or more who were present.

509


The remainder of the evening consisted of a much enjoyed program of serious and comic items and more dancing, under the able direction of Mr. John F. Cooper.
     And so, at a late hour, a truly memorable weekend came to an end. Friends old and new parted with genuine reluctance, but all inspired by the conviction that this Thirty-Ninth British Assembly had been one which in days to come would be looked upon as marking a distinct step forward in the work and progress of the Church in this part of the world.
     ALAN GILL,
          Secretary.

     New Church Club.-In accordance with long-established custom a special meeting of this vigorous men's organization was held at Swedenborg House, London, on the Friday evening preceding the assembly. This year, however, the ladies were also invited. Mr. William R. Cooper of Bryn Athyn gave an address on "The Tabernacle" illustrated with colored slides. This was greatly appreciated, and there was a strong feeling left with the audience of having learned, and seen beautifully portrayed, much of value concerning this very wonderful representative structure.
WHERE TWO WORLDS MEET 1952

WHERE TWO WORLDS MEET       Rev. HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1952

     (Presidential Address at the Thirty-Ninth British Assembly, Colchester, August 2, 1952.)

     In the Christian world it has been generally acknowledged that man is a spirit and that there is, or may be, "a world beyond" which is peopled by angels or by the spirits of the departed. Even many whose official doctrine denies any resurrection before the end of the world have been stirred by the poetical or emotional appeal of the idea that the dear departed still enjoy a vague life of memory or suspended thinking: and some allow that spirits can commune together, or even that they can again materialize and appear before men, yet are apparently able to convey only inane or indefinite ideas about their lot. But in recent times, along with a feverish search for a more distinct knowledge of nature and for greater material comforts, a great lassitude has crept over men's minds in all matters that concern the soul, the immortal life, and the final objectives of human existence. This perceptible atmosphere of spiritual disillusionment, typical of the consummation of an age, is fostered by the ignorance of the churches about the spiritual world.

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     The New Church man does not merely concede that there might be a spiritual world, or merely hope for some kind of immortality. He lives in the clear conviction that we are in constant association with spirits and angels, that our minds are poised in a delicate balance between heaven and hell, and that the life which we feel as our own inflows from God through the adapting mediations of good and evil spirits. He does not think of the spiritual world merely as a distant country which he may some time enter, but as an ever-present environment in which his spirit is even now living. From the Writings he learns some of the external features of that world-as a firm basis of his thought about it and also some of its more arcane lows and merciful provisions. He learns not to fear death but to regard it as a normal gateway into a fuller life, a promotion into a higher form of usefulness.
     Our neighbors may wonder at this our faith, and even envy us on account of our assurance. If belief in a spiritual world were so important to man, they may object, why should it be so utterly invisible? Why should no traveller return to tell us of it? But their doubts are not dispelled, although we point to Moses and the Prophets, to the sayings of the Lord, and especially to Swedenborg, the last of the Seers.
     They want sensual proof from their own experience. For they do not realize that unless the spiritual world were hidden from our eyes our spirit could not be free to act as if from its own choice and power. Nothing would seem to be our own. Our thoughts would swoon before the ineffable glories of heaven. Our reason would stagger if we had to face the naked forces of evil, and our earthly minds could never cope with the subtle cunning of the hells.
     In the Writings the spiritual world is now visible to the mind's eye, in such a manner that we need not be overpowered by its various influences. What we see with our reason we see in freedom and in clearer perspective. Reason, when enlightened by revelation, readily acknowledges that for the real causes of things we must ever look beyond the visible surface. Even human science, however it may advance in its attempts to describe and measure the forms of nature, must admit that their final essence still evades its reach, that the ultimate Why remains a mystery still. A man cannot even analyse the sources of what goes on in the brooding depths of his own heart, nor explore the undercurrents which at times cause his thoughts to operate unconsciously with such logical precision and seek out. So unerringly the wanted items long buried in the chaotic storehouse of his memory. We would labor in vain to explain the instincts of a bee. Who, then, can understand from merely physical causes how a thought can be clothed in fitting words, or what mystic power compels our cheeks to blush?
     But in the Writings the Lord opens to us a new horizon when He reveals that creation is constantly looking towards a heaven from the human race.

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Mankind is not a unique cosmic accident, but is the very focal point of the Lord's creative love, which seeks to impart blessedness to unending generations of human souls from untold earths in the vast starry firmament. Man is an epitome and completion of creation, a microcosm containing in his make-up "all things of Divine order from firsts to lasts" (LJ 9). In him the two worlds the spiritual and the natural-come to a meetingpoint. Through him the uses of creation are destined to ascend in a return to the Creator.
     This doctrine is not a glorification of man, like the humanism of the moderns which arrogantly elevates man into a Divine dignity. Rather does it emphasize the sobering responsibility which attaches to man s status as "a little lower than the angels," and stress the marvel of the Lord's power, which can evoke an immense world of conscious and responsive life out of the tiny pinpoints that dot the faces of the planets.

     For man is a being of two worlds, fully equipped to live in both. Our bodies are parts of the physical world and under the compulsions of nature's forces. We take this for granted even when we strive to bend nature to our will. What we seldom realize is that our mind or spirit is a part of a spiritual world into the orderly structure of which it is inextricably fitted, plane for plane; and that our mental life is actually carried on in that world and is obedient to spiritual laws and unconsciously influenced by the inhabitants of that unseen world; even though nature exerts so hypnotic an attraction for us that we concentrate all our attention upon its material objects. We may sometimes admit that other men help to form our opinions and mould our states, through words and actions conveyed to us through our bodily senses. But from a habitual perversity, our race, since its fall, is averse to recognize that human minds, our own included, represent only the projecting fringes of a vast spiritual world within which are inbuilt the higher structures of our spirit.
     The Arcana Coelestia comments that they who are being regenerated think much about doctrine and life and eternal salvation. To those who believe in the immortality of their spirit, "the other life is the whole of their thought and affection, and the world is nothing in comparison" (AC 2682).
     The difference between men and brute animals lies in the human mind. The animal is indeed obedient to spiritual forces but can never lift its mind above nature. But the human mind was designed as the means by which our soul should labor to free itself from the wrappings and restraints of the material world and, taking wing, seek its immortal destiny. Already through the up-building of his memory, man selects and garners up his experiences of the natural world; by which the Lord creates within him a new world not physical but mental; a world no longer bound by the chains of space and time; a world wherein he finds a measure of independence from the pressures of external sensations; a private world beyond the censure or praise of other men, wherein his spirit may freely roam and seek his delights, and which he may amend and remodel according to his own heart; a spiritual world wherein he may find freedom and build the foundations of his character, his heaven or his hell.

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     Nowhere does a man seem so free as in his thinking. In his reasonings and decisions and the flights of his fancy, he feels utterly independent. Yet on reflection we are brought to see that while a man can be free he can never be independent. No man can think from himself, but only from ideas received or stimulated from others. The entire natural mind of a man is largely a reflection of the age and environment in which he lives. And if we could unroll the curtains of the mind we would be able to trace the roots of our thoughts into the spiritual world and to societies of spirits who are near us, whether good or evil. In the spiritual world, thoughts and affections pass in order from one society to another, yet no spirit is aware that he is not thinking from himself. Spirits are unable to compel themselves to think contrary to the sphere of thought that dominates in their society. But spirits would not be able to think at all unless there were an influx from heaven, and heaven thinks by influx from the Lord. With all, angels and men, the faculty to analyse and draw conclusions, and to profit from analogies and correspondences, comes from the light of the spiritual sun (DP 289, 317).
     Swedenborg was allowed to follow up the origins from which the minutiae of his thoughts and willing could be traced, to societies in heaven and also in the hells. But although he thus recognized the sources of the substance of his thoughts, he seemed to himself in entire freedom to receive what came from heaven and reject what came from hell (DP 290). He found a delight in the fact that he could reflect on the contents of his thought without incurring blame for the evil that he recognised and without taking merit in the good from heaven (SD 1911). It is the same with all men, so long as they acknowledge themselves as mere vessels of life. Man can take no merit in good or truth, nor can he be blamed for inflowing evil or falsity but he is responsible for his choice, by which he places himself in attunement with good or with evil. "Man has not the least of thought nor the least of will which does not come from the Lord by influx through spirits; and it is by means of them that the Lord governs the human race and each person in particular (AC 4077e).

     Much has been written of late about the "subconscience" depths of man's being. And various systems of philosophy, psychology, and medicine have been founded on the idea that the submerged animal instincts of the race lie at the core of man's personality, and that fear, shame, and prudence have overlaid these bodily instincts with a conscious mind which supplies a superficial veneer of controlled thinking and social or moral behavior.

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The powers of life, sensation will, thought, and reason, are thus regarded as evolving from some cosmic urge latent in the body. The soul-if such there be-would be but a product, not a cause, of the body, and would disappear when its physical seat perishes.
     Over against such views, the Writings trace the powers of the human mind to an inflow of life which comes from the Lord and is variegated in its passage through the degrees of the spiritual world. Thus "all thought of man, spirit, and angel takes place according to the form of heaven, which is incomprehensible, being known to the Lord alone" (SD 4848). The universals of thought are diffused in heaven and the world of spirits (SD 2174, 2728). "To the production of a single human thought. . . . myriads of angels and spirits contribute," all of whom are ordered and directed by the Lord. This would appear as a paradox to a man who supposes that a thought is simple, not compounded (SD 254). The Lord rules the complex flux of spiritual forms which give rise to the thoughts of spirits, so as to dispose diversities into distinct and consistent series and thus prevent confusion (SD 2728ff; 2020). It was only through a man who could observe what went on in both worlds that the Lord could make known to us that the intricate and detailed operations of man's thought are caused by the flux and flow of spiritual forces through the societies of the unseen world and through spirits into men.
     A brute animal is also subservient to the flow of spiritual forces which make its soul, but is not sensitive to their meaning and cannot estimate their quality or select one influx from another. This latter function, that of choice, is reserved to man. In his mind the order of heaven and the order of hell can both represent themselves in recognizable forms which we call affections and thoughts, moods and states. Man can be aware of spiritual values, for man can have a knowledge of God and a realization that the purpose of creation is the upbuilding of a communion of immortal souls who can receive the influx of life as a gift from God to be used for sharing His blessings with others. Man is therefore created free, endowed with spiritual liberty as well as with the faculty of rationality. His inmost soul is not a subordinate vessel limited to a natural function, like the animal's, but receives influx directly from the Lord. Man is from birth equipped with three degrees corresponding to the three heavens, and is thus able to receive life from God in varying fashions, or even to deny its origin and purpose, misappropriate its powers, and pervert its order.

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     Man is unconscious of being an inhabitant of the spiritual world. He has no sensation of the spirits and angels who may surround him. Only when his natural sense-experience provides a corresponding ultimate in his mind is he able to become conscious of something spiritual-as a mental state. The Writings urge us to lift our thought above the things of space and time, yet also admit that man can never totally extricate his mind from earthly circumstances. Even his ideas of innocence, charity, honor, virtue, love and truth are always rooted to such personal incidents in his life as have suggested those abstracts qualities and helped to build up a rational understanding of spiritual relationships that hold good universally under all circumstances.
     In some Inexplicable way, however, whenever we recognize some virtue, and a perception of its goodness, we at the same time invite into our mind a certain affection for It, a desire to act from honesty, patriotism, charity, or faith. This new-kindled motive is first felt as an endeavor in the inmost of man's thought; and It may suffuse his entire body and stir each fibre with a corresponding thrill of pleasure (SD 2782, 1970). Man has then a sense of the vast importance of the rather abstract spiritual concept which he had first seen and then felt. It is as if the thought contained hidden worlds of possibilities, a realm of inexpressible and ineffable harmonies and delights which he would give his life to capture!
     And indeed it does. For what man senses as a passing thought is more than that. It is a spiritual sphere which has been briefly embodied in his consciousness. The Writings compare a man's simple idea to a body in which the innumerable unseen viscera and billions of nerve fibres would answer to the thoughts of the angels of heaven (SD 2211 seq.).

     We are aware, therefore, only of the surface of that which really makes up what we call our thought. Beyond this surface lie the unperceived depths and heights which escape our analysis, and which we feel only as emotions or desires or intentions which merge into that vague and shadowy substratum of our life which we call our will.
     No man knows his own will. He feels its various states or affections as they protrude into his understanding. But the will is mercifully closed off. The Writings speak of the will and the understanding as vessels-one receiving good and evil, and the other receiving truth and falsity. But it is shown that each plane of man's life has its will. The sensual will, with our race, is by heredity perverted with tendencies to evil, a realm of gross selfish and corporeal lusts, into which the hells inflow. Another will can, however, be formed by the Lord in man's understanding, and for this man himself is responsible. It may receive the influx of the lusts of hell, so far as man excuses and confirms them with his own understanding; or it may receive the influx of heavenly affections to the extent that man suffers his thoughts to be opened to the Lord.

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In either case the emotions of the will, as they enter the thoughts, seem to man to come from himself. From this appearance he takes responsibility for them, accepting or rejecting them, in his rational freedom.
     The Writings explain that if the hells could inflow by a general influx into man's evil will and inflame its slumbering lusts, there could be no freedom for man no defense, no salvation. Evil spirits are therefore only permitted to inflow by a "particular influx" into what man thinks and wills, while angels inflow into his goods and truths of faith. This influx is tacit and imperceptible and does not overwhelm man or disturb his freedom or reason (AC 5854). Nor can this influx from particular spirits influence a man until he has been furnished with knowledges by which he can think.
     We are taught that it is the part of man to put away evils as sins in his external man or in the external of his thought; for only then can the Lord cleanse the internal of the thought from the lusts that man does not perceive (DP 100ff).
     What is this, our "internal of thought"? From the teachings we have considered it is plain that what seems to be ours is not ours. Our thought is interiorly not from ourselves at all, but from heaven or from hell. It resolves itself into a complex chain of influxes, spiritual currents channelled through the heavens or the hells and colored by the qualities of these mediations. Often a man stands confused, as he tries to determine what is really "he" among the mixture of motives which he feels And at times a man feels helpless indeed before an inrush of emotions and moods which he cannot shake off; or shackled by captivating spheres of thought too subtle to combat. He recognizes then that he does not do all his own thinking. Actually he does not initiate any thought, but chooses what thoughts he should receive and harbor.

     Each man's spirit is a complex vessel, an organ which reaches up through all the heavens and is unconsciously responsive to their life, but which also descends into the world, being immersed into the physical body and able to sense and interpret the effects which the influx and operation of the spiritual world produce in the physical body and in all the ultimates of earth.
     The minds of men in the natural world therefore serve a purpose and a use which cannot be served by spirits or angels. Human minds are the foundation on which rest the heavens and the hells. The abodes of angels and spirits are to all sensation and appearance separate from those of men, but in spiritual fact they are in the affections and thoughts of men! (LJ 9). "The spiritual world is where man is, and in no wise remote from him' (DLW 92). "The spiritual world is not in spice, but is where there is a corresponding affection" (DLW 343).

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The angels are "with man and dwell in his affections." Hence they can perceive the spiritual sense of the Word when a man reads the sense of the letter with reverence. Moreover, man as to his spirit is in society with spirits, and as to his interior thought (which is spiritual and therefore not perceptible to man) he is with the angels of heaven (AC 10604e).
     After the death of the body with its sense organs, the spirit "no longer subsists on his own basis but on a common basis, which is the human race (U 9). Not only are all the minds of the entire human race like an open book for spirits to read, but every human mind as to its spiritual substance from which men have thought and feeling is a tiny part of the spiritual world in which spirits dwell. And it is through human minds that the ideas formed in the substantial ultimates of the world of spirits are modified and furnished into external surroundings which correspond to the needs of spirits and represent their states. Hence it is said that the world of spirits is always like what men are in their thoughts (SD 2254 f., 5716).
     In order that a spirit may enjoy the superiority of spiritual perception and thought, his own natural memory is closed and the field of his material ideas-ideas of worldly objects-sinks out of mind. If he were still bound to his own corporeal memory its use would clash with man's thought, and he would be limited in his own thinking to what he had personally experienced on earth. Instead, he is permitted to use as his own the contents of the memories of living men-to borrow from them a basis for his own thought, as an ultimate focus and resting-place for his own reflections, a mirror in which he can feel the delights of his loves and see the confirmations of his own reasonings. He senses these things as part of his own thought and this without man's knowledge or awareness.
     Thus men and spirits cohabit without interference. Without the human race the angelic heavens could not be maintained, even as men could not subsist or feel or think without the heavens. For this reason the relations of spirits aid men are governed by eternal Divine laws of infinite wisdom, which it will be the task of the men of the future New Church to learn from the Writings and understand more fully as the ages pass.
     Among these laws we find the provision that spirits should be utterly unaware that they are with men. Indeed, the spirits nearest to a man may imagine that they are he; and such spirits take on the man's whole memory, identify themselves with his personality and protect him as they would themselves. To varying extent spirits come into the state of the men to whom they are turned, and thus with wise men they would come into clearer illustration, while with the foolish they would fall into a spiritual lethargy (SD 5608-5617). Whenever spirits are with a man they must think as the man thinks, lest his freedom to change his state be infringed upon (SD 4333, 4337, 3332, 199).

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But either man or spirit may break up this unconscious relationship or remove to a distance whenever their affections did not coincide.

     But we may ask, how can any but the most sensual of spirits find any satisfaction in the dull thoughts of a man? The answer is that to spirits the objects on which men concentrate their attention are but the focal points about which has been gathered an ever extending field of associated ideas, delights, and states. When a man thinks of the name of a person, a spirit may see all that the man ever knew about that person and all the opinions and mental states connected with him. Such associated ideas and affections are seen as an undulating sphere, and are like spiritual wings which lift the thought out of man's memory and spread it to various societies in the world of spirits. It is this selective action of spirits that gives to man "an apperception of a thing," or a sense of meaning (AC 6200).
     The thoughts of spirits differ vastly from the thought of man. For when a spirit selects ideas out of the memory of man, these are deprived of the implications of time and space and material value, and are seen as the symbols of the spirits affections; and man might at such times have a sense of their associated spiritual significance-their moral value, their importance as representations of spiritual states.
     The thoughts and affections of man are thus, by the aid of subject spirits, extended into innumerable societies of heaven and hell (AC 6598-6626). At least it so appears. In reality it is the ideas and affections of spirits and angels that are concentrated into man's thought secretly enriching it by thousands of arcana of wisdom and love, or poisoning it with insanities of evil, according to the love which man cherishes. The thought of the regenerating man thus contains interior vistas of which he is not aware, treasures in heaven given to him from his unseen angelic associates. Such spiritual ideas, harmonious with the Word as understood in heaven, are said to be inscribed on the interiors of his will and understanding, or written on his "book of life" his interior memory.
     These things of the interior memory are actually a record of what man had unconsciously been thinking together with the angels, even though he could not feel such spiritual ideas except as a vague delight in uses and a certain clarity in grasping truths of faith. While on earth he could certainly not claim such ineffable ideas as his own, which is a protection against pride. But after death he enters into a full enjoyment of them as if they had always been his, yet also knowing that he is entering into the wisdom and intelligence common to all in his angelic society.

     If man is to be free, he must be free in his thinking. It would be a shocking interference if spirits were able to introduce new thoughts or new persuasions into a man's conscious thought (HH 298).

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To prevent this, the Lord provides that each man is attended by spirits of his own faith and religion. And thus order is safeguarded by man s use of outward signs and symbolic rites of worship the interior implications of which spirits recognize, and especially by the sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper.
     But the influx of spirits with men is made perceptible as a stirring of affection or cupidity, and without this influx man would not be able to think or feel. Evil spirits can confirm their persuasions by things taken out of man's memory, without man being aware of it. But the cupidities of spirits, when these inflow, are felt as man's own desires, as yearnings which prompt him to formulate thoughts and intentions that would make him a servant of evil. Good spirits also cannot force their ideas upon men, nor would they. But the inflowing sphere of their affections of innocence and virtue inflows into the initiaments of man's thought and are felt by man as an endeavor or effort to think what is true and good and to shun the evil. It marshals all the truths of doctrine and leads him into charity and worship.
     The visible battle between good and evil is fought in the rational mind and in the imagination. But it is in "the endeavor of his thought" that man is in the greatest freedom to discern either good or evil at their first approach. Here self-compulsion must begin and here the lord can form a new and heavenly proprium for man (AC 1937). It is to this point that we must direct our self-examination. For here is the critical gateway, the meeting-place of the unseen forces of the spiritual world with the conscious thought of man.

     It is in his external or conscious thought that man makes his choice as to whether good or evil spirits shall fashion the unconscious interiors of his thought. What man thus chooses is the environment of his spirit. And it is stated in the doctrine that man can think about spiritual things only as the spirits and angels think who are with him (AE 757). This is to provide for man's spiritual protection and progress. But if man surrenders to evil, or if he is in a persuasion of some falsity, evil spirits can hold him ensnared in hypnotic spheres of phantasy or natural affections. It is so that evil spirits, when falsities infest the church at its consummation, can establish false heavens in the world of spirits and rule over the simple. The same occurs whenever a man succumbs to self-pity or depression or is held in bond under insistent friendships or delusive enthusiasms or fears which are proof against all reason and resist the judgment of the truths which the Word teaches.
     But it is to liberate man's spirit from such captivities that the Lord provides that somewhere on earth there shall be a church which can draw truths from the Word.

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Only by revealed truths can our imaginary heavens be broken up.
     To this end the Lord has come again, in the Writings, to labor to restore human thought as the free meeting-place of the two worlds, and the Word as the medium of their conjunction. He came to restore order in the spiritual world and to reveal for men their true place in His creation. He came to make men spiritual-in outlook, affection, and thinking. For in proportion as man is spiritual, to that extent is he a medium through which heaven is conjoined with the world (HH 112).
PROMISE OF HARVEST 1952

PROMISE OF HARVEST       Rev. W. CAIRNS HENDERSON       1952

     "And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow Ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof." (II Kings 19: 29.)
     These words were spoken at a time of national crisis. And the immediate purpose behind their giving was to encourage the beleaguered inhabitants of Jerusalem, restore their confidence in the Lord, strengthen their resolution, and inspire continued resistance by an open promise of deliverance from what seemed almost certain doom. In the fourth year of Hezekiah, king of Judah, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, had invaded the kingdom of Israel which he conquered three years later, taking all the people away into captivity. Meanwhile, Hezekiah had rebelled against Assyria by withholding the tribute promised by Ahaz, his father And in the fourteenth year of his reign, Sennacherib, the new king of Assyria, hitherto occupied elsewhere, had invaded Judah and taken all its fenced cities.
     Hezekiah had then capitulated and accepted a fine so severe that he had been compelled to strip from the doors and pillars of the temple the gold with which he had adorned them, after payment of which the Assyrian army had withdrawn. But Jerusalem had not been left in peace for long. Convinced that a city so well placed and strongly fortified would be difficult to take by direct assault, Sennacherib had sent from Lachish a body of troops commanded by three of his principal officers to demand its immediate surrender, One of these officers, his chief cupbearer-a skillful propagandist-had tried to intimidate and persuade the people to open the gates. But no answer had been given to his clever speech. Isaiah had been inspired to rekindle Hezekiah faith in the Lord's promises by a reassuring message.

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And the Assyrian ambassadors had withdrawn discomfited, to find their master engaged in the siege of Libnah.
     Now, hearing that the king of Egypt was marching against him in person, Sennacherib had again sent messengers to Hezekiah; this time with a blasphemous letter in which he vaunted himself and spoke insolently of the Lord and of Judah, warning the king that he would certainly return and destroy Jerusalem, and saving that it would be vain to expect help from the Lord. And Hezekiah had taken the missive to the temple, and spread it before the Lord there, with a humble prayer for help against this powerful enemy.
     This was the situation in Jerusalem when the words of our text were spoken. Hezekiah's prayer was heard. The prophet Isaiah was again commanded by the Lord to come forward with words of encouragement, to promise that the city would be defended by the Lord, and to predict its deliverance and the overthrow of the Assyrian oppressor. And in the course of his inspired prophecy a sign was given which all might understand. In the disturbed state of the country, agriculture had practically ceased. But the prophet was given to promise the people that there would be enough to eat for this and the next year in the self-sow-n products of the ground, and that in the following year the labors of the husbandman would be resumed, and their fruits enjoyed in peace.
     All this was involved in the words of the text: "And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof." To those who heard, this was an assurance that the threat of slavery in a foreign land was removed, that they would remain in their own country, and take up again a normal life in it. And it was also a promise that in the present ruinous devastation of their country the Lord would provide for them and that, sooner than they had dared to hope, those who had taken refuge in Jerusalem would be able to go forth, and to rebuild their lives and their country again in peace.

     In the light of the spiritual sense, however, the three stages of recovery set out in our text are seen to depict the process of regeneration. It is a doctrine taught in the Writings that regeneration is effected by the Lord through man's as of himself resistance of evil and falsity, and that hope and trust in the Lord hope from trust in His providing are the forces of combat from within from which the Lord gives man to resist. The rise to power in the natural mind of these forces is what is meant by the accession to the Judean throne of Hezekiah, whose name denotes, "strong in the Lord." Under the government of the state represented by this good, reformer king-which is one of implicit confidence in the Lord, obedience to His Word, and absolute reliance upon Him-considerable progress is made in regeneration.

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The grossest abuses which flourished in the natural mind are swept away. Imperfect affections, and falsities, are removed and broken down. The dominion of the sensual mind is ended, and the regenerating man throws off the yoke of the perverted rational which he had inherited from an earlier state.
     But this perverted rational, represented by the king of Assyria, which destroys the consummated church signified by Israel, eventually moves to put down this rebellion, and the regenerating man comes into states of temptation. And as hope and trust in the Lord are the forces of combat from which alone he can resist and hold the doctrine of truth, Jerusalem, against the enemy, it is these that are assaulted, even as Hezekiah was attacked by Sennacherib. By means of false but subtle reasonings against the doctrines of the church, the perverted rational captures, one by one, the defensive outworks which the regenerating man has raised from the truths of the Word; taking possession of most of his natural mind, and leaving to his hope and trust only simple faith in the Lord as a last citadel of refuge and defense. And because of his state, man is compelled to yield temporarily.
     It is well known to every student of the Writings that in the early stages of regeneration man is influenced by the fallacy that life is self derived, to which he is persuaded by the perverted rational. And under the pressure put upon him at this time he is disposed to admit that the appearance of self life with him is the reality. He indeed desires deliverance, but is readily imposed upon; and under the influence of subtle reasoning skillfully insinuated, and apparently confirmed by experience, yields an acknowledgment that the truth of faith and the good of life are also self-derived. This concession only results, however, in an intensification of temptation. The perverted rational seeks to bring about the surrender of the doctrine of the church in the mind by its must powerful reasonings. Especially does it seek to undermine man's forces of combat by suggesting that it is vain to hope and trust in the Lord, since there is no power in heaven or earth superior to itself. And as the mind is already well nigh enslaved, this leaves an agonizing doubt whether it is well to look to the Lord for deliverance, or better simply to yield.
     For the regenerating man this is temptation of the most severe kind. His only hope is to turn to the Lord in prayer, to do repentance, to go to the Word for light, to reaffirm his trust in the Lord's mercy for deliverance from the false promptings of the perverted rational and his confidence in the Word to give him power and strength to continue steadfast in the good life. And in this state a promise of eventual deliverance is seen in the Word.

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Man is given to perceive that he need nor fear the perverted rational since it cannot withstand interior truth. Yet this perception does not bring immediate release from temptation. On the contrary, the perverted rational-even as it is being repelled-makes a final bid for dominion, suggesting that the very truths on which man relies are falsities, and that there are no affections which can withstand it. This is a most insidious assault upon man's sorely tried hope and trust. But even as Hezekiah turned to the Lord upon receipt of Sennacherib's blasphemous missive, the regenerating man turns again to the Lord in prayer in his desperate strait, in humble acknowledgment of, and full dependence on. His Divine Providence And in this final turning to the Lord he is enabled to see, through his steadfastness in temptation, that the Lord is indeed the only source of life, that salvation is of the Lord alone through man's cooperation, and that the perverted rational can conquer those only who confirm the appearance of self life in themselves.
     The truth thus revealed to him out of the Word comes as a final promise of deliverance. He sees that the Lord who has given him victory in his temptations will deliver him from the perverted rational and grant him salvation if he remains faithful. And the Lord's will to regenerate him is attested in what follows after he has been restored to freedom. During these temptations the cultivation of the mind has been, as it were neglected. Under the necessity of defending the doctrine of the church and preserving his hope and trust in the Lord he has had no time for any other activity. And so it seems that when he is restored to freedom his mind will be without its proper food, But throughout the long siege the Lord Himself has been operating, implanting and bringing to fruition in his mind without his cooperation the good of love to the Lord. This good, which is given only as man resists from hope and trust in the Lord, is now ready to sustain him; and it is what is meant in our text by the spontaneous productions of the ground which should be for food in the first year.
     By the good of love to the Lord is meant essentially the love of becoming wise for His sake and that of His kingdom, and wisdom, as is well known, is of the life. Wherever that good is established, therefore, it manifests itself in, and as, the good of love to the neighbor, which is the life of wisdom and the truth that springs from celestial good, though to the spiritual it is good itself. This is the next gift received from the Lord to sustain spiritual life, and its reception is what is mean by eating in the second year that which springs from the self-sown products of the first year. These two goods are entirely the Lord's gifts to man. Their implantation is effected entirely without man's cooperation. And they must be appropriated before the regeneration process can be completed by that which does require cooperation on man's part. That is the spiritual reason why. For the sake of the representation, the Jews were not at once to begin sowing crops and planting vineyards, but were to wait to do this until the third year, living meanwhile on that which the Lord has provided.

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     When man has passed through the states in which love and charity are implanted by the Lord and appropriated by him self, the regeneration process can be completed with his cooperation Then, and then only, can he, as if of himself, sow the seeds of future good states, and tend and gather the ripening harvest; plant, care for, and gather the fruits thereof; and enrich his mind with the good things of spiritual life according to the extent of his own labors in cooperation with the Lord. It is in this state that all multiplication and fructification of good and truth occur, and it is this final state of regeneration that is described by the work of the third year-sowing and reaping, planting vineyards and eating the fruits thereof.
     Thus our text indeed describes the regeneration of those who will be of the Lord's New Church, It outlines the process by which they are reborn after they have been given victory in those temptations wherein the perverted rational seeks to conquer the natural mind by assailing mart's hope and trust in the Lord; first by the implantation and appropriation of the good of love to the Lord, then of the good of love to the neighbor, and finally by the multiplication and fructification of good and truth in the natural mind, And in its context, it is a promise that the Lord will restore to freedom, and so regenerate, those who have remained steadfast in temptation and whose hope from trust in His providing does not fail even in spiritual captivity and desolation.

     Regeneration is what is signified in the Word by the yearly harvest of the fruits of the earth. Every yield of autumns liberal store should therefore serve us as a means of thinking of the spiritual gifts which the Lord's bounty provides for those who are reborn of Him. In itself, the annual harvest of the ground is a recurring symbol of the Divine Providence: and its fixed return, irrespective of human affairs, testifies to the continuity of the Lord's beneficent operations. Seen against a background of war and the ruinous devastation left in its train, the yearly harvest of the earth, however limited as a result of man's folly, is a sign that the Lord's creative and recreative work goes on uninterruptedly, despite the destruction wrought by human evil, Every wild flower growing on a battlefield, every self sown crop maturing in an abandoned field, bears witness to the Lord's unswerving will to provide for His creatures, and to the continuity of labors which no human evil can entirely suspend.
     Within this is the promise of the Lord's eternal will to regenerate, and of a Providence which is operating secretly for the salvation of the man of the church even when he is assailed by deadly temptations.

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This is the spiritual promise of harvest, and realization of it should be the inmost of the glad thanksgiving in which we now express our gratitude to the Lord for the fruits of the earth which His bounty has once again provided; confident that in the gift of yet another yearly harvest we may see an assurance of His will to save which will make for trust in every crisis in our lives. Amen.

LESSONS:     II Kings 19: 20-34. Mark 4:21-34. AE 911:15-17.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 557, 570, 561.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 89, 129.
THANKSGIVING 1952

THANKSGIVING       Rev. ORMOND ODHNER       1952

     A Thanksgiving Talk to Children

     Our first lesson from the Word is a beautiful psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord. It tells how the Lord created the heavens and the earth, the seas and mountains and the lakes and streams. It tells next how the Lord cares for all the birds and beasts and men He made on earth, giving them food and a place to sleep. In one small place it even mentions how the Lord made the world in such a way that man would be able to work in it. Remember those words, for we want to talk of them later; those words that say: "Man goeth forth unto his work and unto his labor until the evening." Then the Psalm tells of the great glory of the Lord for doing all these things-glory that will last forever. And then it ends by promising that men would praise the Lord as long as they lived, would think about Him and be glad in Him.
     The second lesson tells how the Lord has made the sun to be like a father to all the plants and animals of earth, and the earth itself to be like their mother. It tells how many different kinds of flowers turn their faces constantly toward the sun as it moves across the sky, as it were honoring their father this way. And then it tells how the birds sing sweetly to the sun when it rises in the morning, and sing sweetly again after they have been fed by their mother earth, thus honoring their father the sun, and their mother the earth.
     They do this every single day. And so also should we give thanks to the Lord every day, for He is the real Father, the Heavenly Father, of each one of us. We should give thanks to Him and honor Him every day; for it is He who has made us, who feeds us and clothes us, and takes tins at last into heaven when we die.
     It is for this reason that men say grace to the Lord before their meals, thanking Him every day for all the good things He gives them.

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And this also is the reason we have set aside a special day each year as a day of thanksgiving a Thanksgiving Day, as a yearly sign of our deep and humble thanks to the Lord.
     On this day each year, those of us who can do so come into His house for a special service of praise to Him. And on this day we bring Him in His church an offering of fruit as a way of giving thanks. This, you know, was done in very ancient times. Then, when all men were farmers, they took some of the very first fruits they raised each year and sacrificed them to the Lord.
     So, too, with us. Most of us are not farmers now, but with money we earn we buy fruit to sacrifice it to the Lord And we do sacrifice it, too, for to sacrifice means to make holy. It does not mean to burn up, or even to give up; it means to make a thing holy. And so we, too, sacrifice this fruit, make it holy, by offering it to the Lord's will. We know, of course, that the Lord does not need this food to eat. But we take the fruit that we could eat ourselves, and bring it into the house of the Lord, so that it may be given to the sick and needy, whom the Lord has told us to help. And whenever we do with a thing what the Lord wants us to do with it we make it holy, or sacrifice it. And so this has become our custom each year as a way of thanksgiving to the Lord.
     But perhaps you sometimes wonder why you should give thanks to the Lord at all. You may think: "Don't we have to work for our living? Don't we have to grow our own food and cook it? Don't we have to build our houses? Don't we have to make our clothes, or else work to make money to buy them?" "Why" you may ask, "should we thank the Lord for these things, then?"
     Yes, it is true that we have to plant the seeds in the earth, water our gardens, weed our vegetables, and bring them into the house to cook them. But who made the seeds? Who made the earth and the water? Who gave us wisdom enough to take care of the growing plants, and bodies strong enough to do that work? And who alone makes the seeds grow into plants that bear fruit, once we have put them into the ground? Only the Lord can do those things, all of them.
     So also we have to build and sew. But it is the Lord alone who makes the sheep from which we get wool for our clothes. And it is He who makes the plants grow for our cotton, and trees for our wood. No one but the Lord put into the ground the iron and stone with which we build so much today. And, again, it is the Lord alone who gives us the wisdom and strength to build and sew.
     Really all that we do is help the Lord to give us the things we need and want. And, strangely enough, when you come to think about it you can easily see that the main reason we thank the Lord is just for that-for letting us help Him, for letting us work.

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But unless you do think about it that does not sound like much to be thankful for. Even in the Psalm we read, only in one little place does it mention how wonderful it is that the Lord has made the world in such a way that we can work in it. But that is really the most wonderful thing of all.
     Our lives would be very, very sad if we had no work to do and all we could do was play. Oh, at first we might enjoy ourselves that way. But think a little. During our summer vacations we have a very good time at first. Then, after a month or so, we find we are tired of this or that game or play. And finally, by the end of vacation, we are usually quite anxious, really, to get back to school. Think of that a bit and you will see why. In the beginning of vacation you have just been working and so you enjoy your play; but when you have not worked for a long time even play gets boring, and that is why you usually have such a good time at recess, or after school, or after you have finished your work at home on Saturdays-because you have been working.
     That is why the Lord made us in such a way that we would have to work for our living. He knew we could not be happy otherwise, because He knew that there is really only one thing that gives people real happiness, the happiness of heaven, and that is being useful. And so He made us in such a way that we would have to work. For He has only one wish for us all, to make us truly happy with the happiness of heaven.
     Now, when you are children, you probably enjoy playing more than anything else. But even you can see that you enjoy your play the most after you have been working at something useful. And when you grow up you will be able to see, and really believe, that working, being useful, gives you more happiness than anything else, far more than just playing. Indeed, when you become angels in heaven you will not even be able to be happy unless you can be useful to others. That, then, will give you the greatest delight there ever is.
     And so on this Thanksgiving Day, when we are thinking of all the things for which we can give thanks to the Lord, we should not forget to thank Him for this greatest blessing of all-the right to help Him, the right to work, the right to be useful to our neighbors and to ourselves, For the more we think of that, and the more we see that it is true, the closer do we come to heaven; where, after death, we shall live in that wonderful world where every day is a day of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord,

LESSONS:     Psalm 104. True Christian Religion, 308.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 568, 566, 564.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. C10, C11.

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KEYS OF HELL: A NEW CONCEPT 1952

KEYS OF HELL: A NEW CONCEPT       Rev. C. E. DOERING       1952

     In the Apocalypse the Lord says concerning Himself: "I have the keys of hell and of death." Since keys signify the power of opening and shutting they signify, as we read in the doctrine, the power of opening hell that man may be led out, and of shutting it lest, when he has been led out, he should enter again" (AR 62).
     This is a new idea revealed to the New Church, for the common understanding of the Christian world has seized upon the negative aspect of this truth, which is that the Lord opens hell that man may be cast into it, and closes it lest he should come out of it again.
     While this appears to be the literal teaching in some passages it is, in reality, contrary to the Divine mercy, contrary to essential Divine love contrary to essential Divine justice, contrary to the truth, and contrary to the fact. For the Lord never casts any man into hell, but all His efforts are to lead him out and then to close the gate lest he enter it again. His will is that man shall be happy in heaven, not miserable in hell. Man is cast into hell, and the gate is closed; but he casts himself into it, and closes the door himself. It is not the Lord that does this but the man himself. For an evil man desires nothing so much as to go to hell and to remain in it for ever; and if he ever attempts, or wishes to go out, it is for the purpose of dragging others down into hell and making them like himself. This is easily understood when we realize that hell, in its essential aspect, is the evil which a man loves above everything else of his life, and that he is not willing to separate himself from it, for evil is hell.
     To understand more fully the teaching that the Lord alone can lead man out of hell we must recognize another teaching, namely, that man is born in hell. This is a startling statement. Nevertheless the doctrines teach it. It is true, and we need to understand it that we may be led out of hell. Evil is hell, and wherever evil is, there hell is. The teaching is that man is born into evil of every kind; but the evil into which he is born is not yet actual evil, so it is not yet sin; for he does not come into actual evil and appropriate it as his own until he confirms it by practise in adult life,
     The evil into which man is born is called hereditary evil, which is the inclination and tendency and, as it were, the effort or endeavor toward the evil of his parents and ancestors. These hereditary evils gradually come forth, and become man's own as he grows to maturity of life.

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But even hereditary evil is hell, and into this every man is born; and since he is born into it he must be led out of it in order to be saved. This is what is meant by the Lord's words-that He came to take unto Himself the power of opening hell that man might be led out, and of closing it lest, when he has been led out, he should wish to return, and his last state be worse than the first.
POWER OF IDEALS 1952

POWER OF IDEALS       Rev. KARL R. ALDEN       1952

     "Give me this mountain," said Caleb to Joshua. The mountain he requested was the one whereon his feet had trodden forty-five years before when, together with Joshua and the other ten spies, he had searched out the Holy Land and had been impressed with its beauty, its richness, and its fertility-a land flowing with milk and honey. Having ascended the mountain of Hebron he could see the land before him in panorama. Here was the country that his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had traversed. On this very mountain Abraham had dwelt in the oak groves of Mamre (Genesis 13: 18); to this same Hebron Jacob came to Isaac his father (ibid., 35: 27); and it was from Hebron that Jacob sent Joseph to take account of his brethren at Dothan (ibid., 37:14). This was the land that had been promised to his forefathers, and to him. "And Moses sware on that day, saying. Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's forever; because thou hast wholly followed the Lord thy God" (Joshua 14: 9)
     All twelve of the spies, upon their return, had proclaimed the land a good one, flowing with milk and honey; but only Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, had urged its immediate conquest. The other ten spies, although admitting its richness, said that the inhabitants were giants, and that in comparison they themselves had seemed like grasshoppers in their own sight. They lacked the courage to embark upon so great an enterprise as the conquest of Canaan. And so it was decreed that not one of them, and not one of the generation that supported them, believed their report, and trembled at the thought of Canaan's giants, should go into that promised land. Not until they had all died in the wilderness, not until a new generation had been born, could the victorious armies of Israel be led to possess the land "flowing with milk and honey."

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The only exceptions made were Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who had brought back a favorable report and who had "wholly followed the Lord their God."
     Caleb wanted to own that mountain. He w-as willing to wait for it. He was willing to fight giants for it. But he was not willing to be satisfied with anything else than the mountain of his desire. A mountain represents the love of the Lord. It represents high states of spiritual inspiration. It represents the force of ideals that surge upward in the human heart. That is why David said: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence cometh my help. My help is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth" (Psalm 121: 1,2)
     Men do not get ideals by fastening their eves upon the low places of the earth; for in the spiritual world to look up is to look to the Lord, and to look down is to look to self. To look up there is to behold the heavens stretching above one, but to look down is to fasten one's gaze upon the evils which make hell.
     When the Almighty would set before men the fundamental law of conduct, to be written by the finger of God Himself upon the tables of stone, He called Moses up into the highest mountain in the wilderness of Paran and there, upon the heights of Sinai, the Decalogue was delivered into the hand of man. For it is into the ideals of our life that the laws of God must be written; and if we want those ideals for our very own, we, too, will want to possess a mountain!
     As the Ten Commandments stand out in the Old Testament as the summation of all its doctrine, so the Sermon on the Mount epitomizes all those ideals which the Lord came on earth to give. "And seeing the multitudes. He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: and He opened His mouth, and taught them" (Matthew 5: 1, 2).
     Caleb wanted to own a mountain but he could not get it at once, and the reason was that a generation of doubters, a generation which never ceased to lust after the fleshpots of Egypt, had first to die off in the wilderness. Forty years they were compelled to wander in the wilderness, and Caleb hungered with them before they were fed with quails and manna. Yet Caleb wholly followed the Lord, and even while he hungered that vision of the mountain he hoped some day to own burned brightly in his mind. Before the rock was smitten and water gushed forth terrible thirst had assailed the hosts of Israel. But it could not shake Caleb's desire to own that mountain. Nor could the plague of the fiery serpents, or the onrush of the treacherous Amalekites, dim his vision. Always running through his mind was the desire that would one day take form when he asked of Joshua: "Give me this mountain."

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     Forty years of wandering in the wilderness was necessary before Israel could pass over Jordan. Why? Because that generation which doubted the power of the Lord to give it victory had to die. Even so the woman seen by John on the Isle of Patmos, who was clothed with the sun, had the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, had to flee into the wilderness, "where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three-score days (Revelation 12: 6). And in the passage from the Apocalypse Revealed which was read as our second lesson, no. 547, it is said, in explanation of this vision, that "it is of the Lord's Divine Providence that the church should at first be among the few, and that it should successively increase among many, because the falsities of the former church must first be removed; for before this truths cannot be received."
     So we see that the purpose to be served by the New Church's stay in the wilderness was perfectly portrayed by Israel's wandering for forty years in Paran. The old generation whose minds had been molded in Egypt, whose sensual nature ever lusted for the fleshpots of Egypt, and whose hearts lacked the courage to fight the giants who had taken possession of the Holy Land-this generation must die in the wilderness. So the New Church must linger in the .wilderness, content to be among a few until the falsities of the former church can be removed; for truths which are received and implanted before falsities are removed do not remain, and they are also dissipated by the dragonists.
     If we consider June 19th, 1770, the birthday of the New Church in this world as well as in the spiritual world, then it has been nurtured among the few for one hundred and eighty-two years! And the dragon has poured forth a flood of water, that is, falsity from his mouth, to destroy it. But three generations ago men arose who were determined that some day they would own a mountain. Prior to that time, New Church schools had been founded in the world. But they never wholly followed the Lord, in that they were not based foursquare on the belief that the Writings are the Word of God, that they did not require baptism into the New Church of their teachers or their pupils, and that the idea of distinctiveness had not yet crept into their concept of the church.
     The twelve men who saw the vision of a mountain seventy-six years ago founded their work unequivocally on the belief that the Writings are the Word, and they were willing to undergo all the sacrifice and hardship of a wilderness-struggle, confident that their faith in a mountain would in the end prevail. Seventy-five years ago, the Academy of the New Church opened its doors to its first students. It recognized that it was in the wilderness. It pleaded for distinctive New Church education, for distinctive New Church social life, for marriage within the church.

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For three generations it has been dedicated to these high purposes And there is not a man or woman in its midst who does not say with his, or her, whole heart: Give me this mountain give me this ideal of New Church education; give me this distinctive New Church life!"
     You who have come to us to be educated have come to a school the like of which does not exist anywhere else in the world. Like Caleb, it has asked to be given a mountain of faith-faith in the everlasting things that still abide when death takes the body, and that go on living and growing to all eternity.
     You young folk are men and women of destiny, for many of you will be enjoying New Church education as descendants of parents and grandparents who have been educated in these halls. That is supremely important from this angle. Apocalypse Revealed no. 547 says that the church will remain among the few until the falsities of the former church have been removed. Can we not now hope and pray that the falsities of the former church have been removed from the minds of those who represent three or four generations of education from infancy in the truths of the New Church?
     Your parents have sent you down here with the hope that some of you will want to own a mountain-a mountain of faith and inspiration. Now your teachers cannot give you a mountain unless you ask for it. You must stretch out your arm and demand that you be given the mountain.
     Remember this: although all twelve of the spies saw the land flowing with milk and honey although all twelve of the spies saw Mount Hebron ten of them were afraid to fight for it. You will meet students here at school who are like that. They will not sec any thing in New Church education for which they want to fight. Some of them will have gone to other schools, and they will tell you about the wonderful things there and how much they miss them here. They will be just like those Israelites who exclaimed: "Would God we were by the fleshpots of Egypt But do not be like them. They have been sent down here to get a mountain, and instead they will return home with a little bit of mud that they scraped off the bottom of some neighboring ditch.
     Do not forget the great things for which you have been sent here. Do not forget that if in your heart you are determined to own a mountain you can succeed. You can take from the halls of this institution, if you reach out your own hands and seize it, a mountain of unshakable faith for your very own: faith in One God in one Person, who is the Lord Jesus Christ: faith in an immediate passage into the spiritual world after death; faith in the spiritual sense of the Word; faith in living a life in accordance with the Ten Commandments; faith in the second coming of the Lord; and faith in an eternal union in conjugial love as the pearl of human life.

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     If you leave the Academy of the New Church with these ideals, then, when you come into the kingdom of heaven which is our promised land, you will find that you are in eternal possession of the mountain of your desire.
NATIVE AFRICAN CHURCH 1952

NATIVE AFRICAN CHURCH       Editor       1952

     The Academy of the New Church Library recently received the June, 1952, issue of IMFUNDISO NEMPILO. "A Publication Devoted to the Doctrine and Life of the Lord's New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma (Among the Africans)," and published by that body at Durban, Natal, under the editorship of the Rev. J. D. Odhner. The journal contains a full account of the first Assembly, at Mayville. Durban, January 27-29, 1952, called by Acting Bishop Philip N. Odhner for the purpose of considering and adopting the Constitution of the Church, which had been drawn up by the Acting Bishop's Council and sent to all Societies of the Church for their previous consideration. The contents include a general report of the proceedings, the official minutes, the addresses given, the Constitution itself, a list of Societies and Circles, and a membership list according to districts.
     The Constitution, which is too long to print here, consists of eight articles which deal respectively, with Name, Faith, Purpose, Government, Membership. Assemblies, Board of Management, and Amendments to the Constitution. Both the Constitution itself and the discussion which preceded its adoption are of interest, especially that part of the discussion which deals with the name of the organization; and for the information of our readers we quote here, without comment, certain sections of the Constitution which seem to be particularly significant, and which we do not feel will be unfairly represented by being taken out of context.
     "II. Faith. This Church rests upon the acknowledgment of the Lord Jesus Christ as the one God of heaven and earth; that He has made His Second Coming in the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg; that these Writings are the Word of the Lord in the Third or Latin Testament for His New Church; and that man is conjoined with the Lord through a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue."
     "III, Purpose [reads in part] The purpose of this Church is the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one God of heaven and earth, in His Second Coming, in accordance with His Word, and in accordance with the Doctrine thence . . . such worship can only come forth from the reception by the Church of the Good and True of the Lord's Divine Human in a new will and new understanding, thus through the regeneration of those in the Church by the Lord."

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This section mentions, as among the things contemplated in the objects of the body, "the provision of an organization of the men of the Church to promote the development of the Doctrine of the Church."
     Section IV, 3: 7, on Government, reads: "The National Council of Priests shall hear and consider all doctrinal matters affecting the faith and life of the Church. The Council cannot determine the Doctrine of the Church except in collaboration with the Bishop, the Assembly, and those bodies of the men of the Church who are devoted to the development of the Doctrine of the Church." The Constitution further provides that the ecclesiastical head of the organization shall be a bishop, appointed by the International Council of Priests, who shall have power to ordain and to appoint priests to pastorates; that the Bishop shall have an advisory council; and that the National Council of Priests and the Assembly shall meet yearly. What is contemplated is, clearly, not a mission but a Native African Church.
     It may interest our readers to know that this Church lists 518 members in Basutoland, Natal, Orange Free State, the Transvaal, and Zululand. These members are organized into 18 Societies and Circles under 10 Pastors and 8 Leaders. The largest group contains 61 members, the smallest 7.
     THE EDITOR.
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     11. The Eighth and Ninth Principles

     The laws, in the latter part of the work on Conjugial Love, extending from n. 444 to 476 inclusive, are laws of order given for the preservation of the conjugial.
     The Doctrine of the New Church is revealed from God out of the inmost Heaven; the Doctrine is, therefore, in itself a celestial Doctrine, and the New Church in itself a celestial Church, but the doctrine is accommodated to every state of reception from first to last; and the Church consists of all who receive, from the wise, even to the simple. Celestial perception is the perception of the troth that is within doctrine; there is no perception outside of doctrine.

     Concerning the first of these two principles Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "The work on Conjugial Love is a Divine Revelation, given for the use of the New Church.

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All the truths in this work, from beginning to end, whether concerning marriage, its opposite, or the things intermediate, are laws of Divine Wisdom, given of Divine Mercy, to heal and restore; to bring back and establish conjugial love, as the fundamental of the life of heaven in the Church. To deny the Divinity of any part of the work on Conjugial Love is a denial of the Lord Himself in His Second Coming" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY, pp. 10, 11).
     Conjugial love is believed to be part of the second advent revelation, and as such it is wholly Divine. To doubt part of a revelation is to doubt, and finally deny, the whole; for if man can judge from himself concerning the Divinity of a part, the authority of the whole rests with him and nor with the Lord. This the Academicians saw and believed, and they were willing to accept the consequences of their faith. When they came to parts of the Writings they did not understand they affirmed their belief in them and waited for light. To do less is to deny.
     The numbers in the second part of Conjugial Love referred to contain the laws of order for the preservation of the conjugial. They do not agree with the puritanical hypocrisy of natural good, but are sometimes necessary because of physical and economic disorders. The Academy stood by its belief in the Divinity of the Writings and suffered many hard attacks because of it. We still suffer from these attacks at intervals, and may be called upon to withstand greater assaults; and in order to sustain them we must have recourse to our belief in the Divinity of the Writings, for we must be willing to accept revealed truth even when it seems to deny the conclusions of natural reasoning based on appearances, and to submit the affections of natural and sensual good to the truth of the Word. The affirmation of these numbers is one with our faith in the Divinity of the Lord in His second coming. To deny the one is to deny the other, and this has resulted with those who were offended and ashamed because of the truth,
     The second part of Conjugial Love has been called "the skeleton in the New Church closet" by some who have been ashamed of it and have tried to hide it, wishing that it had never been written. In this they have been ashamed of the Lord, for this is part of His revelation: and their shame has sometimes led to a denial of the whole revelation. Thus the affirmation of our belief in the whole of Conjugial Love is of vital importance to the General Church and needs to be included as a principle.
     The teaching of these numbers cannot be considered in detail, best we would mention one important principle. Any part of a document must be read in the light of the whole and not be considered as a thing apart. No one should read, or try to interpret, the second part of Conjugial Love except in, and from, the general doctrine of the whole work; for unless one understands what conjugial love is he cannot understand the particulars of the means by which it is preserved.

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     Of the ninth principle Bishop Pendleton says: "It is necessary to have a true doctrine of the Celestial Church; first, for the sake of the light it casts upon the entire doctrine and life of the Church; second, for the sake of a guard and protection against the various forms of false celestialism that have from time to time appeared in the New Church. But any application of the Doctrine of the Celestial Church to forms and organizations would be attended with danger to the Church" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY, p. 11).
     All forms of celestialism claim an "inner light" superseding the letter of revelation. In the New Church they have usually been associated with the claim that Swedenborg was merely the first evangelist of the second coming, that his Writings were merely the first manifestation of the influx out of the New Heaven. This has involved, at least tacitly the idea that those who follow Swedenborg will enjoy a more and more interior light and will actually reveal the celestial doctrine that will establish the celestial church. Some have claimed reception of this light and, therefore, freedom from the confining limits of the truth as given in a very exterior way by Swedenborg. Celestialism is, then, the doctrine which teaches that man can receive interior truth by immediate influx from heaven and apart from the written Word.
     This principle affirms that there is a celestial church and that the New Church now is, and will actually become, a celestial church; that there is celestial perception; and that men who regenerate will enjoy such perception. But it also affirms that such perception cannot be given apart from knowledge of the ultimate truths of the Word, and of doctrine therefrom, which are thus the bases of perception; and that it does not supersede Divine revelation but perceive the Divine truths that are within it. As the principle states: There is no perception outside of doctrine."
     Another form of pseudo-celestialism is the idea that man may teach truth from his own regenerate good. All truth is from the Lord through His Word, and this is the only source of light and authority in the church The perception of the church will grow as its members regenerate, but no application of this fact can be made to instruction or forms of life. The literal statements of the Writings are the only authority in the New Church. Therefore, while affirming the doctrine of the celestial church and of celestial perception, Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "But any application of the Doctrine of the Celestial Church to forms and organizations would he attended with danger to the Church." The danger would be the substitution of human understanding for the light of the Divine truth itself.

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     The church is to develop by celestial perception, and that perception will be given as the individual members of the church regenerate. But no man can claim such perception, and no group of men has a right to introduce new external forms of doctrine and life from a belief that it is in such perception. While man lives in the world he cannot be conscious of the opening of the interior degrees of the mind, He must be content to strive for an interior understanding of the spiritual truths of the Word and an application of them to the particular things of his life. But he can make no judgment as to the real, interior, eternal quality of his own or his brother's state,
     The future celestial state of the New Church will not do away with the need for the written Word. It will never involve a perception of good and truth apart from the Word and dependent solely upon the state of the members of the church. In this at least it will differ from the celestial church of old. It will be a state of perception of the celestial goods and truths within the fulness of truth now revealed, and that perception will be established by the literal statements of the present revelations of the Word.
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     12. The Tenth and Eleventh Principles

     Unanimity is a law inscribed upon the life of heaven, and ought to be inscribed upon the life of the Church. Important action should not be taken without essential unanimity. A doubt gives occasion for delay that there may be further time for consideration and reflection, in order to reach a common understanding.
     A law is a use taking form, and uses are indicated by needs. Legislation is the giving of a proper form to present needs and uses; legislation other than this is unnecessary and hurtful.

     Of the tenth principle Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "Unanimity, as a law of heaven, cannot be enforced: but where it exists it can be preserved. It is assumes that there is a unanimity in that which is fundamental; it is the duty of those who lead to see that this unanimity be not violated, but that it be protected and fostered. A doubt may be considered as an indication of Providence that the time is not ripe for a given action, that there is need of further thought and reflection in order to reach a more rational judgment. To look to unanimous action, and provide for it even by delay, does not mean that we are merely to substitute a unanimous vote for a majority vote in the decision of questions; if this were all, there would be but little gain.

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The weighty reasons for delay, looking to unanimity, are internal rather than external. These are, in sum, that the habit may be formed in the body of thinking together from a common affection. This is a ruling principle in the choirs of heaven" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY. pp. 11, 12).
     In the early days of the Academy this law of unanimity was strictly applied to external things that were purely a matter of business judgment as well as to things looking to the internal uses of the church, which led to serious delay and enabled one or two men to force their will on the entire body. Thus it defeated its own end, and the application of it in any particular matter was soon left to the leaders of the time, with the admonition that essential unanimity should not be violated but should be protected and fostered.
     What is essential unanimity? The word itself means one spirit, soul, life, mind. Unanimity, therefore, is internal agreement of spirit and mind-an affection of the common use and a looking to a common authority. Love is conjunction and the essence of unanimity; and where all act from a common love there is essential unanimity. Unanimity in the church exists from a common love of the uses of the church in its members, and that love is expressed in a genuine love of the spiritual truths of its revelation. When this state exists there is essential unanimity, although there may not be a unanimous vote or decision in any particular matter.
     Here is an important distinction, which is involved in the warning not to substitute a unanimous for a majority vote. There are matters of purely external good judgment, and in these the principle of unanimity is not violated if decision is by a majority vote. But there are other matters involving spiritual uses in which the principle could be violated even by a unanimous vote. Weighty reasons for delay in a matter are internal rather than external, having to do with understanding and love of the use involved rather than judgment as to the means of ultimating it. Where that understanding and love exist there is essential unanimity, and no harm is done by acting in the external by a majority vote.
     The thing most destructive of unanimity is self-love-the desire of a majority, or a minority, to impose its will upon others. Self-love is unwilling to submit even in matters of external judgment. It lacks confidence in any but its own judgment and accuses others of acting from self interest; and it is this lack of confidence in the sincerity of others, especially of the leaders of the Church, that destroys unanimity in external and internal things more than anything else. True charity involves a willingness to submit to the opinions of others, to believe that they, too, are sincere and have a genuine love of the church. It is this confidence between the governed and the governors, existing from a common love of the spiritual uses of the church, that will establish essential unanimity, which will be seen in a willingness to delay action when such unanimity does not exist.

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     The principle of unanimity has its most direct influence and application in church and society life. When all try to think from the Writings they are under the law of unanimity that rules in heaven. When a society problem arises all should try to think of it in the light of the Writings and shun thought from the world and from human intelligence, and in this way they will eventually become unanimous. For example, unless we approach our social life from a desire to ultimate in it the truths of the Writings there is no internal unanimity in it, and there is nothing within but internal disunity even if we establish social customs by a so-called unanimous vole. The practical application of this principle consists in the individual compelling himself to learn the truths of the Writings, think from them about the affairs of the church, and shun all thought from self-intelligence. Where there is the spiritual affection of truth there is essential unanimity, and external differences of opinion is matters of external judgment will not disturb.

     Concerning the eleventh principle Bishop Pendleton says, "We cannot legislate concerning Divine Revelation, any more than we can reason about it, whether it be true; nor is it wise to legislate on things that are contingent or remote. This principle, therefore, limits legislation to the consideration of present needs and uses, and the proper provision for them. The future and the things thereof belong to the Lord alone. It is a law of heaven that the work of man lies in that which is immediately before him" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY, p. 12).
     This is included as a principle because it involves the acknowledgment, vital to the spiritual life of the church, that the Lord alone can lead and protect His church. The organization of the Academy, and later the General Church, with the Writings as the only constitution was new and a full ultimate acknowledgment of the Lord in His second coming: and it was for this reason that Bishop Pendleton resisted every attempt by members of the organization meeting of the General Church in 1897 to formulate rules and laws for protection against future, imagined disorders its the church, pointing out that the Lord alone could protect and no constitution, however humanly wise, could ensure the continuation of the church with any particular organization.
     The church is a living, spiritual thing, and it is with man from the Lord in the present according to his state at the time. No laws can provide for its future existence. The principle of not legislating for the future does not preclude the making of laws. Rules applicable for present protection must be formulated when disorders arise.

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But the principle sets the infinite laws of the Writings above them, keeps the door open for the continued leading and protection of the Lord, and allows for the further perfecting of the church with increased enlightenment. The correction of disorders is left to enlightenment from the Writings at the time at which they arise; and since a good law is a use taking form, laws are not made until needs and uses arise.
     For this reason every revision of the ORDER AND ORGANIZATION OF THE GENERAL CHURCH has pointed out that the statement is not meant to bind the future church but to chronicle present practices. And although there have been pressures from time to time to enact laws for the protection of the church these have been resisted. It is understood that no rule is binding upon the future church, except in so far as it is seen then to be in agreement with the teachings of the Writings, and the Writings themselves are the only constitution of the General Church
CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS 1952

CURRENT CALENDAR READINGS              1952

     The Word.-"When those who had been of the spiritual church, and until the coming of the Lord had been detained in the lower earth and there infested by those who had been in faith separate from charity, were liberated, they were not at once taken up into heaven, but were first brought into a second state of purification, which is that of temptations; for the truths and goods of faith can neither be confirmed nor conjoined without temptations, and until these had been confirmed and conjoined they could not be raised into heaven. These things were represented by the sons of Israel not being at once introduced into the land of Canaan, but being first led into the wilderness, where they remained forty years" (AC 8099).


     The Writings.-"The Lord is as far from cursing and being angry as heaven is from earth. Who can believe that the Lord, who is omniscient and omnipotent, and by His Divine wisdom governs the universe, and thus is infinitely above all infirmities, can be angry with dust so miserable, that is, with men, who scarcely know anything that they do, and can do nothing of themselves but what is evil? It is therefore not in the Lord to be angry, but to be merciful" (AC 1093).

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REVIEWS 1952

REVIEWS       Various       1952

DEN STORA MANNISKEN (The Gorand Man). Translated by Erik Sandstrom. Bokforlaget Nova Ecclesia, Stockholm, Sweden. 1952. Paper, pp. 215.

     This little book, translated into Swedish from the Latin, is a revised edition of "The Doctrine of Representations and Correspondences" published in Sweden as early as 1872. It consists entirely of quotations from Arcana Coelestia, bringing together the series of passages concerning representations and correspondences and the doctrine of the Gorand Man which are inserted between the chapters in volumes IV to VII of the English editions. It will be appreciated by Swedish readers who do not own the whole of the Arcana and yet are anxious to have a complete picture of this so important doctrine; and the modern, but still faithful translation, which makes for easy reading adds to its value.
     On the back cover the translator has given a brief explanation of the new title, The Gorand Man. In a few words he shows that all the members, organs, and viscera in the human body correspond to the Gorand Man, which is heaven; and that hell, opposite to heaven, has its correspondents in the diseases and deformities of the body.
     ROY FRANSON.


HEMELSCHE VERBORGENHEDEN (Arcana Coelestia). By Emanuel Swedenborg Volume VIII, nos. 5867-6626, Genesis 44-50. The Hague, Holland: Swedenborg Genootschap (Society), 1951. Cloth, pp. 460.

     Volume VI of this Dutch translation of Arcana Coelestia was reviewed in NEW CHURCH LIFE for February, 1951, pp. 89-90. The seventh volume has not yet been received. This most recent volume comes in the same format and with the same cover design as those issued previously. The spelling has been modernized throughout except in the title on the front cover where the old spelling has been retained, presumably for the sake of uniformity with the earlier volumes. We are advised that there is no change in the method of translation, and that detailed explanations of many terms will be necessary for intelligent reading. However, the difficulties of translation must not be underrated, even though we may wish that a happier solution could be found.
     THE EDITOR.

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GOOD COMING THROUGH EVIL 1952

GOOD COMING THROUGH EVIL       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.

Published Monthly By
THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor      Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Circulation Secretary      Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Treasurer      Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Circulation Secretary. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to any address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     The phrase, good coming through evil, is commonly used, but with very little real appreciation of its meaning. According to the Writings, the evil through which good comes is that which man receives from others through no fault of his own. This evil enters only the external mind. It does not affect the internal, which does not consent to it. Thus the internal mind can see it as evil, and it can therefore be removed. But that is not all. Because good can be seen more clearly from what is opposite, the internal mind can see good more clearly from the presence of that evil than it could without it, and the man is then more sensibly affected by good than would otherwise be the case. It is in this way that good is said to come through evil; though it must be understood that only evil comes of evil, and that the good results from the Lord's bending the evil to an end of good.
     This teaching throws new light upon the doctrine of the permission of evil. It is a well known fact that evils do come to men from other men through no fault of their own; that persuasive spheres come, all uninvited, which inject falsity into their good. Indeed men often complain of evils which affect them without their choice-accidents, misfortunes, diseases, happenings, and conditions which are not of their seeking or making-the real evil of which lies in their power to undermine faith and charity and trust in Providence, and to build up states of rebellion. We might be disposed to question the reason for this, but the answer lies in the teaching that these states can be recognized and thus overcome.

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TOTAL INFALLIBILITY 1952

TOTAL INFALLIBILITY       MORLEY D. RICH       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:
     Having read with considerable enjoyment Mr. Kenneth Rose's review of WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH (NEW CHURCH LIFE, September, 1952. pp. 416-420), the only flaw in it seemed to be more noticeable by contrast. I refer to his comment: "The only thing that struck this writer as having been better considered recently was the somewhat indiscriminate use of the word 'infallible' about the Writings. The reaction against the idea that the Writings are not in themselves the internal sense of the Word overbalanced a little bit, and produced a tendency which might now be considered as stretching the Writings too far. The problem passages of scientific inaccuracy and slips of the pen were vigorously defended by the writers in the serial, and the Writings were upheld as revealing scientific facts."
     This suggests to me that Mr. Rose has not yet thoroughly digested the history of the New Church, not only as this is manifested in the WORDS, but also in the other periodicals of New Church bodies. For in this we in the present, as were the first Academicians, are faced with the harsh, Divinely-provided necessities of logic and with the stubborn facts of past experience.
     It would, of course, be both unintelligent and uncharitable to assume that Mr. Rose meant what is implied, or what may be mistakenly inferred, by his comment. But logic demands that we either declare the Writings to be infallibly in tote, or to be not infallible. And experience abundantly confirms the idea that if you begin with the affirmative position that they are infallible in tote-even though your idea may be very primitive and mistaken in its particulars-then you begin to grow in what might be called "the wisdom of the Writings." You then come into increasingly rational ideas as to what "infallibility" means, and how the Revelation is infallible.
     On the other hand, history shows that if you begin with the idea that the Writings are not infallible in tote, or in full, then you will principally devote your thought to searching out wherein they are fallible; and the superficial evaluation of their "mistakes" will become of increasing importance. Instead of trying to see in what respect their scientific facts are true, and how they were meant by Swedenborg under the Divine direction; instead of this, you find yourself evaluating them superficially as mistaken-this as understood by your own little mind, and in the light of the current and fashionable "facts" of science.
     Now, it may not always be the case in the future, but almost invariably in the past this latter attitude has proved to be the "thin end of the wedge" in regard to the authority of the Writings.

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For it you refer to the problem passages as "scientific inaccuracies," and if you imply that the Writings do not reveal scientific facts, then you must logically doubt the truth of every natural fact revealed in them. You must be prepared to throw overboard all the natural facts revealed about other earths and their peoples, the ancient churches, the Jewish Church, facts about the human body upon which rest certain spiritually revealed correspondences. Then you begin to eliminate the Memorabilia because they are "not doctrine." and Conjugial Love because it is only a book of morals, and so on. This, I know, is not in Mr. Rose's mind. But if he doubts this pattern and trend of thought-development in the New Church then I would recommend that he trace it for himself through the year-by-year periodicals of New Church organizations in the past, beginning with the very start of the New Church.
     We can say, of course, what is true-that the natural facts referred to and revealed in the Writings are not important or essential in themselves. Yet you cannot hay an internal without some external, and you cannot have a pure statement of doctrine which has power without referring to something of time and space, in other words, to the natural. And if such a statement does not have an illustration from nature its terms will still be those of time and space.
     As an example, take the revealed fact that the people of Jupiter are afraid of their wild horses because they are afraid of cultivating the understanding by worldly scientifics (EU 60). Now, if you say that the Writings do not reveal scientific facts and if you are acutely aware of what you consider to be their "scientific inaccuracies," then the thought will suggest itself: "What if we go to Jupiter in a spaceship and find no horses there, perhaps even, no people?" After all, if Swedenborg was deluded in some things, if he was guilty of such a breach of the scientific method, if he was an inaccurate observer, and if the mental monitor provided for him by the Lord made some such mistakes, why, then, should we accept any natural facts he mentions, even if they are so closely connected with, and form an indissoluble base for, spiritual truths?
     "Slips of the pen" are of an entirely lower category than are "scientific inaccuracies." And even here, we would suggest there are instances where a certain letter made such a difference in a word, and thence altered the general doctrine involved so much, that it was for years considered as a slip of the pen. Yet later reflection and growth in understanding have combined afterwards to show that it was not such a slip, but rather was a deliberate word voluntarily chosen with full understanding in order to express an entirely different aspect of the doctrine, and hence to infill and correct any misunderstandings which might have arisen from previous statements about it.
     We do not mean by this that we are to become complete and hard literalists-not even for the sake of extracting the spiritual sense from the Writings by the science of correspondences, or by the translatitive perceptions of regeneration.

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We only suggest that if we are familiar with the history and pattern of thought in the New Church regarding the authority of the Writings we shall inevitably be somewhat on guard when we see such mental trends in ourselves.
     For, after all, that combination of achievements and characteristics which we call the General Church was not the product and end-result of dwelling upon the "scientific inaccuracies" of the Writings. It is the blessing that has been conferred upon an uncompromising, even though it may have been primitive and limited, belief in the Divine authority of the Writings and their total infallibility,
     MORLEY D. RICH.
London, England.
PRINCIPLES: ANOTHER VIEW 1952

PRINCIPLES: ANOTHER VIEW       R. R. GLADISH       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     Along with many others, no doubt, I found the letter of Mr. Hyland Johns [August, pp. 394-397] interesting. While I can agree with his always timely reminder that the laity are to go directly to the Writings and not depend upon the clergy to do their doctrinal thinking for them, there are one or two points on which he seems to me to overstate the case.
     First, it seems to me that the fact that the statements under consideration are entitled "The Principles of the Academy" and not "The Principles of the Writings" alters the force of the legal point which he introduces. Second, the section in The Christian Religion, nos. 225-233, entitled "The doctrine of the church should be drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word and confirmed thereby" seems to me not only to sanction the process to which he seems opposed in the case of the Principles of the Academy but to make it mandatory, obligatory, and a sine qua non for the New Church man. No. 228 is especially pointed: "From all this it can be seen that those who read the Word without doctrine are in obscurity respecting all truth and that their minds are wavering and uncertain, prone to error, and open to heresies, which they embrace when favor or authority encourages and reputation is not endangered."
     If the Writings are the Word which readers of NEW CHURCH LIFE generally believe, then it would seem altogether fitting and proper for anyone, and who more fittingly than the head of the Academy, to draw from them principles or doctrine for the guidance of the common thought of the Academy. But that these principles are authoritative for the individual must be determined by the individual as he examines them against the statements of the Writings themselves.

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In my own case, I have been astonished at how sound the main statements of the Principles seem today when examined in such light as I am able to see in the Writings. On the other hand, there are statements in the Principles which have no particular meaning for the present generation, such as the principle having to do with the use of fermented wine in the communion service. And I think I can foresee that later generations will outgrow other of the stated principles as the state of the world and the relation of the New Church thereto changes.
     Mr. Johns statement about the section in the Liturgy entitled "The Doctrine" is well taken. Those sections which are direct quotations from the Writings should be properly indicated and identified, and any other statements should be likewise identified.
     This started out to be a very brief reaction to Mr. Johns' article, as I assumed that there must be very many in the Church better qualified than I to make an answer. However, a recent perusal of the numbers cited above, plus the knowledge that no written response to the article had so far been received led me to give another layman's viewpoint.
     R. R. GLADISH.
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.
RATIONAL APPLICATIONS 1952

RATIONAL APPLICATIONS       ROWLAND TRIMBLE       1952

Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE:

     Mr. Hyland R. Johns, in his communication in the August number, displays a commendable zeal for a direct approach to the Writings, but he is fearful that such a human interpretation as THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY would obscure the pure light of the Heavenly Doctrine. The words "principle," as used here, and "doctrine" are synonymous. The principles of the Academy are doctrines drawn from the letter of the Writings. What the Writings are to the New Church the Constitution is to our country: and just as our country cannot function without judgments by our courts based on the Constitution, so our Church cannot function without doctrines based on the Writings sometimes priests, kings, judges, and great councils of men make mistakes, even tragic ones, and their judgments are reversed by a power greater than their own. THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY is but a human statement of doctrine. Therefore our young men and women should examine the principles it contains in the light if the Writings before applying for membership in the General Church (see AC 6047).
     It is according to Divine order that men receive good and truth as their own, therefore priests should teach from their understanding of the Word.

546


Sermons that give a rational explanation of the Divine truth are more effective than those composed largely of quotations from the Writings. In times of conflict within the Church we begin to realize that two men may quote the same passage and derive conflicting ideas therefrom. Bishop Pendleton wrote THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY because there was need of a clear-cut explanation of those points of doctrine and life that gave the General Church cause to maintain itself as a separate organization of the New Church. In so doing he performed a great use to all New Church men.
     What applies to priests applies to judges and lawyers. They, too, must make a rational application of the law of the land to the cases before them. I would call Mr. Johns' attention to the decision of Judge Pine in the recent steel seizure case. I fear his Honor would be somewhat disturbed if he were told that his high-minded decision bears the same relation to the Constitution as a five and ten cent store glass jewel bears to a Tiffany diamond.
     ROWLAND TRIMBLE.
Laurel, Md.
THANKSGIVING 1952

THANKSGIVING              1952

     "The Lord does indeed demand humiliation, adoration, thanksgivinsss, and many other things from man, which appear like repayings and thus not gratuitous: but the Lord does not demand these things for His own sake, for the Divine has no glory from man's humiliation, adoration, and thanksgiving. In the Divine anything of the love of self is inconceivable-that such things should be done for His own sake: but they are for the sake of the man himself: for when a man is in humiliation he can receive good from the Lord, because he has then been separated from the love of self and its evils, which are the obstacles: and therefore the Lord wills a state of humiliation in man for his own sake" (AC 5957).
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 1952

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN              1952

     "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17: 21).
     "Heaven is in man. The heaven that is outside of man flows into the heaven that is within him, and is received so far as there is correspondence" (AE 13e).

547


Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     NORTH OHIO

     During the past year the North Ohio Group-which now consists of the Youngstown and Cleveland areas, with only two families remaining in Barberton-has maintained a high participation of its membership in regular thrice-a-month activities, Services have been held monthly by our Visiting Pastor, the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers, in Cleveland or Youngstown but more often in Cleveland where the majority of our membership resides. Doctrinal classes have also been held monthly, often in both locations during the same weekend. Lay services have been an additional monthly activity in Cleveland and somewhat less than monthly in Youngstown. The fact that nearly everyone at ends and that the events are regularly scheduled gives us a feeling of security which we have not always had in the past when we had more members but were more widely scattered.

     Dedication and Baptism.-On November 9, 1951, thirty members and friends were present at the baptism of Hugh Anders Gyllenhaal, Jr., at the Gyllenhaals' home in Willoughby. The dedication of their repository by Mr. Rogers before the baptism brought to the Group an especially strong sphere of the church in the home.

     Christmas Season.-On December 8th, at the Fuller home, Mr. Rogers spoke informally about the true significance of the Lord's coming. The following day he gave a sermon on preparation for the Lord's advent and a simple talk to the children which were heard by thirty adults and children. On December 23rd a recorded children's Christmas service was held at the Powells' home, followed by a delightful party for the children with gifts and refreshments from the Women's Guild. A recorded adult Christmas service, with sermon by the Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner, on December 30th was the final Christmas event.

     "Uncle" Ben's Birthday.-On February 10th, at the Powells lovely new home, the Cleveland area honored "Uncle" Ben Fuller with a surprise party celebrating his 58th birthday. Uncle Ben recalled some amusing and touching events connected with the early clays of the church in Pittsburgh and provided us, for the moment, with a real link with our New Church heritage.

     Swedenborg's Birthday.-Bishop Acton's visits to Youngstown and Cleveland in February were again high points in the year. His subject this time was the influence of the religion of the day on Swedenborg's development and he stressed the fact that Swedenborg never attempted to combat the religion or dogma of the Church, but always sought to find agreement with the letter of the Word, even before he knew about the internal sense. Bishop Acton helped us further to strengthen the special place in our hearts that the Swedenborg's birthday celebration holds.

     Easter.-A pleasant innovation this year was the visit of Candidate Geoffrey S. Childs, Jr., to conduct class and services. Mr. Childs' class on the first three days after death was interesting and new to us, and caused considerable discussion.

     New Church Day.-Our whole group assembled at Lake Erie College in Pennsylvania on June 15th for a New Church Day service, a picnic, and our annual meeting. The beautiful chapel and grounds were secured for us by Mr. Fred Merrill and were a fine setting for this important celebration.
     At our annual meeting Mr. Rogers reported that monthly visits to our area are feasible and wilt be continued. He also suggested the possibility of eventual weekly activities in Cleveland. In the past year our membership had declined to 28 (the John Poseys moved from Alliance to Bryn Athyn, the Chester Stroemples to Pittsburgh, and the Ralph Browns to Decatur, Illinois) but the interest and activity of the Group had not declined.

548



     Regular monthly activities since then throughout the summer months are further proof of this, as is the face that a recent record total of 31 adults and children were on hand for services and a picnic on July 27th. Another pleasant event was the baptism into the New Church of Mr. Daniel J. Gueran of Cleveland.
     HUGH A. GYLLENHAAL.

     WASHINGTON, D, C.

     As the Washington Circle has not been in the news for some time a review of the events of the past year is in order. Our Pastor the Rt. Rev. Alfred Acton, sent the four Candidates in turn to conduct our services. Under this arrangement Mr. Geoffrey S. Childs, Jr., David Holm, Dandridge Pendleton, and Frank S. Rose each visited us twice. A wide variety of subjects was presented in their sermons and classes, and stimulating conversation always followed.
     Our church services were held at a new location, Friendship House, a southeast settlement house in which we have an auditorium seating at least 100 people, and in which we can either have our church suppers served to us for a little over one dollar each or being a dish supper and pay a nominal amount for the use of the rooms. Our classes through the year have been held an the homes of the following, the Donald Allens, Ellison Boatmans, Fred Grants, David Stebbings, Dr. and Mrs. Philip Stebbing, Col. and Mrs. William Kintner, and the Rowland Trimbles.
     In the spring Bishop Acton sent us his resignation as Pastor of our Circle. He has been our Pastor for over forty years, and his resignation was accepted with great regret as he has endeared himself to us and we have appreciated his wonderful ability no explain the Writings to us.
     On Palm Sunday Bishop de Charms preached on "The Cornerstone of Christianity" and administered the Holy Supper. The evening before he presided at our meeting and banquet, held in the recreation room of the David Stebbings with 42 present. The meeting started with toasts to the Church and to Bishop Acton for his forty-odd years of service to us-a wonderful record and a splendid opportunity to study the Writings for all those who have lived in Washington off and on through those years. Bishop de Charms then explained the procedure in regard to the placement of ministers and said that he had appointed Mr. Dandridge Pendleton as our minister for the coming year. The meeting ended with a toast to our new Minister.
     Our Circle showed growth with one confirmation and three Baptisms in one year. Suzanne Grant was confirmed in October, 1951, the new daughter of the Owen Birchman was baptized on Palm Sunday, and in June Mrs. Lewis Nelson and her next daughter were baptized. Mrs. Richard Hilldale was baptized in Bryn Athyn.
     Our last church service with Bishop Acton was held in June at the Philip Stebbings' farm, as requested by Bishop Acton. This has been our custom of late years, and we still think it is a wonderful opportunity to have a picnic on the banks of our famous Potomac in a 200 year old house bought by the Stebbings in 1946. But it was with a feeling us sadness that we said farewell to Bishop Acton when he left us.
     The Rev. C. E. Doering held a class and service for us in July, the class being held in the home of friends with whom his son, Karl, lives. In August we held our usual picnic and gift party at the Stebbing farm. It has been our custom, since our children have been going to Bryn Athyn, to send them off with some useful gifts. This year Nancy Allen starts.
     We are looking forward now to a new era with the Rev. Dandridge Pendleton as our resident Minister. With a larger attendance we hope to have more meetings. There will be two services and two classes a month in alternate weekends. The other two weekends Mr. Pendleton, who is joint Minister of the two Circles, will be in Baltimore.
     ELIZABETH H. Grant.

     COLCHESTER, ENGLAND

     Our Nineteenth of June celebration was held during the weekend of June 14-15, with a very welcome influx of visitors. These included the Rev. and Mrs. Morley D. Rich, who were making their first visit to Colchester after Mr. Rich's appointment as Acting Pastor if the London Society. At the banquet on the Saturday evening one Pastor gave them a special welcome, in which all tuned with a toast and song. The program for the evening included toasts to "The Church" and "June Nineteenth," also a message for the occasion from Bishop de Charms and one from "Bryn Athyn Friends."

549


These were followed by a fine address by Mr. Rich based on passages from the posthumous work Invitation to the New Church; and to conclude the program the 19th Psalm was sung. Mr. Rich also preached at the service the following morning and assisted our Pastor in the administration of the Holy Supper.

     The British Assembly brought many visitors to Colchester from other parts of the country and overseas. The Rev. and Mrs. Hugo Lj. Odhner spent a weekend here in July prior to the Assembly. There was a reception for them on the Saturday evening, during which Dr. Odhner gave an inspiring address on "The New Church." He also preached at the Sunday service.
     Other early arrivals were Mr. and Mrs. William R. Cooper who spent over two months in this country and were in Colchester at intervals. Mr. Cooper showed some of his colored slides at the church one Sunday evening a act these were greatly enjoyed by all present. At a social on a later date he gave an interesting account of his trip to Sweden and Norway from which he had just returned.
     It was with great satisfaction we heard that the Rev. Frank S. Rose was coming as Visiting Minister to the isolated in Great Britain and to the Circles in Paris and The Hague. He arrived in July in time to attend the closing entertainment of the day school and was given a great welcome by the children. He also preached at the service the following Sunday. Mr. Rose is making his home in Colchester, and although we were warned by our Pastor that the isolated members are his particular care we are hoping that he will be able to attend some of our church functions when he is not "following the open road."
     The British Assembly, held as usual the first weekend in August, was a great success, with 185 persons attending on the Sunday. The Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner presided. We are accustomed to seeing many of his addresses and sermons in print, but it was a delight and privilege to hear him deliver his presidential address in person and to have his wise counsel throughout the Assembly.

     Classes and monthly socials were suspended during the summer months but other activities, such as work in the church grounds and in the building itself, took their place. There was also a much needed improvement to the chancel to be considered. At a meeting of the Society it was decided that the felt covered floor should be replaced by light hardwood. This work was carried out by experts, with very good results, but it now remains for a unanimous decision to be reached in the choosing of a carpet strip before the work is finished satisfactorily.
     September 10th seemed to mark the end of the summer and the beginning of the winter program. On that date the last of our visitors left, the day school reopened, and doctrinal classes were resumed. The Conjugial Love Class met the following Sunday evening. In doctrinal class, before beginning a series to his own, the Pastor is presenting a series by Bishop de Charms on "The New Church and Modern Christianity" which, judging from the introductory class, will prove very interesting and useful.
     WINIFRED APPLETON.

     GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS

     Like other Societies of the Church in the United States we had an abundance of hot weather during the summer, though the cooling breezes off Lake Michigan brought us frequent relief. We continue to grow, and hardly a Sunday goes by that we do not have either a Baptism or a Confirmation. Four births, seven Baptisms, three Confirmations, two engagements one wedding, and two deaths have been reported by our secretary since our last report. On July 17th, Mr. Oscar Scalbom passed into the spiritual world, as did Mrs. Adolph Reuter on August 19th.
     Last July we had a special meeting to hear Mr. Philip Pendleton of Bryn Athyn explain a proposed elementary school teachers' minimum salary plan. Mr. Pendleton's presentation of the subject was clear and concise and met with the hearty approval of all those present.
     A few miles north of Glenview, near the shore of Lake Michigan is located beautiful Ravinia Park, where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays during the summer months. It was here that on a Sunday in July our 7th, 8th and 9th grade children enjoyed a delightful concert, followed by a picnic supper in the grounds of this lovely park.

     Our annual carnival in August was held at the north end of what we insist is our lake-it has been called a pond by some of our friends from away.

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The usual games and unusual rides were enjoyed by the children, and the adults. An outdoor supper was served and the more than a hundred ears of corn, cooked in the huge kettle which was originally the property of one of our founders, Mr. Hugh L. Burnham, were tastier than ever. The proceeds from the carnival will be used to build a wading pool for our very many small children.
     The August meeting of the Glenview Chapter of the Sons of the Academy was unusually interesting. Six of our young men spoke on the general subject of "The Duties of a New Church Man." Three aspects of this subject were treated: his duties toward the elementary school child, toward the secondary school and college student and toward his fellow man. The speeches were well prepared and deserved the interesting discussion which followed. On a bright Sunday afternoon a farewell picnic was held in one of our nearby forest preserves. To it were invited the seven members of our 1952 graduating class, all of whom are now attending their first year of school in Bryn Athyn.

     Early in September, Dorothy Price, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Enoch Price and William Leonard were united in marriage. The wedding ceremony, at which our Pastor, the Rev. Elmo C. Acton, officiated, was simple yet impressive. The bride, in a gown of white satin, was utterly charming; and William, tall, dark, and handsome, made a fitting groom for yet another of our Glenview girls who have left us to start a New Church home elsewhere. The parents of the groom, Mr. and Mrs. Morel Leonard of Alliance, Ohio, were present; and at the reception following the wedding, after a toast to the Church responded to by Mr. Acton, Morel proposed a toast to the bride and groom.

     Our Park Commissioner, Mr. O. E. Asplundh, held another of his "work parties" on a pleasant Sunday afternoon in September, with the result that our grounds received a thorough cleaning out. Almost three quarters of a century ago, 74 years, to be exact, the Immanuel Church School came into being. It is still going strong! On Monday morning, September 22nd, the bell rang and 62 children answered the call. Our list of teachers and the grades they teach has doubtless been seen on page 450 in the September issue of NEW CHURCH LIFE. After an absence of two years we are glad to have with us again Miss Jean Haworth of Cincinnati. We held our first Friday supper of the season on September 26th, and this was followed by a special meeting of the Society to consider our budget for the coming year. The meeting was opened by Mr. Acton who made a short but eloquent speech, pointing out the importance of our always having in mind that the building of the Lord's New Church is the end for which we exist as a society.

OBITUARIES. Mr. Oscar L. Scalbom. In the little town of Motala, Sweden, in the year 1872, was born Oscar L. Scalbom, the 4th in line of 10 children. The young lad Oscar came to the United States in 1885, and 15 years later, in Chicago, met and married Elizabeth Burnham. It was white living in Chicago that Mr. Scalbom learned about and became a member of the General Church. After the birth of their second child, Mr. and Mrs. Scalbom moved to Glenview where they were blessed with four more children. About 35 years ago, Mr. Scalbom established a summer home at Hazelhurst, Wisconsin where many of his friends would annually enjoy the warm hospitality of Aunt Bessie and Uncle Oscar. It was at this retreat in the woods that death came to Mr. Scalbom, on the morning of July 17th, in his 50th year. A staunch New Church man, generous, loyal, kindly, he will long be remembered by his friends in Glenview who, on Saturday, July 19th, attended his service of resurrection.

     Mrs. Adolph Reuter (Gertrude Draeger) was born in Chicago. Her mother became interested in the writings of Swedenborg through the Rev. Arthur O. Brickman. This resulted in the family becoming a part of the early New Church Society in Chicago under the Rev. W. F. Pendleton. At the time of her marriage to Adolph Reuter, Mrs. Reuter took into her home the two children of her sister, who had died. These children, George and Dorothy Fiske, were raised by Mrs. Reuter. Later, three children were born while the family was still in Chicago. The Reuter family attended the Sheridan Road Convention Church. During the summer of 1913, the Reuters were staying at a cottage next to the Seymour Nelson cottage at Palisades Park; and it was at this time in discussing the doctrines of the Church with Gorandfather Swain Nelson, that they decided to move to Glenview and join the Immanuel Church, which they did the following year.

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Mrs. Reuter was a staunch New Church woman. Outspoken in her views, she always took a delight in discussing the doctrines of the Church. She passed away on Tuesday, August 19th, in her 83rd year. A memorial service at which the Rev. Ormond Odhner officiated was held on the following Thursday.
     HAROLD P. MCQUEEN.

     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention. -Several ministerial changes are announced in THE NEW-CHURCH MESSENGER: the Rev. Albert Diephuis from Orange, N. J., to Lakewood, Ohio; the Rev. John L. Boyer, Texas Field Missionary, to Riverside, Calif., in place of T. Denton Lee, who has returned to secular work the Rev. Peter Peters from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf States as Missionary Pastor; and Lay Missionary Erwin D. Reddekopp from York, Saskatoon, to Edmonton, realigning the field with the Rev. Henry Reddekopp who has charge of the Saskatchewan field.
     The same periodical mentions that perhaps the last remaining society on this continent in which services in German are still required is at Manchester, N. H., where the Rev. Joseph Hoellrigl has been pastor since 1914.
     The Journal of the Massachusetts Association contains a Resolution requesting the Executive Committee to "study the question of the advisability and possibility of joining the movement of the Rev. E. Stanley Jones for a united church of America."

     General Conference.-THE NEW CHURCH HERALD has now completed its report of the 145th Annual Meeting. Of particular interest are the reports of the College Council and the Examining Board, which show a high standard of work being done; the report of the New Testament Translation Committee, which indicated slow but steady progress; and the report of the Committee on Growth and Prosperity of the Church which expressed the thought that the real drawback was that the organization of the Conference is not in line with the teachings of the Writings and in a section headed "Order within the Church" laid down a doctrine of the priesthood supported by many quotations from the Writings, which asserted that the priest should be the head of his church and that a reconstituted Ministerial Council should appoint priests to pastorates. The full report will be printed in the Year Book.

     We learn from the NEW-CHURCH HERALD that the Rev. E. J. Pulsford passed into the spiritual world on August 20, 1952, in his 75th year. Mr. Pulsford was ordained in 1906 and was made an Ordaining Minister in 1943. He held pastorates in England, was Superintendent of the Conference South African Mission, and until ill health forced his retirement last year was pastor of the Glasgow North Society At the time of his death he was Editor of THE NEW CHURCH MAGAZINE, and was also a member of the Examining Board and of the Old Testament Section of the Translation of the Word Committee. In the course of his long ministry he earned the affection and esteem of the Church in Great Britain and South Africa.

     Holland.-We understand that the Rev. J. D. Odhner has moved from South Africa to The Hague, where he will succeed the Rev. Ernst Pfeiffer who will minister to the isolated members of his Church in the Netherlands.

     SWEDENBORG SOCIETY

     The Swedenborg Society has arranged a series of lectures to be given in Swedenborg House during the 1952-53 season. Lectures on "A Visit to Scandinavia," "Wrong-doing and Punishment," and "The Intercourse of the Soul and body," by Dr. Freda G. Griffith, Mr. Colley Pryke, and the Rev. Rupert Stanley, B.A., respectively, will be followed by three lectures on "Divine Providence" by the Rev. Clifford Harley.

     LOCAL SCHOOLS

     Enrollment for 1952-1953

Bryn Athyn ...................... 190
Glenview........................... 63
Kitchener......................... 8
Pittsburgh ....................... 28
Toronto............................ 10

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EPISCOPAL VISITS 1952

EPISCOPAL VISITS              1952




     Announcements



Episcopal visits will be made in November as follows:

CLEVELAND, OHIO, October 31-November 2.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, November 7-9.
GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS, November 11-16.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, November 21-23.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS,
          Bishop.

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CITY OF DAVID 1952

CITY OF DAVID       WILLARD D. PENDLETON       1952


No. 12

NEW CHURCH LIFE


Vol. LXXII
DECEMBER, 1952
     "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2: 11)

     A few miles south of Jerusalem, just off the road to Hebron, lay the little city of Bethlehem. Unlike Jerusalem, it had no place in the affairs of men. Here was to be found neither gain nor glory; here were no profitable markets nor palaces of kings. Thus it was that the rich caravans which made their way between Egypt and the east passed it by. In passing, however, men may have referred to it as a place of historical interest, for it was here that David was born. Except for this it had no claim to notice, and in their haste men pressed on to the more pleasant prospect of busy marts and desirable lodging.
     Among the many who lived in and about Jerusalem, however, there were still the few who recalled the prophecy concerning this forgotten village. According to the prophet Micah it was here that the Messiah was to be born. In speaking of the Lord who was to come, he said: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth to Me that is to be ruler in Israel" (Micah 5: 2).
     It is to be noted that Bethlehem is here identified with Ephrata-the name by which it was known in former times. Thus this prophecy is associated with an earlier but more obscure forecast which Christian scholars usually associate with David's desire to build the temple of the Lord. The reference is to the one hundred and thirty-second Psalm, in which David, having come into the spirit said: "I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I have found a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Lo, we have heard of Him in Ephrata, we have found Him in the fields of the forest; we will come into His habitations, we will bow ourselves down at His footstool" (Psalm 132:4-7).     

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The Writings say that "this Psalm treats of the Lord . . . Ephrata meaning Bethlehem where the Lord was born and signifying the Word in respect to its natural sense, while Bethlehem signifies the "Word in respect to its spiritual sense; and there He chose to be born because the Lord is the Word" (AE 700: 9).
     Of even more ancient origin, however, is the Genesis account of Jacob's sojourn in Ephrata, where Rachel died in bringing forth her second son, whom she called Benoni, meaning, son of my sorrow; but Jacob called him Benjamin, meaning, son of the right hand. It is here among the historicals of the Word that the place of the Lord's birth is established, and in the Arcana treatment of this series the reason is given why He could not have been born in any other place. The teaching is that Bethlehem signifies, and Benjamin represents, the spiritual-celestial man, that is, the man who is in the acknowledgment of truth from love to the Lord. Regarding this the Writings say that "all men whatever are born natural, with the power of becoming either celestial or spiritual; but the Lord alone was born spiritual-celestial, and for this reason He was born at Bethlehem, where is the boundary of the land of Benjamin" (AC 4592: 3). To this it is added: "The reason why the Lord alone was born spiritual-celestial is that the Divine was in Him" (ibid.). Unlike others, therefore, He was born into the perception of truth from Divine love.
     What, then, can we say of this Child who was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King? He was born as man, yet was He God. He was conceived of a virgin whose name was Mary, yet the seed of His conception was Divine. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1: 14). "And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2: 12). By swaddling clothes are signified the primary truths of innocence, and by the manger that doctrine of truth from the Word now become flesh.
     Here, and nowhere else, will we find Him. There are many other cities in Judah, thousands of false doctrines and intellectual persuasions, but in none of these is He to be found. Only in the spiritual sense of the Word, that is, in Bethlehem of Judea, can He who is the Divine doctrine be born among men. While many may doubt, and some deny, this is our faith. On this high and holy day, therefore, we say one to another: "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us" (Luke 2: 15).

     The meaning of the text, therefore, is unmistakable. "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." All of revelation testifies to this one central truth.

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In the inmost sense of the Word there is no other reference. In the Arcana exposition of the glorification the doctrine of the Divine Human is drawn from the letter, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Beginning with the call of Abram from Ur of the Chaldees, which is definitive of the Lord's state at birth, we follow the sacred text through the formative states of the Human and through those alternate states of temptation and glorification which marked His progression toward union with the Divine. Thus the Divine doctrine which formerly dwelt in Ephrata among the natural appearances of the prophetic Word is now to be found in Bethlehem, that is, in what is described in the Writings as the spiritual of the celestial in a new state.
     Like the shepherds, therefore, we, too, seek Him in the Word made flesh. At first His Divinity is scarcely perceptible. To all appearances He is as any other child, yet there is about Him an indescribable sphere of holiness which stirs the simple affections of childhood and causes wise men to fall upon their knees in adoration. It is to be observed, however, that this first revealing is seen only by the few only by those states of innocence which the Lord Himself has prepared to receive Him at His coming.
     The teaching is that these states are provided by the Lord during infancy and childhood, and are said to consist of those goods and truths which the child receives with delight. As the loves of self and the world gradually take possession of the mind these delights are drawn into the interiors of the spirit, and there they remain until the day that the Divine doctrine is born in Bethlehem of Judea. Like Mary and Joseph, some dwell in the obscurity of the remote region of Galilee, others watch over their flocks by night in the hill country of Judea. and others abide in the land of the east-in the land of ancient associations and vague memories.
     It is these primary affections of innocence and delight, however, which receive the Lord at His coming. Were it not for them there would be no human affection to which the nascent doctrine of the Divine Human could be revealed. Herod is king in Jerusalem and Caesar Augustus is emperor in Rome. It is the love of self which seeks the young child to destroy Him, and the natural rational which is formed of the sensual appearances of truth is indifferent to the appeal of Divine authority. Like Pilate, the first-formed rational asks, "What is truth?" To such states, therefore, the Divine doctrine cannot be revealed, but only to those states which are formed from those living affections called remains.
     In Mary, a virgin daughter of her people, we find that abiding affection of truth which is inspired in the heart of man before the love of self becomes calculating. She alone can serve as the matrix of the Divine descent. In her there is neither duplicity nor deceit, but a childlike devotion in which the spirit of innocence dwells. While there is much that she does not understand, she does not question those things which come to pass.

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As she said unto the angel: "Be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 2: 38).
     Intimately associated with the life of Mary is Joseph, who in his representative function is that good to which the love of truth is betrothed. This good is the delight of heaven itself, which of the Lord's providing is present in first states. In infancy and childhood these delights are inspired through the instrumentality of the heavens whose function it is to prepare the way for the Lord. Hence, Joseph is said to represent the celestial of the spiritual-that heavenly medium whereby the Lord's love is accommodated to the states of men.
     It was Mary and Joseph, therefore, who received the Babe and laid Him in the manger. There were, however, those other remains of innocence which testify to His birth. There were the shepherds who represent those primary truths which are learned by way of instruction. Let us never under evaluate those first learned truths of childhood; they constitute the child's first idea of the Lord, and all that is learned in later states is dependent upon it. Associated in our minds with these heavenly shepherds is the story of the wise men, bringing with them the sacred memories of the past, reviving in our hearts the spirit of prophecy and the hope of Him who is to be born among men. Indeed, it has been truly said, "Life's treasures ever come out of the past, and the deeper the past, the greater the treasure."*
     * A Sermon by the Right Reverend N. D. Pendleton. (See The Glorification, p. 7.)
     Here, then, is a marvelous thing; it is the miracle of regeneration. At His coming there are few to receive Him, but by means of these few many are brought to the light. Were it not for these few who attend the Divine child at His birth, those truths of the church which are represented by the disciples could not be formed. This is of the Lord's own providing; it is His way in the establishment of the church. By means of the first- formed affections of life man is held in a state of receiving faith in the Lord until the day of His showing unto Israel.
     Interiorly regarded, the life of regeneration is marked by successive revealings of the Divine doctrine. As evils and falsities are removed, man becomes increasingly sensitive to the power of His Word. As children our faith is implicit, but it is as yet unformed. Like David, we hear of Him in Ephrata, we find Him in the fields of the forest; but it is not until we find Him in Bethlehem-in the spiritual sense of the Word-that the miracle of regeneration can be effected. It is here, in our first dim perception of His Divine Humanity, that the truth is seen. Like the shepherds, like the wise men, we know that this Child, this nascent doctrine of the Divine Human, is as no other, although as yet we know not what these things portend. It is only as we endure in temptation that the true meaning and purpose of life is revealed.

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     In the course of the years many have come to Bethlehem. Some have found Him, and others have not. The difference is that whereas the former have sought Him, the latter, like the travelers on the road to Hebron, are intent on other things. In their minds there is nothing here which is deserving of more than a passing interest-nothing which is conducive to the life of the proprium. Like Bethlehem, the ancient city of Ephrata, the Writings do not seem to belong to the modern world. Their content, their form, even the style in which they are written, seem to belong to the past. Men say these things may have been of interest in the day they were written, but of what value are they in this enlightened age? True, they may be of historic interest to the occasional student of comparative religion, but science is king, and in the land of the Pharaohs we will find what our hearts desire. So they press on to the markets of merchants who trade the scientifics of Egypt for the knowledges of the lands of the East. In their haste they give no thought to the city of Bethlehem where is born He who is Christ the King.
     Were it not for this doctrine of the Divine Human which is cradled in Bethlehem, the Writings would not be what they are. Were He not inmostly present in every doctrine of the Church they would be neither true nor authoritative. "In Him (is) life: and (this) life is the light of men." Yet men attribute them to Emanuel Swedenborg-a gifted thinker of a former day. As his works they will acknowledge them, and at times even acclaim them, but they judge according to the appearance, and their judgment is not true: for these Writings are, "born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1: 13). They are what they proclaim themselves to be, the Word of God in Human form.
     Nevertheless, it is this Divine Human which men deny. They say this thing is beyond all belief. Yet we ask, how else can God be revealed? Were it not for His Divine Humanity He would remain invisible and unknowable. Hence the teaching of the Writings that "before the Divine can be made comprehensible to man it must first be made Human." Even in most ancient times God was seen as Man; not as we see Him today in His own Divine Human, but as the angel of Jehovah-that human of the heavens which served the purpose of Divine revelation until the day that He was born as Man. Indeed, He cannot be revealed except as Man for He is Divine Man.
     On this day, therefore, and in all days to come, whenever men reflect upon His birth into the world, the story of the shepherds is retold. These spiritual thoughts and affections which watch over their sheep by night lead us in the way of life, even unto the city of David where we will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. It is an ever recurrent miracle-the miracle of the Divine birth in the hearts and minds of men.

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In each successive state a deeper insight is given, and the light which at first shines in the darkness becomes as the sun in its strength. He who as children we were taught to worship is no longer an unseen God who dwells in glory above the heavens. He is God Immanuel, that is, God with us, whose dwelling place is the Word made flesh Amen.

LESSONS:     Micah 5. Luke 2: 1-19. AC 1414.
MUSIC:     Liturgy, pages 531, 524, 536, 516, 520, 352.
PRAYERS:     Liturgy, nos. 23, 55.
CHILD BORN, A SON GIVEN 1952

CHILD BORN, A SON GIVEN       Rev. F. E. WAELCHLI       1952

     A Christmas Talk to Children

     It is said in the Old Testament: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." These words were spoken by the prophet Isaiah about seven hundred years before the Lord was born. Yet they are spoken as if the birth of the Lord were already taking place; for what the Lord sees as something that is to be done at some future time on earth is with Him as if it were already done. So these words are Christmas words, telling of the Lord's coming into the world as the Savior.
     "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." The Lord came as "a child born" and "a son given." Like every little child that is born He was very innocent, that is, very good. But His innocence and goodness were something far, far greater than that of any other little child ever born. For His goodness was that of God Himself, thus goodness itself, for His soul was God. This is what is meant by `the child born." It means that God as Divine good came into the world.
     He is also called the `son given." This reminds us that when the angel told Mary that she would be the Lord's mother he said. "He shall be called the Son of the Highest," and also "He shall be called the Son of God." This means that as to that body with which the Lord was born, and as to the mind that belonged to that body. He was the Son of that Divine soul which was God Himself. And it also means that in the mind of that body there would be God's own truth, the Divine truth, which would do wonderful things in saving mankind.
     "And the government shall be upon His shoulder." This means that the Lord, in that body in which He came into the world, would be the Governor or Ruler of all things of heaven and earth. The Lord while on earth made His body and its mind to be God, even as His soul was God. And so, when He went back into heaven He said: "All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth.

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And it is interesting to know that a "shoulder" means power; for all power of the body comes forth through the shoulder. And that is why it is said: "The government shall be upon His shoulder."
     When the angel told the shepherds about the child born at Bethlehem he said: "Unto you is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord." Surely we should wish to know what the Lord was as the Savior, and what He did as the Savior, and what He became as the Savior. These are the greatest of all things we should wish to know, and they are told in His names that are given when it is said: "And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace." Each of these names means something of the Lord the Savior. And they must be holy for us: for we pray daily, "Hallowed (or holy) be Thy name.
     There are six names in our text, and we can think of them as three pairs. The first pair is Wonderful, Counsellor: the second, God, the Mighty; the third, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
     "Wonderful, Counsellor." The first name is "Wonderful," and being the first it leads to all the names that follow and is present within them all. There are many ways in which we can think of how wonderful was the Child that was born and the Son that was given. But the principal way in which to think of it is that He came to do all that was foretold of Him in the Word. How are we to understand this? At the time the Lord came the Word with men was the Old Testament. This, in its deepest meaning, from beginning to end, in every word, tells what the Lord would do when He would come on earth. Thousands and thousands and thousands of things, more than could ever be numbered, it tells that the Lord would do when He would come into the world to save mankind from hell and to lead them to heaven. So very, very wonderful is that deepest meaning of the Old Testament. As that great Wonderfulness the Lord came, and did all that was said of Him, and by His doing it He was the Wonderful.
     As the Word the Lord was the "Wonderful." and also as the Word He was the "Counsellor" or Teacher. For as the Word He taught men concerning Himself, concerning love to Him and toward one another, concerning giving up evil and receiving good from Him, and concerning the way to heaven and its happiness.
     "God the Mighty." In the Word the name "God" is used when it tells of something the Lord does in His great power. It is used when it tells of His creation of the world, of His changing man from evil to good, and of His founding the church, as where it is said that the New Jerusalem, or the New Church, comes down from God out of heaven. In the Hebrew, in which language the Old Testament was given, the word for God is El.

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This word El means power, or the Powerful One. Now, this power belongs to the Divine truth. You know that when something true is spoken there is power in that truth. But the Lord is all truth, truth itself, Divine truth, and as such He has Divine power. It was as Divine truth in all its power that the Lord came on earth and did all that was foretold of Him, and so one of the names by which the child born and the son given is to be called is "God."
     With the name "God" comes the name "the Mighty" to make us think of what the Lord did in the might of His truth when on earth. The Hebrew word for "the Mighty" is, more exactly translated, "Hero." God, the Divine truth, was on earth as the Hero because as a great Hero He fought against all hell, which hates the truth, hates the Lord as the truth, and seeks to destroy the truth with men and with angels. But the Lord, the Hero, in great and terrible battles, fought against the great host of devils, and conquered them and drove them into hell, so that He as the truth might again, in all power, be with men and with angels.
     "Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace." As the names "God, Hero" make us think of the Lord as the truth and of the power of truth, so the next two names make us think of His love. The name "Father" when spoken of the Lord, means His love. This is what that name should mean to us when, beginning the Lord's Prayer, we say: "Our Father, who art in the heavens." Here the name is "Father of Eternity." the Father who has ever been, now is, and forever will be. As that Father of Eternity He came on earth as the Savior. He came because of His wondrous love. And in that love He did all that He did. And as that love He returned into heaven, where He reigns as the Father of Eternity.
     Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Father of Eternity, is also the "Prince of Peace." By peace is meant all the joy and delight of heaven. The Lord came in order to give that peace, and in His giving it He became peace itself, the Prince of Peace. And as such He ascended into heaven, where forever He imparts peace to all the angels and also to all on earth who will receive it from Him. It is the same whether we say that He gives peace or that He gives heaven. And He gives it in His love.
     When we spoke of the first name, Wonderful, we said that what it means enters into the meaning of all the names that follow. And now this last name, Prince of Peace, is that to which all the names going before lead, as it were step by step. It is the crowning name. Such are the holy names of the Lord which should be especially in our thought at the time when we celebrate His coming as the Savior. But let us not think of these names as only being His at the time when He came. They are His now and forever, the names of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

     [Reprinted from NEW CHURCH LIFE, 1936, pp. 353-356. Editor]

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WHAT IS MEANT BY PROPRIUM? 1952

WHAT IS MEANT BY PROPRIUM?        GEORGE DE CHARMS       1952

     (Delivered during certain Episcopal Visits, October, November, 1952.)

     It has often been said that the Writings are hard to read and difficult to understand because they are couched in an obsolete and unattractive style and because they use so many unfamiliar words. Both these criticisms are well founded. Yet it is questionable how far these apparent defects can be avoided. It is commonly supposed that the fault lies with the translators, and in part this is undoubtedly true.
     The first duty of any translator, however, is, of course, to give an accurate rendition of the author's meaning, and this responsibility is doubly imperative when dealing with a Divine revelation. A conscientious regard for this all-important obligation has led to the adoption of a style very largely influenced by Latin usage. Many words of Latin derivation have been selected because they seemed to convey a meaning closer to the original, even though they are so rarely used in modern English writing that they are not readily understood by the reader In a number of cases Latin words have simply been retained without any attempt at translation because no English equivalent could be found. Then too, the grammatical construction has often been so closely patterned after the original that the thought is expressed in long and involved sentences, with punctuation that is unusual and frequently confusing.
     The fact is that the accustomed style of writing in English has greatly changed since the earlier translations of the Writings were produced. The modern mode is much simpler and more direct. When compared with it he existing translations of the Writings seem old-fashioned, wordy, repetitious, and consequently obscure. Many, therefore, have expressed the view that if well-known words of Anglo-Saxon derivation were used instead of obsolete Latinisms, and if the thought were cast into shorter, simpler sentences, the teaching of the Heavenly Doctrine would strike the reader with greater force and clarity, and might therefore command a far wider acceptance.
     Translation is indeed an art that calls for great skill. It is an art that must be adapted constantly to the changing needs of the times. An attractive style is certainly to be desired, as also is the use, so far as possible, of familiar terms. We have no doubt that something can be done to improve the effectiveness of our translations of the Writings.

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But the fact remains that these Writings have been given to reveal new truth. They contain ideas that have never before been conceived in the mind of man. And since ideas can be communicated only by means of appropriate language, it follows that if new ideas are to be expressed, new terms must necessarily be used. Either words must be coined for the purpose and carefully defined, or else well-known words must be given a new meaning and connotation. Swedenborg has employed both these methods, and any translator who seeks to convey his true meaning must do likewise. This being the case there is no way to avoid the necessity of introducing unfamiliar terms. No skill on the part of the translator will obviate the need for the reader to master a technical vocabulary if the ideas set forth in the Writings are to be rightly understood.

     This need is well illustrated in the case of the Latin word "proprium" which has become so familiar to all New Church men. Not only is there no equivalent for this word in the English language, but as it is used in the Writings it has a meaning that is unique even in the original tongue. Its real meaning can be learned only by a careful and comprehensive study of the Heavenly Doctrine. The Latin dictionary defines it as meaning whatever is one's own, or what belongs to one's self. Some have therefore adopted the word "own" as a translation for it. This, however, is of little help to the reader because as it is used its meaning is by no means clear. There is no parallel for such use in the English language. And because one may be misled by the ordinary connotation of the word, we think it is far preferable to retain the term "proprium" as a word coined to express a new meaning.
     Of course in such a case it is extremely important that the word should be carefully defined. In the present instance this is not an easy task. The dictionary defines it in its peculiar Swedenborgian sense as "selfhood, the principle of individuation in personality." Such a definition strikes us as a formidable circumlocution that conveys to the mind no tangible idea; or at best, one that is so vague as to be of little practical value. On the other hand, as the word proprium is most generally understood in the Church it is given a meaning that is altogether too restricted. It is almost wholly confined to the concept of man's inherited nature, and especially to his innate propensity for evil. This is only partially true. Rightly understood, the word contains the key to the whole spiritual philosophy of the Writings. It is intended to express an entirely new concept of human nature and of man's relation to God. In it lies the Divine answer to the age-old problem of man's free will, and of human responsibility. This becomes clear if we carefully examine the many passages in the Writings in which the term is used.

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     Swedenborg adopts the word primarily because of its basic meaning in the Latin language, namely, "what is one's own, or what belongs to ones self. He points out that in this sense it can be ascribed only to the Lord, for He alone IS. He alone has Esse or Being. He alone has substance, form, life, and power in Himself. Everything else exists and lives from Him. All things in the created universe receive substance, form, life, and power perpetually from God, possessing no property or attribute of their own. This applies to man as well as to the lower orders of creation. Man, we are told, is only a vessel receptive of life. The vessel itself is a Divine creation, and thus a gift that cannot be said to belong to man by any inherent right. Whatever moves this vessel, or causes it to live, is the Lord's life, not the man's. The Lord alone has life in Himself, and therefore "the Lord alone has proprium" (AC 149).
     But the Lord gives of His life to man by a perpetual influx which is so secret that man knows not whence it comes, and he feels it altogether as if it originated within himself. Thus he appears to have a life of his own, and this appearance of self-life is called his "proprium." The Lord provides for this appearance, and protects it with infinite care because the very happiness of heaven depends upon it. The supreme end of the Divine love is that there may be a heaven from the human race-a heaven wherein man may be blessed with ever-increasing happiness to eternity. It is of Providence therefore that man should be held in the appearance that his life is his own.
     This human proprium, however, is not a reality but an illusion. It arises from the fact that while we have no sensation or perception of life as it inflows from the Lord, we feel the effects produced by that influx upon the sensitive vessels of the mind. Inflowing life moves these vessels, changing their form and their state. Of these changes we become conscious, perceiving them as sensations, imaginations, thoughts, perceptions, affections, desires, emotions, and loves. All of these we feel as if they were our very own. We are aware that at least within certain limits we can control them. We can select those that please us, striving to repeat them, to retain and intensify them, even while we reject and seek to avoid those that are displeasing to us. This ability we perceive as will power, and because we seem to exercise it by virtue of our own life it is said in the Writings that "man's will is his proprium" (SS 115).
     It is easy to demonstrate however that this will is not really man's own. The psychologist can trace our preferences, our likes and dislikes to causes outside ourselves-causes over which we have no control. In part they arise from our inherited nature and disposition. In part they may he produced by our physical condition. And to a large extent they are tracable to experience, that is, to environmental influences.

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So convincing is the evidence that what a man feels as his own will is nothing more than a spontaneous and inevitable reaction to these alien forces that modern scientific opinion denies the very possibility of free will. Man is regarded as a creature of circumstance, the victim of his heredity as this may be affected or modified by influences playing upon it from the material and social environment in which he finds himself. If, therefore, what he feels as "will" is but an inevitable interplay between heredity and environment, then indeed he has no will of his own.
     Believing this to be the case, psychologists have reduced the science of the mind to what is called "behaviorism," that is, to a study of how man responds to physical and mental impulses from without. They relieve man of individual responsibility for his actions, interpreting evil, crime, and all anti-social behavior as the inescapable result of physical disease, or of mental disorder. Curiously enough they place the blame for those things upon society, when yet it must be apparent that if the individual man has no free will neither does society. For society is made up of individuals, and whatever "will" it displays is but a composite of the wills of the persons who constitute it. It follows logically that if man is not responsible for his actions, neither can society be to blame for its influence upon him. For it would in that case be impossible for society, by any free act of will, to direct or to modify in the least its impact upon any individual. Everything that happens, therefore, must be regarded as an inevitable reaction to circumstance, and thus as a mechanical necessity.
     Man is by no means responsible for his parents and ancestors. He is in no way responsible for the time or the place of his birth. His heredity, therefore, is fixed and predetermined. National traditions, the customs of the time, the social standing of his family and their friends, the nature of the country, its climate, and its natural resources on which the inhabitants are dependent for a living-all these combine to produce the environmental influences that mould his life. And since his reaction to these influences is the unavoidable and spontaneous result of his heredity, therefore the appearance that he has a will of his own is purely an illusion. That all this is true the Writings fully confirm.

     Yet men instinctively recognize that there must be such a thing as real freedom of choice. Indeed, without this human life has no meaning. Without it there is no such thing as right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsity. There is no such thing as justice or injustice, honor or dishonor, nobility of character, or meanness and cruelty. Without it man is worthy of neither praise nor blame for his behavior. He is nothing but a mechanical robot. Yet these things exist. Men may live as virtuous citizens, respected and esteemed by society; or they may live as criminals who must be punished and restrained for the protection of society.

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To some extent at least they must be held responsible for these actions.
     Yet how they can be responsible without free will is something that scientific psychology has been unable to explain. As a matter of fact, philosophers in all ages have assumed that man does have free will and by various theories have sought to account for it. According to medieval Christian doctrine man is endowed by nature with a will that is wholly evil, and is under Divine condemnation for the sin of Adam. From this will he can be rescued only by faith in Jesus Christ, whereby instantaneously and miraculously he is "saved," that is, endowed by God with a good will. This concept has long been rejected by modern thinkers and replaced by an opposite view, namely, that man, the product of a continually ascending evolution, is inherently good, and if his spontaneous nature is not crushed or interfered with by society, this good will is sure to assert itself and prevail. But scientific evidence gives no more support to this assumption than it does to the theory of original sin. Modern psychology, in spite of intensive research and experimentation, offers therefore no solution to the problem of free will and of human responsibility.
     No solution of this problem is possible without a knowledge of the spiritual world, and of the fact that what man feels as his own will is really an impulse imposed upon him from that world. As has been pointed out, the Writings teach that man is nothing but a vessel receptive of life. That which moves the sensitive vessels of his mind, producing what he feels as conscious sensations, thoughts, emotions, and desires, is a perpetual influx of life from God. But this influx comes to him not only immediately from God, but mediately through angels and spirits in the other world, and through men on earth and objects in the material universe. Consciousness arises only where the forces of these two worlds meet. Every impulse from the material environment that strikes upon the sense organs of the body, and is conveyed by the nervous system to the cortical cells of the brain, invites a corresponding influx from our spiritual environment, that is, from angels and spirits surrounding us in the spiritual world. The confluence of these two forces produces consciousness. The form of the resulting sensation is determined by the impulse from nature, that is, by the objects impressed upon the bodily sense organs from without. But the quality of the sensation, that is, whether it is perceived as something pleasant or unpleasant, as pleasure or pain, is determined by the impulse from the spiritual world. This is what we cal affection, and affection produces will, or an impulse to act. Such affections come to us through spirits, either good or evil. They are the effect of inflowing life from the Lord as it is modified in passing through either heaven or hell. But man feels them as if they were his own, as if they originated in his own mind, and were the product of his own life.

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They produce in him the appearance of self-life that is called "proprium."
     Now it should be particularly noted that "proprium," the appearance of self-life, is characteristic of every affection, whether it be good or evil, whether it come from heaven or from hell. It is perfectly true that every man by hereditary nature is born with a propensity for evil. "Hereditary evil," we read, "derives its origin from every one's parents . . . or from grandparents and ancestors successively. Every evil which they have acquired by actual life, even so that by frequent use or habit it has become like a nature, is derived into the children and becomes hereditary to them, together with that which had been implanted in the parents from grandparents and ancestors" (AC 4317). What is actually transmitted is an innate tendency in the sensitive vessels of the mind to assume forms that are contrary to Divine order, and that are consequently pleasing and delightful to evil spirits. When these forms are excited they invite influx from the hells, producing affections of pleasure that man feels as his own. Thence arises an evil proprium. And because every man is born with this hereditary nature, the Writings frequently say that he is born into evils of every kind, and that his "proprium" is evil (DP 215 and elsewhere). This is the origin of the generally accepted idea that the term "proprium" always refers to what is evil.
     But this is by no means the case. It is mercifully provided by the Lord that man's hereditary tendency to evil does not become active immediately after birth. Every infant is held by the Lord in the sphere of heaven and under the direct influence of celestial angels. This is possible because the very first impressions made upon the vessels of the mind are in the order of Divine creation. Everything that is made by God, as far as it has not been warped or perverted by the hand of man, is in Divine order. As is said in the first chapter of Genesis: "God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good" (verse 31). The first impact of sound upon the ear, of light upon the eye of touch upon the skin, is always a primitive sensation, similar in all respects to those received by first-formed man before any suggestion of evil had arisen. Such primitive sensations invite influx from the most ancient heavens where love to the Lord reigns supreme. The delights of those angels are communicated to the awakening infant. They affect him profoundly, and he feels them as his very own. Wherefore they produce in him a "proprium" that is altogether good and heavenly. Because these innocent infantile delights are deeply impressed upon the memory; because they are preserved in the unconscious mind throughout life; and because they can be recalled in later years, powerfully to affect and move the will: they are called in the Writings "remains."

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They induce upon the vessels of the mind a tendency to respond with delight to heavenly influx-a tendency which counters and balances the forces of heredity.
     By insinuating celestial remains before hereditary evils become active the Lord provides for the salvation of every man born into the world, regardless of his heredity or his environment. By this means He provides a state of equilibrium between two opposing wills, both of which appear to the man to be his own. Such a balance or equilibrium is the prerequisite of free choice. Without this, man would be the helpless creature of his heredity. Without it he would never know any affections, delights, or desires except such as were imposed upon him by evil spirits, and he would be carried along on the current of these loves as a leaf is carried on the surface of a river. The fact that by remains he is enabled to feel heavenly delights opens the way to comparison, contrast, judgment, and choice. But note well, this in itself does not endow him with free will. If there were nothing except these two conflicting forces capable of moving the mind of man he still would not be free. As we have pointed out, neither the force of heredity nor the force of remains is the man's own in spite of the strong appearance to the contrary. Both of them have been imposed upon him from without. If, then, they were absolutely equal and completely balanced, he would remain motionless, poised between them. If he moved at all it would be because either one force or the other, at any given time, was stronger than the other. In this case, whichever direction he took he would still have no choice but to yield to the prevailing impulse. He still would have no freedom, and therefore no responsibility. Any appearance of free will would still be a mere illusion.
     The great new truth, however, which the Writings reveal is that the Lord imparts of His life, not only mediately, but also immediately. He inflows through spirits and angels to produce conscious sensations, thoughts, and emotions. But in addition to this He inflows directly through man's soul, and this influx gives no sensation but only a power that appears to be man's own. This power does not belong to the man. It is a perpetual gift of God. But man feels it in himself as his own life, by virtue of which he can freely choose which of the two opposing forces he will favor, and which he will reject. And note well, although the power really belongs to the Lord and the appearance that it belongs to man is an illusion, still, the use that man makes of this power is subject to his own determination. In exercising this God-given power to make a choice man is really free. This freedom is not an illusion but an actuality. In the exercise of this freedom man has real responsibility. That which he thus chooses comes to be his very own, his real self, the proprium that will determine his character and his place, either in heaven or in hell, to eternity.

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     This, then, is the only real freedom possible to man. It is not the apparent freedom that is manifested in spontaneous likes or dislikes. These are, in fact, nothing but an inevitable reaction between an heredity diver which he has no control and an environment that is the result of circumstance. It is not the apparent freedom to do one thing or another, to choose where a man will go, or when he will turn, or in what direction. As to all his speech and his action, man is controlled by a thousand necessities, by imperative needs, by subconscious as well as by conscious drives of emotion and desire.
     But in spite of all these external restrictions, by the infinite mercy of God "every man, as long as he lives in the world, walks in the midst between heaven and hell, and thence is in equilibrium, so that he has freedom of will to look upward to God or downward to hell" (TCR 69). Deep within himself, in the secret recesses of his own heart, every man "can think in favor of God, or against God, and he can think in favor of the Divine things of the church, or against them, as he wills" (TCR 480). Thus he can turn his face toward the heavenly delights of remains, holding them in his mind, cherishing and protecting them, and seeking in every way to strengthen them. Or he can turn his face away from them, and open his mind to the influx of evil affections induced by heredity, nurturing these and cultivating them that they may constantly grow and increase in their power over him.
     This freedom no one, neither man nor spirit, can take away from him. The Lord provides it from the first moment of his birth, and protects it to all eternity. It exists with the devils of hell as well as with the angels of heaven. Nothing prevents evil spirits from renouncing their sins, from accepting the truth of the Word, from living according to that truth, and so coming into heaven-nothing, except their own choice. The Lord keeps the way open perpetually; but having become confirmed in their mode of thought and of life they refuse to depart from it, because they feel in it the very delight of life, and the life of heaven affects them only with pain and loathing. "From this it follows that every one may be saved; consequently that it is not the Lord's fault if man is not saved, but man's, because he does not cooperate" with the Lord, who is perpetually seeking to bring him into heaven (TCR 580).

     This is the only logical explanation that has ever been given of what human freedom really is. It is the only possible answer to the problem of how man can be really free, and actually responsible for the direction of his life, in spite of the fact that he has no life whatever of his own, and therefore no "proprium" except in appearance.

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Real freedom can result only from the combination of three kinds of "proprium," namely, the appearance through heredity that the affections or delights of evil spirits are his own, and constitute his own will; the appearance through remains that the affections and delights of heaven are his own, and also constitute his own will; and finally, the appearance that life inflowing immediately from God through the soul is his own, whereby he is empowered to choose and make his own, either the delights of hell, or those of heaven, as he wills.
     According to this choice, which is absolutely free, he takes to himself either an infernal or a heavenly "proprium." The difference between these two lies solely in this: the infernal proprium is the delight of self-love, the delight of confirming the appearance that man's life is his own to do with as he wills, and thus the delight of denying the existence of God as the source of life, and of denying the Word as the source of truth. The heavenly proprium, on the other hand, is the delight of love to the Lord and charity, the delight in acknowledging that all our life and power are but gifts of God, and therefore the delight of acknowledging the truth of the Word as the Law of God, in keeping which there is great reward.
     He who denies this Law, and lives for himself alone, must, in Providence, be continually restrained lest he do injury to others. But he who obeys this Law needs no restraint, since the love of his life is to be of use to others, and to promote their happiness and well-being. Whence it follows that the only real freedom is that of the heavenly proprium, acquired by the willing choice of obedience to the Lord and to His Word.
OUR USES: A REVALUATION 1952

OUR USES: A REVALUATION       Rev. RICHARD H. TEED       1952

     (Extracted from an editorial in THE NEW AGE, September-October, 1952, pp. 249.)

     "I incline to think, therefore, that we have put our various uses and activities in wrong order of precedence. Our uses would appear to be threefold-worship, study of our Revelation, and an apostleship to go forth and tell our good news. We have inclined to want to make our worship our means of contact with the world about us, and hence have conducted our worship and preached with an eye on the possible visitor who might be-but seldom is-present. The consequence is we have made our worship too similar to the worship of other Churches-lest we offend the visitor, and we have kept our pulpit utterances too simple, and so our own people have been starved of spiritual nourishment adapted to their more advanced needs. It seems to me New Church worship should be primarily for New Church people; it should be the most internal of our uses, and should not normally be used at all as a missionary agency.

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We want to break wholly free from any traditions of worship as these are observed in churches around and get right down to the problem of just what is New Church worship; and we should organize and conduct it always primarily for the convinced New Churchman. We have too much taken the view that New Churchmanship is a static thing, whereas unless it is a thing of growth it stagnates and dies. By real distinctive New Church worship our people should be led ever closer to the Lord and shown from the Word and the Writings paths of the regeneration which have hitherto been hidden.
     "I put New Church worship definitely foremost in our uses, and this does not mean to use it as a missionary vehicle. Missionary work really requires a different atmosphere and another medium, and I place it as the third or ultimate of our uses.
     "Our second use-one would think obviously-must be to study together the Revelation which is the raison d'etre of our existence as a distinctive ecclesiasticism. A New Church is to tell new teachings, yet, strange to say, this is a use that languishes among us. We are always wanting other people to know about our wonderful doctrines, and this attitude is not as unselfish as it might at first seem! It means that we have received only a very small fraction of this Revelation and we cannot be bothered to go further, and so we turn and say let others be told of what we know. A really live New Church would be a company of learners, of seekers after the wonderful things that belong to our Revelation. We are but halfhearted about this . . . there should undoubtedly be an established custom among us that just as we gather together once a week to worship, so shall it be incumbent upon every loyal member to gather with others under the leadership of a minister to read and study the Writings. We need, as a Church, to go to the Writings themselves, and humbly read and meditate, ask questions, and receive answers."
SELF-SATISFIED 1952

SELF-SATISFIED              1952

     "A Tin-cup, a Bucket, and a Barrel sat on the seashore. All of them were full of water, as much as they could hold. The Barrel smiled as he regarded the amount in the Bucket. The Bucket felt an amused pity as he looked down on the little Tin-cup. The Tin-cup smiled as he looked at the dry sand. All of them had received according to their capacity and use, which was proper and right. All of them were somewhat self-satisfied with the amount received-which was natural, but somewhat absurd, as they sat on the seashore" (Anshutz: FABLES).

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CHARTER DAY ADDRESS 1952

       Rev. NORBERT H. ROGERS       1952

     (Delivered at the Service in the Cathedral, October 17, 1952.)

     Three-quarters of a century ago today, on the 17th of October, 1877, three of its six signers submitted the Charter of the Academy of the New Church to the Recorder of Deeds in the County of Philadelphia. A few days later, on November 3rd, this instrument was approved by the judge of the Court of Common Pleas, No. 2, in Philadelphia; and then, on November 5th, it was duly recorded in the Charter Book, No. 3. in the office of the Recorder of Deeds.
     That prosaic legal action, together with the Charter that was granted by it, has become a symbol of great importance, not only to the Academy, but to the whole Church as well. It is the reason for this gathering of students, ex-students and friends of the Academy from all parts of the Church to celebrate its 75th anniversary. For it not only gave the Academy founders the legal right to propagate the Heavenly Doctrine, to establish the New Church, to promote education in all its various forms, to educate young men for the ministry, to publish books, pamphlets and other printed matter, and to establish a library but it also marked the beginning of a process of steady growth and development in the field of distinctive New Church education for the sake of the Church.
     This process of growth and development, initiated by the Academy founders and carried forward by their successors and heirs, has been the result of determined and zealous efforts to fulfill a clear and lofty vision of the spiritual end and use of distinctive New Church education. And through the years that vision has been kept in view, and the efforts to fulfill it have been sustained by high hopes and by a strong faith. Because of that vision, and those hopes, and that faith, and those efforts, the Academy has become an educational plant in which all may well take pride; possessing fine, well-equipped buildings, a faculty of able, well-trained, earnest and devoted men and women, and a steadily increasing student body.
     But it is to be kept in mind that the granting of the Charter is not only the symbol of the cause of those effects we now enjoy; it was itself a result, an effect of prior causes. It represents not only the beginning of a progression: it was itself the culmination of a long process of development and the result of much thought and effort-of many attempts and failures, of many conflicts and sacrifices.

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For the recognition of the need of New Church education, the vision and the faith that led to the establishment of the Academy Schools, did not originate with the Academy founders. They were the heirs, just as we are, of the thought, the study and understanding, the resolution, the effort and experience, of previous generations.

     As students of the history of New Church education know well, interest in education manifested itself early in the establishment of the New Church. As far back as 1790, 162 years ago, a body of the Church officially recognized the need to investigate the question of the education of children by the Church. From that time through the years to this day much thought has been given to the subject, many studies have been made, many articles written and published, many discussions held, and many people have given generously of their time, energy and substance. And throughout the last century, through the leadership and industry of those who saw its need, many attempts were made to provide the means of education in the Church. But nearly all of them failed for one reason or another, mainly because sound principles of education had not been devised, or because the proper end and use of New Church education had not been clearly seen, or because too few had sufficient faith to make them willing to give the whole-hearted support necessary for success.
     And so we read of Sunday Schools organized by various societies, which were soon found to be insufficient by themselves to give children a sound education in the Church. As a result we read of a number of day schools established to provide free education for the children of the poor in the hopes that the membership of the Church would be increased thereby. These schools flourished for a time, having large enrollments, and enjoying the official recognition, favor, and support of the state. But these schools also were found to be inadequate, and they failed, not because they were too successful in the secular field, but mainly because they were designed to teach those not interested in the New Church, because they looked merely to natural ends, and because they were allowed to be supported and influenced by non-New Church elements. Since they did not gain new members for the Church, as had been expected, and since they attained great size, it became neither desirable nor possible for the Church to maintain them, and they were given over to the state.
     History tells us of other schools established to educate the children of New Church parents which failed because too few members of the Church enrolled their children in them, or supported them financially. As a result, these schools were compelled either to cease operating, or to open their doors to the public. Those which adopted the latter course were eventually led by it to take on non-New Church teachers, and to make the teaching of New Church doctrine a matter of secondary importance; they inevitably lost their New Church quality, and ceased to be New Church schools in fact, if not in name and connection.

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     The records of the past speak further of still other attempts to establish distinctively New Church schools failing because of the opposition of influential leaders of the Church, who did not recognize the distinctiveness of the New Church, or, therefore, the need to educate children in the teachings and sphere of the Church. These schools were stifled, as it were, by the persuasive arguments that education was not a proper use of the Church in the first place, and that it was not necessary in the second, since New Church principles had widely permeated the Christian churches and states.
     In brief, most of the various and repeated attempts to establish New Church schools failed because they were not given sufficient moral and financial support by the Church; because of yielding to the desire to enjoy the material advantages of non-New Church favor; because non-New Church elements were included in the student body, the faculty, and the curriculum; because the true purpose and use of New Church education had not been seen: or because the true distinctiveness of the New Church had not been recognized.
     But despite the discouragement of the many failures and of the opposition within the Church, or, more probably, on account of them, the need of New Church education continued to be seen, and the concept of its place and use in the Church, together with the faith in it, continued to be clarified, strengthened, and perfected with some in each generation of the Church. They came to see with increasing clarity and impelling conviction that the New Church was a distinctive church, that the Writings were a Divine revelation and thus the final authority in the Church, and that, education was properly an ecclesiastical use. From the experience of the past, and in the light of the doctrines, they came to see more and more clearly that New Church education should be kept pure and distinctive in every aspect, and thus that a New Church school should not only be under the government of the Church, but also that even secular subjects should be taught in the sphere and light of the Church and for the sake of the Church, that the faculty should be constituted of well-read and devoted members of the Church, and that the pupils should come from homes where the parents desired their children to be educated in the Church. They came to see that any inclusion of non-New Church elements, however slight, could not but hurt the cause of New Church education, and eventually lead to its complete failure. They came to see that New Church education could not attain to its goal unless it were promoted in a sphere of essential unanimity, general cooperation, and dedicated zeal.

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They came to see that education in the New Church was not to be regarded as a missionary effort, as the means to attract new members to the Church on earth from outside of it, nor even from within it, but that its essential function was to educate children in the name of the Lord, providing them with the means to understand and to use the rational truths of the Church. Thus they came to see that New Church education was to provide each new generation of the Church with the tools and the spiritual freedom needed to enable it, if it willed, to contribute to the true establishment of the Lord's kingdom.
     In the course of time the vision of New Church education, the hope and the conviction that it should, could, and would succeed if the members of the Church were faithful to the principles of the Church in carrying out the obligations laid down in the Writings, eventually became sufficiently clear and strong with the Academy founders and their associates that they were able to establish the Academy Schools. Through their much prayer and fasting, through their diligent search for truth in the Writings and resolute efforts to apply it, they acquired a faith that was capable of moving mountains. Because of that faith they were willing to separate themselves from their friends in the Church to form a new organization dedicated to the fulfilment of their vision. Because of that faith parents were willing to risk the loss of many natural advantages for their children in order that they might be educated in the Church. Because of that faith the members of the new organization were willing to assume heavy financial burdens in order to support and promote the cause of distinctive New Church education. Because of that faith priests and teachers were willing to give of their time, energy and experience for the sake of the use and without regard for material rewards. And the willingness to sacrifice the natural for the spiritual inspired by that faith, which made possible the establishment of the Academy Schools, has also enabled them to be developed and to retain their distinct New Church quality.

     In recalling the developments of the past, and in honoring the faith and the spirit of those who established the Academy despite the opposition they encountered and the sacrifices they were required to make, it is well to remember that we cannot merely depend upon them, upon their vision, their faith, their efforts, and their sacrifices. Nor can we content ourselves with the enjoyment of the fruits others have labored to provide for us. The Academy founders began a great work. Our fathers and mothers have carried it a step forward by their efforts And there is yet much work to be done by us, and by succeeding generations, if the true purpose of New Church education is to be attained. We, too, must have a clear vision of New Church education. We, too, must have a living hope in its realization. We, too, must have an unshakable faith in it.

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We, too, must have a willingness to pray and to fast, to inquire of the Lord, and to sacrifice. And we, too, must set our hands to the task that in Providence has been given us to do, looking forward to the end that is sought, and not backward to past states.
     In performing our part of the work, we must continually keep in mind that we, too, shall be tempted repeatedly in one way or another to lessen the distinctiveness of the education provided in our schools, and that yielding to these temptations was the fundamental cause of the failures of the past. We must be constantly prepared to meet such temptations in whatever form they may present themselves, and he resolved to overcome them, however great the struggle. We must continually seek to intensify the distinctive quality of our schools and of our education, looking to the Lord alone for guidance, and seeking to do His will in so far as it is known to us.
     If we have not this will and determination we cannot serve the Lord. If our faith is rot sufficiently great to cause us to give up our natural possessions and desires for the sake of the Lord, all that we do, however successful it may outwardly appear, will be but in vain. And if we are not willing to support the principles of truly distinctive New Church education to the limit of our abilities all that we do will be corrupt.
     Parents and pupils, teachers and ministers, must be united in furthering the real cause of New Church education for the sake of the Church, without any idea of gaining merit, or honor, or any advantage from it either for ourselves or even for the natural growth of the Church. All together, with single mind and heart, must come to see it as a Divinely given opportunity to serve the Lord and to do His will. And the fact that we can carry on the work of the Academy is to be our delight and our end.
WHY THE LORD CAME IN THE FLESH 1952

WHY THE LORD CAME IN THE FLESH       Rev. ALFRED ACTON       1952

     (Delivered to the Bryn Athyn Women's Guild, December 2, 1950, and reported from a tape recording.)

     It was some years ago that I addressed the Women's Guild on the subject of "Why the Lord was Born on this Earth." Today I wish to talk about "Why the Lord Came in the Flesh."
     The cause of creation is love. However much the scientists may discuss evolution and protoplasm, they cannot give any reason for creation: nor can there be any reason whatsoever except love-the love of giving to others outside one's self. We see this in the human manifestation of love-in the mother's love for her infant, that she would do anything for it, even sacrifice her own life, and certainly sacrifice her own comfort.

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It is the same with lovers-they would do anything for each other, make any sacrifice. Hatred is just the opposite. It wishes to take away from others and give to one's self.
     Thus there is only one cause of creation and that is the Divine love, which wills to give to others outside itself. We see an image of this in everything of creation, for instance, in the soul of man. The soul creates a body, and the body has senses. Now those senses do not sensate from themselves but the brain sensates; and if we go further, the brain does not sensate but the soul; and if we go still further, the soul does not sensate but the Lord alone. Yet each of those planes has its own delight. While the soul sensates, it gives to each organ of the body the appearance that it sensates of itself. Thus the tongue delights in taste, the eye in seeing, the ear in hearing; and all those senses seem as if they derive the delight from themselves whereas they derive it from the soul. But the essence of the soul is to give to others.
     After creation follow the consequences of love, that is, the desire to teach. We find that illustrated in parents, that when they have offspring their desire is to bring up the offspring, to teach them. So the Lord, when He created man, revealed Himself to man.
     Now revelation can be made only in ultimates. There is no other way of approaching man except in ultimates. The Lord does indeed give man the power of seeing, the power of perception, but the Lord does not give anything that can be seen or perceived except by means of ultimates. The Lord gives us the faculty of sight, but we do not have sight until we have some ultimate thing to see. So the Lord teaches only by ultimates. The ultimate by which the Lord taught primitive man or the man of the Most Ancient Church was nature. Nature was, as it were, a book written by God. Just as we read a book and see the affections and the thoughts at the author, so the most ancients, in reading the book of nature, saw the Divine love and wisdom. They saw it only spiritually, however, that is, they saw the spiritual things of the Divine love and wisdom. They did not see the natural things; that is, they did not see natural science. They did not see the operation of the Divine influx in ultimates, but they saw the spiritual things within, and this by virtue of an innate perception of correspondence. There is such a thing. For instance, if you growl at a man, whatsoever language you growl in, he understands from a sort of innate perception of correspondences. And so if you smile. So the most ancients knew from perception the correspondence of the things of nature. Not all at once. That had to grow from generation to generation The Most Ancient Church began with primitive man, uneducated, ignorant, who gradually grew to be the man of the Most Ancient Church in its golden age.

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     This is why it is said in the Writings that the Most Ancients, in fact all the churches before the coming of the Lord, saw in the light of the moon and not in the light of the sun. While other passages speak of the great wisdom of the most ancients, and how their wisdom excelled the wisdom of the spiritual, yet the teaching remains that the most ancients saw the Lord in the light of the moon and not in the light of the sun, and this because they did not see Him in ultimates except representatively, this representative presence of the Lord was the Divine Human with them, called in the Writings the Human Divine. They did see the Lord, but they saw the Lord only, as I said, spiritually. Such perception was not sufficient to meet the trials that came when evil began to prevail. Men were in freedom, and in freedom you must always grant the possibility of man abusing that freedom. So in the Most Ancient Church, even in the very beginning, there may have been those who abused the gift of freedom. Abuse came gradually, and with its increase, the Most Ancient Church was nearing its end.
     When that end was impending writing was invented, and this in order that the most ancient; might write down those knowledges of correspondences which they knew from perception, knowledges which had gradually accumulated with them up to the golden age of that church. This knowledge thus transmitted was taken up by the succeeding church, the new church which was raised up after the Most Ancient Church came to an end. The men of this church did not have perception of correspondences, but they acquired the knowledge thereof from the writings of the most ancients. Thus the science of the correspondence of natural objects with spiritual things began to be cultivated, and by means of that science men were able to see spiritual things within the things of nature. They also had revelation, but that revelation was also couched in the language of correspondences-as we see in the first nine chapters of Genesis where the stories are entirely correspondential and not historical.
     The beginning of this church, however, was also the beginning of a continued fall of man, for it was foreseen that with the perception of correspondences gone there would not be sufficient strength in spiritual truths alone to meet the growing evils and falsities that came from evil. Therefore it was predicted that the Lord at some time would come on earth and Himself would teach so that men should no longer be in the light of the moon but in the light of the sun.
     After the Ancient Church came the Israelitish Church where there was not any knowledge of correspondences. Still, this merely representative church was kept alive. It was in order that it might be kept alive, even when there was no internal, that the punishments of the Israelites were so extremely severe, for without such severity they could never have been induced duly and even solemnly to observe their representative worship, when yet this solemn observance was the sole means whereby there was a connection of the human race with heaven; for when the representative worship was solemnly observed, good spirits saw, not the internals of the worshipers, but their fear and their awe (WE 5436-37).

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     When the Israelitish Church also began to decline, when the representatives of worship began to be neglected and falsified and perverted, there was no further hope of a revival on the old basis. Therefore, as the Jewish Church sank down, the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah became more and more plain; and then the Lord was born on earth.
     The Lord foresaw that there was no longer a man who could teach men. Spirits cannot speak in English or in Latin or in any earthly language. They cannot speak in natural ideas, they can only speak in spiritual ideas, and those ideas, when they come to man, immediately clothe themselves in representative forms. Thus there were no means by which angels could teach man. "I looked, and there was none to help. Therefore Mine own arm brought salvation" (Isaiah 63: 5). And so the Lord Himself came, and this that He Himself might teach man, not representatively, but actually; that the Divine truth which had hitherto spoken to man as a spirit and only as a spirit-a spirit clothing itself with representative language-might speak to man as a man. "A spirit hath not flesh and blood as ye see Me to have," said the Lord; and by this He meant that the spirits by whom the Lord had revealed Himself to the former churches did not have flesh and blood; they could not speak to man in natural language but only in representatives. But the Lord came to speak truths in a natural language, and so He said: "A spirit hath not flesh and blood as ye see Me have."
     This coming of the Lord is spoken of in John as the Word made flesh. It has been supposed by many that by the Word made flesh was meant the Lord born as an infant; but that was not the Word made flesh because it was not the Word that constituted the infant but the material from the mother, with all the tendencies of that material, so that the flesh was prone to hunger, to be attacked, to be crucified; the ears to hear blasphemies, and the eyes to see deeds of horror. All this was from the mother. The body that was burn from the mother was not the Word made flesh. The Word made flesh was the Human which the Lord took on when He was in the world, and which He glorified. That was not material flesh.
     When the Lord was born an infant, the Divine shone through the infant. So in human infants, we see nothing but the presence of angels. But when the Lord was born as an infant, it was something Divine that shone forth. It is only thus that we can understand bow the wise men and the shepherds bowed down before the infant. They felt the Divine sphere.

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     As the Lord grew up, He showed the Divine soul within Him by the quickness with which He advanced. We have only one picture of this-that of the Lord when He was twelve years of age speaking with the doctors in the temple: "and they were astonished at His understanding." We can get some picture of this, however, if we reflect on men of great genius-great musicians or great mathematicians-how they very early even at five or six years of age, begin to manifest an extraordinary genius.
     The Lord was born with the appetite for good and the desire for truth, and as He advanced He took on a spiritual body, but a spiritual body visible to men. It is this body, the Lord's Human, that is the Word made flesh. The body of flesh and blood was the body which could he crucified. But the body which the Lord took on was the body by which He revealed Himself to the world. It is the same in the case of men. As men grow up, they form a character, and that character is the man who is seen by other men, the spiritual body which he has formed and by which he is known (see Heaven and Hell, 475e). From this analogy, we can have some understanding concerning the body which the Lord took on and which He glorified, that body which is the Word made flesh.
     What He took on through the senses was the Human Divine, that is to say, it was the Divine Human as presented representatively to those who lived before the advent, the correspondential or representative presence of the Lord in nature and in the written Word. He took on the representative Word. The Jews quoted the Word against Him: evil spirits flowed into His mind with the endeavor to pervert the Word, and the Lord could thus meet them. In this way the whole of the hells passed through the Lord's brain and came under His intuition, to be met by Him and subjugated.
     By means of these temptation combats the Lord brought the Divine truth within the vision of men on earth. The Word became flesh. The Divine truth created the world. Before the advent, the Divine truth was revealed to the world representatively. But when the Lord, by birth in the world took on these representatives, when He met evil men and evil spirits who made these representatives the basis of their attack, He revealed the Divine truth. From this He taught. By this He conquered everything that was opposed. Thus He revealed Himself as the Divine truth made manifest, the Word made flesh; revealing Himself to the evil as the Conqueror, to the good as the Teacher and Savior. When the Lord spoke the Sermon on the Mount He revealed Himself to the people. All men could see the material body which He had taken from the mother; but that was not the Lord any more than our body is us. The Pharisees saw the body, but only the simple who listened to the sermon saw the Man, and they were astonished "for He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes." The scribes had said, "Rabbi so and so says so and so," but the Lord said, "I say unto you," and the people saw, though as yet dimly, the Word made flesh.

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     Now we think of a word as if it were nothing, or as if it were a mere breath but not a reality; yet the understanding can easily see that the real thing in the spoken word is not the audible sound but the love and affections within it.
     So Divine truth is the only Real thing, and in the Lord, Divine truth became revealed to finite man on earth. This could be done only by means of the Lord as a Man, speaking with a mouth and from a human brain, The mouth and the brain were not the Lord, yet by their means the Lord became visible as the Word made flesh, the Divine truth revealed to the natural mind of man as it had never been seen by any previous church. The pre-advent churches had seen the Lord representatively, but now He Himself was seen even by the natural mind, seen not by the light of the moon, but, though as yet dimly, by the light of the Sun.
PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY 1952

PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY       Rev. ELMO C. ACTON       1952

     13. The Twelfth Principle

     The most fruitful field of evangelization is with the children of New Church parents. In order to occupy this fruitful field of work New Church schools are needed, that children may be kept in the sphere and environment of the Church, until they are able to think and act of themselves.

     In explanation of this principle Bishop W. F. Pendleton says: "From the beginning of the Academy movement it has been seen that an entire change in the policy of evangelization, or church extension, is necessary" (PRINCIPLES OF THE ACADEMY, p. 12), He then divides the reasons, drawn from doctrine and experience, into subheadings. We shall here summarize those reasons, though they should be read in full (pp. 12-14), and then comment upon them,
     1) The teaching that few adults of the consummated church will receive the Lord and enter interiorly into the doctrine and life of the New Church. This is drawn directly from the Writings, which say that a new church, although starting with a remnant in the former church, is fully established with the Gentiles, or those with whom the former church did not exist (see AC 2986, which shows that this was the case in every dispensation). The reason given is that principles of falsity imbued from infancy and afterwards confirmed must be shaken off before man can be regenerated. Even though the old false doctrines are no longer taught as dogmas they are perpetuated essentially through education, traditions, ethics, and morals, and through scientific dogma and modern philosophy; so it is no wonder that the truth of the Writings finds no inner resting place in the Christian world, and that the angels found little hope for those of Christian countries.

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     The teaching of such numbers as AC 9256, that the present church is being transferred to the Gentiles, led the Academy and the General Church to put little faith in missionary work and regard it as their primary duty to keep the interior things of the church alive with themselves and their children. We put our faith in the Lord; not knowing when the time of transfer will come, but seeing it as our duty to maintain a remnant of those who fully acknowledge the Lord in His second coming, so that we shall be ready to play our part in the establishment of the church with the Gentiles when it does arrive.
     2) The confirmatory experience of a hundred years, which shows the hopelessness of expecting many of the former church to acknowledge the Lord and really accept the Writings. This is directly supported by the teaching that "it is of the Lord's Divine Providence that the church should at first be confined to a few, and that its numbers should successively increase, because the falsities of the former church must first be removed; for before this truths cannot be received" (AR 547). Apocalypse Explained no. 732 gives three reasons for this order: the doctrine of the New Church cannot be received except by those who are interiorly affected by truths-who can see them because they have cultivated their intellectual faculty and not destroyed it by the loves of self and the world; the doctrine cannot be received except by those who have not confirmed themselves in faith alone by doctrine and life and the growth of the New Church on earth is according to its increase in the world of spirits, and those spirits only receive the doctrine who have been in the spiritual affection of truth.
     The experience of 164 years since the organization of the New Church has confirmed these teachings. Except for the Academy, the efforts of the Church have been devoted to missionary work. The result has been a gradual increase in receivers up to 1900, when the Convention reported a membership of 7,095, and from that time a gradual decrease, so that on December 31, 1951 the membership was 5,754 (JOURNAL OF THE GENERAL CONVENTION, 1952, p. 16). Money and effort have been spent, and new members have been attracted; but they have neglected to feed and retain those they already had, so that more have departed than have entered. The General Church, on the other hand, has succeeded by its educational policy in increasing its membership steadily from 347 in 1897 to 2,690 at the beginning of 1952.
     While we cannot judge from figures alone, all the facts bear out the wisdom and truth of the principle that education is the most fruitful field of evangelization in the New Church.

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We are not against missionary work, which is both good and necessary, but cannot give our efforts to it until we are fully supporting our educational policy; and surely no one will claim that we are doing so at the present time.
     3) The neglect in the organized New Church of the children born within its borders, with the result that comparatively few of them have remained in the Church after reaching adult life.
     4) It is of Providence that children of New Church parents should enter the Church in adult life, and it is reasonable to hope that this will happen if the Church cooperates with the Lord as He teaches,
     5) This result can be achieved if the Lord is acknowledged in His second coming, if the distinctiveness of the New Church and the death of the old are seen, if marriage is within the Church and the laws of order in marriage are observed, if the sphere of the Church is in the home, and if there be New Church day schools; and the children be thus kept in the sphere of the Church at home, in school, and in social life, until they reach adult age. The Academy therefore decided to occupy this new, and largely neglected field, believing that from it would come not only the future members of the Church but also growth in quality.
     Education is the work of evangelization which the General Church has undertaken. It is therefore not neglecting its duty when it does not engage in missionary efforts. These should not be despised or entirely foregone; but we are engaged in evangelization in our educational work, for we are trying to make New Church men and women. Our end is not the perpetuation of an organization or a society but of the Church. It is not self-centered but universal, for it looks outward to the good of all mankind. And the way in which we are trying to perform this use is clearly taught in Divine revelation and supported by every indication of experience. Let us hope, then, that the faith of the fathers in education as the most fruitful field of evangelization in the Church may not be weakened in the children, but that it may grow and ever increase in its cooperation with the Lord for the further establishment of the New Church upon earth.
     In concluding this series of articles on the Principles of the Academy we quote from Bishop W. F. Pendleton's address on them in which he gives the vital and living spirit from which they originated. We have now presented a general statement of the principles known as the Principles of the Academy. These principles are one with the Divine doctrine, given by revelation to the New Church. They are largely applications of that doctrine to the life of the Church, that the Church may be armed to resist positive and actual dangers that threaten its existence; and that it may do positive and actual uses which have been neglected, but which are seen to be essential to the upbuilding of the Church. The principles of the Academy, its faith and doctrine, are therefore essential and vital, and must be preserved and perpetuated."

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ADESTE FIDELIS! 1952

ADESTE FIDELIS!       Editor       1952


NEW CHURCH LIFE
Office of Publication, Lancaster, Pa.
Published Monthly By

THE GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM
BRYN ATHYN, PA.

Editor     Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Circulation Secretary     Mr. H. Hyatt, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
Treasurer     Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Bryn Athyn, Pa.

All literary contributions should be sent to the Editor. Subscriptions, change of address, and business communications, should be sent to the Circulation Secretary. Notifications of address changes should be received by the 15th of the month.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION
$3.00 a year to soy address, payable in advance. Single copy, 30 cents.
     Even in the non-religious world there is a vague perception that there is more to Christmas than gay ribbons and exciting wrappings, presents and parties, wassail and feasting, or even an upsurge of general, if short-term, good will. There is even an uneasy awareness that the festive season may be no more than a welcome excuse for direct and indirect self-indulgence; and if the presiding genius is only the jovial St. Nicholas it may well be so. The pleasures of Christmas are not to be depreciated or despised. But exposed as we are to the mixed but powerful sphere which men call the spirit of Christmas, we do well to remember that the true joy of Christmas is that which is produced by the spiritual affection of the interior truths in which the Lord has revealed Himself; the affection which moves the minds of men to say, as did the shepherds: "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 1952

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION       Editor       1952

     This phrase does not refer, as some in the Church have supposed, to the virgin conception of the Lord but to the alleged immaculate conception of Mary herself-a comparatively modern dogma of the Roman Church for which there is no support in Scripture or in the Church Fathers, the origin of which must be sought in the apocryphal gospels. The doctrine was promulgated by Pius IX in 1854, as the result of a long development and struggle, in the Bull Ineffabilis Deus which declares, pronounces, and defines the doctrine "which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary was, in the first instant of her conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, with regard to the merits of Jesus Christ the Savior of the human race, preserved free from every stain of original sin."

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Thus the dogma is that Mary alone, among all men and women, was absolutely free from all implication in the fall of Adam and its result.
     Devotion to the Virgin Mary began early, and the development of the idea of her immaculate conception was undoubtedly favored by mediaeval chivalry and the complex, contradictory elements that entered into it. Yet the indications are that an immaculate conception for Mary was invented in order that her Son might be born without sin. For the Church insisted upon the absolute sinlessness of the Lord; but until the Writings were given it was not known that hereditary evil consists only in tendencies to the evils that have become habitual with parents, that those tendencies are distinct from actual evils, which alone are sins, and that it is therefore possible to have an evil heredity and yet be entirely without sins.
     It is in this sense that the Writings say that "there was with the Lord an evil heredity from the mother in His external man" (AC 1573). Indeed, if the Lord had not assumed an evil heredity by birth into the world there would have been no purpose in the incarnation. For the object of His advent was to subjugate the hells without destroying them; and this could be done only by the assumption of an evil heredity, which enabled the hells to approach, and induce temptations in which they could be conquered by the Lord without being annihilated in the process.
     Yet although the Lord took on an evil heredity temporarily He was, and remained, entirely without sin. Hereditary evil is not sin because it is not actual but only a tendency: and the teaching is given that if man believed that all evil inflows from hell, and does not originate in himself, he would never appropriate, and thus make actual in himself, his inherited tendencies to evil. This the Lord knew and believed, and He was therefore entirely without sin although He took on through birth of Mary the evil heredity of the race He had come to save.
     Protestant theologians have not failed to point out that Mary herself addressed God as her Savior (Luke 1: 47) a truth to which the Writings add final and even more convincing testimony (see TCR 102). There can be no cult of Mary in the New Church, no devotion to the mother of God. In Mary we deeply respect a woman, competent indeed to her most exalted use, but nevertheless a woman: not a unique being conceived without sin apart from her own choice but, what is really higher a true woman who chose freely to overcome her human frailties; a woman whose love could be transmuted, and who could therefore come to believe with joy that the Lord whom she loved was not her son but her God.

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PROVIDENCE AND MENTAL SICKNESS 1952

PROVIDENCE AND MENTAL SICKNESS       Editor       1952

     Among the conditions in which we may be baffled by the inscrutable operations of the Lords merciful providence is senility. For when the mind is incurably enfeebled, when there is no longer possibility or hope of human uses being performed, and it is known from doctrine that there can be no advancement in regeneration, we may have difficulty in understanding why earthly life should continue in what seems to be the absence of the man himself and a state of complete inactivity. It is not forbidden to question the Divine affirmatively, and wonderment may not be inconsistent with a firm faith. Yet to think of senility as a state of complete inactivity, and therefore without use, would be to overlook two important things.
     In the first place, it would be to overlook the truth that the mind, which is the man himself, is immortal-independent of the natural world and the material body, and not subject to decay or death but having always the vigor of youth. Disease may affect the organ by which the mind reveals itself and so impede, or even prevent, its manifestation; but the mind itself is not thereby impaired. As long as bodily life continues, sensations are being received: and these are accompanied by sensations from the spiritual world, an influx of life from the Lord through that world flowing into its spiritual substances. The man himself lives on in the spiritual world; and when the body dies, the mind appears in the spiritual world as sound and vigorous as it was, but as it could not show itself On earth.
     In the second place, to assume that a state of apparent inactivity is really such is to overlook the fact that because man is created to perform a use the Lord would never ordain or permit a complete cessation of all activity, whatever may be the appearance. A state of unawareness, of remoteness from the world, cannot be merely a cessation of all activity. It must be a change of the state of man's inner life; a change involving interruption of his conscious relation with the external world, but an unbroken continuation of processes that are vital to spiritual development, and therefore contributing in secret ways to his eternal welfare-to his organization as a form of use. No other explanation will satisfy the rational mind.
     If man is withdrawn from the world by senility there can be no actual progress in regeneration because he is deprived of the exercise of rationality. But neither can there be opposition. And if there can be no appropriation of spiritual qualities there can be a secret ordering of the spiritual things already imparted that they may receive further things to eternity, and thus an indispensable preparation for progress in the life to come.

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This work of ordination can be done by the Lord alone. If anything of man's conscious will or effort were to enter into it the result would not be order but destruction. And in the lives of some men it would seem that it can be done only by the conscious mind becoming inactive for a considerable period. Yet that state is not one of inactivity but of the purest activity that can go on in the human mind-the pure operation of the Divine Providence unhindered by any interference from man's will or from evil spirits. Previously the Lord's operation has been into the conscious mind, leading and teaching: now it is through the unconscious mind, setting in order those things which have been received through response to that leading and teaching, disposing them into that true relation and harmony which reflects His image and enables them to receive of His life.
     Congenital idiocy, and insanity, pose different problems. In considering them, however, we must remember that idiots and the insane have the faculties of liberty and rationality, although not the ability to become free and rational, and that when they enter the spiritual world those faculties are unimpaired, ready to be opened, or to be developed further, by instruction. We must remember also that they, too, are receiving sensations from the natural world accompanied by spiritual sensations, and that the Lord is operating secretly to organize their minds. As to the use we can only conjecture. But we may note that idiots remain throughout life in the sphere of the celestial guardians of infancy, and suggest that their use is somewhat analogous to that of those who die in infancy, but one requiring in addition the planes furnished by memory and more or less of an external mind. As to insanity, it may be reasonable to suppose that the further organization of the mind can be effected only in a state of withdrawal from the world, or that only by such a withdrawal can the Lord prevent a violation of freedom when the alternative, actual separation from the world by death, is not possible. These are, and can be, no more than conjectures. But the doctrine is clear that if a man be mad his insanity is only of the natural, not the spiritual mind; and that whatever may be the appearance to men, the Lord is operating secretly and continuously to organize the mind into that form of the use it was created to serve which the man will choose.
RECEIVED FOR REVIEW 1952

RECEIVED FOR REVIEW              1952

A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW CHURCH. By

Emanuel Swedenborg. Translated by Rupert Stanley. The Swedenborg Society Incorporated, London, 1952. Cloth. pp. 146.

587


DIRECTORY 1952

DIRECTORY              1952

     GENERAL CHURCH OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

     Officials and Councils

     Bishop: Right Rev. George dg Charms
     Secretary: Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner


     Consistory

     Bishop George de Charms

Right Revs. Alfred Acton; Willard D. Pendleton; Revs. A. Wynne Acton; Elmo C. Acton; Karl R. Alden; Gustaf Baeckstrom; Bjorn A. H. Boyesen; Charles E. Doering; Alan Gill; Frederick E. Gyllenhaal, Secretary; W. Cairns Henderson; Hugo Lj. Odhner; Norman H. Reuter; Gilbert H. Smith.


"The General Church of the New Jerusalem"
(A corporation of Illinois)

General Church of the New Jerusalem"
(A corporation of Pennsylvania)


OFFICES OF BOTH CORPORATIONS

Right Rev. George de Charms, President
Right Rev. Willard D. Pendleton, Vice President
Mr. Hubert Hyatt, Secretary
Mr. L. E. Gyllenhaal, Treasurer


EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ILLINOIS CORPORATION

AND

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA CORPORATION

Right Rev. George de Charms; Right Rev. Willard D. Pendleton; Mr. Daric E. Acton; Kesneil C. Acton, Esq.; Mr. Reginald S. Anderson; Mr. Carl Asplundh; Mr. Edwin I. Asplundh; Mr. Lester Asplundh; Mr. Geoffrey E. Blackman; Mr. Edward C. Bostock; Mr. Robert M. Brown; Mr. Geoffrey S. Childs; Randolph W. Childs, Esq.; Edward H. Davis, Esq.; Mr. James W. Forfar; Mr. Theodore N. Glenn; Dr. Marlin W. Heilman; Mr. Hubert Hyatt; Mr. John E. Kuhl; Mr. Sydney E. Lee; Mr. Tore E. Loven; Mr. Harold P. McQueen; Mr. Hubert Nelson; Philip C. Pendleton, Esq.; Mr. Harold F. Pitcairn; Raymond Pitcairn, Esq.; Mr. F. G. Colley Pryke; Arthur Synnestvedt, Esq.; Mr. Norman P. Synnestvedt.
     Honorary Members: Alexander P. Lindsay, Esq.; Mr. Charles G. Merrell.

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     The Clergy

     Bishops

DE CHARMS, GEORGE. Ordained June 28, 1914; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1916; 3rd Degree, March 11, 1925. Bishop of the General Church. Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. President, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ACTON, ALFRED. Ordained June 4, 1893; 2nd Degree, January 10, 1897; 3rd Degree, April 5, 1936. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
PENDLETON, WILLARD DANDRIDGE. Ordained June 18, 1933; 2nd Degree, September 12, 1934; 3rd Degree, June 19, 1946. Assistant to the Bishop of the General Church, Executive Vice President, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.


     Pastors

ACTON, A. WYNNE. Ordained June 19, 1932; 2nd Degree, March 25, 1934. Pastor of the Olivet Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Visiting Pastor of the Montreal Circle. Address: 2 Elm Grove Avenue, Toronto 3, Ontario, Canada.
ACTON, ELMO CARMAN. Ordained June 14, 1925; 2nd Degree August 5, 1928. Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois. Address: 12 Park Drive, Glenview, Illinois.
ALDEN, KARL RICHARDSON. Ordained June 19, 1917; 2nd Degree, October 12, 1919. Visiting Pastor to the Canadian Northwest, Professor of Education, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
BAECKSTROM, GUSTAF. Ordained June 6, 1915; 2nd Degree, June 27, 1920. Pastor of the Society in Stockholm, Sweden. Visiting Pastor of the Oslo Circle Address: Svedjevagen 20, Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden.
BOYESEN, BJORN ADOLPH HILDEMAR. Ordained June 19, 1939: 2nd Degree, March 30, 1941. Pastor of the Pittsburgh Society. Address: 299 Le Roi Road, Pittsburgh 8, Pa.
BRICKMAN, WALTER EDWARD. Ordained, 1st and 2nd Degrees, January 7, 1900. Address: 818 Indiana Avenue, Weslaco, Texas.
CALDWELL, WILLIAM BEEBE. Ordained October 19, 1902; 2nd Degree, October 23, 1904. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
CRANCH, HAROLD COVERT. Ordained June 19, 1941; 2nd Degree, October 25, 1942. Visiting Pastor to the Western States. Address: 695 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, Calif.
CRONLUND, EMIL ROBERT. Ordained December 31, 1899; 2nd Degree, May 18, 1902. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
DOERING, CHARLES EMIL. Ordained June 7, 1896; 2nd Degree, January 29, 1899. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
GILL, ALAN. Ordained June 14, 1925; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1926. Pastor of the Colchester Society. Address: 9 Ireton Road, Colchester, England.
GLADISH, VICTOR JEREMIAH. Ordained June 17, 1928; 2nd Degree, August 5, 1928. Address: 7646 South Evans Avenue, Chicago 19, Illinois.
GYLLENHAAL, FREDERICK EDMUND. Ordained June 23, 1907: 2nd Degree, June 19, 1910. Pastor-in-Charge General Church Religion Lessons. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
HEINRICHS, HENRY. Ordained June 24, 1923; 2nd Degree, February 8, 1925. Address: R. R. 3, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

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HENDERSON, WILLIAM CAIRNS. Ordained June 10, 1934; 2nd Degree April 14, 1935. Secretary of the Council of the Clergy, Editor of NEW CHURCH LIFE, Instructor in Theology and Religion, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
LIMA, J0AO DE MENDONCA. Ordained, 1st and 2nd Degrees, August 5, 1925. Pastor of the Rio de Janeiro Society Address: Avenida Roy Barboza 266, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
ODHNER, HUGO LJUNGBERG. Ordained June 28, 1914; 2nd Degree, June 24, 1917. Secretary of the General Church. Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Dean of the Theological School, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.
ODHNER, ORMOND DE CHARMS. Ordained June 19, 1940; 2nd Degree, October 11, 1942. Assistant Pastor of the Immanuel Church, Glenview, Illinois. Visiting Pastor, Fort Worth, Madison, St. Paul-Minneapolis Circles, New Orleans and St. Louis Groups, and Chicago District. Address: 2700 Park Lane, Glenview, Illinois.
PRYKE, MARTIN. Ordained June 19, 1940; 2nd Degree, March 1, 1942. Pastor of the Durban Society. Superintendent of the South African Mission Address: Mowbray Place, Musgrave Road, Durban, Natal, South Africa.
REUTER, NORMAN HAROLD. Ordained June 17, 1928; 2nd Degree, June 15, 1930. Pastor of Carmel Church. Kitchener, Ontario. Address: 14 Willow Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
RICH, MORLEY DYCKMAN. Ordained June 19, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 13, 1940. Acting Pastor of Michael Church, London, England Address: 135 Mantilla Road, Tooting, London, SW. 17, England.
ROGERS, NORBERT HENRY. Ordained June 19, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 13, 1940. Pastor of the Detroit Circle, Visiting Pastor in the North Ohio District. Address: 1510 Oxford Road, Berkley, Mich.
SANDSTROM, ERIK. Ordained June 10, 1934; 2nd Degree, August 4, 1935. Assistant Pastor of the Stockholm Society. Visiting Pastor of the Jonkoping Circle Address: Brobyvagen 30, Ensta Park, Roslags Nasby, Sweden.
SIMONS, DAVID RESTYN. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1950. Assistant Pastor of the Bryn Athyn Church. Principal of the Bryn Athyn Elementary School. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
SMITH, GILBERT HAVEN. Ordained June 25, 1911; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1913. Address: South Shaftesbury, R. F. D. 1, Vermont.
STARKEY, GEORGE GODDARD. Ordained June 3, 1894; 2nd Degree, October 19, 1902. Address: Glenview, Illinois.
STROH, KENNETH OLIVER. Ordained June 19, 1948; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1950. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
WHITEHEAD, WILLIAM. Ordained June 19, 1922; 2nd Degree, June 19, 1926. Professor of History, Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa.


     Ministers

CHILDS, GEOFFREY STANFORD, JR. Ordained June 19, 1952. Minister of the Advent Church, Philadelphia, Pa. Visiting Minister to the New York and North Jersey Circles. Address: 5007 Penn Street, Philadelphia 24, Pa.
CRANCH, RAYMOND GREENLEAF. Ordained June 19, 1922. Visiting Minister to the Erie Circle. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
HOLM, BERNHARD DAVID. Ordained June 19, 1952. Assistant to the Pastor of the Durban Society, Assistant to the Superintendant of the South African Mission. Temporary address: Bryn Hotel, 336 Musgrave Road, Durban, Natal.

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KING, LOUIS BLAIR. Ordained June 19, 1951. Minister of Sharon Church, Chicago, Illinois. Address: 5220 Wayne Avenue, Chicago 40, Illinois.
ODHNER, VINCENT CARMOND. Ordained June 17, 1928. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.
PENDLETON, DANDRIDGE. Ordained June 19, 1952. Minister of the Washington, D. C., and Baltimore, Maryland, Circles, Visiting Minister to the South-eastern States. Address: 800 North Carolina Avenue, SE., Washington D C.
ROSE, FRANK SHIRLEY. Ordained June 19, 1952. Visiting Minister to the isolated in Great Britain and to the Circles at Paris and The Hague. Address: 12 Trinity Street, Colchesterc England.

     Authorized Candidates

FIGUREDO, JOSE LOPES DE. Authorized, August 15, 1951. Address: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

FRANSON, ROY. Authorized, February 4, 1952. Address: Bryn Athyn, Pa.

     Authorized Leaders

ENGELTJES, HERMAN G. Authorized, November 4, 1950. Address: Laan van Eik en Duinen 206 The Hague, Holland.
HELDON, LINDTHMAN. Authorized, July 1, 1950. Address: 13 Alexander Street, Penshurst, N. S. W., Australia.
LUCAS, LOUIS. Authorized, August 30, 1950. Address: 173 rue de Paris, Montreuil s/Bois, Seine, France.


     British Guiana Mission

     Pastor-in-Charge

ALGERNON, HENRY. Ordained, 1st and 2nd Degrees, September 1, 1940. Pastor of the General Church Mission in Georgetown, British Guiana. Address: 273 Lamaha Street, Georgetown 4, Demerara, British Guiana, South America.


     South African Mission

     Xosa

KANDISA, JOHNSON. Ordained September 11, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Pastor of the Queenstown and Sterketroom Societies. Address: No. 132, Location, Queenstown. C. P., South Africa.

     Basuto

MOTSI, JONAS. Ordained September 29, 1929; 2nd Degree, September 30, 1929. Pastor of Quthing District. Address: Phahameng School, P. O. Quthing, Basutoland, South Africa.

     Zulu

BUTELEZI, STEPHEN EPHRAIM. Ordained September 11, 1938; 2nd Degree October 3, 1948. Pastor of the Hambrook Society. Address: Hambrook Government School, P. O. Acton Homes, Ladysmith, Natal, South Africa.

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LUNGA, JOHANNES. Ordained September 11, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Pastor of the Esididini Society Address: Esididini School. P. O. Durnacol, Dannhauser, Natal, South Africa.
LUTULI, MAFA. Ordained October 3, 1948. Minister of the Verulam (Natal) and Mayville (Durban) Societies Address: c/o Tongaat Sugar Co., Maidstone, Natal, South Africa.
MATSHININI, TIMOTHY. Ordained August 28, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948.
Pastor of the Alexandra Township Society. Address: 165, 11th Avenue, Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa.
MKIZE, SOLOMON. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Pastor of the Durban District. Address: Durban, Natal, South Africa.
NZIMANDE, BENJAMIN ISHMAEL. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Pastor of the Deepdale & Bulwer Districts Address: c/o Inkumba Government School, P. O. Deepdale, Natal, South Africa.
SABELA, PETER HANDRICK. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Pastor of the Greylingstad Society and District, Address: P. O. Box 38, Greylingstad, Transvaal, South Africa.
SIBEKO, PAUL PEFENI. Ordained October 3, 1948. Address: 106, 10th Avenue Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa.
ZUNGU, AARON. Ordained August 21, 1938; 2nd Degree, October 3, 1948. Pastor of the "Kent Manor" Society. Address: "Kent Manor," P. O. Entumeni, Zululand, South Africa.




     Societies and Circles

     Societies

ADVENT SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA          Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs, Jr.
BRYN ATHYN CHURCH                         Rt. Rev. George de Charms
CARMEL CHURCH OF KITCHENER, ONTARIO          Rev. Norman H. Reuter
COLCHESTER SOCIETY, ENGLAND               Rev. Alan Gill
DURBAN SOCIETY, NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA          Rev. Martin Pryke
HURSTVILLE SOCIETY, N. S. W., AUSTRALIA     (Mr. Lindthman Heldon)
IMMANUEL CHURCH OF GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS     Rev. Elmo C. Acton
MICHAEL CHURCH, LONDON, ENGLAND          Rev. Morley D. Rich
OLIVET CHURCH, TORONTO, ONTARIO          Rev. A. Wynne Acton
PITTSBURGH SOCIETY                    Rev. Bjorn A. H. Boyesen
RIO DE JANEIRO SOCIETY, BRAZIL          Rev. Joao de M. Lima
SHARON CHURCH, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS          Rev. Louis B. King
STOCKHOLM SOCIETY, SWEDEN               Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom


     Circles
                                   Visiting Pastor or Minister
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND                    Rev. Dandridge Pendleton
DENVER, COLORADO                         Rev. Harold C. Cranch
DETROIT, MICHIGAN                         Rev. Norbert H. Rogers (Res.)
ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA                    Rev. Raymond G. Cranch
FORT WORTH, TEXAS                         Rev. Ormond Odhner
THE HAGUE, HOLLAND                    Rev. Frank S. Rose
JONKOPING, SWEDEN                         Rev. Erik Sandstrom
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA                    Rev. Harold C. Cranch (Res.)

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MADISON, WISCONSIN                    Rev. Ormond Odhner
MONTREAL, CANADA                         Rev. A. Wynne Acton
NEW YORK, N. Y.                         Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs, Jr.
NORTH JERSEY                         Rev. Geoffrey S. Childs, Jr.
OSLO, NORWAY                         Rev. Gustaf Baeckstrom
PARIS, FRANCE                         Rev. Frank S. Rose
ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA          Rev. Ormond Odhner
TUCSON, ARIZONA                         Rev. Harold C. Cranch
WASHINGTON, D. C.                         Rev. Dandridge Pendleton (Res.)


     In order to avoid confusion, it seems well to observe, in the Official Records and the Official Journal of the General Church, the recognized distinctions between a "Society," a "Circle," and a "Group."
     A "Group" consists of all interested receivers of the Heavenly Doctrine in any locality who meet together for worship and mutual instruction under the general supervision of pastors who visit them from time to time.
     A "Circle" consists of members of the General Church in any locality who are under the leadership of a regular visiting Pastor appointed by the Bishop and who are organized by their Pastor to take responsibility for their local uses in the interim between his visits. A Group may become a Circle when, on the recommendation of the visiting Pastor, it is formally recognized as such by the Bishop.
     A "Society" or local "Church" consists of the members of the General Church in any locality who have been organized under the leadership of a resident Pastor to maintain the uses of regular worship, instruction, and social life A Circle may become a Society by application to the Bishop and formal recognition by him.
     GEORGE DE CHARMS.
          Bishop.


     Committees of the General Church
                                        Chairmen
British Finance Committee                    Rev. Alan Gill
Committee on Ecclesiastical Garments          Rev. Hugo Lj. Odhner
General Church Religion Lessons               Rev. F. E. Gyllenhaal
Committee on the Liturgy                    Rt. Rev. Willard D. Pendleton
Military Service Committee                    Mrs. Philip C. Pendleton
Committee to Study the Mode of Nominations
     for Membership in the Board of Directors     Mr. Daric E. Acton
Committee on New Church Education in England     Rev. Alan Gill
Committee on New Church Literature               Rev. William Whitehead
Nominating Committee for Board of Directors     Mr. Theodore N. Glenn
Orphanage Committee                         Mr. Hubert Hyatt
Pension Committee                              Mr. Edward C. Bostock
Salary Committee                              Mr. Philip C. Pendleton
Sound Recording Committee                    Rev. W. Cairns Henderson
South African Mission Committee               Rt. Rev. George de Charms
Visual Education Committee                    Mr. William R. Cooper


     Address all Committees, Bryn Athyn, Pa., except the following:

Mr. Daric E. Acton:     330 Le Roi Rd., Pittsburgh 8, Pa.

Rev. Alan Gill:          9 Ireton Rd., Colchester, England

593


Church News 1952

Church News       Various       1952

     CHARTER DAY

     October 17-18, 1952

     Charter Day dawned sunny and cold, and the full colors of autumn had the ideal backdrop of a clear blue sky. The traditional parade to the Cathedral started at 10:45 a.m., and as usual it was impressive and thought provoking-thought provoking because it is becoming more and more evident from the number of banners that the Academy is no longer a young and untried institution.
     Bishop de Charms, President of the Academy, opened the service in the Cathedral and the lessons were read by the Executive Vice President, Bishop Pendleton. In his address, which appears in this issue [pp. 571-575], the Rev. Norbert H. Rogers traced and analysed the history of New Church education, emphasised that the vision seen and defended by the Academy founders must become living to every generation if it is to persist, and warned that we must still guard against the weaknesses and temptations that have challenged New Churns education from the beginning.
     After the address and the service were concluded, the schools, and many of those attending the service, walked back to the campus, where the traditional songs were sung with loyalty and gusto in front of Benade Hall. These were followed by the sorority and fraternity songs-nostalgic reminders for many of how the years were passing! From the size of the crowd gathered on the triangle after the singing it was obvious that Charter Day had again assumed the proportions of a "little Assembly." Societies and Circles in the eastern states and the midwest were well represented, as were the two Societies in Canada.
     As was aptly stated by the toastmaster at the banquet, the afternoon football game-which followed a luncheon at Casa Conti attended by 153 persons-proved once again that the church has not always been successful in staving the onslaughts of the Hunnish hordes. The final score was Hun School 7, Bryn Athyn 0. It was a crisp, hard fought game. Hun School seized and kept the initiative during the first and most of the second half, and it was a credit to our defense that they did not pile up a higher score. During the last few minutes of the game the old Academy spirit was stirred and the team put on a sustained and heartwarming drive. It was pleasing, but it was too late.
     However, the loss of the game seemed to no way to dampen the spirits of those attending the dance on Friday evening. As has been the case in recent years, the Assembly Hall was filled to overflowing, which led to a unique kind of Gorand March-a sort of circular snake dance. The singing after this march was strong and impressive, and among the traditional songs was a new one: "God Save the Queen," sung in honor of all the visitors present from Canada.
     There was nothing scheduled for Saturday morning, except for those attending the Theta Alpha tea and meeting and the Sons Executive meeting and luncheon. On Saturday afternoon there was open house at Glenn Hall and Stuart Hall, which gave the parents a chance to see the luxury of recent improvements in the dormitories.

     It was announced by the toastmaster, the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, that there were some 600 people present at the banquet. The dinner proved to be delicious, the star attraction being the succulent turkey. After the final course of ice cream and coffee had been finished Mr. Henderson called for a toast to the Academy with the singing of the "Alma Mater" song.
     The first speaker, Mr. Kenneth Rose, spoke of "Our Debt to the Academy of the Past." In trying to define the debt owed by all its former students to the Academy he concluded that it was not for knowledges but for principles, for knowledges are all too easily forgotten but principles absorbed with affection remain. He mentioned also the importance of the Academy's emphasis upon teaching the pupils to think from the truth rationally.

594


Today, when atheism and agnosticism are so rationalized that they have become highly palatable, this kind of thinking is necessary to protect the Church. Mr. Rose emphasized that it takes courage to be an avowed New Church man, a courage which the Academy founders seemed to have in ample supply; and said that we need this courage to discharge our debt to the past.
     Bishop Pendleton then spoke about "The Present Responsibilities of the Academy." He mentioned that the essential responsibilities of the Academy are still the same, to carry out the purposes enumerated in the Charter, but that current responsibilities vary according to states and needs and the situation in which the Academy is. The central need of the Academy now is for definitive statements of philosophy and purpose in every course in the curriculum; that is, why do we teach what we do, and how does each course in the curriculum contribute to the Divine end in creation, which is a heaven from the human race. Bishop Pendleton mentioned what is being done in the Educational Council, under Academy leadership, to meet this responsibility.
     In the concluding speech of the evening, entitled "Our Vision of the Academy's Future," the Rev. Karl R. Alden spoke of the great progress that has been made in the Academy in the past 75 years. But he warned that we must not be lulled into complacency by this progress; must not be like the children of Israel who, after conquering the land of Canaan, began to turn away from the Lord. To avoid this we must continue to study the Writings earnestly in an endeavor to discover new and living truths. Moreover we must do more than study. We must shun the enticements of false delights and learn to dedicate ourselves with complete and total submission to the uses of the Church.
     The toastmaster concluded the evening with some stimulating remarks in which he pointed out that the vision of the Academy must be constantly renewed by a rekindling of affection for it; and that this is affection, not for the Academy as an institution, but for loyalty to the truth of the Writings in every phase of life. With the final song, "Our Own Academy," the banquet and the Charter Day celebration then came to an end.
     GEOFFREY S. CHILDS, JR.

     STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

     On Sunday, May 4th, a Spring Festival was held under the auspices of the Young People's Club, Vigor, in a hired ball at Alvik, which is one of the suburbs of Stockholm. The program was divided into two parts. The first part, in the afternoon, was meant for children and was organized by the children of the Sunday School. Among other things there was ballet dancing, and a play was performed.
     The evening program for adults, was opened with the singing of Miss Ingrid Wihsjo. Later, a short comedy was played, and then followed a comical concert by musicians in strange apparel. To the astonishment of the audience most wonderful music filled the hall, and there was much mirth when it was discovered that phonograph records were being used. All during the day a sale of gifts and handwork was going on, a number of women in the society having worked all winter for the occasion. The financial result of so many efforts was encouraging as it amounted to about 1,000 Swedish crowns. Part of this sum is to be used for the publication of a pamphlet on the teachings of the New Church prepared by the members of Vigor themselves. Another part was given to the Society, to be used as the Council wishes; and the rest will go to the work of the Club.
     The Nineteenth of June was celebrated at Elfvinggarden in Appelviken, where Mrs. Ahlberg made all the arrangements. Dr. Baeckstrom delivered an address and read a message from the Rev. Erik Sandstrom, who was away on a pastoral tour. Discussion followed on certain points brought out by Dr. Baeckstrom in his speech.
     During the summer months we were favored with visits from several prominent members of the New Church. Dr. Freda Griffith, Honorary Secretary of the Swedenborg Society in London, arrived in May with the object of getting into touch with the different New Church organizations and groups in Scandinavia. Members of the Society were given the opportunity of meeting her at a social in Alvik. Mrs. Griffith gave an account of the Swedenborg Society-its history, aims, and present activities. We were impressed with the importance of the work being done, especially by the Advisory and Revision Board. Mrs. Griffith's efficiency and quiet, unassuming ways, won her many friends.

595




     Dr. Odhner's Visit.-With great expectation we had been looking forward to the visit of the Rev. and Mrs. Hugo Lj. Odhner. They stayed here two weeks in August and left at the beginning of September. After a number of private entertainments given by their particular friends there was a banquet in the reception rooms of a restaurant in the city. Fifty persons were present, and among the guests was Mr. William R. Cooper who had arrived a few days before. We sat down at the beautifully decorated tables, enjoying the happy atmosphere of mutual friendship and good will. Mr. Sandstrom acted as toastmaster. The principal speakers were Dr. Odhner and Dr. Baeckstrom, but greetings were conveyed to us by the representatives of the groups in Copenhagen Oslo, and Jonkoping-Messrs. Strobeck, Aal, and Johanson. Later in the evening Mr. Cooper showed us colored pictures of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral and of several of our friends over there.
     On the following Sunday a service was held at Alvik. Dr. Odhner preached on the wanderings of the children of Israel in the wilderness, the spiritual meaning of which was brought out and applied to everyday life. As Dr. Odhner delivered his sermon in very good Swedish the whole congregation could understand him, and we were all deeply moved. For this sermon and the one we heard the next Sunday we felt thankful to Dr. Odhner. It made us feel the greatness of the New Church, however small in numbers it may be, and realize what treasures of truth we are offered in the revelation given through Emanuel Swedenborg. We enjoyed also meeting Mrs. Odhner and having her delightful company.
     SENTA CENTERVALL.

     KITCHENER, ONTARIO

     The summer season opened with the Dominion Day picnic on July 1st. Over a hundred people gathered in the school yard to enjoy the fine weather and the annual program of races, sports, supper, bonfire, and dancing. A new attraction on the property this year was the lawn bowling green, which was well initiated at the picnic. It had been in the making for two years, Mr. Ezra Niall doing the work, in what used to be the orchard. During the summer every Friday was picnic night at the church, weather permitting, and some very enjoyable evenings were spent playing volley ball and lawn bowling.
     The Society was very pleased to have Candidate Roy Franson spend five weeks here during the summer. He entered wholeheartedly into society life, preached very worthwhile sermons, and gave an interesting lecture on entering the church as an adult. It was an opportunity for Mr. Franson to gain experience in his coming work and for the Society to make the acquaintance of a future minister. Our only regret was that his family could not accompany him.
     A special meeting was held in July, when Mr. Philip Pendleton of Bryn Athyn introduced to us the new minimum salary plan for elementary school teachers, which plan the Society adopted in principle. Mrs. Pendleton accompanied her husband and it was a pleasure to have them visit us, if only for a day. Twice during the summer, tape recorded programs were held at the church and found very enjoyable.
     Over the Labor Day weekend the teenagers went to Toronto for their fourth annual Young People's Weekend, which they considered a great success.
     The Society had the pleasure of attending a summer wedding on August 16th, the marriage of Miss Mollie Glebe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Glebe, and Mr. William Robert Zeitz of Philadelphia. The Rev. Norman H. Reuter conducted the service, which was preceded by beautiful music. The bridal party included Mrs. Ted Glebe, Miss Nanette de Maine, and Mr. John Messman, Donald and Ted Glebe acting as ushers. The social ball was transformed into a garden for the festive reception at which Donald Glebe, as toastmaster proposed the toasts to the Church and the bride and bridegroom, which were responded to by Mr. Reuter and Ted Glebe. The newly wed couple led the grand march and dancing followed. It was a very happy occasion and we were sorry to say farewell to Mollie and Bill, who are now living in Philadelphia.
     School opening on September 2nd was the first indication that a very pleasant summer was over. There are eight children in the school this year in five grades, ranging from first to eighth, with Miss Nancy Stroh as full time teacher. Mr. Reuter is teaching religion, mathematics, civics, anatomy, and gym, and Mrs. Reuter is teaching religion to the first and third grades. The next indication that summer was over was the departure of fourteen young people for the Academy Schools in Bryn Athyn, leaving quite a hole in the Society, in the homes, and at their favorite Friday supper table.

596



     The annual meeting was held on September 19th. Reports were presented for the past year and committees were chosen for this year's work. This short statements covers what was really a long program, nearly three hours! However, the Society is now ready to carry on for the winter with a full program of activities, and we are thankful that our Pastor's health improved sufficiently over the summer to warrant this.
     Classes and meetings all began in September with good attendances. The Sons, Theta Alpha, and Women's Guild held meetings at which papers were read and plans made for future activities. The high school religion class, reduced to five, is meeting on Friday afternoons this year and is continuing the study of Heaven and Hell. After class the girls set tables for Friday supper. The older young people meet once a month on a Sunday evening and are studying WORDS FOR THE NEW CHURCH; and the young married people's group meets once a month, also on a Sunday evening. As the Philosophy Club does not stop for the summer it went on meeting twice a month, and although small in numbers is still going strong.
     Not to be outdone by the ladies, the gentlemen of the Forward-Sons met at the home of Bruce Scott and, besides having a good time together, presented the Messrs. Donald Barber and Ernest Watts with a traveling bag each with which to travel to the Academy schools to gain wisdom in the way of life.

     Theta Alpha held its opening meeting at the home of Mrs. Ella Brown and on this occasion we were most happy to have the presence of Mrs. Roy Franson. Britta spent three pleasant weeks in Toronto, visiting Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Knight, and we all hope that she will he able to come again before too long a time passes. The Ladies' Circle met at the new and very charming home of Mrs. Robert Brown. For the most part this meeting was given over to a discussion of way; and means for the bazaar planned for November 8th, on which the ladies had been spending much effort.
     The Day School is larger this year than it has been for some time, there being 12 full time pupils, and 5 in the kindergarten, which is held twice each week. Our Pastor is, of course, the Principal, and the teacher this year is Miss Joan Kuhl, who seems to be adjusting herself to her new surroundings to everyone's satisfaction. There are several ladies assisting in the school. Mrs. Sydney Parker, Mrs. Keith Frazee, and Mrs. Thomas Bond take the kindergarten in rotation; Mrs. Wynne Acton teaches Science; Mrs. Thomas Bradfield instructs in sewing; and Miss Edina Carswell and Mrs. Clara Sargeant take care of the training in music. Various ladies take turns in supervising the luncheon hour.

     TORONTO, CANADA

     During July and August the Toronto, Society somewhat confines itself to private activities. Those who do not own summer cottages manage to visit their more fortunate friends. This year the folks in town availed themselves of the privilege of entertaining Candidate Roy Franson, so that the latter found himself quite fully occupied and accordingly made many friends, all of whom look forward to renewing the acquaintance. The arrangement whereby the Societies have the opportunity of meeting the Candidates for the Priesthood is much appreciated.
     Toward the end of August, school days once more came in sight, and Theta Alpha sponsored a shower for the one girl student who was planning to attend the Academy this year. A good representation of the ladies of the society was able to attend, and as a result Miss Betty Charles received a particularly generous number of useful and beautiful gifts.
     The Wednesday Suppers recommenced on the evening of the Annual Meeting of the Society, which followed an orderly pattern. The election of officers gave the following results: Secretary, Mr. Ivan Scott; Treasurer, Mr. Charles White: Assistant Treasurer, Mr. Thomas Bradfield. Other officials who are more or less essential to the smooth functioning of our Society were also elected.
     VERA CRAIGIE.

     OBITUARY

     Mr. George Henry Orchard

     When we learned, on June 29th, of the passing of George Orchard at the relatively early age of 56, we realized how rich had been the experience of his eager spirit, in spite of the physical infirmities which had reduced his activities for a time, and how immeasurably that spirit must now flourish when liberated from bodily restrictions in a realm of higher use.

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Recalling the great delight of our friend in reading the Word and the Writings and reflecting upon their application to his life, the Rev. A. Wynne Acton in his memorial address pictured feelingly the delight with which he would now "enter into the wisdom of the angels." His characteristic humility would enable him to receive that instruction eagerly, for with his keen penetration into the essence and values of spiritual truth he was humble intellectually and was ever anxious not to rely upon his own conceptions but on the Lord's Word.
     Those who shared our friend's love of beauty and nobility in all its manifestations will recall especially how acutely he sensed the poetry and music of words, and how intense was his consciousness-happily shared by his wife and son-of the immortal and ennobling qualities of great music. It was especially fitting, therefore, that the Memorial Service should he preceded by violin and organ arrangements of many of the Bach arias which he so deeply loved.
     George Orchard was born in Liverpool. England, and his first connection with the New Church was with the General Conference, to which his family belonged. He emigrated to Canada later and became acquainted with the Olivet Society. He brought to his new environment a staunch faith in British ideals, which he advocated strongly, although he was always tolerant of the convictions of others. We may well recall in closing the very fitting conclusion of Mr. Acton's address: "May this entrance into new life cause us all to ponder and to enter more fully into the Lord's way of life, that we, in our day, may come into the state of that happy servant to whom the Lord said: 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'"
     KORENE SCHNARR.

     [EDITORIAL NOTE: The original of this notice was apparently lost in the mail. Despite the time that has elapsed we gladly publish this copy which was received recently.]

     THE HAGUE, HOLLAND

     The number of visits we received last summer from people overseas has caused me to write a report earlier than usual. The news that a Visiting Minister to the isolated in Great Britain and to the Circles on the Continent had been appointed was received here with great toy. Very soon after we heard that the Rev. Frank S. Rose was going to visit us in September; besides which we had learned Miss Celia Bellinger, Miss Elaine Cooper, and Mr. Jan Weiss of Bryn Athyn, and Miss Muriel Gill and Miss Olive Cooper of Colehester, were coming to Holland.
     On August 23rd I met the Messrs. Gill and Cooper at the station, and when we reached their hotel we found that the Misses Bellinger and Cooper had already arrived from Denmark. The next day, Sunday, a service was held at my home at which the ladies from Colchester and Bryn Athyn and Mr. Jan Weiss were present. At the request of the visiting ladies we listened to a tape-recorded service in the Dutch language. The sermon, by Bishop de Charms, was entitled "Protection by Means of Prayer." There were 12 persons present. After we had lunched together we listened to messages from Bryn Athyn, and we had the pleasure of hearing the voices of Bishop and Mrs. de Charms. Bishop and Mrs. Acton, the Rev. W. Cairns Henderson, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Synnestvedt, and Miss Creda Glenn. After dinner we relaxed and listened to piano music provided by my daughter Hetty.
     During the following week Mr. Jan Weiss took the ladies around Holland by car, so that they had the opportunity of meeting some of the isolated members and friends of the Church, as well as of doing a great amount of sightseeing. On August 31st we attended a piano recital at Scheveningen, after which we were the guests of Miss Bellinger at lunch.
     At the Francis' home in Rijswijk we listened that afternoon to a tape recorded service, this time entirely in English. The sermon, by Dr. Odhner, was on "The Heavenly Life." After tea we listened once more to the messages from Bryn Athyn. Then, after dinner at my home, my daughter Hetty gave a vocal recital. When the ladies came in to say farewell during the following week we felt that a strong bond of friendship between members of the General Church had come into existence, and we parted with a hearty "au revoir.

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     The announcement of the visit of the Rev. Frank S. Rose on September 7th was good news for the members and friends of the General Church in the Netherlands. Mr. Rose arrived on Saturday, September 6th. Our first impression of him, when he visited us a few years ago, was that of a young student, and of this visit we had very nice memories; but now he has acquired the dignity of a minister, which, however, has not done any barns to his cheerful disposition!
     Saturday afternoon was spent in discussing church matters, and in the evening we looked at films and slides from Bryn Athyn, which again gave us an impression of social life there and also of the beauty of the Cathedral. On Sunday morning Mr. Rose conducted a service. He had been authorized by Bishop de Charms to administer the Holy Supper and 11 communicants partook of the sacrament at the close of the service. The subject of the sermon was "The New Church as a Home for All People." The lessons were read by me in Dutch; and for the accompaniment to the singing and the incidental music we used the tape-recorder, which showed us another use of that instrument. The service much impressed all of us.
     In the afternoon Mr. Rose gave a class on "The Faith of the New Church in its Universal Form." Mr. Jan Weiss acting as interpreter. Then, after dinner, an opportunity was provided for those who had been absent on Saturday to see the slides and the fibs. During the following week. Mr. Rose, accompanied by Mr. Weiss, visited the isolated members and friends of the General Church in the Netherlands.
     HERMAN G. ENGELTJES


     THE CHURCH AT LARGE

     General Convention.-We learn from The New-Church Messenger that Latvian New Church people now in this country have begun to publish their own magazine, The New Age, a mimeographed production which is edited by Mr. Rudolfs Grava.

     Europe.-The New-Church Herald reports that Dr. F. Horn, who was ordained last August by the President of Convention, has taken up his duties at Zurich, where he is assisting the Rev. A. L. Goerwitz. The same periodical contains, on page 158, an interesting account of a visit to all the German-speaking members of the New Church in Switzerland.

     Japan.-A report from Tokyo in The New Church Messenger mentions a "juvenile Sunday service" which is held between Sunday School and the adult service and which is intended for high school boys and girls, of whom there are 17 in the Society. The report also mentions work being done in other New Church groups in Japan.
ACADEMY BOOK ROOM 1952

ACADEMY BOOK ROOM              1952

The General Church of the New Jerusalem. A Handbook of General Information. By Hugo Lj. Odhner. Price. 25c.
The Golden Heart and Other Stories. By Amena Pendleton. Price. $1.00.

The Moral Life. By Hugo Lj. Odhner. Price. $1.00.
Topics from the Writings. By William Frederic Pendleton. Price, $2.00.
THE ACADEMY BOOK ROOM, Bryn Athyn, Pa. Add postage to prices listed.

     COMING SOON

THE SWEDENBORG EPIC: The Life and Works of Emanuel Swedenborg. By Sigrid Odhner Sigstedt. Bookman Associates. "A popular but definitive treatment of the greatest of all Swedes." Price, $4.50.

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General Church of the New Jerusalem 1952

General Church of the New Jerusalem       HUGO LJ. ODHNER       1952



     Announcements





     ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS

     The Annual Meetings of the Council of the Clergy, and of the Board of Directors of the Corporations of the General Church, have been scheduled to take place in the week of January 26th to 31st, 1953, at Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.
     HUGO LJ. ODHNER.
          Secretary.
SECRET OF THE ADVENT 1952

SECRET OF THE ADVENT              1952

     "The arcanum of the Lord's coming into the world is that He united in Himself the Divine to the Human and the Human to the Divine; which could not be done except through the most grievous things of temptation; and thus that by that union it became possible for salvation to reach the human race, in which no celestial and spiritual, or even natural good, any longer remained; and it is this union which saves those who are in the faith of charity. It is the Lord Himself who shows the mercy" (AC 2854).